SMART Blog

Smart Services has been providing independent agents with proactive, fast, and expert technology services since 1991.

Explaining the Data Broker Loophole

Explaining the Data Broker Loophole

In recent years, there has been much debate about how companies collect, sell, and use personal data. Many businesses make extra money by selling data they collect about people. This might seem like a side effect of all the data we create online, but it can lead to some tricky problems. Today, we'll look at something called the "data-broker loophole," how it works, and what we can do about it.

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Tip of the Week: How to Finally Break Up with Your X (Account)

Tip of the Week: How to Finally Break Up with Your X (Account)

X The Everything App®, formerly Twitter, has been experiencing a massive user loss for the past few weeks, with everyone from celebrities to average people evacuating from the platform. If you wish to join them for any reason, we’re sharing the process for fully extricating yourself and your data from this specific social media network.

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Internet of Things Causing Multiple Problems

Internet of Things Causing Multiple Problems

The Internet of things can be described simply as devices that have connectivity to the Internet, and thus to a computing network. Many times these connected devices aren’t manufactured with security solutions onboard (or any security-minded foresight at all) so they can be fickle instruments when trying to onerously secure a network that includes numerous IoT devices. Today, we'll go over some of the threats IoT devices pose to your network, and how to reliably secure it from these threats.

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Growth of the Internet of Things Is Concerning IT Administrators

Growth of the Internet of Things Is Concerning IT Administrators

The Internet of Things might be a considerable step up in terms of connectivity for a lot of users and organizations, but this comes at a cost. With more devices accessing connected networks than ever before, security becomes a main focal point of discussion for the Internet of Things. How can you make sure that your network is secure while these devices run rampant all around you?

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At What Point Does a Service Become Spyware?

At What Point Does a Service Become Spyware?

Spyware, like other malware, is a problem for any organization. Since your business generates, collects, and uses considerable amounts of data, there are plenty of organizations that want to get their hands on it. You spend so much time and money protecting your data against threats on the Internet, but what if the spyware were to just come standard on the computer you just bought?

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Hackers May Meet Their Match With AI

Hackers May Meet Their Match With AI

There are many key organizations in the world that simply can’t afford to have cybercriminals and hackers interfering with their data. One of these organizations, CERN (whose acronym translates to the European Laboratory for Particle Physics), has far too powerful of a computer grid to allow hackers to access it. To keep it safe, CERN has deployed what may be the future of cybersecurity: artificial intelligence.

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Colleges Begin to Implement Two-Factor Authentication to Improve Network Security

Colleges Begin to Implement Two-Factor Authentication to Improve Network Security

Has your business dealt with a phishing attack? If not, consider yourself lucky. There has been a massive spike in phishing attacks as hackers are aggressively going after organizations and the personal identifiable information they hold. These attacks are just not focused on typical businesses either, they are going after organizations that provide public goods. One place that has become a major target for hackers (and phishing attacks) are schools.

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Tip of the Week: 2 Ways to Ensure Privacy When Using a Public PC

Tip of the Week: 2 Ways to Ensure Privacy When Using a Public PC

Generally speaking, if you have a choice, you should probably avoid using a public computer. As a rule, these machines feature minimal security precautions, along with maximum risk to any data accessed by the PC. But if a situation ever arises in which you have no choice but to use a public computer, be sure to follow these security best practices.

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Believe it or Not, Too Much New Technology Can Put Your Network at Risk

Believe it or Not, Too Much New Technology Can Put Your Network at Risk

Is your organization using the latest technology solutions? If so, that’s great--you’ve taken the first step toward achieving maximum productivity and efficiency. However, you need to realize that no technology solution comes without its quirks that need to be addressed. Here are two ways that your new technology solutions could potentially be putting your business’s infrastructure at risk.

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An SMB’s Guide to Understanding HIPAA

An SMB’s Guide to Understanding HIPAA

Security has never been easy for any business that deals with sensitive information. Nowadays, even a small business that uses an Internet connection has to worry about hackers and malware of all types. This is especially problematic for small healthcare offices that need to keep sensitive information secure and safe from online threats.

