Protect Yourself From Bogus Websites

Cyber criminals, hackers, phishers and other ne’re-do-wells will never stop devising new ways to part honest citizens with their money. Bogus websites are another way these fraudsters are tricking people out of their hard-earned pay. These criminals create web pages for businesses that look perfectly legitimate. They offer incredible deals on expensive items. They even use the widely recognised Trusted Shop Trustmark. They are far from reputable, however. How can you tell the difference? There are a few clues to look for. The first one is, if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.

Ways to Protect Yourself from Bogus Websites

  • Run the company name through a search engine and examine the results. Check and see if anyone else is talking about them online. Do the words ‘fraud’ and ‘ripoff’ come up quite a lot? Find out why that is. Try to find a business address and phone number as well. Call the number if you’re still unsure.
  • Consult the Trusted Shops Facebook page to see if there is any mention of the website you are suspicious of. Contact Trusted Shops on 0203 364 5906 or email them at emailservice@trustedshops.co.uk.
  • Use your best judgement. Be wary. Never send cash or check. Use a credit card or Paypal to give yourself some protection.
  • Verify the website is authentic by checking it against the lists available at https://who.is/. This site provides the name and address of website owners.

An example of a fraudulent website would be site which has advertised high-end merchandise well below market value. The site will offer to accept credit cards. When the user clicks to provide card information, the only payment option is to pay via bank transfer. The user may be assured as to the site’s legitimacy due to the fraudulent Trusted Shop Trustmark. Needless to say, providing funds to these fraudsters does not result in anexchange of goods.

AGT Computers can perform a full security audit of your business to make sure you and your network are safe from hackers, phishers and thieves. We can also offer solutions for all your security needs including antivirus, anti spam and malware protection. We would also be more than happy to provide you with a number of affordable solutions for all of your information technology needs. We not only provide full IT support, at AGT Computer Services we also provide cloud storage to businesses in the Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde area. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.

New Ransomware Virus Targets Mac Users

The days of kidnapping and piracy have transferred effortlessly into 21st century technology. In the digital world, ransoms are now being demanded in exchange for unlocking a device after a “ransomware” virus has unknowingly been downloaded.. This virus, developed by hackers, locks its victims out of their computer files. It is no longer the Windows user who is affected, as the virus has evolved to target Apple devices, which it had previously been unable to do.

The malware that is attacking Macs is known as “KeRanger” and the currency it demands from its unsuspecting victims is one bitcoin, or roughly £280. After the payment is received the files are unencrypted. The malware has infected users who were attempting to download a piece of software called Transmission. This programme allows users to transfer data on the peer-to-peer protocol Bit Torrent. The virus remains inactive on the hard drive for about 72 hours after which time it begins to make files inaccessible. The victim will start to notice their important files are now cannot be opened, including photos, videos and other documents.

It is believed that the malware was first introduced on 4 March 2016, so users may have started to notice this lockout around the 7th of March. For Apple’s part in dealing with this problem, they have revoked the digital certificate which made it possible for the ransomware to be download to a Mac device.

Apple users who have downloaded the Transmission software should install an updated version immediately. Many Mac users have long relied on the faulty premise that their machines are immune from viruses. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, if it ever was in the first place. While hackers continue to expose vulnerabilities in PCs, they are no longer solely focused on Microsoft Windows users.

If you suspect your Mac or PC has been infected with a virus, or if you have any software or security questions, give AGT Computers a ring. We provide updates, install new software, perform repairs and take care of all the computing needs of individuals and businesses including backups and upgrades. We serve the Blackpool, Lancashire, Fylde, Lytham and surrounding areas with cloud storage, cyber security and system upgrades. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.

Outsourcing IT Support: Increased Productivity

If you’ve read our two previous posts on the subject of outsourcing IT support, then you know two of the major benefits of doing so: saving time and money.Increased productivity is another benefit. This third installment highlights a few of the advantages of using a third party to provide IT support to your business, including keeping systems updated with the latest software and virus protection. Increased productivity is another benefit.

Increase Your Employee’s Output

In addition to saving time and money by outsourcing your IT support, there’s another reason for doing so. This may not be as obvious, but outsourcing IT can help your staff be more productive in their own work. When your employees no longer have to spend time dealing with technical issues, installing updates and combating malware and viruses, they can concentrate better on their work. This undistracted focus increases productivity which in turn strengthens the bottom line of any business.

Take Advantage of the Knowledge of Others

By outsourcing IT, companies can also take advantage of the latest training and technology. Using a reliable third party is a way to capitalize on the knowledge and skills of these workers who must stay up-to-date on the latest developments in software and hardware. IT is continually changing, most small and midsize businesses don’t have the time or resources to keep up. With outsourced IT solutions, they don’t have to. There are also the added benefits of things like disaster recovery plans that will keep things running even when networks go down.

Is your company ready to outsource some or all of its IT needs? If you are, or if you still have questions, give AGT Computers a call. We would be more than happy to provide you with a number of affordable solutions for all of your information technology needs. We not only provide full IT support, at AGT Computer Services we also provide cloud storage to businesses in the Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde area. Let your employees focus on their work while we focus on your IT issues. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.

 

Outsourcing IT Support: Save Time and Cut Costs

Just how important having is reliable IT support to your business? Just imagine operating without it. That means there would be no one to install the latest software updates across your network. There would be no one to help protect your network against malware and viruses and attacks and theft from hackers. No one who would get your computers and network back up and running after a power failure or natural or manmade disaster. How important is reliable IT support to a business? It’s absolutely critical.

Businesses, no matter what size, cannot hope to survive in today’s digital world without IT support, but keeping full-time IT workers on the payroll can be prohibitively expensive. Is outsourcing the answer for your company? This is the second installment of AGT Computer’s three part series on outsourcing IT support to a trusted third party.

Time is Money

You’ve no doubt heard the term, time is money. Nowhere is this more true than in business. Training new IT employees takes both time and money. It is an ongoing cost of doing business and it’s an expense that adds up over time. Many businesses cannot afford to cover this constant need for training, but neither can they afford to employ in-house IT support staff who lack the right skills and knowledge to fully benefit the company. Proper training is added insurance against being left in the lurch when systems go down.

Another aspect of keeping IT support on staff is the time it takes for the recruitment of new IT workers. That’s time that your employees could better spend on other things. Even if you do have a trusted IT employee or several on staff, outsourcing can complement their skills even further. This provides a higher level of support, and the outsourced help won’t take a holiday or call in sick.

Check back for more information on the benefits of outsourcing IT support for small and medium-sized companies. Until then, if you have read enough and think your company might be ready to outsource some, or all, of its IT needs, then give AGT Computers a call. We would be happy to provide you with a list of affordable solutions for all of your information technology needs. In addition to full IT support, at AGT Computer Services, we also provide cloud storage to businesses in the Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde area. Let your employees focus on their work while we focus on your IT issues. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.