July 2022 - NuTech Services LLC

Jul, 2022

Taking Advantage of Prime Day? What To Do With Your Old Technology

In the post Prime Day space, you might realize that you have purchased quite a few consumer electronics from the web retailer, and if you did, we hope you found some great deals that you can write home about. But before you throw out your old devices in favor of the new, we urge you to think about the approach you are going to take, as improper recycling and disposal of devices could have negative effects on both the environment and your personal data.

E-Waste is a Problem

To illustrate how e-waste can quickly become an issue, consider just how quickly society as a whole replaces devices they own. Most adult humans in the world have a smartphone these days, and that’s not to mention that they also have laptops, desktops, appliances, and other devices they use throughout the day. When new models of devices with better, more dynamic features are released, the natural reaction is to upgrade and replace the old with the new.

Despite the ongoing pandemic having decreased spending on electronics, as well as the ongoing consumer electronics shortage caused by supply chain issues, there will always be more opportunities for people to purchase new devices while failing to throw out their old devices in the process. These devices, when they aren’t properly recycled, can find their way to landfills in third-world countries where they accumulate into massive piles of toxic e-waste.

Consider what these devices are made of; with valuable metals in their components like gold, copper, iron, silver, and platinum, as well as harmful chemicals found in their batteries like mercury, lead, and cadmium. These devices are a nightmare to the environment—especially in as large a quantity as those found in landfills.

Make Sure to Wipe

E-waste is bad for the environment, but many people who throw away their devices simply aren’t aware of the vast amounts of personal data that can be found on them. People will throw away devices without first considering what they have used it for in the past, which passwords or other personal data may have been saved to them—information that the right hacker could sell to the right criminal for just the right price. To keep this from happening, we recommend that you wipe all data from your devices prior to their recycling. In many cases, the only way to be sure of a wipe is to completely destroy the hard drive, rendering it inoperable and unrecoverable.

Need a Hand?

Properly disposing of your old electronics can be challenging on your own, so we recommend working with professionals like NuTech Services who can help you ensure that your company’s devices are properly wiped before they are discarded. We can also help you locate a place to recycle your devices so that they don’t contribute to the proliferation of e-waste in landfills all over the world.

For more information on what you can do to be part of the solution to e-waste, contact us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Securing Every Endpoint is Important to Maintaining Security

Sometimes it can be easy to take cybersecurity for granted, especially when you consider that built-in security features are more powerful than they have ever been. Unfortunately, if you think that cybersecurity is something that ends with the built-in security of your desktops and laptops, then you’re in for a rude awakening.

Most Devices Are Connected These Days

Besides older industrial machinery and equipment, just about all devices connected to your network communicate with each other in some way, thereby making them a cybersecurity risk. Individual workstations and desktops might be protected, but you also need to keep them updated, along with all of the other endpoints that might be connected to your network.

In fact, you might be surprised by some of the other devices that could potentially be threats to your network.

Network Printers Can Be Dangerous

Does the name Stackoverflowin ring a bell? Back in 2017, this hacker hijacked 150,000 printers all over the world from big brands like Canon, Brother, Epson, HP, and Samsung. They were then able to send documents to these printers to print out the messages. The attack might be harmless, but it showcases just how serious issues of cybersecurity with printers can be, as they can be controlled and manipulated in ways you might not expect.

In essence, the above attack could be categorized as a botnet, or a large group of infected devices from all over the Internet using their collective power to launch an attack against a network. This segues nicely into our next topic of discussion, the DDoS attack.

Internet of Things and Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS)

Just last year, the world saw the most massive DDoS attack yet. A DDoS attack is when countless devices—we’re talking hundreds, thousands, or even millions of infected devices—band together to launch all of their power against a website or service. It’s like when the grocery store has too much traffic and people get stuck waiting around in the aisles, or when a highway experiences traffic congestion.

Anyway, back to the attack. It went after its target with 17.2 million requests per second, three times larger than the largest DDoS attack which preceded it. With a varied list of compromised devices, including smart appliances and various Internet of Things devices such as smart light bulbs, thermostats, washing machines, and others that can connect to a smartphone, anyone with connected devices has reason to fear these attacks. And, of course, if a hacker can take over your washing machine, you bet they’re not going to be doing your chores for you. They’ll likely use it to gain deeper access to your network and create all kinds of problems for you.

Networking Equipment Like Routers, Switches, and Other Hardware

Any device which sends or receives network traffic throughout your office is going to be vulnerable, as it’s likely connected to your workstations, which your employees use on a day-to-day basis. Even in the home environment, you can expect there to be threats aplenty, as just last month a new type of malware was discovered making its home on consumer and small-business grade network routers. This particular threat allowed hackers to influence connected devices using the Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems.

