Facet Follies: August 2022
Tech Tip: How to Disable “Off-Facebook Activity”
Facebook tracks its users’ activity across the web. Here’s how to stop it.
Among security experts, there’s a common refrain about social media services: “If it’s free, you’re paying with your data.”
You likely already know that Facebook uses cookies to follow its users around the web and collects information about their browsing habits, shopping preferences, and more. This data is used to serve users ads more effectively.
But did you know that you can control this tracking activity? In 2019, Facebook added an opt-out option for tracking outside of Facebook. With it, you can clear past information from outside apps and websites and control how much they can see in the future.
Here’s how to find this setting and turn the trackers off.
From your Facebook homepage, go to:
- “Settings and Privacy”
- “Settings”
- “Off-Facebook Activity”
Once you get to the Off-Facebook activity page, you can choose to clear your history and turn off future activity for your account. You can also control the apps for which you want to allow account access (useful for services such as Spotify, Pinterest, or other apps that you login to via Facebook).
Keep in mind that Facebook will continue to prompt you periodically to turn this setting back on, mostly when you connect a new 3rd-party app or website to your account using your Facebook login credentials.
While you can never fully control your data on a free social media network like Facebook, being security savvy can help protect your privacy on the web.
Let’s Talk Network Documentation!
IT documentation is a powerful force when it comes to your business network and overall operations. Done well, it can mean less downtime and interruptions. Done poorly or not at all, it can cost your business dearly in the form of lost work and more.
Most businesses, however, still don’t have proper documentation in place.
What replaces a good documentation system?
In many small businesses, one person holds all or most of the IT knowledge. For businesses with IT teams, each person may be able to fix specific problems, but don’t have a good way to share their processes with the others on the team.
Clearly, this method leads to more downtime in emergency situations. The solution? Good documentation. A shift from individual knowledge to common knowledge helps businesses tackle annoying recurring IT problems.
One common refrain from proponents of good documentation practices is that brain matter is not a cheap or effective storage solution. In urgent situations, it can take time to track a person down. People take sick days or go on vacation, and sometimes take jobs at other companies. Having processes and procedures in place when this happens can be the difference between a smooth workday and total shutdown.
What is network documentation?
Network documentation is a collection of information about your entire network and all the devices connected to it. This can include hardware information, software information, passwords, internet information, and processes and procedures.
Who needs network documentation?
Oftentimes, small business owners consider network documentation to only be necessary for large companies and organizations. In truth, it’s equally important for small businesses, even with smaller, less complex networks to maintain documentation.
How can documentation save my company money?
In short, documentation means less time wasted. Whether you are a small company or a larger business with an IT team, having processes and important information recorded means you are no longer searching for that stray password, hardware specification, or other information to complete a task, or trying to find the one person who knows the information. This can save hours of downtime in an emergency!
If you are a Facet managed services client, we maintain change logs and other important documentation for you. One major advantage of choosing managed services over a break-fix “as-needed” approach to IT is the speed at which problems can be resolved. Because we already have documentation and have tracked all the changes made to your network, our technicians can solve tricky issues faster than going in blind.
What should I do if I don’t have documentation?
If your business has little or no documentation for your IT practices, now is the time to make a change to prevent downtime in the future.
Most networks, even in small businesses, are more complicated than they may appear on the surface. Does your business use only on-site servers and data backups, or are their cloud components as well (remember that we always advocate having multiple backups, and at least one in the cloud, in case of disaster)? What are the hardware specifications of each component? What software is running on which workstations, and is it cloud based, installed locally, or both?
This information should be stored securely in IT documentation software for future reference and must be updated regularly.
Facet maintains documentation for all our managed services clients, large and small. This allows us to provide quick and responsive service to our customers and provide information to them as they need it. This also allows for any changes or work on the network to be tracked.
Network Documentation Services: Need a Hand?
If you are a small business owner, you are likely too busy to take on yet another project like network documentation.
If you have an in-house IT team, or are an IT leader at an organization, your team may be too busy with other projects and pressing demands to begin a documentation project.
Facet can help. We maintain network documentation for our managed services and co-managed services clients as part of our world-class IT service. This helps us provide a higher level of service to our customers, 24/7/365. Starting from scratch? Trust the Facet team to build your network documentation the right way to prepare for the future. Contact us today to learn more about managed services and IT documentation projects for your business.
