Just in case you haven’t been paying attention, online privacy has been highlighted significantly in recent years—in no small part due to the sale of our profiles by the tech giants that provide today’s most (in)famous websites… including and especially Google. Having said this, it is also important to acknowledge that some of Google’s recent policy changes could suggest that this may change at some point.
While Google Search has become eponymous for “online search”, the company has not stopped innovating upon the capabilities of the service. Most recently (as of this writing, of course) one improvement that the company is making is to give more content a bit more context before a user clicks through to a potential threat.
Going through your passwords and updating them every so often is a very wise habit to get into, particularly when they are used to protect a lot of data—as the password to your Google account often is. Considering this, let’s go over how to update your Google password and otherwise lock down your account.
We realize that it’s one thing for us to tell you how important it is to update your software. After all, we’re tech guys, so we worry about that kind of thing all the time. Hopefully, it’s quite another matter when Homeland Security does it, which is why we’re really hoping that you take heed of this warning and update Google Chrome.
The Android platform has various tools and applications available to assist users in keeping themselves organized and productive. One of these applications, Google Keep, offers particularly significant benefits. For this week’s tip, we’ll be going over some ways that you can use Google Keep to help “keep” track of the cornucopia of important information you need to process and retain.
Did you know that, as of July 2020, 69 percent of global desktop Internet users utilized Google Chrome as their browser of choice? With such a large market share, the security associated with Google Chrome is important to keep in mind. To help increase some of this awareness, we wanted to talk about Chrome’s many extensions and the permissions they are too often granted, with minimal awareness from the user.
Data and cybersecurity is hard enough without vulnerabilities coming from one of your most utilized applications. That’s the scenario after a bug was found in some of today’s most popular Internet browsers putting billions of people’s data security at risk. Let’s take a brief look at the vulnerability and how you can ensure that it won’t be a problem for you or your company.
Everyone knows how to do a Google Search, right? Go to the site, type whatever it is you’re looking for into the search bar, and you’re off to the races. Fewer people are aware, however, of the ways that you can help Google narrow its search a bit. Let’s go over a few handy Google cheat codes that can make your search results more precise.
As much as a business relies on its technology, it relies just as much upon its employees to properly put that technology to use. Unfortunately, this can very easily expose the business to various threats that involve their employees. Understanding these insider threats is crucial for a business, especially given how current events may tempt those who would never have considered them otherwise.
In light of a recent zero-day vulnerability discovered with Adobe Flash, along with the wide adoption of the alternative rich media player HTML5, Google has put into motion plans to stop supporting Flash for its popular web browser, Google Chrome. By all accounts, this move may be the final nail in the coffin for the Internet stalwart, which means that your business should cease using it.
An active Google user will inevitably accumulate a stockpile of photos and videos via their account’s Google Photos app. For this week’s tip, we’ll show you how to download all of this media to a local device.
There are many ways to fund a project, but one of the more interesting ways to do so in today’s web-centric culture is through crowdfunding. It’s been so effective that even major companies like Google are using it to their advantage. Google’s latest project encourages users to hack into the Nexus line of mobile devices to collect potential vulnerabilities, with the promise of prizes for those who are successful.
This “contest” is called Project Zero, in which users must hack into a Nexus 6P and a Nexus 5X using only the phone numbers and associated email addresses. Additionally, the vulnerabilities discovered need to be capable of executing code on the devices remotely when an email or text message is opened. This is actually much more difficult than it sounds, and Google wants to use this contest to discover vulnerabilities and determine how they work, what their methods are, and how best to protect users from similar exploits.
All in all, it’s an attempt to improve the value and quality of the device, and Google’s trying to get users in on the action.
Google is offering prizes on a first-come, first-serve basis. Here are the prizes in descending order:
Additionally, the cash prizes come with the opportunity to author a guest post on Google’s Project Zero blog.
One of the benefits of crowdsourcing this responsibility to consumers is that Google doesn’t have to pay an entire team to find a resolution or detect vulnerabilities. Google can instead take the opportunity to get a head start on fixing a large group of vulnerabilities, and the prize rewards are likely much cheaper than it would be to have an entire team scour the devices and address problems.
The Connection, Inc uses a similar method to help your business overcome potential weaknesses in your IT infrastructure. This practice is called penetration testing, which analyzes your current infrastructure for vulnerabilities in your systems and network components. It’s a common preventative measure that’s designed to keep threats out and identify ways to optimize network security.
But we won’t stop there--we’ll continue to keep a close watch on your organization’s infrastructure and warn you of potential vulnerabilities that might come your way. We can remotely patch and monitor your systems so as to prevent unnecessary vulnerabilities from tripping up your organization's operations. To learn more, reach out to us at (732) 291-5938.
The branch of malware known as Ghost Push now has a new component, Gooligan, and it certainly lives up to its name. Google was struck by an attack that infected over one million Android users, with over 13,000 additional devices adding to that total on a daily basis.
Gooligan is able to steal the authentication tokens that are required to access data contained in many of Google’s popular offerings, including Drive, Docs, Gmail, and the G Suite.
