Vivo X Flip details appear, new clamshell foldable coming

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Vivo X Flip details appear, new clamshell foldable coming
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Some Vivo X Flip details have just surfaced. As you have probably noticed from the name itself, this is a clamshell foldable. Once it launches, it will become Vivo’s very first clamshell foldable smartphone, actually.

The Vivo X Flip spec details have just surfaced

The ‘Flip’ branding has kind of become a synonym for clamshell foldable phones. Samsung has been using it for years, and OPPO adopted it with the OPPO Find N2 Flip. Those two companies arguably have the most prominent flip phones on the market at the moment.

In any case, the Vivo X Flip did surface in the past, but we haven’t heard much about it for a while now. Well, a well-known tipster, Digital Chat Station, just shared some details about the device.

The tipster says that the phone will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. That is not Qualcomm’s most powerful offering at the moment, but it’s still an impressive processor with great power consumption. It’s a good choice for sure.

A large main foldable display will be included, and offer a 120Hz refresh rate

The phone will include a 6.8-inch fullHD+ main foldable display, with a centered display camera hole. That panel will offer a 120Hz refresh rate, by the way. The cover panel will be a square, but the tipster did not share the details regarding it.

Vivo X Flip sketch and mockup
Older Vivo X Flip mockup.

Vivo will include 12GB of RAM on the inside, while a 4,400mAh battery will sit on the inside of the phone. 44W wired charging will be supported, while wireless charging probably won’t be on offer.

The phone will feature two cameras on the back

A 50-megapixel main camera (Sony’s IMX866 sensor) will be included on the back, along with a 12-megapixel secondary camera (Sony’s IMX663 sensor). He also mentioned that a side-facing fingerprint scanner will be in use, and that a rear camera island will sit in the top-left corner. It will be circular, by the way.

This phone is expected to launch in China next month, but Vivo didn’t confirm it just yet.


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Twitter faces second outage in a week, Musk blames “brittle” code stack

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Twitter faces second outage in a week, Musk blames “brittle” code stack
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Twitter was partly broken on Monday, the second such outage in less than a week. Several users reported problems with links and images on the platform. The social network didn’t load images properly and also didn’t let users view links. An internal code change caused the issue that lasted for more than an hour. CEO Elon Musk said Twitter’s code stack is “extremely brittle” and needs rewriting.

“Some parts of Twitter may not be working as expected right now. We made an internal change that had some unintended consequences. We’re working on this now and will share an update when it’s fixed,” the company tweeted at 12:19 pm ET/9:19 am PT on Monday. Less than an hour later, it tweeted again: “Things should now be working as normal. Thanks for sticking with us!” According to Ookla’s web monitoring tool Downdetector, users started reporting issues with Twitter at around 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 am PT (via). The issues lasted for almost two hours.

Twitter didn’t elaborate on the cause of the problem. But it appears the company made some changes to its API and ended up breaking something. “Your current API plan does not include access to this endpoint, please see https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api for more information,” the app’s error message read when users clicked on any links. The social network blocked free access to its API last month, breaking many third-party Twitter clients. It plans to launch a paid version.

Twitter CEO blamed ‘brittle” code stack for this outage

Elon Musk, meanwhile, blamed Twitter’s code stack for giving in easily. “A small API change had massive ramifications. The code stack is extremely brittle for no good reason,” he tweeted about Monday’s issues. “Will ultimately need a complete rewrite,” the Twitter CEO added. While Musk may be speaking the truth, the social network has been facing more issues than before since he took over the company last year. The new owner has fired more than 80 percent of the company’s global workforce. The remaining staff seems to be finding it difficult to maintain the platform.

Last week, thousands of Twitter users around the world reported issues with timelines and other parts of the app. That was preceded by another glitch that blocked users from following others last month. Around the same time, some people also saw an error saying they were over their “daily rate limit”. A similar problem surfaced in December as well. At this rate, we wouldn’t be surprised if Twitter faces more downtime in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted.


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Zuckerberg copies Musk announcing Meta Verified for Facebook and Instagram

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Zuckerberg copies Musk announcing Meta Verified for Facebook and Instagram
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It looks like Twitter isn’t the only company willing to put a little blue checkmark next to your name in return for a stream of monthly payments. As you probably know, Twitter is asking $8 per month or an annual payment of $84 in order to join Twitter Blue, which, among other features, will allow you to have your identity verified with a blue checkmark next to your name. Today, Meta co-founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will test a new service called Meta Verified.
Meta calls Meta Verified a subscription bundle for Instagram and Facebook and includes a verified badge that shows that you are who you say you are and have verified your identity using a form of government ID. The bundle also helps protect subscribers from having their identities impersonated by using “proactive account monitoring.” Members of Meta Verified also will have access to a real person to handle common issues that an Instagram or Facebook user might have.

