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What Is Microsoft Secure Score?

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 10:46:34 GMT

Security Scoring

Security is a priority no matter the size of your business. Recognizing this, Microsoft has a Secure Score measurement in its 365 Defender dashboard. But what is Secure Score, and how does it help your business? This article explains the basics.

Secure Score measures your security posture. It reviews your activity and security settings against Microsoft’s best practices. The idea is to identify areas to enhance protection and provide suggestions. In the dashboard, administrators can view the current state of their security score. It considers all Microsoft identities, apps, and devices. There is also a target score. The higher your target score, the more recommended actions you’ll get, although Microsoft cautions that you should balance increased security against user experience.

Secure Score Recommendations

Secure Score shows you possible improvements considering security best practices. Secure Store currently offers recommendations for:

Microsoft 365 (including Exchange Online);
Azure Active Directory;
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Identity, and Cloud Apps;
Microsoft Teams.

The score does not measure the likelihood of a system or data breach. Instead, it looks at system configurations, user behavior, and other security-related measurements. Then, it scores what you’ve done to offset security risk in real-time.

Microsoft not only lists security recommendations but also tracks your action plan. The implementation section shares prerequisites and provides step-by-step advice to complete improvement actions. You can report on status (e.g. planned, risk accepted, resolved through third party, and complete). Rankings also help you gauge implementation difficulty, user impact, and complexity.

Scoring Security with Microsoft

The more improvement action you take, the higher your score. For example, you’re given points for:

configuring recommended security features;
doing security-related tasks;
addressing suggested improvements with a third-party application or software, or alternate mitigation.

Microsoft Secure Score also compares your metrics with scores for similar organizations. The data is anonymous, but in the Metrics & Trends tab, you can view how your score compares to others over time.

Raising Your Secure Score

How can you have an immediate impact on your Secure Score? These three steps can boost your organization’s security:

Enable multi-factor authentication on administrator accounts in case account credentials are compromised.
Enforce password expiration policies to prevent the usage of leaked credentials.
Set up Azure Active Directory to track, log, alert, and remediate and better protect sensitive data and information.

Our IT experts are here to help you understand Secure Score. We can help enact action plans to apply the recommendations. Contact us today at 01255 724724 or email us at info@auxcuro.com.

Should You Outsource Your Software Development?

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 13:46:08 GMT

To Outsource Or Not To Outsource?

For small businesses looking for a cost-effective way to get their software development projects completed, it can be tempting to outsource the work to an individual software developer. While there are many advantages to this approach, such as cost savings and flexibility, there are also some potential drawbacks that need to be considered. In this blog post, we’ll look at the pros and cons of outsourcing to a one-man software developer for a small business. We’ll also discuss some of the best security practices you should keep in mind when selecting a software developer.

Advantages

One of the major advantages of outsourcing to a one-man software developer for a small business is cost savings. Working with an individual consultant or freelancer rather than a larger software development firm or hiring in-house software developers means you can avoid paying the overhead costs associated with larger companies, whilst also avoiding the extra costs from recruiting, paying, and retaining experts.

Additionally, an individual developer may be able to provide more personalised service and attention to your project than a larger company. An individual developer is likely to be more willing and able to accommodate changes to your project timeline or specifications than a larger firm, since there are fewer people involved. Self-employed software developers have more freedom in the projects they take, so are more likely to be engaged in the project, as they select the ones they most enjoy or are specialised in. This also means the individual developer may be able to provide more specialised expertise in a specific area of software development, allowing you to get the specialised services you need without incurring additional costs. Since they work for themselves, their personal reputation is at stake, not that of a larger company.

Finally, working with an individual software developer can provide you with more control over the project. You can communicate directly with the developer, rather than dealing with multiple layers of bureaucracy that can come with working with a larger firm. This can help ensure that your project is completed in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Disadvantages

One of the potential drawbacks of outsourcing to an individual software developer is that the individual may not have access to the same resources as a larger software development firm. This can mean that the project may take longer to complete or may require more effort on your part to get the desired results. Additionally, the individual may not have the same level of experience or expertise as a larger firm, which has access to a range of developers with different skills. This can make it difficult to ensure that the project is completed to the highest quality standards.

Another potential drawback is that the individual may not be able to provide the same level of customer service or responsiveness as a larger firm. While the individual may be very knowledgeable and experienced, they may not be as available as a larger firm when it comes to answering questions or addressing any problems that arise.

Finally, working with an individual software developer can be risky as often they are provided access to confidential data and systems to complete the job. Therefore, it is important to take the time to carefully research and select the right developer for your project and then to maintain data protection and security levels throughout the project. Here are our tips for protecting your business.

When outsourcing to a freelance software developer, it is important to take steps to protect your company and data. Before selecting a developer, thoroughly research their background and experience to ensure that they have the knowledge and expertise to complete the project. Additionally, you should ask for references from past clients and communicate with them to get a better understanding of the developer’s work. Ask for examples of their work or a Proof of Concept before signing with them.

