May 19th, 2025 by admin
Businesses of all sizes rely heavily on technology and data to operate efficiently. However, with this reliance comes the ever-present risk of data loss, system failures, and unforeseen disasters. That's why implementing a robust business continuity...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
May 4th, 2025 by admin
One of the most notorious and misunderstood corners of the internet is the Dark Web. As a leading Managed Technology Service Provider (MTSP), ATS Communications is committed to educating our clients about potential risks and empowering them with the...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
April 1st, 2025 by admin
One of the most crucial components of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is access control. At ATS Communications, we understand the pivotal role that effective access control plays in safeguarding your organization against unauthorized access...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
February 3rd, 2025 by admin
Cybersecurity threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace. While businesses invest heavily in technological defenses, there's one critical aspect that often goes overlooked: the human factor. Your employees are both your greatest asset and your most...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
January 2nd, 2025 by admin
Email has become the backbone of business communication; however, with the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, it's more critical than ever to ensure your email communications are secure and free from spam, viruses, and other malicious content....
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
December 16th, 2024 by admin
At ATS, we understand that cybersecurity is one of the most critical concerns for businesses today. With the increasing sophistication of cyber threats and the constantly evolving tactics used by hackers, it's more important than ever to have robust...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
December 2nd, 2024 by admin
In the digital age, passwords are the gatekeepers to our online lives, protecting everything from email accounts and social media profiles to banking and e-commerce transactions. However, with the proliferation of cyber threats, managing passwords securely...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
November 1st, 2024 by admin
In today's digital age, data is the lifeblood of any business. It contains everything from customer information and financial records to proprietary research and trade secrets. Without access to this vital data, a company can quickly grind to a halt....
Posted in: Security, Solutions, Cyber Security
October 1st, 2024 by admin
In our hyper-connected digital era, usernames and passwords serve as virtual keys, granting access to a company's most critical applications, online services, and sensitive data. However, these digital credentials are incredibly valuable commodities...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
July 16th, 2024 by admin
At ATS, we understand that access control is a security discipline that governs the management of permissions and restrictions on accessing resources and information systems. It determines who or what can view, use, or modify resources based...
Posted in: Security, Infrastructure and Cabling
July 1st, 2024 by admin
In today's digital age, cybersecurity has become a paramount concern for organizations of all sizes. With the ever-increasing sophistication of cyber threats, it is crucial to recognize that employees are often the weakest link in an organization's...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security, Consultation
June 3rd, 2024 by admin
In today's fast-paced business environment, ensuring the safety and efficiency of operations is paramount. Video surveillance has emerged as a powerful tool that not only enhances security but also offers a multitude of benefits that can streamline...
Posted in: Security, Infrastructure and Cabling
May 20th, 2024 by admin
In the digital era, cybersecurity has become a paramount concern for businesses of all sizes. As companies increasingly rely on technology and online systems, the risks posed by malware and phishing attacks have escalated. These cyber threats can...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
May 3rd, 2024 by admin
In today's digital age, data security is more important than ever for businesses of all sizes. With cyber threats on the rise and the potential for catastrophic data breaches looming, it's crucial that companies take proactive steps to protect their...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
March 1st, 2024 by admin
Businesses face constant threats from cybercriminals lurking in the shadows on the internet. Among the most significant threats is the dark web, a clandestine corner of the internet where illegal activities thrive. It's imperative to stay ahead...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security
September 18th, 2023 by admin
Let's get real for a moment. Your office space, physically or virtually, is a hive of buzzing interactions, much like a forest teeming with life. However, what's invisible, yet omnipresent, is the undercurrent of network activity that sustains...
Posted in: Security, Cyber Security, Consultation
May 23rd, 2023 by admin
Email filtering is a process used to detect, block or divert emails that contain malicious content, fraudulent material, or spam. It is designed to help protect organizations from email-borne threats and ensure the security of their networks and systems....
Posted in: Security
April 25th, 2023 by admin
Video surveillance solutions for businesses are used to monitor and protect facilities, employees, inventory, the public, and much more. These systems provide a variety of features, such as motion detection, facial recognition,...
Posted in: Security
December 16th, 2022 by admin
Antivirus and email filtering are important tools in keeping your computer safe from malicious activity. By regularly performing security scans and monitoring incoming emails, these programs can help protect you from online threats such as viruses,...
