The Thurston, Pierce, Lewis, and Mason Counties IT Experts

Determine the Computer’s Role

Before you get too far into the specifications, you should know why you are purchasing new hardware. Are you looking to upgrade the systems in your office? Do you need new systems for a startup enterprise?  Are you just looking for one computer to do some very specific task? Understanding why you are buying a system can dictate your priorities in regard to specific hardware. 

The CPU

The CPU is how your computer processes all the actions and data that you ask it to. Since most people know what a CPU is, we’re not going to go into detail about it. The processor--actually microprocessor--is the core component of a computer’s CPU. Most CPUs feature microprocessors manufactured by one of two companies, either Intel or AMD. Let’s take a look at the processors you may find in a new PC:

Intel 

Intel is the largest processor manufacturer in the world. It has recently begun to tier the processors they build, providing consumers with an easier-to-understand menu of processors to choose from. Here are the newest products:

• Intel Core i3: Ideal for low-end work, like editing documents, checking email, and surfing the Internet. The latest generation of Core i3 should also suffice to stream video on YouTube and Netflix.
• Intel Core i5: The i5 processor is a little more powerful than your average i3, as it can handle some light photo editing and gaming. It’s a decent choice for your average office workstation.
• Intel Core i7: i7 processors are more high-end for video editing and gaming.
• Intel Core i9: i9 is a tier that has only just recently surfaced. For the average business’ needs, it’s overkill, but it’s perfect for 3D animation, rendering, gaming while streaming, scientific calculations, and so on. The price tag is just as high as you would think.

AMD

California-based AMD may be dwarfed in market share but has taken advantage of Intel’s inability to keep up with demand and has expanded its market share with its Ryzen line of processors. AMD has also begun to tier their options, providing consumers a general idea of what processors will fit their computing requirements. Options include:

• AMD Ryzen 3: To put it simply, this is AMD’s version of the Intel Core i3 processor, capable of editing documents, surfing the web, and… not much else.
• AMD Ryzen 5: The Ryzen 5 is about on par with the Intel Core i5, and while you might pay a little bit more for it, the performance of your desktop will improve substantially.
• AMD Ryzen 7: The Ryzen 7 is similar to Intel’s Core i7; this is where you’ll start to see costs increasing quite a bit.
• AMD Threadripper: This is where the overkill starts. The Threadripper is capable of handling heavy loads like 3D animation, gaming while streaming, and other intense computing that your average desktop doesn’t need to do.

How Much Does the GHz Matter?

The speed of a CPU is measured in Gigahertz (GHz). Until the manufacturers started tiering their products, consumers had to keep an eye on the speed of the device. While you still find some higher-end commercial processors clocked lower than you’d expect, you still can be confident that if you are shopping by tier, you are getting the right product for your needs. 

Do the Number of Cores Matter?

The cores of a CPU represent how many separate processing tasks can be done with that card. If you have a dual-core processor, there are generally two microprocessors that share all system resources allowing for users to do twice as many tasks as a single processor. Nowadays, you often see quad-core or octa-core CPUs. The more cores you have, the more separate things your processor is going to be able to process at once. 

If you would like more information about the CPU, or tips on purchasing hardware and software for your business, don’t hesitate to call us at 360-491-2227 today.

How This Economy Works

Much like a business can turn to a provider and purchase the tools they need to operate effectively, cybercriminals of all levels of expertise can do the same via the Dark Web. A relative amateur can procure a fittingly simplistic hacking tool, while those with some experience can make some alterations to these programs, and a veteran hacker will often offer their services in creating custom products for others to use.

How the Costs Compare to the Payouts

According to researchers, these prices can vary wildly, some phishing and data harvesting kits putting an aspiring cybercriminal back a mere $28, while others cost an oddly specific $1601. A complete ransomware kit (which would bring in revenue for the wannabe-hacker) could cost anywhere between $391 and $1044.

However, when comparing the investment that a cybercriminal makes to the potential payout they could make from their scheme, even the higher costs can be seen as chump change. Researchers have estimated that the economic damage incurred by cybercrime is approximately $600 billion per year.

How to Foil Cybercriminals

While it may seem that the natural way to stop a particular cyberattack is to take out a particular tool’s teeth, this is unfortunately a less-than-effective methodology in the face of cybercriminals’ ingenuity. Instead of focusing specifically on the tools being put to use, the behavior of hackers should also be taken into account.

By focusing on an attacker’s methods and tactics, their efforts can quickly become far less cost effective for them and make it more difficult for them to successfully leverage an attack against your business.

PC Technologies has the tools and resources to help you fight back, and we can even monitor your infrastructure to catch incoming threats. To learn more about what you may be up against and how we can help you succeed in the face of adversity, reach out to us at 360-491-2227.

Let’s explore a hypothetical situation: a mouse asks you for a cookie. If you were to give this mouse a cookie, which do you think would be more likely: he says “Thanks!” and goes on his merry way, or he simply increases his demands of you until they are untenable? The latter is almost certainly going to be the case, and the same goes for cybercriminals.

How Ransomware Has Proven Effective

It is no secret that holding valuable things for ransom has long been a choice tactic of criminals of all kinds, but via ransomware, cybercriminals have taken it into the digital world.

The way ransomware works is that, by infecting a device (frequently via phishing or spam), a cybercriminal is able to leverage encryption to lock down their target’s device and potentially the rest of the network the device is attached to. In order to maximize the efficacy of these attacks, cybercriminals will often leverage spear phishing tactics to minimize any suspicion surrounding the attack.

One of the other reasons that ransomware is taken so seriously is the fact that - despite the number of infections dropping - the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center states that the damages experienced by targets have risen.

This is where the attacks on municipalities come into play.

Why Municipalities Have Been Targeted

In the early summer of 2019, two Florida cities, Lake City and the City of Riviera Beach, were effectively shut down by ransomware attacks. Indiana’s LaPorte county paid a ransom of about $130,000 worth when their domain controllers were infected by a ransomware known as Ryuk.

One of the primary reasons that municipalities and governments have been targeted by ransomware is the fact that insurance coverage is available for such attacks, meaning that there is less of a risk to municipalities in paying the ransom. As a result, these cities, towns, and counties have less to potentially lose, and are more inclined to just pay the ransom.

However, if your business is targeted, this is not a strategy that we can recommend.

Instead, You Have to Be Prepared

To help minimize the risk of your data being lost to a ransomware attack, you need to make sure that you maintain up-to-date backups of your data that are kept isolated from the original copy. It is also crucial that these backups are tested, as the only thing worse than losing your data to a ransomware attack is losing your data to a ransomware attack after your backup failed.

Furthermore, you need to be sure that your employees remain educated on how to spot and avoid attacks like ransomware and phishing. Ideally, your employees won’t have more access to your systems than their roles require.

For more help and assistance in securing your IT, reach out to PC Technologies at 360-491-2227.