Facet Follies – May 2022
FBI IC3 Report: Cybercrime Losses Up 48% in 2021
Did You Know?
The dark web could now be considered the world’s third largest economy, with experts estimating that cybercrime brought in over $6 trillion in 2021, according to the FBI’s annual Internet Crime Report, which documents cybercrime trends. The Bureau recorded 847,376 complaints from businesses and consumers, and over $6.9 billion in losses from the U.S. alone, a 48% increase from 2020.
How did such an increase happen? For one thing, it’s gotten easier to hire out cybercrime. Previously the purview of criminals with coding and technical skills, the booming cybercrime-as-a-service market means that nearly anyone can buy the tools to ransom data, install malware, steal information, and conduct other illicit cybercrime activities, without any special skills.
As it becomes easier for cybercriminals and crime groups to take advantage of businesses and consumers worldwide, your business’s security strategy matters more than ever. Start with a security assessment from Facet to see where you stand and the actions you can take as a business leader to protect your company and your future.
Tech Tip: This 2-Second Habit Can Help Keep You Safe!
It may sound simple, but pressing the Windows Key+L when you step away from your computer can save your business from serious security threats.
Although phishing emails and other “virtual” scams make up the bulk of cybercrime activity, some hackers will try to physically access a computer on a company’s network to steal data. This tip is especially important if you have computers in a public area.
On a Windows PC, pressing the Windows Key+L will lock your PC and take you to the sign-in page. On a Mac, Ctrl-Cmd-Q will do the trick and lock your device.
Like many things, virtually locking up your devices is part of building a vigilant security culture within your organization.
Does your organization need help making a game plan for cyber resilience? Facet offers free cybersecurity assessments for businesses! You will receive valuable information about your company’s current security and know where you can improve to prevent breaches and attacks.
Request more information below.
“Shadow IT” Could Be Putting Your Company At Risk. Here’s How.
Do your employees use sites like Dropbox, Google Drive, and other personal cloud sharing services to collaborate and work on projects and tasks? If so, you could unknowingly be exposing yourself to huge financial losses.
“Shadow IT” is the practice of using programs and websites for work activities without the knowledge or approval of the organization’s IT provider or IT department. While this is an “older” term, the practice has become increasingly common as file sharing sites grow in popularity and upload speeds quicken.
Software like Dropbox and Google Drive can help your team collaborate and work together easier, especially at a time when many companies are choosing a work-from-home or hybrid approach for their employees. However, it’s important to weigh your options and acknowledge the risks of using these tools.
If one of your employees quit without notice today, or had to be terminated unexpectedly, would you know where all their important work documents are stored? Would they be on their workstation, a cloud solution your IT team set up, or dispersed on the employee’s personal file storage accounts?
It’s important to ask these questions because a situation like this will almost certainly happen at some point to every business. If important files are on an employee’s personal storage, they can walk away with customer data and other valuable information.
Not only does this open you up to the threat of a disgruntled employee taking customer data or other documents to a competitor, it also means that if their personal cloud storage is hacked, your data is as good as gone.
If you work in a regulated industry like healthcare, insurance, or finance, you especially need to be on the lookout for shadow IT programs. Doing your due diligence and putting in proper security and IT practices can save you from costly data privacy lawsuits in the future should you be audited.
As a business owner, how can you set your team up for success and avoid these pitfalls?
The first step is to make sure that your IT firm or IT department is monitoring downloads and new software installations on company equipment as part of routine security practices. If you aren’t sure if your current provider does this for you, ask them. From here, you can choose to block or allow certain sites and downloads at the firewall level.
Additionally, offer your employees a better way to work collaboratively with cloud sharing programs made specifically for businesses. These programs allow employees to store work files for themselves and share documents and information within the organization. Call Facet today and ask for more information on options for secure work on the cloud.
Questions About Cybersecurity and Other IT Issues? We can help!
Facet Follies Throwback – April 2022
In honor of our one-year anniversary in our new location, we’re sharing our first ever Facet Follies from 2014! Enjoy!
Employee Recipe: Nick’s French Crepes
This month’s recipe is from Facet’s Customer Advocate, Nick Baker!
