Giving Thanks

We have been providing IT services for close to 2 decades now, and we know without you – our clients – it would not have been possible. As with many other businesses, 2021 was a time of challenges, but we also experienced growth in several areas. Check out this video from Founder and Owner, Beits Livneh, to learn about the 3 new departments / teams we instituted to better handle your information technology needs, as well as our Thanksgiving holiday wishes and year end message to you and yours.

Beits Livneh

Owner

Three Takeaways for Every Day from Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Even though Cyber Security Awareness Month ends every year on October 31st, the momentum created during that time of increased mindfulness shouldn’t dwindle or diminish. Here are 3 areas to stay diligent about all year-round.

One of the easiest ways for scammers to access a network is through phishing. One email can hit many users at once, and it only takes a single person making a mistake to take down an entire business or crash the whole network. Routine simulated phishing campaigns are a great way to ensure you’re staying alert for these nefarious emails. Catch Phish, an Outlook in-email training plug-in, is another invaluable resource we can set up for you to help educate on phishing in an engaging way, and it teaches how to verify the validity of emails and learn more about identified suspicious components.

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Dark Web Dangers

The term “dark web” is often thrown around but much less frequently understood. Files can be created from various breaches with your personal or company information, and over time, these little bits of data add up to a large resource file that can be used as a methodical cyberattack. Dark Web Monitoring is important, and can reveal how often data is published there and the risks to your company when it is.

Social Media Security

That social media poll asking what your favorite food is seems innocent enough, doesn’t it? Same with the choose this or that type of get-to-know-me ones that friends post clean copies of for all their friends to fill out and repeat the process, right? Not exactly. They’re actually collecting data on you and are likely to reveal answers to your security questions. And try as the social media giants might, the word is out about fake accounts and the havoc they can wreak. Unfortunately, cybercriminals hide behind them, making the human IRL (in real life) much harder to identify. In an effort to curb oversharing that could lead to a breach, spread awareness about social media security and how cybercrime committers use the platforms to learn more about their victims.

It would be great if cybercriminals only “worked” during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but regrettably, that’s just not the case. They don’t care when the calendar flips to the next month, which is why we offer our clients peace of mind through increased security, and IT support every day of every month.

Why You Should Upgrade Your Technology Now – Tax Advantage

If your business will owe taxes this year, we recommend that you consider upgrades / updates of your hardware and software. Not only will doing so help keep your IT current and more secure, but it’s also a great way to write-off needed expenses to enhance your overall business operations!

New or upgraded computers reduce wait time, frustration, and potential downtime. Productivity enhancements due to machine speed, additional monitors for your team’s workstations, increased memory, and new printers all contribute to higher productivity and employee morale!

Contact us if you would like a quote for new technology or upgrades to your existing IT!

And, if you are an existing customer of Gallop Technology Group, we will reach out to you with your

inventory and “end of useful life” list to start preparing accordingly.

Around the years when kids were asking for Cabbage Patch Kids and the original Transformers, there was also something being asked of them – “Can you help me hang up the lights?” For the outdoor sets, it was likely pretty cold out, there was a rickety ladder that gave you a splinter if you just looked at it, maybe even some snow to make scaling the side of the house extra treacherous, and questionable gutters whose installation probably coincided with Eisenhower’s presidential term.

Even if we survived all of that unscathed, the lights of that era – the inside ones especially – had a strict “if one of us is off, we all are” policy, and if that happened, then began the wild goose chase of finding the bulb that needed replacement, then actually locating the replacement bulbs (because as kids, we always forgot to have them ready when the detective work started), and much to our chagrin, finding out that installing a new bulb was not a guarantee of anything.

Some major improvements have been made to holiday lights since then. One of the coolest is thanks to Internet of Things (IoT), and many vloggers and holiday enthusiasts like how Twinkly has upped the festive illumination game.

Here are some of the features of any of Twinkly’s numerous available styles:

    • You can fully control the lights and activate features via app
    • Direct, Bluetooth, and wireless connections are supported
    • Smart controller and plug are included
    • Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa can be used
    • Razer Chroma RGB integration for audio visualization
    • Multicolored lights have over 16 million color possibilities
    • Free effects and patterns available for download from the company’s online gallery
    • Create effects, set a timer, switch lights on/off, and sync several of Twinkly’s devices using app
    • Diffused lens LEDs intensify effects

If you’re looking for a way to IoT and tech-up your holidays, or take to the next level other celebrations throughout the year, you might want to check out Twinkly!

The Gallop Technology Group is offering a complimentary assessment of your entire technology infrastructure and provide you with a custom solution to make your life easier and your technology secure, so you may focus on your business.

Call us at 480-614-4227 today or use the button below.