Phishing scams are a common occurrence in so many organisations, but can we prevent them?

The question should rather be, how can we prevent them? One way we can try prevent them is empowering your employees to identify a potential phishing attack before it happens.  Otherwise, an employee can easily be tricked to give sensitive information leading to a potential threat and confidential information being leaked which could cost your company millions of Rands.

Here are 4 steps to set your employees up for success:

1.       Conduct cybersecurity training

By conducting mandatory company-wide security training you can equip your staff with the skillsets they need to recognise phishing before being caught. Offer training as your onboarding procedure with regular refresher courses to follow.

It also doesn’t have to be boring so make the training rather fun and interactive to get the best out of your employees and it will also allow you to gauge what their level of understanding is.

It is also important they know what actions they need to take if they identify a form of phishing and who to report this too.

2. Conduct simulated phishing attacks

Using simulated phishing attacks and security awareness programs, you can see how your Employee’s react to suspicious emails, because it is essential to identify phishing emails quickly. Because hackers use real company logos and add small details to make their emails seem legitimate, red flags can be difficult to spot if you don’t know what you’re looking for. 

Here are a few elements used to identify phishing emails:

• Typos and poor formatting. Unlike legitimate companies, cybercriminals likely do not have writers on staff to create their emails. If you notice obvious typos or pieces of the text that aren’t clear, this is a tip-off.
• No specific greeting. If the information seems generic (i.e., the email doesn’t reference your name or any identifying information), this could be a sign of a phishing email. Hackers will not usually take time to personalise emails. They will instead use the same one to cast a wide net and hope that someone bites.
• No domain email. Check the sender email address to identify whether it originated from a legitimate source. A reputable company will own their domain email (e.g., example@linkedin.com), whereas an imposter will alter the address (e.g., example@linkedin123.com) if they even put in the effort to make the address look authentic.
• Unsolicited attachments or information requests. Legitimate companies do not send attachments that you didn’t ask for, nor do they request sensitive information via email.

3. Share real life examples

To help employees understand what you’re up against, show real examples of companies that have suffered a breach of data a result of a phishing email. Your employees will learn the most powerful lessons through raw data: money lost, people affected, damage to the company, and other tangible facts.

It isn’t that your employees don’t care about the company’s security; however, without seeing what could actually happen, they may feel as though this training is more of a formality than a necessity.

4. Use trusted antivirus software that is well supported and maintained

Even with excellent security training, an employee could accidentally fall for a phishing email. If that happens, you’ll want a robust antivirus software installed on your devices.

But it is key to ensure that your software is well supported and regularly maintained to identify any loopholes or potential threats. Your IT department or service provider should keep an eye on antivirus for all your company’s devices; however, consider that if some employees use their personal devices, your IT team will need to ensure those devices are protected as well.

For more information about our IT Strategic Planning or Technology Management Services, please get in touch with us at info@rito-tech.co.za and we will gladly assist you.

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Did you know that physical servers are on the decline and cloud storage is on the up? Even though there is a common misconception about cloud, that it is not safe versus traditional servers, 43% of enterprises already use Office 365 and this number is growing.

Some of the biggest advantages of Office 365 include:

• Users can work from anywhere
• Provides robust security and reliability
• Subscription-based payment is available
• Teams and users can easily collaborate
• You receive access to the latest programs
• You can work with what you know
• Office 365 features mix and match plans

Let’s pay attention to their robust security and reliability as this is a general concern for most business owners today with an increase of staff working at home. It will protect your business, and allow your employees to be productive from anywhere, on any device.

How does Office 365 keep you secure?

The top layer of security in Office 365 focuses on protecting your business from external threats by giving you access to enterprise-grade service and protection. These threat protection tools keep your business free of hazards such as spam, malware, viruses, phishing attempts, and malicious links while protecting you from sophisticated threats such as zero-day ransomware and other advanced threat techniques.

Here are some of its key security features:

Encrypted Email: Keeping anyone other than the intended recipient from reading your emails.

Data Loss Prevention: Microsoft’s Data Loss Prevention Policy allows you to identify, monitor and protect sensitive information from leaving your organisation.

Mobile Device Management: A feature allowing your IT team to control Office on your employees’ mobile devices to protect company information. If somebody loses their device or it gets stolen, you’re able to delete all of the data without needing to use the lost or stolen device to delete data.

Advanced Threat Analytics: This unique feature analyses systems to detect and alert users to suspicious behaviour on the network. It scans emails as they land into inboxes for malicious links and attachments and if there’s anything dangerous lurking in there, it prevents it from getting in. While the email will still appear, a message appears explaining why the attachment isn’t there. That’s one way to eliminate human error.

Exchange Online Protection: Provides advanced security and reliability against spam and malware to protect information and email access.

Threat Management: Security monitoring to prevent or detect any tampering of data. Dedicated threat management teams are in place to anticipate and prevent malicious access.

Multi-Factor Authentication: Multi-factor authentication protects access to sensitive data, such as using a phone to access data as a secondary device for added security.

For more information about our IT Strategic Planning or Technology Management Services, please get in touch with us at info@rito-tech.co.za and we will gladly assist you.

Enterprises don’t need to disrupt their current external communication infrastructure and operations anymore. Get clear, reliable and cost-effective voice calls with Voice over IP and PBX services.