Meta Verified subscribers will have their content more prominently featured on Instagram and Facebook

Other features of the program will give Meta Verified users increased visibility and reach. This means that subscribers will have their posts prominently appear in certain areas of the Instagram and Facebook platforms such as “search, comments, and “recommendations.” Lastly, the subscription bundle offers users exclusive features that will allow them to express themselves “in unique ways.”

Meta co-founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg - Zuckerberg copies Musk announcing Meta Verified for Facebook and Instagram

Meta co-founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg

The Meta Verified subscription bundle will be available starting later this week in Australia and New Zealand as a direct purchase on Instagram and Facebook. Make the purchase on the web and it will cost the equivalent of $11.99 per month. If you subscribe via the Facebook or Instagram app on iOS or Android, the price is the equivalent of $14.99 per month. Hmm. Why should an in-app purchase from the App Store or Google Play Store be 25% more expensive (wink, wink)?

To be eligible to sign up for the program, accounts have to show that they were active in the past with a prior posting history, and the account owner must be at least 18 years of age. Those applying for a Meta Verified subscription must submit a government ID to Meta showing their name and photograph (like a Driver’s License, for example) which must match the name and photo used on their Facebook or Instagram account.

Meta Verified will soon be available globally

Meta says, “We’re also committed to continuous monitoring and review of reported violations, as well as taking swift action against those who try to evade our systems.” There will be no changes to accounts on Facebook and Instagram that are already verified based on previous requirements.

The company states, “Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses, and our community at large. As part of this vision, we are evolving the meaning of the verified badge so we can expand access to verification and more people can trust the accounts they interact with are authentic.”

After being tested in Australia and New Zealand, Meta says that it hopes to bring Meta Verified to the rest of the world soon.

Back when the company was known as Facebook, it made what is arguably the best acquisition of all time in the tech industry by paying $1 billion for Instagram back in 2012. Some believe that Instagram is now worth in excess of $100 billion. Instagram has matured from a camera filter app to a broader, more well-rounded social media site.
In 2014, Facebook announced its purchase of messaging app WhatsApp for an initial price of $16 billion. By the time the deal closed a few months after it was first revealed, the final price tag of the transaction had ballooned to a range of $19 billion-$21 billion due to Facebook’s increasing stock valuation.

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Galaxy S20 & Galaxy Z Flip 5G get One UI 5.1 in the US

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Galaxy S20 & Galaxy Z Flip 5G get One UI 5.1 in the US
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Samsung has released the One UI 5.1 update for the Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip 5G in the US. The devices follow dozens of other models in the party, including the LTE model of the original clamshell foldable. The new One UI version brings several new features and improvements.

The One UI 5.1 update for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra is initially rolling out to the carrier-locked variants. Depending on your carrier, you will receive a new OTA (over the air) package with the firmware build number G98*USQU3HWB3 or G98*USQU3HWB5. As of this writing, the rollout has hit units on T-Mobile, Metro, and US Cellular networks. Units on the remaining networks should also pick up the latest release soon. The update should also be available for factory-unlocked variants of the 2020 Samsung flagships in the coming days.

Meanwhile, if you’re using the Galaxy Z Flip 5G in the US, One UI 5.1 for your phone comes with firmware version F707U1UEU3HWB1. You might have noticed that it’s the unlocked variant (model number SM-F707U1).

Samsung hasn’t released the update for the carrier-locked variant yet. The rollout is widely available for unlocked models, though. So it should just be a matter of time before all Galaxy Z Flip 5G users in the US can get the taste of One UI 5.1. As said earlier, both carrier-locked and unlocked units of the LTE model have already received this update.

This update contains plenty of goodies for Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 5G users. One UI 5.1 adds new selfie effects to the camera app, Shared Family Album to Gallery, new and improved gestures for enhanced multitasking, smart settings suggestions, improved widgets, enhanced image remastering, activity-based automatic changing of wallpapers, improvements to stock apps, and more.

