AZCOMP Technologies IT February 2018

AZCOMP Technologies IT February 2018

(855) 556-4677 www.azcomp.com www.azcomp.com/it-solutions

FEBRUARY 2018

Empowering Small Practices To Deliver The Best Care

IT

THE GREATEST RAID IN HISTORY How the Atlantic Was Won

We have unique core values here at AZCOMP. They mean a lot to us and help us define our mission. One of those values, “We go where Eddie would go,” describes our willingness to do the things that no other company would. For us, going where Eddie would go is all about being passionate and determined for our customers, even when the situation looks insurmountable. The origin of this value comes from the world of surfing. I won’t recount the entire story behind it, but here’s a Sparknotes version. Eddie Aikau is one of the most legendary surfers of all time. In addition to tackling massive waves, he also completed more than 500 rescues on Waimea Bay, one of Hawaii’s most treacherous stretches of surf. His fearlessness and selflessness are the basis for our core values. I may not be much of a surfer, but I am a big history buff. Another example of fighting for what you believe in, even if success seems impossible, comes from one of my favorite battles from World War II. The battle I’m talking about is known as the St. Nazaire Raid, and it’s often regarded as the greatest raid in history. In early 1942, the Nazis still controlled much of the Atlantic. Through their control of France, they were able to establish a strong fleet without needing to pass through liberated Britain to return to Germany. Instead, they relied on the large docks in St. Nazaire, France to refuel and repair their ships. For their largest ships in particular, this dock was absolutely essential. The British forces, despite knowing that the area was heavily fortified and nearly impenetrable, realized that destroying the dock would be a pivotal moment in the war. In January, Louis Mountbatten devised a plan, known as Operation Chariot, to target St. Nazaire. Mountbatten believed that the seeming impossibility of an attack was an advantage for the British. The Nazis would never see it coming.

On March 28, 1942, Operation Chariot was put into motion. The main objective was to crash a boat loaded with delayed-action explosives into the dock, rendering it unusable. To achieve this, the British enlisted 611 troops from the Royal Navy and British Commandos. The boats were disguised as German to avoid early detection. Even with a thorough plan in place, the troops knew they were engaging in an extremely dangerous mission, one that many of them would not make it back from. But that didn’t stop them. When they landed, the British took heavy fire. Nearly all of the ships designated to provide safe passage home were destroyed. Many commandos were stranded, either dying or being taken in as prisoners of war. Of the 611 men that took part in the mission, only 228 returned to Britain. Despite the casualties, the mission was a success and helped push the Allies to victory in the battle for the Atlantic. The ship loaded with explosives managed to ram the dock, the explosives went off, and the British dealt a major blow to Germany naval supremacy in the Atlantic. The dock was rendered unusable for the remainder of the war. The heroes that took part in the raid are an inspiration. Their victory is proof when you’re passionate and determined, nothing is impossible. The world may have doubted that St. Nazaire could be taken, but the troops on the ground believed in their mission. This belief helped bring about the end of the Nazi regime. In short, it made the world a better place. Both of these stories help me recognize that if you’re not willing to push yourself, you’ll never know the limits of what you can achieve. Keep that in mind the next time you face a challenge. –Andrew

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(855) 556-4677 AZCOMP Technologies, Inc. www.azcomp.com/it-solutions • 1

DON’T GET LURED BY THESE PHISHING SCAMS There’s Always Another Phish in the Sea

Phishing scams are a tried-and- true way for cybercriminals to gain access to private information. In these attacks, hackers disguise nefarious software as innocent-looking communication. They are so named

platform — masquerading as official customer support accounts. When a customer registers an issue, they are asked for information that is then used to exploit their account. SHIPPING INFO SCAM An internet security company called Comodo discovered this hack last July. It targeted small businesses by delivering emails to their inboxes with the subject line “Shipping Information.” A tracking link in the body of the email caused malware to be installed on the user’s computer, giving hackers backdoor access to sensitive business information, including credit card accounts. HOW TO AVOID BEING LURED The best defense against phishing scams is vigilance. Hackers rely on careless clicks to gain information. Any links that arrive in unprompted emails should be avoided. If you engage with customer service on social media, do some research to ensure the account is authentic. Even better, only seek support from the company’s website, rather than using an intermediary. The team at AZCOMP can help ensure that your network has up- to-date protection. If you’re worried about being vulnerable to an attack of any kind, we can help. NEED NETWORKING OR COMPUTER HELP?

because they lure the user into giving up their information. In the past, phishing scams most often took the form of emails, but hackers have become more sophisticated. Here are some of the forms phishing has taken in the past year. GOOGLE DOCS PHISHING A user may know to be wary of a text-only email, but something that looks like an official Google request is a lot harder to detect. Last May, 3 million Gmail users were sent fake editing requests for Google Docs. Once the user granted the request, hackers had access to their entire Gmail account. Because many Gmail users never use Google Docs, they mistook these attacks for legitimate requests. SOCIAL MEDIA PHISHING According to Infosecurity magazine, social media phishing grew more than 500 percent last year. In these “angular phishing” schemes, users create fake social media profiles — Twitter being the most prominent SPOTLIGHT ON JUSTIN HENNINGER

Justin Henninger has been an IT consultant here at AZCOMP for over two years now. During that

Call our direct support line: (480) 730-3055 Create a support ticket via email: [email protected]

time, he’s helped countless customers deal with difficult tech problems. To a lot of people, that probably sounds like a nightmare, but not to Justin. He relishes the opportunity to help people through their issues. “I especially like helping clients deal with difficult challenges,” he says. “Watching them go from stressed to relieved is the most rewarding part of my day.”

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