Miss Media had the chance to talk with Jack Mattera from TJM Consultants, LLC and boy, was it an eye opener! Jack and his fine company are experts in Digital Forensics, Security Planning and Disaster Recovery. What does that mean exactly?
According to Jack:
“Well, if you need to know what is on a computer hard drive, USB thumb drive, CD/DVD, USB External hard drive, cellular phone, smart phone or PDA, we can retrieve not only the files that currently exist but files that have been deleted.”
And it doesn’t stop there. They can also break a password code that’s protected or encrypted or find out where someone has been surfing on the Internet.
“The bottom line is if data was on a hard drive or other piece of computer media and it has not been overwritten, TJM Consultants will find the data for you.”
He had me thinking twice about the information I give out on the Internet, who’s getting it and what they can do with it!
So I asked Jack what we could do to make sure we don’t need his services.
He advised me of the following lessons:
Lesson #1: Be Proactive.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Examine your system today. If you’re a small business, do you have a firewall in place? Antivirus software running? Do you update it often (the viruses are constantly morphing and changing. Your software needs to keep up!)
Jack also suggested the “poor man’s firewall” which is a router. While it’s not as comprehensive as an actual firewall system, it does give viruses and hackers another “hoop” to jump through, technically speaking.
Lesson #2: Become an Email Detective.
You may think you know spam. You may have great filters in place. But it slips through, in smarter and more cunning ways, every day.
Jack instructs you to not open any attachments. Opening an attachment can give a virtual thief just the information he or she needs about you) and to examine URL’s before you click on them (do they seem like a legitimate URL or a jumble of strange letters?)
Lesson 3: Be Sign-off Savvy.
Be aware that the simple act of signing off of websites is a way of closing and locking a door. Many of us leave a slew of windows open throughout our workday and then carelessly put the computer to “sleep.” Take the extra 3 seconds to sign off of websites and programs. And turn your computer OFF sometimes!
Lesson 4: Know Thy Website!
Don’t give your power over to a web designer or developer. If they go, so can your website! As Jack puts it “Nobody should hold all of the keys.” This means you should also make sure the domain name and administrative contact should be you, you and you!
Working with your web designer or developer also helps to demystify and understand the website process a little better. Stay an active part of a new website design. Know what your web designer is doing at all stages.
See what you’ve learned today?
TJM Consultants, LLC
926 Haddonfield Road, Suite 338
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Phone: 856-488-6381
24-hour emergency center: 1-877-441-5606
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