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Washington Works Blog

Washington Works has been serving the Bethesda area since 2005, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Here are Some Basic Categories of Security Threats and Issues Facing SMBs

Here are Some Basic Categories of Security Threats and Issues Facing SMBs

It seems like with every day that passes, there is a new sinister cyberthreat to worry about, and it’s crucial that businesses learn as much as possible about how to keep themselves safe as they can. There is simply too much at stake not to. That said, there are broad categories that most threats will fall under. Today, we’re going to explore them.

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Understanding URLs Can Help You Avoid Being Hacked

Understanding URLs Can Help You Avoid Being Hacked

We often advise people to steer clear of clicking on suspicious links, but distinguishing between a legitimate URL and a dubious one has become increasingly challenging. Not only have malicious tactics evolved to the point where everyone has to stay on top of their game to not be fooled, these threats are almost pervasive so they are coming at people from all types of directions. We thought we would focus on a single punctuation mark that can make all the difference in whether a link is legitimately safe or potentially dangerous.

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There’s No Shame in Being Scammed

There’s No Shame in Being Scammed

I was talking to some colleagues the other day about cybersecurity and its relationship with modern everyday scams, like phone scams and similar things. In my opinion, it’s worth bundling these two topics together, and we found some interesting statistics that we’d like to share.

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4 Ways Hackers Can Take Advantage of Your Business Technology

4 Ways Hackers Can Take Advantage of Your Business Technology

Cybercriminals fight dirty, whether it’s attacking small businesses, large enterprises, or individuals who just want to watch Netflix. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do for the community; you’ll always be a target for hacking attacks. To save time and effort, hackers will use low-tech attacks and social engineering attacks to target individuals. Hackers aren’t developing new threats all the time; if anything, they largely use existing exploits, purchasable software, and social engineering to take advantage of people.

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Important Statistics to Keep in Mind Concerning Your Cybersecurity

Important Statistics to Keep in Mind Concerning Your Cybersecurity

It is so important to keep your business secure nowadays. Statistics show this to be the case. Don’t believe us? We can share a few of these stats and explore what they mean, just to prove it.

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Want to Learn How to Steal a Password? It’s Easier Than You Think

Want to Learn How to Steal a Password? It’s Easier Than You Think

Passwords are one of the most important parts of keeping any account secure, and if you were to gain access to these accounts, you’d have access to personal data, subscriptions, money, and even the victim’s identity. Today, we want to show you just how easy it is to steal a password and gain access to an account.

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Don’t Be So Quick to Scan Every QR Code You See

Don’t Be So Quick to Scan Every QR Code You See

There is no denying that Quick Response codes—better known as QR codes—are a handy little invention. Just a few years ago, many businesses heavily adopted these contactless communication tools, allowing customers with a smartphone to access menus, documents, and more with ease. Having said that, we unfortunately can’t deny that cybercriminals are taking advantage of how handy QR codes are, too.

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Think Before You Click - Don’t Simply Trust Emails

Think Before You Click - Don’t Simply Trust Emails

Phishing is a common issue that businesses of all kinds can experience, whether they are a small startup or a large corporation. Hackers are always trying to extol information from your employees, including account credentials, remote access to your systems, and in some cases, funds directly from a bank account. It’s up to you to teach them how to identify and respond to phishing attacks.

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One Employee Can Put Your Business in the Red (By Mistake)

One Employee Can Put Your Business in the Red (By Mistake)

You know the old phrase, “A chain is no stronger than its weakest link?”

It’s a pretty good idiom, but when it comes to cybersecurity, I think the idea is worth revisiting. It’s not that you aren’t as strong as your weakest link, or in terms of cybersecurity, it’s not that you aren’t as secure as your most vulnerable endpoint…

You are less secure the more users you have.

