Recent Blog Posts

Warning: Google Docs Hit With Phishing Attack

Not only does the email look convincing, it’s also often coming from a contact you already know. Even worse, the link takes you to a Google.com URL with a legitimate-looking login screen. However, once you log in with your Google credentials, whoever is behind the attack will have full access to your account. Once it has them, it sends the same email to your contact list in an attempt to propagate itself. This attack is well-crafted, to the point where the easiest way to catch it before getting snared is to click the small link on the page that Google hosts to check the developer’s information. Since the attack utilizes legitimate Google account functions, however, who would think to check? Whenever you get an unsolicited email with links or attachments, it’s critical to think before you click! Fortunately, Google was able to apparently put the kibosh on this attack within an hour of taking action, but there’s still no indication of who was responsible for this attack or if/when they will strike again. Therefore, it is important to understand how to avoid falling victim to emails like this in general. First, if there’s ever any doubt of an email’s validity, check out some of the indicators that tend to go overlooked. This attack in particular had some oddities–for example, the email was addressed to “hh************@********or.com.” Secondly, if an email is unexpected, it never hurts to confirm its validity with the sender through an alternate method of communication. To protect your business, you need to be sure that your staff understands that threats like this could be a major problem. In the meantime, be sure to keep your eyes out for more email-based phishing scams and other threats. If you do come across questionable messages, don’t hesitate to report it immediately, so that everyone on your team becomes cognizant of the threat. For more information about phishing scams, social engineering tactics, and other attempts to infiltrate your network, contact the IT professionals at White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800 today.

Tip of the Week: How to Legally Download Videos From Netflix

Keep in mind that this requires that you have the official Netflix mobile app installed. You can?t just use the web browser on your device to download the videos. Furthermore, not every single video you find will be available for download, but there is still quite a large library to choose from. Your first step is to download the app. To see the videos that are available for download, you just tap or click the button in the top-left side of the screen and select Available for Download. For your selected videos, a down arrow will appear with the word Download next to it. Any downloaded videos you have can be found in the Netflix app. Just click the menu and select My Downloads. This will show you all of the details that you need to know, such as how large they are. This is especially important to preserve space on your devices, as you never know what you?ll need to do with it while you?re on a trip. Now let?s say that you need to delete a video from your downloads. To do this, just select the show and click the Downloaded button. You will then be shown a window that allows you to Delete Download. Once you?ve done this, just select the videos that you want to delete by checking the boxes in the right-hand corners. Once you?ve done this, just click the trash can and you?ll delete any of your selected videos. How do you plan on using Netflix?s download feature? Are there any other situations where you might find this useful? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe for more helpful technology tips and tricks.

You Deserve an IT Provider that Cares as Much as You Do

When it comes to outsourcing your company?s IT management, you?re going to want to be sure that your company?s assets are being handled with the same level of care and oversight that you yourself would provide. After all, you wouldn?t want to hand over the access to all of your company?s digital assets to just any computer guy in the phone book, right? White Mountain IT Services can be your trusted IT provider, due to the simple fact that we treat our client?s technology as if it were our own. How White Mountain IT Services Protects Your BusinessWhile there are many aspects of your business that need protection, one of the most crucial things to secure is your company?s data, seeing as it?s under constant attack from cyber threats. The best way to secure your network from potential data breaches is by taking proactive steps and monitoring the situation, a service we provide with our enterprise-level security solutions and remote IT support. Then there?s the risk of user error that must be mitigated. Users on your network can do some incredibly dumb things, like downloading an attachment from a spam message or interacting with malicious websites. Unfortunately, you?re unable to stand behind each and every employee and monitor their Internet usage. Although, with White Mountain IT Services as your trusted IT provider, you can outsource the monitoring of your network to us and we?ll do it remotely, which is more efficient than having to peer over an employee?s shoulder. How White Mountain IT Services Manages Your TechnologyThen there?s the reality that your company?s technology can essentially go haywire at any moment and completely derail operations. In such a scenario, a specialized touch is needed to resolve the issue, restore order, and get operations up and going again. It?s times like these when you?ll really want an IT provider that you can trust. The advantage of having a managed service provider like White Mountain IT Services care for your network is that it frees you up to accomplish important tasks. Plus, we go above and beyond to manage your company?s technology, which provides you with the reliability you need in order to sustain your company?s operations. This in turn frees you up to focus on the important aspects of running your business, like improving your company?s core services. The IT technicians at White Mountain IT Services are able to provide top-notch care for your company?s technology by giving it the time and attention it deserves. We can remotely monitor and maintain your company?s network and catch IT issues before they develop into major problems, like a data breach that compromises the security of your business. We can also come on-site at a moment?s notice and tend to any IT problems that you may run into, as well as provide 24/7 Help Desk support. To partner with an IT provider that treats your technology as if it were our own, call White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800.

Social Media: The Most Effective Tool for Phishing Scams

In a recent security report released by security company phishd by MMR InfoSecurity, the company simulated attack campaigns targeting almost a million users. ITProPortal reports that ?Almost a quarter of users clicked a link to be taken to a fake login screen. Out of that number, more than half (54 percent) provided user credentials, and 80 percent downloaded a file.? These findings translate roughly to more than 10 percent of targeted users falling victim to the first two stages of the simulated attack and disclosing their user credentials. When you compare this rate to a traditional hacking method like spam email where the success rate is a fraction of a percentage point, you can see why hackers and scammers are turning to social media in droves. Diving deeper into this study gives business owners even more reason to worry. James Moore, Managing Director of phishd by MWR InfoSecurity, observes, ?More concerning is that out of those targeted with a social media request or a promotional offer, more than 10 percent downloaded a potentially malicious file via their corporate email accounts.? This means that a significant number of users have connected their social media activity to their work email accounts, a bad move that increases the risk of a company experiencing a data breach. This study highlights the importance of businesses safeguarding their data by including strategies to protect them from phishing scams. Ultimately, this requires a multi-prong approach. In addition to implementing standard security tools like antivirus, spam blocking, and content filtering (which you can use to block social media websites on your network), you?ll want to include training so users will know how to spot a phishing scam, be it found on social media or elsewhere. Otherwise, hackers will utilize a lure so convincing that a user will bypass all of the security measures you?ve put in place–all so they can take advantage of a bogus deal, connect with a fake Facebook friend, respond to a fake job offer, etc. Today?s businesses must protect their data from threats on every side: social media, email, mobile devices, malicious websites, and more. Is your business prepared to deal with the complex world of network security? If not, then scammers will take advantage of your blind spots and lure your network users into their traps. To make sure that your business is protected from the worst of the web, call White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800.