You should also make sure that the developer has a Non-Disclosure Agreement in place that protects your intellectual property and data, ideally before your first meeting. This should clearly define what information the developer has access to and how it can be used. Additionally, it should outline how the developer is expected to handle any data they may encounter during the project. Where possible limit access to only necessary systems and data. Agree on Service Level Agreements, so you know what to expect in terms of communication and timing, including discussing regular updates and key points of contact. Another important agreement to have in place is a Source Code Escrow. A Source Code Escrow Agreement is an arrangement that protects both parties, the licensor, and the licensee. Its purpose is to provide a licensee with access to a software vendor’s source code when agreed-upon events occur, such as the vendor ceases to trade.

Ensure you ask about the security measures they have in place, such as cyber security certifications, and whether they meet GDPR compliance. A good software developer should expect these requests and questions and be able to answer appropriately.

Finally, it is important to ensure that the developer is properly insured and bonded. This will protect your company in the event of any financial or legal disputes.

In conclusion, outsourcing to an Individual software developer can be a great way for small businesses to get their software development projects completed in a cost-effective manner. However, it is important to take the necessary steps to protect your company and data, such as thoroughly researching the developer, having a non-disclosure agreement in place, and ensuring that the developer is insured and bonded.

Is Your Business Ready for an Internet Outage?

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 09:25:52 GMT

Losing Internet Doesn't Have to Stop Your Business

Cloud computing has given us greater mobility than ever before. We can sign in to video conferences on our phones, collaborate on presentations from a laptop, or edit a file on a tablet on the side-lines of a kids’ football match. Yet the one thing we need still is a reliable internet connection.

Think about the country of Canada. Earlier this year, business ground to a halt in an instant. A botched maintenance update by a large internet service provider (ISP) hobbled more than 10 million customers.

Yes, there are many advantages to cloud computing, including:

enhanced productivity;
scalability;
pay-as-you-go price structures;
greater flexibility
avoiding having to pay for and manage on-premises IT infrastructure.

But when you rely on a single internet provider, you could be left high and dry if something goes wrong.

Building a backup plan for lost internet

About one-quarter of Canada’s internet capacity was offline. The downtime lasted only 12 hours for some, days for others. The list of outage impacts is long. The problem halted some point-of-sale payments, some nonprofits lost the ability to serve vulnerable populations, Rogers mobile phone users couldn’t call for emergency assistance, and cellular-dependent traffic signals in Toronto were out of whack.

What can we learn from this? Businesses should prepare a backup.

Backing up your internet

Setting up a secondary internet connection can help your business remain online. You'll be ready if there are system issues, intrusions, or power a failure. For this to work, you’ll need to partner with a different provider than you do for your primary internet. This cuts the odds that both your main and backup internet will go down at once. If your primary internet connection is wired, consider a cellular backup. For example, a router with 4G backup would switch you to that network if the main connection failed.

The very nature of redundancy is that it repeats what you already have. That can make some businesses balk: Why pay twice? Yet internet redundancy can help you avoid lost business, productivity, and brand reputation, not to mention the stress of having to try to do business in this digital age without being able to get online. Maybe you can’t reinforce your IT infrastructure with a second provider. At least reach out to your current ISP to learn their backup plans. Ensure they have failovers established to back up their systems.

The Canadian outage saw many businesses floundering. With the ubiquity of technology today, it’s not unlikely that more ISP outages will happen. Be ready for the worst with plans for redundancy and contingency plans. Our experts can help you cut the risks of inevitable communications failures. Contact us today on 01255 724 724 or email us at info@auxcuro.com.

How Inflation Affects Business Tech

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 09:58:09 GMT

Inflation and IT

You might be reading about inflation fears in the news, but that doesn’t mean you know how inflation affects your business, let alone your business technology. This article explains both.

Inflation is when things are more expensive to buy. Diminished purchasing power means your business may sell less and see lower profits, all while paying higher costs for things your business needs. Of course, if your business is the low-cost option, inflation may not be so bad, but many do suffer when the cost of living and just about everything else increases. So, how does that impact your business technology? Well, it’s one of the many costs you may see go up.

Inflation and business technology

Inflation often starts when it’s hard to get goods and services. Heard the phrase “supply-chain challenges” in the last few years? We’re guessing, yes. So, you know first-hand the difficulties of getting some items.

You may have already noticed price jumps in several business tech areas. IDC research found that server and storage prices are up by 10–15 percent, and that costs for laptops and personal computers have risen even more, by between 18 and 20 percent. Even what you’re paying for software or cloud services may have increased. IDC found price jumps of 5–7 percent.

What to do about it

The best thing you can do is to look for business efficiencies and ways to reduce costs. A managed service provider (MSP) can help on this front. Among the many services your tech partner can offer, you can typically expect an MSP to:

learn about your business technology and look for cost savings;
identify any duplication of services or software licenses (you could be one of the third of businesses, on average, with wasted software spend);
install cybersecurity to help you avoid costly downtime and damage to your business reputation;
secure better rates by consolidating your resources with fewer vendors for volume discounts.

