October Technology Briefings by Derek Brown

KRS TECH CHRONICLE

Insider Tips To Make Your Business Run Faster, Easier And More Profitably

SPOOKY SEASON!

I feel like I just wrote an article here saying that "SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!" And here I am already in my favorite season and time of the year! I must admit that October and Spooky Season is my all time favorite (sorry Christmas)

But speaking of spooky... Who does your Cyber Security Liability Insurance??

WHAT?!?! You don’t have any Cyber Security Liability Insurance?!?! Now that is truly spooooky!! All jokes aside, we are stunned at the amount of companies that do not have this affordable needed piece of business protection in 2024 KRS DOES NOT sell insurance, but we can tell you first-hand how many times we have seen it save a company from going bankrupt

Get in touch with us and we can point you in the right direction and see if you at least have the proper pieces in place to qualify for an affordable policy Email us at: info@krsit.com and put: Attention - Spooky Cyber Insurance, and we will take the terror out of this whole process that is giving many owners nightmares!!

6 SHOPPING SCAMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

Josiv Krstinovski, President and CEO of

KRS IT Consulting.

OUR MISSION:

To build a community of successminded entrepreneurs that inspires excellence, encourages collaboration and expands the capacity of all members to achieve great things.

It’sOctober,whichmeansthebiggest onlineshoppingdayoftheYEARis justweeksaway:CyberMonday. Unfortunately,it’salsoopenseasonfor cybercriminals.Becausepreparationisthe bestprevention,we’recoveringthesix mostcommonshoppingscamsthistime ofyearandhowtoavoidthem.

It’s Open Season For Shopping Scams

betweenNovember24and28compared toJanuary1throughNovember23.

Duetothehighvolumeofshopping activityduringtheholidayseason, cybercriminalsdon’thavetoworkhardto findpotentialvictims.Butit’snotsimply volumethatcontributestotherisein attacks;consumerstakemorerisksduring theholidayseason.AccordingtoNorton’s 2022CyberSafetyInsightsReport,nearly oneinthreeadults(32%)worldwide admittedtotakingmoreriskswithonline shoppingclosertotheholidays.Lastminuteshoppingpressureorexcitement aroundscoringbigdealsresultsin commonmistakes,includingclickingon unverifiedlinks,usingpublicWiFifor transactionsandignoringwebsitesecurity redflags.

continued on page 2... This monthly publication is provided courtesy of

Thankstocybercriminals,whatshouldbe aseasonoffestiveshoppingisnow dangerousforconsumers.Accordingto theFederalTradeCommission,shopping scamswerethesecond-worsttypeofscam intheUSin2023.Andonlinescamsare attheirworstduringtheholidays. AccordingtoTransUnion’s2022Global DigitalFraudTrendsreport,therewasa 127%increaseindailyfraudattempts

Cybercriminalsexpectshopperstomake mistakes,andtheyhavetried-and-truetactics forstealingyourmoney.Watchoutforthese sixscamsthatappearthistimeofyear,and protectyourselfthisholidayseason.

6 Common Scams During Black Friday And Cyber Monday And How To Avoid Them

Fake Coupons: Scammersdistribute fakecouponspromisingsteepdiscounts. Thesecouponsareoftensharedvia e-mail,socialmediaandfakewebsites designedtomimiclegitimateretailers. Remember:ifitfeelstoogoodtobetrue, itprobablyis.

How to avoid: Alwaysverifyacoupon bycheckingtheretailer’sofficialwebsite orapp,andavoidclickingonlinksin unsolicitede-mails.

Phony Websites: Tostealpersonal information,fakewebsitesmimic legitimateonlinestoresusingsimilar logos,brandingandURLsthatareonly slightlydifferentfromtheofficialsites.

How to avoid: Checkforsecurewebsite indicatorssuchasHTTPSandapadlock

iconintheaddressbar.Readreviewsand quicklysearchthewebsite’slegitimacy beforemakinganypurchases.Pay attentiontotheURLforanyunusual charactersormisspellings.

Fake Delivery And Nondelivery Scams: Scammerssendfakedelivery notificationsorclaimapackageis undeliverabletotrickyouintoproviding personalinformation.

How to avoid: Trackordersdirectly throughtheretailer’swebsiteorapp. Avoidclickingonlinksinsuspicious messages,andbecautiousofunsolicited deliverynotifications.

Fake “Order Issue” Scams: E-mails claimingaproblemwithyourorderand askingforpersonaldetailsarecommon. Thesemessagesoftenlooklikethey comefromwell-knownretailers.

How to avoid: Contactcustomerservice directlythroughtheretailer’sofficial channelstoverifyanyissues,andavoid providingpersonaldetailsthroughlinks inunsolicitedmessages.

Account Verification Scams: Scammerssende-mailsortextsasking youtoverifyyouraccountinformation. Thesemessagesoftenincludelinksto fakeloginpages.

