Beware of Romance Scams

Beware of Romance Scams

‘Tis the season for love. And with it comes the opportunity for cybercriminals to pitch their romance scams. Millions of people fall victim to these fraudulent schemes every year. In a romance scam, a person posing as a potential romantic partner uses online dating websites, social media platforms, or other online channels to build a relationship with their target, gain their trust, and ultimately trick them into sending money or personal information.

While anyone can fall prey to a romance scam, the risks are particularly high for people who are looking for love online. And at this time of year, you’re reminded of how “important” it is to be in a relationship through marketing. In many cases, scammers will create fake profiles. This includes using pictures of attractive people, and crafting elaborate stories to win over their targets. They may even spend weeks or months building a relationship. They work their way up to asking for money, making it difficult for victims to recognize the scam until it’s too late.

How Do Romance Scams Work?

There are several common scenarios in which romance scams occur. For example, scammers may claim to be in the military, working overseas, or traveling for business, and ask their targets to send money to cover unexpected expenses or emergencies. In other cases, scammers will claim to have fallen in love with their target and ask for money to help them travel to meet, or to cover expenses related to a business venture.

Regardless of the specifics, the end goal of a romance scam is always the same: to trick the victim into sending money. And once the scammers have what they want, they disappear, leaving their victims heartbroken and out of pocket.

Protect Your Heart – And Your Wallet

To protect yourself from a romance scam, be cautious when meeting people online.

Here are some tips to help you stay safe:

♥️ Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue, especially if they are located overseas.

♥️ Do not share personal information – your full name, address, financial details, etc. – with anyone you haven’t met in person.

♥️ Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person, even if they claim to be in a crisis.

♥️ Do your research. If someone seems too good to be true, that’s likely the case. You can run a background check on them using their name and any other information they’ve provided.

♥️ Use reputable dating websites that have security measures in place to protect users from scams. Ask friends or look online if you want to remain anonymous in your research.

♥️ Always trust your gut! If something seems off or too good to be true, it probably is.

Final Thoughts - Beware of Romance Scams

 

Final Thoughts

Remember, if you suspect that you are being scammed, the best thing to do is to stop communicating with the person immediately. Then report the scam to the relevant authorities. This could be your local police as well as the Federal Trade Commission.

Romance scams are a growing problem. However, by being vigilant and following some basic safety tips, you can protect yourself from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes. Cybersafety means protecting your world in every aspect – that includes your heart and your hard drive!

Make sure your personal and business assets are fully protected by contacting DataGroup Technologies, Inc. (DTI) today! Call us at 252.329.1382 or drop us a line at support@dtinetworks.com to see how we can help you Simplify IT!

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This article originally appeared on the Breach Secure Now! blog.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT
Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

 

If you’re like most businesses today, you rely heavily on technology to support your daily operations. When your systems stop working properly, productivity grinds to a halt, employees and customers become frustrated, and your bottom line suffers.

A singular IT disaster can set your company back months, decimate your budget, leave staff struggling to pick up the pieces, and seriously risk damaging your reputation. From data loss to network malfunctions, downtime due to IT issues costs businesses in excess of $1.5 million each year in terms of lost productivity and sales.

There are two primary ways of addressing IT support for any business: the reactive approach and the proactive approach.

Some might argue that a reactive approach has its benefits. Common wisdom says that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” If your business is tight on cash, you may be seeking ways to cut expenses – and in general, you don’t see the point in paying for something you might not need.

With a reactive approach to IT support, when something goes wrong you try to get in touch with a technician to come and check your systems, then wait for them to resolve the issue.

The problem with this working model is that it can lead to significant downtime. The technician will first need to analyze the problem before they can get to work on it. If updates or replacement hardware are necessary, business operations could be disrupted even further until the upload or order is completed.

Reactive IT support staff often don’t have the right tools in place to keep tabs on the end user’s experience, instead relying on issues being reported as they crop up.

According to a recent study by Forrester Research, 35% of the time IT support first learns about issues when end users contact the service desk and open a ticket. This is because their support is reactive rather than proactive.

In order for your business to be able to foresee the challenges that may lie ahead, you need to take a more proactive approach to your IT needs. Proactive IT support allows you to better manage your IT budget, secure your data, and avoid some of the major technology risks that your business faces today. 

Through continuous monitoring and real-time analytics, proactive IT support provides excellent insight into your IT infrastructure and endpoints from the end user’s perspective. Potential problems are spotted early and resolved before they can jeopardize your business.

Businesses that opt to outsource their IT needs to a managed services provider (MSP) can expect to save time, money, and stress in the long run. MSPs continuously monitor a company’s infrastructure in search of would-be problems and work to remedy those issues before a major catastrophe occurs.

 

What Is Reactive IT Support?

Let’s dive into this one a little bit deeper.

Reactive IT support involves taking measures to correct problems only when they materialize. It’s often referred to as the “break-fix” model. Under this model, when something goes wrong the business contacts IT support – whether it’s an in-house team or an external company – and makes arrangements to have the problem repaired as quickly as possible. The business is then forced to wait for the IT team to address and resolve the issue, all too often resulting in a great deal of downtime.

