May Technology Briefing 2024

KRS TECH CHRONICLE

Insider Tips To Make Your Business Run Faster, Easier And More Profitably

EVERYONE FORGETS...

If you are familiar with KRS IT, even little bit, then you know we preach like a broken record about Cyber Security! However, even companies that are focused on cyber security might be forgetting a very important aspect of security... Physical Security.

Companies are investing massive amounts of money in software, and yet, their employees are leaving their laptops open, walking away for lunch or meetings Just a friendly reminder Please remember to ALWAYS set a lock password and CLOSE YOUR COMPUTERS anytime you are away from your desks!!

Seems so simple, but companies ARE being hacked due to this careless mistake. For more tips on physical se it l t h l t t w al an T publication is provided courtesy of Josiv Krstinovski, President and CEO of KRS IT Consulting

WHY

60% OF DATA BACKUPS FAIL BUSINESSES WHEN THEY NEED THEM MOST

featuresofmoreexpensiveproducts. Thiscanresultinbackupsthatarenot assecureorreliable.

Backup times are not optimal. If backupsarescheduledduringhightrafficperiodsorwhendataisbeing heavilymodified,there’sariskthat notalldatawillbecaptured.

OUR MISSION:

Fromnaturaldisastersandcyber-attacks toaccidentaldeletion,therearemany reasonsabusinessneedstobackupits data.However,Avast’slatestfindingson disasterrecoveryhighlightanalarming issueforsmallandmedium-sized businesses(SMBs):60%ofdatabackups arenotfullysuccessful,andhalfofthe attemptstorecoverdatafromthese backupsdon’twork.Thisleadsto businessesbeingofflineforanaverageof 79minutes,costingthemroughly$84,650 foreveryhourofdowntime.

“I don’t care if it costs me more money, I am going to make sure that every single client of ours has the absolute best security and solutions in place. If I am not doing my job. Plain and simple.”

Still,notallbackupsarecreatedequal. It’simportantyou’reawareofbackup bestpractices,soyou’reconfidentyour backupsolutionwillworkwhenyou needitmost.

Why Backups Are Failing

Thereareafewcommonreasonsbackups areincompleteorarestorationfails:

Backup products are unreliable: Whenitcomestobackups,youget whatyoupayforFreeorcheap solutionsmaynotoffertherobust

Compatibilityissues. As your business evolves,sodoyour systemsandsoftware.However, newsystemsmaynotalwaysbefully compatiblewithexistingbackup solutions.Thiscanleadtosituations wheredataisnotproperlysavedor, evenifitis,cannotberestored correctlybecausetheformatsor systemsarenolongeraligned.

Human error. Mistakessuchas incorrectlyconfiguringbackup parameters,accidentallydeleting crucialfilesorignoringbackup schedulesandalertscanleadto backupfailures.

Cyber-attacksandotherdisastersareaconstant threat.Ifyourbackupfailsandyougethacked, youmightlosedatapermanently.Additionally, healthcareandfinanceorganizationshavestrict complianceregulationsarounddatahandling, andfailedbackupscanresultinfines,legal challengesandadamagedreputation.

Data Backup And Restoration

Reliabledatabackupsandsuccessfulrestoration areyourlifelineintimesofcrisis.From choosingtherightbackupsolutiontoregular testinganddailymonitoring,thesebest practicesprotectyourdatafromsurprise disruptions,ensuringyourbusinessdoesn’tmiss abeat,nomatterwhatcomesyourway.

1. Pick a solid backup solution.

Don’tjustgoforthebignamesinbackup software;somemightnotdeliverwhatthey promise.Diggingdeepandfindingasolution thatsuitsyourneedsisessential.Forexample, immutablebackupsareamust-haveforanyone

needingtomeetstrictcompliancerules,asthey can’tbechangedordeleted,evenbya ransomwareattack.TalkwithyourITprovider aboutthebackuptechnologiesthey’reusingfor you,howquicklyyoucanexpecttorecover data,whatkindofdowntimeyoumightface andwhetheryourbackupsareonthecloud, localoramixofboth.Makesureyourbackup ticksalltheboxesforcompliance,especiallyif you’reinasensitivefieldlikehealthcare.

teamreceivesadailyreport,asktohavea weeklyormonthlyreportdeliveredtoyou too,soyoucanverifythatyourbackupsare successful.

4. Do regular restore tests. Best Practices For Successful

2.Use the 3-2-1 rule.

