Author: rory-admin

  • A look back at the 2024’s 8 most expensive breaches

    A look back at the 2024’s 8 most expensive breaches

    2024 is coming to a close and with it we’re reviewing the year in technology as a whole. While we’ve covered advancements in AI, continued benefits to businesses from vendors like Microsoft 365 helping capitalize on more productivity from their technology, more options in hardware and greater adoption for cyber security especially with more regulations in place all point to positive trends in the technology space, there were still a number of notable negatives especially when it comes to cyber security breaches.

    2024 saw a 76% spike in data theft according to to Crowdstrike’s annual global threat report (we’d be remiss not to mention they also unfortunately had a notable breach themselves over the summer).  However, even with the scale of the Crowdstrike breach it still did not make the list on the top 8 most expensive cybersecurity breaches of 2024.

    Below is that list and the eye watering numbers paid out in ransom, fines and overall reduction to business productivity for these companies to resume business as usual.

    • MGM Resorts: This breach occurred in September 2024, with costs exceeding $100 million due to a ransomware attack that paralyzed operations for weeks. Recovery costs, lost revenue, and fines made it one of the year’s most expensive breaches.
    • MoveIt: A vulnerability in the file transfer software resulted in widespread data breaches for numerous organizations, costing tens of millions collectively. The breach was first reported in June 2024.
    • T-Mobile: A recurring target, T-Mobile faced another breach in February 2024, costing an estimated $150 million, including regulatory penalties and class-action settlements.
    • Latitude Financial: In March 2024, this Australian financial services company suffered a breach exposing millions of customer records, with costs exceeding $76 million, mainly from customer remediation and regulatory fines.
    • Clorox: A cyberattack in August 2024 disrupted operations, leading to a $500 million loss in revenue, with breach recovery costs adding to the financial toll.
    • Capita: This UK outsourcing giant faced a major breach early in 2024, costing approximately $150 million, driven by client compensations and operational disruptions.
    • Tesla Supplier Breach: Hackers targeted a Tesla supplier in mid-2024, compromising proprietary designs and incurring losses in the range of $50-100 million.
    • Western Digital: A breach in early 2024 affected critical business data, with costs reportedly surpassing $100 million, including regulatory fines and lost business.

    Even if you’re a small business, you’re still at risk of data breaches and the effects (including ransomware costs that will cripple your bottom line). Cybersecurity protection, including preventing data breaches, is a core face of every Valley Techlogic service plan. Learn more today and take advantage of our 2024 Holiday Offer.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • As you’re doing your holiday shopping online this year be aware of “malvertising”

    As you’re doing your holiday shopping online this year be aware of “malvertising”

    Malicious online ads or “malvertising” is on the rise, and no time is more ripe for online scamming then the busiest shopping season of the year.

    Malvertising is a cyberattack that involves bad actors injecting malicious code into online ads. These ads will appear from a Google search to be a genuine website, but when users click on the ad they are falling into the attackers trap.

    There are several variations on the scam, with some only intending to steal your payment information and others go so far as to try where others get you to download a malicious program and infect your entire computer. They can then use your device to scam people you know or add it to an online botnet user list to carry out other nefarious attacks.

    It can be difficult to defend against this type of attack because these attackers go to great pains to set up a legitimate looking storefront and credible looking ad. These types of ads are even found on major search engines such as Google.

    There are a few ways you can protect yourself though, here are our five recommendations:

    1. Use a Trusted Ad Blocker
    • Install a reputable ad blocker, such as uBlock Origin or AdBlock Plus, to block potentially harmful ads. Ad blockers prevent many ads from being displayed, reducing exposure to malicious ones.
    1. Enable Browser Security Features
    • Keep Your Browser Updated: Ensure your web browser is updated to the latest version, as updates often patch vulnerabilities.
    • Enable Pop-Up Blocking: Most modern browsers have built-in pop-up blockers to prevent intrusive ads.
    • Turn On Safe Browsing: Enable security settings like Google Chrome’s Safe Browsing to get warnings about dangerous sites.
    1. Use Security Software
    • Install and maintain robust antivirus or anti-malware software that includes web protection. Programs like Malwarebytes or Bitdefender can detect and block threats from malvertising.
    1. Be Wary of Suspicious Ads
    • Avoid clicking on ads, especially those offering deals that seem too good to be true, free prizes, or urgent requests to “update” software. Even legitimate-looking ads can redirect you to malicious sites.
    1. Browse Securely
    • Use HTTPS: Stick to websites with HTTPS encryption. These are generally more secure and less likely to host malicious ads.
    • Sandbox or Virtual Environment: For extra protection, use a sandboxed browser session (like in a virtual machine) for risky browsing activities.

