David Carattini President & CEO · more palm-friendly size, with a 4.6-inch display. For comparison, the iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display. It also boasts a battery that lasts two days

TECHNOLOGY TIMES “Insider Tips To Make Your Business Run Faster, Easier, And More Profitably”

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Your Company’s Hidden Security Weakness:

As a business owner who also spends time working from home, do you make assumptions about your home’s wireless network security? Between your home and business, chances are your home wireless security is lacking. This can prove to be a serious liability.

WiFi security at home tends to be more lax. It isn’t something business owners worry about. You feel safe at home and you might assume since your business’s network is locked down tight, your data is secure. When an intruder wants to access your business’s proprietary information, they’re going to search for the easiest point of entry.

That is often the home. Intruders are looking for information they can profit from, including financial and identity-related documents. The fact is, there are people who roam around searching for unprotected or poorly protected wireless access.

Never assume your data—personal or business—isn’t accessible. You may inadvertently share critical data without realizing it. You may share files among colleagues and employees and simply forget to turn off sharing permissions. You may place documents and files in a publicly accessible folder. Data-sharing is convenient when you need it, but a liability when it’s readily accessible.

What can you do to protect yourself and your company assets?

Be aware of when you’re sharing data. If you have any files in a public folder, move them to a more secure location.

Use a strong password for all your wireless networks. A string of letters, numbers and symbols about 14 characters long is ideal.

Use WPA2 security. Make sure your router is set up correctly. If you are using WEP or WPA security, change it as soon as possible.

Change your wireless network's name (SSID). Routers include a default name, and keeping the default tells potential intruders lax security measures may be in place.

Change the router’s password. Keeping the default password from the factory allows hackers super-easy access to your router. Make it a strong password as well and different from the wireless password.

And ask yourself how protected your network—and your data—really is.

“As a business owner, you don’t have time to waste on technical and operational issues. That’s where we shine! Call us and put an end to your IT problems finally and forever!”

Dedicated To Your Success,

David Carattini President & CEO

December 2014 Inside This Issue…

Your Company’s Hidden Security Weakness: ..................................Page 1

Sony Xperia Z3 .........................................Page 2

Reducing Distractions In The Workplace .....................................Page 2

Set Up a Work-From-Home System .....Page 2

Sandworm: Russian Cyber Espionage Campaign Uncovered After 5 Years .....Page 3

My Fitness Pal App ...................................Page 4

Prepare for Meaningful Use Audits.......Page 4

Meet Tyler Adler .......................................Page 4

Glowing Clouds Above Los Angeles ....Page 5

Simple Ways to Use E-mail More Efficiently .........................................Page 5

Your Chance To Win $25 to:

.......................................Page 5

Think Through Social Media Actions In A Heated Moment ...............................Page 6

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Shiny New Gadget

Of The Month:

Sony Xperia Z3

Every fall a batch of cool new phones from nearly every major manufacturer hits the market. People are clamoring for the new, larger Apple iPhone or the new Google Nexus phone. This October saw the release of a rather interesting new Android phone from Sony called the Xperia Z3 Compact. What makes Sony’s phone remarkable?

Have you noticed how big phones have gotten lately? Not only that, but these big phones require quite a bit of battery power. The Z3 Compact is a premium phone that returns to a more palm-friendly size, with a 4.6-inch display. For comparison, the iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display. It also boasts a battery that lasts two days (or more, in some cases) with average use. That’s basically unheard of anymore. It also runs the latest version of Android, and it’s water-resistant. That’s right! The Z3 Compact is certified water-resistant up to one meter for a total of 30 minutes. Its about time!

Free Report Download: The Ultimate Small Business Guide To Setting Up A

Work-From-Home System For Your Staff And Computer Systems

You will learn: 4 What telecommuting is and why so many small businesses are rapidly implementing work-

from-home programs.

4 The single most important thing you MUST have in place before starting any work-from-home or remote office initiative.

4 How one company slashed its turnover rate from 33% to nearly 0% — and increased productivity by 18% — by implementing a work-from-home program.

4 How to get a FREE “Home Office Action Pack” (a $97 value).

Claim your FREE copy today at www.aztechworks.com/WorkFromHome or call our office at (623) 444-2395.

Reducing Distractions In The Workplace

Distractions are everywhere. Our phones, our computers, our tablets, our co-workers, and on and on. When we’re trying to get work done, there is always something, and it’s getting worse. We’re more connected to the Internet than ever before, and there is always one more thing we want to check. It’s safe to blame technology for this constant distraction, but we do need to step up and take a little responsibility for ourselves.

