Petra Technologies

Security cameras—especially wireless ones—have become a crucial element in ensuring the safety of your home or business.

However, as with any internet-enabled technology, they can be vulnerable to hacking and unauthorized access.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, outlines a few tips for ensuring your wireless security cameras don't become a security risk themselves.

Here at Petra Technologies, we could talk all day about the importance of cybersecurity for your business or organization. So when a company like Forbes makes a contribution to this space, we want to share their thoughts.

In short, research shows that 65% of organizations plan to INCREASE cybersecurity spending this year—and there are a few big reasons why.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, recaps the main points of the article, which you can also read in entirety here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/03/21/why-cybersecurity-should-still-be-a-top-priority-for-businesses/

In today's world, mobile devices are so much more than just communication tools; they hold all our important information, including bank account details, personal photos, and business emails.

Many people also have money transfer apps, such as Cashapp, Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle—and little-to-no extra security in place in order to make a transfer. If someone gets access to your phone, like in a recent scam uncovered in Houston, Texas, they can transfer money to themselves or gain additional access to your accounts.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, dives into the details of the scam and offers a refresher on things you should do to protect your mobile device(s).

If you've been getting more spam emails recently, you might've been one of the thousands of people whose personal information was stolen in a recent hack of a larger company—such as the NBA or Ferrari.

But what happens when hacking becomes more than a junk folder annoyance and starts compromising confidential patient information?

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, describes the aftermath of a recent healthcare agency breach and explains how to check the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website to see if a healthcare organization has gotten hacked (https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf).

A recent CNET article (linked here: https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/stop-home-network-hackers-top-10-tips-to-protect-your-wi-fi-security) cites that "in 2021, internet crime cost Americans more than $6.9 BILLION." A typical family home is connected through Wi-Fi to an average of ten or more devices, giving cybercriminals ample opportunity to access login credentials and hack into accounts.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make your home network more secure.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, recaps the rest of the CNET article and reinforces 10 of the top ways to secure your home Wi-Fi.

While it's clear that cyber threats and the motivations behind them are evolving quickly, the tools and techniques of bad actors are not.

This is where threat intelligence comes in. Threat intelligence is an invaluable tool for detecting and understanding these threats in order to protect your organization's data.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, explains how threat intelligence—along with good password management—can help keep your organization ahead of bad actors.

As the threats of ever-evolving cybercrime continue to grow, so does the need for businesses to stay informed and adequately protected against these risks.

Because of this, cyber insurance has become an essential component of every business's risk management strategy—and insurance underwriters are starting to ask for higher security protections than before.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, provides a further update on the status of cyber insurance in 2023, including basic security minimums, rate increases, and real-life cybercrime scenarios.

When browsing the internet on various networks, you want to make sure your traffic is safe and private—especially when it comes to activities like mobile banking or accessing sensitive information.

However, even when you see a padlock in your browser, your information may not be 100% protected.

This is why a secure VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an excellent way to maintain network security and keep your online activity safe and secure.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, describes the benefits of using a secure VPN and explains why you should utilize one as often as possible.

As cyberattacks have increased in number and sophistication, many small businesses no longer have the time or resources to address security issues effectively.

That's why it can be essential to work with a trusted partner to manage and monitor your network.

For our milestone 100th episode in our video library, Chris Cummings—CEO of Petra Technologies—discusses Petra's wealth of experience and knowledge in the technology field, along with tested processes and tools that can guarantee your network will be safeguarded.

In a team sport, such as basketball or football, each player knowing their role—and their teammates' roles—in a high-stakes situation can be the difference between winning and losing.

In the same way, knowing the key stakeholders and critical roles within an organization can be the difference between being prepared for a security incident and allowing that security incident to cause chaos.

Following the last two videos about incident response policies and procedures, Chris Cummings—CEO of Petra Technologies—defines the essential roles and responsibilities within the organization to ensure that if an incident does occur, everyone knows their part in the recovery plan.

If a cyber security incident strikes your organization, it's best to already have a plan in place. In our last video, Chris went over the importance of having an incident response policy to outline standard procedures and prepare your organization in case of such an event.

In today's video, Chris Cummings—CEO of Petra Technologies—dives deeper into the step-by-step instructions for those incident response procedures.

When you're driving with your family, it's good practice to have an emergency kit in your vehicle and go over the plan in case of an incident. If anything happens, the whole family knows what to do.

Why not prepare the same way for your company?

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, explains how having a thorough and repeatable incident response policy can help you put your best foot forward to deal with a cyber security crisis or breach.

Software applications like Teams, Zoom, Dropbox, and QuickBooks (to name just a few) are popular tools to help businesses run smoothly, from day-to-day operations to industry-specific projects.

However, if the software is not kept up-to-date, it could become vulnerable to exploitation.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, further explains the importance of regular software updates to manage vulnerabilities and keep your company secure.