However, it would seem that, instead of extracting personally identifiable information, the culprits have elected to install malicious Google Play apps to generate fraudulent ad revenue. Reports have said that this modus operandi nets the attackers about $320,000 every month, and that Gooligan may be the biggest recorded breach of Android devices, ever.
This makes it all the more fortunate that Gooligan has, as of yet, shown no signs of stealing any of the data it could potentially have accessed. Google has even gone on record in their belief that, “The motivation… is to promote apps, not steal information.”
While Google has since removed the apps that include Gooligan from the Play Store, there could potentially be countless more similar threats, lurking in wait of their next victim. This means that, should your employees be able to access the Play Store on their work devices, your business could be a potential victim.
Therefore, every member of a business should be informed of the seriousness of clicking around mindlessly when using a business device. Institute a policy of only allowing business-related apps on company devices, and require any BYOD devices to be thoroughly vetted by IT.
Do you have a plan to prevent unauthorized applications from appearing on company devices? Let us know in the comments!
On Wednesday, several users found themselves the victim of a convincing phishing attack. The attack was designed to look like an invitation to view and edit a Google Doc, and is designed to steal your Google credentials and spread through your contacts.
Not only does the email look convincing, it’s also often coming from a contact you already know. Even worse, the link takes you to a Google.com URL with a legitimate-looking login screen. However, once you log in with your Google credentials, whoever is behind the attack will have full access to your account.
Once it has them, it sends the same email to your contact list in an attempt to propagate itself. This attack is well-crafted, to the point where the easiest way to catch it before getting snared is to click the small link on the page that Google hosts to check the developer’s information. Since the attack utilizes legitimate Google account functions, however, who would think to check?
Whenever you get an unsolicited email with links or attachments, it’s critical to think before you click!
Fortunately, Google was able to apparently put the kibosh on this attack within an hour of taking action, but there’s still no indication of who was responsible for this attack or if/when they will strike again. Therefore, it is important to understand how to avoid falling victim to emails like this in general.
First, if there’s ever any doubt of an email’s validity, check out some of the indicators that tend to go overlooked. This attack in particular had some oddities--for example, the email was addressed to “hhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com.” Secondly, if an email is unexpected, it never hurts to confirm its validity with the sender through an alternate method of communication.
To protect your business, you need to be sure that your staff understands that threats like this could be a major problem. In the meantime, be sure to keep your eyes out for more email-based phishing scams and other threats. If you do come across questionable messages, don’t hesitate to report it immediately, so that everyone on your team becomes cognizant of the threat.
For more information about phishing scams, social engineering tactics, and other attempts to infiltrate your network, contact the IT professionals at The Connection, Inc at (732) 291-5938 today.
The Internet is always changing, and anyone who has been using it for a while has experienced this change for themselves. While it might be strange to think about, the latest statistics have proven that the current changes to the Internet are some of the most significant--especially for businesses. “Online business as usual” will be significantly different moving forward.
If you hadn’t yet noticed, there’s been a change made to the Google search engine that will influence how search results are presented to users. Google’s ‘Instant’ feature, introduced in 2010, is no more.
Instant was what would cause results to begin appearing the moment you started to type a query into the search engine’s homepage. This function was different than the search suggestions that users see in a drop-down as they type their search, which will continue to appear.
The elimination of Google Instant is the result of an effort by Google to focus more strongly on how people are searching, given the variety of devices that may now be used. Google’s statement reads:
“We launched Google Instant back in 2010 with the goal to provide users with the information they need as quickly as possible, even as they typed their searches on desktop devices. Since then, many more of our searches happen on mobile, with very different input and interaction and screen constraints.”
In other words, so many people have transitioned from using Google on a desktop to using Google on a mobile device that it is no longer practical for Google to continue supporting Instant. That, combined with the tendency for many to use their browser’s address bar to initiate a search (which Instant wasn’t compatible with), reduced the efficacy of the feature to the point that it wasn’t worth maintaining.
This only shows that all businesses, even those as large as Google, need to adapt their business strategy to suit their customers. Otherwise, they will find an alternative that meets their needs better.
So, what do you think about Google Instant going away? Do you anticipate that its loss will impact your browsing habits? Tell us what you think in the comments, and make sure you subscribe to our blog!
Gmail is a great way to take advantage of business email, but do you know all of the ins and outs of how to use some of its finer details? Today’s tip is dedicated to going over some of the more useful features of Gmail, like filters and labels--both of which will be helpful in controlling your inbox.
Labels and Filters
Gmail helps you keep your messages organized through the use of labels and filters. Basically, you can assign rules that will apply to any messages that you receive. By effectively using filters, you can make browsing your inbox more efficient, as well as consolidate similar messages with little effort.
For example, a filter could be used to assign a label to any message that holds “quarterly report” in the subject line. These labels would then be applied to any incoming messages that have that specific criteria.