The malware, an incredibly complicated and sophisticated threat called ZuoRAT, is believed to have been created by a major organization or perhaps even a nation-state. The threat is quite difficult to identify and detect, all while granting a considerable amount of control to any potential attacker, making it a dangerous combination of stealthy and powerful. It can also be used to roll out additional malware, bypassing security measures along the way.

Yes, Even the Bluetooth Earbuds

Bluetooth headphones might seem small and of little consequence, but even these devices can be vulnerable to threats. Take, for example, the vulnerability which was discovered within the microcontrollers of a handful of earbuds, allowing hackers to gain control over the device for the purposes of a botnet. The threat has only been used by researchers, but security experts were able to break into their own Bluetooth earbuds and disable the Bluetooth and wireless communications on the connected device. Imagine the repercussions this could have in the realm of a physical security system, where security cameras could be broken into and turned off.

Pretty scary stuff, although we would like to mention that we don’t bring this up to scare you—merely to open your eyes to the possibilities out there for hackers, which are seemingly infinite in scope.

It’s Never a Bad Time to Consider Your Cybersecurity Strategy

We know it can be a little unnerving to think about the many threats out there, but you don’t have to do it alone. NuTech Services is here to help you navigate the cybersecurity landscape. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Creating Productive Workspaces Keeps Business Comfortable

Whether you are in the office or working remotely, there are many distractions that can derail your productivity. To set yourself up for success, we recommend that you follow the tips outlined in this blog. You might be surprised by how just a few simple adjustments can make a world of difference for your productivity.

Focus On What You Can Control

Your workspace is limited in its size, and in many cases, your office constraints will work against you. Some businesses have cubicles or an open floor plan, and depending on the approach, it could be designed to help you better interact with your coworkers. You might not be able to control the office layout, but you can control your desk space.

Do you keep a clean or messy desk? More clutter means less productivity. Make sure you have a system in place to keep your desk’s organization in check.

The temperature of your office can also factor into workplace productivity. Cornell University published a study that indicates a warmer office can improve typing speed by as much as 150 percent, all while reducing the amount of errors by 44 percent. The target range should be about 71º Fahrenheit.

Finally, consider the light levels in your office. Dimmer light can improve creative work, whereas brighter workspaces can increase analytical work. Natural light should be utilized whenever possible, as it can improve productivity and employee satisfaction. If natural light isn’t an option, we recommend you take breaks to get away from your screens from time to time.

Remove Discomfort

It might be a bit of a depressing reality check, but we spend at least a quarter and up to a third of our lives at work. This can naturally take its toll on your body in ways you might not have anticipated. Productivity is directly linked to how well you feel, so you will want to keep your body and mind sharp to optimize your productivity. Let’s take a look at how you can do this, even from your office.

Get Up and Move

That’s right—it’s time to discuss desk-ercises. These will help you get your blood pumping a little bit while also stretching out your muscles. If possible, you can also take a short walk around the block or the parking lot, and take the stairs whenever possible. If you can’t break free of your desk, here are three exercises that can help to improve your comfort at work:

Neck rolls – Relax and lean your head forward and slowly rotate in a circle for 10 seconds. Repeat it by doing it in the opposite direction.
Chair squats – Stand up at your desk and just lower your body down until you almost reach your chair. Do this 10-15 times.
Wrist and finger stretch – Place both hands on your desk with your palms down and your fingers pointed toward your body, lean slightly forward and hold for five seconds.

It’s also important to exercise your brain, especially if you are responsible for several tasks throughout the day that could be mentally draining you. Here are some ways you can refocus your mind:

Meditate – The easiest way to meditate is to simply sit back in your chair, close your eyes for a couple of seconds, and focus on your breathing. Breathe in through your nose, counting to four, hold it four seconds, then breathe out to the same four-count. Hold for four seconds with no air in your lungs, then repeat.
Change it up – Making small adjustments to your daily routine can make big differences in your mindset. You can try sitting in new places to get work done, shift your priorities around, or spend some time developing your networking skills. Breaking out of the routine can be a major way to transform your workday.
Fundamental skill development – Practicing the fundamental skills of running a business can help you in your day-to-day tasks. Simple things like working on your memory, typing skills, software skills, or even communication skills, can all help shake things up a bit throughout the day.