The cost of a provider agreement for reactive IT support tends to be lower than a fully managed plan, primarily because this support is implemented on an as-needed basis. If your business already employs in-house staff to provide general IT maintenance, partnering with a reactive support team gives your company access to highly skilled, reliable resources at a budget-friendly price tag. 

Having a variable service agreement means you’ll only be billed for the time that’s spent fixing problems, and this can be a very attractive option for companies with limited financial resources. But there’s a catch.

The time that elapses between detecting a problem and getting it resolved can be hours or days, depending on the specific situation. In that time, significant damage could be done to your system. Since a typical IT project often surpasses its original budget by 45%, fixing an existing problem can be both cumbersome and costly for your business.

 

What Is Proactive IT Support?

Now, for the good news!

With proactive IT support, you can stay ahead of your technology problems. You don’t have to worry about losing productivity, damaging your company’s reputation, or tanking employee morale. Plus, it’s much more budget-friendly in the long run!

Proactive support is all about prevention – mending potential problems before they can snowball into much more severe issues. By proactively managing your IT support needs, you can empower your business to do more with its technology. You’ll get more out of your existing systems, establish new solutions in a strategic fashion, and develop long-term plans for business growth.

Key components of proactive IT support involve automating certain processes and monitoring technology assets to further streamline operations and make analyzing and identifying issues in advance considerably easier.

12 Advantages of Proactive IT Support Businesses

Proactive IT support offers several distinct advantages that can make a considerable difference for businesses. Here are 12 benefits of taking a more proactive approach to your IT needs:

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Early Detection of Problems

Through continuous monitoring, your IT support partner is able to identify potential issues before they even occur. Resolving problems quickly prevents them from extending to other parts of your system. More often than not, a problem can be eliminated and maintenance carried out before it’s even detected by end users.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Increased Productivity

Employees and clients depend on your technology to help them achieve their goals. Software and hardware failures and other IT-related issues cause disruptions that can hamper productivity and foster frustration for all parties involved.

Solving issues proactively means less time sitting around waiting for repairs to be completed. Reducing the risk of downtime empowers your workforce to be as productive as possible.

Productivity and happiness go hand in hand. Giving your staff the right tools for the job creates a more harmonious, happier workplace.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Upgraded Cybersecurity

A proactive IT support team can manage every aspect of your cybersecurity, from software updates to employee training.

They’ll create security plans, protect your network against basic threats, and outline steps to take if systems are breached.

Managed antivirus and antimalware programs help keep viruses and malware at bay, while strategic backup procedures ensure that data loss doesn’t occur.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Predictable Costs

Most managed services providers offer their services for a fixed monthly fee which covers ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and updates, making it easier to budget your IT expenditures accurately and strategically.

You may pay more in a given month than your would in a variable fee arrangement, but you’ll also incur fewer costs as a result of downtime. When tech problems inevitably arise, you won’t have to worry about an unexpectedly high bill for repairs.

Having your systems continuously monitored keeps your infrastructure in good working order at all times. It’s always cheaper to prevent technology failure than it is to clean up the mess afterward.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Team of IT Professionals

When you partner with a managed services provider for proactive IT support, you have an entire team of certified IT experts at your service, instead of just one or two individuals whose daily grind consists of putting out fires or solving routine problems.

These IT specialists recognize how each device on your network plays an essential role in the operations of your company.

Having a team in place to keep an eye out for problems and handle them in a timely manner gives even smaller companies the IT support strength of much larger institutions.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Better Decision-Making

Before the onboarding process even begins, an MSP will perform a strategic analysis of your IT infrastructure to identify any areas of weakness that could impede optimal performance.

Based on automated tools provided by the MSP, you will be able to make informed decisions about your specific IT needs.

Having all the information presented clearly in front of you puts you in the driver’s seat, making it easier to see when you need to scale up.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Strategic Planning

From carrying out thorough risk assessments to inventorying your IT assets to updating your software and hardware to align with your business goals, MSPs are fully equipped to handle all strategic aspects of your IT.

A proactive strategy allows you to adapt to a changing business environment and meet future challenges head-on. MSPs will work to head off issues that can not only crop up again but worsen over time.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Regular Updates & Patches

Many successful cyberattacks rely on unpatched hardware and software. A proactive update schedule minimizes opportunities for hackers to intrude on your systems.

The most recent patch may also add new features that could improve overall performance.

Proactive upgrades are particularly beneficial for maintaining older technology that may be more vulnerable to attacks. MSPs can schedule these updates for ideal times, ensuring that servers won’t go offline at inappropriate times.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Regulatory Compliance

Understanding how your company performs with regard to regulatory compliance is a fundamental facet of proactively protecting your company and its data.

Regulatory compliance can safeguard your company from unwanted fees and preserve your customers and employees from impending data breaches.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

24/7/365 Monitoring

Remote monitoring of your workstations, servers, routers, printers, and other network devices keeps your IT network in good shape at all times.

Knowing that a team of skilled computer experts is regularly testing your systems and thoroughly evaluating them for a wide range of potential problems gives you and your employees peace of mind.

When the team is alerted of an issue, they start working on a fix immediately, often without you even noticing it.

