How to protect yourself against cyber threats on an ongoing basis
In part five of his interview with The Cleaning Crew, Bryley Systems President, Gavin Livingstone, discusses how to ensure that you remain protected against cyber threats.

In part five of his interview with The Cleaning Crew, Bryley Systems President, Gavin Livingstone, discusses how to ensure that you remain protected against cyber threats.
In a recent interview with The Cleaning Crew, Bryley Systems President, Gavin Livingstone, explained the importance of cyber security. Watch the first part of the interview below.
Have you received a rogue email from a friend or acquaintance that seems out of character? For example: Why is Aunt Mildred calling me “Friend” in her email? Or, does neighbor Fred really want me to invest in Nigeria?
Odds are, their email accounts – particularly if located at online services like Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, or Windows Live Hotmail – have been hijacked. (Visit About.com at About.com:Free Email Review for a review of the top 16 free email services by Heinz Tschabitscher.)
With an online service, the email application is cloud-based; the application does not reside locally on the computer, so it is probably the online account that has been compromised. (Your PC could also be infected, which is discussed later.) Typically, the password is discovered, providing an easy entry to stored emails (which could contain sensitive information) and a contact list that can be exploited.
If this happens to you, login to your account and take these steps:
As with any account, change your password regularly and change your challenge questions periodically. Visit the About.com article on how to change your Gmail at About.com: Change Your Gmail Password.
For a related article by Leo Notenboom at Ask Leo, please visit Ask-Leo.com: How to stop someone sending email with my address.
If the email application reside locally and connects to a secure site, your PC would be suspect and should be interrogated by virus and malware scanners. You should also scrutinize your Microsoft Outlook contacts and rename the Contacts folder.
It is still possible that your computer is infected; your account information might have been recovered through a keyboard logger that records your keystrokes and sends them to the hacker. If so, you need to clean-up your computer before taking the steps above.
In a recent survey by Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), most small and medium-sized businesses participating felt they were safe from cyber threats, although just 17% of the 1,015 companies had a formal plan for cyber security. Other contradictory items:
Visit Small biz survey: No cybersecurity plans — no worries. What? for the full CNet article by Charles Cooper.
In a separate survey during the fall of 2011, research firm Opinion Matterspolled 200 IT decision makers working in companies of five to 250 employees. Although almost 88% had web-monitoring/filtering software, over 40% of respondents have had a security breach due to unsafe web browsing.
Visit 40% of SMB have had a security breach due to unsafe Web surfingfor the full ConnectIT article by Mark Cox.
Both studies suggest that these businesses are not as secure as they think.
According to the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), October is the month to promote Cyber Security Awareness, which “…encourages people to do their part to make their online lives safe and secure.”
The NCSA’s philosophy is that safe browsing is a shared responsibility: “Everyone has a role in securing their part of cyber space, including the devices and networks they use.” NCASM provides a focal point for participants to educate others about safe and secure usage. Its three-part mantra:
The official presidential proclamation states that NCASM is the time to “…recommit to ensuring that our information and infrastructure remain secure, reliable, and resilient”.
Business users may visit Keep My Business Safe for details on how to secure their businesses. There are safety tips for individuals and some free security-checkup tools.
Call our business managed IT services department directly at (978) 547-7221 or simply fill out this form and we will get in touch with you to set up a getting-to-know-you introductory phone call.
200 Union Street Clinton, MA 01510
© Copyright 2025 BRYLEY. All Rights Reserved. Website in partnership with Tech Pro Marketing. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement