Dan’s Tech Support LLC has proudly received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), highlighting our dedication to client satisfaction, security, and quality solutions. This prestigious rating reflects our commitment to providing reliable and efficient Managed IT Services and Support tailored to each client’s unique needs. With a strong emphasis on security, we ensure that all client data is protected, offering peace of mind alongside top-notch service. Our continuous pursuit of excellence and adherence to industry best practices sets us apart as a leader in the Managed IT and Technical Support industry.
Founded with a mission to provide reliable and efficient tech support, we continuously prioritize our clients' needs and concerns. Our team of skilled professionals are not only experts at resolving technical issues but also excel at delivering personalized solutions tailored to each client’s unique requirements. This client-centric approach has fostered a loyal customer base and garnered numerous positive reviews. We could not have achieved this rating without our amazing customers!
Furthermore, security is a cornerstone of Dan’s Tech Support LLC’s operations. We implement robust security measures to protect our clients’ data and ensure that all solutions are both effective and secure. Among these measures is our human-operated Security Operations Center (SOC), which ensures our customers' protection 24x7x365. This focus on security reassures clients that their information is in safe hands, further enhancing our company’s reputation for trustworthiness.
Quality is another hallmark of Dan’s Tech Support LLC. We continuously strive to improve our services, staying ahead of the curve with the latest technological advancements and industry best practices. This commitment to excellence ensures that clients receive top-notch support and solutions that meet the highest standards.
Our newly awarded A+ rating from the BBB is a testament to our unwavering commitment to these core values. Our unwavering commitment to these principles sets us apart as a leader in the tech support industry.
If you are interested in working with us, or receiving a free evaluation, please use the button below to fill out our form and we will get in touch as soon as possible!
A few weeks ago we posted an article regarding the recent addition of a new service, Firmware Security Now Included! At Dan's Tech Support LLC, we provide our managed customers with top-notch security and reliability for all IT systems. Our company prides itself on providing best-in-class technology and personalized services to ensure your business is secure and runs efficiently. As of today, our new stack addition is now available!
24/7/365 SIEM Protection is Now Included for Free!
Today marks the official launch of our managed SIEM offering for all endpoints. What effect does this have on our customers? Let's take a step back and see what we currently provide as part of all Managed IT contracts.
With our current offering, we provide proactive support through remote monitoring, management, automation, and security services. Every single customer receives not only computer monitoring, but also monitoring for their Microsoft accounts and mobile devices from the software level all the way down to the firmware that runs the computer at the lowest level. With this, you can sleep well at night knowing that your technology and data are protected at all times. When we set up your computer, we do so in a way that follows current cybersecurity best practices defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Thanks to these standards and our Security Operations Center (SOC), we're able to offer these incredible services to all of our customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Combined with the newly added firmware protection, we place our customers in one of the best security positions.
Despite these top-notch security practices, nothing is 100 percent secure, especially as attackers become more sophisticated.
SIEM is an acronym for Security Information and Event Management, which provides security teams with the ability to collect, aggregate and analyze large volumes of events and activities across the business.
A SIEM is extremely helpful for detecting hidden attacks that prefer to hide themselves within the clutter and obfuscate their intent by operating within the noise.
Traditional firewalls and antivirus are no longer enough. The time to discover incidents using these alone averages a 6 month timespan. Finding and targeting attackers quickly is only possible when you have the entire picture to analyze as a whole, rather than one or two parts of it. SIEM systems create a birds eye view of all log data sources, including the firewall and antivirus, to quickly allow analysts to identify an attackers digital footprint and correlate that data to map an attack surface.
Traditionally, SIEMs are complex, costly, and designed for individuals with a lot of resources.
Running a SIEM is traditionally an expensive task that only large organizations or enterprises could afford.
Our partners and their 24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC) now enable us to provide a next-generation SIEM with all of our managed contracts. All of these features will be bundled within the same predictable cost structure you are familiar with, and you will be able to benefit from smart filtering, constant monitoring, and compliance assurance as well.
Our SOC experts are simplifying the lifecycle and enabling us to add a next-generation monitoring service that will provide deeper insights into anomalies for more accurate and faster attack detection. The smart filtering technology is described as "an industry game-changer, filtering out the fluff and only capturing what matters." It allows faster detection rates without sacrificing security for our customers. Additionally, all logs are handled securely, making it easy to search and map them to regulators without worrying about compliance.