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What You Need to Know to Avoid Phishing Attacks

What You Need to Know to Avoid Phishing Attacks

Phishing is a remarkably dangerous tactic used by hackers to take advantage of those who might not be quite as in-the-know about security practices. Phishing attacks can be carried out against both businesses and individuals alike, and due to the many different forms these attacks can take—including email, text message, and even fraudulent websites—they can be quite problematic.

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Knowing Phishing Tactics Can Help You Avoid Scams

Knowing Phishing Tactics Can Help You Avoid Scams

Phishing has become one of the great problems for technology users in the 21st century. The ironic part of the whole thing is that it has taken a good old-fashioned social engineering scam to make today’s robust information systems less secure. Phishing is the predominant way that hackers and scammers gain access to the systems they target. Today, we’re going to spell out what to train your employees on to help them identify phishing attacks. 

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Tip of the Week: How to Spot Various Forms of Phishing

Tip of the Week: How to Spot Various Forms of Phishing

It doesn’t take much to get us to start ranting about the dangers of phishing, and it’s a topic that we won’t stop talking about for some time. Unfortunately, phishing comes in enough forms that it isn’t always so simple to spot. For this week’s tip, we just wanted to run through the different formats phishing can take, focusing on how to identify each type.

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‘Tis the Season to Be Phished

‘Tis the Season to Be Phished

It’s the holiday season, and you know what that means: lots of gift-giving and online shopping. Regardless of what you and your family celebrate this holiday season, you should be prepared to handle the influx of phishing attacks which always surface around this time every year, including both the usual methods and the more sophisticated ones.

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These Link Checking Tools Might Save Your Bacon

These Link Checking Tools Might Save Your Bacon

We often talk about scams and cyberthreats, and lately our advice for dealing with a potential phishing threat is to simply avoid it altogether.

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Phishing Gets Around Normal Cybersecurity Protection

Phishing Gets Around Normal Cybersecurity Protection

How often do you get emails from individuals claiming to be working with a business who wants to do business with yours or sell you a product, completely unsolicited and even perhaps a bit suspicious? These types of messages can often land small businesses in hot water, as it only takes one phishing email landing in the wrong inbox at the wrong time to put your business in jeopardy.

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Educators Having Increased Exposure to Ransomware

Educators Having Increased Exposure to Ransomware

Ransomware is devastating as a cyberthreat, but some industries are hurt by it more than others. One such industry is education, and universities and schools are struggling to keep up with these cyberthreats. Most even do the unthinkable in response to attacks: they pay the ransom.

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The Geek Squad Phishing Scam is Costing People Lots of Money

The Geek Squad Phishing Scam is Costing People Lots of Money

If you are a frequent reader of our blog, you know all about phishing scams. They are emails and messages sent that are designed to extort money and gain access to computers and networks for nefarious purposes. The popular IT support company Geek Squad, a subsidiary of Best Buy, is the latest company caught up in such a scam. Let’s take a look at how the scam works and how you can avoid becoming its next victim.

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Have You Been Targeted By Phishing Attacks? Chances Are You Have

Have You Been Targeted By Phishing Attacks? Chances Are You Have

Phishing attacks can be scary to deal with, especially since it is not unheard of for staff members to not even know they are looking at one. To make sure your staff can identify and respond to phishing attacks in an appropriate way, we’ve put together this short guide to help you along the way.

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Tips to Help You Identify a Phishing Message

Tips to Help You Identify a Phishing Message

We’ve all heard the horror stories of phishing messages—those messages where someone is trying to steal information from you, be it sensitive information or financial credentials. There are various telltale signs of phishing attacks that can be identified, if you know where to look. Let’s take a look at what the FTC claims are the best ways to identify a phishing message.

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Facebook Phishing Is a Real Problem

Facebook Phishing Is a Real Problem

Hackers have often used email to trick users into clicking on fraudulent links or to hand over important credentials through phishing scams, but these are usually blocked by an enterprise-level spam blocker. However, hackers have learned that there is indeed a way around these spam blockers, and it’s through popular social media websites.

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