The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G aren’t getting the March update just yet

The latest update for the Galaxy S20 trio and Galaxy Z Flip 5G brings the February security patch. Samsung released the March patch earlier today, so it will take some time before the latest release reaches these phones. We will let you know when they get the March SMR (Security Maintenance Release). In the meantime, you can navigate to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check for updates manually. Since One UI 5.1 is a major update, you might want to download it over Wi-Fi rather than mobile data.


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What is a good Internet speed?

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What is a good Internet speed?
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With the increasing internet demand around the globe, how can anyone determine which is a good internet connection and which isn’t? Back in the day, people were content with moderate internet speeds of 200 Mbps or at maximum 500 Mbps, however, things are not the same anymore. With smart devices coming into the picture, there is more need for speed and so, how do you figure out which speed is right for you?

Fortunately, while the demand for a higher internet speed keeps increasing, we have many ISPs that can provide the right speed and help to keep your smart devices up and running at all times. You can choose fiber internet, cable internet, or any other internet connection.

Particularly, fiber and cable internet have become superfast and are super popular because of that. WOW is just one of those providers. It offers a variety of internet plans at varying speeds, like WOW Fast internet plan goes up to 400 Mbps internet speed, whereas WOW Gigabit goes up to 1000 Mbps – click here to know more about it.

But enough about the demand and change in the world, let’s get back to the topic at hand and talk about good internet speed.

What’s a Good Internet Speed for me?

Ask your neighbors what a good internet speed is and you’ll get a different answer from every one of them. That’s because a good internet speed is not a math equation with only one answer, rather it is different for everyone. Take the simple example of your family. Every member of the family has a different need and requirement for internet speed.

While you might need it for your remote work, other members of the family might need it for gaming or streaming movies. Thus, you can tell that you need a super high-speed internet connection!

Similarly, if you need an internet connection just for the sake of checking your emails and keeping up to date with the news, etc., then you won’t need a very speedy internet connection. This is why the activities that you perform, whether daily or sometimes, are important in determining the right internet speed for you.

Hopefully, this will give you a little insight into where high-speed internet is required and where it isn’t.

How to Pick the Right Internet Plan?

Finding the right internet plan is harder than you think. The reason for this is exactly that there are so many options around you that you have no idea what to choose. In terms of ISPs, there are plenty of well-known providers with a winning reputation and great services. Additionally, each provider has more than one connection type. Let’s go through these connection types briefly.

Cable

Cable is the most popular type of connection in the U.S. and is also the most common. People love this connection type because of its reliability and its affordability. In many aspects, this connection type falls second only to Fiber, but otherwise, it is a great option as compared to other types.

Fiber

Fiber is the newest type of internet connection and is also in high demand. Forget homes, offices, and organizations also want in on this technology! The internet speed and reliability of this connection are, by far, the best! Some disadvantages are the price and the limited availability of this connection.

DSL

DSL is the most affordable type of connection and it lacks in terms of a lot of things. In terms of speed, the speed gets slower the farther you are from the ISP’s data center. The reliability of the connection is also not one of its strongest points.

Satellite

The satellite internet is the slowest connection out of all four. In terms of affordability and availability, the equipment for connecting and setting everything up is expensive. And when it comes to availability, you need to meet a few conditions before you sign up for it. It isn’t very reliable either and is easily affected by bad weather.

About WOW

As we mentioned once before, WOW is one of the popular internet providers due to its speedy internet and excellent services. WOW covers around 36 states and it delivers bandwidth over a hybrid fiber-coaxial network. This is how you get the best of both worlds by getting a speed almost as much as a fiber connection at the price of a cable connection! To learn more about Xfinity, simply call 844-207-8721.

On a Final Note

Finding the right internet is undoubtedly a difficult task, however, with the right resources and guidance, you can definitely find the right connection type and speed for yourself. Just be sure to check reviews and feedback from the provider’s customers to get a really good idea of what you will be signing up for.


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TikTok introduces Series for eligible creators, enabling them to offer premium content to fans

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TikTok introduces Series for eligible creators, enabling them to offer premium content to fans
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Love it or hate it, TikTok is here. It not only has millions of active users, but it has a high quantity of dedicated creators, who are earning a living through the platform. And it’s difficult to blame tem, because a large user base means high traffic, which in turn means that if you know what you are doing, you can blow up pretty easily. As such, new features being introduced isn’t any sort of surprise, because you need a constant stream of options to keep both viewers and influencers engaged. Enter stage right: TikTok Series. This new feature will be available to eligible creators and will enable them to offer Collections of content, which are essentially locked behind a paywall.