Onceyouhaveareliablebackupsolution, considerusingthe3-2-1backuprule,a standardsetofbestpracticesfordatarecovery. Therulerecommendsstoringthreecopiesof yourdataintwodifferentformats,withone copystoredoff-site.Thissignificantlyreduces yourriskoftotaldataloss.

3. Make sure a backup status report is being generated daily.

Ensuresomeone–eitheryouorsomeoneon yourITteam–ischeckingthebackupstatus everyday.Incompletebackupsshouldbe followeduponimmediately.EvenifyourIT

LET’S GET PHYSICAL...

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Wehaveagreatoneforyouthisseason!! There’snodoubtthatwevalueourcustomers’andfriends’critiques! IfyoureferyourfellowfriendtoourKRSteam,andsignwithusandourservices,you’ll bethatluckypersontoactuallyownthisBrand-NewPelotonBike,valuedat$1,500!!

Likeafiredrillforyourdata,doatrialrunand restoresomefilesoreventhewholeserver everyfewmonthstoensureeverythingworks asitshould.It’sonethingtohavebackups,but anothertoensuretheyareingoodcondition andthedatacanberetrievedasexpected.

Don’t Ignore Your Data Backups!

Backupsmightseemlikeoneofthose“setand forget”tasks,butwhendisasterstrikes–beita flood,fireorcyber-attack–yourbackup couldbewhatsavesyour businessIfyouhaven’t already,starta conversationwith yourITprovider andmakesureyour backupstrategyis solidandreliable.

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SHOULD YOU VERIFY YOUR PROFILE ON LINKEDIN?

July20,1969,justeightyearsafterPresident Kennedymadeoneofhistory’smostambitious declarations–theUSwouldsendamantothe moonandback–NeilArmstrongandEdwin “Buzz”Aldrinbecamethefirstpeopletosetfoot onthemoon

Today,Buzzisaphilanthropist,authorand renownedspeakerwhoshareswhatbeinga spacepioneertaughthimaboutlifeonEarth:no missioniscompletedalone,failureisacrucial milestoneofsuccessandtoneverstop envisioningyournextimpossibledream.

From “The Moonman”

Dream The Impossible

AldrinremembersPresidentKennedy’s announcementin1961,andalthoughhewasn’t surehowthey’ddoit,hesaid,“Wedidhavea leaderwiththatdetermination,thecourageand theconfidencethatwecangetthere.”Without aleaderbraveenoughtoshareanimpossible vision,ideasnevergetoffthegroundIn business,it’scrucialtogiveyourteama meaningfulvisiontorallyaround,something theywanttobeapartof.

Behind Every Successful Mission Is A TEAM

The“backroomers”–softwareengineers, secretariesandeventhetailorswho manufacturedspacesuits–wereallnecessaryto Apollo’ssafelaunchandreturntoEarthWhen Apollo11landed,theworldcheered“People werenotjustcheeringforthreeguysbutfor whatwerepresented,”Buzzrecalledinaspeech. “Thatbythenationandtheworldcoming together,wehadaccomplishedtheimpossible, andthetruevalueofitistheamazingstoryof innovationandteamworkthatovercamemany obstaclestoreachthemoon.”

SuccessisrarelythestoryofonepersonRather, it’softenthestoryofmanypeopleworking together.“Therearealotofpeopleouttherein theuniversewhowishyouwellandwanttobe yourfriendLetthemhelpyou,”Buzzsaid “Youdon’thavetocarryitallonyourown”

Failure Is A Mark Of Growth

Inthebook No Dream Is Too High,Buzz explainshoweveryoneatNASAknewtherisks involvedintheirmission.Onlybyplanningfor failureandtestingeverysystem,componentand spacesuitzippercouldtheyimprovedesignand functionality–failurewaspartoftheprocess

“Somepeopledon’tliketoadmitthattheyhave failedorthattheyhavenotyetachievedtheir goalsorliveduptotheirownexpectations,” Buzzwrote“Butfailureisnotasignof weaknessItisasignthatyouarealive andgrowing.”

Know What’s Next

Whathappenswhenyouaccomplishwhatyou setouttodoafterallthecheersandhigh-fives? AfterApollo,Buzzwroteinthebook MagnificentDesolation,“Therewasnogoal,no senseofcalling,noprojectworthpouring myselfinto”

Hesunkintoseveredepressionforyears,finally realizing,“Ineededtorealignmydirectionand findanewrunway”

Today,he’saspeaker,authorandphilanthropist forSTEAM-basededucationtohelpgetthe nextgenerationofheroestothemoon–andbeyondPerhapsthekeytolifelong fulfillmentisneverto“land”fortoolong–to keeplearning,growingandachieving impossiblethings.