    Cyber security protections are a key piece of the services provided by Valley Techlogic under our technology support plans, at no additional cost. For the holidays we’re also offering a free device for new customers, take advantage of great service and a great holiday offer, partner with Valley Techlogic today.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • 8 Black Friday Tech Gadgets to Super Charge your Office

    8 Black Friday Tech Gadgets to Super Charge your Office

    Black Friday is just a couple of weeks away but in recent years most retailers have moved away from the model of having deals only available on the day itself, instead opting for a month-long Black Friday extravaganza.

    For buyers you can find a deal on everything from home appliances to furniture, clothing and all other manner of consumer goods but there are still some great deals to be had for businesses especially in the technology space.

    Below are our 8 tech gadget recommendations to super charge your office and bring more efficiency to your workday:

    1. For just $99.99 with free shipping you can upgrade that old clunky office printer with a new HP Envy Inspire 7958e that offers 2 sided printing, an automatic document feeder, scanning and more.
    2. If you’re in the market for a beast of a laptop that can keep up with even the most demanding workload, look no further than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, currently on sale for $1361.88 which is a whopping 48% off the retail price.
    3. All-in-one computers are a popular choice with our clients looking to minimize the footprint of their device while not sacrificing usability. The Dell Inspiron features tech specs that would more than cover the average workload and then some and is currently $200 off for Black Friday.
    4. Sometimes the best way to get things done is to tune the noise out, and these Beats Solo 4 Wireless Headphones will do just that and save you $70 (down to just $129.99 for Black Friday).
    5. Office desk space is usually in short supply, charge all of your gadgets (including the ones we’re recommending) with this Anker MagGo 3-1 Charging Station now on sale for just $82.49 after the 25% coupon.
    6. If a tangible click-clack sound is an absolute non-negotiable quality for your work keyboard then you’ll want to consider the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini, currently on sale for $128.99 with $51 off for Black Friday.
    7. Standing desks continue to be a trendy item for those looking to add “less sedentary” to their New Years resolutions, this electric option from Amazon is just $119.99 after the $50 coupon.
    8. Apple Air Tag: You might be asking yourself; how can I use an Apple Air Tag in my office? The answer, if you’re an iPhone user and regularly take your work device home or with you as you travel, how can you not? Nobody beats Apple when it comes to peace of mind in being able locate your device by attaching an Apple Air Tag to it or inside your laptop bag if it’s stolen or misplaced and for Black Friday they’re currently on sale for the low, low price of just $19. For Android users we can also recommend the Tile Tracker as a comparable alternative.

    We would be remiss to mention all of these great Black Friday offers and not include our own, for a limited time new customers will receive a new laptop or desktop just for signed up with a technology service plan with Valley Techlogic, our service plans include 24/7 IT support, backup and data recovery, robust cyber security protection and more. You can learn more here or by clicking the link below.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • Meeting with your IT provider soon? Here are 5 questions you MUST ask

    Meeting with your IT provider soon? Here are 5 questions you MUST ask

    As a managed IT service provider ourselves, we strongly encourage every business owner to meet with the person and/or business who provides their IT support services at MINIMUM annually (and here are our five reasons why if you’re curious).

    If you already have that annual meeting on the books or are thinking about scheduling it soon to prepare your business for 2025 and beyond, it’s a good idea to go with a few questions that will help you determine if the services you’re receiving are meeting your business’s needs and goals. Lucky for you, today we have the top five questions we would ask if the shoe was on the other foot.