In this case, our clients will be able to reap the benefits of a SIEM system to enhance their security without experiencing the hassle of a traditional SIEM system. With our system, we capture the information that matters while uncovering hidden attacks in the midst of the clutter. Furthermore, our system provides proof to regulators, third parties, and insurers that our customers' security demands are met. The best part is that we can now offer this service to our customers at no additional cost, so this is a win-win for everyone.
Under our new SIEM offering, we are able to provide all of our managed clients with the following additional protections for free!
With all of these new monitoring and security capabilities, we're able to ensure the security of our customers even more. It is our mission to ensure your IT needs are met so you can focus on your core business.
At Dan's Tech Support LLC, we provide our managed customers with top-notch security and reliability for all IT systems. Our company prides itself on providing best-in-class technology and personalized services to ensure your business is secure and runs efficiently. We have a big announcement to make today!
Today is the official launch date of our firmware protection suite for all managed endpoints. How does this affect you? Let's take a step back and see what we currently provide as part of all Managed IT contracts.
With our current offering, we provide proactive support through remote monitoring, management, automation, and security services. Every single customer receives not only computer monitoring, but also monitoring for their Microsoft accounts and mobile devices. With this, you can sleep well at night knowing that your technology and data are protected at all times. When we set up your computer, we do so in a way that follows current cybersecurity best practices defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Thanks to these standards and our Security Operations Center (SOC), we're able to offer these incredible services to all of our customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
All that said, there is one piece of the puzzle that our team has not been able to fully safeguard, the firmware that runs your devices.
Most people are familiar with two components that make up their computer. In general, people understand that computers are composed of hardware, the physical components that power the machine, and an operating system, such as Microsoft's Windows OS. In between these two well known components lies a critical component called the BIOS (or UEFI BIOS on newer hardware). The BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System and UEFI stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, which is a firmware package that enables the computer's operating system to interact with its hardware. Using this connection, data can be transferred from the Operating System to the attached hardware components, such as the hard drive.
By now you might be wondering, why should I care? The US government's cybersecurity agency, CISA, has issued warnings throughout the year regarding BIOS/UEFI firmware-based malware attacks that are affecting the country's IT landscape more frequently. This newer attack vector allows attackers to gain persistence on a compromised machine, allowing them to maintain access and control despite Operating System security protections. As the malware sits lower in the stack than the Operating System, these attackers are able to avoid detection.
We are now able to monitor, manage and secure the lowest layer of software on a machine with the help of our new vendor. As mentioned previously, this is an often overlooked component in an MSP/MSSP's offering that has been exploited more and more by attackers.
All of our managed clients will now receive the following additional protections at no additional cost!
With all of these new monitoring and management capabilities, we are even more capable of guaranteeing the security of our customers every single day. It is our mission to ensure your IT needs are met so you can focus on your core business.
P.S. Stay tuned, we have another great security addition coming soon to our stack!
Online shopping has become a common activity for many people. It's convenient, easy, and allows us to buy items from the comfort of our homes. But with the rise of online shopping, there are concerns about privacy and security.
Not all shopping apps are created equally. Often people get excited and install an app without checking privacy practices. Apps can collect more data from your smartphone than you realize. Whether you use your phone for personal use, business use, or both, your data can be at risk. So can your privacy.
Recently, security experts found a popular shopping app spying on users' copy-and-paste activity. This app was tracking users' keystrokes, screenshots, and even their GPS location. This raises the question: Is your online shopping app invading your privacy?
SHEIN is the app in question, and it's a popular shopping app with millions of users. According to reports, researchers found the app collecting data from users' clipboards. This included any text that users copied and pasted. This means that if the user copied and pasted sensitive information, the app would have access to it. Including things like passwords or credit card numbers.
Not only that but the app was also found to be tracking users' GPS location. SHEIN was also collecting data from device sensors, including the accelerometer and gyroscope. This means that the app was able to track users' movements. As well as collecting information about how they were using their device.
The app's developers claimed that the data collection was for "optimizing user experience.” A very vague explanation that’s used by other app developers as well. The developers stated that the collected data was only used for internal purposes. But this explanation wasn't enough to please privacy experts. Those experts raised concerns about the app's data collection practices.
Mobile devices operate just like computers nowadays. Computers require the user to be aware of what they are doing, and rely on protection services to ensure they are safe. Mobile devices are no different. See our Mobile Devices and Cyberattack article for some Best Practices to keep you safe when using your mobile device.
This isn't the first time people caught an app grabbing data without users' knowledge. Many popular apps collect data from their users, often for targeted advertising purposes.
