A guest post, courtesy of Emsisoft. If you have any questions about the topics discussed here or need help implementing them, call, click, or visit us today!

5) Set up a guest WiFi network 
Do you have family coming to stay? Planning on throwing a lot of dinner parties in 2019? If you regularly find yourself playing the role of host, it might be time to set up a guest WiFi network. A guest network allows your guests to connect to the Internet without giving them full-blown access to your home network. This has a couple of advantages from a security perspective:  

1. It reduces the risk of malware spreading. If your guest connects to your primary WiFi using a device that is – unbeknownst to them – infected with malware, there’s a chance that the malware could spread to other devices on your home network and wreak havoc. Setting up a guest WiFi network can help contain the spread of malware and protect the devices connected to the home network.  

1. It limits what information your guests can see. It’s nice to be able to give your guests Internet access, but that doesn’t necessarily you want them to be able to see personal documents or family photo albums that are stored on your home network. A guest WiFi network allows visitors to connect to the Internet without infringing on your privacy.  

You can set up a guest WiFi network in the settings of your router, which can usually be accessed at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 (but not always). Once you’ve logged in as an administrator, look for guest WiFi network settings under “Guest Zone” or “Guest Access” (or similar), and follow the setup instructions. Please note that not all routers have guest network capabilities.  

6) Take control of your IoT devices 
From smart locks to theater systems, gaming consoles to intelligent lighting, the modern home is a wonderland of Internet-connected devices. Otherwise known as the Internet of Things (IoT), these devices are ushering in a new era of convenience and advanced functionality, but they also pose a cybersecurity risk. 
Make 2019 the year in which you take control of your IoT devices. This might involve:  

• Using strong, unique passwords for device accounts. 
• Disabling unnecessary features, particularly those that may affect your privacy and/or network security.  
• Always installing the latest software and firmware to ensure your devices are as stable and secure as possible.  
  
  

7) Start using a password manager
The average Internet user is expected to have more than 200 online accounts by 2020. Manually keeping track of so many login credentials is next to impossible, which explains why passwords such as “123456”, “password” and “qwerty” remain – much to the delight of cybercriminals – so popular. Using brute force or social engineering tactics, hackers can easily break into accounts guarded by weak passwords and steal whatever information lies beyond.  
 The good news is you don’t have to choose between convenience and a strong password. Password managers enable you to create and store highly secure passwords on the fly, and easily enter them when prompted. There are a few great password managers on the market, including RoboForm, which provides excellent encryption, multi-platform support and an excellent customizable password generator.
  
8) Encrypt your flash drives and external HDDs 
It’s all too easy to lose a flash drive or external hard drive, particularly if you’re a student or regularly travel for work. In the unfortunate event that your external drive is lost or stolen, you need to be certain that the data it contains cannot be accessed by whoever’s hands it falls into.  
External drive encryption comes in two main flavors:  

• Hardware: A number of manufacturers make secure flash drives that come equipped with a physical pin pad or fingerprint scanner, which prevent access to the contents of the drive without the correct input. As you might imagine, these secure drives are significantly more expensive than regular external drives. 

• Software: You can also use software to encrypt your external drives, making your files inaccessible to anyone without the password. Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 10 come with built-in drive encryption software called BitLocker. Alternatively, you may wish to use VeraCrypt, a free, open-source encryption tool. 
  
  

9) Install an ad blocker 
Almost 1 in 3 people (31 percent) in the United States use an ad blocker, according to a report from Deloitte – and it’s easy to see why. By filtering out HTML elements that contain advertising, ad blockers can protect you against PUPs and malvertising, stop cookies that track your browsing and speed up your web browsing.  
There are a few different options available for each web browser, but one good option is uBlock Origin; a free, open-source ad blocker that works with most major browsers.  

10) Be more mindful on social media 
Social media platforms have become a hotbed for cybercrime in recent years thanks to the sheer number of users they attract, how easy it is to create fraudulent accounts and how quickly malicious content can be distributed.  
Make it your goal in 2019 to be more mindful on social media. Think before you click on any links that appear in your feed or personal messages (even if you know and trust the sender), be selective with friend requests (no matter how attractive they look in their profile picture) and don’t share your phone number, address, place of work or any other personal information that could make it easier for someone to steal your identity.  
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Maximize Internet security in 2019 
We don’t know what the rest of the year has in store for you, but one thing is certain: malware isn’t going away any time soon. By practicing the security tips discussed in this article you’ll be in a great position to make 2019 your most cyber secure year ever.  