    1. Is our business positioned adequately to ward off cybersecurity threats?
    • Why it’s important: The threat landscape changes rapidly. Ensuring your MSP (Managed Service Provider) is up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity protocols and threat intelligence is critical for safeguarding your data and operations.
    • Follow-up considerations: Inquire about specific measures like endpoint detection, regular patching, and proactive threat monitoring.
    1. Are there new technologies or upgrades we should be considering?
    • Why it’s important: Technology evolves quickly, and new tools can improve productivity, security, and efficiency. Your MSP should keep you informed about beneficial updates or trends.
    • For Example: Ask about cloud services, automation tools, and software that could enhance your business operations.
    1. How are we meeting compliance and regulatory requirements?
    • Why it’s important: Compliance with industry regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, CMMC, NIST) is vital to avoid fines and maintain client trust. Your MSP should ensure your systems align with these standards.
    • Follow-up considerations: Request documentation or reports that show compliance checks and updates.
    1. What was our overall system performance this past year?
    • Why it’s important: Understanding your system’s reliability helps gauge your MSP’s effectiveness and determine if changes are necessary. Consistent performance and minimal downtime are essential for business continuity.
    • Follow-up considerations: Review detailed reports on uptime statistics, issue resolution times, and incident responses. Your MSP should have data available for your review at your meeting.
    1. What is our current backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan, and has it been tested recently?
    • Why it’s important: A reliable BDR plan is essential for business resilience. Regular testing ensures that it will work in an actual crisis.
    • Follow-up considerations: Verify the frequency of backup tests, ensure that if an outage were to occur your business could be up and running again quickly. If needed, request a simulation test to see how fast the recovery would take and make changes if needed to meet your goals.

    If your annual meeting with your current provider left a lot to be desired, or they dodged having it at all maybe it’s time to make a change. For a limited time, new customers can also take advantage of our holiday offer (see details below).

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • Technology Planning for 2025: Five Items to Focus on to Grow Your Business in the New Year

    Technology Planning for 2025: Five Items to Focus on to Grow Your Business in the New Year

    It’s November and 2025 is just two short months away, we don’t know about you but for us it felt like 2024 flew by and in that time technology planning for our clients has already changed.

    For example, 2025 will bring the end-of-life date for Windows 10 which is still dominating the market share of Windows devices at 65%. We have also more clients in introducing AI into their business next year, including taking advantage of Microsoft’s Co-Pilot which works in tandem with their existing Microsoft subscriptions (you can see our latest blog on AI here).

    Beyond AI or replacing hardware, what are five ways you can grow your business with technology in 2025? Here’s our suggestions:

    1. Implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
      A CRM platform (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot or Keap) helps centralize customer interactions, sales data, and service requests, providing valuable insights into customer preferences and buying behavior. By integrating CRM across your sales, marketing, and service teams, you can improve customer retention, streamline communication, and create targeted marketing campaigns that drive growth.
    2. Leverage Automation to Streamline Operations
      Automating routine tasks such as invoicing, customer service, and lead generation can free up your team to focus on strategic work. Automation tools like RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and workflow automation software can improve efficiency, reduce human error, and cut costs.
    3. Adopt Cloud Solutions for Greater Flexibility and Collaboration
      Cloud-based tools (like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) enable teams to collaborate in real-time, regardless of location. They offer flexible storage, data security, and remote access to essential resources, which can increase productivity and support a hybrid workforce.
    4. Boost Marketing Reach with Advanced Analytics
      Using data analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics 4, Tableau) lets you gain deeper insights into customer behavior, optimize campaigns, and track ROI. Predictive analytics can also help anticipate customer needs, allowing for proactive engagement and more efficient targeting.
    5. Invest in Cybersecurity to Build Trust and Prevent Losses
      Protecting sensitive customer and business data is vital. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint security, and regular audits can reduce the risk of data breaches. Prioritizing cybersecurity can build customer trust, prevent financial losses, and safeguard your company’s reputation.

    If you’re looking to increase your technology prowess in 2025, Valley Techlogic is the partner you’re looking for. We stay ahead of advancements in IT to give our customers the best strategic advantage over their competitors. We also have an offer for new customers that you won’t want to miss, see the details below.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • 5 Ways to Think Like a Hacker to Protect Your Business

    5 Ways to Think Like a Hacker to Protect Your Business

    As you’re going about your day-to-day activities online, thinking of how a hacker might take advantage of even mundane aspects of your routine probably doesn’t enter into the equation.

    We all sign on to work for the day, check our emails, maybe post an update on social media and chat with our colleagues before getting into the grind of our daily activities. Already when you first log in, you’re potentially being exposed to potential threat activity.