It’s tempting to give in to distraction and let your mind wander for a few minutes, but a few minutes can easily slip into 20 minutes, then 30 minutes, and before you know it, you’re through the first page of Reddit and you’ve filled your quota of cat pictures for the day. There’s nothing wrong with a distraction every once in a while, but when deadlines loom and projects need to get done, it can do more harm than good.

And that doesn’t mean missing your deadlines. The more distracted we become, the more stressed out we become. The deadlines aren’t going to go away, and the more distracted you are, the less time you’ll have to work. Productivity is lost.

What can you do to get productivity back and cut down on distractions? Consider the source of your distractions. Your cell phone? Put it on silent, or better yet, turn it off and put it in a drawer. Out of sight and out of mind. Make sure you cannot hear any notification sounds, whether it’s a little ding or jingle or a vibration. This is crucial. Why? You may not realize it, but you’ve been trained to respond to those sounds, much like a cat to a can opener.

What about the Internet in general? If you’re working on a project and you already have the materials or information you need, consider cutting yourself off. If you’re connected to a WiFi network, disconnect. If you’re hardwired, pull the Ethernet cord out from the back of your computer. It may sound like a drastic step, but it works.

If you work in a busy environment, where people are chattering, phones are ringing and the printer is printing away, see if you can’t track down a different workspace. Look for an empty office or meeting room (don’t forget to ask first, just in case someone has a meeting later), and close the door.

It’s all about being proactive in cutting down the distraction. There isn’t a foolproof way to eliminate them all, but a little adjusting can go a long way.

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Business Continuity Tip Of The Month:

Sandworm: Russian Cyber Espionage Campaign Uncovered After 5 Years!

A new threat, dubbed Sandworm by iSight Partners, has been discovered. It is a cyber espionage campaign dating back to at least 2009, and is said to be based in Russia. Sandworm uses a previously undiscovered zero-day vulnerability in Windows operating systems to steal information from government leaders and organizations.

iSight has only uncovered a small number of affected organizations, and they are fairly significant. According to WIRED magazine, Sandworm stole information from:

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Ukrainian and European Union governments. Energy and telecommunications firms. Defense companies. An unnamed United States academic singled out for his attention to Ukrainian issues.

The zero-day vulnerability exploited by Sandworm can be found in all recent Windows operating systems since Windows Vista (Windows 7, 8, 8.1). Among those affected, a common theme is seen: Targeted documents tend to be of a legal or diplomatic nature, including important documents and emails specifically concerning Ukraine, Russia, or other countries in the Eastern European region. Sandworm can steal SSL keys and code-signing certificates, which allow the malware to spread to other networks.

The name given to this vulnerability, "Sandworm," is a reference to the science fiction series Dune by Frank Herbert. Sandworms are ancient earth deities known for being divine, immortal creatures. Their actions are thought to be acts of God. Herbert gives these creatures names such as the "Great Maker," "The Maker," "Worm who is God," and so on. Known to live for several thousands of years, the Sandworm is also called "Old Man of the Desert," and "Grandfather of the Desert." iSight Partners decided to name the vulnerability Sandworm after finding several references to the Dune series in the attacker's code.

The vulnerability was first discovered earlier this September, exploiting the zero-day vulnerability and spreading via phishing attacks using infected PowerPoint attachments and files. Hackers then execute malicious code within the affected systems, opening a backdoor for later access. The patch has been released, and it is important to fix this vulnerability.

How Does iSight Know It's Russia? According to WIRED, when trying to determine where the attacks originated, there were two details which led iSight to believe the hackers were in Russia:

Two details of Sandworm lead the iSight Partners to conclude it's originating from Russia, possibly as a state-sponsored operation. First, files used for the command-and-control servers are written in Russian; and second, the victims targeted and the type of information used to lure them into clicking on malicious attachments focus on topics that would be of interest to Russia's adversaries. One attachment purports to be a list of pro-Russia "terrorists" that the victim is invited to view.

What's even more interesting is the nature of the attacks used to infect the systems. The attacks install BlackEnergy, an ominous-sounding tool used by hackers to perform denial of service attacks. In 2008, when Russia set its sights on Georgia (the country), BlackEnergy rose to fame as the primary method of cyber warfare used. This happened just the year before Sandworm is said to have begun. Coincidence? Maybe. Or, maybe not. All we can know is that using the BlackEnergy malware was a low-profile move on the hackers' part, effectively disguising the attacks as an average botnet.

