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How Can I Create A Secure Password? Tips from Your Baltimore IT Company

Creating a secure password isn’t that difficult, but why do so many people have a hard time doing that? Simple, because they don’t want to have to remember the difficult password. This is why so many people use ‘password’ as their password. It is easy to remember.

However, if a website is asking you to create a password, it is important that you create a strong password; especially, if you want to keep your sensitive information private (Bank Account, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Below, your Baltimore IT company has compiled a list of tips for having a secure password.

  • It should be at least eight characters long
  • Does not contain your name or the username
  • Is not a complete word, use a phrase instead
  • Is not the same as all of your other passwords
  • Contains:
    • One uppercase letter
    • One lowercase letter
    • A number
    • A unique symbol (!@#$%)

If you feel you must write down your password in order to remember it, make sure you don’t label it as your password, and keep it in a safe place. The last thing you want is to become the victim of your accounts being hacked. The more confusing your password is, the safer it is.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department in Baltimore!

At Working Nets in Baltimore, we support your business by providing top-notch Information Technology (I.T.) services to companies like yours: Companies that don’t need full-time I.T. services, but do need someone to turn to, when they are having a problem. We provide services like Network Design, Monitoring and Maintenance. We troubleshoot technical issues when they arise, and give you options for solving them. We help you use your technology investment to achieve your business goals.

At Working Nets, our focus is on your needs!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Has My Password Been Compromised?

There is a new website which launched recently and the main purpose is to identify if you’ve been pwned.

Pwned is internet slang for the word ‘owned’ and is used frequently to describe dominance over someone regarding the internet.

When your computer has been hacked and your personal data is now available to someone that you did not give consent to having it, that is considered being pwned.  When your data has been compromised, passwords or otherwise, it is best to change your password as soon as possible to protect yourself.

By going to http://haveibeenpwned.com/ and putting in your email address it can check any recent major security breaches and let you know if your account is safe or it has been compromised.

The website lets users know if their passwords were compromised in high-profile attacks against Adobe, Stratfor, Gawker, Yahoo, Pixel Federation, and Sony. All told the website currently scans more than 150 million compromised accounts.

Staying safe online is important and this website is an easy way to keep yourself safe!

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Deptartment!

At Working Nets, we support your business by providing top-notch Information Technology (I.T.) services to companies like yours: Companies that don’t need full-time I.T. services, but do need someone to turn to, when they are having a problem. We provide services like Network Design, Monitoring and Maintenance. We troubleshoot technical issues when they arise, and give you options for solving them. We help you use your technology investment to achieve your business goals.

At Working Nets, our focus is on your needs!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Be sure to check out all the information we have to offer about IT Services.

Source:

http://haveibeenpwned.com/

Disaster Recovery Horror Story #8: The 7 Deadly Sins of Backup and Recovery

Over the next several weeks, we will outline some of the most common disaster recovery mistake companies make, mistakes that could have disastrous outcomes. We like to call these the 7 Deadly Sins of Backup and Recovery. The first of these disaster recovery sins is backing up only your data.

This is a fairly common mistake. Many business owners believe they need only back up their business data. However, this could not be further from the truth. Everything needs protection, not just user data. Disaster recover processes should also include backups for operating system layers and applications. This allows users to quickly recover and restore everything.

With so many patches and updates layered into most operating systems, a full rebuild is close to impractical, not to mention risky. This assumes that you can find the optical media, locate the license keys, and apply patches in the right sequence.

Do the right thing and back up your operating system, applications, and critical business data. Taking the time to backup everything now ensures it is there when you need it in the future.

Disaster Recovery Services in Baltimore, Maryland

At Working Nets, we were founded to provide small businesses in Baltimore and the surrounding area, businesses like yours, with the expert information technology support they need to not only survive, but thrive. Our disaster recovery services help ensure your vital business data is kept safe and secure, providing you with a peace of mind that is unequalled.

Did you know that 43% of companies that experience major data loss never recover? 51% close within 2 years. Don’t let this happen to you. Pick up the phone, call Working Nets today, and stop playing Russian roulette with your business.

If you have any questions about Disaster Recovery, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Sources:

The 7 deadly sins of backup and recovery

How Often Do You Backup?

“How often do you backup your data?” is a question I very often ask small business owners. Now, I’ll admit that, as pickup lines go, that’s an odd one. But for business owners, there aren’t very many questions more important than that. Almost all businesses today rely on computer data to run their business. Whether it’s their Quickbooks files, or those contracts, proposals, or other work-product they’ve been working on for weeks, that data represents the core of their businesses.

So it might be surprising to learn that, while 85% of computer users say that they’re concerned about the prospect of losing their data, only 25% actually do regular backups! That’s a scary thought, because some 70% of small firms that experience a major data loss are gone within a year.

Here are some questions to think about for your business:

  • How often do you backup your data?
  • Where do you back it up to?
  • Do you keep the backup media somewhere near your computer, where it can get destroyed by the same catastrophe that wiped out your computer in the first place?

And here’s one that even those who backup regularly tend not to consider properly:

  • How often do you test your restores? (Hint: The time to test them is not when you’ve suffered a data loss, and need to get your data back now!)