Posted in: Security
October 11th, 2022 by admin
Do you think your password is secure? Everyone has their favorite password, which they tend to use everywhere. However, smart people know they shouldn't use something that can be guessed easily, such as 'password' or '12345'; however, once you start...
Posted in: Security
August 3rd, 2022 by admin
Hackers are a growing concern for most businesses. In order to protect against them, it is important to understand what they do and how they do it. While the term hacker may be new, hacking has been around for centuries. Because cyber security is...
Posted in: Security
December 31st, 2020 by admin
Many companies have made the switch to remote working this year due to the pandemic, doing their best to adapt to changing work culture. However, the struggle doesn't end with just establishing your remote operations. Now that you've reacted, it's...
Posted in: Cloud Solutions, Services, Security, Solutions
June 30th, 2020 by admin
As the mandates for isolation and closure are slowly lifting, many business are finding themselves presented with a new challenge. What do they do with their newly founded remote workforces? While some choose to transition them back into the office...
June 9th, 2020 by admin
With businesses moving to a remote workforce, they face different challenges that they didn't deal with before. One of those challenges is how to keep your network secure while operating under a remote model. Here are some recommendations to ensure...
April 21st, 2020 by admin
Hackers will often look to exploit any weakness they can find, whether it is through technological means or through human curiosity and concern. With the rapid rise of COVID-19 across the globe, hackers are ramping up their phishing attack efforts....
Posted in: Security
March 30th, 2020 by admin
ATS has collected tips and actual client experiences & lessons about how to stay productive, cyber-safe, and get the fastest service from us right now. What's Happening Right Now The support load continues to be heavy. Some clients did not shelter...
March 4th, 2020 by admin
Your business's IT security is critical to its well-being and success. Your company likely stores copious amounts of sensitive data about your finances and your customers' information. Keeping this information protected is critical, and that's...
January 16th, 2020 by admin
Protecting your data networks is one of the most important things your company can do. At ATS, our experience and expertise enable us to bring the most innovative cybersecurity solutions to the table. There are numerous types of cyberattacks,...
January 9th, 2020 by admin
Network security is a hot topic nowadays, and rightfully so. Protecting your data networks from hackers is one of the most important things your business needs to do. But, has your company taken the necessary steps to protect its physical location,...
November 21st, 2019 by admin
As cyber-attacks continue to intensify, businesses are having a hard time finding skilled cybersecurity workers to protect their operations. The cybersecurity industry has taken a significant hit with the labor shortage causing many companies to fall...
Posted in: Managed IT Services, Support, Services, Security, Solutions
July 14th, 2019 by admin
It is common for companies to underestimate their security risks and think that specific attacks could never happen to their business until it happens. While it is always essential to stay prepared no matter the likelihood of an attack,...
June 18th, 2019 by admin
Independent market researcher Vanson Bourne surveyed 850 respondents in small- and medium-sized businesses across the globe about cybersecurity. The findings illustrate the perception of their current state of security, versus the reality of the cyber...
Posted in: Security
May 25th, 2019 by admin
Phishing attacks occur when communication that appears to be reputable is fraudulent. These sorts of scams are made to extract personal and sensitive information from victims such as social security numbers, addresses, bank information, and more. People...
Posted in: Security
May 9th, 2019 by admin
Throughout 2018 data breaches were a typical story from corporations of every size. The stories either tell of a breach that happened during the year or they're about ones that occurred years ago. Those common press releases about how their client's...
January 29th, 2019 by admin
Your business needs a dependable and robust cybersecurity solution, plain and simple. As technology continues to advance and new threats are coming to the forefront, it is essential to have the proper security and management behind you to ensure...
Posted in: Security
November 15th, 2018 by admin
Security for your business is crucial. Everyone knows that, but settling for any old security system won't give you the protection you need against modern-day cybercriminals stealing sensitive data and monitoring operations. ATS offers great network...
Posted in: Security
August 10th, 2018 by admin
As technology gets more advanced, so do the bad guys. That’s why at ATS we make your network security our priority and help you avoid disruptions to your operations! From ransomware to the dark web and all the email scams in-between, criminals...
Posted in: Security
July 10th, 2018 by admin
Running automatic updates for applications and operating systems helps protect your company's digital devices, but those updates can harm productivity if not well managed. Unpatched software is the single biggest security risk in the workplace, so it's...
