A very common misconception is that Apple Mac products cannot get viruses. Not true! There is no such thing as a 100% safe computer. Devices running OS X, Windows, Linux, Android or any other operating system are all capable of being infected with a virus or other malware.

However, the likelihood that an Apple Macintosh user gets a virus is much lower than for Windows users. In fact, many Apple users don’t even run any antivirus software on their computers. Whether that is a smart strategy is debated by many IT professionals.

A few of the reasons why Macs don’t get as many viruses as PCs are:

1. Mac OS X is based on the Unix operating system, which is one of the oldest and most secure operating systems around.
2. Microsoft Windows is used by many more people, so it’s a bigger and better target. Plus the way that Windows is built makes it easier for viruses to spread across computer networks.
3. Many of the tools designed to create viruses or malware are written for the Windows operating system.

Windows Threats Even For Macs
Many Mac users find themselves having to use Parallels, BootCamp or other virtual software to run Windows only programs such as Microsoft Publisher. Because these Macs are now running a Windows operating system, they are now susceptible to Windows viruses. In addition, an Apple computer can certain become a “carrier” of a Windows‐based virus. This virus would not infect the Apple machine, but could infect other Windows machines on your network if it were to send that virus via email or across the office computer network.

And Even More Threats…
Any software, plug‐in or other 3rd party add‐on that is installed onto any computer that connects to the internet can introduce its own security risks. One of the most common ways that the “bad guys” are able to attack a Mac is through browser applications and browser plug‐ins such as Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, Java and others. Just about every Mac user has all three of these plug‐ins installed on their computers (and many more). These are a necessary part of business, but do introduce additional security risks for all computers.

The Human Factor
Although Apple Macs are less vulnerable to viruses, they are still operated by flawed humans who can still be the victim of Trojan Horses, phishing and other online fraud. Your best bet is to keep everyone informed about online security risks in your business, no matter the computer they’re using.

Congratulations to Charles Rawls for winning the iPad 3!
Charles referred the most clients to Brainlink between January & April 15 of 2013.

A question that we often get around here is whether or not file-sharing services such as DropBox, YouSendIt and Google Docs are secure enough for business. If you use any of these services for your business, here’s the scoop…

Treat DropBox (YouSendIt, Google Docs) As A Public, Shared Environment.
DropBox (and the others mentioned above) is designed to easily share very large files – ones that are not optimal for e-mail because they’re so huge. Examples include videos, audio files, large PDFs and graphics files. These services are typically free (or very cheap), and you shouldn’t have the expectation of great security for this price.

But an increasing use of these tools, even for legitimate reasons such as collaboration, is putting a lot of private information at risk. According to a recent Ponemon study, 60% of organizations have employees that frequently put confidential files on services like DropBox without permission. In fact, companies such as IBM have banned the use of these services completely.

When Does It Make Sense?
When you have a file that doesn’t need to be secure and simply needs to easily and quickly get from point A to point B, then DropBox (and others) can be a viable solution.

When Doesn’t It Make Sense?
On the other hand, you would not send or store any sensitive files, such as contracts or financial statements, on DropBox. These services are also not safe for any files subject to government compliance regulations such as PCI, HIPAA, SOX, Sarbanes-Oxley or HITECH. These file-sharing solutions are NOT compliant.

What To Use Instead
If you need to transfer files outside of your network and need to do so securely, some options to consider are:

• Creating a secure FTP site
• Use 2-factor authentication rules
• Be sure to have audit logs involved to monitor the security of your data

If you have specific questions or concerns about file sharing,
feel free to email me at raj@brainlink.com.

Every month, I choose one very special “Client of the Month” as my way of acknowledging clients and thanking those who support me and my business with referrals and repeat business.

An entrepreneurial attorney, he started out representing Japanese companies, then started specializing in matrimonial law. Seeing an underserved market in the 1970′s and 1980′s, Philip primarily represented husbands and fathers.

