Tag: 2021

  • It’s Not Your Imagination, Ramsonware is On the Rise

    It’s Not Your Imagination, Ramsonware is On the Rise

    We have talked about several major ransomware events over the past year, but these were far from unique. Ransomware and cyber security events have been on the rise lately and it’s been made abundantly apparent that NO ONE is immune to them.

    From the yet to be officially validated Kia Motors attack, to the narrowly avoided disaster with a Florida Water Plant. No attack had more widespread coverage for a while (including by us) than the SolarWinds breach that seems to go deeper and deeper. These are just a few in a massive list of growing ransomware events that have happened to companies of all sizes. If you think your business is too small to be a target think again.

    According to this Datto report, one in five small businesses will experience a ransomware event. While larger businesses may be eyed as prized targets by hackers, most of the time they also have the staff and resources to put up a better defense against cyber security threats. This makes them much harder for hackers to infiltrate.

    A lackadaisical attitude towards being hit by a ransomware can cost your business big time. Ransomware extortion amounts continue to skyrocket, with the average demand in Q3 2020 being $233,817 according to the cybersecurity firm Coveware.

    If you’re thinking a demand like that could bankrupt your business, you’d be correct in that fear. 60% of small businesses will go out of business within 6 months of a cyber security attack.

    We have made an infographic with statistics on cyber security threats in 2021 so far.

    Infographic on Cyber Security

    We’re not presenting this facts to you in an effort to make you feel hopeless, there is a way to prevent an attack from hitting your business in the first place. The ONLY way to avoid a serious cyber security threat is to have proactive cyber security prevents in place. Many business owners cannot achieve this on their own.

    Cyber security prevention is an ongoing process, it’s not just installing a virus scanning software and configuring a firewall and calling it good. Business level cyber security protections can be complex to configure and manage.

    Your business has more hardware, more data and more assets to protect. Comparing it to what’s needed to protect a home PC network is apples and oranges. If you’ve just been crossing your fingers that it won’t happen to you that’s NOT a good idea, because statistically there’s a good chance that it will.

    If your business needs assistance in a cyber security plan that’s not just about checking boxes or relying on hope but actually protecting all of the valuable systems you need to run your day-to-day operations, reach out to Valley Techlogic today.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • 5 Remote Workforce Trends to Follow in 2021

    5 Remote Workforce Trends to Follow in 2021

    There has been a lot of debate surrounding when things will get back to “normal” and what normal will even look like, but one thing we think is here to stay is the remote workforce.

    While many jobs will go back to the office, the benefits of working from home and having a remote work staff cannot be downplayed. For the employees it has meant less time commuting to and from the office leading to an increase in the coveted work/life balance. In addition to that, many have found they can focus better away from the hustle and bustle of a busy office building and for many this has led to an increase in productivity.

    For employers there’s simply less overhead, when staff work from home all the costs associated with maintaining and running an office are no longer a factor. In fact, it’s been speculated what this may mean for the future when it comes to office building spaces and their demand.

    Tech News About Remote Workers

    There’s no doubt a great many will return to the office, and as the article we linked above mentioned, for those new to working or working in a specific field there’s a great benefit to the on the job learning that can only be facilitated in person.

    If you are finding yourself working from home at the moment, are you making the most of it? What will working from home look like in 2021? Here are 5 trends we think will make 2021 the year that really cements the viability of having a dedicated remote work staff.

    1. Having the ability to select your own work equipment. In an office setting, usually work devices are one size fits all. All the way down to the peripherals you use such as a keyboard and mouse, many employees do not get much say in what’s selected. If you work from home though, you can usually opt to use your own devices or at least your own peripherals. Picking out devices that make sense for the kind of work you do could make your job easier, which in turn will increase your productivity.
    2. Working from anywhere. A remote workforce can work from anywhere, for employers this could mean increased flexibility in hiring. While we’ll always be a proponent for supporting our local economy, sometimes finding the talent you need might be easier when you can cast a wider net.
    3. Virtual meetings aren’t going away. In the same vein as number 2, virtual meetings are here to stay. The flexibility of being able to set a quick meeting to connect with a client or customer that no one must travel for is undeniable.
    4. Online training will make expanding and maintaining your skills easier to do. Online training has always been available and popular, but that popularity has grown. From webinars to online courses, or even mini quizzes to test your existing skills on a whole range of topics. We think increased popularity and availability of online courses is one of the more positive things to come out of last year.
    5. Applications and software driven at assisting the remote workforce. This was a big one, virtual tools aimed at facilitating remote work exploded in popularity last year and we don’t think this trend is going anywhere anytime soon. Zoom and Teams are notable calls out for making remote meetings and classes possible for millions of people, but they’re at the top of a very long list and we expect that list to continue to grow in 2021.

    This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are also some risks associated with the remote workforce we do not want to downplay, however with a team of tech experts behind your business those risks can be greatly mitigated if not eliminated completely.

    Are you still trying to establish your remote workforce? Are there areas that could use some improvement, or you need advice or assistance with the cyber security aspects associated with working from home? Valley Techlogic can assist your business with these topics and more.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

    Looking for IT Services in Fresno, Modesto, Stockton, Ceres, Atwater, Merced, Visalia or Lodi? We cover all these areas and more!