Did you know that ransomware is estimated to be a billion-euro-per-year crime? Today, we’re exploring the cyber-attack known as phishing. No, not the sport of catching our majestic aquatic cousins of the land, I’m talking about the other kind. The sort of phishing that has become the easiest and cleanest way for cybercriminals to steal personal data like passwords and banking information. You’ve likely experienced this type of cyber-attack if you’ve ever received a suspicious email from someone impersonating a legitimate company like DHL, Microsoft or Dropbox, urging you to click a link in the email.

Hopefully you’ve never pushed that button and opened a can of Cyber-worms but for many recipients of this effective form of attack, it can be very hard to tell what is or isn’t genuine. And if you were to click that link, well, you could effectively be handing over your personal data to the criminals. With access to your private information, they can choose several ways to disrupt your day. From stealing passwords, to accessing your eBay and Amazon accounts or emptying your bank accounts and locking you out of your own accounts. They can even impersonate you to try to trap the next would-be victim. It’s scary stuff for sure! And it happens all the time. Luckily, there are companies out there that make it their business to offer solutions to thwart the criminals and protect consumers and businesses alike. At Sorrin IT, we offer PhishProtect. As well as protecting the user from the common gardener varieties of spam, it employs state-of-the-art techniques that go the extra mile in weeding out the cleverly crafted phishing emails. So let’s look at some common types of phishing attacks and how PhishProtect from Sorrin IT tackles them.

Spoofed & ‘Look-a-like’ Domains

Spoofing is when the domain part of the sender’s email address (the part after the @ symbol), looks like a legitimate company or someone you know when, in fact, the email is sent from a completely different random domain. This is especially tricky to spot on a phone as often only the sender’s name is shown rather than the underlying email address of the sender. PhishProtect won’t be fooled by this though so the spoofed email will never make it into your inbox. Domain look-a-likes is when an email sender appears to be from a legitimate company but, on closer inspection, the domain contains a slight variation in spelling that’s hard to spot at first glance.

Spear Phishing

Cool name but a devastating form of cyber-attack. Using similar techniques to those above, this type of email infiltration impersonates a sender known to the recipient. These could be fellow employees including their office extension numbers and email signatures that can all appear 100% legitimate. For example, the criminal could impersonate a company CEO and send a request to the Financial Controller for a bank transfer. The emails are crafted to sound genuine so there’s little reason to question the request – especially when everyone is busy and not paying full attention. Within a few minutes the cyber-criminal could be sitting on a small fortune.

Malware

This method is used to infiltrate companies where it can shut down entire networks with viruses, locking users out whilst having a free-for-all with their passwords and data. Typically, it’s used to access accounting information but virtually anything is on the table if they get in. It often starts with a single phishing email containing a link to a booby-trapped file or website. This is where the criminals really get clever. When this email initially hits your inbox – often in the middle of the night – the website it links to appears clean to your mail server and bypasses its default spam and virus filters. As far as they’re concerned, it’s a safe site with no suspicious content. However, a few hours later, having bypassed these initial defences, the hackers can switch out the clean content on the website for their malicious code – the trap is now set and is just waiting for the email recipient to login the next morning and click on the booby-trapped link.

How PhishProtect Defends you

PhishProtect is dedicated to stopping threats like these. As good as most spam filters are, they just can’t keep up with how quickly cyber-criminals evolve their approaches. In additional to multiple-engine spam filtering, domain name spoof protection and malicious attachment blocking, here are a some additional ways PhishProtect combat attacks:

Real Time Link Checking

When an email that contains links to external files or websites arrives at your mail server, PhishProtect automatically replaces the links with unique versions that point to the PhishProtect security servers before delivering to your mailbox. Now, when you click on the link, the PhishProtect server checks where the link is leading and makes sure its safe first before then allowing you to continue to the site. On the other hand, if the link is leading to a suspicious or known malware site, it notifies you of this and blocks access, thereby preventing any infection.

