SMART Blog

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

Situations Can Quickly Deteriorate When Employees Attempt to Resolve IT Issues

Situations Can Quickly Deteriorate When Employees Attempt to Resolve IT Issues

One of the most common threats to sensitive corporate data comes from within your organization in the form of user error. It is, in fact, the leading cause of data loss and security-related problems for business.

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3 Built-in Windows 10 Security Tools that Keep Hackers at Bay

3 Built-in Windows 10 Security Tools that Keep Hackers at Bay

As perhaps the most widely-used computing tool in the workplace, Windows remains a huge target for hackers of all kinds. Criminals are always trying to uncover vulnerabilities in the operating system, but this time around, Microsoft has truly outdone themselves. Windows 10’s built-in security, according to hackers at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, allows for the most secure Windows operating system in several years.

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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: 27 Vulnerabilities Patched in Latest Round of Windows Updates

Alert: 27 Vulnerabilities Patched in Latest Round of Windows Updates

Microsoft's latest round of security patches resolved 27 vulnerabilities affecting Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, the Edge browser, and other software. It’s important to patch these vulnerabilities as soon as possible. If, on the other hand, you’ve already applied the latest security patches, you have little to fear.

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New Ransomware Presents Users With a Dilemma

New Ransomware Presents Users With a Dilemma

The Petya ransomware, a particularly vicious threat, has reared its ugly head once again; only this time, it’s not alone. Petya now comes bundled together with Mischa, another ransomware that works well alongside Petya. The ransomware is delivered via an inconspicuous email disguised as a job application, with a resume attached. Once the user downloads the file, Petya encrypts the files on the device.

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Sharing Your Netflix Password Makes You a Federal Criminal

Sharing Your Netflix Password Makes You a Federal Criminal

Sharing your Netflix password with a friend so they too can enjoy a vast catalogue of movies seems harmless enough. However, due to a recent ruling by judges of the Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals, this common action is now a federal crime.

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Impatient Pokémon Go Users Take Malware Risk

Impatient Pokémon Go Users Take Malware Risk

Augmented reality is a growing trend in the technology industry. Perhaps one of the best known today can be found in the extremely popular mobile device app, Pokemon Go. However, hackers have seized the opportunity to infect players who want to “catch ‘em all” with a backdoor called DroidJack - something that certainly won’t help gamers “be the very best.”

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Alert: New Malware Infects Over One Million Mobile Devices

Alert: New Malware Infects Over One Million Mobile Devices

While security experts tend to focus on desktop OS vulnerabilities, plenty of mobile malware threats fly under the radar. One such malware is Hummer, a trojan that installs unwanted apps and malware on a device and has been found on over a million phones worldwide.

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Before You Act on a Hack, Know the Extent of the Breach

Before You Act on a Hack, Know the Extent of the Breach

Getting hacked is a scary occurrence. It’s a major reason why you have security measures put into place. You try to avoid it as much as you can, but getting outsmarted by hackers happens to the best of us. The good news is that as long as you approach your hacking incident in a reasonable way, you can limit the amount of damage that’s done to your infrastructure.

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This Breakthrough By MIT Will Propel Artificial Intelligence to New Heights

This Breakthrough By MIT Will Propel Artificial Intelligence to New Heights

No security solution is perfect. Each one has its own set of pros and cons. For example, relying completely on an automated solution is thorough, but it will flag plenty of threats that aren’t really threats (aka, false positives). Meanwhile, a human overseeing security is great for spotting worrisome trends, but a human can’t possibly catch every single attack. With this dynamic in mind, a team of researchers from MIT has successfully blended the two.

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If You’re Running Older Versions of Internet Explorer, Java, or Flash, Your PC is at Risk

If You’re Running Older Versions of Internet Explorer, Java, or Flash, Your PC is at Risk

It’s important that your business uses the most recent version of any operating systems and software solutions used by your workforce, but Internet Explorer “fans” have had a rough start to 2016. Nearly a quarter of all Windows PCs are still using unsupported versions of Internet Explorer, half of which are still running Windows XP.

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How We Know that Mark Zuckerberg Has Never Seen Spaceballs

How We Know that Mark Zuckerberg Has Never Seen Spaceballs

Twitter recently experienced a major hack where it saw 33 million user login credentials stolen. What may be more alarming than the hack itself is what the stash of stolen credentials reveal about users’ password security habits. Or, to put it more accurately, the lack thereof.

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10 Common Security Mistakes That Can Sink Your Network

10 Common Security Mistakes That Can Sink Your Network

Most companies have to have a workforce, generally one of considerable size. Unfortunately, the more users you have, the more potential risks you run into. Of course, your workforce doesn’t collectively intend to be a security risk, but the digital world is a complicated place, with threats around every corner and malicious programs just waiting for your employed end-users to slip up. Here are ten such honest slip-ups to watch out for:

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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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Why Businesses Need to Quickly Distance Themselves From SQL Server 2005

Why Businesses Need to Quickly Distance Themselves From SQL Server 2005

Which database management system is running on your company’s server units? For end users, it’s not something that they put a whole lot of thought into. However, if you completely overlook your Microsoft SQL Server, you may end up running an expired version that puts your data at risk. Case in point, SQL Server 2005, which Microsoft recently ended support for.

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Forget Backdoors, Hackers Can Now Infiltrate Garage Doors

Forget Backdoors, Hackers Can Now Infiltrate Garage Doors

Hackers have proven that they will do whatever it takes to get to your valuable assets, even if it means taking advantage of physical objects that work alongside a specific frequency. As it turns out, this is exactly how hacking a garage door works, and all it takes is a decade-old communications device to capture the frequency and unlock any garage door that utilizes it.

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New Technology From LG Lets You See What a Bowling Ball Sees [VIDEO]

b2ap3_thumbnail_lg_rolling_security_400.jpgNew consumer technology, he LG Rolling Bot, looks like it will be a nifty little device to leave either in your office or at home. Basically, it’s a rolling security camera that can be controlled remotely through a smartphone.

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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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Your Business Can Learn a Thing or Two From Nuclear Power Plant Security

b2ap3_thumbnail_nuclear_it_security_400.jpgWe talk about a lot of frightening technology scenarios for businesses: data loss, identity theft, and expensive hardware failures that can inflict substantial downtime and, therefore, cripple the ability of your business to sustain operations. One industry that has changed the way they manage risk, specifically the potential failure of important security systems, is the nuclear power industry. Any business can learn how to mitigate disaster by looking into the specifics of the two most horrendous nuclear meltdowns in history: the meltdown at Chernobyl in 1986, and the tsunami-induced disaster at Fukushima in 2011.

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