June 20th, 2018 by admin
Businesses have more to worry about than ever when it comes to dealing with new forms of cyber-attacks. The shift to a BYOD workplace adds even more challenges to protecting your digital assets. While hardware and software solutions continue to improve...
May 21st, 2018 by admin
To understand why some industries are targeted in cyber attacks more often than others, it's important to understand what drives hackers and what makes a target appealing. Of the two, hackers are easier to understand: According to a Verizon data security...
Posted in: Security
May 14th, 2018 by admin
Technology improvements have made it easy for employees to get work done on their personal devices from anywhere. However, that freedom comes with additional security risks and requires extra diligence to keep data secure. Safeguarding information is...
Posted in: Security
May 3rd, 2018 by admin
Often, businesses don't prepare for email disasters until after one has hit. But while email may comprise just a small part of a company's day-to-day operation, an email disaster can have a staggering impact on your business. The 2016 Democratic National...
April 3rd, 2018 by admin
While there's plenty of technology available to keep your business's data protected, the human element is still the most important piece to consider in safeguarding your company's data. Properly training employees to understand and implement data security...
Posted in: Security
March 29th, 2018 by admin
Cyberattacks are a major security concern for any business that uses the Internet. Even if your company doesn't have a website, hackers can go after your email address and business service accounts. Though they represent one of the more severe risks of...
Posted in: Security
March 26th, 2018 by admin
While all employees need to be mindful of security, the nature of C-level executives makes them more attractive targets for hackers. That means it's necessary for them to take greater precautions. According to TechRepublic, C-level executives are more...
Posted in: Security
March 13th, 2018 by admin
The Mirai botnet refers to a massive-scale network of Linux-running Internet of Things devices turned into remote-controlled bots through a malware infection. Hackers can use the network to run a distributed denial of service, or DDoS, by having the infected...
Posted in: Security
February 12th, 2018 by admin
At the end of 2017, the world learned about Spectre and Meltdown: two far-reaching security threats that exploit how CPUs work to expose protected information on nearly every recent PC, server and smartphone. Hackers can use these exploits to do things...
Posted in: Security
February 8th, 2018 by admin
A cyberattack crisis management plan is your business's best defense for minimizing cyberattack damage after technology-based preventative measures have failed. Unfortunately for most businesses, cyberattacks are not a matter of if, but a matter of when....
Posted in: Security
January 29th, 2018 by admin
Financial services companies should embrace a healthy dose of caution when implementing new fintech in their business. Fintech, or any technological innovation in the financial sector, is not inherently more or less secure than any other new technology,...
Posted in: Security
January 16th, 2018 by admin
Hot off the tail of the massive 2017 Equifax breach that exposed personal information of 143 million customers, businesses are on high alert concerning IT security in 2018. While the IT security industry has been successful in mitigating and cracking...
Posted in: Security
December 28th, 2017 by admin
Avoid costly data security breaches by training your staff to check for secure connections when handling private information on the Internet. Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, or HTTPS, is a technology legal, healthcare, and financial businesses use...
October 24th, 2017 by admin
A new spear phishing technique, being used in a hacking campaign called FreeMilk, takes advantage of a Microsoft Office vulnerability in order to hijack existing email conversations to spread malware to high-profile targets. This new technique phishing...
Posted in: Security
October 17th, 2017 by admin
So far, 2017 has been an eventful year for increasing access to password-alternative smartphone and laptop unlocking techniques. Notably, Samsung added Face unlocking to the Galaxy S8 line and Apple introduced Face ID on the iPhone X. Of particular note,...
Posted in: Security
October 3rd, 2017 by admin
The 2017 Equifax hack is teaching a painful lesson about the necessity of businesses keeping up with software patches for IT security and to avoid catastrophic damage. The hack, which resulted in potentially exposing the financial information necessary...
Posted in: Security
September 26th, 2017 by admin
With proper planning, your business can take advantage of USB flash drive technology to increase productivity, while eliminating most of the medium's inherent risk. The USB flash drives likely lying around your business offer excellent opportunities to...
August 29th, 2017 by admin
Adobe Flash, the web content standard the Internet loves to hate, will soon meet its ultimate demise: Adobe will finish phasing out the platform in 2020. Flash, first introduced in the early 2000s, has been on a gradual decline for almost as long as it...