We know that work can be stressful, but if you approach it mindfully and incorporate the above techniques, you can make for a more comfortable and productive existence. What are some of your favorite ways to make your workday more productive and enjoyable? Let us know in the comments.

Jul, 2022

Outlining the Differences Between a Surge Protector and a Power Strip

When it comes to business technology, there are sure to be a lot of electrical plugs, so you’ll naturally want plenty of outlets to plug them into. A power trip likely won’t cut it, though. For your needs, you’ll want to invest in a surge protector. Why is the surge protector so much better, you ask? Well, let’s explore this question.

The Big Difference Between Power Strips and Surge Protectors

At first glance, the two devices seem quite similar. Some might even call them glorified extension cords with additional outlets. It should be straightforward what they are used for, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

The difference is in its name.

Surge Protectors Protect Against Surges

Power surges are commonplace, and as long as people continue to manipulate electricity, there will always be a risk involved with its use. Surges can cost businesses untold amounts of money, for if electronics receive an influx of electricity that they are not prepared for, they can be damaged–often irreparably.

You want to avoid this whenever possible, which is where the surge protector comes into play. A surge protector keeps these surges from damaging your electronics, while a simple power strip lets them pass right through.

Surge Protectors Are Better Investments

If you want to make sure that your IT systems are set up in a way that minimizes the possibility of a power surge or other disaster, NuTech Services can help you acquire the appropriate technology and set it up effectively. To learn more about what we can do for your company, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Get Your Cybersecurity Answers with Penetration Testing

Hacking attacks can be stressful to manage, but when you add in that they can strike when you least expect them to, it gets a lot worse. You’ll never know how you respond to such an event unless you simulate it and replicate it somehow. This is what the penetration test is used for; it provides your business with a way to prepare for cyberattacks.

Understanding the Penetration Test

When you perform a penetration test, you check your infrastructure to see where it cracks against a cybersecurity attack. These tests are performed by trained IT professionals who simulate the methods used by real-life attackers. The goal is to find where your business might be most vulnerable to infiltration.

A penetration test will often be performed with a goal in mind. You might need to know which systems are most vulnerable to hackers, and in the process, you might discover that one particular system is more vulnerable than you previously thought. Penetration tests are vital to stopping data breaches and for laying out how you plan to respond to them. It’s much better to keep issues from developing into larger problems.

The Various Types of Testing

First, we should outline the difference between a penetration test and a vulnerability assessment. With the latter, you are just getting a list of what needs to be addressed, while a penetration test is more of a simulated attack against your infrastructure to see how it responds to the attack. Here are three ways that a penetration test is generally performed:

Black box testing – The tester goes in blind; in other words, they know nothing about the network or what to target. This type of testing might be used if there are no specific problems that need to be addressed.
White box testing – The tester goes in with full understanding of the network, often looking for specific problems that need to be addressed.
Gray box testing – The tester has partial knowledge of the network. In other words, they don’t have the whole picture, but they have some of it.

The results will show just how far the data breach got, what was stolen, and other important metrics that you’ll need to keep in mind for resolving problems like these in the future. Not all security plans are fool-proof, which is why there is a necessity for such a test in the first place. It’s up to you and your security team to ensure that such an attack cannot occur for real.

Get Started Today

Small businesses can often struggle with technology management, especially with so few resources at their disposal compared to larger enterprises. This is why we offer comprehensive IT solutions that can fit into just about any budget. If your business can overcome the challenges presented by cybersecurity, then you can go about your day-to-day operations with greater confidence.

To learn more about how we can assist with penetration testing and other proactive, preventative security measures, reach out to NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Use Automation to Improve Operations

The difference between productivity and innovation is not always clear-cut, but the biggest one is that higher productivity naturally creates innovation… assuming it is supported by the right tools and mindset. How can technology help your business be more creative and innovative in the way it goes about its day-to-day operations?

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that there is great value in operational freedom, and both employees and employers want to have their expectations met. What can we expect from these new circumstances we find ourselves in?

It Takes Action to Produce Results

Ultimately, it’s productivity that most workers, departments, businesses, and industries will be looking to for a measurement of success. If your employees are more productive, then your business will be more productive as a result. Technology is crucial in facilitating this vision of better performance across your organization.

The right technology can make a world of difference if it’s implemented appropriately. Take the CRM tool, or customer relationship management. A CRM can help your team make spades in productivity by automating much of the sales or marketing processes that might normally be assigned to your staff, like customer interaction, collaboration, and so on.