Many of Our Fellow Followers Are Not Aware of Our Special Referral Offers We Have Going On

It’sabouttimeyouTREATYO’SELF,withnocosttoyouA

InviteyourBusinessPartnersorFriendstohaveafreeconsultationwithusto discusstheiruniquesituationandhowwecanhelpthem.Youcanalsorefer yourvendorstoafreeconsulttodiscusshowwecanpartnertogetherto offerservicesthatwedon’tofferandreferbusinesstoeachother.Allfree!

Now,whatwouldyougetinreturn?Let’stakealook... anoptiontohaveanentryofafullypaidgetawayvacation theoptiontoreceiveastate-of-the-art,$1,500PelotonBike theoptiontoreceiveanuptodateAppleiPad OR theoptiontoearn$300foreachfriendwhohasaconsultwithus,and becomeaclient!

How to avoid: Neverprovidepersonal detailsthroughlinksinunsolicited messages;instead,logindirectlytoyour accountthroughtheofficialwebsite.

Gift Card Scams: Scammersoffer discountedgiftcardsorrequestpayment viagiftcards.Oncethecardnumbersare provided,thescammerusesthebalance, leavingthevictimwithaworthlesscard.

How to avoid: Purchasegiftcards directlyfromreputableretailersand neverusethemasaformofpaymentto unknownindividuals.

Avoid Scams And Create A Safer Shopping Experience

Nothingwillkilltheholidayshoppingspirit like$1,000worthoffraudulentchargeson yourcreditcardorgiftsfromphonysitesthat neverarrive.Cybercriminalstakeadvantageof thefestiveshoppingrush,andconsumers’ tendencytotakemorerisksduringthistime onlyamplifiesthedanger.Byverifying sources,checkingwebsitesecurityand avoidingunsolicited links,youcan enjoyasafer shopping experience thisseason!

To Get Started And Get a Chance at These Great Opportunities Call Our Office At: 201.402.1900 Or Visit: www.krsitconsulting.com/referral-program

FormerprofessionalcyclistLanceArmstrong waswidelycelebratedforhisseven consecutiveTourdeFrancevictoriesfrom 1999to2005Acancersurvivorandelite athlete,hewasaherotomanyHowever,in theearlyandmid-2000s,hiscareerwas marredbyahighlypublicizeddopingscandal. TheUnitedStatesAnti-DopingAgency strippedArmstrongofhistitlesandbanned himfromprofessionalcyclingforlifeafter concludinghehadusedperformanceenhancingdrugsthroughouthiscareer.

Armstrong’spublicmistakecosthimover $100million,hiscareer,hisreputationand manyfriends.Buthechosenottocurlupin thefetalpositionandlosewhathestillhadleft: hiswellness,lifestyleandfamilyHeembraced hismistake,eventuallyrebuildinghis professionalandpersonallifeToday, Armstrongisanentrepreneur,philanthropist, podcaster,authorandspeakerwhoisopen aboutwhatittooktogofromherotozeroto humanAtarecentindustryconference, Armstrongspoketoentrepreneursabouthow hesurvivedhisdownfallandrebuiltacareer andlifehe’sproudof.

Choose An Authentic Path Forward

Afterbeingbannedfromprofessionalcycling, losingendorsementsandmanypersonal relationships,Armstrongfelthehadthree choices:liedownandgiveintothesuffering, retainsomeofhisendorsementsbybecoming thefaceofanti-dopingcampaignsortryto rebuildonhisownHechosethelatter“Antidopingwasn’tmylife’swork,anditneverwill be,soIchoseamorerenegadepath,”he explains.“Ittooklonger,butIwalkmypath everyday,I’mgladIchosethepathIdid.”

Armstrongfocusedonhispassionfor investing,includingearly-stageinvestmentsin companieslikeUberandDocuSign,which eventuallypaidoffinspades.

Authenticityinhispersonallifewasessential, too“Wealllivetheseinterestinglives,andit’s justabigcanvasAttheendoftheday,weget tolookatthepaintingandsay,‘Whatdoyou think?Howareyou,Lance,asafriend?How areyouasafather?Howareyouasa husband?’”hesaysWorkingonbeingagood father,partnerandfriendkepthimfocusedon hispathforward.

Maintain Wellness

Despitetheupheaval,Armstrongmaintained importantroutineslikecyclingand swimming,andmaintainedtherhythmof stayinghealthyandfocused.Still,the experiencewastraumatic“Ihadtodoalot ofworktoremedythat,”heexplains“I’m talkingdeepwork,tryingtounderstand earlylife,earlycareer,thedownfall,where wegofromhere….I’vedevotedatonoftime onthat”

Lean On Your People

Afterhehadadmittedhismistake,Armstrong losthalfhisfriendsandworkingrelationships. Still,closefriendsandfamilyremained“As muchasthatsucks,youseethesefolkswho arelike,‘I’mhererightnow.Nowwego. Nowwerebuild,’”Armstrongrecalls.“Ithink that’sthemostimportantthing:ifthereare everanyheadwindsworkingagainstyou,that teamoffolksaroundyouhastobetheright team.Peopleareeverything.”