August 15th, 2017 by admin
According to a 2017 published study by Advisen and Experian, one of the biggest threats facing small businesses comes from within, such as overconfidence in the organization's ability to protect itself and recover from cyber security attacks. While businesses...
Posted in: Managed IT Services, Security
August 8th, 2017 by admin
Ransomware, a type of malware that holds a computer hostage and tries to force the victim to pay money to recover access, is a nightmare for any business, but the healthcare industry faces the more severe side of a ransomware attack. The healthcare industry...
Posted in: Managed IT Services, Security
August 1st, 2017 by admin
Hijacked accounts are an IT security nightmare, so it makes sense for your company to look at new technology for better ways to keep your digital assets safe. While security professionals are working out new ways to look at what account credentials are,...
Posted in: Managed IT Services, Security
July 25th, 2017 by admin
In June 2017, WikiLeaks released secret documents that exposed the tools the CIA uses to infiltrate public and private networks through routers. These documents have shined a light on how easy it is for someone to hack a router. This begs the question,...
Posted in: Managed IT Services, Security
July 11th, 2017 by admin
If your business is using 2-factor authentication or 2FA, methods to secure your important accounts, you may need to investigate better ways to implement the practice. Security experts widely recommend using 2FA, a system which utilizes a second security...
June 27th, 2017 by admin
Getting caught off-guard in a cyber security attack is a disaster for any business, large or small—and the frequency of attacks is only getting worse. According to the CyberEdge 2017 Cyberthreat Defense Report, hackers successfully compromised...
May 19th, 2017 by admin
As you may have already heard, there was a major ransomware attack across the globe recently. On May 12th, WannaCry/WCry 2.0 infected thousands of computers, taking the user's data hostage and demanding bitcoins to release it. We can't know how many...
April 26th, 2017 by admin
Email and social media accounts provide a wealth of cyber security challenges for businesses. Hackers often look for exploits in account operations to steal information and seize control—both of which can be extremely damaging and difficult to combat....
Posted in: Security
March 27th, 2017 by admin
We’ve been noticing an alarming trend regarding cyber security. Actually, more so a lack of security. One of the best practices on the frontline of security is your password. Unfortunately, this is an area that a lot of people will gloss over, often relying...
March 14th, 2017 by admin
The malware infection, discovered in late January, that's been hiding out on Mac and Linux devices for more than two years doesn't mean the security floodgates are open, but it is a reminder that these devices aren't invincible. Apple is calling this...
Posted in: Security
January 27th, 2017 by admin
There's been a lot of talk lately about data protection, hackers, best practices for emails and storage - we can understand if you're a bit worried about your business. Much of our work these days runs through networks and servers. Is your business taking...
January 24th, 2017 by admin
Unlike most IT security threats, phishing scams attack the human element instead of the machine element. Phishing scams try to bait a person into exposing confidential information by posing as a legitimate, reputable source, typically by email or phone....
December 21st, 2016 by admin
Phishing attacks are a dangerous and devastating method hackers use to steal personal information and accounts—primarily by striking the user instead of the machine. According to the APWG Phishing Activity Trends Report, the first quarter of 2016 saw...
Posted in: Managed IT Services, Security
December 7th, 2016 by admin
If your company’s antivirus software is letting you down, you should think twice before installing a second one on a computer: It may actually make things worse. Multiple antivirus programs working in conjunction on the same device is not a case of...
Posted in: Security
November 23rd, 2016 by admin
In September 2016, half a billion Yahoo account users received the bad news that their names, email addresses, phone numbers, and security questions were potentially stolen in a 2014 hack. According to CNET, the Yahoo hack is the largest data breach...
Posted in: Security
November 1st, 2016 by admin
As you probably know already, the United States experienced its largest Internet blackout in history on October 21, 2016, when Dyn—a service that handles website domain name routing—got hit with a massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack...
September 13th, 2016 by admin
Make sure your staff and business is protected from crime with our video surveillance systems. Our surveillance systems are beneficial to any size business. With detail that surpasses analog cameras, you are able to capture events in your office or at...
Posted in: Security
July 7th, 2016 by admin
It's a fair bet that one of your employees has already shown off a trendy new wearable gadget around the office. What began with Bluetooth earpieces would branch off into smartwatches, smart glasses, wrist-worn fitness trackers, and even smart clothing...
