the technology professionals

I do a LOT to be a great IT partner for our clients.
Here are 4 things that I don't do:
-spend their money recklessly
-get up early
-know it all
-say yes

Check out the details below, and let us know what we can do (or NOT do 😃) to become your great IT partner!

Gerrell Sterling on LinkedIn: Here are 4 things that I DON'T DO that make me a GREAT IT partner for… Here are 4 things that I DON'T DO that make me a GREAT IT partner for small businesses: 1. I DON'T spend my clients' money recklessly. -I'm careful with client money. Sometimes the solution to a tech problem is to upgrade software, or buy new hardware, or bring in Subject Matter Expe...

What’s on my mind? Ransomware!

How it works? Someone goes to a website or opens an attachment in an email from someone they might know or from a stranger. The wording in the email is socially engineered to create a response to motivate them to open the attachment or click on the link. The friend’s email may have been “spoofed” (sent as if it came from them, but didn’t leave from their mail server)

Once the attachment or link is opened to the bad website, a script runs and a payload with a small agent is downloaded and inserted into the targeted computer. This payload checks with it’s own server to be sure it is using the latest “undetectable” code and then begins silently sending files to the hacker’s server. It also looks for other computers on the network and sends a copy to the next computer.

This code doesn’t care what OS you’re using and can update itself at any time that detection software tries to identify it to a new version that hasn’t been detected yet.

This code can be on a system without detection silently sending files to the server.

On the hacker’s end, the data accumulates into digital buckets until they have most of the important data that can be used to determine a ransom amount that the target can afford to pay rather than dealing with the recovery (which will cost the victim in labor and downtime). Then, the signal is sent to begin encryption of all the data, and any attempt to open the file will display the Ransomware notice.

Companies may refuse to pay and begin to work through the recovery process, but this can cost a lot of additional labor and down time which inconveniences the customers of that company, and more often, a city or public.

Meanwhile, (and this is the new part), more and more threats of publishing more and more of the data to the public or dark web while the time is expiring. This is extortion at this point. Now, the level of data leaking out is more and more personal and could be about employees or customers, with the more personal data exposed.

Meanwhile, here I sit, waiting on a check, while systems are being cleaned and being brought slowly back on line.

Whenever a company reports they’ve been struck by Ransomware but no user information has been lost, they are unaware of how the Ransomware process works. Be aware, take appropriate action, have recovery plans in effect, and regarding email - hover over the sender’s name (to see the email address) and when in doubt - throw it out.

For smartphone users, be careful and use a mobile client that helps to keep you up to date on your OS and away from bad websites.

Not only are the technology professionals providing the best IT Support today, we are actively training the next generation of tech pros for tomorrow!!! 🥰