Community Leaders Security Seminar
– William Wentowski
Cyber attacks and breaches are here to stay. They are a fact of life and a cost of doing business in an interconnected world—a cost that organizations can minimize, if not eliminate entirely, with the right partner. Everyone sees the ransomware attacks targeting municipalities and crippling city services, not to mention hospitals. BTS decided to do something for those communities by hosting a Cyber Security Seminar for Community Leaders.
On March 6th, we will have mayors and police chiefs across the Birmingham metro, and Tuscaloosa area join us to discuss what they can do right now to mitigate the risk of becoming the next Baltimore or New Orleans or even having a repeat of what happened in Leeds. We will cover the nature of the risk cities face with Taylor Anderson, former NSA Analyst and Senior Security Engineer at the University of Alabama. WatchGuard, the firewall that forms the backbone of our security offering, will provide information on what can be done to combat this ever-present threat.
Follow our social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. to see snippets of the presentation and a few of the hotter tips to secure your organization. We will announce a follow-up seminar for business leaders and organizations intent on securing themselves in late March. If you have any questions, please reach out to me William Wentowski or speak with your account rep by dialing 205-290-8460.
Why Talk to BTS?
– Michael Gendreau
I am the CFO of my company and have been tasked with overwatch of the IT Department. BTS Technologies, Inc just called. Why do I want to talk with them?
Here is a question that, I believe, a lot of companies have an issue with. As the controller at BTS, I realize that the last thing that I would want is to have a department put under me that I know little about. This topic is like electricity: a little knowledge can be dangerous! So, what do most officers do? They assign or defer all questions and decisions to their subordinate manager in charge of the IT Department. In a very large company, this may be appropriate if your cumulative experience level is over 50 years; however, most mid to small-sized businesses have a two to three-man shop with 10 to 15 years of cumulative knowledge.
Here lies the problem. IT is a huge area; in fact, when thought about, it is over 50% of the administration's responsibilities each day, comprising every phone call, email, file creation, voice mail, and contract that is developed, stored, and maintained in an IT format. With Ransomware on the rise, with phishing attempts, hacking, viruses, and all other types of criminal activity going on, we still try to think about this like it was 1980, and these problems were small and isolated.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein.
The pressure and responsibility placed on these small shops are incredibly unrealistic. It is like fighting a major war with one platoon…Ask Druid City Hospital (DCH) Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They have an IT department and thought they were secure, but they were attacked by Ransomware, and they did have to pay to get their information back. I could list a plethora of victims here in Alabama, but you have already read the stories and know the outcome. You may think, "It won't happen to me…" Really? If this is your response, I do not want to be there on the day you use it to your CEO in response to an attack.
The CFO of a company is the company’s primary fiduciary. If you were chosen to oversee IT, it is because of the trust placed in you and your ability to figure things out. The CFO carries the responsibility of making sure HR records, business records, financials, and other sensitive data are protected as part of your responsibility. Don’t drop your team into a situation where they don’t have the tools to win the battles your company will fight. BTS has been around since the inception of modern-day computing. This company has grown and expanded through the changes we have seen in business since computers have changed the landscape. Our total experience level reaches over 100 years cumulatively in the IT industry, and our abilities span many systems and configurations. Your IT techs know your system, and if you have an older one, maybe one or two more. We can augment your current staff by providing backend services that can be done offsite; thereby, leaving your staff to do the day to day items that IT staffs are developed to do, like password resets, connectivity issues, software issues, etc. Let us build your defensive structure and train your IT to run what they can handle.
Strength in numbers. NO cybersecurity platform is flawless…period. If we, as humans, can build it, we can tear it down. BTS, your IT team, and our strategic partners become a force, united in the defense and administration of your Information Technology flow. Together we can prevail both in front end attacks and data breach security. We have the team, and we have the technology; we can protect you, and we can rebuild you. You don’t have to be alone. When you look at the cost of our service, it usually equates to less than one employee’s salary per year, but you gain the collective knowledge of the best minds in Cyber Security and IT systems. We are much less expensive than a Ransomware payout without the embarrassment of the data breach, the additional lawsuits from clients, and all the other costs coming after a breach. Insurance is nice to help recovery, but it never makes you whole. A strong offense backed by a strong defense is what keeps you whole. Let BTS show you how we can work with you to accomplish the needs of your company and, most importantly, protect your investment.
Larry Tesler, Computer Scientist Who Created Copy and Paste Function, Dies at 74
Larry Tesler, the computer scientist who created the cut/copy and paste function, died on Monday, February 17, 2020, his former employer Xerox confirmed. He was 74.
Tesler graduated from Stanford University with a degree in mathematics in 1965.
A pioneer in the field with multiple patents to his name, Tesler coined the word "browser" with his SmallTalk Browser product in 1976, according to his website. But his most widely used contribution was the creation of and the cut/copy and paste function, which he developed while after joining the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in 1973. (Per Gizmodo, PARC is responsible for developing the mouse-driven graphical user interface we use today)
Tesler joined Apple in 1980, where he worked on the development of many products, including the Newton MessagePad and Lisa, a precursor to the Macintosh and one of the first personal computers to utilize graphical user interface.
After leaving Apple in 1997, he worked in user experience at various high tech companies, including Amazon, Yahoo! and 23AndMe. He also worked as an independent consultant for the last decade.
Xerox paid tribute to the pioneer in a tweet Wednesday afternoon, writing "The inventor of cut/copy & paste, find & replace, and more was former Xerox researcher Larry Tesler. Your workday is easier, thanks to his revolutionary ideas. Larry passed away Monday, so please join us in celebrating him."
Network
Firewall
Read at your own risk…
–David Dick
If you don't know if you have one – you don't!
Small business networks are usually connected directly to the carrier's internet device. This is the least expensive modem or router that can possibly be extended to make your internet work. These are the little "black boxes" in the back closet that say Arris or Hitron on them.
If you have one of these, you desperately need a Firewall before you have a security event or Ransomware attack.
A Firewall is "Active Threat Management" to guard against cyber-attacks, malware, and Ransomware. This is 24x7 software running to protect your business! A Firewall also acts as a router, providing secure access and network connectivity.
If you don’t know – find out before it’s too late.
BTS will help you figure-out what you do have and recommend a solution for safety. Call us today.
Make Me Smile!
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