What is it?
Excellent article detailing the facts regarding the Ransomware:
https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/what-you-need-know-about-wannacry-ransomware
What is actually affected?
Older versions of the Windows operating system.
- Windows XP (32 bit and 64 bit)
- Windows XP Embedded
- Windows Vista
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows 8
Microsoft has released an emergency patch for older systems:
In the wake of the largest ransomware attack in the history that had already infected over 114,000 Windows systems worldwide since last 24 hours, Microsoft just took an unusual step to protect its customers with out-of-date computers.
Microsoft has just released an emergency security patch update for all its unsupported version of Windows, including Windows XP, Vista, Windows 8, Server 2003 and 2008 Editions.
If you are still running on Windows XP or Vista, you are strongly advised to download and APPLY PATCH NOW!
PremierePC takes security serious.
We help protect our clients using multiple layers of technology.
Gateway Firewall with Subscription services:
SonicWall firewall customers with active and properly installed Gateway Anti-virus security subscriptions (either standalone or as a subset of our Comprehensive Gateway Security Suite (CGSS) or Advanced Gateway Security Suite (AGSS)) are safe and are protected from WannaCry ransomware attacks.
Endpoint Anti-Virus
For our managed service plan clients utilizing our Endpoint protection you were protected from the start provided your definitions were updated. This occurs automatically when connected to the internet.
Note: Even with AV installed and updated it would still be possible to become infected due to user action. For the best security we always suggest a multi-layer approach.
Anti-Malware
Being introduced in our latest service plan iteration. PremierePC will now be including Malwarebytes Business Endpoint protection for ProSupport Complete 2017 clients for a third level of protection.
Off-site Backup:
PremierePC encourages clients to backup and store critical business data daily. Should a file become crytplocked by ransomware restoring from an earlier version is one solution around paying the hackers to restore your files.
To learn more about any of the solutions above or if you have become a victim of the attack please reach out to our office for guidance and support.
————-
Source Material:
http://thehackernews.com/2017/05/wannacry-ransomware-windows.html
https://blog.sonicwall.com/2017/05/sonicwall-protects-customers-latest-massive-wannacry-ransomware-attack
https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-cyberattack-exposes-lag-in-companies-software-updates-1494629216?tesla=y
https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/what-you-need-know-about-wannacry-ransomware
PremierePC Welcomes: Matt Monroe
PremierePC would like to welcome Matt Monroe as a new Technical Support Specialist.
Matt will be working primarily on our proactive tasks ensuring our clients environments stay up and running. His daily tasks include reviewing system notifications, anti-virus detection’s, and failed backup-up routines.
Matt will also assist with project support and depot based work as well as fielding calls.
Security Awareness Training
Problem
Cybercriminals target businesses through their end users, often using user information as shared on social networks and other locations online to gain their trust. When end users unwittingly click phishing links, open malware attachments, or give up credentials and other sensitive information online, cybercriminals can bypass existing layers of security to successfully breach organizations’ networks.
Businesses need a cost-effective solution that delivers the right security and cyber-awareness training to the individuals who need it most to stop breaches and minimize the security impact of unwitting user error.
Solution
With ongoing, relevant, engaging cybersecurity awareness training-such as phishing simulations, courses on IT and security best practices, and data protection and compliance training where relevant-businesses can significantly reduce the risks they face due to user error. Webroot Security Awareness Training ensures that people, processes, and technology are all harnessed effectively together to stop cybercriminals.
Global, real-time Webroot® Threat Intelligence helps provide highly topical, relevant, and timely real-life educational content. Our integrated online security management console and automated Learning Management System make administration straightforward and easy, helping organizations reduce risk, decrease infections and related help desk costs, protect their reputation by experiencing fewer breaches, and secure their overall cybersecurity investment.
Avaialble to existing ProSupport LITE and ProSupport Complete clients as an add-on to our included Endpoint securiety solution.
Contact us at 864 335 9223, Opt 2 to learn more.
Adjust and Delete Collected Google Data
Google is making it easier to see the search, browsing and YouTube viewing history it keeps on you, to delete any items you don’t want included, and to stop the company from logging your activity in future …
It’s doing this to comply with new European privacy regulations, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
To see the data Google stores on your web searches, browsing and YouTube viewing, visit the My Activity page.
You can delete individual items from this timeline by clicking on the three-dot menu top-right. You can also click the Details link in this menu to see additional information, such as other YouTube videos you watched in the same session.
You can now choose to switch off data-logging for the following categories:
Google has also rewritten its privacy policy in plain English, another legal requirement for GDPR compliance.
Additionally, Google said that it is making it easier to port your Google data to other services, for example to transfer photos from Google Photos to other online photo repositories.
You can find out more at the company’s blog post.
Source:
https://9to5mac.com/2018/05/11/how-to-delete-google-logs/
EVENT: BBB® & AARP® Secure Your ID Shred Day
The maximum number of boxes per consumer or business is five. The size limit is a banker box or smaller and 13-gallon bags or smaller. The complimentary shred event is first come, first serve. There is a possibility the trucks may fill up before noon, so coming early is advised. Due to safety concerns and to ensure that we are able to serve as many vehicles as possible, we are unable to accept people on foot this year or allow people to get out of their vehicle to watch their paper shredded.
Take advantage of recycling documentation and your electronics on the following dates:
PremierePC: Moving to Mauldin
It is with great excitement that we announce our upcoming move to Mauldin. With the support of our clients we have finally found a home of our own and look forward to serving you at the new location.
Our first official day of business at the new location will be 2/19/2018. We would love to see you if you happen to be in the area.
