TaylorWorks, Inc. Blog

It won’t be long before Microsoft retires two of its most popular operating systems - but hopefully, you already knew that. Microsoft has made a point of reminding Windows 7 users that they need to upgrade before January 14 - and yet, many users haven’t done so.

Wait! If you haven’t read part one of our Facebook privacy blog yet, you may want to do that before reading this one. If you’re ready, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at your Facebook settings to make sure that your account and its data are as secure as possible. If we’re being honest, protecting this kind of data hasn’t seemed to be one of the platform’s strong suits - and user privacy has been the star of many lists of concern.

Two billion users strong, Facebook is one of the Internet’s most popular websites… which has frequently put the tech giant in the spotlight when it comes to how secure the data you’ve entrusted to them (in addition to what they’ve collected) really is. Today, we’ll discuss how you can access the information Facebook has on you.

Imagine for a second what would happen if your business’ data was exposed and stolen. You’d have a really difficult time going forward as your client-base dwindled and you opportunities for growth dried up. The amazing part is that some very successful companies have this type of thing happens all the time. Today, we will look at some of the largest data breaches since September 1.

We go into great depth on how to protect your desktop and laptop computers from malware and other malicious threats. In fact, one of the first steps you take anytime you are setting up a new computer is to install antivirus and other security programs. You do this because an unprotected device presents substantial risk. With the way people are using their smartphones today, it’s a solid practice to outfit your mobile device with the security software needed to maintain the security of your data.

Antivirus developer Trend Micro is doing some damage control after an ex-employee stole customer data and sold it to online scammers. These scammers have been calling Trend Micro customers. If you use Trend Micro, it’s best to be wary of any calls you get.

A lot of computing is done today using cloud computing - basically, making use of the computing power, space, and applications that a provider has on their infrastructure as if they were your own. Doing so can provide a very specific benefit to your security, but, have you ever wondered how the cloud itself is protected? 

Most of us like to take matters into our own hands, almost to a point where we might refer to ourselves as control freaks. So, when it comes to letting other people or even our own devices update themselves, we tend to click “remind me later” or “don’t ask me again”. Patches however, are a crucial task in the computing era. Keeping everything up-to-date aids your business in staying one step ahead of lurking threats. Recently, Microsoft announced that it had two major security updates which required emergency patches. 

Users seem to have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to solutions put out by Google, particularly the risks associated with Gmail. It’s almost odd to say: a security threat leverages Gmail. Unfortunately, it isn’t unheard of, as a phishing scam has been leveraging Gmail and its cooperation with Google Calendar for some time now.

To the average person there are some definite blurred lines between IT security and IT compliance. In fact, these lines are so blurry to most people that they would consider them the same thing. They aren’t. How is it possible to create a fully compliant, completely secure computing environment? You start by understanding how to make both possible.

If you are concerned about your business’ ability to keep its network secure and data protected, you're not alone. More businesses than ever are utilizing modern strategies to ensure that their networks are safe, their hardware is stable, and that their data stays secure. With the continual shifts we are seeing in the threat landscape it is essential that cybersecurity continues to evolve. Today, we take a look at some of the innovations being made in cybersecurity, and what to expect out of future cybersecurity tools.

Most people know what a URL is. It’s the address of a website, typically starting with http:// or https://, and it is essentially the location of a web page or application that can be accessed through a web browser or application. Nowadays, URLs are being manipulated by actors for both positive and negative means. Let’s take a look at URL manipulation and how it could affect you.

The way a business handles network security is directly related to what problems will arise from their use of information systems. Cybersecurity has become a major part of all businesses, of all geographic locations, and all sizes. Because the better your cybersecurity is, the less problems your business will have to overcome, cybersecurity has grown into a multi-hundred-billion dollar a year industry. Cybersecurity hasn’t always been a concern for businesses. After all, the internet hasn’t been around for THAT long. However, the history of cybersecurity has a fascinating story behind it, and today we’d like to share it with you. 

Too frequently, we hear stories about cyberattacks, software vulnerabilities turned tragic, and other pretty terrible situations for businesses. In an effort to help fight this, we’ve put together a list of handy tips for you so that you can be prepared to ward off threats.

Has your business’ network been breached? If not, you will need to continue to prioritize network security to keep hackers at bay. With 446 million records compromised in 2018 alone, businesses need to understand what threats they are currently under. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest data breaches that have happened since the beginning of May. 

Passwords are hard to remember - there’s no denying that. However, there is also no denying how important it is to use different ones for each account, all sufficiently complex, and all the rest. The point is, a lot of people use bad password practices because (to be frank) good password practices are too intimidating. There has to be some kind of acceptable middle ground… right?

We’ve all caught the obvious spam email, like the message that is clearly bogus, or the offer that is definitely too good to be true.

We’re going to confidently assume none of our readers are getting tricked by Nigerian Princes or getting roped into order virility drugs from an unsolicited email. The real threat comes from the more clever phishing attacks. Let’s take a look.

In 2018, Amazon was struck by a considerable attack, with hackers taking funds from approximately 100 seller accounts, according to a Bloomberg report. Between May and October 2018, Amazon sellers were struck approximately 100 times, draining funds from the seller control platform to augment their own funds. According to the investigation, the first fraudulent transaction took place on May 16, 2018, with an undisclosed amount being stolen. The hackers utilized phishing attacks in order to scam their targets.

Microsoft Windows has been a staple of modern computing, with each title in the series offering more innovative features. When it becomes time to retire one of their OSs, it can be troublesome for businesses. This coming January, two of the most utilized versions of the Windows OS--Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will be losing support, effectively ending their viability. Businesses that still use these titles will have to come up with a plan about how they are going to proceed once Microsoft retires that software. 

The Internet of Things is rapidly growing in popularity, which makes it all the more likely that some IoT devices will make their way into your office. Also growing: the reputation that these devices have as vulnerabilities to your organizational security. In an increasingly connected world, it is important to remember how the IoT could quickly become a hindrance to your business if not managed properly.