It’s 7 a.m. and you’re the first to arrive at the office. You turn on all the lights, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and power on your computer. As you stare at the screen, you notice it takes nearly five minutes for the device to start. What’s causing your computer to act so slowly? Most computers have a few …

With the increasing demand for device integration on computer networks, we’ve seen increased risk of viruses, malware and other malicious attacks. If not proactive with network security, your computer and network are more susceptible to infection. Most people believe their computers are completely safe from harm if they install an antivirus program. While this is a step in the right …

Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to prevent or limit users from accessing their system, often by locking the system’s screen or by locking the user’s files unless a ransom is paid. More modern ransomware families categorized as “crypto-ransomware” encrypt certain files on infected systems and demand users pay a ransom through certain online payment methods to get …

In recent years, a popular telephony option for business has been Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service. It’s an Internet-based telephone service that uses computer networking protocols to transmit calls digitally as opposed to a traditional phone service via analog lines. VoIP can leverage a business’ existing Information Technology (IT) infrastructure to provide lower cost telephony with more options …

A phishing attack is a a type of attack often used to steal user data, login credentials, credit card numbers, and more. It usually arrives in your inbox as a fake email that’s designed to look like it’s coming from a trusted source. The phishing email tries to trick you into clicking on a malicious link or email attachment while …

Since introduced, virtual servers have made huge strides of improvement. But what exactly is a virtual server, and why would you consider one over a physical hardware server? For starters, a server is a component that connects to a network of computers. It’s sole purpose is to manage resources that are available on a computer network. Those resources include things …

The most common way to know you’ve been impacted with a Cryptography Virus (commonly known as “CryptoLocker”) is a pop-up on your computer screen. It warns you that your data has been encrypted, and informs you that you have a certain amount of time to pay a ransom in exchange for a key to decrypt your files. Once you see …

The true definition of a server is “a computer or computer program that manages access to a centralized resource or service in a network.” The server controls who, what and when data is accessed from various devices on the network. The server provides critical back-end task such as: •Data storage •Data protection •Redundancy •Backup All of these components ensure that critical …

Windows 7 is currently the most popular release of Windows, although Windows 10 is making serious inroads, especially in the consumer segment of the market. Note that the following information is identical for Windows Server 2008 R2: Microsoft mainstream support: no longer supported Microsoft extended support: ends January 14, 2020 There will almost certainly be an outcry for this popular …

Did you hear about last year’s ransomware attack on the government data servers of Mecklenburg County in North Carolina? Article Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article189428824.html A foreign-based hacker gained access to at least one government employee’s computer network log-in ID to launch the ransomware attack. The cyber-attack knocked multiple data servers and many public services offline and caused widespread outages across Mecklenburg County …

A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Computer viruses are often spread by attachments in email messages or instant messaging messages. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Not only is this frustrating to …

Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles says approximately 33,000 patients were affected by a data breach involving the theft of an unencrypted laptop computer from an employee’s home. The laptop, which the employee used for troubleshooting clinical laboratory reporting software, was stolen, along with personal items, from the employee’s home on June 23. There has been no indication of any …

ARTICLE BY: Emily M. Hord McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie and Kirkland, PLLC In January 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) published its Final Rule, which significantly increased the privacy and security responsibilities for the “business associates” of “covered entities,” as those terms are defined by HIPAA. A provision within the Final Rule mandated that all covered entities and their …

Effective April 8th, 2014 Microsoft will no longer support XP and Office 2003 and effective July 7, 2015 Windows Server 2003. How does this affect your practice? According to HIPAA Security Rule section 164.308(a)(5)(ii)(B), organizations with sensitive personal health information must ensure: (B) Protection from malicious software (Addressable). Procedures for guarding against, detecting, and reporting malicious software.—HIPAA What does this …

By: Greg Ewing, JD, MPH, DrBicuspid.com Contributing Editor March 19, 2014 — This Second Opinion originally ran on the Texas Dentists for Medicaid Reform (TDMR) website. DrBicuspid.com appreciates them allowing us to reprint this column in its entirety. For more information, please visit the TDMR website. It is safe to say that covered entities and business associates alike have experienced three phases of HIPAA enforcement. …

Monday, September 23, 2013 marked the date for full compliance under HIPAA Omnibus’ latest regulations. But did you know the definition of a breach changed? That’s right! In the final rule published in the January 25th Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services altered the definition of breach deleting the verbiage, “such that the use or disclosure …

New and Enhanced HIPAA Regulations & Penalties Announced On March 26, 2013, even stronger regulations were released for HIPAA in the form of the Omnibus Rule. So just what does the Omnibus Rule change? In a nutshell: Responsibility and accountability for vendors and Business Associates who oversee Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). Impacted vendors have six months from that date …