Since then, he’s become more “balanced” and he handles pre-nups, family court cases and divorce related litigation. He also handles other civil litigations.

He’s also been on The Montel Williams Show and CourtTV and other television shows.

As an attorney, he sets high standards for his staff and his practice. He was listed in the 2009 and 2011 NY Metro Super Lawyers list, and is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell (highest rating for ethics and ability).

And what does Philip like about Brainlink?

“Unlike our previous IT company, you were able to solve our computer problems, so that my secretary and I can get our work out faster. You are the best IT company I have dealt with!”

Contact him at:
Philip A Greenberg
Law Offices of Philip A. Greenberg, Esq.
10 Park Avenue, Suite 2A
New York, NY 10016
(212) 279-4550

• Mar 27 ‐ HIPAA & PCI Compliance for Medical Practices
  http://www.lorman.com/seminars/389314?c=3&p=18103

Related Articles:

• 3 Expensive Missteps You’re Probably Making With Your Data Backups
• Are You Pressing Your LuckWhen It Comes To Backups?
• Services We Offer
• Meet Our Client of the Month
• Security Alert: Hackers and Cyber Criminals Are Concentrating Their Attacks On Small Business
• Win An Apple IPAD

Our referral contest is back and we have a great prize for you:

• A brand new black Apple iPad with Wi‐Fi and ReƟna Display.
• 9.7 inch LED backlit display with IPS technology
• 2048 x 1536 resoluƟon at 264 pixels per inch
• Dual‐Core A6X with quad core graphics
• Fingerprint resistant coating

Here’s how the contest works:

• Email your referral to raj@brainlink.com
• Call us with your referral at 917‐685‐7731

We will call and schedule an appointment.
When we get the appointment we will send you $25.00.

If your friend becomes a client, we will send you a check for $50.00. We will also give your friend a $100 discount off our services.

If you make more referrals than anyone else, you win a new iPad.
Contest starts: Ends April 15, 2013

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• 3 Expensive Missteps You’re Probably Making With Your Data Backups
• Are You Pressing Your LuckWhen It Comes To Backups?
• Services We Offer
• Meet Our Client of the Month
• Security Alert: Hackers and Cyber Criminals Are Concentrating Their Attacks On Small Business
• Upcoming Presentations

At a recent Security Summit experts re-emphasized: hackers and cyber criminals are now turning their efforts to small “mom and pop” businesses instead of large enterprise corporations. Why? Because small business networks offer a much easier “lock” to pick, unlike large enterprises who invest far more man power and money into high security for their network.

“As the security becomes better at large companies, the small business begins to look more and more enticing to computer criminals,” said Charles Matthews, President of the International Council for Small Business, “It’s the path of least resistance.”

Think your network is secure? Take a look at these surprising statistics:

• One-fifth of small businesses don’t have up-to-date antivirus software installed.
• Sixty percent don’t encrypt their wireless links.
• Two-thirds of small businesses don’t have a security plan in place.
• Eighty-five percent of the fraud occurs in small and medium-sized businesses.

Why is security so poor for small business? Primarily for two reasons:

Ignorance. Most small businesses believe that nothing could ever happen to them, and therefore don’t take the necessary precautions to secure their network, monitor their systems, and train their staff.

They are also ignorant on HOW to get this done (which makes a strong argument for getting all of our clients on our BrainGUARD Plan! The second reason is that they are being cheap in the wrong places. Some simply refuse to spend money on securing their network. That’s akin to having a beautiful home full of expensive furnishings and valuables, but refusing to buy a good lock for the door because it “costs too much.”