Hiring an MSP can also help you hold on to your existing employees. You can make more efficient use of any IT staff you have on-site. Plus, the MSP can find out how your people do their work and suggest streamlined processes. Retention is easier when people feel productive and supported by your tech offerings.

Most MSPs will recommend you migrate to cloud computing if you haven’t already done so. Yes, some cloud service prices have increased, but not at the level of the hardware you need for your own IT infrastructure. Plus, with cloud infrastructure you can benefit from:

enhanced flexibility;
scalability and speed;
pay-as-you-go pricing.

Partner with us

As your MSP, we’ll look for efficiencies and ways to reduce your costs. It’s what we do, regardless of which way the economy is going. Outsourcing your IT management is a cost-effective solution. Contact us today at 555-5555.

What’s the Difference Between Archiving and Backing Up Your Data, and Do You Need Both?

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 16:39:41 GMT

Backup Versus Archiving... Or Both?

It goes without saying that your data is vitally important to your business. Lose data, and you could be out of business for a while, or maybe for good.

But many business owners don’t completely understand how to protect their data. It’s not complicated, but you need to understand the two most basic data protection methods.

In this article, we’ll explain the differences between backing up and archiving data, and why each is important.

What Is a Data Backup?

A data backup protects the data you work with every day by keeping a copy in a secure location so you can restore it quickly if it’s lost or damaged.

You need to consider three key things when you design your backup strategy. First, the changes you’ve made to your data since your last backup are at risk because they aren’t yet backed up. So, you need to think about how much data you can afford to lose when you create your backup schedule. You might decide to back up daily, hourly, or even more frequently. It’s a trade-off between your needs and the cost.

Second, you need to keep your backup in a secure location away from your data to protect it from theft, vandalism, fire, or water damage. Don’t keep it on the premises; that’s not going to help you if the building burns down.

Third, you need to be able to quickly restore your data from the backup. Time is money, especially when your systems are down, and the longer it takes to bring your systems back up, the more business you stand to lose.

What Is a Data Archive?

A data archive stores data that you don’t need every day but might need in the future. It’s like putting your old files in boxes and storing them in the attic while you keep your active files within reach. Some examples could be tax data, bank transactions, medical records, and any records required for regulatory compliance.

Archiving pulls this data out of your daily work data and stores it offline so it can’t be modified intentionally or accidentally. Just like a backup, it needs to be in a secure location away from your data.

Do You Need Both a Backup and an Archive?

Residential users might be able to get away without an archive because they usually have much less data than a business. That means you can keep your archived data and work data together in a backup. But for a large business, it’s best to use both a backup and an archive. A backup is much faster and easier to restore than an archive because it uses high-speed storage devices such as fast hard disks or flash disks. This keeps your downtime after a data loss to a minimum. On its own, an archive won’t do the job for either a business or an individual. An archive contains only the part of your work data that you need to keep long-term. Plus, it isn’t performed often enough, so too much of your work data is at risk of being lost. Finally, it’s too slow to restore, so your systems might be down too long.

Creating a Strong Data Backup and Archiving Strategy

A lot goes into a good backup and archive strategy, and it’s critical that you get it right. You don’t want to discover that you’re missing data after a data loss or when you need records for regulatory or legal compliance.

We can provide you with a tailored backup and archive solution for the best protection you can have against data loss. Contact us today on 01255724724 or email us at info@auxcuro.com.

6 Top Tech Small Business New Year Resolutions

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 09:02:12 GMT

6 Tips For The New Year

As the new year approaches (already?), it is a good time to take stock and plan some small business resolutions. Join the millions around the world determined to make the best of January’s fresh start. Try these suggestions for top IT resolutions to better your business.

#1 Embrace digital transformation

The business world is going digital. Ideally, you've already made the move to some extent, but always be looking for new ways to streamline your business processes. You might embrace document scanning to move all your paperwork online. It's easy to search digital documents for keywords. That saves time spent looking for the right piece of information, plus, you'll do away with file cabinets and bankers boxes of paper.

Find more cost savings and business efficiencies migrating to cloud computing. The big benefit? Every user can access the same applications as colleagues or peers online. Plus, the software doesn't need installation on every individual’s device. Meanwhile, IT can manage upgrades and security patching on the cloud-based server. During COVID-19 you probably added more business collaboration tools to support remote work. These continue to advance and evolve, so don’t get complacent with existing solutions.

#2 Improve cybersecurity

Presumably, you are securing your business against cyberthreats year-round. Still, the start of the new year is a good time to ensure that you are following best practices such as:

upgrading all software and hardware and keeping security patches up to date;
setting up several data backups in case of a breach or disaster;
testing your technology for any vulnerabilities hackers might leverage;
planning for business continuity and disaster recovery;
educating employees about cyberthreats and encouraging a culture of cyber safety.

