With every new year come new inventions and discoveries, new risks and areas of opportunities. As even the most private and sensitive areas of our business and personal lives become digitized, new cybersecurity and IT threats arise. IT expert Chris Albright of CMIT Solutions of Centreville considers ransomware, IoT hacking, machine learning, and insufficient IT and cybersecurity to be the largest IT threats of 2018.
Ransomware
Globally, ransomware attacks grew by 56 percent in 2017, with the WannaCry attack being the largest of all time. Ransomware includes any kind of cyberattack in which a business or individual is required to pay a monetary fee in order to regain full access of their computer, breached data or Cloud. There is currently no way around regaining access without paying the ransom — and no guarantee that if you pay, the breached data won’t be compromised once paid. Most ransomware attacks are automated, so it is rare that you currently or will ever be able to determine who is behind your data or computer breach. Payments are often a few hundred dollars paid via cryptocurrency which is extremely difficult to track.
IoT Hacking
There are many personal and professional benefits to creating an in-house Internet of Things (IoT). As convenient as your smart devices or custom network may be, each come with unique IT risks. This goes beyond standard mobile devices to IoT hacks for pacemakers, defibrillators, heart monitors, video cameras and any internet-connected electronic device. This also includes the increased risk for hacking into home or office automation features.
Machine Learning
Intelligent chatbots and machine learning algorithms that get smarter with each interaction create a whole new set of IT threats. This includes the in-depth personal and business data gathered by the artificial intelligence (AI) we implement to boost productivity. For example, Amazon Echo, Siri or Google Assistant can now help us complete a long and growing list of virtual tasks. While AI can be used for a variety of legitimate and productive purposes, it can also be used to help hackers learn how to improve their hacking techniques. On the flipside, AI will be simultaneously used to detect bad bots, malicious AI and machine learning.
Insufficient IT and Cybersecurity
Training, education and a proactive IT and cybersecurity plan is the best way to minimize internal and external risk factors. Unfortunately, few families have an IT plan in place, and businesses with an IT security plan often fail to update the plan with the frequency required to remain secure. With the number of bring your own (BYO) devices, shared devices, internet-connected gadgets and IT threats evolving at a rapid place, it is essential that everyone have an IT plan in place. This includes everything from secure hosting, network security, mobile device management, data and Cloud security, in-house IT policies and procedures, and managed IT services.
The threats above are far from the only IT security concerns you should have your eye on but are some of the greatest IT threats of 2018.
CMIT Solutions of Centreville provides a strategic approach to IT consulting that improves the performance of your business technology in the most cost-effective way possible. Assisting businesses across Northern Virginia, CMIT Centreville can help you achieve the fastest return on your technology investment. Call 703-881-7738 today to see how CMIT Centreville can help your business stay in business.
Starting Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, we will introduce our premium content tier. I hope you will choose to become a member!
Here, our best and most informative work to cover our community -- from local government to new and fun things to do with your friends and family -- will be featured in our premium content tier.
Gaining access to our premium content tier is easy, and it's priced at a great value: $6 a month, or save 10% and pay up front at just $65 a year.
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“No one likes to be given bad news, and a diagnosis of dementia is devastating. How wonderful it would be though if the bad news and negative language stopped at that point.”
So begins a short article by Wendy Mitchell, who is living with dementia. Wendy says the manner in which care providers communicate can have a profound effect on a patient’s ability to cope with a chronic medical condition.
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At FreshySites, we’re dedicated to taking our clients’ online presence to the next level through the creation of beautiful, clean and user-friendly websites.
In all we do, we strive to follow an Ethos, made up of seven clear and honest components that define who we are as a company. Our posts over the next few months will serve as an explanation of our Ethos and how we carry this creed out on a daily basis.
Serve the Customer is the first part of our Ethos. Every other part of the FS Ethos, as well as our daily process, flows from this mantra. We recognize that without the members of our client family, we wouldn’t be in business. We want them to know they are our top priority and truly appreciated, through our best-in-industry customer service/support.
This is why our team comes to work each day ready to serve our clients in any way possible, constantly looking for ways to help them and show them how valued they are. Each employee is essential in generating this culture and mindset throughout FS.
We understand that website design, SEO, online advertising, etc. is uncharted territory for many of the businesses, organizations, and nonprofits that we serve. We are the link to this world for our clients who don’t know the ins and outs of the industry as we do.
If you call us or come to our office, you will always be greeted with a friendly, understanding tone or a warm, welcoming smile courtesy of someone who is eager and ready to help you to the best of his/her ability.