Now, if your team doesn’t have to spend all of that time on those tasks, then they won’t have to work as hard to manage or maintain these relationships, freeing up even more time to focus on other tasks that can generate profit. A CRM automates many tasks that would normally grind the workday to a halt, and it can help to achieve a more efficient workflow, just like productivity suites or cloud-based platforms.

The cloud in particular can also create opportunities for your organization to expand its operational flexibility, as these resources can be accessed anywhere, anytime, and at a fraction of the costs associated with in-house hosting, management, and maintenance. If you have not considered the cloud for your needs, we strongly encourage you to do so.

Technology Creates More Opportunities

Even with new opportunities opening up as a result of technology, some companies are finding it harder to innovate. Small businesses need to use every opportunity at their disposal to make changes for the better at their organization, including new technology solutions. There are plenty of tools out there that can make all the difference to help your staff be more productive and efficient with their time.

Consider how much time and effort your staff are required to invest into the guidelines and procedures you have for your company. If it’s exhausting for you, then it’s exhausting for them—especially if the processes are not simple ones. You can make them more streamlined and effective, allowing your team to more easily manage their schedules and communicate with each other in better, clearer ways. If you can free up time for your employees, then you can make their lives so much easier. Here are three ways you can make this happen:

AI chatbots: You can invest in better support options to assist your clients in getting the help they need. When you implement an AI chatbot, you are essentially giving your clients more support, which is never a bad thing. Plus, if the bots are capable of handling most commonly-asked questions, imagine how much time this saves for your other, non-bot employees.
Internet of Things: You can eliminate unnecessary costs through the use of the Internet of Things. With connected systems, you can control your HVAC system, lighting, thermostats, and so much more, including inventory and asset management. You can then reinvest the savings into other areas of your business.
Data insights: You should be able to use your data to create opportunities for action. There are analytics systems and business intelligence platforms that you can use to solve all kinds of problems using the data you collect and utilize on a daily basis. You can then use this data to make better, smarter decisions for your organization.

We know technology isn’t always the easiest thing to manage for your business, which is why we dedicate ourselves to helping small businesses get the most value out of their IT infrastructures. To learn more about what we can do for your business, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Are Tablets Still a Good Business Tool?

There were a few years there about a decade ago when everyone had to have the latest tablet and tech experts were predicting that most of the world’s productivity would be done using touchscreen devices. On one hand, they weren’t that far off. On the other hand, tablet sales fell off about as rapidly as they had spiked, leaving some question over the future of the form factor. Of course, tablets settled in as great personal computers, but their use in business has seemingly plateaued. Let’s take a look at how businesses use tablets and answer if they are right for your business.

Modern Tablets

Before we get into whether or not you should be using tablets for your business, we’d like to talk about the major differences between tablets of 2014 and tablets today. The form factor is the same. It is like a clipboard with a touch screen that is run by a mobile OS. Like many other types of computing, the component specifications have significantly improved over the years, but the biggest draw to the implementation of tablets to a business is the application ecosystems that they bring to your business. There are quite literally millions of applications that can be used to support all types of business processes.

As far as specifications go, any tablet used for business should have at least four gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage. The Apple iPad, which is widely renowned as the best tablet you can get for business, features the Apple M1 processor, while the best processor found on an Android-run tablet is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. Since these are touchscreen devices, choosing one with a 10-inch screen or larger is ideal, but there are seven and eight-inch tablets that are powerful enough to do most things you would need them to.

Using Tablets for Business

In a recent poll, two-fifths of respondents say that they use some type of tablet in the course of their job. Interestingly enough, a lot of businesses that utilize tablets aren’t actually used in the two largest markets for tablets: The U.S. and China. Many businesses in Europe, Australia, and South America actually use tablets at a higher rate than in those places. They are used mainly for the following reasons:

Taking notes
Managing social media
Creating task lists
Point-of-sale
Scheduling

If you are thinking that these are the same things that many people in the U.S. use smartphones for, you aren’t mistaken. Tablets present businesses with a cost-effective solution to their mobility needs, even inside the office itself. One of the most innovative ways that businesses normally use tablets is as an easy-to-use point-of-sale device. Today, there are SaaS-fueled POS systems that are hosted in the cloud and run through mobile devices. In fact, with the robust application ecosystem that Apple and Android provide, many tablets can do any business-related task you need them to insofar as you get the more higher-end devices.

iOS vs. Android vs. Windows

As we mentioned earlier, the Apple iPad has long been the best tablet on the market as far as consumers are concerned. Apple has committed to the tablet as a personal productivity tool. As in the smartphone space, Samsung is Android’s top tablet developer. The Microsoft Surface tablet, which has been on the market for 10 years, presents a great option for businesses that are committed to utilizing Microsoft-related ecosystems, even though they come in at a higher price tag and are often looked on as more of a touchscreen PC than simply a tablet. Either way, any of these operating systems integrate well with other computing platforms and present businesses with the opportunity to enhance their operational mobility.