So what should you do at a minimum to protect your company? Here are 7 fundamentals:

1. Educate your users on security basics such as using strong passwords, shutting down PCs at night, and not downloading “cute” screen savers and illegal music. Some companies make computer security rules part of their standard HR policies and make each employee sign that they understand the rules.
2. Install a web filtering software to police users and prevent accidental (or intentional) slip-ups on the above- mentioned usage policies.
3. Install a good virus protection system on all computers on your network and maintain it (for our BrainGUARD Plan clients, we do that for you.)
4. Install a firewall and check the logs periodically (again, we manage that for our BrainGUARD Plan clients.
5. Remove all unessential services and applications installed on your servers. After email, this is probably the biggest security vulnerability. If a hacker gets in, this will reduce their ability to use a forgotten service or application to exploit your network.
6. Keep all your servers updated with all the latest security patches.
7. Never keep any of the manufacturer’s default settings on any of the appliances or software you install. Hackers know what these settings are and will use them to gain easy access to your network. This item nails more systems administrators than care to admit.

For those of you on our BrainGUARD Plan, you can rest assured we are taking good care of issues 3 through 7; however, if you would like us to conduct a training class and develop an AUP (acceptable use policy) for your staff and then install a content filtering software to help enforce the policies, give us a call.

This training and software is a small price to pay for the peace of mind you’ll have over your network’s security. And since better than 80% of all security breaches happen because of an end-user mistake, you’ll also be taking a big step towards protecting your assets.

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• 3 Expensive Missteps You’re Probably Making With Your Data Backups
• Are You Pressing Your LuckWhen It Comes To Backups?
• Services We Offer
• Meet Our Client of the Month
• Win An Apple IPAD
• Upcoming Presentations

Every month, I choose one very special “Client of the Month” as my way of acknowledging clients and thanking those who support me and my business with referrals and repeat business.

Meet Mr. Mark Ellis, Senior Architect and owner of Cornerstone Architect and owner of Commerstone Architects in NYC. They specialize in exterior façade restoration and preservation of historic buildings in New York City.

“He and his guys are very sharp.  They have a holistic picture of what we’re trying to achieve and he has a very good perception of what the businesses need. His advice has always been really practical and easy to implement and he’s managed to get it done when he says he’s going to do it. I’ve been really pleased with his work.  

Our business was wiped out by a viral invasion prior to hiring Brainlink.  He put us back in the business, he got all the glitches out, he got rid of the viruses, he cleaned out all the computers, he saved us in a very big way from failure. It was really an impressive performance.“
Mark Ellis
Partner, Cornerstone Architects
www.corarchitects.com 212‐627‐4824

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• 3 Expensive Missteps You’re Probably Making With Your Data Backups
• Are You Pressing Your LuckWhen It Comes To Backups?
• Services We Offer
• Security Alert: Hackers and Cyber Criminals Are Concentrating Their Attacks On Small Business
• Win An Apple IPAD
• Upcoming Presentations

Our Goal:

Make all your computer problems go away without the cost of a full-time I.T. staff

Services We Offer:

• General Network Repair & Troubleshooting
• Network Design & Implementation
• Disaster Recovery
• Virus Protection & Removal
• Network Security
• Exchange Server Management
• Oracle Database Server Management
• Wired & Wireless networking
• CRM and Database solutions
• Cyber Forensics and Expert Witness Testimony
• CLE and CPE Seminars

Related Articles:

• 3 Expensive Missteps You’re Probably Making With Your Data Backups
• Are You Pressing Your LuckWhen It Comes To Backups?
• Meet Our Client of the Month
• Security Alert: Hackers and Cyber Criminals Are Concentrating Their Attacks On Small Business
• Win An Apple IPAD
• Upcoming Presentations

Are You Pressing Your LuckWhen It Comes To Backups?

Find out at: http://www.brainlink.com/dont-rely-on-luck/

Related Articles:

• 3 Expensive Missteps You’re Probably Making With Your Data Backups
• Services We Offer
• Meet Our Client of the Month
• Security Alert: Hackers and Cyber Criminals Are Concentrating Their Attacks On Small Business
• Win An Apple IPAD
• Upcoming Presentations