Emergency Services

Crash?

Breach?

Data Loss?

We’re 5-star rated IT, PC, and Mac experts!

"I called about my Acer laptop that is no longer charging. Because it was less then a year old, they suggested I contact Acer since the problem is likely covered under warranty (I honestly didn't think to do so). In the meantime, they checked for availability on parts to solve what was likely the problem, just in case. They were so helpful, friendly, and quick to respond. I ended up not needing their service, as the issue was covered under warranty, but if I ever do need help, I will call them first. They clearly have their long-term customer satisfaction in mind!"

Jen Dryg

Satisfied Client

"Vlad came in on Saturday, but couldn't solve the weird problem with our old server. He then researched it and on Sunday morning told me to try a strange but easy fix. He was right, and the server was back up for Monday morning. Great service, good price, and would recommend to all my friends. Thanks Vlad! -Mike in Oakland near the Airport"

Michael Steger

Satisfied Client

Here’s what 911 PC HELP can do for you in a tech emergency:

Rapid Response

We built our business by being the go-to pros in an IT emergency. We specialize in small businesses with PCs and Macs. We’re known for being ultra-responsive, super proficient, and reasonably priced IT tech experts. If you are experiencing an IT emergency, call us anytime day or night in the Bay Area and put us to the test.

Remediation

We are on the leading edge of technical diagnostics and threat intelligence. When your IT system crashes or is attacked, we rapidly diagnose the cause, fix the problem or eliminate the threat, so you are back online as quickly as possible.

Recovery

After an event, the first order of business is to ensure full data recovery, so you can get back to business as usual. We have advanced techniques for restoring and recovering data. It must be said that sometimes data loss is an unfortunate outcome after a malicious attack or a catastrophic crash. We will work with you to mitigate the damage and restore as much data as possible.

Resilience

Once we have restored order to your network, we will show you how to make your network and devices more secure and more resilient to crashes and attacks.

Emergency IT Services for a Threat-Filled World

Ransomware– Ransomware attacks are financially motivated cyber-attacks where cyber criminals infect your computer or network with malware that prevents you from accessing your files. The attackers encrypt your files and then demand you pay them to get access to the decryption key. This is the most common type of attack and it uses sophisticated malware such as REvil and Ryuk (these two viruses account for 50% of all ransomware attacks). This is why a sound cybersecurity plan is crucial for protecting your business.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), here’s how to avoid malware

Scammers try to trick people into clicking on links that will download viruses, spyware, and other unwanted software — often by bundling it with free downloads.

Here are ways to avoid malware:

Install and update security software and use a firewall
Set your security software, internet browser, and operating system to update automatically ·
You can minimize “drive-by” or bundled downloads if you keep your browser’s default security settings
Read each screen when you install new software. If you don’t recognize a program, or are prompted to install bundled software, decline the additional program or exit the installation process
Get well-known software directly from the source. Sites offering lots of different browsers, PDF readers, and other popular software for free are more likely to include malware
Pay attention to your browser’s security warnings. Many browsers come with built-in security scanners that warn you before you visit an infected webpage or download a malicious file
Instead of clicking on a link in an email or text message, type the URL of a trusted site directly into your browser. Criminals send phishing emails that trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment that could download malware.
Don’t click on pop-ups or ads about your computer’s performance. Scammers insert unwanted software into pop-up messages or ads that warn that your computer’s security or performance is compromised. Avoid clicking on these ads if you don’t know the source.
Scan USB drives and other external devices before using them. These devices can be infected with malware, especially if you use them in high traffic places, like photo printing stations or public computers.

Phishing and Spear-phishing.

Many successful attacks are the result of emails with links designed to harvest credentials inside an organization (logins and passwords), known as phishing.

Emails are sent that look like legitimate communications from a credible source. But these emails are trying to get people to reveal critical personal information that can then be used to gain access to private networks.

Spear phishing is a more targeted attack on an individual that gathers personal data from multiple sources to hack in to their accounts, network systems and wreak havoc.

You have to be vigilant and never give personally identifiable information (PII) without first verifying that the sender is trusted. PII could be as simple as a user’s name, address, and birthdate or as sensitive as full name, address, social security number, and financial data. These are tools of identity thieves.

Protect your accounts by using multi-factor authentication. Some accounts offer extra security by requiring two or more credentials to log in to your account (a PIN, a one-time-code, a finger scan, a security question). This is called multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts if they do get your username and password.

Protect your computer by using security software. Set the software to update automatically so it will deal with any new security threats.

Protect your cell phone by setting software to update automatically. These updates could give you critical protection against security threats.

Protect your data by backing it up. Back up the data on your computer to an external hard drive or in the cloud. Back up the data on your phone, too.

Spyware, Bots, and Other Viruses.

There are actually several simple steps you can take to immediately be better protected from the ever-expanding population of malware and malicious hackers.

One step you should take to improve your security is to use a strong antivirus. There are many different antivirus software options that can keep malicious computer viruses out of your system. All you need to do is choose a strong antivirus and install it on your network. From there, the antivirus software will do the work of protecting your network from viruses in the background.

Another step to take is using a good email spam filter. Though email spam may not sound like a major threat to your network, phishing emails are one of the most common ways for cyber criminals to gain access to systems. An email spam filter can keep some of these emails from ever reaching your employees in the first place.

You also want to make sure that your company is following best practices for IT security. 911 PC Help IT security experts can guide you on what best practices look like, or you can follow established IT Security Standards such as NIST.

If you want to take your IT security to the next level; and are interested in how IT Emergency Services can help your business, schedule a 30-minute, no charge, no-obligation discovery call.

Mark Brennan

Satisfied Client

“Called a few weeks back to help back up our computers and just do general maintenance. Had used them back in 2013 but forgot about them – in the meantime had hired other tech support guys and just didn’t get a great deal from them. Finally, needed some work done, did a little research and found these guys again. Happy I did. Very helpful and considerate of time and budget. Won’t upsell you.”

Ransomware is the most prevalent form of attack…23% of all malicious attacks.

Denial of Service Attacks will climb to 15.4 million incidents in 2023!

Average cost of a data breach is more than $4 million!

60% of small businesses close within six months of a data breach!