    Here are five ways you can “think like a hacker” and protect your business and yourself from falling victim to scams, malware attempts and more:

    1. As we mentioned, the first thing almost everyone does is check their emails but how closely are you scrutinizing the items in your inbox? Phishing is still the number one-way attackers gain access to personally identifying information and systems in your business. Here’s some advice on spotting phishing emails and how to avoid falling for them.
    2. Sharing on social media? You’re volunteering personal information that anyone can read and take advantage of. It might be nice to post that lunch selfie you took with your colleagues but maybe wait until you’re back at your desk, especially if you’re a business owner as you’re more likely to be targeted by something called spear fishing. By posting that selfie during lunch you’re letting anyone who may be watching know your office computer is unattended.
    3. In the same vein, the more details you post online the more information can be gleaned to target you. If you post that your Aunt Kathy Isn’t feeling well Aunt Kathy’s “friend” may send you a message offering sympathy and describing their own woes and tribulations while perhaps trying to gain your trust. However, when you go to confirm with Aunt Kathy later on you find out she’s never heard of this so called “friend”. Social engineering is a large part of long-term scams, always confirm with your friends and relatives directly before giving credence to any messages you receive online.
    4. Sending something important? Always encrypt! You cannot account for the security awareness of others; by encrypting important files being sent via email you’re at least protecting your side of equation.
    5. Speaking of security awareness, being up to date on the latest threats is exactly what a hacker would do. With security awareness training, you can “think like a hacker” and avoid many of the traps they try and set up to gain access to your business.

    Security awareness training is just one of the features we include with all of our service plans. On top of that you will also gain access to:

    1. 24/7 Endpoint Detection and Threat Monitoring
    2. Automatic Daily Backups
    3. Disaster Recovery Planning
    4. Consistent Patching & Updates
    5. Ticket Response Times in Under 15 Minutes

    With a Valley Techlogic plan you don’t need to think like a hacker to protect your business, learn more today with a free consultation.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • If AI implementation is important to your business’s 2025 goals, you will want to watch the AI chipset market closely

    If AI implementation is important to your business’s 2025 goals, you will want to watch the AI chipset market closely

    With Project Strawberry (the newest iteration of ChatGPT which is touted to boost it’s reasoning capabilities amongst other new features) on the horizon and more and more businesses taking advantage of AI tools such as Microsoft Co-Pilot and Google Gemini, the AI train doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon.

    So, if AI is going to be a priority for your businesses 2025 are you planning on how can you make sure you have devices that can fully take advantage of what AI is capable of? AI workloads can be strenuous on the average machine (see our chart on the minimum specifications we recommend below).

    Why is AI so hardware intensive? AI relies on machine learning to operate, if your computer has to slog through the requests you’re making of it (for example, making presentations, automating tasks and performing searches on your behalf) then that’s going to hinder your ability to use AI to it’s full potential. That may lead to you and your users becoming frustrated and resorting to just returning to prior methods of performing these tasks and stifling the ability to use this emerging innovation in technology.

    Failing to adapt to emerging technologies can be a death knell to many businesses (anyone remember Blockbuster?).

    No one knows more how important keeping up with emerging technologies is than chip makers like Intel, Nvidia and AMD who all have chips set to release next year that will reportedly take full advantage of advancements in AI.

    Nvidia so far has led in this race, with their chips utilizing its own programming language, CUDA (which stands for Compute Unified Device Architecture), which has become standard amongst AI developers. This means they’re dominating this market so far, especially in the data center space. Having direct access to this language from an architecture perspective means that chips made by Nvidia can accelerate processes for AI purposes (thus completing AI tasks more efficiently). Their innovations in the AI space and technology as a whole have led to Nvidia representing 11.7% of the total US GDP.

    AMD hopes to compete with Nvidia and reclaim some of their market share with their new chips, set to be released in early 2025 which will feature their own programing language called ROCm. It’s being said making the switch from CUDA to ROCm will be a painless process and offer more competition in the market (which will only improve things from a cost perspective).

    For example, the current cost of a processor intended for a supercomputer with AMDs new chip set is $14,813 per chip, drastically outside the range of most customers’ comfortable price point for a new device. As competitions and advancements become more common place, we may be getting closer to an age where super computers are not just found in scientific and government settings and there’s no telling how that will change the average workplace in the future.

    There’s also the hardware portion of chip making to consider especially amongst earlier concerns of semiconductors maxing out their capacity for growth and shortages that continued past the height of the pandemic. TSMC also reached a new market share height of over a trillion dollars this week putting fears of that rest for the moment.

