Check the news any given day and you might see a report about hackers accomplishing a data breach, or of a ransomware attack encrypting all company data until it pays up. These are the well-known types of cyberattack, but there are less common cyberthreats accountants should be aware of, as well.
There is almost a malware malaise now. You’ve heard so much about the threat of a virus invading your networks or systems. Someone clicks on a perfectly innocent looking email, and the result is computing chaos? It’s not fair!
You also know to put a firewall around your technology; it’s as if you’re in a military movie. You have to “protect the perimeter.” Ensure no one can breach your cyber protections to secure personal data and intellectual property.
Still, a watchful eye for phishing emails and social engineering attempts isn’t enough. Installing security tools and upgrading anti-virus software also won’t cover everything.
Knowing where less common cyberattacks are coming from could help, though.
Computers break at challenging times. Always. And there’s no worse time than the holiday season. Your employees want to spend time with family and friends, relaxing and reminiscing. They do not want to wait around for a fix or to find a replacement. That’s one reason a managed service provider (MSP) is a good choice year-round.
Many businesses have more work at the end of the year. An employee saddled with a laptop that won’t load necessary business applications is not productive. A wider system problem is even more costly. According to Gartner, “the average cost of network downtime is around £5,600 per minute.” Do you want to lose about £300,000 an hour during your busy season?
Even businesses that close the office for the holiday season have employees trying to get work done before the vacation. A broken computer is not going to help them meet their deadlines.
Relying on the break-fix model of computer care isn’t going to serve you well during the holiday season. Even those companies with a dedicated IT person could struggle when something goes wrong if that individual is already away for the holidays.
At many times of year, you’re patient: you can wait for someone to come in and fix that desktop or deal with the printer that’s acting up. But, if you’re calling a company in sporadically, they have no obligation to be available when you need help. If they’re backed up, you’ll need to try the next option for computer repair that came up in your Google search.
Fifteen years ago smart technology in our homes meant we had a computer and maybe a smartphone. Now, we have speakers that talk to us, lights that anticipate our arrival, and doorbells that display video of our visitors, as well as the computers, tablets, phones, earphones, video game consoles, and more. It’s all cool, but it’s also complicated.
In 2020 many of us have even added more technology at home. Whole home office setups with wireless routers and connected printers, and projector systems for home movie nights, as we can’t go to theaters. This simply means there are more users trying to get online at once.
Plus, every room in the house has now gone digital. Lights connect to phones, waterproof Bluetooth speakers give you something to sing about in the shower, refrigerators track what should be on your shopping list with barcode scanning.
But smart technology does not come cheap. When investing in a smart home, make sure you set it up correctly. When new devices aren't connected, you miss opportunities to add convenience at home.
Accumulating digital technology for the home is one thing, but using it effectively is another. First, you need to be sure you are connecting your new tech correctly. Home automation is more difficult than the marketers would have you to believe.
Your computer is down for the count. You’ve tried the perennial favorite – turning it off and back on again – but somehow, your tech magic has not worked this time! You need help, and you want it fast. The question is whether to take it to a local computer business or big-box store for repair.
Many big-box stores offer depot computer repair. Why are we calling it depot repair? Because just like at a bus or train depot, that store is only one stop on your computer’s repair journey. Typically, the store does not have the facilities to repair your laptop or desktop on-site. Also, their employees lack the skills to do the work right there.
Instead, that computer, along with all your important files, is shipped on to another location. This presents some problems:
That’s why we recommend getting your computers repaired at a local business with the skills and facilities to do the work on-site.
When you take your device to a locally owned small business, you know at all times who is handling your computer. You often hand over your laptop or desktop to the person fixing it, or at least to someone who is in direct contact with the person doing the repair.
We have being sent a copy of an email, which claims to have medical results. And that you have to download an email and contact your doctor. It is in fact a virus called cryptolocker (This virus encrypts all the files on your computer and holds your computer to ransom.) If you receive this email, just delete it.
How often do you check your Spam or Junk E-Mail Folder?
We were recently waiting for an important email which had accidently being caught and moved to our spam folder. While most of the email was spam, the email we were waiting for hiding in the folder.
An email can be marked as spam or junk for any reason, it does not matter who the email it has come from whether it be a family members, friend member or staff or a work colleague.