Creating a Filter
To create a filter in Gmail, just follow these steps:
Creating a Label
You can also apply labels to your messages, but in order to do so, you first need to make the label. You’ll be able to both apply labels as you receive messages, or apply them to existing messages. We’ll walk you through the process:
Now all you have to do is apply the label to your messages.
To learn more about how to take full control of your Gmail inbox, be sure to keep a lookout for similar articles from The Connection, Inc’s blog.
With the recent overhaul of Google’s G Suite productivity software products comes a new way to keep your business’ data secure. We’ll go over some of the major changes introduced in the updates, including the integration of artificial intelligence.
Chromebooks might be simple, but they aren’t as limited as you might think they are. They might have once been limited, but more recent models are much more capable of accomplishing just as much, if not more, than any of their previous iterations. Here are some of the most common misconceptions that people have about Chromebooks.
Chances are you have a Google account, whether it’s for business or personal use. It’s more accessible today than ever before and provides a solid way to gain access to several important features and accounts. Considering how much can be done with a Google account, users forget that they can put their security and personal data at risk. Here are some ways that your Google account is at risk, as well as what you can do to fix it.
Why Is Your Google Account so Valuable?
The Internet has always been a tool to keep those who use it connected, and data stored on it shared and accessible. However, like any tool that evolves and changes over time, its purposes and uses change with it. The idea for what would become the Internet came from J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in 1962, who intended it to be a system of interconnected computers used to share information and programs across the entire world. This idea would become the World Wide Web with the help of Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who had this to say:
“Had the technology been proprietary, and in my total control, it would probably not have taken off. You can’t propose that something be a universal space and at the same time keep control of it.”
These ideals are still retained by today’s Internet; if anything, you might say it’s reached its peak. Social media use and network collaboration is at an all-time high, generally free of control by any central entity. These ideals have led to a demand for the preservation of net neutrality and open-access information, and while these are largely upheld, there are always exceptions to the rule.
While the Internet grew in capability, it also grew in utility. These utilities depend on security and privacy. Since so many people began to use the Internet to deal with confidential information, this increased the importance of security from both the perspective of an everyday user and a business. One of the companies that has helped shape this perspective is Google, a company that offers a plethora of services on both a user level and a business level.
You can’t discredit the importance of Google services for business, such as its G Suite applications and Gmail. Even on a general consumer level, many users find Google services helpful and important to their daily routine, to say the least. With Google security so important, take a moment to ask yourself how many online accounts have access to your Google account. What are you risking if your Google password is stolen by hackers looking to make a quick buck?
What You Risk
You can use your Google account to create other accounts, either by using your associated Gmail address or linking it directly, but what does that mean for security standards? It’s important to remember that this convenience comes at a price; linking an account to your Google account inevitably ties that account’s security to your Google account. This means that if your Google account is compromised, any accounts associated with it could also be at risk.
How Devastating Can It Be?
If you’re reading this on your desktop, you can click here to access your Google account. Under the Security section, you can review all devices that your Google account has been active on, as well as all third-party applications that access your account. You can even see all the websites that are using Google Smart Lock. Take a moment to review this list. Does it contain anything particularly sensitive? How about your bank account? If this is the case, it’s easy for anyone who has access to your Google account to access any accounts associated with your Google account from the simple virtue of being able to recover passwords and usernames for the account.
A Solution
This creates a conflict between two of any technology user’s priorities: convenience and security. Some might even be willing to sacrifice security if it means a little convenience (think using the same password for multiple accounts), but in the professional world, this can be dangerous if mishandled. There isn’t a magical button that will make your Google account secure, so you’ll have to use a collection of best practices and preventative measures to make sure your credentials are properly secured. Be sure to keep an eye out for data breaches and change passwords accordingly, as well as taking into account the following practices:
Passwords and Account Security
The Google account is basically a container of credentials for any account connected to it. This means that you need a strong password or passphrase to protect it. Make sure that your password is long, complex, and doesn’t include any identifiable words that might give it away to someone just guessing at it. Also, be sure to only access your Google account on personal devices rather than public ones, as you could be putting your account at risk this way. Public Wi-Fi is in a similar risk category; only access your account through a private or secured connection.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
One of the better ways you can keep your Google account secure is by making it more difficult to access. A secondary code sent to your mobile device in the form of a text message, generated via Google Authenticator, or a call made to your mobile device, make it so that anyone with your password needs to work a little harder to access your account. Enabling this kind of 2FA decreases the chances that you’ll have problems with a cybercriminal taking over your account, since it’s highly unlikely that they will also have access to your mobile device, too. Google Authenticator is by far the most secure of the options presented for 2FA for your Google account.
Your Google account can be used to access one-time authentication codes that can be printed out and kept on your person, giving you immediate access to your account on the off-chance you don’t have your phone on you at that moment. If you run out of codes or lose the list, you can generate new ones easily enough.
To set up these features, log in to your Google account.
Overall, Google offers great ways to keep your account secure, as long as you take advantage of them. To learn more about how you can keep your accounts secure, reach out to us at (732) 291-5938.
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