The Ring Video Doorbell Camera

Is it a trick-or-treater or your annoying neighbor? Find out with a Ring doorbell camera The Ring Video Doorbell Cam offers crisp 1080p HD video, enhanced motion detection and night vision It’s easily set up with its rechargeable battery or existing doorbell wires and lets you see hear and speak to visitors via yo trickPair w hands conve enjoy mind Ring P Plan, w recor stores video have f festiv

NEW TRIMBLE AUTO BODY

We wanted to shout out a phenomnal event that KRS IT attended this September, hosted by a good friend and client, Ivo Rodriguez, from New Trimble Auto Body. This was a 9/11 event where Americans remembered a tragic day in our country's history. Trimble Auto Body’s special event donated 3 cars to 2 combat veterans and to an organization, who assist the elderly getting to their medical appointments. Much respect to Ivo for organizing all this, and inviting us to attend for such a great cause. For all your auto body needs, reach out to Trimble Auto Body, in Clifton, NJ.

LIGHTS OUT FOR BUSINE

Resiliency Amid Internet Outages

No longer just an anti-alien tool, what product did rapper M.I.A. launch in her new company, Ohmni?

A. Pocket-Size Laser

B. Magnetic Tent

C. Tin Foil Hat

D. Bluetooth Sound Wave Generator

THE PUMPKIN PLAN

By Mike Michalowicz

The Pumpkin Plan, by Mike Michalowicz, is a must-read for smallbusiness leaders wanting to carve out a niche and grow their business effectively, especially during the bustling holiday season Michalowicz presents a straightforward, actionable strategy to cultivate a remarkable business by focusing on top clients and eliminating unprofitable ones. The book is filled with practical advice and real-world examples, making complex business concepts easy to understand and implement. His engaging storytelling and clear, step-by-step approach provide a refreshing take on business growth This book is a valuable resource for any small-business owner looking to streamline operations, maximize profits and achieve sustainable success

Businessesareincreasinglyrelianton theInternet.CRMplatforms,virtual meetingapps,onlinesales,POS systemsandevenofficeprinters requiretheInternetsoyoucando everythingyouneedtodeliverhighqualityproductsandservicestoyour customers.However,Catchpoint’s 2024InternetResilienceReport statesthat43%ofbusinesses estimatedtheylost“morethan$1 millionduetoInternetoutagesor degradationsinthemonthpriorto thesurvey.”

It’stemptingtoblametheInternet providerwhentheInternetgoesout. Unfortunately,outageshappen. Pointingfingersatvendorswon’t changethat.Instead,thesolution mustcomefromwithin.

What’s Going On With Internet Connectivity

InJuly,aglobalInternetoutageforcedmillions ofcomputersoffline,includingatmajorairlines, banksandhospitals.Therootcauseofthe disruptionwasasinglesoftwareupdatedeployed bycybersecurityfirmCrowdStrike.

CybersecurityreporterBrianKrebsfamously describedtheInternetas“heldtogetherwith spitandbalingwire.”It’seasytoforgetthatthe Internet,likeothertech,isevolvingand complex.Itconnectscountlesssystemsand devicesglobally,creatingawebof dependencies.Adisruptioninonepartofthe networkcanripplethroughandaffectother systems,asseenwiththeCrowdStrikeupdate. Internetoutagescanhaveseriousfinancialand securityconsequences,sopreparingforan outageiscrucial.

Resilience Comes From Within

Afteranoutage,youmaybetemptedtofire

yourserviceprovider.However,CatchpointCEO andco-founderMehdiDaoudiexplainedinan interviewwithTechBrewthatit’snotagood solution(unlesstheyproveunreliable).Daoudisaid thatafteranoutage,it’sbettertoworkwithyour vendorstofigureoutwhatwentwrongandhowto bebetterprepared.Somecompanieshavehired chiefresilienceofficers,butthetitledoesn’tmatter asmuchashavingaleaderinyourcompanywho spendstimethinkingaboutresiliency.

“It’simportantthatcompaniesembraceresiliency andreliability.How?Byencouragingthelearning fromfailures,bynotfiring,”DaouditoldTech Brew.“Whatdidwelearnfromthisoutage? Whatcanwedotostrengthenourpostures goingforward?”

TheInternetiscomplex,andoutageshappen.To safeguardagainsttheinevitable,businessesmust cultivateresilienceinternallyandproactively collaboratewithInternetvendorstoavoid damagingconsequences.

HAUNTED SMARTWATCHES

It’sHalloween,andAppleWatchusersaregetting abitofascare.“Ghostly”taps,swipesandcallsare happeningonsmartwatcheswithoutphysical touch.It’seithertheirlategreat-grannytryingto sayhellofromtheafterlife,or…it’saglitch.Apple isleaningtowardthelatter. MacRumors sharedan internalmemostating,“Somecustomersmay reporttheirAppleWatchSeries9orAppleWatch Ultra2isexperiencingfalsetouchesontheir

display.”Sometimes, thesephantom activitiespreventusers fromenteringtheir passcode.Ifyou experience“ghost” glitchesonyoursmartwatch,Applerecommends restartingyourdeviceandkeepingyoursoftware up-to-date.