    If taking advantage of AI or replacing aging hardware is on your 2025 to-do list, Valley Techlogic can help. We offer tailored advice and procurement assistance as an included feature in our support plans for businesses located in California. Reach out today for more information.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • My First Convention Experience: A Memorable Time at ScaleCon 2024

    My First Convention Experience: A Memorable Time at ScaleCon 2024

    Today’s blog was written by our employee Ashton Fortuna who recently attended his first convention, Scalecon 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    This year, I had the incredible opportunity to attend ScaleCon 2024, the very first of its kind, hosted in Las Vegas. As someone relatively new to the convention scene, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I can confidently say that ScaleCon exceeded every expectation and left me eager for next year’s event.

    An Event Worth the Hype

    Right from the moment I arrived, I knew I was going to benefit from this event. Everything was meticulously planned, from the opening keynote to the breakout sessions and networking events. The organizers of ScaleCon put in a tremendous amount of effort to ensure that every aspect of the event was seamless. The attention to detail was evident, making navigating the convention an absolute breeze.

    Top-Notch Speakers and Content

    One of the standout features of ScaleCon 2024 was the lineup of speakers. From industry veterans to my peers, every presentation I attended left me with new insights and practical takeaways. Whether you’re in tech, marketing, or ownership, the sessions were packed with content tailored to help businesses scale. I particularly appreciated how each session balanced high- level strategy with actionable tips I could take back to my work. And the best part is no pitching. Not a single speaker spot was purchased and no sales pitches from the stage.

    My Favorite Moments

    One of the event’s highlights for me was Paul Green’s, from MSP Marketing Edge, closing keynote on Friday. Paul reminded business owners to “pay their staff way above what they’re worth” (wink wink). It was a lighthearted yet powerful statement, emphasizing the importance of valuing your team. He also delivered an inspiring message on how it’s the small, consistent actions we take daily that will shape the future we want. That reminder stuck with me and is something I’ve been thinking about since.

    Brian Gillette from Feel Good MSP also shared some simple yet profound advice during his session: before helping a prospective client, we must first ask three critical questions. What do they need? Why do they need it? Why don’t they have it yet? These questions resonated with me as a reminder that understanding our client’s motivations and obstacles is key to offering real value

    Tech Tribe owner and resident chief motivational speaker Nigel Moore on stage at ScaleCon 2024.

    One saying from the event that will stick with me not just in my position at work but with life came from Harrison Baron of Growth Generators: “Don’t smoke Hopium.” Harrison’s message was a powerful reminder that while being in sales is about helping others see the value of your product, hoping they will see it is not enough. Relying on hope alone holds us back. As Harrison put it, “Hoping it works out isn’t going to make it work out.” Action is what moves things forward.

    And finally, Nigel Moore’s closing speech for the entire event struck a deeply personal chord. He reminded us to take care of ourselves, knowing that we can’t take care of other people’s tech unless we’re also taking care of the “grey squishy tech” between our ears. This was a perfect close to a week of intense learning and networking, reinforcing the importance of mental well-being for success.

    Unmatched Networking Opportunities

    Networking at ScaleCon was an experience in itself. With so many professionals gathered in one place, it was a prime opportunity to make new connections. The event organizers did an amazing job creating spaces for people to interact, whether it was through structured round tables or more informal happy hours. I walked away with a fresh perspective  and  valuable relationships I’m excited to nurture.

    Guest speakers at Scalecon 2024
    There was no shortage of speakers offering advice on sales, marketing and life in general.

    A Special Thanks to Taher and Nigel Moore

    I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to Taher Hamid and Nigel Moore (and their teams of course) for organizing such an amazing event. Their vision and leadership brought ScaleCon 2024 to life, and it was evident in every aspect of the convention. Their efforts created an environment where learning and connection could thrive, and I’m truly thankful for the experience they provided.

    We were impressed with the variety of swag found at the event.

    Looking Ahead to ScaleCon 2025

    Attending ScaleCon 2024 wasn’t just about the sessions and networking; it was about being part of something new and exciting. It’s rare to attend the first of anything, but ScaleCon truly set a high bar. I’m already counting down the days to next year’s event, and if you haven’t attended yet, make sure to put ScaleCon 2025 on your calendar. You won’t want to miss it.