Vulnerability analysis and management is a fundamental part of determining an organization's overall risk—and it plays a major role in recognizing current and potential weaknesses.

This proactive network scanning can help uncover vulnerabilities that otherwise may lead to data breaches and serious financial loss.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, explains why having a vulnerability analysis and resolution strategy is essential for your organization's cyber security.

SD-WAN (or Software-Defined Wide Area Network) is a technology that uses Software-defined networking (SDN) concepts to provide software-based control over a wide area network connection (WAN).

For companies or organizations with multiple sites over great distances, the benefits of SD-WAN could be a game-changer for increased Internet performance and decreased downtime.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, further defines SD-WAN, outlines its benefits, and explains how it can be beneficial for your company.

You've probably seen the posts circulating on Facebook that say, "My account got hacked!" or "Don't accept this friend request from me, it's a fake account!"

In the first instance, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) offers an additional layer of security and much better protection for your data and posts. 2FA often requires a verification code or security key—sent to another device, such as a mobile phone—in order to log into your account.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, provides insight into Facebook's 2FA options. He also offers a helpful tip for recognizing when a friend request may be coming from an imposter.

At Petra Technologies, we provide our clients with comprehensive managed IT services that meet their companies' needs.

Of our service plans, Petra Care Premium goes the extra mile with a monthly subscription that covers ALL labor—including projects, workstation installs, migrations, and upgrades.

In this week's video, Chris Cummings explains how this top-level service plan can help businesses be confident that their IT affairs are fully handled by a team of professionals while they focus on day-to-day operations.

The size of your business can be a big factor when it comes to finding the right managed services provider; smaller organizations typically need a lighter touch, while larger businesses often require more robust tech solutions and around-the-clock support.

This week, Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, offers a closer look at the popular Petra Care Standard plan—a great option for most businesses with 15-50 computers in an office location.

For businesses that don't have a traditional server or have remote staff scattered in different locations, comprehensive IT services can be a little more tricky.

That's why we created the Petra Care Connect plan in the first few months of the pandemic.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, explains how the Petra Care Connect plan is different from other plans, as well as which businesses it would truly benefit (and why).

When it comes to choosing a managed services provider, there are a lot of factors to consider. What size is your business? Do you have an in-house IT staff member or team? How much support or management do you need on a regular basis?

To help you make the best decision for your company, Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, offers a closer look at Petra's service plans.

This week, Chris covers the Petra Co-Managed plan, designed for larger businesses with one or more full-time IT employees.

Have you ever noticed a coworker gradually losing motivation and engagement, eventually leading to them disconnecting from the company and doing the bare minimum? This phenomenon, known as "silent quitting" or "quiet quitting," can have a negative impact on team dynamics and productivity, while forcing other employees to pick up the slack.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, explains the reasons behind "silent quitting" and offers helpful suggestions for employers and managers to prevent it from happening in their companies.

"Deepfakes" are synthetic, AI-generated images or videos that replace existing subjects with someone else's likeness—and look realistic enough to fool people into thinking they're real. Deepfakes-as-a-Service is an emerging category of services that allows any person to submit photos or videos to be deepfaked, without the need for equipment or expert knowledge.

While deepfakes can be used for entertainment and harmless fun, there is a darker side of this technology that could be used for corporate breaches, political gain, or even extortion.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, further explains the wonders and worries of deepfake technology and encourages a level of caution when watching videos online or on TV.

The health care sector has proven to be a major target for hackers to deploy ransomware and steal data. One recent cyberattack took place earlier this month and caused hospital-wide outages at one of the largest hospital chains in the country.

Such outages can become life-threatening.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, expands on the details of this cyberattack while reinforcing the need to keep up cybersecurity defenses.

The mid-year update of the SonicWall 2022 Cyber Threat Report is here, and it is packed with new and updated information about global cyber threats, rising cyberattacks, and never-before-seen malware variants.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, breaks the report into bite-sized pieces and goes over ways to protect yourself and your company.

It's no secret that having an internal tech person on staff is less effective than working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP). In many cases, important cybersecurity tasks fall through the cracks while the tech person tries to keep up with day-to-day tech support.

Because of this, having an internal tech person may be costing you more in cybersecurity insurance premiums.

In today's video, Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, connects the dots between "soft costs" and cybersecurity insurance—and explains why working with an MSP can help you proactively stay on top of cybersecurity tasks and save money.

We know that maintaining personal hygiene is important to stop the spread of disease and minimize health problems such as cavities, but what does it mean to have good cyber hygiene?

The term "cyber hygiene" refers to regularly maintaining the health and security of users, devices, networks, and data in order to protect them from theft or attacks.

Chris Cummings, CEO of Petra Technologies, further explains how organizations can follow good cyber hygiene habits to help prevent data breaches and minimize the risk of compromises.