FreshySites’ success can be attributed to a lot of things, but predominantly to our team’s attention to the members of our client family – whether that’s staying on the phone and going to a client’s website page by page, responding to countless support emails in a matter of minutes or turning around proposals on the same day.
The fundamentals of good business start with serving the customer. At FreshySites, our Ethos does too. It’s our (not-so-secret) recipe for success 🙂
FreshySites – a regionally focused company with national reach and operations, dedicated to serving our clients.
FreshySites is a fast-growing website design firm dedicated to creating beautiful websites, while consistently delivering best-in-industry customer service and support. Founded in 2011, FreshySites has quickly expanded into the largest in-house WordPress web design shop on the East Coast.
Our Washington D.C. office was founded in 2012 by Vincent Consumano. With additional offices, we have the team, resources and tools to serve our local – and national – clients through website mockups, creative briefs, revision rounds, and Search Engine Optimization audits. FreshySites is determined to take our regional clients’ online presence to the next level, ultimately helping them to grow and thrive. Explore our website to learn more about us, see our portfolio of work and become a part of our client family today!”
Youth Center Stage classes starting Saturday, January 6
Exploring Acting (Ages 5 – 7)
Would you love for your child to improve their cognitive functions, forge communication skills, and enhance confidence? Well, they can, in a safe, fun and excellence-orientated environment with our Exploring Acting class! They’ll sing, dance, and enjoy their way through early development.
Kids Again the Musical
With our Kids Again the Musical class, your child will play fun games, work in harmony with other children, and improve their interpersonal skills. Now, when it comes to the performance, they’ll have superb confidence levels, new-found abilities, and a passion of learning, all of which will stand them in good stead for the rest of their education!
Improv Comedy (Ages 13 and Up)
Improvisation is a wonderful way to build interpersonal skills, express personality and harness some real self-belief. So, why not provide your child with a brilliant opportunity to do just that, with our amazing Improv Comedy class? They’ll play improv games and perform on stage, both of which will make them smile and develop skills!
Young Author’s – Online (Ages 8 and Up)
The art of writing is a fantastic way to improve and showcase creativity, as well as push your child further in their academic studies. With our Young Author’s online class, your child will have a fabulous chance to compose their own book, publish it and then attend the book release. What a great way to develop communication and interpersonal skills, eh?!
As we kick off a new year, many women will be vowing to hit the gym, but this year, healthcare providers are challenging women to expand that resolution to include their overall health.
”If we want to have a good quality of life, as well as quantity, we have to be proactive about our health,” explains Sentara Family and Internal Medicine Physicians, Dr. Raenell Williams.
Many women are traditionally caregivers, putting everyone’s health and well-being before their own. This is where problems can arise. Dr. Williams says simple changes now can pay off in the future, “It means living a healthy lifestyle. This means eating healthier and getting regular exercise towards maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. Then, we have to take advantage of the preventive measures that are available to us such as regular pap smears beginning at age 21, yearly mammograms starting at age 40, and colonoscopies at 45 or 50 years old.
As for physicals, Dr. Williams says that really depends on your family history and risk factors. If you don’t feel well and have a strong family history of health issues, you should see your primary care physician every year. If you’re in generally good health, you may be able to spread those visits to every two to three years.
Bottom line she says, the investment in ourselves is worth it, “We have a lot to live for and knowledge is power. So, as women, we should empower ourselves by being proactive about our health. We don’t want to be blindsided by a diagnosis. Prevention, early detection, and proper maintenance are the best ways to fight any condition. Get guidance by partnering with your primary care physician. The internet and social media should not be your main source of information.”
https://potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/chickfilagifts2017.1.pdf
From Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department:
Woodbridge, VA December 18, 2017 — 6:50 p.m. Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Firefighters were called to a condo fire at 12705 Dara Drive.
Crews arrived on scene within minutes and reported a small fire in condo #104. The fire was out in less than 10 minutes and was contained to the kitchen.
Fire and Rescue units from OWL VFD, Dale City VFD, Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue, and Dumfries-Triangle VFD responded to the incident.
No injuries were reported.
OWL VFD is one of the largest and busiest volunteer fire departments in the United States with almost 300 members. OWL VFD provides fire suppression, EMS care, and rescue services to 80,000 residents in our 27 square mile area through the operation of three fire stations. OWL volunteer Firefighters and EMTs work the 6 pm to 6 am shift, five days a week, plus 24/7 holidays and weekends.