Posted in: Managed IT Services, Security, Knowledge
June 29th, 2016 by admin
Readers of our blog over the past few years know we were among the first in the Bay Area to warn our customers about the growing threats of ransomware—from the emergence of CryptoLocker and CryptoWall to our federal government's startling admission...
June 14th, 2016 by admin
A WISP is one of the most important documents for any company doing business over the Internet—which, in this day and age, is pretty much everybody. Who's responsible for drafting and maintaining your company's WISP? Or are you even sure what a WISP...
June 1st, 2016 by admin
Being the cyber-security geeks we are, we took great interest in combing through this year's California Data Breach Report, released by the Attorney General's office this past February. The report tabulates data collected from breach incidents which...
May 11th, 2016 by admin
Smartphone users can be broken down into two camps: those who can't live without lining up to buy the latest and greatest model the day it hits the stores, and those who hold on to their tried-and-true phone until it suddenly dies one morning. There's...
May 3rd, 2016 by admin
Today we'd like to pass along a critical security advisory to all our customers: If any of your company's Windows systems still retain Apple's QuickTime for Windows software, uninstall it immediately—as soon as you finish reading this post (if not...
April 19th, 2016 by admin
If you've been a regular reader of our blog, you know we've spent plenty of time discussing phishing, malware, and other cybercrime. It's all part of our modern online world, and we know it will never really go away. We've talked about the tricks scammers...
Posted in: Security
April 12th, 2016 by admin
Protecting vital business information is a priority of any business. ATS can help ensure that your network, users, and data are protected from continually evolving threats. A firewall is often installed in a specially designated computer separate from...
Posted in: Security
April 12th, 2016 by admin
A couple months back, we touched on the story of our normally tech-savvy friend who got tricked into allowing his desktop PC to be infected with obvious malware. At first, he had the sickening feeling that comes with a virus-infected computer—but thanks...
Posted in: Security
April 7th, 2016 by admin
We're only a few months into 2016, but we've already seen two high-profile ransomware attacks—where cyber-crooks heavily encrypt a victim's computer files before demanding payment for a decryption key only they can provide. Two notable incidents grabbed...
March 30th, 2016 by admin
If you think there's a new cyber-threat to worry about every week, you're probably right. The latest vulnerability to send shockwaves through the enterprise security community has been given a rather ominous acronym: DROWN, short for Decrypting RSA...
March 23rd, 2016 by admin
Since Apple famously introduced the Macintosh over three decades ago, Mac users have been confident that their computers are virtually immune to ransomware and other malware threats which plague their Windows counterparts. But those days are over. ...
March 15th, 2016 by admin
Hackers can take advantage of a newer technology prevalent throughout your business to break into your network and compromise security: Internet of Things devices. Your business may have never considered that the handy new Smart Thermostats throughout...
Posted in: Security
March 8th, 2016 by admin
February's big story in the tech world was the conflict between Apple and the FBI over the creation of a "backdoor" to retrieve encrypted data on iPhones. The government is looking for any clue as to what—or, more specifically, who—motivated Syed Farook,...
Posted in: Security
January 29th, 2016 by admin
At ATS, protecting your business’s valuable information is a top priority. With the help of our industry-leading partners, we deliver high performance network security solutions that help you protect your network, users and data from continually evolving...
January 5th, 2016 by admin
What is the current state of your company's IT security training program—if you have one? Many companies settle for an annual group training session to broadly review the major types of cyber-threats—viruses, malware, and phishing. The problem with...
Posted in: Security
December 11th, 2015 by admin
Video Surveillance does so much more than just protect your business and inventory, it also protects your employees and enforces safe work conditions. ATS's video surveillance solutions benefit businesses of every size by providing HD cameras, mobile...
Posted in: Security
July 15th, 2015 by admin
While video surveillance does help to protect your business from crime, that is not all it does. It also... Protects your staff in case of customer disputes Enforces safe work conditions allows you to see whether procedures and protocols are being...
Posted in: Security
November 15th, 2013 by admin
CryptoLocker CryptoLocker is a new, and particularly malicious, breed of ransomware discovered only a couple months ago. CryptoLocker is a Trojan horse malware that encrypts and restricts access to the infected computer while demanding payment for...