App Innovation and the Tablet’s Future

Today, tablets are only as good as the applications they run; and there are a lot of them. There are options for any type of activity that your business can undertake. Some include:

Managing money (Quickbooks, Wave)
Inventory management (Sortly, Delivrd)
Human resources (Namely, Bambee)
Point-of-sale (Square, PayPal Here)
Time tracking (Gusto, HotSchedules)
Communication & collaboration (Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams)
Customer relationship management (Spendgo, Salesforce, Nimble)
Project management (Trello, Basecamp)
Document management (eFileCabinet, Hightail)

What is Right for You?

If your business is looking to get a cost-effective solution for your mobile computing needs, looking in the tablet space may just be the right move for your business. Give NuTech Services a call today at 810.230.9455 to get the expert consultation and innovative technology your business needs.

Jul, 2022

Why a Creative IT Team is an Asset to Seek Out

If you work with technology, then you are likely to have a good idea of what innovation is and isn’t. Innovation is born from creativity, and while it’s not often associated with business IT, there is something to be said for how technology professionals solve problems in a creative fashion, solving problems with solutions available either in-house or on the market. Today, we are focusing on how this creativity can be an asset and how you can foster creative thought in your office.

Creative Thinking Can Benefit Your Business

Whether it’s in IT or elsewhere, you can expect a creative team to bring many benefits to the table. All that said, your IT team in particular can benefit from this creative mindset. Let’s examine some of the benefits they can expect from this new way of thinking.

Greater Efficiency

If someone is creative, they might start to think outside the box more often, meaning they will be more apt to consider ways to solve problems, thus leading to greater efficiency in the workplace. If you want to accomplish goals faster, a creative thinker will help you get there.

Results-Driven Problem Solving

Creative thought lends itself well to results-driven problem solving. Your creative team will be more apt to complete their objectives, and they will be more empowered to focus on not just the payout, but the process as well. Even if their processes don’t work, a creative team will be sure to find alternative ways to solve their problems.

Improved Thought Processes

People will have more productive thought processes if you encourage them to be creative. Creativity breeds innovation, and these improved thought processes will allow your team to think about problems from different perspectives.

Leadership Development

Creative people tend to take leadership and own their work, as well as its challenges and struggles. If you give your team time to develop these leadership skills, even in a smaller or less-complex context, you might find that your internal processes can be significantly improved.

Building a More Creative Team

Next, let’s take a look at some questions you might consider when trying to create this creative team for your business.

How Can You Encourage Collaboration?

Despite the way it might seem, IT is by default not a very collaborative part of your business. That doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about this, though. You can try to break your team up into groups with the goal of finding the solution to a specific problem. This gives your team the ability to focus down on various challenges in a low-stakes environment while also giving them opportunities to learn from each other.

What Do Customers Want?

Another opportunity to foster creative thought is to challenge your team members to think about how they have made a difference for your customers and clients. By limiting it to your customers and clients, you’re forcing them to think in a more creative way, as well as in a context that they might not necessarily have considered in the past.

How Can You Foster All Ideas?

Not all ideas can be successfully implemented, but this doesn’t mean to discredit ideas that you don’t deem feasible. It can sometimes be a good thing to encourage thinking or dreaming big about the future, and who knows? Maybe some of these ideas can be implemented in the near future, even if they cannot be pulled off at the moment.

Let Us Help Your Team Build Their Creativity

The greatest barrier to your team’s creative endeavors is time. If your schedules are full of tasks that get in the way of innovation, like management, maintenance, and supporting the rest of your employees, then naturally they will find themselves with less time to focus on other creative tasks.

NuTech Services can give you back this time by taking over some of the more menial tasks your IT department might traditionally have handled. To learn more about how we can help your business be more innovative, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

A Look Back at Q1 2022’s Worst Data Breaches

Despite their best efforts, cybersecurity can be a major cause for concern for all kinds of businesses and organizations. Even with a full team of cybersecurity professionals, data breaches can occur, and many of the worst data breaches of 2022 have been quite devastating. Let’s take a look at some of the worst ones so far.

We want to emphasize that data breaches can happen to anyone, not just high-profile businesses. You’ll need to invest not just in protecting your business, but also in training your staff. If you want some help with this, you can contact NuTech Services for any and all concerns with your cybersecurity.

