I trust 2018 is already off to a fantastic start for your business. As I talk with customers like you and examine the technology landscape, one consistent theme is an increased pace of change not just in technology but in the kinds of assets and information businesses and professionals are looking to protect. Our mission here at NUMENTIS is to help keep our customers’ data safe and secure, especially when so much is depending on it and the cost of losing it is extremely high.
A key role for our customers as their managed services provider (MSP) is to protect their information including intellectual property, financial records, and passwords, but also to provide guidance and encourage best practices for data handling. Sadly, there are many ways where “bad actors” try to take what is of value from businesses like yours. We’ve put together some tips below to help bring awareness so you can better protect yourself and your business.
Software Updates: When you receive a notification to update your software from a trusted source, make sure that update happens quickly. Typically one of the reasons for the update is to plug potential security gaps and is automatically handled if you have a managed service provider in the GTA.
Too Good to Be True: Regardless of whether you receive an offer online or in the real world, if the offer seems too good to be true then more than likely it is. Don’t click on the link. Delete the email. Don’t provide your personal information (especially your social security number). If it’s a phone call, hang up. If you don’t engage the scammer, they can’t engage with you.
Email Scams (Phishing): The scammer will send you an email that looks like an official email from a company you already do business with and in that email they will be requesting information. These fake emails can be hard to detect. If you feel for any reason there is something “fishy” with the email, type in the URL of the website yourself rather than clicking on a link. Or call the contacting company’s customer service. Only use the phone number that you’ve used in the past or taken from their official website — do not use a phone number provided in the potentially phishing email.
To sum it up… Keep updated! Don’t engage if it’s too good to be true. And if you’re unsure, contact us, your managed service provider (MSP) in Mississauga.