#3 Encourage workforce engagement

Keeping your IT current is one great way to improve employee morale. With the best tools available, your workforce can enjoy greater productivity. Don't lose people during a staffing shortage due to frustrations with the tech they use every day at work. Offering online learning also encourages workforce engagement, as people feel more respected. Retention isn't the only advantage. Attract new employees with the tools to support flexible work hours. Using technology to simplify onboarding can make a great first impression on new hires, too.

#4 Enhance customer service

There are many ways IT can support enhanced customer satisfaction. For one, converting phones to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can ensure every call gets answered. You'll also empower customers to reach the right people when they need to.

Adding an online scheduler expedites booking and avoids doubling up on appointments. Microsoft Scheduler allows people to book on a calendar of your available time slots, meaning there's no back and forth. Online schedulers can also send follow-up and reminder emails.

#5 Explore automation

Sure, this is a component of digital transformation, but it’s cool enough to get its own resolution. Try enterprise content management software to automate workflow. Your team can more easily capture information and access documents while more quickly delivering content when and where it’s needed.

Leverage process automation to identify and address bottlenecks within and across departments. Your software’s bot can warn you if a task is stuck, or it can do things such as sending an invoice straight away or notifying someone when information is missing.

#6 Work with an MSP

One resolution we recommend for every small and midsized business? Resolve to partner with a managed service provider. For a consistent, monthly fee you gain IT experts on call. We can monitor your network, manage hardware and software, and consult on the best tech.

The break-fix model is costly in the long run. Select an MSP with expertise in your industry to free up resources to drive the business bottom line. Contact us at 01255 724724 for more information!

Top Tips for Your Year-End Tech Review

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 11:30:34 GMT

Reviewing Your Tech? Read This First

Many of us look forward to January 1 as a fresh start. But before we get to hit that refresh button, it’s a good idea to look back too. No, we’re not saying you need to go sit by a waterfall and meditate on your IT infrastructure, but there are benefits to doing a year-end tech review.

What is a tech review?

In a tech review, you can accomplish several key things. First, you can gain a clear picture of what the IT infrastructure looks like. After all, technology is always evolving. You can determine what assets you have and how employees are using them. You’ll also revisit your tech spending and whether it's achieving business outcomes. A tech review also gives IT staff a chance to clarify roles and responsibilities, as well as mission.

Doing this at year’s end is common because many businesses slow down around the holidays. This means your team can focus more on the tasks of a thorough and effective tech review. You may have a budget you’re looking to use by the end of the fourth quarter. With a tech review in hand, you can make sure you spend money on technology that will make a real impact.

A tech review, done at any time of year, also offers you the ability to:

improve productivity;
mitigate risk;
streamline workflow;
update and upgrade;
enhance employee engagement.

Steps for your tech review

There are many steps to take in an effective annual review of your technology. Read the main ones here.

Perform an IT inventory

Make sure you know all your tech assets and where they are in their lifecycle. This is a good time to identify current hardware and software in need of upgrade or replacement. Then, you can plan ahead and avoid security risks or unplanned downtime.

Review your IT outcomes

You should be spending on IT to achieve certain business goals. Now’s the time to consider whether your technology is doing what you wanted it to do. A Harvard Business Review study found that 77% of respondents see an IT strategy–implementation gap. So, at least you’re not alone in needing to ensure your tech initiative aligns with business outcomes.

Update tech guidelines

You probably have policies in place governing how your IT is used. Revisit these annually to ensure you are keeping up with the way your tech is evolving. For example, if your people are remote more often, make sure your guidelines match those tech deployments.

Survey employees

Ask the people who are using your technology not only about what they are using but also how they are using it. This can help you identify areas to improve, upgrade, or automate. Or you might find out people are using software that IT didn’t vet first!

Good questions to ask include:

What applications do you use most often?
What applications do you resist using?
Which technology tools can’t you do without?
Which technology do you wish our company had, and why?
Do you do any manual, repetitive processes?

Explore cybersecurity

You can ask employees whether they have experienced a cybersecurity threat this year. But you’ll also want to review your data to see if there are any indications of cyberattacks. Also, examine and revise your firewall settings to make sure they are as current as can be.

It’s also useful to have a third-party IT professional perform a vulnerability scan. A penetration test is a more involved way to identify weaknesses you might consider.

Review your findings and prioritize new technology

Drawing on the input you’ve received and the data you’ve gathered, decide what actions to take. You might want to replace redundant software or some with poor user experience. Or you may need to invest in hardware such as computers or servers. You could also find opportunities to automate manual tasks to boost your productivity.

Even if you have the budget for it, avoid making all your changes at once; it can be too overwhelming. Don’t expect your team to automate a process while also transitioning to new hardware. Bring your decision-makers together to decide on priorities and plan purchases and rollouts.

We review for you

Don’t have the resources or know-how to do a year-end technology evaluation? Our experts can investigate your IT infrastructure for you.

Improve Your IT Budget Forecasting

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 09:47:05 GMT

Predicting Your IT Expenses

As the year comes to a close, you have to write the IT budget and spending benchmarks. You must understand the current IT infrastructure and forecast technology needs. This article shares three key areas to improve forecasting and maybe save budget too.