    Our employee Ashton with ScaleCon co-creator Nigel Moore.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • Verizon’s massive outage this week and it’s connection to Hurricane Helene

    Verizon’s massive outage this week and it’s connection to Hurricane Helene

    While much of the eastern side of the country continues to grapple with the effects of Hurricane Helene (in particular western North Carolina which had many towns wiped off the map), restoring cellular communication has been a top priority to locate and aid those currently affected.

    In order to do that, cellular communication providers have enabled something called “disaster roaming” in the effected areas, this type of roaming services allows customers of any mobile phone company to use any available cell tower. Normally, cell towers are maintained and restricted to certain companies. So, for example, you may find as an AT&T customer you have better service in one locations vs another. With disaster roaming turned on this would no longer be the case.

    What does this have to do with the Verizon outage that occurred this week? Well, this unplanned outage that affected as of writing caused over 100,000 reports from customers on DownDetector.com, a site that reports service complaints, also affected the areas currently recovering from Hurricane Helene.

    Users reported their phones being stuck in “SOS” mode, and after several hours issued a statement that their engineers had fixed the issue and that anyone still affected should try restarting their phones. During the outage the company’s response was underwhelming, in many cases just informing customers they were “aware of the issue”.

    The timing of this outage and the announcement that disaster roaming was turned on in certain areas is also possibly worth investigating, though no announcement on the cause of the outage has been revealed at this time.

    This is also not the first time we’ve written about a major cellular outage (AT&T and T-Mobile have had their fair share as well). Disasters like the one currently ongoing in North Carolina highlight our need to have effective ways to communicate in times of an emergency and it is past time that cellular companies be held to a higher standard when it comes to communicating and addressing outages that can have drastic consequences for their customers.

    Effective communication is an important part of running a business, if you’re not making your customers aware of your intentions then you’re leaving it up to them to draw conclusions on your behalf. Below are five ways Valley Techlogic addresses communicating with clients who have a technology service plan with us:

    Don’t settle for underwhelming or non-existent communication on the services you pay for, learn more about how Valley Techlogic can support your business today with a free consultation.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • How easy is it to hack your car? For one brand it can take just a few minutes

    How easy is it to hack your car? For one brand it can take just a few minutes

    We are all aware of the devices in our home that are vulnerable to attacks, from the usual suspects like our PCs, laptops and phones to the less obvious like our internet capable smart home devices, but now we even have to worry about hackers when it comes to our cars?

    In the past, hacking a car required a great deal of skill and time. One recent variation was hackers taking advantage of RFID powered key fobs by intercepting their signal from outside your home. This attack still required the attacker to be quite close to your vehicle and security cameras (or even tinfoil wrapped around the keyfob) would be a deterrent, it also required knowledge in how the signals being broadcasted work and special equipment to intercept those signals.

    For Kia car owners, hackers have discovered a vulnerability in Kia’s own web portal that allows them to assume control of the internet connected features on the car, including swapping out the owner’s smart phone for the hackers own on the vehicle.

    This vulnerability wasn’t limited to a certain type of Kia but could be applied to any Kia with internet connected features, which in total is millions of cars. While the vulnerability Isn’t allowing the attacker to steal the car (yet) it can give the attacker control of the customers Bluetooth, vehicle cameras, door locks (allowing for theft of items in the car) and more.

    For researchers who discovered the vulnerability they also realized it led to a rabbit hole of similar vulnerabilities found on a variety of car maker websites, including Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Infiniti and more. In a nutshell, the cyber protection available for cars leaves a lot to be desired.

    For more information on how these vulnerabilities are being exploited and exactly which car manufacturers are affected, you can read the comprehensive study put out by Sam Curry, an ethical hacker that works towards bringing critical vulnerabilities to light so they can be solved.

    So where do we go from here? In general, the more internet features devices like cars or home products have the more vulnerable they are to attacks, and the same protections we apply to our computers, servers and phones need to apply to Internet of Things (IoT) devices as well. Below are three ways you can secure your IoT devices:

    While we can’t help you with securing your car, we can help you with securing your business’s technology. At Valley Techlogic, cyber security protections are an included offering in every service plan we provide – including 24/7 monitoring, advanced threat detection, threat remediation and more. Learn more today with a consultation.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. 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 and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.