January 2022

Crypto.com

January 17 saw the cryptocurrency market become the target of a hacking attack. In this particular attack, 480 users’ cryptocurrency wallets on Crypto.com were targeted, with the hackers making off with $18 million in Bitcoin and $15 million in Ethereum and other currencies. The hackers managed to bypass the two-factor authentication to gain access to these wallets.

Tourisme Montreal

A hacking group called Karakurt targeted Montreal’s tourism agency. This hacking group became known all over the world for its extortion tactics, stealing data and demanding payment, threatening to release the data if the victim didn’t pay up. Over 60 million people were affected by this prolonged six-month attack.

Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Bernalillo County became the victim of a ransomware attack that forced the county office to close during the first week of January. This attack prevented employees from accessing local databases, which in turn kept them from doing their jobs. As a result, the county implemented cybersecurity policies and invested $2 million in revamping their computing infrastructure.

Ukraine

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, the latter was targeted by a cyberattack threatening the Ukrainian government that they should “be afraid and wait for the worst.” This attack brought down the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agency databases, and Ukrainian citizens were directed to the nation’s social media channels until the issue was taken care of.

February 2022

GiveSendGo

A Christian fundraising website called GiveSendGo became the target of a politically motivated data breach. The hackers redirected visitors to the Canadian Freedom Convoy protestors, all while posting the personal information of the 90,000 donors to the Freedom Convoy on the website.

Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co.

A major supplier of fuel for Germany, Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co., was forced to declare “force majeure” and scale back operations following a cyberattack. This declaration resulted in them being absolved of their contractual obligations for a limited time. This incident is estimated to cause the company over $4.5 billion in ransomware demands, downtime, and other costs.

Wormhole

A blockchain company called Wormhole had about $324 million in cryptocurrency stolen by hackers, resulting in a loss of 120,000 wETH (wrapped Ethereum). The company went offline to handle maintenance with a loss of millions of dollars. The company even put out a bug bounty of $10 million to learn more about the cause of the hack.

Washington State

Over 250,000 Washington residents had their personal data exposed as a result of the Washington State Department of Licensing database breach. They had to momentarily shut down their POLARIS system thanks to the breach. Some of the data stolen included personal and financial information for any vocation in Washington that needed a license.

San Francisco 49ers

The NFL team became the target of a ransomware attack, resulting in hackers making off with some of the team’s financial data. The hacking group responsible, BlackByte, gave the 49ers enough of a shock to restructure their entire cybersecurity strategy (but not before paying the ransom).

Ukraine

In the moments leading up to the Russian assault on Ukraine, websites for the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry, and most of their major banks were brought down.

OpenSea

In a heist involving hundreds of NFTs and $1.7 million, users on the peer-to-peer networks of OpenSea were tricked into signing a malicious payload that authorized free gifts of NFTs back to the hacker.

March 2020

Viasat

Millions of broadband subscribers in eastern Europe lost access to their Internet networks as a result of a major cyberattack against Viasat. The company confirmed that it was indeed a cyberattack that brought down these connections—a DDoS attack, specifically.

Samsung

A hacking collective called Lapsus$ managed to steal 190GB of proprietary information from Samsung. The hacking group also teased the hack on social media claiming that they had “confidential Samsung source code.”

At Least Six US States

A cyber attacking group, called APT41, sponsored by the Chinese government took over the computing infrastructures of at least six U.S. states. This breach was a supposed espionage mission carried out by some of the most wanted cybercriminals out there.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft, a France-based video game developer, had its operations disrupted for several days following a cyberattack. Although no personal information was stolen, it became clear later on that Lapsus$ were the culprits behind the attack.

Israel

The Israeli government had their websites taken offline for over an hour thanks to a cyberattack. It was so bad that the National Cyber Directorate declared a state of emergency. It is thought that it was a state-sponsored DDoS attack.

Jefferson Dental and Orthodontics

Jefferson Dental and Orthodontics became the target of a data breach that affected over a million Texans. Hackers stole Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, health information, and financial data.

Microsoft

Lapsus$ struck again when it leaked the source code for Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Cortana personal assistant. All it took was compromising a single account. Microsoft was able to shut down the operation before more was stolen.

ELTA

The National Postal Service for Greece was hit by a ransomware attack. Even though the hack was caught early on, operations were brought to a halt. Over 1,400 physical locations were affected, and operations had to be shut down for some time.

Axie Infinity

A cryptocurrency startup tied to Axie Infinity became the target of hackers, resulting in a loss of $540 million. Hackers gained access through the game and emptied users’ crypto accounts, something which became the second largest cryptocurrency theft thus far.