So check your spam folder on a regular basis. If you have not done it recently why not do it now?
There are a number of keyboard shortcuts which allows you to navigate the twitter website using just your keyboard.
I have split the shortcuts into three groups Actions, Navigation and Timeline.
Actions Did you know there is keyboard shortcuts to help you use Facebook with only a couple of key strokes?
You can navigate Facebook with great ease once you have learned a few keyboard shortcuts.
To comment, scroll between your news feed, like or message someone you can use these shortcuts.
Press C to comment on a post on your news feed.Press J and K = scroll between news feed posts.Press L to like or unlike a post.Press M to message someone.You can also use the keyboard shortcuts below to access the features below.
Shift + Alt + / = To search FacebookShift + Alt + 0 = To get helpShift + Alt + 1 = To go homeShift + Alt + 2 = To view your timelineShift + Alt + 3 = To see your friends listShift + Alt + 4 = To view your message inboxShift + Alt + 5 = To view your NotificationsShift + Alt + 6 = To view your Account SettingsShift + Alt + 7 = To view your Privacy settingsShift + Alt + 8 = To view information about FacebookShift + Alt + 9 = To View Facebook Terms and Conditions Terms
Did you know there is keyboard shortcuts to help you use Facebook with only a couple of key strokes?
You can navigate Facebook with great ease once you have learned a few keyboard shortcuts.
To comment, scroll between your news feed, like or message someone you can use these shortcuts. Did you know there is keyboard shortcuts to help you use Facebook with only a couple of key strokes?
You can navigate Facebook with great ease once you have learned a few keyboard shortcuts.
To comment, scroll between your news feed, like or message someone you can use these shortcuts. Did you know there is keyboard shortcuts to help you use Facebook with only a couple of key strokes?
You can navigate Facebook with great ease once you have learned a few keyboard shortcuts.
To comment, scroll between your news feed, like or message someone you can use these shortcuts. 
Anyone who has been online more than a few years has likely been the victim of a phishing attack. What starts as a seemingly legitimate e-mail requesting information from a user can lead to account infiltration, e-mails sent to that person's entire contact list, or identity theft.
Over time, phishing has become more sophisticated, using logos and imitating fonts and intensifying threats to prey on the fears of its victims. But there are a few sure-fire signs that an e-mail might not be what it seems. By looking for these small indicators, you can save yourself—and your friends—hours of grief.
Misspellings
If a company the size of Apple or Facebook sends out an e-mail, that e-mail is generally professionally written, including perfect grammar and spelling. Large corporations carefully craft these e-mails and send them to thousands of people over a short period of time. Even one error would be spotted fairly quickly and corrected.
Link
The hallmark of a phishing e-mail is that it revolves around one link. The link invites you to click. Don't be fooled by text in the link that appears as though it will direct you to a major website. The text you see in front of you will not be the link you're directed to if you click. That link will connect you to the cybercriminal's site, where your information will be collected and used.
Urgency
Whether a phishing e-mail promises to reward you with a monetary prize or threatens account revocation if you fail to act, the one thing you'll notice is urgency. The cybercriminal's trick is to get you to act in haste. Don't be afraid to take time to research and ask a tech-savvy friend or colleague for their thoughts on the e-mail.
The best way to avoid being phished is to avoid clicking on links in e-mail. If a notification arrives that one of your accounts is in trouble, go directly to that site by entering the address in your browser. If a problem exists, you should be able to find evidence of it in your account settings. If not, contact the site's support for more information.
Generally speaking, people tend to think that when their computer has been compromised by a hacker online, it 'has a virus'. But did you know that the majority of these problems can be attributed to related issues, such as malware and spyware?
If these terms have gone straight over your head, here is a handy guide that explains more.
Malware, viruses, and spyware: what exactly are they?
Many computer users consider these three terms to mean the same thing - a virus infection in their computers. Whilst broadly speaking this is partially true, these terms are used to describe different things when we talk about such computer problems
Here is what each term means:
Malware
The term malware is short for 'malicious software', and is used to describe software which is invoked to disrupt the normal operation of a computer (such as Windows-based PC), with some types of malware being used to gather sensitive information from a computer such as account login details for online services. Malware can also be used to describe software that operates with an aim to gaining access to private computer systems or networks.