Nick says these crepes are “debatably my favorite food ever.” His recipe for authentic French crepes can be customized with a wide variety of savory and sweet ingredients for a different flavor every time you make them.
This recipe is also available on the blog.
French Crepes
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
- Whisk all the ingredients, except the flour, together. Add in the flour, a little bit at a time, whisking just until the flour has been mixed in.
- Let the crepe batter rest for a few minutes. Then, give the batter a quick whisk again before using.
- Grease a non-stick, 6″- 8” skillet with unsalted butter and heat over medium heat. Pour about 1/8 cup worth of batter into the pan and tip the pan from side to side to get the batter to spread out throughout the pan. These are a pain to make on a electric stove.
- Cook each side of the crepe for 30 seconds before gently loosening up the edges with a spatula. If it lifts, then the crepe is ready to be flipped. If it doesn’t lift up very well, give it 10 to 15 more seconds and try again. Gently lift the crepe out of the pan, then flip over into the pan and cook the other side for another 10 to 15 seconds; remove to cool.
You can experiment with using only egg whites, only yokes, and other combinations depending on your preference. Its also fun to experiment with the flour type depending on ingredients used.
Breakfast Crepe
My favorite ingredient is simply honey.
Butter
Whip cream and strawberries
Sometimes I will crack and egg onto the crepe and cook it on the crepe adding cheese and other ingredients available. Then, folding the crepe in to quarters, making it easy to eat with your hands.
Savory Crepe
Ham and Cheddar
Mozzarella and Pepperoni
Be creative
Three Cybersecurity Resolutions to Jumpstart 2022
Now that we’ve made it through the holidays and into the coldest part of the winter, let’s brighten things up by discussing some easy resolutions you and your team can make this year to reach your cybersecurity goals!
To make a resolution stick, experts agree it should be structured around habits and behaviors, not lofty, pie-in-the-sky wishes or outcomes. If your goal is to be more financially responsible, for instance, they suggest resolving to create a weekly budget that you follow religiously.
Similarly, if you make a resolution for your business, structure it around habits and real, measurable outcomes. Don’t just resolve to get your IT in order, or get your data more secure. Success for these goals isn’t easily measured, so try for something a little more pinpointed.
I challenge you to choose one of the following resolutions for you and your team, and write them down.
Why write them down? Often, a resolution is just a wish until you write it down—then it becomes a goal.
Even if you only choose one of the following goals, these small changes can make a big difference in your company’s security.
Conduct weekly, monthly, or quarterly security training with your team. We have videos you can share with your team, or we can provide written resources that you can teach from.
Why do this?
- Human error remains the number one cause of data breach in the U.S., and security awareness training has been proven to be an effective defense strategy against it.
- Topics include: identifying phishing emails and how to report them, BYOD (bring your own device) policies and how to navigate them, how to create strong passwords, and how to prevent physical access to your network.
- Training only takes a few minutes and can save you incredible amounts of time and money!
If you’re still using the same password for multiple accounts, resolve to change them to a unique value as you visit each site.
Why do this?
- Password breaches remain a leading way hackers access your data.
- This only takes a couple minutes per site, and by the end of the year, you will have more security across the web.
- You may want to start with a dark web scan from Facet to see which, if any, of your passwords have been involved in hacks, and change those first.
- Ask your IT department or IT provider for a password storage recommendation. There are many methods, physical and electronic, for storing passwords. Some are more secure than others, but can be inconvenient, so it’s important to find a method that works for you. Remember that no password storage method is 100% failproof.
Implement an MFA (multi-factor authentication) strategy.
Why do this?
- MFA is easy to implement and has a HUGE security payoff. By simply tapping a quick push notification on any mobile device, users can prevent attacks on your company’s network.
- No longer a lengthy or obtrusive practice, MFA is simple “gate” you can put up to protect from intruders and hackers.
- Contact us today for more information on MFA and our other security suite offerings.
Increasing security can feel like an overwhelming task to undertake, but you can make real progress one step at a time.
Facet Technologies specializes in managed services and IT in Peoria, IL, surrounding areas, and nationwide. We can find a security solution that works for you, offering firewalls and other hardware appliances, security software, dark web scanning, and more.
Fill out our contact form below to find out more about our Security Suite and set up an audit of your network security.