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When you open a bank account, you can do so on behalf of yourself or your business.

This keeps your personal and professional finances separate, so that any company liability doesn’t fall back on your personal accounts.

Company bank accounts also offer unique benefits, such as enabling someone else to take care of transactions and accounting, which is common as businesses expand.

These accounts do, however, have unique risks.

For instance, if you’ve ever had money scammed or stolen from any of your personal credit or debit cards, or even your bank account itself, then the bank or card company will usually reimburse you those lost funds.

Company accounts don’t get that luxury!

It’s one of the risks associated with running a business.

So, not only should you take care of the business side of your enterprise… you need to take care of your business bank accounts, too.

We recommend that before you open a company account, don’t just focus on the perks – take care to check all the small print and the new risks of fraud that you could be facing.

Check your email inbox next week for another video short on security threats, breaking news and tips for staying cyber-secure!

Get your FREE DARK WEB SCAN or call 480-464-0202

“The biggest risk is the one you don’t take” is a mantra you’ll hear motivational speakers deliver in their presentations to make the argument that you should throw all caution to the wind and go for it (whatever “it” is).  

And while that may be a good piece of advice to get someone to take action on an idea (and get the speaker applause at the end of their presentation), truly smart, experienced entrepreneurs and business executives NEVER throw “caution to the wind” and take wild risks. They take calculated risks, weighing consequences and putting buffers, hedges and checks in place to reduce the risk and potential losses. They look for the risk because they know unchecked optimism is not only foolish, but dangerous, and Murphy is always standing by with a big wrench in hand, ready to throw it into your best-laid plans. 

If you follow Warren Buffett’s two rules of investing, you’ll see this same caution: Rule #1 – Never lose money. Rule #2 – Never forget Rule #1. 

A good question to ask yourself is where are YOU putting your business and your money at undue risk? While you cannot prepare for and prevent EVERY risk in your business, one area where we see a lot of businesses taking huge, unmitigated risks is with their data and cyber security. 

Despite the overwhelming evidence that the risk and the financial consequences of cyber-attacks are enormous, we still hear, “Nobody is going to hack us…we don’t have anything they want,” or “We can’t get hacked because _____,” with the blank being things like “we use cloud applications” or “we have a good firewall,” “our people are too smart to click on bad links in e-mails,” or other similar “reasons” for their false sense of security. They explain it away. 

Candidly, it’s our belief that this is not founded in confidence and logical thought but based in a willful neglect and a desire to avoid spending the funds necessary to truly secure their data, their business, their finances. And while I completely understand that nobody wants to spend a lot of money on IT, the risk doesn’t cease to exist just because you choose to ignore it.  

One of the smartest investors in the world, Howard Marks, CEO of Oaktree Financial, said, paraphrased, the less risk you perceive, the more risk there is. For example, if I don’t think there’s any chance I can die in a car wreck on my way to the store, I’ll fail to put on my seat belt, text while I drive and be a lot less cautious about paying attention to the road than if I thought there was a very high chance I could be in a fatal crash. The lower the risk perceived, the higher the risk actually is, because we lower our guard and don’t protect against it.  

That’s exactly why small businesses are the #1 target for hackers. They’re EASY prey. Sure, they don’t get the bragging rights of bringing down a company like Dole or hacking into Microsoft Azure, but hacking millions of small businesses for a few thousand dollars each in ransomware pays. You just don’t hear about these attacks because they don’t make the evening news, just like you don’t hear about the 6 MILLION car wrecks that happen every year. Only the big ones – or the ones that seriously impact rush hour traffic – get noticed.  

If you are not all that certain that you are truly and fully protected against such hacks, click here to schedule a brief discovery call with us. We can conduct a quick and easy cyber security risk assessment and tell you for sure if your current IT company is protecting you, and what level of risk you’re at for a cyber-attack. It’s free and comes with no expectations or cost.  

Remember, not all successes are measured in gains secured. Sometimes success is defined as losses avoided. If you were given the chance to go back in time and unwind 2 or 3 financial, business or life decisions you’ve made, knowing what you know now, I’m sure everyone would take that opportunity. Most likely, you’d go back and warn yourself about dumb mistakes you made and put protections in place to avoid losses you incurred. Sadly, there’s no genie in a bottle to make that happen, so an ounce of prevention against cyber-attack IS, without a doubt, worth a pound of cure. Call us today for your FREE Cyber Security Risk Assessment. 

Once upon a time, you could install antivirus software and go about your merry way online and in your inbox, opening, clicking and downloading files without a care. 

Today, antivirus alone cannot and will not protect you, especially if you INVITE the hack by downloading a file that is infected with a piece of code designed to circumvent your security protocols. Whether it’s a personal computer, phone or a laptop you use for business, here are 5 things you need to STOP doing now to ensure you don’t get hacked. 

