The Greater Seattle Area IT Experts

Referred to as Kaby Lake, the processor has been better optimized for 4K video handling and editing than its predecessor was, and reportedly improves upon the battery life as well. However, along with the changes made to the architecture were some changes made to the branding, which will almost certainly cause confusion among consumers.

Before Kaby Lake, Intel essentially had two lines of processors: Core i and Core M. Core i was the stronger of the two options with the i5 and i7 processors, while the Core m5 and m7 were typically put into tablets. However, as Kaby Lake was released, Intel changed the name of their Core M processors so that an m5 is now called… an i5.

Mind you, there has been no change in the capabilities of the processors, just in the name. The only distinguishing feature between Core M and Core i is now the inclusion of Y or U, respectively, in the SKU numbers included in the extended name of the products. What’s worse, when researching components to include as a part of a workstation configuration, many websites will only display that an i7 processor is included--meaning that it is entirely possible for someone to purchase a less-than-adequate solution for their needs because the SKU numbers are buried in the product specifications.

While the average consumer would likely notice little difference between the two, business users will need to be especially cognizant of this name change as they select a solution to suit their business. Of course, that’s assuming a business user has the time to research the solutions they will need to continue their operations in such depth, and the focus to spare on ensuring the SKU numbers match the processor to fit their work needs.

If a business doesn’t have the time to spare digging through minutiae, they could always call Digital Seattle for assistance. Our expert technicians make sure that solutions are properly devised to meet the expectations any business requires. Call Digital Seattle at (206) 709-9556 today to evaluate your tech to ensure your solutions are adequate.

To help you get the best help for your remote needs, we’ve assembled a list of questions that you should consider asking anyone who you’re considering for a remote position.

“Do You Have Remote Work Experience?”
Sometimes one of the easiest ways to judge whether an employee can perform well remotely is if they have experience doing so. If this is their first attempt at working remotely, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker either. You should consider their qualifications and reliability above all else. Eventually, any remote worker will grow accustomed to the specific demands of their position, and if they can form good remote working habits, it’s likely that they can be counted on to perform with minimal supervision.

“What Tools Do You Have Experience With?”
The remote worker requires a particular skill set in order to succeed. They need to be able to adapt to new technology solutions, and they should have some experience working with online collaboration tools. Solutions like email, cloud computing, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and instant messaging should all be first on their list of qualifications.

“What Does Your Home Office Look Like?”
If you’re hiring a remote worker, it’s reasonable to ask them about the environment that they will be working in. After all, you’re responsible for ensuring that it’s cohesive to the overall success of the employee’s remote work experience. The home office should contain minimal distractions, but should include the technology needed to facilitate productivity. You should ask about their Internet connection, minimum technology requirements for the required position, etc.

“Can We Expect Regular Hours From You?”
Remote workers will often be tempted to waste time while out of the office on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, or they may just get caught up in chores and other everyday occurrences. You should be able to count on remote workers to have a relatively consistent schedule. Ask them about their daily routines, when they take lunch, and what their habits are during the day. You need to ensure that your remote workers will be available when you need them to be.

“How Autonomous Are You in the Face of Conflict?”
If a remote worker runs into trouble somewhere on a project, can they be expected to troubleshoot the issue and properly resolve it? Remote workers don’t have the advantage of being in an office full of people who might have answers for them. Instead, they should have the tools (and be prepared) to contact the person who can help them, whether it’s your in-house IT department or an outsourced IT provider.

If you’re having difficulty managing your remote workers, Digital Seattle can provide you with the tools necessary to ensure their productivity. To learn more, give us a call at (206) 709-9556.

Twitoor is an app that, when installed, places a Trojan on the Android device that receives commands from a central Twitter account. Twitoor can download and install malicious applications, steal data, and switch between alternative command-and-control Twitter accounts. Since you can’t find Twitoor on the Google Play store, it’s thought that it spreads through downloading via a malicious link and “side-loading” it onto a device.

Once Twitoor has been installed on the device, it becomes a part of a botnet. Botnets are commonly used by cyber criminals to spread the influence of their malware across multiple devices. The idea is to infect as many devices as possible by creating “zombie-bots,” or devices that are enslaved and forced to adhere to the hackers’ commands. These networks are capable of performing actions that singular devices cannot, like initiate DDoS attacks. Normally, a typical botnet can leave behind signs of its origins (where it’s receiving commands from), which security professionals can use to find the source of the botnet. They can then shut down the server issuing the commands, but in the case of Twitoor, it’s a bit more complicated.

The problem with Twitoor is that its devices receive commands from a Twitter account that’s always changing. This helps it to avoid detection. ZDNet explains further measures taken by the message to avoid detection: “Those behind the malware have also taken additional steps to safeguard Twitoor, including encrypting messages to further obfuscate their activities.” This makes Twitoor more difficult to destroy at its roots than a typical botnet.

Criminals are adapting their approaches to hacking in an attempt to innovate and explore new opportunities, and Twitoor is the perfect example of this. You always need to be aware of all types of threats, not just traditional ones. We recommend that you reach out to Digital Seattle for assistance with securing your organization’s network security. This includes mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

In particular, a mobile device management solution can help your organization keep tabs on its mobile devices. You can secure your devices through whitelisting and blacklisting apps, limiting access to sensitive data, and remotely wiping devices that are in danger of being compromised or infection. These preventative measures are designed to mitigate risk, which is an essential part of working with technology solutions.

To learn more, reach out to us at (206) 709-9556.