The popularity of the shopping app Temu has been exploding recently. Since the app appeared in a Superbowl Ad in 2023, people have been flocking to it.
But Temu is another shopping app with questionable data collection practices. Some of the data that Temu collects includes:
So, what can you do to protect your privacy when using online shopping apps? Read on for a few tips.
Yes, it’s hard to stop and read a long privacy policy when you just want to use an app. But, if you don’t, you could end up sharing a lot more than you realize.
Before downloading an app, make sure to read its privacy policy. This will give you an idea of what data the app takes and how it's used. You can try searching keywords like “collect” and “your data” to save time. This can help you jump to data collection details.
If you do this before you download, you may change your mind. After learning how much data the app collects from you, you may decide it just isn’t worth it.
Turn off any data-sharing features you don’t need in your phone’s settings. Such as location services. Most smartphones allow you to choose which apps you want to use it with.
Explore both your phone settings and the app’s settings to restrict data sharing as much as possible.
If you’re not using the app regularly, remove it from your phone. Having unused apps on your phone is a big risk. Even if they’re not actively in use, those apps can still collect data. For example, browsing activity or your activity in other mobile apps.
It’s easy to get caught up in a fad. You hear your friend talk about an app, and you want to check it out. But it pays to research before you download. Look up the app and check security and data collection keywords. Inform yourself first before downloading an app that might be compromising your device data and activity.
You can limit the dangerous data collection of shopping apps by using a website instead. Most legitimate companies have an official website. One where you can buy the same things as you can buy using the app.
Mobile devices are regularly used more than computers. But they often lack the same type of security. If you are interested in learning more, see our article about the Top 5 Cybersecurity Mistakes That Leave Your Data at Risk. Give us a call today to schedule a chat about protecting your mobile device data.
This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.
In recent years, electronic mail (email for short) has become an essential part of our daily lives. Many people use it for various purposes, including business transactions. With the increasing dependence on digital technology, cybercrime has grown. A significant cyber threat facing businesses today is Business Email Compromise (BEC).
Why is it important to pay particular attention to BEC attacks? Because they’ve been on the rise. BEC attacks jumped 81% in 2022, and as many as 98% of employees fail to report the threat.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a type of scam in which criminals use email fraud to target victims. These victims include both businesses and individuals. They especially target those who perform wire transfer payments.
The scammer pretends to be a high-level executive or business partner. Scammers send emails to employees, customers, or vendors. These emails request them to make payments or transfer funds in some form.
According to the FBI, BEC scams cost businesses around $1.8 billion in 2020. That figure increased to $2.4 billion in 2021. These scams can cause severe financial damage to businesses and individuals. They can also harm their reputations.
BEC attacks are usually well-crafted and sophisticated, making it difficult to identify them. The attacker first researches the target organization and its employees. They gain knowledge about the company’s operations, suppliers, customers, and business partners.
Much of this information is freely available online. Scammers can find it on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and organizations’ websites. Once the attacker has enough information, they can craft a convincing email. It's designed to appear to come from a high-level executive or a business partner.
The email will request the recipient to make a payment or transfer funds. It usually emphasizes the request being for an urgent and confidential matter. For example, a new business opportunity, a vendor payment, or a foreign tax payment.
The email will often contain a sense of urgency, compelling the recipient to act quickly. The attacker may also use social engineering tactics. Such as posing as a trusted contact or creating a fake website that mimics the company's site. These tactics make the email seem more legitimate.
If the recipient falls for the scam and makes the payment, the attacker will make off with the funds. In their wake, they leave the victim with financial losses.
Check out our take on the Top 5 Cybersecurity Mistakes That Leave Your Data at Risk.
BEC scams can be challenging to prevent. But there are measures businesses and individuals can take to cut the risk of falling victim to them.
Organizations should educate their employees about the risks of BEC. This includes providing training on how to identify and avoid these scams. Employees should be aware of the tactics used by scammers. For example, urgent requests, social engineering, and fake websites.
Training should also include email account security, including:
You may be asking yourself, "How often should I train my employees on Cybersecurity?" Well, we have that exact answer in our How Often Do You Need to Train Employees on Cybersecurity Awareness article. Check that out for some more perspectives on this topic.
Organizations should implement email authentication protocols.
This includes:
These protocols help verify the authenticity of the sender's email address. They also reduce the risk of email spoofing. Another benefit is to keep your emails from ending up in junk mail folders.
Organizations should deploy payment verification processes, such as two-factor authentication. Another protocol is confirmation from multiple parties. This ensures that all wire transfer requests are legitimate. It’s always better to have more than one person verify a financial payment request.
