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In a word, the answer to this question is yes and here is why:

1 – When someone loses their phone, or it gets stolen – person(s) unknown would have immediate access to all of your information. Calendar, contacts, email, remote access to your PC (if enabled), spouses information, child/ren school contacts, etc.

2 – It’s not the law yet – but just wait. Connecticut privacy law imposes up to $500,000 in Civil Penaltiies for Misuse of Personal Information (http://www.mofo.com/news/updates/bulletins/14042.html)

3 – SmartPhones are just as susceptible to viruses and bad applications (Droid more so than Apple). Here at Now IT Works, we are launching a mobile security product soon simply to handle this (not specifically a PIN related issue, but mobile security in general)

Finally, PSA aside – all the cool kids are doing it. Of course I’m kidding, but honestly, every person I’ve seen with an iPhone or Droid has a lock on it. Whether they are trying to keep parents, boy/girl-friends or spouses out – everyone does it for the same reason – to keep prying people from accessing the information.

Do you have questions or concerns about the security of your business’s mobile devices? Contact your Now IT Works account rep to discuss.

From one of our most trusted vendors, Seneca Data, here are a few higher-risk transactions to be on the lookout for, to keep your business safe from customer fraud. Remember, fraud can happen at anytime, any place and to anyone.

• New customer attempts to make a very large credit card transaction

• Customer doesn’t know the CID (Card Identification Data) found on the back of the credit card, indicates they do not have the actual card

• Customer’s address does not match while confirming address verification

• Customer asks that you try lower dollar amounts when a decline message is received

• Customer instructs you to try different expiration dates when initial attempts fail

• Customer calls a few minutes before closing and wants several large-ticket items

• Customer seems overly concerned about delivery time frames to overseas destinations

• Customer attempts to place a large order using several credit cards to obtain the total authorization amount

Some of the major credit card companies have resources available to keep you safe from fraud:

VISA
800-847-2750
VISA Fraud Web Site

MASTERCARD
800-622-7747
MASTERCARD Fraud Web Site

DISCOVER
800-347-1111
DISCOVER Fraud Web Site

AMERICAN EXPRESS
800-528-5200
AMERICAN EXPRESS Fraud Web Site

Keep yourself protected and have a great weekend!

Approximately 150,000 Gmail users logged into their accounts yesterday to find that their email, documents, chat logs, etc had simply disappeared. Google has explained that a bug in their system caused these accounts to reset, even down to the welcome email. Talk about frustrating!

Charlie White from Mashable wrote a great article recapping the situation and he asks a great question – will Google restore all of the messages?

To start off 2011, we decided to invest in some new & exciting technology for our own infrastructure. Here is how we have improved because of it:

• Reduction of hardware; from 6 servers down to 3

• Increased speed by 35%

• More efficient fail-over strategy

• Savings of approximately $3,000 in taxes

Here is an article that talks a little bit more about the last bullet point – a Cinderella tax break which is set to boost IT sales this year. (Computer World)

Since Google has brought awareness to this, 2-step verification is popping up everywhere. Some banks are doing this now and Facebook is starting to as well.  It’s the next step to make sure your private online life stays private.

For those of you who hate passwords, you’ll need to get past that somehow.  Sadder news for you still, you will only continue to have more passwords to remember.  A word of caution – don’t use the same password for all of your accounts. Think of all the other things in life that you don’t/wouldn’t reuse, maintain that same sensibility for your passwords.

Read more about Google’s Two-Step Verification for Enhanced Security

New information shows that Windows OS use is dropping usage due to SmartPhones and other mobile devices.

I think about Microsoft Windows OS as this complicated animal, which it is, but because I don’t have the ability to modify the Droid OS, I don’t even think about it. I know it exists, but I don’t have the need to tinker.

Many different Operating Systems now exist, in addition to Microsoft Windows and Mobile Windows; Iphone/ipad, Kindle, Droid, Nook, Nintendo DS – any mobile device that can surf the web.

For more information, check out this article from Network World: Windows On The Verge of Dropping…

According to this article, 57% of businesses do not have a proper disaster recovery plan, I encourage you to start thinking about putting this on your to-do list for 2011.

Here are some interesting facts from our clients:

• 90% of our clients are backing their data up remotely, through some sort of automatic backup tool

• 98% of our clients are able to restore their computers entirely after a crash, regardless of PC type

Read the full article here: 57% SMBs Have No Disaster Recovery Plan (Informationweek)

There is a new malware program making the rounds that security monitors are just becoming aware of. If you or anyone in your office receives messages from HDD-Diagnostics, please call the Now IT Works helpdesk for assistance and do not open these messages or click on any links.

As always, please do not open email from senders that you do not recognize and only visit trusted websites from your work PC.

There are thousands of viruses, worms and malware programs that threaten your PC every day and we work hard to make sure that you and your business are protected. When we identify new threats, such as this, we will be sure to notify you immediately so we can resolve the issue before it becomes severe.

It’s an unfortunate situation but it happens all too frequently in this unpredictable economy of ours – when budgets get tight, businesses will make cuts to their IT expenses. This can create a new set of problems if you are not maintaining the PC services, software and equipment for your business.

Read this article from Network World about how Deferring Your IT Maintenance Could Be a Ticking Time Bomb

As our Blue Steel customers already know, we provide weekly and monthly maintenance, after hours so we don’t disrupt the normal work day.

Don’t forget to visit our Facebook page and like us!

Every time someone gets infected with malware or spyware on their computer, I always get the same question: How did I get it, if I have a firewall and antivirus protection?

It’s a cat and mouse game – the better the security software, the better the bad guys have to be.

And now, it seems that you can buy software, called attack toolkits for as low as $40 for some or as much as $8,000. Essentially, any child or person (we are training them younger these days) who has $40 can purchase software to help them take down your PC.

Interested in more about this topic? Click here to visit this informational article from Network World.