Ordinary cybercrime is cause enough for concern, but when it occurs on the government or state level, you know that it's a big deal. You should treat every threat to your business with the same concern, especially previously undiscovered threats like Sandworm.

Arizona Tech Works has the power to equip your business with powerful security solutions. Our Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution consists of enterprise-level firewalls, antivirus, web content filtering, spam protection, and more. We can also monitor your network for unusual activity or traffic. For more information about our services, contact us at 623-444-2395. Not sure if you are secure? Sign up for our FREE 27-Point Security Assessment ($797 value).

Page 4


Mobile App Of The Month

Late this summer I resolved to modify my lifestyle by engaging a personal trainer and truly changing my eating habits. The results have been incredible! In my first 90 days, I’ve gone from a size 48 to a size 38 and lost nearly 20 pounds. I am doing nearly 100 pushups in a day (not all at once yet) and am oh so close to getting my first pull-up. I attribute my fat loss to doing calisthenics with by trainer, drinking a gallon of water daily, and keeping at 1500 calories by carefully recoding everything I put in my mouth. That’s where My Fitness Pal has been such a tremendous help.

The app, which is available for iOS (iPhone/iPad), Android, and Windows Phone, easily allows me to track my calorie, fat, protein, carb, and other key metrics. It has a huge food database that is most of the time accurate. It does vastly exaggerate the calories burned for exercise but I don’t count that anyway. If the food is not in the database you can add it or even a full recipe.

Best of all this app is free! If you are looking to melt off those holiday pounds in January, get this app and start tracking your food intake. I was certainly surprised how much I was eating in a day.

Best Practices To Prepare For Meaningful Use (MU) Audits

It is so crazy that you providers are being forced to dedicate so much time, energy, money, and resources to defending themselves against Meaningful Use (MU) audits, particularly with all the other changes and initiatives on your plates today. However, these audits are a fact of life, and if you want to ensure your MU incentive dollars aren’t reclaimed, then you need to be prepared.

The first step in preparation is to understand that there are two different types of MU audit — a prepayment audit and a post-payment audit. CMS incorporates automatic prepayment edit checks into the EHR Incentive Program attestation and payment systems to detect inaccuracies in eligibility, reporting, and payment. It also conducts random prepayment audits that may target suspicious or anomalous data. Post-payment audits are obviously those conducted after a provider has already received its incentive funds from CMS. Providers selected for post-payment audits must present supporting documentation to validate their submitted attestation data. Furthermore, CMS will withhold the incentive payment for the provider’s subsequent MU attestation until any previous audits are resolved.

To prepare for both prepayment and post-payment audits, Daniel Gottlieb and Randall Ortman, of the international law firm McDermott Will & Emery, recommend health providers focus on the following:

Documentation and knowledge of core measures: In the event of an audit, all measures taken to fulfill MU objectives need to be supported by documentation. As such, Gottlieb and Ortman stress that providers should not neglect studying MU specification sheets and frequently asked questions (FAQs) published by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS.gov).

Identification of key MU stakeholders: Make sure the C-suite, clinicians, and health IT professionals are all on the same page.

Proof of EHR security: Providers must make sure they are in line with HIPAA regulations, and providers relying on cloud technologies must prove that their systems have been properly assessed for security. See last month’s newsletter (http://bit.ly/11-12newsletter) for my article on cloud provider HIPAA questions.

EHR certification: Providers must use an EHR that is approved by an authorized certification body.

Meet Tyler Adler Tyler has been with us for 7 months and has been a tremendous source of knowledge and

help. He has industry certifications for networking, servers, and HIPAA. Tyler loves to bend 60-penny nails with his hands so watch what you say around him! He is a devout Christian, belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses church where he and his wife volunteer more than 100 hours monthly in the ministry. When not working for me or serving in his church, Tyler enjoys working on cars, computers and networks, playing computer games with his brother, and taking his wife to the movies.

Page 5


Your Chance To Win $25 Gift Card

The Grand Prize Winner of last month’s Trivia Challenge Quiz was:

Amanda Grayson of V P M Enterprises, Inc. The correct answer was: C) Charles Manson

This month’s question: Which was a popular game at Christmas in medieval times?