These attacks were the result of various threat methods and actors, proving that your organization cannot overlook anything security-related. NuTech Services can protect your business and help you implement better security practices and solutions. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

The RSOCKS Botnet Shows the Dangers of Unsecured IoT

Botnets are nefarious entities consisting of countless connected devices, all of which have been infected by hackers to perform malicious deeds. One such botnet, a Russian botnet consisting of millions of infected Internet of Things devices, has been dismantled and taken down by the United States Department of Justice and various law enforcement agencies throughout Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

The RSOCKS Botnet

The RSOCKS botnet was responsible for hacking into countless computers and other connected devices all over the globe, according to the Department of Justice. This particular botnet was operating as a proxy service. While it advertised selling legitimate IP addresses through an Internet service provider, or ISP, it was instead offering IP addresses assigned to devices hacked through the botnet. The purpose of this service was for hackers to conceal their IP addresses from law enforcement while they launched attacks against authentication portals.

In other words, hackers were using these hacked IP addresses to conceal their activity while they launched attack after attack against authentication platforms. The Department of Justice reports: “It is believed that the users of this type of proxy service were conducting large-scale attacks against authentication services, also known as credential stuffing, and anonymizing themselves when accessing compromised social media accounts, or sending malicious email, such as phishing messages.”

What Happened to RSOCKS?

The FBI has since seized control over RSOCKS’ website, where users could purchase IP addresses. The price points for these services ranged from $30 per day for 2,000 proxies to $200 per day for 9,000 proxies. If a user committed to making the purchase, they could download their list of IP addresses and ports, which they could then use to route traffic through the cracked devices to obscure their true identity. The botnet was first built using infected IoT devices, but it later took advantage of Android and other types of computers, too.

When services like this are so affordable, even to the layman hacker, you cannot afford to not take them seriously.

What Can Be Done?

This type of threat shows the security shortcomings of Internet of Things devices, something which your business needs to be well aware of if it is to successfully protect itself from threats such as this. The reason behind why Internet of Things devices were chosen as outlets for these attacks is that many are distributed with their default passwords, easily allowing hackers to bypass their security features and take advantage of them. If you do utilize IoT devices, you should use the same security standards that you would use for other, more advanced devices, like more strict password policies or dedicated networks specifically partitioned off for IoT devices.

NuTech Services can help you take all the appropriate measures needed to secure your business. To learn more about what we can do for your organization, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Zero-Trust Policies Can Keep Your Business Secure

The modern cyberthreat landscape is nothing to be trifled with, so it makes sense that as threats grow more powerful, so too do the solutions used to address them. Nowadays, there is a practice that is designed to address just how serious the threat of cybersecurity is: zero-trust IT. Let’s discuss these policies and how you might put them in place.

What is Zero-Trust?

Zero-trust is when the default action of an organization or business is to scrutinize every little detail about an individual’s access to its IT infrastructure, from hardware to software to the network connection. In order to gain access, users must authenticate themselves in a trustworthy and secure manner.

This might seem like a lot of work, and that’s because it is. A zero-trust policy is something that may take some time to implement, but it’s proven to decrease the number of security risks a company experiences over time. All aspects of access must be considered for zero-trust to remain effective.

Zero Trust is Surprisingly Simple to Deploy

When adopting zero-trust, you need to take the following steps:

Determine Your Goals for Your Zero-Trust Processes

The NIST, or National Institute of Standards and Technology, has determined that there are two goals behind zero-trust: prevent unauthorized access to a business’ data and resources, and control access so that it is as granular as possible. In other words, prevent unauthorized access and make access as transparent and stringent as possible.

Determine Your Most Important Data

To best protect your business, consider the data that’s most important for your operations and how you want to control access. This will be critical for ensuring your zero-trust strategy can be pulled off.

Determine How Prepared You are for Zero-Trust

Similarly, you will want to ensure that your network is prepared to handle the authentication required of zero-trust policies. Does it have the safeguards needed to ensure it remains secure? What about your endpoints, or the employees accessing them? Are their accounts secured, and are they following best practices? Consider all of these to make sure your policies are implemented correctly.

Determine What You Need to Do to Improve

If you know what you need to improve, there is a greater chance that you will use that knowledge to act. A general rule to follow for zero-trust IT policies is that nothing and no one should be trusted without first being authenticated, coupled with real-time monitoring.

Determine Monitoring Practices

Your real-time monitoring practices should continue even after initial implementation and well into the future so that you can always catch and mitigate potential threats.