Software problems can generally be fixed remotely, while hardware issues typically require a technician who is physically present on the premises.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

Major events such as fires, floods, hurricanes, and cyberattacks are a hazard to all businesses.

A reliable MSP will set up a robust disaster recovery plan for your business and implement software solutions that will keep your business up and running.

All data is backed up regularly so that, in the event of an emergency, your most crucial information is completely safe and easily accessible.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Around-the-Clock Help Desk Support

Most managed services providers offer 24/7/365 help desk support as well.

Not only does this come in handy whenever there’s an after-hours incident, but it also allows your internal IT staff (if applicable) to focus on projects that add value to the business rather than running around troubleshooting everyday problems.

Why Your Business Must Take a Proactive Approach to IT

Final Thoughts

Managing the health of your IT systems in a merely reactive way is like managing your own physical health reactively. Like many health issues, most IT issues can be detected by early warning signs that could be picked up through proactive monitoring.

By analyzing your business and identifying the gaps, weak points, and strengths, a managed services provider can better determine how to protect your company from emergency expenditures, last-minute crises, unexpected downtime, cyberthreats, data loss, and compliance issues.

When partnering with an MSP, you can count on effective monitoring and maintained functionality of your network, enhanced overall performance of your IT infrastructure, reduced downtime and increased productivity, ongoing support whenever you need it, and more time to devote to your core business.

Taking a proactive approach to IT doesn’t make your problems go away. But it will make them easier to plan for and simpler to manage.

DataGroup Technologies is the premier managed IT services provider in the area, delivering ideal IT solutions to businesses of all sizes.

We strive to provide significant value and outstanding service to all of our clients by acting as an extension of your business’s IT team.

If your organization could benefit from the many advantages of managed services, including proactive IT support, call us today at 252.329.1382 or drop us a line here!

Is Your Cybersecurity Policy (Or Lack Of One) Leaving You Wide Open To Attacks?

Is Your Cybersecurity Policy (Or Lack Of One) Leaving You Wide Open To Attacks?
Is Your Cybersecurity Policy (Or Lack Of One) Leaving You Wide Open To Attacks?

Is Your Cybersecurity Policy (Or Lack Of One) Leaving You Wide Open To Attacks?

Every business, large or small, should have a cybersecurity policy in place for its employees. Employees need to know what is and isn’t acceptable with regard to all things IT. This policy should set expectations, outline the rules, and provide employees with the necessary resources to put the policy into effect.

Your employees serve as the front line of your business’s cybersecurity defense. You may have all the antivirus software, malware protection, and firewalls in the world, but if your employees haven’t been instructed about IT security or don’t understand even the fundamentals, you’re putting your business in serious jeopardy.

What can you do to rectify that? You can put a cybersecurity policy in place. If you already have one, it’s probably overdue for an update. Once your policy is ready to go, it’s time to put it into action!

Are You Protected Against Business Email Compromise Attacks?

What Does a Cybersecurity Policy Look Like?

The particulars can appear different from business to business, but a general policy should include all the basic elements, such as password policy and equipment usage.

For example, there should be rules for how employees utilize company equipment, such as PCs, printers, and other devices connected to your network. Employees should understand what is expected of them when they log into a company-owned device – from guidelines as to what software they can install to what sites they can (or cannot) access when browsing the web. They should know how to securely access the company network and understand what data should (or should not) be shared on that network.

Many cybersecurity policies also incorporate rules and expectations related to:

  • Email use
  • Social media access
  • General web access
  • Remotely accessing internal applications
  • File sharing
  • Passwords
Business Email Compromise Attacks – Managed IT Services vs. In-House IT Specialists

Break Down Every Rule Further

Passwords are a prime example of an area of policy that every business needs to have in place. Password policy often gets neglected or simply isn’t prioritized as highly as it should be. Like many cybersecurity policies, the stronger the password policy is, the more effective it is. Here are a few examples of what a password policy might include:

  • Passwords must be changed every 60 to 90 days on all applications.
  • Passwords must be different for each application.
  • Passwords must be 15 characters or longer when applicable.
  • Passwords must use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, at least one number, and at least one special character. 
  • Passwords must not be recycled.
  • The good news is that many apps and websites automatically enforce these rules. The bad news? Not ALL apps and websites enforce these rules. That means it’s up to you to stipulate how employees should set their passwords.

    Setting up a cybersecurity policy isn’t easy, but it’s vitally important – especially these days, with more people working remotely than ever before.

    At the same time, cyberthreats are more prevalent than ever. The more you do to safeguard your business and your employees from these cyberthreats, the better off you’ll be when these threats come knocking at your door.

8 Tips for Strengthening Your Cybersecurity

Final Thoughts

If you need help setting up or updating your cybersecurity policy, do not hesitate to call your MSP or IT services partner. They can help you devise a cybersecurity policy that provides everything you need to ensure a safer, more secure workplace.

If you don’t currently work with a managed services provider or your in-house IT team is in need of additional support from certified professional technicians, DataGroup Technologies is happy to help! Give us a call at 252.329.1382 today or contact us here to see how we can #SimplifyIT for you and your organization.

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