A) Alquerques B) Hot cockles

C) Hazard D) Knucklebones

Call or email me right now with your answer: 623-444-2395 or [email protected]

Simple Ways to Use E-mail More Efficiently

There used to be a time when e-mail was supposed to increase productivity. Yet, that is often not the case. Many users don’t use e-mail as productively as they could, and you may be one of them! Consider these tips to improve the way you use e-mail:

Skip attachments. Find alternate methods of sharing documents, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. It makes organization and collaboration more efficient, and it’s easier to track who has what. Plus, many e-mail clients, such as Gmail, are notorious for marking e-mails with attachments and links as spam.

Watch your replies. When you reply to an e-mail, it’s too easy to write and send, not realizing who might end up with your message. If you receive a CC’d e-mail with several names attached, be sure to reply only to the sender and not the group, unless it’s 100% relevant. It creates useless in-box clutter for others and wastes time.

Use the subject line effectively. When a subject line is vague or difficult to understand, it’s frustrating for the recipient. They might not even bother with it. Be clear and concise, while also being descriptive. The recipient should know what the e-mail pertains to before they open it.

Not everything needs a reply. Replying to every e-mail you get, or even a majority of them, wastes your time and the time of the recipient, especially if your reply doesn’t say anything meaningful (such as a thanks or acknowledgment of a previous e-mail). Unless it’s absolutely necessary to continue a conversation, move on.

The Lighter Side…

Glowing Clouds Above Los Angeles

In the early 1990s, southern California was hit by a major power outage. During the outage, a number of people in Los Angeles called 911 to report very strange, glowing clouds in the night sky. It was something the worried callers had never seen. With the acid-rain scare still in many people’s minds, their concern was understandable.

Of course, anyone who has lived outside of a city or has gone camping knows what those strange clouds in the Los Angeles sky were. No glowing acid rain here—it was the Milky Way! They were seeing an incredible flowing band of stars, gas and dust stretching across the entire sky for the first time in their lives.

When you see that band of stars, it’s clear why we call our galaxy the Milky Way. Many other cultures have their own names for it, including “The Way the Dog Ran Away” (Cherokee), “Ganges River of Heaven” (Hindi), “The Road to Santiago” (Spanish) and “Hay Merchants Way” (Arabic).

Think Through Social Media Actions In A Heated Moment

1. If you wouldn’t say it to your grandmother, don’t write it on Twitter. The oldest test in the book is the grandma test. It still holds today. If she would be appalled, odds are that others will be too. It feels good to blast an opponent, but such outburst can easily be used against you.

2. Remember that everything you say or do on the web is archived. Even if the NSA happens to miss it, odds are that Twitter, Facebook, Google and/or other platforms have a way of archiving the information. Consider everything you write these days on the Internet to be permanent. Trolls may delete their comments but they still leave a trail.

3. Still debating saying it? Sleep on it. This is familiar but often good advice. If you really feel the need to say something that might be taken the wrong way, consider sitting on it overnight. Waiting until the next day will rarely hurt your point, and it may save huge amounts of embarrassment.

4. If you do say it…make sure you feel that you could defend it in a court of law. Falsely accusing someone of something is a big deal and the repercussions could amplify beyond your original intentions.

5. Remember that your reputation is cumulative. How you respond to the unfair and uncivil will either enhance or detract from your reputation. Don’t let others bait you into ruining your reputation.

How do I react when I am targeted on social media?

1. Grab screenshots. If someone truly is going after you, the first move is to gather evidence. Make sure you have copies. Odds are that they will quickly realize what they have done and will try to erase their trail, so the best thing you can do is make sure you have a copy on hand.

2. Report them. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and most other platforms have safeguards against those who harass others. Don’t hesitate to put in a report—that’s why it’s there!

3. Try not to react. This goes back to my above points about guarding yourself. As hard as it is, try to remember that once integrity is lost it is extremely hard to recover. The more reaction, the more fuel you pour on the fire.

4. Remember that the truth is the best defense. As someone who has been egregiously accused of something I did not do, I took solace in the fact that I was innocent and as such the accusation cruelly asserted could never be proven.

We live in a world where unscrupulous people have migrated to online communities and live among the rest of us. I hope you never have to use the above actions, but that when you do, I hope they serve you well.

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Contact us anytime for all of your IT needs!

3060 N. Litchfield Rd., Suite 120 Goodyear, AZ 85395

Phone: 623-444-2395

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Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life. Mark is an international best-selling author and noted authority on leadership, team-building, customer service and change. Mark is the author of 8 books, including the best seller The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, which has sold more than 1.6 million copies internationally. Learn more about Mark at www.marksanborn.com

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David Carattini President & CEO · more palm-friendly size, with a 4.6-inch display. For comparison, the iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display. It also boasts a battery that lasts two days