Dedicated fans will be able to purchase said Collections of content and for a “limited time”, TikTok won’t even take its cut out of the profit, in effort to inspire creators to use the option. This may very well be the most risky move that TikTok has ever done though.

But wait, what’s a Collection any way? Well, it’s a series of videos. But the shock factor comes from the fact that a Collection may include up to 80 videos, each of which can be up to 20 minutes long! That’s a huge departure from the typically very short form videos that are prominent on the platform.

Naturally, though, TikTok won’t take any risks and the Community Guidelines are expected to be followed through, even with this premium content. Speaking of which, creators will be able to decide on their own how much a collection should cost. If their followers decide to proceed with the purchase, they can do so through the creator’s profile or from an in-video link, which means that videos promoting Collections are likely inbound.

As of now, we don’t know the exact extent of the “limited time” for which TikTok will refrain from taking a cut from the earnings accumulated through Series. The sum will pretty much stay intact, save for the respective app store taxes.

The Series feature is a direct response to numerous creators’ outcry regarding the income they receive from the platform. TikTok is paying close attention to this feedback, so offering influencers the option to earn their extra income directly sounds like a fair plan.


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Angry Birds might be flying back to the Play Store

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Angry Birds might be flying back to the Play Store
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The Google Play Store lost one of the most popular mobile games on the market, and it was a sad day all around. However, don’t dress in mourning just yet. It appears that Angry Birds could be returning to the Google Play Store. Only, it will have a different name.

In case you didn’t know, Rovio, the company behind everything Angry Birds, announced that it was delisting Angry Birds from the Google Play Store. The company did this because of the game’s impact on the company’s portfolio. Since the original Angry Birds was a product of 2009, it was developed long before the current age of mobile gaming: The Micro-Transaction Dynasty.

As stated before, the original Angry Birds was having a negative impact on the company’s portfolio. The thing is that the original Angry Birds is still the most popular of Rovio’s titles.

When people search for anything Angry Birds, it’s always the first title to come up. Now, this game cost $0.99 to download. The upfront cost discourages most people from buying it. It also pushed away from downloading the other Rovio games. So, think of Angry Birds as a dam keeping potential traffic from reaching Rovio’s other games.

Angry Birds might be returning to the Play Store

A Rovio employee told Axios (via Engadget) that the company could consider reversing the decision. At this point, we don’t know many details about this. The game is currently available on the Apple App Store under the name “Red’s First Flight”. It seems odd that the company opted to keep it for iOS devices.

If Rovio decides to bring it back to the Play Store, there’s a chance that it could return under that name. We’re still in the dark about when (or even if) the game will make it back onto the Play Store. What we do know is that if it does make it back, then it should be a good day. Maybe it would spark some more downloads.


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Ten brands will launch nearly 40 foldable devices in 2023

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Ten brands will launch nearly 40 foldable devices in 2023
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Market research firm Canalys recently estimated that foldable smartphone shipments could more than double this year to reach 30 million units. It appears we will have twice as many different models as well. Industry experts at DSCC (Display Supply Chain Consultants) say as many as ten brands will launch a total of 37 foldable devices in 2023.

According to DSCC, seven companies sold foldable smartphones in 2022: Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo, Motorola, and Vivo. Google, OnePlus, and Tecno will join this roster this year. In Fact, Tecno has already launched its first foldable device. It debuted the Phantom V Fold during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona last week. OnePlus also took to the show to announce that it will launch a foldable smartphone in the second half of the year. Google’s rumored Pixel Fold is expected to arrive later this year too.

Overall, these ten companies will sell as many as 37 different foldable models this year. That’s almost double from 19 foldables sold last year, though most of those were limited to the Chinese market. DSCC also broke down the share of each foldable form factor in 2023. We will reportedly see 16 clamshell folding devices like Samsung’s Flip series, 20 in-folding (book-type) devices like Samsung’s Fold series, and one new out-folding device. Despite the popularity of clamshell models, companies seemingly see more incentive in making in-folding models.

Interestingly, DSCC is expecting total foldable shipments to just about reach 20 million units in 2023. It’s unclear if the firm is only considering sales of new models launched this year or 2022 and older devices too. Nonetheless, the foldable market is on the rise and growing rapidly. It may not be long before foldables become mainstream and compete with conventional candy-bar smartphones.

