Pensar IT Management » Security/Compliance

Fake emails from banks – What to do?

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:10:50 +0000

Here at Pensar we receive thousands of emails a day, many allegedly from banks. Maybe you are receiving one or two of such emails.

Our advice: because these are fake and ‘phishing’ attempts please not click or open any attachments – they invariably contain a virus or trojan. SIMPLY DELETE the email. If you have any banking queries, just contact your bank in the normal way – important thing being that you initiate the contact.

Here is an example:

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you are in doubt.

LinkedIn and Your Privacy

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:04:39 +0000

LinkedIn have very quietly introduced some new settings that potentially seriously affect your privacy and your ability to prevent unwanted emails (spam).

These new settings are defaulted ON and include allowing LinkedIn to use profile information, names and photos in third party advertising. Please see the links below for opting out.

To reach the hard-to-reach settings options the following URL’s should take you directly to them (cut and paste into your browser if they don’t work as live links)

Manage social advertising: https://www.linkedin.com/settings/?modal=nsettings-social-advertising&tab=account

Manage enhanced advertising: https://www.linkedin.com/settings/?modal=nsettings-enhanced-advertising&tab=account

Data sharing with third party applications: https://www.linkedin.com/settings/?modal=nsettings-data-sharing&tab=groups

Partner InMail: https://www.linkedin.com/settings/?modal=nsettings-partner-inmail&tab=email

You may wish to consider alerting your own contacts on LinkedIn.

ESET Anti Virus Offer: Get 15 months for the price of 12

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:00:45 +0000

Pensar’s preferred security vendor ESET has a great promotion on their business products.

ESET’s product lines are award winning and industry leading. They not only get rave technical reviews but are also extremely competitively priced. See http://www.eset.co.uk for more product details.

The offers are:

For 1 year new licence purchase – 3 months free licence extension
For 2 year new licence purchase – 6 months free licence extension
For 3 year new licence purchase – 9 months free licence extension

Valid for all new orders received and processed by 5pm on 31st January.

Please email @pensar.co.uk">eset@pensar.co.uk for a quote, or ask us for a technical comparison against your existing security product.

Mac Users – Watch out for Fake security software

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:33:00 +0000

A fake security program for Apple computers called MACDefender has racked up a significant number of victims.

The fake software looks like a legitimate program

Pensar has the solution for fixing this particular pest, but our advice, as ever, is to ensure you have up-to-date protection installed. See our earlier blog on this > http://www.pensar.co.uk/antivirus-for-mac-needed-or-not/400699

Antivirus for Mac: Needed or not?

admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:13:37 +0000

Is it possible for an Apple Mac to get a virus? The short answer to the question is “Yes”. However, the likelihood of a Mac user getting a virus when compared to a Windows user is very low. This is why many of the Mac users don’t (mistakenly) run an antivirus program.

Why don’t Apple Macs get as many viruses as Windows-based devices?
- Mac OS X is built on Unix, which is one most secure operating systems available.
- Windows is used by a lot more users. Because of that, it is a better target than Mac OS.
- Most virus writers are only familiar with Windows, and therefore only able to create a virus for that platform.
- Many of the tools and scripts used to help create viruses or other malware are designed for Windows.

HOWEVER: What most Mac users don’t understand is that a Mac can carry and transmit a virus, meaning that a virus could be stored on a Mac but not infect it. If that infected Mac were then to forward an infected email to a Windows user that computer could become infected. Imagine the reaction of that loyal client (or supplier or friend or family member) if you were found to be the transmitter of the virus that infects their system and renders it unusable.

That is why all Mac users should install antivirus protection.

It should also be noted that now that Mac OS X is gaining an increased share of the market, it is increasing its value as a potential platform for malware, and consequently those who write and distribute will inevitably give it a higher focus.

Pensar recommends ESET Antivirus for Mac OS X. Please email @pensar.co.uk">sales@pensar.co.uk for a quote.

PAT Testing for Small Businesses

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:20:24 +0000

Attention Small Business Owners!
As you may know Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is a legal requirement and all electrical appliances should be tested annually in order to comply with Health and Safety Regulations.
Pensar now offers competitively priced PAT Testing as part of its IT Support service portfolio. We can test your PCs, Macs, laptops, printers as well as all other electrical items. All devices will be labelled and recorded. Prices start from as low as 75p per device.
This service can be incorporated into a manged services agreement or handled as a separate annual project.
Please email @pensar.co.uk">pat.testing@pensar.co.uk or speak to Hiten Patel on 0845 402 6797 for more details and an estimate.

Pensar partners with ESET

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:18:27 +0000

Pensar is now partnered with leading security software company ESET – http://www.eset.co.uk.

ESET’s product lines are award winning and industry leading and Pensar is able to offer the whole range including Smart Security and NOD32 Antivirus. These products not only get rave technical reviews but are also extremely competitively priced.

Please email @pensar.co.uk">sales@pensar.co.uk for a quote, or ask us for a technical comparison against your existing security product.

Scam Warning – Supplier Details Update

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:04:49 +0000

There have been reports of businesses suffering substantial losses as a result of a very sophisticated fraud involving bogus requests for supplier bank details to be changed. The fraudsters contact businesses posing as an existing supplier and request that the business change the payment details for this supplier. If you change these payment details you can end up paying the fraudsters instead of your genuine supplier.

The fraudsters:
> use email addresses and telephone numbers that are similar to that of the genuine company
> may have previously called your company or the supplier to find out the contact name for payments and supplier numbers, so that the correct details appears on correspondence
> use director/company secretary signatures from the actual business which have been copied from annual reports

Please closely scrutinise request and make checks using the historic contact details of your suppliers. There are reports that this scam is targeting housing and construction related businesses, but all businesses should be vigilant.

ThinkGrid Partner Case Study

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:58:50 +0000

A growth area for Pensar is the provision of Hosted Services.

We needed a strong business partner to help deliver such Hosted Services to our client base. The services need to be reliable, secure yet reasonably priced and well supported.

Why did we choose to partner with ThinkGrid for this requirement? Read the Case Study here:

http://www.pensar.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ThinkGrid-Partner-Case-Study-Pensar.pdf

Should you have any queries about ThinkGrid services available through Pensar, please email @pensar.co.uk">thinkgrid@pensar.co.uk.