eMazzanti Blog - IT Consulting, Network Security & Digital Marketing

Steps to Prevent Ransomware Shared by Top-Ranked Retail MSP

The new business in town is cybercrime. No longer dominated by quirky individuals in poorly lit basements, cybercrime gangs now run like sophisticated corporations. Well-funded, sometimes by governments, these organizations use ransomware as a weapon of choice. Their victims lose billions annually. But a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity begins with these steps to prevent ransomware. Every Organization a Target Every eleven seconds, ransomware hits a target. Attacks against big names like Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods and the NBA made the news in 2021. But threat actors increasingly turn their attention to small businesses, in part because they often lack adequate

Changing Plans – New Microsoft 365 Pricing Coming March 2022

In August 2021, Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, posted a blog about new pricing for Microsoft 365 that will take place. Office 365 products have gone through some impressive changes over the last decade. Just a few improvements are: 24 additional applications to the suite of products Microsoft Teams to call, chat, meet, collaborate, and automate business processes in a single integration solution Security and Compliance with data loss prevention, mobile device management, and attack surface reduction capabilities Lock In Current Rates before Microsoft 365 Price Changes in March 2022 and avoid Monthly Premiums Most importantly,

Retail Cybersecurity Best Practices Ensure a Safe and Profitable 2022

Retailers face daunting cybersecurity challenges in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Omnichannel retailing brings the need to simultaneously address security in the physical store as well as online. Ransomware attacks grow more sophisticated daily. And new privacy laws add increased complexity. Retail cybersecurity best practices help ensure a prosperous 2022. Invest in Continuous Monitoring Effective cybersecurity requires ongoing effort. Businesses should begin with compliance and security audits to evaluate the cybersecurity landscape and establish a baseline. Identify security vulnerabilities and compliance issues. This helps guide the process of prioritizing a strategy to protect valuable assets and achieve regulatory compliance. Any

Prevent Cyber Attacks in 2022 Using Lessons from the Major 2021 Attacks

Cyber-criminals attacked a variety of industries last year, from insurance companies to schools, computer manufacturers, and the NBA. By looking back at the major 2021 cyber-attacks, we see a few patterns emerge. Business leaders who take to heart the lessons learned from 2021 attacks are better positioned to prevent cyber attacks in 2022. Lesson 1: Everyone is a Target A profile of the usual data breach victim in 2021 is hard to pin down. Large corporations like Experian and Volkswagen were victims. On the other hand, many small, low-profile businesses suffered in the Microsoft Exchange and Kaseya attacks. Ransomware crippled

Linked Data Types in Excel – Access Stock Quotes and Wolfram Data to Generate Advanced Spreadsheets

Microsoft has developed hundreds of linked data types in Excel in partnership with Wolfram and other online data sources. With these data types, users quickly generate sophisticated spreadsheets using expertly curated data. To make the process even easier, Microsoft has created a library of smart templates to give users a jump start. For example, a marketing team adapting an ad campaign for various cities can compare demographic and economic statistics at a glance. Likewise, a teacher can create an interactive spreadsheet with constellation data that changes based on current time and location. Students click a constellation name to view additional

Apache Log4j Vulnerability – Why It’s Dangerous and How to Prevent a Breach

Late last week, Apache announced a flaw in its Log4j utility, a widely used Java logging library. Apache quickly released a patch for the Log4j vulnerability, but cybersecurity experts have already detected millions of exploit attempts. And they warn that the problems have just begun. Why is the Log4j Vulnerability So Dangerous? The Log4j vulnerability presents a significant danger for several reasons. In the first place, developers around the world use Java. Consequently, the flaw affects millions of applications and services, thus putting millions of organizations at risk. Essentially, any application or service that connects to the internet represents a

4 Network Update Best Practices to Avoid Downtime and Disruption

The network forms the backbone of business productivity, connecting workers with the resources they need to do their jobs. This complex system affects everyone in the office, as well as most business practices. Consequently, when the system needs upgrading, implementing network update best practices proves critical. Things that Can Go Wrong Because the network reaches into every facet of IT infrastructure and impacts every user, the update process brings significant potential for disruption. Understanding what can go wrong and planning accordingly can save the day. For instance, an update to any piece of the network can affect other areas with

Microsoft’s Modern Comments in PowerPoint Elevate Collaboration to New Levels

Collaboration propels business forward, and Microsoft delivers powerful tools to smooth the way. As 2021 closes out, Microsoft continues to enhance commenting across its Office applications. By anchoring comments more specifically in context and improving the @mention feature, modern comments in PowerPoint make collaboration a breeze. Anchor Comments to Both Text and Objects Users can now attach comments to text and to objects, such as an embedded graphic or an image. Simply highlight the text or click the object to select it. Then create a new comment. When the object or anchor text moves, the comment moves with it. This

Microsoft Teams Share-to-Stage Boosts Hybrid Meeting Inclusion and Interaction

While remote work dominated 2020, this has become the year of hybrid work. New apps and features announced by Microsoft this year aim to further improve collaboration. For instance, the new Microsoft Teams share-to-stage feature takes a huge leap toward making hybrid meetings fully inclusive and interactive. In the hybrid workspace, meetings typically include a mix of in-person and remote participants. Meeting leaders can find it challenging to include all attendees to an equal degree. Consequently, remote participants may feel left out, and meetings prove less effective without active collaboration from everyone involved. Microsoft Teams meetings have previously allowed participants

2021 Cyber Attacks – 7 Lessons to Apply for a More Secure 2022

Hackers have hit a wide variety of industries this year, from computer manufacturers to insurance companies, schools to the NBA. A review of prominent 2021 cyber attacks reveals a few common themes. And organizations that apply the lessons learned from these attacks can look forward to a more secure 2022. Lesson 1: No One Gets a Free Pass It would be difficult to describe the profile of a typical data breach victim in 2021. Large corporations like Volkswagen and Experian got hit. At the same time, even small, low-profile businesses suffered in the Microsoft Exchange and Kaseya attacks. Ransomware crippled