#1 Unexpected IT expenses

First, it helps to identify where you are blowing your IT budget. Often IT budget inaccuracies can be traced back to unexpected tech expenses. Repairs, replacements, and unanticipated upgrades can all throw your budget out of whack. Unfortunately, emergency repairs and last-minute technology improvements are the most costly.

But without a crystal ball, you can’t predict what’s going to happen, right? Still, you can make a plan that allows you to avoid wasting money on the break-fix model. Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP), you will typically pay a set monthly fee. Then, if something does go wrong, you have IT experts at the ready to address the issue.

Plus, a good MSP will work to determine the expected life cycles of your tech assets. That way, you can anticipate hardware or software upgrades and budget accordingly. Further, your MSP should work proactively to prevent unexpected downtime. They can help protect you from cyberattacks and keep software and hardware updated and patched.

#2 Bloated IT infrastructure

Overlapping and wasted resources are another big IT budget drain. You could be paying for many devices that do the same thing, or you may be continuing to license software that your team no longer uses. Or it may be software that everyone uses, and you could be getting a much better deal. You might also be paying for tech you haven’t upgraded, so you aren’t getting the full return on your investment.

An MSP can help identify these kinds of issues. Bringing in an IT expert provides an objective view of your infrastructure. They can suggest performance improvements and streamline processes. They may also suggest subscriptions or other packages that can help you save funds.

#3 IT and business misalignment

The plan is always to build a budget for an IT strategy that helps achieve business goals. Yep, doing so depends on your tech know-how and good communication.

Further, tech-business alignment has grown more difficult as infrastructure has changed, plus, the workforce is now more distributed. The business could have on-premises technology as well as cloud-based software. Employees could be bringing in their own devices and/or working remotely. As a result, business tech needs to be doing more. Plus, it needs to keep up with rapid evolutions and cybersecurity threats.

Yet investing in IT-business alignment improves budgets, and benefits workers and customers. Potential advantages include:

reduced digital friction;
improved user experience;
greater customer engagement;
cutting costs;
improving productivity;
gaining visibility of business processes;
faster delivery times and speed to market;
growing your competitive advantage;
driving innovation.

Work with an MSP to bridge business acumen and IT expertise. Then, you can better calculate the financial impacts (costs and ROIs) of your IT plan.

Need help understanding IT budget pitfalls and spending benchmarks? We can help plan for tech spending supporting your business objectives going forward.

How Your Business Could Benefit from a vCIO

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 09:17:58 GMT

Virtual Chief Information Officer

Businesses often hire a managed service provider (MSP) for tech support. But if that’s all you’re getting from your MSP, you could be missing out. You might gain by adding a Virtual CIO.

The typical MSP engagement involves coming in and surveying your IT infrastructure. You can expect the MSP to:

make sure your antivirus software is up to date (or that you have it in the first place);
install firewalls and other security protections;
patch or update any tech that needs it;
establish a data backup process.

Some MSPs will stop there. If that’s all they offer, you might consider expanding your view of what an IT provider can offer your business. Your tech support can also drive strategy to save money and ensure safe, smooth operations, and you may need a virtual CIO.

What is a vCIO?

Members of your C-suite are experts in their focus areas. A virtual chief information officer (vCIO) specializes in the latest technology and cybersecurity. More than “tech support,” the vCIO is a strategist invested in your business’s success, but they do this as a third party, virtually, instead of as an in-house employee.

A vCIO analyzes your IT infrastructure for weaknesses to suggest process or security reworks. They can formulate long-term technology goals based on your business objectives. Then, they'll provide a road map for your technology strategy.

An MSP is more focused on service delivery, whereas the vCIO takes a forward-looking approach. Working with more decision-making authority, the VCIO can create an IT budget. They can also work to reduce your business expenses. One way they’ll do this is by building relationships with vendors to ensure the best rates and services. Note: you should already be saving money by working with a vCIO rather than hiring a traditional CIO.

What to look for in a vCIO?

The IT expert or experts taking on your vCIO role should bring a wide range of skills to the table. These include:

ability to align your IT strategy to your business goals;
robust knowledge of technology trends to understand what will best serve your organization;
project planning and management skills to ensure completion on time and within scope;
experience in cost optimization and measuring key performance indicator metrics;
ability and willingness to collaborate effectively with teams throughout the business;
communication skills to report to business stakeholders, and liaise with clients and vendors.

Our MSP your vCIO

Some MSPs steer clear of planning and assisting with decision-making. They hone in on today’s operational tasks and fix current problems, but our IT experts are here to add immense value to your business. Partner with us in the vCIO role. We'll be supportive and provide a technology direction to help you grow your business.

How to Improve Your Data Management

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 10:32:47 GMT

Improve Your Data Management

Data drives business today and losing it can be disastrous. Yet there are so many data risks challenging your efforts. These tips to improve your data management can help.