1. STOP downloading apps from unknown sources. There are thousands of free apps available online that are very tempting to download. Hackers are masters at curiosity and “clickbait” designed to nail you in a moment of weakness. To prevent rogue apps and programs from installing, configure your devices to disallow the installation of programs from unauthorized sources. On your phone, ONLY download apps from your device’s respective app store that are tested and forced to meet the store’s security and privacy requirements. Business owners: while I’m sure all of your employees are trusting souls, it IS possible (and recommended) to have business machines locked down, preventing your employees from downloading any applications (or files) that could harm you and compromise your security.
    

1. STOP surfing the web unprotected, particularly when accessing downloads. This is particularly true if you are on public WiFi. Starbucks is not going to guarantee your Internet connection is safe, nor is any other business, restaurant or location offering free Internet access. Talk to your IT company (that’s US!) about installing more than just antivirus, but endpoint protection solutions, like a VPN, that will “hide” you from cyber criminals and filter out nefarious websites and attacks so you CAN use public WiFi without the fear of inviting a hack.
    

1. STOP opening and downloading files e-mailed to you without extreme caution. Phishing attacks via e-mail are still the #1 way hackers gain access to a network. It’s very common for an attacker to hack into someone’s e-mail and get their list of friends, colleagues, coworkers and their boss to send e-mails that appear legitimate on “their” behalf, even using their actual e-mail – these are are highly sophisticated phishing attacks. So, before you open or download ANY file e-mailed to you, make sure it was one you were expecting. It’s far safer to use IT-managed file sharing like OneDrive, SharePoint or Citrix ShareFile to send attachments. But bottom line, if ANY file “feels” wrong or suspicious about a file download, including a weird extension or suspicious file name, CALL the person who sent it to verify. If it’s important, they can send it again. 
    

1. STOP downloading “bloatware.” It’s common for legitimate, reputable apps to sneak in other applications or toolbars you don’t need. They sell this as a sponsorship to make more money every time one of their users downloads an app. The best way to spot these is to look for check-boxes when installing that automatically opt you into services by default. So, before you hit “Next” and keep rolling to get your app installed, take a second to really read and review what you’re agreeing to when installing that new app.
    

1. STOP downloading music, software, games, movies and the like from websites like BitTorrent, RARBG, 1337x and similar peer-to-peer file-sharing sites. It’s very common for file-sharing networks to be breeding grounds for hackers who post files infected with malicious software for people to download. Some of the ads on these sites are malicious as well. Don’t feel “safe” just because you have antivirus – because you’re not.  

Business owners: after showing this to your team for both their work and personal devices, click here to schedule a quick 10-minute call to find out how we can implement security systems that will give you stronger protections against hackers and against employees who accidentally click on or download a malicious file.  

What an experience!

COMPUSHOOTER was one of the exhibitors at the Academy of Osseointegration at the Phoenix Convention Center.

The convention brought together over 2,000 attendees from around the world, including dentists, oral surgeons, periodontists, and implantologists. As a service provider, I had the chance to showcase my business and connect with potential clients.

In addition to exhibiting our services, attending the conference also provided an opportunity to learn about the latest trends and technologies in the industry. This knowledge will enable us to offer better services to our clients and stay ahead of the competition.

As a business owner, I understand that marketing plays a vital role in our success. Events like this not only provide a networking opportunity but also serve as a marketing platform for our business.

Our IT solutions are specifically designed to meet the needs of dental practices. From services such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, data backup, and disaster recovery to name a few. We help dental clinics streamline their technology to improve patient care, stable practice operations, and enhance overall productivity.  

 Here at COMPUSHOOTER, we take care of your IT so you can focus on providing quality care for your patients. 

Are you participating at the Academy of Osseointegration Annual Meeting at the Phoenix Convention Center?

Join us at Booth 248. We’d love to meet you!

I am thrilled to be part of this Annual Meeting. It is such an exciting opportunity for us to connect with dental clinic owners and dental care professionals.

Visit us at our booth and get your FREE DARKWEB SCAN. It’s our way to give back to the community. This FREE scan will search for any instances of stolen credentials or sensitive information belonging to the clinic. If any information is found, our team will provide recommendations on how to mitigate the risk and protect against potential future attacks.

We understand that cyber threats are a growing concern for dental clinics, and we want to help you proactively protect your business and your patients’ information. Our IT solutions are tailored to the unique needs of dental clinics, and we are committed to providing exceptional service and support.

Visit the COMPUSHOOTER booth, you will also get the chance to receive a FREE IT consultation. Our team will take the time to get to know your business and understand its unique needs.

We know that attending a conference can be overwhelming, with so many booths and vendors vying for your attention. That’s why we’re committed to providing you with a stress-free, no-pressure environment. We’re here to answer your questions, provide you with valuable insights, and help you make informed decisions about your IT needs.

We’re looking forward to meeting you and learning more about your business!