A guest post, courtesy of Emsisoft. We’ll cover the remaining 6 security tips in next week’s column, so stay tuned! If you have any questions about the topics discussed here or need help implementing them, call, click, or visit us today!

The new year is here, and now is the perfect time to wipe the slate clean and start 2019 off on the right foot. While many people’s New Year’s resolutions will be centered around eating healthier and exercising more, here at Emsisoft we’re more concerned about your digital wellbeing. 
 
Cybersecurity promises to remain an important topic in the year ahead as more internet-connected devices enter the home, attackers increasingly leverage the power of AI and consumers come to rely even more on cloud-based services. But all is not lost! Regardless of what 2019 brings, good basic cyber hygiene is still the best defense for protecting yourself against modern digital threats. We’ve rounded up 10 simple Internet security tips to make 2019 your most cyber secure year ever.  

1) Make backups 
A good backup strategy offers the ultimate peace of mind. In the event of data loss – due to, say, ransomware or hardware failure – you can simply restore your system to its original safe state.  
The 3-2-1 backup strategy is a great starting point for most home users and SMBs. It involves: 
• Keeping 3 copies of your data. 
• Storing 2 of these copies locally on different devices (e.g. external hard drives) 
• Storing 1 copy offsite (e.g. using a cloud-based backup service). Maintaining an offsite copy is critical for ensuring your backup is safe even in the event of theft or a natural disaster. 
Implementing a good backup strategy does require a bit of planning (and probably a small amount of money) but the investment is absolutely worth it. Sleep easy in 2019 knowing that your files will be safe from harm even if your system falls.  

2) Invest in reliable antivirus software 
Hundreds of thousands of malware samples are produced every single day – a trend that’s unlikely to stop any time soon. The most effective way to protect your system against worms, trojans, ransomware, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) and other malicious software is to invest in a reliable antivirus solution. There are a number of worthy contenders on the market. When it comes to choosing antivirus software, it’s important to remember that detection rates are just one piece of the puzzle. For example, factors such as system impact, usability, support and the company’s privacy policy may all influence your decision. If you’re looking for a proven antivirus solution that won’t slow your system down, feel free to download a free 30-day trial of Emsisoft Anti-Malware.  

3) Splash out on a VPN subscription
If you’re a frequent traveler, regularly on the road for work or generally concerned about your privacy, you might want to think about getting a subscription for a VPN service. What does a VPN actually do? Well, when you browse the Internet, there’s a transfer of information taking place back and forth between your computer and the websites you access. However, this information can potentially be intercepted, allowing attackers to steal sensitive information such as your passwords, emails and login credentials.  
A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and any websites your visit. This makes it much more difficult to identify your system as a source of data, and it also means that any information that is intercepted is encrypted and more or less useless to the bad guys.  

4) Enable 2FA wherever possible
Two-factor authentication (or 2FA for short) adds an extra layer of security that is used to ensure that people trying to log in to a website or service are really who they say they are.  
Enabling 2FA means that, in addition to entering your username and password when accessing an account, you’ll also need to provide another piece of information that proves your identity. For example, many banks will issue tokens that generate a one-time use password or send you a verification code to your mobile phone.  

Most banks, email providers, online stores and other major service providers will offer an option for 2FA, so be sure to enable it wherever possible. It only takes a few extra seconds to log in using 2FA, but it can single-handedly thwart cybercriminals from getting access to your personal accounts (although it should be noted that 2FA is not a perfect solution).  

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We often tend to be creatures of habit, particularly when it comes to technology.  Passwords are a prime example.  Many of us use the same logins for multiple websites and applications because we don't have a photographic memory.  A large percentage of users aren’t aware that this is one of the most significant security dangers they can face online.  It has a simple fix too.

Regularly, in the news today, there are stories about major companies being hacked, their customer data stolen, and their customers left stranded.  Hackers commonly use data stolen from one site to access others where login credentials have been reused between accounts.  In some cases, access to bank accounts has been gained simply by using a compromised email account.
Businesses and individuals can face significant losses simply because a third party outside their control has been hacked or compromised.