Typically, malware comes in these forms:
â— Keyloggers - this type of malware records the keystrokes that a computer user makes, so that a hacker can log in to any online services using their username and password credentials;
â— Payware - software that launches as soon as you boot into Windows, purporting to be an antivirus program and telling you that your system has been scanned and has x amount of viruses. It then offers to 'clean' your system but only if you pay some money to download the 'full' version of the software. People that unknowingly pay do not receive any software, nor does the warning notice go;
◠Ransomware - a particularly nasty type of malware, in many cases it renders a system inoperable. It will let you boot into Windows, but then a full-screen message allegedly from the police tells you that you have 'committed a crime' and that you must pay a 'fine' of £100 or so before you can continue to use your computer. As with payware, if you pay the fine, the message does not go away, and you have just been defrauded of your money.
Viruses
Computer viruses are a type of malware that, when run on a computer system, replicate itself on the system by inserting a copy of itself into applications, files, and even the boot sector of your hard drive. It has been said that over 99% of viruses are executed on computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system; the reason for this is because most computer users operating a computer using Windows rather than Mac OS X or Linux for example.
Spyware
Spyware is essentially software that monitors what you do at your computer and reveals this collected information to a third party. It can track the websites you visit, or it could be even more invasive and monitor literally everything you do.
Spyware is sometimes inadvertently installed when installing some other software that may have been downloaded, and it usually runs as a browser plugin or extension (although some may run invisibly as a background process).
Did you know there is keyboard shortcuts to help you use Facebook with only a couple of key strokes?
You can navigate Facebook with great ease once you have learned a few keyboard shortcuts.
To comment, scroll between your news feed, like or message someone you can use these shortcuts. 
Getting your emails under controlGoogle has just released a new version of their Gmail inbox. The new design is designed to help you manage your email quicker. By creating different tabs for email. So all Social media items are in one tab, promotions is another, updates in another, forum related posts in another and the important emails in primary.
Gmail will filter your email into these tabs. 
First we need to go to www.facebook.com, and click 'Sign in to your account'. Once logged in, click the cog in the top right of any Facebook page and click on 'Account Settings' in the dropdown list.
Once Account Settings has opened, click on 'Edit' next to Password under 'General Account Settings'.
Enter the password you currently use to access your Facebook account, then pick a new one and click 'Save Changes'. This will change your password.
Once you've changed your password, we recommend if asked to click 'Log me out of other devices' and submit.
First we need to go to http://www.twitter.com, enter your username and password and click 'Sign In'.
Once you've signed into your Twitter account you need to click on the cog at the top right of the page.
Once you've clicked on the cog you'll see a dropdown menu similar to the one above. Left-click on 'Settings'.
When Settings opens you need to left-click on the 'Password' tab in the menu on the left-hand side.
Enter the password you currently use to access your Twitter account, then pick a new one and click 'Save Changes'. This will stop any dodgy or spam direct messages your account might have been sending on your behalf.
When it comes to anti virus & spyware programs, just how much difference is there between the paid for versions and the free ones?
In the 'olden days' when computer viruses were just beginning to hit their heyday, you had to pay for all virus protection software. Nowadays, there are plenty of free virus protection programs available for users to download from the Internet. There are also many paid programs available, so you may be wondering whether you need to pay for virus protection software or if the free programs are adequate.
To answer that question, you need to determine what your virus protection needs are and in what capacity you will be using your virus protection program. For example, the majority of free programs are designed for personal home use only, not for business use. So if you're looking for virus software for your business, you'll have to purchase a licensed version. There are several other differences between the paid and free versions as well.
PerformanceThe main reason you install virus protection software is to protect your computer against viruses, which can harm your computer. Tests have shown that both the free and the paid virus protection programs perform comparably in terms of detecting viruses on a computer. While this is incredibly important, there are other types of malicious programs and components that can infect your computer and cause irreparable damage or steal personal information. Detection and removal of spyware, malware and other nasty items is where the paid programs shine.
Most of the free programs also detect malware, but the paid programs do a better job and detect more of the little nuisances, which means your computer is cleaner and your information is safer if you're using a paid program.