Organizations should check all financial transactions. Look for irregularities, such as unexpected wire transfers or changes in payment instructions.
If you don’t perform these according to a schedule, it is easy for them to get forgotten. Set up a calendar item for the review of financial transactions. Use a schedule that makes sense for your business and transaction volume.
Organizations should establish a response plan for BEC incidents. This includes procedures for reporting the incident. As well as freezing the transfer and notifying law enforcement.
Businesses and individuals can use anti-phishing software to detect and block fraudulent emails. As AI and machine learning gain widespread use, these tools become more effective.
The use of AI in phishing technology continues to increase. Businesses must be vigilant and take steps to protect themselves.
It only takes a moment for money to leave your account and be unrecoverable. Don’t leave your business emails unprotected. Give us a call today to discuss our email security solutions.
This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.
What would you do if your business suffered a ransomware attack tomorrow? Do you have a contingency plan in case of a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake? The unexpected can happen anytime, and small businesses can get hit particularly hard.
Small businesses are the backbone of many economies. They are critical for job creation, innovation, and community development. But running a small business comes with significant risks. This includes financial uncertainty, market volatility, and natural disasters.
60% of small businesses fail within 6 months of falling victim to a cyber-attack.
Thus, small business owners must prepare for the unexpected. This is to ensure their longevity and success. In this article, we will discuss some tips to help small businesses get ready for anything.
One of the most critical steps in preparing for the unexpected is to create a contingency plan. A contingency plan is a set of procedures that help a business respond to unforeseen events. Such as natural disasters, supply chain disruptions, or unexpected financial setbacks.
The plan should outline the steps the business will take in the event of an emergency. Including who will be responsible for what tasks. As well as how to communicate with employees, customers, and suppliers.
Small businesses should always maintain adequate insurance coverage. This protects them from unexpected events. Insurance policies should include things like:
Business interruption coverage is particularly important. It can help cover lost income and expenses during a disruption. Such as a natural disaster or supply chain disruption.
One of the newer types of policies is cybersecurity liability insurance. In today’s threat landscape, it has become an important consideration. Cybersecurity insurance covers things like costs to remediate a breach and legal expenses.
Small businesses that rely on a single product or service are at greater risk. Unexpected events can cause them significant harm. Something like a raw material shortage could cripple an organization without alternatives.
Diversifying your revenue streams can help reduce this risk. It ensures that your business has several sources of income. For example, a restaurant can offer catering services. A clothing store can sell merchandise online as well as its physical location.
Small businesses should build strong relationships with their suppliers. This ensures that they have a reliable supply chain. This is particularly important for businesses relying on one supplier for their products.
In the event of a disruption, having strong relationships matters. It mitigates the risk of a supplier bankruptcy or supply chain issue. Having supplier options can help reduce the impact on your business.
Small businesses should keep cash reserves to help them weather unexpected events. Cash reserves can help cover unexpected expenses. Such as repairs, legal fees, or loss of income. As a general rule of thumb, businesses should keep at least six months' worth of expenses in cash reserves.
If business owners try to do everything in house, they’re at higher risk. For example, if a key IT team member quits. In this case, the company could face major security issues.
Build strong outsourcing relationships with an IT provider and other critical support services. If something happens to a company’s staff or systems, they have a safety net.
Small business owners should check their finances regularly. This is to ensure that they are on track to meet their goals and to identify any potential issues early on.
This includes:
Investing in technology can help small businesses prepare for unexpected events. For example, cloud-based software can help businesses store their data off-site. This ensures that it is safe in the event of a natural disaster or cyber-attack. Technology can also help businesses automate processes. Automation reduces the risk of errors and improves efficiency.
Small businesses should train their employees for emergencies. This helps ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of an unexpected event.
This includes training for natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and other emergencies. Businesses should also have a plan for communicating with employees during an emergency. As well as ensure that everyone has access to the plan. Taking a look at our How Often Do You Need to Train Employees on Cybersecurity Awareness article might help you as well.
Small businesses should stay up to date on regulatory requirements. This helps ensure that they are compliant with all laws and regulations. This includes tax laws, labor laws, and industry-specific regulations. Non-compliance can result in fines, legal fees, and damage to your business's reputation.
In conclusion, small businesses face many risks. But by following these tips, they can prepare themselves for the unexpected.
Get started on a path to resilience and protect your business interests. We can help you prepare for the unexpected. Give us a call today to schedule a chat.
This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.