Anyone can accidentally delete data. There are many other ways you might also lose business data:

loss or theft of a USB drive or other portable device;
hardware failure;
a ransomware attack;
a data breach.

Proper storage and protection of your data needs to be an ongoing, daily practice. You can’t just set up a process and trust that it works. Effective management of how and where you save your files can help you use data to boost your business.

Know what data you have

Data management begins with understanding what data your business generates. Identify what kind of data you collect to ensure you are effectively storing and securing it. This way, you’ll also be able to use data to identify opportunities and improve efficiency.

Have a process for storing data

Consistency matters. Establish strong storage practices to better manage the quintillion bytes of data your business generates daily.

You might develop a naming format using the YYYY-MM-DD system. Standardization is especially important if international clients use a different date system.

Create a folder for currently active projects and another for archiving dormant projects. This not only helps with clutter but can help streamline your data backup. Ongoing work can be backed up by the hour, whereas archived data might be checked to see if it’s changed every two weeks.

Follow best practices for securing data

Your business likely has firewalls in place to secure on-premises infrastructure, but data is increasingly mobile. Employees might move data on thumb drives or have it on their mobile phones or laptops. This isn’t safe from loss, damage, or theft without encryption, password protection, and data backup.

Consider using the cloud to store data. A solution such as Microsoft365 allows teams to access and collaborate on files online. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about having multiple versions of the same file. You also don't need to move data on portable devices. Your people can access the cloud data from wherever they are, on any device.

Make sure you are compliant

Data management regulations in your country may differ from countries where you do business. For example, if you sell to companies in Europe, you need to comply with its Global Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR). In the United States, rules can vary across states. Research data privacy and data protection regulations everywhere you operate.

Build in accountability for data management

Put someone in charge of data management. You need trained and experienced staff to manage data (compliant with privacy practices). The person or team responsible needs to know data quality and protection essentials.

Work with data management experts

As the volume of data grows, its management can get more complicated. Our experts have the skills to manage data and ensure the best data-handling practices.

Common Cybersecurity Myths Debunked

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 11:24:32 GMT

Small Business CyberSecurity Myths

In many areas of our lives there are myths that we accept as fact. Some of these are actually quite dangerous: believing that lightning never strikes in the same place twice could be fatal. Similarly, there are cybersecurity myths that demand debunking to keep your business safe.

#1 “I’m too small to be attacked.”

Any size of business, in any industry, can be the target of a cyberattack. In fact, hackers often hit smaller businesses because they lack the necessary protection. Also, a small business is more likely to pay a ransom, because it can’t recover otherwise.

Plus, small businesses can be a first stepping stone in a supply-chain attack. After getting into your systems, they might send a faked invoice from you to the larger target. The enterprise client, trusting your credibility, opens the attacker’s malware. Or hackers can use your vendor credentials to gain access to the enterprise network.

#2 “Antivirus software is all I need.”

If only it were that easy. You need antivirus software, but you can’t protect all your IT infrastructure with one tool. To detect and defend, you’ll need a comprehensive cybersecurity plan. Combine employee security awareness training with physical security measures, and put in place many layers of network and device defense, too.

Then, keep everything patched and updated. That makes sure you’re leveraging what experts know about the evolving threat environment.

#3 “Cybersecurity is IT’s job, not mine.”

You may have an internal IT department you count on to handle cybersecurity. Many businesses also contract with a managed service provider (MSP) to keep them safe. These IT teams will work to secure your infrastructure and protect your data. They will put systems in place to detect threats and identify vulnerabilities. They can ensure appropriate data backup and do disaster recovery planning.

Still, IT experts (whether internal or external) are only one player in the battle. Your employees remain a weak link. They are the ones that may inadvertently download malware, fall for social engineering scams, or use easily guessed access credentials.

Your business needs to educate all employees about online safety and cybersecurity threats. Then, it’s everyone’s job to be aware and work to reduce risks to your business.

#4 “Too much cybersecurity will hurt our productivity”

This won’t be true if you set up effective security policies and protocols. Add regular monitoring and authentication tools that provide security without adding friction for employees.

In fact, enhanced cybersecurity can actually help your productivity. It frees people up to work on other important business with less worry.

Avoid a false sense of security

Trusting any of these myths can leave your business vulnerable to attack. A data breach or IT downtime can be devastating. Don’t risk the worst. Instead, work with IT experts to handle your cybersecurity, backups, compliance, and more. Contact us today.

5 Questions Execs Need to Ask about Cybersecurity

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 12:34:49 GMT

Ask Yourself These Questions When Assessing Your Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a constantly changing field. A new technology is developed to keep criminals at bay, but soon after, bad actors find a way around it. As a business leader, you have a lot to manage, but don't overlook the importance of managing cybersecurity risks, too. Asking these five questions prioritizes keeping data and systems protected.

You already know the importance of protecting data. Leaked or stolen personal information can be devastating for your business reputation, but there’s so much more involved with cybersecurity. Your employees may be working from home more, which means you have remote equipment to manage. You could have Internet of Things endpoints, and automatic ordering and fulfilment adds more points of entry to secure.

