Category

Security

Security

What’s the difference between consumer and business-grade firewalls?

Why isn’t it a good idea to go out to your local Best Buy and get a consumer-grade firewall for your business? Can’t you save a few bucks this way, rather than getting a business-grade firewall? Well…you can. But there is a huge difference between a firewall meant for personal home use versus a business-grade firewall that’s equipped with the tools that a business needs for protection. A consumer-grade firewall won’t be the best solution for your business. Here’s why. What is a firewall? In networking, a firewall is a tool that “monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic”…
OXEN Technology
April 15, 2019
Security

Moving away from Internet Explorer

Is Internet Explorer a “modern web browser”? Is it a web browser at all? Should you be using it? Due to a recent blog post from Microsoft on “the perils of using Internet Explorer as your default browser”, these puzzling questions have been getting a lot of attention. The gist is this: Microsoft is now on record as saying that Internet Explorer – Microsoft’s long-time web browser – is in fact not really a browser anymore. They don’t want you to use it like one. Microsoft’s Chris Jackson refers to it as a “compatibility solution”, implying that it is legacy…
OXEN Technology
February 18, 2019
Security

Why do you still need anti-spam and anti-virus protection?

It’s 2019. Do you really need to pay for anti-spam and anti-virus software for your company? Is there still a pressing need for these? And can you make do with free versions? We’ll cut to the chase with the answers: Yes, anti-spam and anti-virus solutions are still mandatory as basic security for any organization or business. And while you may go with free security products, you will get much better results with professional paid versions that receive timely updates to protect you from new and emerging threats. Professional, business-grade anti-spam and anti-virus software is still a worthy investment. It’s a…
OXEN Technology
February 11, 2019
AnnouncementsSecurity

Windows 7 End of Support Is Approaching

Windows 7 is reaching the end of its life and support on January 14, 2020. It’s now time to plan your upgrade to Windows 10 or even the modern office experience with Office 365. What’s happening to Windows 7? Windows 7 (as well as Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2) will no longer be supported by Microsoft after January 14, 2020. This means there will be no more software updates or security patches. Continuing to use the operating system could make you out of compliance with industry standards. Microsoft customer service will also no longer be available for…
OXEN Technology
January 7, 2019
Security

Confessions of an IT Professional – Part 2 – Data Backups

This week's article is the second in a series by OXEN's own Terry Allen, one of our technical engineers based in Joplin, MO. Part 1 is here. This post originally appeared on Bloggin' IT with Terry Allen and is reprinted with permission. I’ll admit that I bang the security drum a lot. Those of you that know me will admit that I avoid risk. I look for it and work to manage and reduce it as much as reasonably possible. I don’t like risk. Life has taught me that our world is full of it. Often risks are ignored until…
OXEN Technology
December 10, 2018
SecurityTech Tip

Check email header information for signs of spoofing

Think about this scenario: A friend tells you that they received a message from your email address that wasn’t really sent from you. They think you’ve been hacked and your account is sending malicious emails to friends. How do you know if your email address account has been compromised, or if this malicious attempt is just spoofing your email address? Email “spoofing” means that an attacker is impersonating you by pretending to send an email from your account. The recipient of the email will see your email… but if you dig deeper into the email message’s contents, you can often…
OXEN Technology
December 3, 2018
Security

Confessions of an IT Professional – Part 1

This week's article is the first in a series by OXEN's own Terry Allen, one of our technical engineers based in Joplin, MO. This post originally appeared on Bloggin' IT with Terry Allen and is reprinted with permission. This post is rated E for everyone. These aren’t deep, dark secrets–but they are confessions in two senses:  1) admission and acknowledgement and 2) a statement of one’s principles.  I have to confess that most of what we’re doing today to protect ourselves from modern Internet threats is insufficient.  Before you bail on me banging the ‘security drum’ again, stick with me a little…
Terry Allen
November 5, 2018
EventsSecurityWebinar

Webinar: It’s Time to Improve Your #1 Security Risk

Join OXEN Technology for a webinar to learn how we are helping businesses improve their greatest security risk: their people. Start transforming your weakest links into your strongest defenses, one employee at a time. And as part of the "It's TIME to improve your #1 security risk" webinar, attendees will be registered to have a chance to win an Emporio Armani Bracelet Watch valued at $295! Join us on Thursday, November 8th at 10:00 AM CDT. We'll discuss how OXEN Technology is helping improve your #1 security risk through: Employee Vulnerability Assessment that continuously combines security metrics into an Employee Secure…
OXEN Technology
October 16, 2018
AnnouncementsSecurity

Our Shared Responsibility: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Today we kick off National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), an annual initiative to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. NCSAM is now in its 15th year and is a collaborative effort between government and industry. OXEN Technology is excited to play our part in providing resources and tips during the month of October on how you and your organization can be safe and secure when using technology. So what can you look forward to? Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to receive bi-weekly security tips, infographics, and resources on topics such as: Cybersecurity for small businesses Insider threats…
OXEN Technology
October 1, 2018
Security

Security Education: Empowering the first layer of security defense, one employee at a time

Are you ready to take a proactive approach to security for your organization? You can improve your “human firewall” with security education, dark web assessment, phishing tests, and more for your employees! Ransomware is an epidemic for small to midsize businesses, and email phishing scams continue to be the attack vector of choice for cybercriminals. However, technology alone cannot provide 100% infallible security defense. So what’s the next step after you’ve hardened your perimeter defense solutions, like your firewall? Educate your employees to avoid common security threats! Security reports reveal that 95% of data breaches are caused by employee error.…
OXEN Technology
September 17, 2018