We’re going out on a limb here, and we’re going to assume that some companies find themselves wondering why they would spend money on hiring an external IT support company when they’ve got someone in house who knows a bit about data systems and tech support…
Ah, but IT support is so,so, SO much more than this.
It’s being there for you on Christmas Day when your systems have crashed and that Boxing day order is in peril.
It’s finding the problems and solving them before you even noticed they were an issue.
It’s staying on top of updates, like Windows 10 going out of fashion for example (check out the blog on that here).
It’s ensuring every single one of your team is working to full capacity at all times without anything technical slowing them down.
It’s making that big office move into a seamless transition… your team leaves the old office at 5pm on a Friday and returns to a brand new, ready to go office at 9am on Monday.
It’s quickly and easily moving your workforce onto secure remote working in the event of an ‘unprecedented’ pandemic (we’re looking at you Covid!)
It’s having a plan, and a back-up plan, and a back-up to your back-up plan just in case.
It’s zero downtime, it’s faster WiFi, it’s hacker-free, it’s security, it’s privacy, it’s everything you need to run a successful business.
You’ve heard us talk a lot about hackers and how to protect your computer, BUT how do you know when you’ve fallen victim to a cyber attack and what should you do if it happens to you?
Remind me, what IS Ransomwear?
It’s basically when a hacker locks you out of your computer and you have to pay a ransom (usually in bitcoin) to regain access – not cool at all right?
Due to Covid-19 (booooo!), more and more companies are putting themselves at risk due to not having the right processes in place to work from home – in fact, it’s estimated there are more than a hundred calls to insurers every day relating to problems caused by ransomware…
So, how do I know if I’m under attack?
Ok, here’s the scary bit, it could have already happened. If a hacker gains access to your systems, they won’t strike straight away, they’ll bide their time and wait for the right moment. They’ll watch for your weaknesses, investigate your database and work out how best to maximise their profit… yep, we REALLY hate hackers.
Check for open RDP links (Remote Desktop Protocol) – it’s Microsoft technology that allows a local computer to connect to and control a remote PC over a network or the internet. RDP links left open to the internet are a very common route for cyber criminals to enter your network. Scan for open RDP ports regularly, and utilise multi-factor authentication for your links (multi-factor authentication is where you generate a code on a separate device to prove it’s really you). Or have them behind a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which gives you a private network from a public internet connection.
Keep an eye out for unexpected software – Often, cyber criminals will take control of just one PC first, perhaps using a phishing email to persuade someone to click on a bad link without realising it. Once they have control of one PC, they can then target the entire network.
Monitor your admin – What’s the best way for hackers to download the applications they need? They create a new administrator account for themselves. Then they can download whichever tools they need to compromise your network. You need to be aware of software such as Process Hacker, IOBit Uninstaller, GMER and PCHunter. These are all legitimate tools which could be used by any IT specialist.
Check out any disabled tools and software – You can tell that an attack is close to being launched if Active Directory and your domain controllers are disabled. Next, any backup data the criminals have found will be corrupted. And any systems that automatically deploy software will also be disabled, to stop your attempts to update your computers after an attack. Something called PowerShell will then be used to spread everything across your network.
Help, I’m under attack! What do I do?
Ok, don’t panic. Firstly, it’s important to regain control of your RDP sessions (remember, the remote access we mentioned earlier on). This will stop attackers coming in again. And will also cut off their control access. You can force a password change across your core systems, which will also throw your attackers out. However, it’s worth noting that this is pointless if your RDP access is not cut off and controlled, as the attackers will just re-enter.
Pick up the phone and get directly in touch with your IT support team (like us!). We’re the specialists who can stay calm in a crisis and get to work ensuring you win this battle vs the hackers.
We’ve got you covered.
If you’d like more info on the systems and tools we’ve mentioned in this blog, don’t hesitate to get in touch here and we can provide that for you, OR if you’re looking for an IT support team who work at expert level, then give us a call for that to..
To us, IT Support don’t end when we close a ticket. We continue to work right alongside you to ensure you have all the insights, the strategies and the tactics to ensure you’re achieving tangible results every single step of the way
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We provide a full IT Support Service for businesses across the North West. From bespoke to c all-encompassing, we’ve got your sorted. We pride ourselves on being ‘that tech support with a personality’, on our super fast response times, our scalability, our innovation knowledge. We’re your IT provider with a difference, the ones you didn’t know you and needed our until you couldn’t live without us
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We get it, IT can feel like an ongoing headache, that nagging feeling at the back of your mind, that one last point that never leaves your to-do list – until now. your The AGT way means we take the wheel, we manage everything from beginning right through until, well… ongoing! You can concentrate on everything else, confident in the knowledge that your IT is working perfectly in tune with your business.
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Doing IT better We’re the Tech Experts with a heart Here at AGT, we’re not your standard IT Support Company, oh no! We’re the superheroes of the tech world, the elite, the focused, the tech experts with a personality and a heart. We want nothing more than you and your company to achieve ultimate success, and we’re here to help.
You deserve better! When you and your tech partner work together, then your business is improved it’s as simple as that! We take the time to analyse every single aspect of your IT infrastructure and then we make it our mission to uncover any hidden away opportunities to grow the business. Analysis which makes a REAL difference.
You deserve to have an IT support company that’s in sync! Let’s hit fast forward and speed things up. With us, you have a dedicated team of tech wizards, who are pros in having everything up and running as fast as possible. Our cloud-based systems make the onboardIng process super easy and straightforward, in fact rather than wizards, we’re ninjas, you barely notice we’ve been in and out, just your new systems working at effortless speed.
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