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Be on the Lookout Executives, Hackers are Targeting You!

Be on the Lookout Executives, Hackers are Targeting You!

You may have heard about CEO fraud, which is commonly referred to as “whaling.” It’s like a phishing scheme, but on a much more intricate scale. Instead of faking the identity of another employee, or someone from a financial institution or government agency, the hacker will try to use the identity of a business owner or CEO instead. The idea is to use an employee’s fear of confrontation and eagerness to comply with requests to the hacker’s advantage--and you’d be surprised by how often it works.

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Study Shows Way Too Many Businesses Ignore Insider Threats

Study Shows Way Too Many Businesses Ignore Insider Threats

Insider threats are defined as internal threats that could come in the form of either malicious or negligent users. Perhaps an employee recently quit and left the office in a flurry of madness, or maybe you have employees who just don’t care to follow security best practices. Either way, insider threats are major problems that need to be addressed.

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Alert: Even Chip-Based Cards Can’t Protect You From This New ATM Scam

Alert: Even Chip-Based Cards Can’t Protect You From This New ATM Scam

For years hackers have found ways to infiltrate and steal money from ATMs, but the latest tact is so dangerous that even the Secret Service has issued a warning about it.

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New Company Seeks to Address Security Vulnerabilities of Connected Cars

New Company Seeks to Address Security Vulnerabilities of Connected Cars

Volkswagen has teamed up with three Israeli cybersecurity experts to form Cymotive, a company dedicated to creating solutions for preventing cyber attacks against computerized cars.

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Tip of the Week: Why Routinely Changing Your Password Isn't Always a Good Idea

Tip of the Week: Why Routinely Changing Your Password Isn't Always a Good Idea

We've been told for years it’s best to routinely change your passwords. That way, if a password were stolen, it would lose its value when the user goes to change it. While this sounds logical, new research shows that sometimes it may actually be better NOT to change your passwords.

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Alert: A New Malware to Worry About for PC Gamers Using Steam

Alert: A New Malware to Worry About for PC Gamers Using Steam

Hackers have always gone after industries that are profitable, or hold sensitive information that can be lucrative when sold under the table. As such, retailers that accumulate financial credentials are often hit by hacks. The entertainment industry is no different, and hackers continue to grow craftier in their pursuit of wealth and power. Not even Steam, the PC gamer’s most valuable software solution, is safe from the dangers of hacking attacks.

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Is the Reform of ECPA Enough to Prevent the Government From Reading Your Emails?

Is the Reform of ECPA Enough to Prevent the Government From Reading Your Emails?

How private are your emails and other digital communications? Can the government go through your digital files without you knowing about it? As you may have suspected, they can, thanks to a loophole in an outdated law--a loophole that U.S. lawmakers are trying to close.

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Hackers Find Way to Intercept Wireless Transmissions

b2ap3_thumbnail_man_in_the_middle_400.jpgThe Internet of Things (IoT) is constantly growing. Seemingly every commercially available product has a corresponding app or some sort of connectivity to the web. Even things with seemingly little intrinsic value are coming with Internet connectivity.

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Tip of the Week: Add a PIN to Windows 10 Login to Improve Security

b2ap3_thumbnail_windows_10_pin_400.jpgBusinesses all over the world are starting to implement two-factor authentication. That's because the value of passwords is expected to depreciate as hackers find ways to punch holes in even the most comprehensive security solution. In response, users are being forced to find other means to increase their security.

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Hackers Are Harming Hospital Equipment, Still Think Your Business is Not a Target?

b2ap3_thumbnail_hack_threats_400.jpgWhether it’s stealing credentials or completely taking over someone’s computer, a hacker has a plethora of targets and methods that can anger the average PC user or business executive. In fact, hackers are so crafty that they can even hack into hospital equipment.

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