Our new address is:
16 W Pointe Blvd
Mauldin, SC 29662
Payment remittance will remain the same:
PO Box 5293
Greenville, SC 29606
OFFICE CLOSING: Happy Thanksgiving
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, our office will be closed Thursday November 23rd and Friday November 24th.
We look forward to assisting you on Monday November 27th. From all us of here at PremierePC, we wish you and yours a very safe and happy holiday.
HOSTED PHONES: Call Encryption
Jive Secure (Call Encryption)
This feature is supported on Cisco MPP, Polycom, and Yealink only.
Jive Secure protects your conversations with audio encryption—ensuring unwanted listeners can’t hack into your calls. Here’s the nitty-gritty: When you’re on a call, audio travels between two separate paths. First, between your phone network and Jive Cloud; and second, between Jive Cloud and your caller’s phone network. The two paths together allow you to speak to and hear each other. Jive Secure encrypts the first path of audio and encrypts both if your call is with another device that has Secure Calling enabled as well. Now you can rest easy knowing your network is protected.
What You Need to Know
How to enable
Need this feature enabled for your business? Reach out to our team to learn more and schedule an implementation session. Certain adjustments to our client’s edge device will be required before enabling this feature.
UPDATE: Webroot Endpoint
Endpoint Security Update:
Nearly all of our managed clients should now have the Webroot Endpoint service active and running on their systems. Webroot is billed as next generation and relies less on a database of known files and more on how a program or file operates. In this way the security solution is entirely more nimble to help protect against zero day and unknown attacks.
Webroot was one of only three solution tested that met the MRG Effitas Q1 2017 Online Banking Browser Security Report.
Report link:
https://www.mrg-effitas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/MRG-Effitas-Online-Banking-Certification_Q1_2017_Level_2_wm.pdf
We take our clients security and trust very seriously. It’s why we have pushed secure firewalls with security subscriptions as well and endpoint protection the last several years. We are pleased to report that no client so far has sustained a ransomware attack on a system we managed which was behind our managed firewalls.
Webroot when compared to traditional AV solutions stands out in many ways. The highlights are:
1. Small footprint (about 1mb)
2. Fast system scans (usually less than 6 mins)
3. Ability to detect unknown variants
4. Journal system to enable malicious rollback
For these reasons and others we are glad to be using Webroot to help secure your environments. If you want to learn more about the solution check out the link below or schedule a call with our team.
https://www.webroot.com/us/en/business/smb/endpoint-protection
UPDATE: Kaspersky Removal
Recent media coverage has highlighted that Kaspersky AV may have been used as a tool to spy or collect data on target systems.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-hackers-scanned-networks-world-wide-for-secret-u-s-data-1507743874
For years Kaspersky has been a top 5 AV solution as rated by independent third parties. For this reason, earlier this year we entered into an agreement to use their software to help secure our clients endpoints.
Five weeks ago we made a business decision to discontinue that relationship and instead partnered with U.S. based Webroot. We made this decision for several reasons.
1. The Kaspersky AV while excellent was causing system slow-downs for many users
2. The Kaspery AV was not operating in harmony with Malwarebytes
3. The mere hint of an AV solution being used to spy removes trust
Note: If you still see Kaspersky on your system please contact our help desk to have it removed. You may also run a full removal yourself at anytime.
Link to removal tool:
https://support.kaspersky.com/common/service.aspx?el=1464#block1
As always, we thank you for your trust and support and look forward to servicing you in the years to come.
CRITICAL: Protect Against WannaCry Ransomeware
What is it?
Excellent article detailing the facts regarding the Ransomware:
https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/what-you-need-know-about-wannacry-ransomware
What is actually affected?
Older versions of the Windows operating system.
Microsoft has released an emergency patch for older systems:
In the wake of the largest ransomware attack in the history that had already infected over 114,000 Windows systems worldwide since last 24 hours, Microsoft just took an unusual step to protect its customers with out-of-date computers.
Microsoft has just released an emergency security patch update for all its unsupported version of Windows, including Windows XP, Vista, Windows 8, Server 2003 and 2008 Editions.
If you are still running on Windows XP or Vista, you are strongly advised to download and APPLY PATCH NOW!
PremierePC takes security serious.
We help protect our clients using multiple layers of technology.
Gateway Firewall with Subscription services:
SonicWall firewall customers with active and properly installed Gateway Anti-virus security subscriptions (either standalone or as a subset of our Comprehensive Gateway Security Suite (CGSS) or Advanced Gateway Security Suite (AGSS)) are safe and are protected from WannaCry ransomware attacks.
Endpoint Anti-Virus
For our managed service plan clients utilizing our Endpoint protection you were protected from the start provided your definitions were updated. This occurs automatically when connected to the internet.
Note: Even with AV installed and updated it would still be possible to become infected due to user action. For the best security we always suggest a multi-layer approach.
Anti-Malware
Being introduced in our latest service plan iteration. PremierePC will now be including Malwarebytes Business Endpoint protection for ProSupport Complete 2017 clients for a third level of protection.
Off-site Backup:
PremierePC encourages clients to backup and store critical business data daily. Should a file become crytplocked by ransomware restoring from an earlier version is one solution around paying the hackers to restore your files.
To learn more about any of the solutions above or if you have become a victim of the attack please reach out to our office for guidance and support.
————-
Source Material:
http://thehackernews.com/2017/05/wannacry-ransomware-windows.html
https://blog.sonicwall.com/2017/05/sonicwall-protects-customers-latest-massive-wannacry-ransomware-attack
https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-cyberattack-exposes-lag-in-companies-software-updates-1494629216?tesla=y
https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/what-you-need-know-about-wannacry-ransomware