In 2022, LinkedIn launched verification options where most users can submit a personal ID, employer e-mail or workplace ID to prove they’re a real person amid an increasing number of fake accounts In the second half of 2021 alone, Microsoft (LinkedIn’s parent company) removed over 15 million fake accounts. If you feel weird about sharing your biometric or ID information online, that makes sense But verification isn’t a bad idea because of the number of fake accounts on LinkedIn Although LinkedIn reports using the highest security protections, consider using the employee e-mail option if it’s available (employers must have a LinkedIn page and turn on this feature) because it’s the least risky

Lessons

DEEPFAKES ARE COMING TO THE WORKPLACE

DEEP WORK

By Cal Newport

It’s undeniable: we’re more distracted than ever From text messages and e-mail pings to social media and our own disruptive thoughts, the relentless influx of distractions is sabotaging our productivity and even our ability to be present in our lives Deep Work, by Cal Newport, is a compelling guide to help us take back our focus and cultivate more fulfillment in our work. Newport introduces readers to four “rules” to transform our minds and habits into a hyper-focused superpower: work deeply, embrace boredom, quit social media and drain the shallows Through engaging stories and practical advice, the book outlines a framework for cultivating a deep work ethic, promising professional growth and a more profound sense of personal fulfillment Deep Work is an essential read for those looking to navigate a distracted world with grace and achieve focused success

DeepfakesresultfrompeopleusingAIand machine-learningtechnologytomakeitseem likesomeoneissayingsomethingtheynever actuallysaidLikeeveryothertechonthe market,itcanbeusedwithgoodandbad intentionsForexample,DavidBeckham appearedinamalariaawarenesscampaign,and AIenabledhimtoappeartospeakninedifferent languages.Ontheotherhand,pornographic deepfakesofTaylorSwiftwentviralonX(to thehorrorofSwiftiesworldwide),andaudio deepfakesofBidenencouragingNew Hampshirevotersnottocastballotscaused concernamongexperts.

However,deepfakesaren’thappeningonlyto high-profilepoliticiansandcelebrities–theyare quicklymakingtheirwayintotheworkplace. InApril2023,forensicsresearchcompany Regulareportedthatone-thirdofbusinesses worldwidehadalreadybeenattackedby deepfakeaudio(37%)andvideo(29%)fraud. Regulaalsonotedthattheaveragecostof identityfraud,includingdeepfakes,costsglobal SMBs$200,000onaverage

How Deepfakes Are Impacting The Workplace

Whiledeepfaketechnologyisusedtocommita varietyofcrimes,therearetwowaysdeepfakes currentlycauseharmtobusinesseslikeyours:

1. Impersonation/Identity Fraud Schemes 2. Harm To Company Reputation

Oneofthemostcommondeepfakeattacksis whenAIimpersonatesanexecutive’svoiceto stealcredentialsorrequestmoneytransfersfrom employees.Otherattacksincludedeepfake videosoraudioofaCEOoremployeeusedto disseminatefalseinformationonlinethatcould

negativelyaffectabrandMorethan40%of businesseshavealreadyexperiencedadeepfake attack,accordingtoauthenticationexpertsat IDR&D

What To Do About It

Thereareafewsimplethingsyoucandoto preventdeepfakesfromhavingdamaging consequencesonyourbusiness.

1. Review policies around technology and communication

Ensureyouhavetransparentcommunication practicesandthatyourteamknowshow communicationsareusedinternally.Would acompanyexecutiveevercallanemployeeto placeanofficialrequestformoneyor information?Ifnot,employeesshouldbe suspicious.Also,encourageemployeesto verifyanye-mailorphonerequesttheyaren’t sureabout.

2. Include deepfake spotting in cyber security awareness training

Double-checkthatyourcybersecurityawareness trainingcovershowtospotdeepfakesThingsto lookforincludeunnaturaleyeblinking,blurry faceborders,artificial-lookingskin,slowspeech andunusualintonation

3. Have a response plan

Deepfakeattacksareintheirinfancy,andyou canexpecttoseemoreattackslikethisinthe future.Besureyourcompany’sleadershiptalks abouthowtorespondifadeepfakeattackimpacts yourcompany.Eventhoughthere’snoperfect solutiontotheproblemyet,theworstthingthat canhappenistobe caughtunprepared.