RealTime team creates Ransomware awareness

RealTime educating the general public on Ransomware during the 2017 Foster Fest in downtown Dothan, AL. 

This isn't our normal blog post, but this short 'Live' Facebook video gives heart and humor to the serious subject of Ransomware. Watch this brief video showing some of our RealTime team in action. If you have a question about how Ransomware can affect your business, email us at info@realtime-it.com or call (334) 678-1417. 

*Also, don't forget to follow us on Facebook! Look at what you're missing... 

DEFEND YOURSELF WITH AN UNHACKABLE PASSWORD

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from hackers is to use a strong password. Human nature tells us to use the same or similar passwords across different applications; and given a choice, most of use would use something very simple that we could easily remember.  

This, however, leaves you open to attacks. Hackers like to use "guessing" - a technique in which they repeatedly guess words or phrases using your children's names, sports teams, etc. There is also an automated program that hackers use called an Online Dictionary Attack. Here, the program attempts to log on using a different word from the text file on each try. These are only two ways that hackers attack your system but there are many, many more. The best method of defense is to learn to create a password that is safe and you can remember.

THINGS NOT TO USE IN YOUR PASSWORD

• Your Birthday
• Any part of your name
• Your mother's maiden name
• Names of your children or pets
• City where you were born
• Local sports teams
• Any part of your address

TIPS ON CREATING A SECURE PASSWORD

• Replace a letter with the same character every time you make a password. EXAMPLE: Use % instead of an A
• Use a minimum of 9 characters 
• Make sure to include upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.

Attacks can be slowed down significantly through the use of strong passwords. 

4 STEPS TO A HEALTHY ONLINE REPUTATION

1. Be in control

Ensuring that you have a large online presence with a controlled message is very important. Below are several ways to ensure that your business has its best foot forward. 

• Company Website
• Social Media Channels: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc...
• Company Blog
• Online Advertising including Google Adwords or other sponsored content

2. Follow Review Networks

The following list is just a few places to check for reviews to monitor your online presence. Some are industry-specific and you can certainly do a search to find more review-based sites:

• Yelp
• Facebook
• Google Reviews
• Angie's List
• Zocdoc
• WebMD
• Angies List

3. Setup google alerts

This is a great free tool that allows you to monitor what is being said about your company online. You can set it up to monitor different ways and frequency based on your preferences.

• Enter a term you want to monitor (i.e. company name, high-level employees, etc.)
• Prioritize alerts (i.e. "company name + fraud")
• Use it to monitor everything from your competitor to current industry topics

4. Research and Maintain

• Do a general Google search of your company to see where you appear
• Use yext.com, a free tool that will discover online directory listings for you. Use this to claim your listings and be sure to maintain. 
• Be sure to check your own social media site reviews on a regular basis

FINALLY

Being aware of what is online about your company is key to creating and maintaining a healthy online reputation. If, and when, you run across negative feedback (you will, because it happens to the best of us) be sure to respond in a prompt, professional manner.