Execs need to know what is being done to identify, protect, and detect. Plus, they should have a good idea of how the business is set up to respond and recover. These five questions can help you manage cybersecurity efforts.

#1 What assets and entry points do we have that need protection?

You need to have a full inventory of what you have to protect; otherwise, you can’t expect your cybersecurity to be effective. Determine what needs monitoring and management, as well as your priorities. Asset inventory management helps ensure all licensing and manufacturer upgrades are current. This keeps your tech patched against the latest known threats.

#2 How are we securing our technology?

Taking a multi-layered approach is best. Besides antivirus software, your business also needs firewalls (even many firewalls). Still, it doesn’t stop there. You can also take advantage of:

identity and access management tools;
encryption;
vulnerability scans;
penetration testing;
employee training in defending against cyberthreats.

#3 How do we detect problems?

Be proactive about detecting incidents. Many breaches are not immediately detected, which makes the damage worse. Build capabilities to identify any vulnerabilities before the bad guys do. Most antivirus software detects malware, spyware, ransomware, and more. You’ll get an alert of a risk and be able to cut the risk. You can also collect and analyze security logs to help identify potential threats.

#4 What is our plan in the event of an incident?

Few of us think at our best in crisis situations. It’s much better to anticipate the worst and think ahead. Leadership can make a plan to respond to ransomware, establish a disaster plan, and consider business continuity. You can also determine everyone’s roles and responsibilities. Learn who needs to be alerted, and decide who will do so. It all helps you get back to business as usual more effectively.

Once you have business recovery plans in place, test them. For instance, you don’t want to wait until a cyber incident to learn that your data backup wasn’t working.

#5 What are we doing to create a cybersecurity culture?

You may think about company culture as mission and values. That influences hiring, employee engagement, and business success. Yet you can also encourage an environment that motivates cybersecurity behaviors. Help your team members understand they have a role to play in championing security.

You might establish a cybersecurity culture by:

asking these five questions;
encouraging regular backups;
discouraging people from downloading software without prior approval;
establishing a bring-your-own-device policy;
educating employees about threats;
communicating who employees can contact if they suspect malware or phishing.

The more you know

Learning more about cybersecurity can only help your business. A managed service provider is a great resource for answers to these questions. Partner with us today.

Is It Worth Waiting for Something Bad to Happen?

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 10:32:51 GMT

Importance of Data Backup

You’ve thought it before: “that won’t happen to me.” It’s how humans get through most of their days without crippling fear. But when it comes to your business and its cybersecurity, this kind of blithe naïveté can prove costly. It’s estimated that 46% of users lose data each year. Yet businesses may not invest in proactive data backup. They think data loss won’t impact them or don’t know how to back up in the first place. Still, backup is more affordable and accessible than data recovery after the fact.

Any business in any industry is at risk of a data breach. It can come from an unintentional human error on the inside. Maybe someone means to send a sensitive spreadsheet to a colleague and sends it “reply all.” Oh no! Members of the press and the public were on that email thread!

Then, there are cybercriminals working diligently to attack vulnerable organizations. Sometimes they do it to obtain data they can sell, or they might install ransomware to charge you money to regain access to your data. They could also hack you to try to get to a bigger target in your supply chain.

Bad guys’ motivation aside, a data breach will hurt your business. Suffering a data breach can lead to:

extensive interruption of business operations;
financial losses;
damaged business reputation;
compliance and regulatory issues and fines.

In short, it’s not worth the risk of paying for data recovery, data breaches or ransomware. You can invest a lot less upfront to protect your data.

Prevent the Worst from Happening

Keeping your business safe from cyber scams and other risks is essential. Do it in advance. Take preventative measures to avoid the larger cost of cleaning up a cyber mess after it happens. Invest in a solution that will manage all your software and system updates. Keep your system up to date with patch management to close weaknesses criminals might exploit. You’ll also want to install a firewall to block any brute-force attacks made on your network. Secure any endpoints connecting to your network from outside the firewall, as well. If employees connect remotely using mobile devices, tablets, and laptops, this means you. Also, invest in data backup. Having your data backed up can help you avoid serious downtime and give you more control in a ransomware situation. Staying current on all the ways to protect your business from cybercrime can be overwhelming, but don't deny the problem. Yes, a data breach could happen to you, and it costs so much more to deal with after the fact.

Be proactive by partnering with a managed service provider (MSP). For a fixed monthly cost, an MSP can take on your patch management and ensure data backups. We can help you maintain a high level of protection against threats. Contact us today at info@auxcuro.com or call us on 01255724724.

Encourage Better Work Habits with Microsoft Viva Insights

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 15:39:40 GMT

Data-Gathering on Work Wellbeing

Productivity has always been important at work. Yet our awareness that well-being factors into productivity is newer. Microsoft is getting in on that trend with its Viva Insights offering. This article shares the basics of how it improves productivity and helps well-being.