The Danger of Old Passwords
MySpace is a key example of why old and possibly forgotten services pose a security danger when passwords haven't been regularly changed.  Once a thriving popular network, the use of MySpace services declined drastically from 2007 onwards.  While many people moved to new social networks, old accounts typically remained abandoned on their servers.  Hundreds of millions of accounts remained on MySpace servers many years past the firm's peak. In 2016, MySpace suffered a data leak which exposed usernames, emails, and passwords of 360 million user accounts.  Shortly after the hack, these details were published online for anyone to see.  Many were used to access email accounts, servers, and accounts that shared the same details.

Shared Responsibility
Even if you have never had a MySpace or social media account personally, how many of your employees or coworkers have one or more?  Many have had more social media, forum, or game accounts than they care to remember.  Have their passwords been updated since 2016? Your business network protects your systems, work, and intellectual property.  For many firms it's the single most critical component, the backbone to business operations.  Keeping it secure regardless of the number of people, staff or clients using it is a crucial task. Consider how many people currently have access and how many of those may reuse their password on another website or service.  Just reusing your password once can expose you to the hacking of a third party entirely out of your control.

Password Management
Good security practice is to use a unique and strong password for every login you use.  A strong password should include, where possible, capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and character symbols.  Many consider this impractical or even impossible, but it is entirely achievable for every firm.
It is clearly impossible to manually remember a strong password for each one of the dozens of logins needed today.  Few would even attempt to.  A password manager makes storing, retrieving, and using unique passwords easy. When using a password manager, an individual is required to remember only one single strong password to access a database which contains a different login password for each service.  This database can be synced between multiple devices, saved and backed up to the cloud, and even used to create strong passwords for you.

Strong Protection
Password managers can be used to implement security policies that demand zero password reuse, between services or over time, and set strict limits over the duration a password can last.  With the right policies in place, both your business and your employees are protected against attacks from hackers that have compromised third-party sites. The maximum recommended lifetime of a password for any service is a single year.  Make the start of the calendar year the time which you refresh your passwords and start new.
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To help keep on top of your security and make sure your firm is safe well into the new year, give us a call at 715-255-0325.

Running the Best Security Software
Most computers today run at least some form of basic antivirus.  In the modern day however, threats have evolved to be more sophisticated, more damaging, and much more common.   Ransomware, malware, phishing, and zero-day attacks all work to attack unpatched systems without strong security.
Today, to keep up with increasing threats, you need a complete security package.   A layered system means more than just virus scanning.  A comprehensive security package includes prevention, detection, behavior and system monitoring at a minimum.   These layers work together to provide security many times stronger than a stand-alone system. Reliable, up-to-date, security keeps you safe online.  It's a resolution you simply can't afford to skip.

Clean Up Files
Cleaning up unnecessary files is the number one way to gain additional storage space on a typical device.  It's cost-effective without any extra hardware purchases too. Almost all computers have files hanging around from old software, data or applications they no longer need.  Just like tidying the spare room or de-cluttering the kitchen, clearing files off your desktop and organizing your emails will leave your computer feeling refreshed and new again.

Restart Your Computer
Fully shutting down a computer and rebooting can take time.  When you are watching the clock, waiting to start a task or get work done, it can feel like an eternity.  Most of us enjoy simply opening the lid or powering on the screen to have everything ready to run.
At times, a computer may not be fully restarted in weeks or even months.  Our poor habits can cause issues with running software and the operating system too. Hardware updates, security patches, and critical updates often wait for a reboot before they install.  Waiting too long can leave security flaws open and the system vulnerable to attack. Merely performing a reboot every once in a while can secure your system and help get rid of software problems.  Often updates prevent new issues from cropping up too.

Use A Password Manager
Hacks of large institutions and popular websites are frequently in the news today.  Almost every month a major service reveals they have been hacked, their database compromised, and their customer credentials have been stolen.

For this reason, it is very unwise to use the same password to access multiple websites.  This can be a challenge for many.  It's clearly impossible to remember a unique and secure password for every site you visit.  We recommend using a password manager that can store and recall your passwords for you.
A good password manager relies on just one, very secure, remembered password to safeguard an encrypted database of all your login credentials.  The password database is often stored in the cloud for access from all your necessary devices.  A manager can typically assist in creating a strong, secure password for each of your accounts too. Using a good password manager and unique password for every site protects you against the attacks commonly in the news.  Hacks compromising major services from your providers will be significantly less effective against directly affecting your other accounts and services.

