None of your team would fall for this trick… would they?

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Cyber criminals have a reputation for constantly coming up with new ways to scam us into handing over login details or sensitive data.

And while you might think your team would spot an attempted attack, you could be surprised. We’ve seen a lot of intelligent people – including many business leaders – caught out over the years.

One of the latest scams is very retro… and that seems to be why people are falling for it.

Cyber criminals have gone back to basics. They’re sending USB drives in the post.

The packaging and branding on the drives suggests they’re from Microsoft (they are not).

The story is there’s an updated version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus on the drive and it needs to be installed straightaway.

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Are you using a malicious browser extension without realising?

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There are hundreds of thousands of browser extensions designed to help us to save time, be more productive, and personalise our online experience.

And while the majority of them do what they’re supposed to, some are not designed to help you at all…

If you’re unfortunate enough to download a malicious browser extension without realising, it could harm your productivity and even flood your work with unwanted advertising.

This is known as adware. It’s a form of malware (malicious software) that’s designed to bombard you with unwanted adverts.

It can also change your search engine and send you to affiliate pages when you’re making purchases. These activities generate revenue for the extension’s creators.

In a recent report from a cyber security company, it revealed more than 4 million of its customers have been attacked by adware hiding in browser extensions over the last couple of years.

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Passkeys could improve the way you work, forever

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Back in May, we heard there would soon be a successor to the password – the Passkey.

Now, we’re hearing that Apple will start rolling out Passkeys in the next few months in iOS 16. And we’re excited.

Though it’s caused a bit of confusion. Apple is going to great lengths to market the Passkey, and understandably, people have assumed that it’s a feature exclusive to Apple.

That’s not the case.

In fact, Passkeys will be used in a joint effort to boost online security by Apple, Microsoft and Google. The reason Apple is promoting this new feature so hard is to get the message out there.

Microsoft and Google are also keen to spread the word so that people understand how Passkeys work.

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Windows 10 is getting a very useful Windows 11 feature

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There’s no denying the Windows 11 has a lot of really cool new features.

If you haven’t made the move from Windows 10 yet, you’re missing out.

But there’s good news. To make the (eventual) move from Windows 10 to 11 a little easier, Microsoft is sharing a couple of 11’s most useful features.

The first should make printing a little easier. We can hear your cheers from here! Anything that makes printing easier is OK in our book too. Printers don’t have a terrible reputation for nothing…

This feature makes printing PIN-protected. That means when you want to print a document, you’ll send it off to the printer – but it’ll only print when you’ve reached the printer and entered your PIN.

This removes the risk of you printing something confidential and leaving it on the printer for everyone to see.

Or accidentally printing several copies of the same document. Yes, this will reduce paper waste.

And that’s not all…

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If you’re under pressure to take urgent action – stop and think

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Phishing scams are one of the biggest security threats to your business right now.

A massive 83% of organisations said they suffered successful attacks last year. And with just under a third of phishing emails being opened, the chances that someone in your business will be fooled are high.

But to make matters more difficult, cyber criminals have borrowed a technique from ransomware groups that is designed to panic people into taking action and giving away their login details.

This new kind of phishing attack begins like most others.

You get an email alerting you to potentially suspicious activity on your account. It might say someone is trying to login from a different location or device and the attempt has been blocked.

You’re then asked to click a link to verify your email address and password.

That’s worrying enough, right?

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Get the perfect video call – setup advice – whatever the budget

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Video calls are now part of every day life in business. They have become an important communication tool.

Video call setup is important but many people have poor lighting, sound and positioning.

Our new video shows you how to improve these a areas.

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Is working from home really good for your business?

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Working from home. Or remote working, as it’s now called.

It’s the big thing in business, isn’t it? And some people love it.

They’re happier working where they want, and when they want. And that makes them more productive and less likely to leave.

But have you stopped to consider the downside to remote working? The negative elements for your business and your people?

While many employees are happy to work from home using video calls and collaborative software to stay connected, there’s a small percentage who find the whole experience isolating.

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Relaunch of the tKnowIT Monthly Newsletter

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Many years ago we put together a monthly newsletter containing useful tips and information  along with any offers that were available.

Over time this has been replaced by emails, website posts and social media posts but it can be handy to have a monthly newsletter that you can read.

Some people prefer to get their updates in this style rather than an email or having to keep up with Social media or navigate several articles on the website.

So, we have relaunched the monthly newsletter to see if you find it useful.

please let us know what you think

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What does the global chip shortage mean for your business?

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For the past couple of years, the tech world has been struggling with a huge shortage of chips.

But it’s not just tech businesses that are feeling the impact.

So many of the things we use every day contain a chip. Laptops and desktops, sure. But also household appliances, even our cars. It’s hard to find an electric device without a chip.

This shortage has the potential to disrupt our modern lives.

Did you know, it’s been ongoing since 2020 (ah, that year really was a gift, wasn’t it)?

It started during the pandemic as production fell while demand went up.

Other events since have made it worse, including extreme weather, the Ukraine war and a factory fire.

We’re told that increasing chip production isn’t easy. It can take years to build a new factory because of the unique production demands.

Of course, all of this is someone else’s problem. Let’s make it real to you – what does this actually mean for your business?

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If any of your staff work remotely, you need to be on top of this

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Remote and hybrid working is now the norm for a lot of people.

But a recent survey has found that, despite it being more than two years since many of us were forced to work from home, too many businesses still don’t have the right cyber security measures in place for those away from the office.

The survey was originally intended to learn about spending plans from now into next year. However, the results highlighted just how few businesses have the right cyber security protections.

And it’s a worry.

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