Did you know? PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange, which is a private telephone network used within a company or organisation. The users of the PBX phone system can communicate internally (within their company) and externally (with the outside world), using different communication channels like Voice over IP, ISDN or analog.

A professional PBX system presents a number of key benefits for your organisation which will help you grow your business and enhance your overall image:

#1: Much easier to install & configure than a proprietary phone system: An IP PBX runs as software on a computer and can leverage the advanced processing power of the computer and user interface as well as features.

#2: Centralised Control: A PBX phone system can provide a receptionist feature that allows all the calls coming into your company’s many phones to be accessed by one number. That means that instead of including a long list of individual phone numbers in directories or advertisements, you could just list one number.

#3: Significant cost savings using VoIP providers: With an IP PBX you can easily use a VOIP Provider for long-distance and international calls. The monthly savings are significant. If you have branch offices, you can easily connect phone systems between branches and make free phone calls.

#4: Eliminate phone wiring: Connect directly to a standard computer network port so you can now eliminate the phone wiring and make adding or moving of extensions much easier and allows for hot-desking or remote working.

#5: Cost Monitoring: PBX phone systems keep logs of all incoming and outgoing calls. Being able to see how many incoming calls your business received is a feature that is not available with conventional phones. You can also see whether employees are making personal calls and how long each call lasts to see who is being most efficient and who may be wasting time—and money.

#6: It is scalable: Proprietary systems are easy to outgrow. Adding more phone lines or extensions often requires expensive hardware modules. In some cases, you need an entirely new phone system. Not so with an IP PBX. A standard computer can easily handle a large number of phone lines and extensions.

#7: Better customer service & productivity: With an IP PBX you can deliver better customer service and better productivity. Since the system is now computer-based, you can integrate phone functions with business applications. For example, bring up the customer record of the caller automatically when you receive his/her call, dramatically improving customer service and cutting costs by reducing time spent on each caller.

#8 Automation: One of the advantages of a PBX phone system is that you don’t have to employ a receptionist to answer calls. You have probably called a company and heard the “auto attendant” instructions directing you to dial a particular number for a specific service – that was a PBX system.

#9: Better phone usability: SIP phones are easier to use! Employees often struggle using advanced phone features. Setting up a conference or transferring a call on an old PBX requires detailed instructions. Not so with an IP PBX – all features are easily performed from a user-friendly interface and graphics.

#10. Image Enhancement: Installing a PBX gives you the same presentation as big companies. Customers will get the impression they are dealing with a large or formal organisation even if you’re just a small business with only one or two partners. This boosts your business credibility and inspires confidence in customers who might otherwise worry about the risks of dealing with a small operation.

Increase your employee’s accessibility, productivity and levels of communication with the introduction of a well thought through PBX solution with Rito- Technologies. At Rito Technologies we maximise business output through technology.

For more information about our IT Strategic Planning or Technology Management Services, please get in touch with us at info@rito-tech.co.za and we will gladly assist you.

With the advent of COVID and moving from a normal office space to a ‘new-normal’ workplace, how can you create a SMART workplace for your employees?

Over the past several years, technology in the workplace has transformed considerably, and the traditional office environment is no longer commonplace. Rapid technological advancements have replaced it, thereby allowing employees to interact and cooperate globally and work locally. Advances in technology and the way companies do business have driven the demand for a “SMART workplace”. The work environment is changing, but are you ready for it?

What measures and steps do you need to put in place to ensure a SMART workplace?

1. Use the right technology

A SMART workplace is the use of technology to connect and engage employees with their work environment. It is enabled through a connection of networked platforms, software, IoT technologies, and sensors. SMART spaces and SMART technologies are setting a standard for intelligent offices. This trend — escalating rapidly in the workplace — is given a boost with the inclusion of certain elements such as new methods and services with different devices.

2. It should be able to exist anywhere

The concept is to make SMART workplaces automated and able to function from anywhere. The workplace must be flexible that supports this new type of digital transformation. There is no need to have static furniture and spaces anymore, when the world developing within the space is so multifaceted and ever changing to allow people to access technology anywhere.

3. Correct use of security and internet connection

It is at your detriment if you think that allowing for SMART workplaces doesn’t call for even smarter security, so it is important to ensure you have enabled the correct security measures for you and your employees to reduce your risk and vulnerabilities of going SMART.

4. Accept the change

The fourth and final thing is simply to accept the change. Things are transforming, including communication styles, workflow patterns and now organisational policies. It is the future so the sooner we an adopt the idea of a SMART workplace and the benefits of it the better for you and your employees.

Smarter workplaces use technology to connect and engage employees with their work environment. It is enabled through a connection of networked platforms, software, IoT technologies, and sensors. There’s a tremendous shift in the way we work, and, unsurprisingly, technology is playing a significant role in it and is gaining momentum quicker than we can imagine. Rito-Technologies is an IT business partner who maximises business output through technology. They enable their clients to be SMART with their IT Strategic Planning, which is guaranteed to increase your employee’s accessibility, productivity, and levels of communication with the right level of technology for business and employees.

For more information about our IT Strategic Planning or SMART Management Services, please get in touch with us at info@rito-tech.co.za or call us on +27 (0)10 213 7016/7 and we will gladly assist you.