The Connection Newsletter

Issue: # 2020-01 January 2020

January Newsletter

Welcome back to this month’s edition of The Connection Newsletter!

We hope everyone enjoyed and had a happy and safe holiday season. For those homeowners with alarm systems that have ever tried to figure out why their alarm is beeping, make sure to check out our Residential Security section for some of those most common causes. And for business owners – odds are protection from external threats is a priority for you, but how much do you know about insider attacks? This month’s Commercial Security section has some important tips you may not be aware of.

Thank you for subscribing to The Connection Newsletter – every month, we strive to send you important and relevant news, updates, and other information about the best way to protect your home or business. If you ever have any questions about anything in The Connection Newsletter, or have suggestions for topics you’d like us to write about either here or in our blog, please let us know!

Our Blog

Don’t forget to regularly check out our blog that can be found on our website.

We tackle various security topics that you may be thinking about. If you have any ideas for future blog posts, please contact us.

Commercial Security

Business Security 101: How to Protect Yourself from Insider Attacks

Today, the majority of security solutions you have in place for your business are designed to help protect you from outside threats. However, research has proven that you also have to direct some of your attention to insider attacks.

In fact, up to 90 percent of all organizations feel as though they are “at risk” of some type of insider attack. If you want to protect your business and limit the risk of an attack keep reading.

Implement Access Control Systems

No business owner wants to think that one of their trusted employees would “turn against” them. However, this is a situation that occurs all the time. A good way to ensure that employees don’t have the opportunity to carry out these nefarious acts is by installing an access control system.

These systems can be designed to meet your specific needs. For example, do you want to limit access to certain parts of the building or just limit certain employee’s ability to get into a room, area, or place for certain times of the day? With access control systems, all this is possible helping you safeguard your business and assets.

Have Security “Best Practices” Protocols in Place

In addition to installing an access control system in your building, it’s also a good idea to create and implement a security “best practices” protocol. This should include information about accessing certain areas, money transfer protocol, the closing process, setting the security system, and more. When your employees are properly trained, the likelihood of an inside breach is reduced.

Install a Robust Security System

One of the most beneficial ways to prevent insider attacks is by installing a robust security system. This system should include video surveillance, monitoring, gas and fire alarm features, and more. Just having a security system in place can help to safeguard your business significantly.

If you want to avoid an insider attack in the new year, be sure to use the tips and information found here. Doing so will discourage employees from taking action that would impact you and your business in a negative manner.

Residential Security

Tips to Keep Your Alarm System from Beeping

The annoying sound of a continuously beeping security system can drive anyone crazy. Bad batteries, faulty wiring, a power outage – the potential causes of this problem are vast. Not only is a false alarm irritating to you and everyone in your home, it can also be dangerous. If you want to make sure your home is secure at all times, you need a security system that’s working properly.

Here, you can learn how to silence your alarm, but if the beeping continues, be sure to check your security system provider.

Be Sure There’s No Risk

Check the security panel and the other sounding devices (the carbon monoxide or smoke detectors) to make sure that the beeping isn’t because of a legitimate risk, such as a carbon monoxide leak, fire, or intrusion. If you believe the alarm was triggered by something real, contact the monitoring company or the appropriate authorities.

Change the Batteries

Check the system’s batteries. Most systems will keep beeping to let you know you need to change the batteries. This is the case for security detectors and panels. Go through your home and test all the batteries related to your security system with a battery tester. Do this regularly to ensure your system is working properly.

Silence Your Alarm

If dead or faulty batteries aren’t the case, try to silence your alarm. Most standard systems let you eliminate the beeping if you do one of the following:

· Find the status button on the keypad and press it

· Arm the system and then immediately disarm it

· Enter your unique code to disarm the system

While these methods should work, there are some systems that require you to take another approach. If your system doesn’t stop beeping, it’s best to contact your provider for help.

Tech Corner

Tips for Securing Your IoT and Smart Home Devices

The IoT (Internet of Things) devices available today are extremely appealing convenience products that make life easier. However, what some people don’t realize is that these devices aren’t always secure.

If you have a smart home but having implemented the proper security, all these convenience factors may become a vulnerability if they are targeted by hackers or cyber criminals. Some tips to help you secure all these devices can be found here.

Secure Your Home’s Router

Securing your IoT and smart home devices begins with your router. This is the primary piece of hardware that connects all your IoT devices. While it is very common for homeowners to just use the router provided by their ISP, they aren’t always secure. These routers are provided to customers with simple-to-hack and widely known passwords and default settings that aren’t typically changed.

After your internet has been installed, make sure you change the SSID and the router password right away. You can enhance the security of the password you choose by using a complicated combination of symbols and numbers.

Create a Secondary Network

There are some homeowners who choose to create a secondary network for visitors and guests. However, it’s smart to make one just for your IoT devices, too. If a network breach does occur, all your sensitive information, such as your financial and health information, will be secure on a completely different network.

Update Your IoT Device Settings

Similar to your router, your IoT devices will come with default settings. These need to be updated regularly. Some updates you will need to make include security patches that keep the device safe from cyber criminals and viruses. If these updates are neglected, it is easier for a hacker to find flaws and to breach your network.

If you want to keep your smart and IoT devices safe and secure, use the tips and information found here.

ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA

Question:

Who is the Eagles nomination for President off of their LP ‘Eagles Live’ ?

A) Glenn Frey

B) Joe Walsh

C) Don Henley

D) Jimmy Carter

PREVIOUS MONTH’S ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA

Question:

Which of these Byrds hits is the odd one out?

A) My Back Pages

B) Mr. Tambourine Man

C) The Times They Are A Changin’

D) Turn, Turn, Turn

The other three were all written and recorded by Bob Dylan. The lyrics to "Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There is a Season)" were adapted from the "Book of Ecclesiastes" in "The Bible", set to music composed by Pete Seeger.

OUR SERVICES

We offer a wide-range of Commercial and Residential Security Services that include:

• Surveillance Systems
• Burglar Alarms
• Fire Alarms
• Access Control

For immediate assistance or information on any of our services, please email us at customercare@perfectconnectionsinc.com or call: 908-722-2880.

OUR REFERRAL PROGRAM

Our referral program works like this. If someone you refer to us turns into a client, you get your choice of a number of $50 gifts!

All you have to do is email us at customercare@perfectconnectionsinc.com and put "Referral Program" in the subject line. Please be sure to include the name and contact information for the person you are referring, along with the $50 gift of your choice. Also, be sure to include your contact information so we can send you your gift, once your referral turns into a sale. If you prefer to call us with all the information, please do so at: 908-722-2880.

Thank you for reading our January issue. Don’t forget to read our weekly blog as well.

See you next month!