Wow Factor: Recent Episodes
Aaron Stryzinski
Simplifying technology concepts and strategies to solve business needs. The world just keeps getting smaller and smaller. As technology improves there comes an inherent risk of falling behind. Leaders everywhere are confronted daily with new challenges that, if left alone, may cause irreparable damage to their personal or company goals. My name is Aaron Stryzinski and my goal is to provide relevant information on business applications, infrastructure, and strategy so that you may understand how to alleviate some of this risk.
Imagine you’re going about your day when you get a text from the CEO.
They’re out doing customer visits and need you to buy some gift cards.
This is a high priority. The CEO needs the card details urgently.
Would this kind of request make you pause and wonder?
Would you quickly pull out your credit card to do as asked?
A surprising number of employees fall for this gift card scam.
Without proper training, 32.4% of employees are prone to fall for a phishing scam.
Why Do Employees Fall for Phishing Scams?
· They are afraid of not doing as asked by a superior
· They jump at the chance to save the day
· They don’t want to let their company down
· They may feel they can advance in their career by helping
Tips for Avoiding Costly Phishing Scams
· Always Double Check Unusual Requests
· Don’t React Emotionally
· Get a Second Opinion
Need Help with Employee Phishing Awareness Training?
Give us a call today to schedule a training session to shore up your team’s defenses.
No business wants to suffer a data breach.
But unfortunately, it’s difficult to completely avoid them.
Approximately 83% of organizations have experienced more than one data breach. (IBM Security 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report)
The cost of a data breach climbed again in 2022.
The global cost of one breach is now $4.35 million, up 2.6% from last year.
Cybersecurity Tactics to Reduce the Impact of a Breach
· Use a Hybrid Cloud Approach
· Put in Place an Incident Response Plan & Practice It
· Adopt a Zero Trust Security Approach
· Use Tools with Security AI & Automation
How to Get Started Improving Your Cyber Resilience
· Address the “low-hanging fruit” first.
· Then, move on to longer-term projects.
Need Help Improving Your Security & Reducing Risk?
Give us a call today to schedule a chat about a cybersecurity roadmap.
Data breaches are an unfortunate part of life.
They can have costly consequences for individuals.
Hackers can steal identities and compromise bank accounts, just to name a couple.
Cybercriminals breach about 4,800 websites every month.
Months or years can go by without you knowing about compromised data.
Recent Breaches of Personal Information That May Impact You
· Microsoft Customer Data Breach
· 2.5 Million Records Exposed in a Student Loan Breach
· U-Haul Data Breach of 2.2 Million Individuals’ Data
· Neopets Breach May Have Compromised 69 Million Accounts
· One Employee Computer Causes a Marriott Breach
· Shield Health Care Group Exposes Up to 2 Million Records
· Flagstar Bank Takes 6 Months to Identify Individuals Affected in a Breach
· 8.2 million Current and Former Customers of Block Compromised
· Crypto.com Breach Nets Hackers Over $30 Million
Data privacy has been a growing requirement ever since the internet age began.
Most companies must follow HIPAA, GDPR, or another privacy rule.
By the end of 2024, 75% of the world’s population will have their personal data protected.
To stay on top of your privacy compliance obligations…
…you should keep up with trends in this area.
What’s Happening in Data Privacy Compliance?
· AI Governance
· Consumer Privacy UX
· Increased Scrutiny of Remote Employee Monitoring
· Data Localization
· Privacy-Enhancing Computation (PEC)
Our technology inevitably comes with us when we travel.
Most of us won’t even travel to the end of the block without our smartphones.
Travel smarter and more securely by doing several checks before you go.
Use our handy tech travel checklist.
1. Check Your Apps
2. Check Your Cords & Adapters
3. Check Your Power
4. Check Your Mobile Plan
5. Check or Add a VPN
6. Check Your Backup
7. Check Your Device Security
8. Check Your Double-Checks
Improve the Security of Your Devices Now
If you follow Microsoft products, then you may know about Microsoft Ignite.
Held annually, it generates many exciting updates in the Microsoft world.
We’ll go over some new announcements from Ignite.
These may give you some ideas for your next digital workflow upgrade.
· Teams Premium
· 360-Degree Intelligent Camera for Teams Meetings
· Cisco is Now a Certified Devices Partner for Teams Rooms
· Microsoft Places
· Hours & Location Feature in Outlook & Teams
· Loop App Private Preview
· Microsoft Clipchamp Video Editor
Get Help Navigating the Microsoft 365 Universe
The new year is a time of possibilities to come.
It’s also a time when you need to plan for resiliency in the face of cyberattacks.
68% of surveyed business leaders feel cybersecurity risks are getting worse.
We’ve pulled out the security crystal ball for the upcoming year.
Here are the attack trends that you need to watch out for.
· Attacks on 5G Devices
· One-time Password (OTP) Bypass
· Attacks Surrounding World Events
· Smishing & Mobile Device Attacks
· Elevated Phishing Using AI & Machine Learning
Cybersecurity insurance covers costs associated with a data breach.
No one is safe from cyberattacks.
Even small businesses find they are targets.
The average cost of a data breach is currently $4.35 million.
The increase in threats and costs have led to changes in cyber insurance.
Here are some of the cyber liability insurance trends you need to know:
· Demand is Going Up
· Premiums are Increasing
· Certain Coverages are Being Dropped
· It’s Harder to Qualify
The global home security market has been growing by leaps and bounds.
Watching your front door from afar has never been so easy.
But don’t let the ease of setup fool you.
Home security cameras can mean risk for your family if you don’t take precautions.
Here are some of the things you should do for a safe home security setup.
· Make Sure Your Router is Secure
· Change the Default Username & Password
· Ensure the System Uses SSL/TLS Or Other Encryption
· Keep the Software Updated
· Consider Access Levels for Multiple Users
· Enable Camera Security Features
· Make Sure Your Mobile Device is Secure
Looking for Help Protecting Your Cloud Security System?
You often hear the words “digital transformation” and “collaboration.”
But what do they mean for the day-to-day of running your business?
Collaboration can’t happen without shared goals.
Microsoft has been at the forefront of digital transformation and collaboration.
One of its newest offerings is Viva Goals.
What is Viva Goals?
Viva Goals is an app that makes company goals tangible.
Here are the key value-adds:
• Aligns Your Team to the Same Goals
• Maintains Focus on Goals
• Integrates with Teams & M365
Give us a call and schedule a consultation to learn more.
One constant struggle is the balance between productivity and security.
If you give users too much freedom, risk increases.
But add too many security gates, and productivity can dwindle.
35% of data breaches initiate from breached login credentials.
There are ways to have both secure and productive users.
Solutions to Improve Security Without Sacrificing Convenience
· Use Contextual Authentication Rules
· Install a Single Sign-on (SSO) Solution
· Recognize Devices
· Use Role-based Authentication
· Consider Adding Biometrics
The global pandemic put a big emphasis on the need to run a business from anywhere.
VoIP allows employees to work from home and still answer the business phone line.
82% of organizations have reported saving money after implementing VoIP.
But VoIP is not foolproof.
Companies that don’t set it up efficiently, can experience issues.
Use these tips to improve your calling experience:
1. Check Network Capabilities
2. Prioritize Your VoIP Software Using QoS Rules
3. Provide Quality Headsets for Your Team
4. Set Up Departments & Ring Groups
5. Create Your Company Directory
6. Have Employees Set Up Their Voicemail & VM to Email
7. Train Your Team on the Call Handling Process
Microsoft Teams is a lot of things.
It’s a video conferencing tool, a team messaging channel, and a tool for in-app co authoring.
But the things that make the app popular can also make the setup complex.
Microsoft Teams has many moving parts.
To use them effectively they need to be well organized.