Ultimately, a zero-trust policy is one of the best ways to approach network security for your business and its resources. To learn more about how we can help to facilitate the implementation of this type of policy, be sure to contact us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Are Tensions High at Your Business? How to Get Relief

There are countless stressors that must be taken into consideration for your business, but there are two that stand out as chiefly important during the workday: digital/workplace friction and interpersonal friction. What can you do to help make them less of a problem for your employees?

Let’s examine what digital/workplace friction can do to disrupt your employees’ productivity.

Digital/Workplace Friction Comes from Excessive Options

Your team members have specific applications which they are expected to use for communications and collaboration, but how many of them actually have a choice in what they use? Simply put, the more options that your employees have to choose from, the greater the chances that they will have difficulty finding it later on—particularly in the realm of data storage and information processing. You could say the same thing about your company, to a degree.

Communication is the same way. The more ways that people have to get in touch with each other, the less clear the lines of communication will be, leading to miscommunication or being unavailable on platforms which someone expects them to be available on. Consider how many of these communications are strictly necessary and trim the fat, so to speak, so productivity can become the central part of their workdays.

Soothing This Kind of Friction is Relatively Simple…

To streamline the tools you use for communication and collaboration, consider removing your business’ legacy applications and systems, as they could be holding your organization back while also putting it at risk, if you aren’t properly maintaining them. Really, after a certain point, it becomes a question of value, as well. Surely there is a better application that fulfills the needs of your business, right? Remember to keep your eyes on the outcome and your mind open to the tools that help facilitate that process.

Interpersonal Friction is a Somewhat Different Beast…

…and it’s one that remote work has created complications for. Furthermore, since it is easy for employees to hide behind their keyboard, dead giveaways for friction like body language can go unaddressed, allowing feelings to fester over time.

If left unchecked, this kind of friction can eventually lead to a disdain for the company or even resentment, something which will impact your bottom line. Imagine a workplace where people would rather call in sick than deal with the interpersonal friction they might experience, or the mental health problems it can exacerbate.

It’s In Your Best Interest to Minimize Interpersonal Friction However You Can

Fortunately, you can do something about this before it’s too late, and it all starts with involving your remote team in more communications. This starts with ensuring that your business’ employees have access to the tools they need to work with each other in a productive and personal way, like video conferencing and instant messaging. They can all be found in modern collaboration platforms, for the most part.

It’s also incredibly important to be able to spot potential problems with your employees, all while opening up the conversation and ensuring that communication tools are there to help you facilitate it. While in a video conference, for example, you might notice body language cues or tone of voice. Little things like these can be powerful hints as to what must be addressed with interpersonal friction.

We Can’t Help You Ease Workplace Tensions, But We Can Give You the Tools You Need to Do So

NuTech Services wants to help your company overcome its friction through the use of better communication and collaboration strategies. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2022

Know How Much is Needed to Ensure Your Business’ IT

It’s fair to say that, across the board, times have been particularly tough as of late for businesses. On top of businesses having to fight through the socioeconomic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain issues, they also have to juggle more data than ever.

In short, businesses need reliable and cost-effective ways to manage their critical technologies.

Managed Services Can Provide Modern Businesses with a Reprieve

Pardon me for asking about your financial situation, but how are you currently paying for your IT services? Is your current strategy sustainable over time? If yours is one of the many businesses who answer the first question with “on a case-by-case basis,” the answer to the second is almost certainly a resounding “no.”

The issue with pay-as-you-go IT services is that there’s no motivation for the provider to solve issues in the long term.

Think about it—when a company’s bottom line relies on your IT having issues every now and again, it goes against their best interests to prevent them. After all, if you don’t need them on a fairly regular basis, their business model collapses.

Managed services, on the other hand, are designed to take the opposite tack. Rather than charging on a per-case basis for each issue you encounter, the all-inclusive nature of managed services ensures that your business is covered by a comprehensive agreement. So long as it falls under this agreement—and most things do—we’ll take care of it on your behalf.

This Predictability is Something that Today’s Businesses Need

As we’ve established, today’s times are uncertain—for many of us, in a way that is unprecedented in our memories. With this uncertainty, business can become far more challenging to maintain.

However, the predictability that our managed services can provide to what is commonly the most volatile part of a business’ budget makes it far easier to keep your business in the black. By eliminating the potential of a lot of the issues that would otherwise incur severe costs, managed services put your business in the position to succeed.

Reach out to us today to learn more about our managed services, and what it takes to implement them. Give us a call at 810.230.9455.