Smart Quarantine

If PhishProtect can’t determine an email’s legitimacy on first inspection it will put it in quarantine. It will then send a request to the sender asking for them to reply with a Captcha code. Genuine sources will follow the steps and reply thereby confirming the email was not sent by an automated bot (most spam is). PhishProtect then knows it’s from an authentic sender and will deliver the
email as normal. This goes a long way in rooting out the vast majority of malware without the user having to intervene at any stage.

Managed Service from Sorrin IT

Sorrin IT will take care of all the setup and manage this industry-leading service for you. It is all done at domain and mail server level so there are no changes needed on individual PCs or laptops. Business owners can be confident that their security interests are being met and the seamless operation of the solution means it’s hassle free too.

Final Thoughts

It’s currently reported that there are over 3 billion phishing attacks per day, 96% of which arrive through email. It’s a seemingly simple method but it’s working and cyber criminals are thriving where businesses are not putting the right data security protections in place. Sorrin IT’s ecosystem of products all work together in bolstering digital defences and PhishProtect is one such product. Seamless, user-friendly, and at the same price as a cup of coffee, PhishProtect from Sorrin IT is your answer to phishing attacks. Skip the coffee and get in touch with us today to find out more.

Contact

Or Call us on 045 940 050
Or email us at hello@sorrin.ie

Cyber criminals love themselves some data.

We live in a time where algorithms know us almost as well as our closest friends. And our identities can be translated into computer code.

It seems there’s a report of password leaks and data theft almost daily nowadays. The issue of security is greater now than ever before.

But protecting our data doesn’t need to be complicated or difficult.

Virtually every laptop or computer includes built-in encryption but the lack of central management (or if someone forgets to turn it on) makes it’s time consuming and impractical when managing multiple users and dozens of laptops, especially for businesses using remote workers.

Here’s the thing, without full disk encryption all of your data is at risk. So at risk in fact that I’ll share with you how easily this can be done.

Your Grandmother could steal what’s on your laptop.

It’s that easy to do.

So how can business protect their data, files and information?

Well, that’s what I want to highlight today.

Here’s a few reasons why ESET Endpoint Encryption from Sorrin IT is the leading product for protecting data and securing company devices.

1. If Grandma Steals It, You’ll Know

Not that she’d probably want to, I’m sure she has better things to do.

The point I’m making here is about the default encryption software built-in on Windows or Mac devices.

For Windows computers this is called BitLocker and for Mac, it’s FileVault. The thing is, until a user switches these encryption features on, your computer is in a decrypted state. So, if an undesirable were to steal your laptop from the office or the boot of your car, all they would need to do is this:

Unscrew the back, take out the hard drive, plug it in to a USB adaptor and voila!

They now have unfiltered access to your data, all of it.

By doing this, they can bypass all of your well thought out thirty-character passwords in an instant.

Now, if you head into the laptop settings and turn on your designated encryption software for Windows or Mac, it will encrypt the drive and make it unreadable. And whilst the stock encryption protection offered here works well, the main drawback is that there are no central management or recovery controls.

Each user would be responsible for their own device and/or an IT administrator would have to constantly monitor individual devices in person, on the physical computer or laptop.

It’s a hassle and mighty time-consuming. Especially for businesses that may have 20, 50 or even 100 computers and laptops either in the office or better yet, spread remotely across the country.

Enter, ESET Endpoint Encryption from Sorrin IT.

What this product offers is not only full disk encryption of a hard drive but it makes life easy for administrators with its single pane of glass cloud-based central console.

This means ESET EEE can be deployed, activated and encrypt devices in a matter of clicks at any time all from the console as well as tracking logins and other useful features.

2. Access On a Need To Know Basis

For those of us managing larger teams, ESET EEE from Sorrin IT is perfect for setting specific access for all of their departments.

Let’s say you have a Sales team, Middle Management and Senior Management.

You don’t necessarily want everybody having access to the same data or content.

