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Phishing attacks are the most common cybercrime attack for one reason…they work. Every day, over 3.4 billion spam e-mails reach unsuspecting users’ inboxes. Phishing e-mails have held the top spot as the most frequent form of attack for years because they’re easy to implement, easy to scale and continue to fool people. AI tools like ChatGPT are now making it even easier for cybercriminals to create e-mails that look and sound like they’re coming from humans instead of bots and scammers. If you’re not careful, the effects of phishing scams can be detrimental.

Since it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month and phishing e-mails are one of the top causes of attacks, we created this simple guide to help you and your team successfully identify phishing e-mails and understand why it’s so important to do so.

What can happen? Here are 4 significant dangers associated with phishing attacks:

1. Data Breaches

Phishing attacks can expose your organization’s sensitive information to cybercriminals. Once your data is exposed, hackers can sell it on the dark web or hold it for ransom, demanding thousands, millions or even more for its return – and they likely won’t return it anyway. This can result in financial and legal repercussions, damage to your reputation and loss of customer trust.

2. Financial Loss

Cybercriminals often use phishing e-mails to steal money directly from businesses. Whether it’s through fraudulent invoices or unauthorized transactions, falling victim to phishing can have a direct impact on your bottom line.

3. Malware Infections

Phishing e-mails can contain malicious attachments or links that, when clicked, can infect your systems with malware. This can disrupt your operations, lead to data loss and require costly remediation efforts.

4. Compromised Accounts

When employees fall for phishing scams, their accounts can be compromised. Attackers can then use these accounts to launch further attacks or gain unauthorized access to sensitive company data.

And the list goes on. However, there are actions you can take to prevent becoming the next victim of a phishing attack.

Here is the S.E.C.U.R.E. Method you and your employees can use to help identify phishing e-mails.

S – Start With The Subject Line: Is it odd? (e.g., “FWD: FWD: FWD: review immediately”)

E – Examine The E-mail Address: Do you recognize the person? Is the e-mail address unusual? (e.g., spelled differently) or unknown (not the one they usually send from)?

C – Consider The Greeting: Is the salutation unusual or generic? (e.g., “Hello Ma’am!”)

U – Unpack The Message: Is there extreme urgency to get you to click a link or download an attachment or act on a too-good-to-be-true offer?

R – Review For Errors: Are there grammatical mistakes or odd misspellings?

E – Evaluate Links And Attachments: Hover over links before you click them to check the address, and do not open attachments from anyone you don’t know or weren’t expecting to receive mail from.

It’s also important to have a cybersecurity expert monitor your network and eliminate e-mail spam before your employees can make a mistake. Make sure you’re taking proper precautions to protect your network. These phishing attacks work and happen all the time. We don’t want YOU to be the next victim.

If you need help training your team on cybersecurity best practices or implementing a robust cybersecurity system, or just want a second set of eyes to examine what you currently have in place and assess if there are any vulnerabilities, we are ready to help. Call us at 480-464-0202.

Important News: Microsoft will NO LONGER support Windows 10 after October 2025! While these PCs will still work after the official end date of October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide product key free services that keep your device working properly and securely. These services include:

• Security updates
• Non-security updates
• Technical support

Why Is This Important For Business Owners?

1. Security Risks: Without regular updates, your computer will become more vulnerable to viruses, malware and hackers. This could put your business data at risk, which is why upgrading to a newer version of Windows is crucial.
2. Software Compatibility: Many software programs are updated regularly to work with the latest operating systems. After Windows 10 reaches its end of life, some of your favorite programs might not work as smoothly or could stop working altogether.
3. Compliance Issues: If your business deals with sensitive information or follows strict regulations, using an outdated operating system could lead to compliance issues. It’s important to stay current to avoid potential fines or legal problems.

What Are Your Options?

Microsoft encourages users to migrate to the latest version before the end-of-life date. This can present challenges for some PC owners, as not all devices currently running Windows 10 are compatible with Windows 11. If you try to upgrade one of those PCs to Windows 11, but the device does not meet the stringent hardware requirements of the new software, you’ll encounter an error message.