Samsung may finally have some competition in the foldable market

Samsung launched the world’s first globally available foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold in 2019. Since then, the company has gone on to launch seven more foldable devices. It will launch its fifth-gen foldables in the second half of this year. But all this while, the Korean firm hardly faced any competition in the market. As said earlier, most firms limited their initial folding phones to China. But several of them are going global in 2023, giving Samsung more competition.

Canalys recently reported that Samsung captured more than 80 percent of the global foldable market last year. That share may come down to 50-60 percent in 2023. Of course, the company will do its best to fend off the competition. It is introducing a new type of hinge that reduces the crease and makes the devices thinner. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 should also bring camera improvements among other things. The latter is expected to get a bigger external display as well. It remains to be seen who gives Samsung the toughest competition this year.


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Update to iOS version of WhatsApp adds multitasking feature already available on Android

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Update to iOS version of WhatsApp adds multitasking feature already available on Android
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The PiP works like this. When you are engaging in a video call and want to multitask by opening another app, exiting WhatsApp will minimize the video chat and allow it to float above other apps. You can move it around the screen with your finger while the video chat continues and the other app you wanted to open is underneath it. The feature might not work right away and WhatsApp says it will disseminate it over the coming weeks.
WhatsApp adds Picture-in-Picture support for video chat - Update to iOS version of WhatsApp adds multitasking feature already available on Android

WhatsApp adds Picture-in-Picture support for video chat

The update to version 23.3.77 also includes some other new features including the ability to add captions when sending documents to contacts in personal or group chats. You will also be able to use longer group subject names and descriptions when describing a WhatsApp group. Following the update, these names and descriptions can be as long as 2,048 characters which is a huge increase from the prior 512 characters allowed.

Stable-mates Facebook and Instagram allow users to create personalized avatars and now WhatsApp users will be able to do so as well. To create your own avatar, open the WhatsApp app and go to Settings > Avatar > Create Your Avatar. Follow the directions and tap on Done. That’s just the first step. To make your new Avatar the profile picture on WhatsApp, open the app and tap on your profile picture. Then tap on Edit > Edit.
Again, this update is for iOS only since Android users already have Picture-in-Picture capabilities for video chat on WhatsApp. If you want version 23.3.77 of WhatsApp for iOS right away, you can install the version of WhatsApp from the App Store since it already includes the aforementioned features including PiP for video chat.

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Warning issued over Royal ransomware

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Warning issued over Royal ransomware
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In a Cybersecurity Advisory, CISA and the FBI have shared information about Royal ransomware, which despite being rather new has made a real name for itself.

As part of its StopRansomware effort, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published a Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) about Royal ransomware.

Royal ransomware is a Ransomware-as-a-service (Raas) that first made an appearance in January 2022. In September of that year, it began calling itself Royal ransomware, and then in November it really made a name for itself by boldly taking the lead in our monthly statistics.

After November, it handed back top place to Lockbit, but has remained one of the top five most prevalent ransomware strains. 

According to the CSA, the group behind Royal:

  • Have made ransom demands ranging from approximately $1 million to $11 million USD in Bitcoin.
  • Are known to disable anti-virus software on the affected systems.
  • Have targeted numerous critical infrastructure sectors including manufacturing, communications, healthcare, and education.
  • Steal data from infiltrated networks which they threaten to publicize on their leak site to increase the leverage on the victim.

screenshot Royal leak siteRoyal ransomware leak site

The Initial Access Brokers that cater to Royal are reported to gain initial access and source traffic by harvesting virtual private network (VPN) credentials from stealer logs. Other methods that are used to gain initial access to victim networks are:

For those interested, the CSA contains a wealth of Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and techniques used by Royal to gain persistence and for lateral movement.

How to avoid ransomware

  • Block common forms of entry. Create a plan for patching vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems quickly; disable or harden remote access like RDP and VPNs; use endpoint security software that can detect exploits and malware used to deliver ransomware.
  • Detect intrusions. Make it harder for intruders to operate inside your organization by segmenting networks and assigning access rights prudently. Use EDR or MDR to detect unusual activity before an attack occurs.
  • Stop malicious encryption. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response software like Malwarebytes EDR that uses multiple different detection techniques to identify ransomware.
  • Create offsite, offline backups. Keep backups offsite and offline, beyond the reach of attackers. Test them regularly to make sure you can restore essential business functions swiftly.
  • Write an incident response plan. The period after a ransomware attack can be chaotic. Make a plan that outlines how you’ll isolate an outbreak, communicate with stakeholders, and restore your systems.

Have a question or want to learn more about our cyberprotection? Get a free business trial below.

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