Maybe there’s sensitive company data like accounts information that only the higher-ups are privy to or customer lead generation info that only the sales team needs.

With ESET Endpoint Encryption from Sorrin IT, you can control exactly who sees what.

This could be an email meant only for company directors or a set of images intended for the marketing department.

Whatever the case, ESET EEE allows the sender to encrypt individual files, folders or emails and they can only be opened or accessed by the intended recipient.

This feature is a step beyond full disk encryption and cannot be found in the stock encryption on Windows or Mac.

Further to this, a central control system makes it easy for administrators to tick encryption on or off and track device logins for extra security, all of which can be done remotely, out of office.

When employees depart the company it makes it easy to remove their access and when new starters come on board, licences can be added in an instant.

And for companies who have partially or fully switched over to remote working, with stock encryption there’s no way of knowing whether the laptop is secure or who is accessing company data.

In this scenario, monitoring encryption manually would be impossible and you run the unnecessary risk of data leakage or theft.

3. Compliance Is Compulsory

If you’re operating a business in Ireland or anywhere in the EU then you’ll need to be taking measures to stay compliant with regulations laid out by the European Parliament, Council and Commission.

We’re talking GDPR now.The General Data Protection Regulations that businesses must adhere to so that they comply with customer data laws.

IT solutions from Sorrin IT, like ESET Endpoint Encryption, give the right security for all of a company’s sensitive, private and personal data.

Irrespective of legislation, it’s peace of mind too.

There’s no sense in risking massive breaches of data and leaks when it can all be averted so easily.

Additionally, having high levels of encryption also means that in the event of a cyber attack, your business would not have to report the breach in the stipulated 72 hours and inform all of your customers.

This is because the encryption is so sophisticated and secure that the data cannot be read or interpreted, so it essentially doesn’t count as a “leak”.

Which is great for your business and even better for your customers.

Prepare For The Best, Plan For The Worst

If you’ve read this far then it’s a no-brainer as to how and why ESET

Endpoint Encryption from Sorrin IT is a fantastic product and offers unmatched peace of mind.

We’ve outlined just a few key benefits here but there’s a great deal more that is offered all of which serves to protect and secure your business’s needs.

And when Sorrin IT can offer this enhanced safety for as little as €45 per device, the typical cost of Antivirus software, the choice is clear.

Get in touch with Sorrin IT today to discuss your needs.

Contact

Or Call us on 045 940 050
Or Email at hello@sorrin.ie

Protecting business data from probing hacker attacks and harmful data leaks is essential for businesses across the globe.

After rigorous testing of multiple products, Sorrin IT recommends SonicWall
Firewall appliances for their robust features and top-drawer performance.

Sorrin IT work closely with trusted partners like SonicWall to deliver the very best in IT support and help to provide a safe, secure and cost-effective solution for small to medium size businesses.

Here are 5 ways a SonicWall firewall from Sorrin IT can protect your business:

1. Kicking Out Unwanted Guests

Simply put, a SonicWall firewall acts as a barrier between an internal business network, like an office, and the rest of the internet.

Without a firewall, there’s nothing standing in the way of cyber criminals trying to access your network or its data, both of which can be catastrophic in terms of data breaches, leaks or hacks. In today’s world, where data is king, this is a huge deal.

To keep unwanted visitors out when working remotely, a SonicWall firewall creates a secure private connection (virtual private network or VPN) between the user’s home network and the company network they are trying to
access.

This can then be switched on remotely by the users, using a company log-in, letting staff access their work systems and to share data within the network without the risk of someone listening in or attempting to steal it.

Basically, a strong firewall means only permitted users can access your network and it ensures that any and all data is kept safe and secure from being exploited.

2. Stopping Threats In Real-Time

Think of advanced firewalls like a police database, they have detailed information on file that helps them to identify criminals, like height, markings or age.
It’s a similar case with firewalls, they’re able to spot suspicious code and flag it for investigation.