Keep Your Computer Away from Dust
Dust, hair, and household debris are one of the major causes of premature death for computers.  Fans, used to cool components, suck in house dust as well as the air they need.  This dust often clogs up the inside of the device and overheats internal components. If possible, keep a tower PC off the carpet, don't run your laptop sitting on the floor, blanket, or soft furnishings.  Cleaning out your device is as good a resolution as any, and there's never a better time than now.
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For a little help sticking to your digital new year resolutions and starting off on the right foot, give us a call today at 715-255-0325 to schedule a Tune Up for your system!

The end of the year is lot like a like a long road trip for me. There’s the anticipation at the start of the journey, the “are we there yet” moments, then the times you wonder if you’ll ever arrive, and finally, the downhill plunge as the end rushes up to meet you.

Since we wouldn’t exist without our wonderful customers, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at 2018 and give you a preview of what to expect in 2019.

Thank You!
Firstly, I would like to thank each one of our customers. It has been our pleasure to serve you over this past year and we are very grateful for your business! Your success is our success, so here’s to an amazing 2019!

Office Remodel
The office was getting a bit cramped, so we came up with a new floorplan to better utilize our space. In the process, we also finished off more of the room by adding carpeting (courtesy of Hank’s Furniture), built a new custom desk for my area, installed a new network cabinet and cabling for the office equipment (courtesy of 1st Communications), added an open equipment rack for testing and preparing customer equipment before delivery, and installed a coffee bar. We also began finishing the exposed foundation wall but haven’t quite completed it yet. Lots of visitors comment on the new window, even though we had one there before of the same size. I suspect it’s the nice framing my friend Adam did that makes it standout so much. Thanks Adam!

Service Expansion
We’ve seen tremendous growth in 2018 with lots of new residential and business customers. While our primary service area has always been Thorp and the surrounding communities, our remote service and monthly support options have allowed us to expand to serve customers all over WI, and even such diverse places as Washington, Florida and Minnesota! Did you know that we offer continuous maintenance plans for business and residential customers? We take the worry out of keeping your computer up to date and secure, so you can just enjoy using it.

We’ve also expanded our purchasing options for business customers to include project financing, leasing, and hardware as a service. Professional options like these allow you tremendous flexibility to grow your business. For example, we all know that technology is rapidly evolving and as it underpins every aspect of your operations, we know the value in keeping it in good condition.  Replacing it often seems to be a daunting task and expense but imagine if you changed that capital expense into an operational expense. Instead of trying to guess what your IT budget might be, you can know what it will be, including hardware, security and even support! If you’d like to remove the headache and uncertainty of your technology infrastructure, contact us today!

Looking Forward
 2019 looks to be an exciting year! The driveway will be getting paved and the office remodeling will be done so we can have our open house/customer appreciation event, hurray!  We’ve been diligently researching new tools to elevate our services even higher for our customers and anticipate rolling them out over the course of the first quarter of 2019. Included in these are new backup options and additional service plan offerings. We are also in the process of recruiting additional staff to maintain our excellent service to you.

There are also some exciting things happening in the tech world that we’re looking forward to. With the current drop in cryptocurrency prices, graphics card pricing has been dropping as supplies of these components increase. We’re also seeing improvements to CPUs from both Intel and AMD which will increase the performance of integrated graphics processing in laptops and low-end desktops. Speaking of CPUs, AMD is set to release a new generation of their Ryzen and Threadripper processors that should see CPUs breaking the 5GHz threshold as a base speed. What this technobabble means for consumers is that computers will be getting even faster while increasing efficiency.
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There is a lot more on the horizon for all of us, let us each make the most of every opportunity that we encounter!

Those of you using Emsisoft Anti-Malware may have seen an alert from the program about "Browser Security" not being installed. Before you panic, please understand that this does not mean that your security is compromised or otherwise malfunctioning. As part of the most recent update to the program, Emsisoft has added an optional browser extension as another layer of protection for your computer. It is entirely optional; if you don't install it, nothing bad will happen. You can call or email us for more details on this new feature, or check out Emsisoft's article linked below.

help.emsisoft.com/en/1974/emsisoft-browser-security/