Great Connections Happen Here.™

Cyber-Security With Ian: Passwords, Phishing and Facebook

Cyber security threats come along incredibly quickly these days, making it a full-time job just trying to keep up.
ps_lightwave_Cyber_Security

Cyber security threats come along incredibly quickly these days, making it a full-time job just trying to keep up. However, there are a few things you can do to stay ahead of the threats. Here are some suggestions on staying a step ahead of some threats and phishing attacks.

1. Choose A Strong Password

The traditional way of creating a strong password is to use a long string of letters, numbers and special characters, but those passwords are hard to remember. It’s easier and more secure to create a passphrase instead.

A passphrase is a string of words that aren’t easily guessed. For example, “Salamand3r St3w Is G00d F0r Y0u”. At PS Lightwave our employees must complete a 10-minute training session and pass a test from KnowBe4 on weak passwords. We recommend this training to everyone – from small to large organizations.

2. Utilize The Phish Alert On Outlook Mobile

The Phish Alert button is now available on the Outlook mobile app. If you have a company phone, please install the Outlook app and start using the Phish Alert button when you spot phishy emails.

Just click on the three dots to the right of the email and select the Phish Alert icon. If you already have the Outlook app, just restart your phone and the button will appear.


3. Pay Attention To Large Breaches And Take Action 

Facebook recently revealed that hackers obtained user data from 30 million accounts. Some of the data stolen includes phone numbers, email address, birth dates, connected devices, location check-ins, searches and more. You can use this link to see if any of your data has been stolen. If you believe that your account has been compromised, take action. Change your passwords…now!

This breach comes as another black mark to Facebook’s already bad reputation when it comes to handling user data. Since the revelations about misuse of Facebook user data by Cambridge Analytica during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, there have been questions about how Facebook uses customer data, including the discovery that Facebook had been routinely collecting full call logs and other data from some mobile users.

Recently, Facebook acknowledged that it provided phone numbers used for two-factor authentication to advertisers for the purpose of targeting users with ads. And Facebook’s VPN application was yanked from Apple’s App Store in August because they were using it to collect data on all app usage on devices.

Do you have questions on cyber-security? Ask us here. 

Do you feel like it’s time to upgrade your current system, even if it is highly paper-based? Our PS Lightwave team can answer any questions you have about Ethernet, High-Speed Internet Service, Dark Fiber, VoIP and carrier services, no matter what your sector.

Contact us so we can discuss any connectivity issues you may have and how we can offer you a custom solution at a competitive rate so you can start reaping the benefits right away.

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PS LIGHTWAVE is the consultative data-connectivity provider for public and private entities in the Greater Houston area. Through our high-quality infrastructure, innovative technology and superior level of support, we deliver not only the best in connectivity and reliability but in scalability and redundancy. You’ll also appreciate that the PS in our name stands for “Pure Speed.” We fully understand that technology is a moving target, and we understand the people and infrastructure of the Greater Houston area. We are nimble, flexible and responsive, and we embrace leading-edge technologies that improve the customer experience. We invite you to learn more. Visit our website or contact us. Concerned about connectivity? Think PS LIGHTWAVE.

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PS LIGHTWAVE Blog

PS LIGHTWAVE Blog

PS LIGHTWAVE, a leading telecommunications service provider headquartered in Houston, Texas, provides managed Ethernet Data Circuits, Internet, private network solutions and Voice over IP (VoIP) over one of the nation’s largest facilities-based private Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). The switched Layer 2 network, backed by 24/7/365 Network Operations Center (NOC) support, encompasses approximately 5,500 route miles and 1,400 on-net locations and connects 100+ fault-tolerant multi-gigabit Ethernet rings for built-in redundancy, security, low latency, and high-availability. At PS LIGHTWAVE Great Connections Happen Here™.

For more information, please visit https://www.pslightwave.com or call 832-615-8000.