If your device isn’t compatible with Windows 11, you have a few options. You can:

• Buy a new PC that is compatible
• Pay for Microsoft’s Windows 10 security updates (available for up to three years but no longer free!)
• Switch from the Windows operating system to Linux
• Try to upgrade “incompatible” PCs, using a technical loophole
• Ignore the deadline and put your business at risk (we do NOT recommend this one!)

Whatever you decide, make sure to back up your data! Before making any changes, always back up your important files. This ensures that nothing gets lost during the upgrade process.

Planning Ahead

It’s important to be proactive about the transition. There has been some discussion that Microsoft will extend the deadline, but that’s not a strategy you want to bet your business on. You don’t want to wait to take action until you’re out of options and your business is at risk because you no longer have security protection.

The best step is to work with your IT provider to determine what option makes sense for your organization. If your computers are fairly new, paying for ongoing security updates might make sense. If your devices are older and nearing the end of their life anyway, new PCs could be the way to go. An experienced IT team or a tech consultant can help you with the upgrade process. They can make sure everything runs smoothly and minimize any downtime for your business.

If you’re looking for someone to guide you in making the right decision, get in touch with our team. During this quick conversation, we’ll be able to map out the next steps to take to start transitioning to Windows 11 efficiently. To schedule, call us at 480-464-0202.

Even if you’re tired of hearing about AI, the reality is that those who embrace it, find the tools that work and learn how to use them efficiently WILL get ahead of those who refuse to try. However, sorting through the thousands of AI-powered programs on the market can feel like a daunting task, which is why we want to highlight one that we support.

Microsoft Copilot is an advanced AI-driven tool that leverages artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks, analyze data, facilitate collaboration and more. Its chat-like design works seamlessly across commonly used Microsoft applications like Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel and Teams and can significantly boost productivity. Unfortunately, most companies often underutilize it. Today, we’re sharing seven ways you should use Microsoft Copilot to enhance efficiency in your business.

1. Automating Routine Tasks – Routine tasks like data entry, scheduling and managing e-mails are time suckers. Microsoft Copilot can handle these for you, freeing your time to focus on more strategic activities. You can start your day with a clear inbox and a well-organized schedule without lifting a finger.
2. Data Analysis And Reporting – Data is crucial for making informed decisions, but analyzing it can be time-consuming and require some level of technical expertise. With Microsoft Copilot, you can effortlessly sift through large datasets and quickly create comprehensive reports. Whether you need insights into sales trends, customer behavior or financial performance, Copilot can provide actionable data in minutes.
3. Improve Customer Support – Quality customer support is crucial to growing a business. Copilot can help you develop scripts for customer service representatives to handle inquiries and complaints, edit e-mails to sound more professional, automate responses to common questions, and even direct more complex issues to the appropriate team member. This means faster response times and happier customers.
4. Content Creation – Creating content for e-mails, presentations and marketing campaigns can take time. Copilot can draft e-mails and blogs, develop creative ad copy for various advertising campaigns, generate sales pitches and presentations and even create social media content, all while ensuring your messaging stays consistent. Whether you’re putting together a newsletter or a social media post, Copilot keeps the engaging content flowing smoothly in half the time it normally takes and without the usual hassle.
5. Financial Management – Microsoft Copilot can help you draft budget proposals; create financial summaries; accurately forecast, create and organize invoices; track expenses; automate data collection; and generate accurate financial reports. This helps you keep track of your finances and make informed decisions based on real-time data. With Copilot, monitoring your financial health and planning for future growth becomes much more manageable.
6. Improve HR And Operations – Copilot can quickly help your human resources department and operations team get more done in less time in various ways. Leverage Copilot to:
   ● Manage documentation such as employee manuals, policy documents and FAQs, ensuring they are always up-to-date.
   ● Assist in developing training modules and educational content for new hires or ongoing employee development.
   ● Generate templates for performance evaluations and feedback forms that can be personalized for each employee.
   ● Ensure compliance with regulations by using Copilot to stay informed about legal changes and update necessary documentation accordingly.
   And more!
7. Streamline Task And Workflow Management – Keeping track of tasks and deadlines can be challenging and overwhelming. Copilot integrates with tools like Microsoft Planner and Project to help you organize tasks, set deadlines and track progress. Using this to your advantage helps projects stay on track and team members remain accountable. By streamlining task and workflow management, you can maintain a productive and organized work environment.