Products like SonicWall go one step further; they monitor all incoming and outgoing traffic from a network to check it’s safe — when it detects something never-before-seen or suspicious, like embedded computer code in an email attachment, it blocks it from passing through the firewall and sends it away to be analysed in real-time at a security lab in the cloud. Only when it is determined to be safe, will it then be allowed through the firewall into the company network.

Once a new threat is identified by the SonicWall lab, it immediately informs all SonicWall firewalls around the globe to help stop any further attacks.

It’s incredibly sophisticated stuff but bottom line, advanced threats are handled swiftly without impacting the business and avoiding potentially massive damage both legally and financially.

3. Privacy Means Private

Expounding on the earlier point of “unwanted guests” the advanced features of firewalls such as SonicWall mean that businesses can be certain that communication within their network remains private. This is equally true both when physically at the office and when working remotely using the secure VPN connection.

This means everything that passes through the internal network is 100% private and cannot be viewed or intercepted by anyone outside of the network.

Certainly in Ireland, there’s a huge emphasis on GDPR (General Data Protection) compliancy, so appropriate measures have to be taken to ensure customer data is kept safe and not susceptible to leaks.

4. Maintaining It All Behind The Scenes

It’s all well and good finding some snazzy software and implementing it company-wide but when it comes to maintaining it, that’s where the real expertise comes in.

Even for the most technically gifted IT enthusiast, there’s a lot that needs to be done in order to keep your network working optimally and up-to-date.

With advances being made in cyber security at a seconds notice and viral threats being conjured almost as quickly, it pays to let dedicated pros like Sorrin IT handle all the techy stuff so you can focus on the daily operations.

Because products like SonicWall monitor and can adapt to threats in real- time, updates and patches can be created and deployed much faster than usual to give you the best chance of fending off sophisticated cyber attacks. All of which can be managed by Sorrin IT.

5. Low Investment, Priceless Peace of Mind

One thing all businesses have in common is their desire to operate smoothly and produce at maximum efficiency.

This is what you get when you work with Sorrin IT who’s primary mission is strengthen the backbone of a business operation by implementing leading- edge solutions coupled with expert support and ongoing maintenance.

For what is a relatively low investment in the beginning, the benefit implementing a SonicWall firewall solution becomes abundantly clear for business owners once they see how it improves the productivity of their work force while keeping their networks and data, safe and secure.

Final Thoughts

Much like having the right employees that meet the demands of your business it’s just as important to have the right products and services that compliment them too.

Most businesses rely heavily on having a stable and secure internet connection and the pitfalls for not having strong protection in place can be very costly indeed.

Get in touch with Sorrin IT to find out more about how your business could be improved today and protected against the threats of tomorrow: https://sorrin.ie/contact/

You might be thinking what on earth is a 3CX IP telephone solution, don’t
worry you’re in the right place.
Here we’ll explore what exactly a 3CX IP telephone solution is, how it works,
and why you should seriously consider investing in one.
Like all things worth knowing, let’s start at the beginning.

PBX, A Brief History

If we cast our minds back to the old PBX systems of yesteryear, we think
about those large stations with racks of hardware, chock full of phone lines
and a busy human operator both receiving and redirecting incoming calls.
Eventually human operators would be replaced by automated attendants
that could easily transfer calls to the appropriate extension, in a fraction of
the time.
In short, 3CX IP telephone solutions, like the one offered by Sorrin IT, are the
modern telephone systems of our era because they’re internet-based.
By switching to an internet-based telephone solution, we remove the need
for bundles of rage-inducing wires crossing paths, irate IT administrators
shuffling through crawlspaces and geographical limitations on where or who
we communicate with.

