Small Business Protection plan
Malware and computer hacking is big business in 2023
Most people think it will not happen to them. They have anti-virus software installed and do not go to questionable websites. Some even have a MAC computer and Macs don’t get hacked, right? Consider this:
- North America saw an alarming 105% surge in ransomware cyberattacks last year. The majority of small-business owners are not worried about being the victim of a cyberattack, with 56% stating they are not concerned about being the victim of a hack in the next 12 months, according to a 2021 CNBC Momentive Q3 Small Business Survey. And 24% said they were “not concerned at all.”
- Hackers are targeting small business and individual users. $10 ransomware kits are available on the dark web. No special skills needed!
- 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. (Cybint)
- Personal data was involved in 58% of breaches in 2020. (Verizon)
- 56% of Americans don’t know what steps to take in the event of a data breach. (Varonis)
- 100,000 groups in at least 150 countries and more than 400,000 machines were infected by the Wannacry virus in 2017, at a total cost of around $4 billion (Technology Inquirer)
- Many malware attacks are now come from social engineering and email phishing.
Consider this probable scenario:
Your new employee clicks on an email that is actually a cyber hacking attack and now the hacker has access to your data and systems. The hard disk has failed and you are not sure about backups.
Or you think you have good virus protection software installed and you copy some of your files to a USB drive when you remember. If you are honest, you reuse many of your passwords and most of the passwords might be easy to guess. You are supposed to ‘patch’ your software regularly, but you are not really sure what that means? If something bad happened, you are not sure who you would call?
If you have a small business with 1 -3 PCs and a simple network, then consider the Small Business Protection Plan below.
Very Important!
We use the industry leader in autonomous cyber security, Sentinel One.
Zero day attacks, ransomware, and fileless threats can bypass traditional antivirus solutions. We use Sentinel One’s artificial intelligence (AI) to stay ahead of evolving threats. This is not a standard antivirus program! With the OS rollback feature, reverse ransomware typically in minutes! For more detail information of how this technology is superior to standard virus protections, click on the title below.
Code Vapor Technology Services uses SentinelOne, the industry best IA driven malware detection and removal software for its customers. This is a significant advancement in the fight against malware.
How It Works
Computer virus and malware programs work in a similar manner as a human flu virus infection. In humans, viruses mutate and infect the human host. The body’s white blood cells immediately fight the infection and eventually eradicate it if they have seen it previously and developed a defense mechanism against it. If it is a new virus, the body has to develop a new defense and this takes some time (this is why you can be ill for several days).
-> INFECTION -> RECOGNIZE VIRUS -> ATTACK and RESOLVE
With computers the virus (computer code) enters the PC (through various methods) and runs its code to start its destructive work. If the PC has a virus protection program installed (i.e. Bitdefender, Avast, Mcafee, etc.) it detects the code and quarantines it. If the virus is not known, the virus protection program cannot help. Unlike the human body, it does not have the intelligence to develop a cure.
Computers have to be infected first, then a virus signature created by a virus protection company and then sent out to PC via the Internet. The problem is that creating new malware is a global big business!. Thousands of new variants are created every day!
-> INFECT COMPUTERS -> REPORT THE PROBLEM -> CREATE NEW SIGNATURE -> SEND OUT TO PCS
SentinelOne uses a non-signature approach. Their artificial intelligence (AI) engine looks at all files downloaded and analyses their actions. Why is this PDF file running a script that is talking to the Internet? Why are these files being encrypted (Ransomware)? This solution solves the “zero-day” problem of being the first to be infected with a new malware attack. No waiting for virus signatures to be discovered and a solution created. SentinelOne’s propriety solution has been tested and proven to be effective 99.9% of the time.
If a PC’s files starts to become encrypted before SentinelOne shuts it down, it can automatically reverse the operation by replacing the encrypted files with unencrypted files that it has previously backed up.
This important!
Researchers from Stanford University and a top cybersecurity organization found that approximately 88 percent of all data breaches are caused by an employee mistake. Human error is still very much the driving force behind an overwhelming majority of cybersecurity problems.
- Nearly 45% of respondents cited distraction as the top reason for falling for a phishing scam.
- 57% of remote workers admit they are more distracted when working from home.
- The top reasons for clicking on phishing emails are the perceived legitimacy of the email (43%) and the fact that it appeared to have come from either a senior executive (41%) or a well-known brand (40%).
No firewall is going to protect you from this class of cyber hacking. Phishing and Spear Phishing are just a few of the methods criminals use to fool you into doing what they want. (Click here for top 14 most common cyber attacks)
You will receive training videos that teach you how to protect yourself from the latest cyber hacks. Not only will you know what the latest security security risks are, but how to protect your personal data as well. We use Ninjio’s entertaining training video of how to protect yourself. Click here for more information.
The average life of a hard disk is 4-5 years (in a perfect world). When they “crash” there goes all your files and pictures!
What happens when your hard disk crashes or when you get Ransomware? Do you daily backup your important files?
There are two type of backup: Full and Data Files. The full backup is the best because it backs up everything (files, Windows operating system, etc). This takes much longer and can be expensive.
The Data File backup copies you common data files (listed below). In the event of a failure, Windows can be reinstalled and your data files downloaded from the cloud.
The following files will be automatically backed up twice a day to the cloud. (12:00 pm- 2:00 pm, 9:00 pm – 6:00 am).
- Word/Pages documents
- Excel/Numbers documents
- Powerpoint/Keynote
- Access databases
- CSV
- Outlook
Many cyber criminals gain access to your PC through software vulnerabilities. Since modern software programs are very complex, they exploit weakness in the software code. Perhaps they get you to click on a link in your email and program runs in the background that exploits one of these weaknesses.
The Patch Management system manages locating Microsoft and third party software patches (vulnerabilities or weakness in the software) and automatically downloads and installs them to your PC.
Is your hard disk failing or running out of space?
North Indy will be notified when your hard disk is almost full or is having read/write errors. North Indy can then assist you in replacing the hard disk or evaluating if it is more cost effective to purchase a new PC.
When you need help and you call North Indy, the engineer can remote into your PC with your permission and help you in real time.
Ever wonder if it is time to replace your PC? Should I upgrade it? What should I buy?
North Indy will make recommendations when it is time to replace your PC with a new one. A free analysis will be run to determine if you should upgrade components or purchase a new one. North Indy will give you advice on what specs to look for or can provide you with a preconfigured business class PC as earliest as the next day!
Do you have trusted IT advisor? North Indy engineers are experienced and have decades of experience help corporate executive to single owner businesses.
You will be able to email or text your dedicated engineer with your questions and typically receive a response back within the same day. The engineers can help you with hardware issues on your PC, network and Wi-Fi issues in your church, software questions on common software programs, remote conference rooms, streaming, etc.
Support time is discounted 25% for Church Protection Plan customers.
Support time covers hardware repairs, software questions, networking (firewalls, switches, internet, Wi-Fi, etc.) and special projects.
Billed in 15 minute increments. Free initial technology project consulting.
Five percent discounts on business class hardware and computers. New computers can be preconfigured with your old data and software and shipped direct to your church or home.
We are dealers for some of the best laptops (Lenovo Thinkpad) and desktop devices (Lenovo Tiny).