Easy Checklist for Setting Up Microsoft Teams
1. Set Up Your Teams/Departments
2. Add Team Members
3. Set Up Team Channels
4. Set Up Team Tabs
5. Schedule MS Teams Training
Talk to us today if you want a non-salesy chat about your I.T. needs.
Aaron Stryzinski
vCIO
phone: 317-468-2403
email: astryzinski@wowlinx.com
2 W. Main St. Suite 101
Greenfield, IN 46140
Have you ever bought a new computer and then had buyer’s remorse a few months later?
An investment in a new PC isn’t something you want to do lightly.
Doing your research ahead of time and consulting with a trusted friend or IT shop can help.
Here are several things to consider before you buy a new computer.
• The Amount of Memory (RAM)
• User Reviews for Longevity
• Whether the PC is for Personal or Business Use
• The Processor Used
• For Laptops: The Case Type
• Storage Capacity
• Hard Drive Type
Come to Us Before You Spend Money on a New Computer
Contact us today for a free consultation to save you from a bad new PC experience.
Aaron Stryzinski
vCIO
phone: 317-468-2403
email: astryzinski@wowlinx.com
2 W. Main St. Suite 101
Greenfield, IN 46140
Eighty-one percent of security incidents happen due to stolen or weak passwords.
Access and identity management have become a priority for many organizations.
This is largely due to the rise of the cloud.
What Is Conditional Access?
Conditional access is a method of controlling user access.
You can think of it as several “if/then” statements, meaning “if” this thing is present, “then” do this.
The Benefits of Implementing Conditional Access for Identity Management
• Improves Security
• Automates the Access Management Process
• Allows Restriction of Certain Activities
• Improves the User Login Experience
• Enforces the Rule of Least Privilege
Contact us today for a free consultation to enhance your cybersecurity.
Aaron Stryzinski
vCIO
Phone: 317-468-2403
Email: astryzinski@wowlinx.com
2 W. Main St. Suite 101
Greenfield, IN 46140
Mobile devices make up about 60% of the endpoints in a company network.
But they’re often neglected when it comes to strong cybersecurity measures.
This is especially true with employee-owned mobile devices.
You can run BYOD securely if you have some best practices in place.
• Define Your BYOD Policy
• Keep Your Policy “Evergreen”
• Use VoIP Apps for Business Calls
• Create Restrictions on Saved Company Data
• Require Device Updates
• Include BYOD in Your Offboarding Process
Let Us Help You Explore Endpoint Security Solutions
Consult us today for a free consultation.
Aaron Stryzinski
vCIO
Phone: 317-468-2403
Email: astryzinski@wowlinx.com
2 W. Main St. Suite 101
Greenfield, IN 46140
When the year is coming to a close, it’s the perfect time to plan for the future.
Most businesses begin the year with the hope of growing and improving operations.
Much of how a business operates depends on technology.
So, it makes sense to look to your IT for areas of optimization.
Considerations When Reviewing Your Technology at Year-End
• Technology Policies
• Disaster Recovery Planning
• IT Issues & Pain Points
• Privileged Access & Orphaned Accounts
• IT Upgrade & Transformation Plans for the New Year
• Cloud Use & Shadow IT
• Customer-Facing Technology
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Aaron Stryzinski
vCIO
Phone: 317-468-2403
Email: astryzinski@wowlinx.com
2 W. Main St. Suite 101
Greenfield, IN 46140
Paying attention to your customer experience directly impacts your bottom line.
Companies that are “customer-centric” are 60% more profitable than those that aren’t.
In this digital age, customers also expect more from those they do business with.
These apps focus on making leads and customers happy.
1. Online Survey Application
2. Smart Chat Bot
3. Business Mobile App
4. Facebook Messenger Support
5. VoIP Phone System with Good Mobile App
6. Text Notification Apps
7. All-in-One CRM & Sales Platform
Get Help with Customer-Facing Technology Support
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Aaron Stryzinski
vCIO
phone: 317-468-2403
email: astryzinski@wowlinx.com
2 W. Main St. Suite 101
Greenfield, IN 46140