While this list barely scratches the surface of what Microsoft Copilot can do, there is no magic button that will make your business run itself. But leveraging tools like Microsoft Copilot can get you closer to that. From automating routine tasks to enhancing collaboration and financial management, Copilot offers a wide range of benefits that can significantly boost your productivity. By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, Copilot allows you to focus on what matters most – growing your business.

And remember, no matter how advanced technology gets, nothing replaces the value of good old-fashioned hard work and dedication. So, integrate these tools, but keep pushing forward with the grit and determination that got you here in the first place. If you need help learning how to set up or leverage Microsoft Copilot in your organization, our team of experts is here to help.
Give us a call at 480-464-0202 or book a FREE Network Assessment here.

When 8.5 million Windows devices, including those at airlines, banks and hospitals, suddenly displayed the “Blue Screen of Death,” people began to panic. “We are under a cyber-attack!” most speculated. Fortunately, that was not the case, but the real reason behind the outage is alarming and something every business owner should be concerned about.

So, What Happened?

On July 19, 2024, millions of Windows devices crashed, triggering an endless reboot cycle and an unresolvable blue screen. This issue caused massive global disruptions. Airlines had to ground flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in airports and unable to book new routes home. Electronic health record software was knocked offline, forcing providers to cancel or delay nonemergency procedures, surgeries and medical visits. Several major banks also went offline, leaving customers unable to access their accounts. These were just some of the significant issues caused by what is now labeled the largest IT outage in history. Almost brings back those Y2K fears, doesn’t it?

If It Wasn’t A Cyber-Attack, What Caused It?

Many worried that the outage was due to a cybersecurity attack, but the source of the problem was a botched software update from CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity company. The team behind their endpoint detection and response (EDR) platform, Falcon, configured what should have been a routine sensor update. This update, specifically for Microsoft Windows, unknowingly had a flaw, and due to its tight integration with Windows OS, it resulted in widespread system crashes when it was pushed through.

How could a multibillion-dollar organization release an update with such a serious flaw? Representatives for the company later explained that it was due to a gap in their testing software. The issue stemmed from a flaw in the content validator tool, which failed to detect the problem in the update, leading engineers to believe everything was ready for release. As a result, the update forced Windows systems to enter an endless reboot cycle, displaying the infamous Blue Screen of Death.

As the situation unfolded, CrowdStrike immediately acted to fix the issue, but the damage was already done. Reports from insurers now estimate the outage will cost US Fortune 500 companies upward of $5.4 billion.

Why Should This Concern You?

This event reinforces how integrated technology is in our lives and underscores the significant impact a single software flaw can have on global IT infrastructure. When it comes to your company’s technology management, there is no substitute for having three things:

1. A reliable, knowledgeable IT professional managing your network. Accidents happen even in large organizations, as seen with CrowdStrike, but you can reduce your odds of being caught up in an issue like this by working with an experienced IT team. Their expertise and knowledge in updates, backups and constant awareness keep your operations running smoothly and prevent minor hiccups from escalating into full-blown disasters.

2. Rigorous software testing. If you have a reliable IT team, they should handle this for you.

3. A robust disaster recovery plan. Mistakes will happen, and you need to be prepared to take action quickly so you can continue doing business and mitigate damage quickly. Many organizations affected by this outage had to pause business because they had no action plan for a disaster like this. Don’t be caught without plan B if something like this happens in your organization.

Don’t wait until you’re hit with a crisis to take action. Ensure your business is prepared by partnering with an experienced IT team. We offer a FREE, no-obligation Network Assessment where our team of experts will evaluate your current systems, identify potential vulnerabilities and develop a comprehensive plan to safeguard your business against future outages. Your company’s security and continuity depend on it.

Call us at 480-464-0202 or click here to book your FREE Network Assessment today!