Communicating Clearly and Freely

Fast-forward to today’s rapidly evolving and increasingly demanding digital
age, businesses are being forced to keep up with current technologies or risk
falling behind.
Thankfully, there’s a host of talented folks out there who are determined to
make our lives easier through the development of sophisticated software.
All of the traditional features from the old PBX systems still exist but instead
of the cumbersome hardware from old, it’s been replaced it with agile
software that enhances the efficiency and mobility for organizations of all
sizes.
With the 3CX Telephone Solution from Sorrin IT, we’re referring to exactly
that.
An enterprise-style and feature rich solution that allows businesses to make,
receive and transfer calls from any location provided they have an internet
connection.
It works much in the same way as a Skype or WhatsApp audio call but to
any telephone number and uses your office’s caller ID.

What 3CX Could Do For You

With the “what” and the “how” explained, let’s look at the “why”.
We’ve touched on some of the benefits that the 3CX Telephone Solution
from Sorrin IT could provide your business but let’s dig a little deeper at
some key advantages:

1. Mobile Device Integration

With the 3CX Telephone Solution from Sorrin IT, users can install software
that allows users to make and receive calls using their office desk phone or
an app on their mobile phone.
By being mobile friendly it doesn’t matter whether you’re in or out of the
office, your calls can be managed anywhere at anytime.
For some businesses, they choose to scrap desk phones altogether and
instead opt for the app due to its inherent freedom and flexibility.
The 3CX app can also be installed on a desktop or laptop computer.

2. Feature-Rich Capabilities

Get the most of 3CX systems with useful features such as call queuing, ring
or hunt groups, auto-attendants and for when calls can’t be picked up, a
voicemail will be emailed directly to the user as a .WAV file.
All of these features can be delivered through IP phones, mobile devices or
softphones (a virtual phone that can be installed on an internet-ready
computer).
Everything a business needs in order to operate smoothly and seamlessly
can be leveraged through the 3CX Telephone Solution from Sorrin IT.

3. Pricing

A huge attraction for businesses looking to take on a 3CX telephone solution
is the absence of line-rental fees.
This is because all communications are made over the internet rather than
through traditional phone lines so when you choose Sorrin IT, you’ll also be
shedding the costly line-rental charges.
The calls themselves are still chargeable but hugely competitive rates still
make it the most cost-effective route plus, Sorrin IT’s annual licensing
subscription fee contains regular updates and security fixes as part of the
package.

4. Scalability

The 3CX Telephone Solution from Sorrin IT grows with you. So when new
users or features need to be added, it can be done at no additional cost and
without changing the terms of your contract.
Compare this to a traditional PBX system, where it can be incredibly costly
to add new users and massively time-consuming when relying on engineers
to physically visit the site, and also runs the risk of extending contracts.
With an online management system, these changes can be made quickly
with zero or minimal impact to the business.

5. Hands-Off and Hassle-Free

When it comes to business, one of the key factors for not making necessary
changes to their model is time (the other being cost). Or rather, lack of it.
With the 3CX Telephone Solution from Sorrin IT, your business can enjoy
everything we’ve talked about without having to sacrifice precious time.
Our team handles the entire process from installation, to configuring and
optimising the software, to providing ongoing maintenance for your 3CX
system.
Sorrin IT make the whole experience totally hassle-free.

6. Reliability and Flexibility

Since its inception in 2006, 3CX has seen global success and garnered over
a dozen awards for its industry-leading innovation and performance.
The ability to have unlimited extensions allows businesses limitless growth;
rich enterprise-style features help to simplify daily tasks and enhance staff
performance; and with the freedom to take your office on-the-move means
that companies can gain the edge over competitors.

Final Thoughts

In the rapidly evolving world of today, it’s paramount that companies stay
ahead of their competitors and acquire new technologies that keep them
relevant.
By having a robust, cost-effective and flexible communication platform in
place, such as the 3CX Telephone Solution from Sorrin IT, businesses can do
exactly that.
Think of it like any other facet of the business, if it’s not up to par with the
current market standard then you risk customers looking elsewhere.
Find out how Sorrin IT could help your business by speaking with an advisor
today.