Viva Insights is part of Microsoft’s Viva Suite focused on employee experience. The app gathers data while users work and provides recommendations for improvements.

In Microsoft Teams, Insights reviews collaboration data and suggests strategies to boost engagement. Recognizing common topics across conversations, Insights might automatically create a page devoted to that focus area.

Insights also connect people with meeting reminders and by sending RSVP reminders.

Insights can suggest users take breaks or set longer windows of time for focused work. There’s a Do Not Disturb functionality to help prevent distractions, too.

It is not just process-oriented either. Based on Insights, Viva Learning curates courses to foster learning and self-discovery for individual users.

In Personal Insights, individuals can log how they feel throughout the day. Automated check-ins encourage users to take a moment to reflect or to use the Headspace app integration for guided meditation.

A great feature for remote workers is “start a virtual commute." This guides people to review and close tasks, preview the next day, and mindfully end their day.

Guides better management, too

The “My Organization” page gives team managers insights into employee trends. They can view items such as “average weekly time spent collaborating after hours,” or see the percentage of employees spending time in “long and large meetings,” or how many one-on-ones they are having with managers, or if they have little time to focus on tasks because of meeting overload.

Insights also give managers input to help them better engage with employees. Managers can view aggregated and anonymized feelings data on the Insights dashboard. This can help them identify the risk of burnout or turnover. When everyone’s feeling overwhelmed, Insights might suggest a no-meetings day.

This may sound a little Big Brother – the platform analyzes Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive activity. Still, Microsoft promises “only you can view personal data and insights based on work patterns.” Managers see data that captures overall user insights.

Getting the most from Microsoft’s Viva Insights

We can help your business get started with Microsoft Viva Insights. We can connect employees to Insights and assign manager roles within the platform. We can make other suggestions, too, about how to get the most out of your Microsoft tools.

Email Breaches Remain a Costly Threat

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 08:31:30 GMT

The Costs of Email Breaches is High - Don't Let it Happen To You

You would need to be new to the internet to be unaware of threats to cybersecurity. With Internet World Stats reporting that 69% of the world is now online, that naïveté is increasingly unlikely. But is your business doing all it can to prevent email breaches? We know better than to use “123456” or “letmein” as passwords, but the threat remains.

No matter the industry, global businesses are always at risk. Scammers send emails and set up spoof domains to get employees to enter access credentials online. Or criminals simply buy leaked emails and passwords from a previous data breach. Once they’ve gained access, they can easily hide their activity. Setting up a simple “forward all email” rule gives them access to business communications. They can also see what services you use from the emails you receive. For example, they can identify which payroll software your business uses. Then, they go to that site and say they “forgot the password.” The reset instructions go to the email they can already access. So, they follow the steps, delete the email, and take control of the account.

Criminals will also impersonate you and send invoices to your vendors or customers. They might send an invoice that looks like your genuine ones, but they end up paying the crooks. These attacks are working for cybercriminals. So, don’t expect email breach attacks to go away any time soon. Instead, take action to reduce the risk of compromise.

How To Protect Your Business

Educating your employees is an important first step. You can take all the steps we outline next, but humans will remain your weakest link. You'll want to:

institute an effective training program to safeguard your business;
teach employees about the risks;
emphasize the importance of strong passwords and good cyber hygiene.
Foster a culture of compliance and individual sense of responsibility for cybersecurity.
Put a password manager application in place so employees set more complicated passwords.
Enable multi-factor authentication on all email accounts. This makes it so that having the stolen credentials isn’t enough. A bad actor may have the username and password, but they also need the user’s authenticating device. That’s less likely.
Another important move is to limit access to functions and features online. Take a least-privilege access approach. This means users can perform assigned roles but can't access other applications. This can curtail the damage if one user’s credentials are exposed.
Ongoing monitoring of technology for signs of suspicious activity is also key. Set up alerts, and track activity logs. Your business wants to be able to react quickly rather than finding out weeks later about a hack.

Keep Online Attackers at Bay

Create a business environment that prioritizes prevention and detection. Email scams aren’t going to slow soon. Instead, your business needs to take action to shore up its defences. We can help. Contact our IT experts today at info@auxcuro.com.

Don’t Get Hooked by Vishing Attacks

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 09:05:47 GMT

Voicemail Phishing Attacks are on the Rise

Cybercriminals are motivated and creative, which is not a great pairing for their victims. Just when we think we know what to watch out for, there’s something new to worry about. Right now, voicemail phishing (vishing) attacks are on the rise. Find out more about vishing and what you can do about it.

First, a reminder: phishing refers to bad actors sending fraudulent emails. They use social engineering to get you to reveal personal or sensitive information. For example, employees might get an email that looks like it’s from your IT team. It might ask them to renew their access credentials in the next 24 hours, but they need to enter their existing credentials into an online form to make the change.

Vishing also relies on social engineering – it targets our impulse to trust or help – but, vishing does this using voicemail. Cybercriminals use this approach to attack individuals and businesses, and they aim to obtain the information they need to perpetrate further crimes.

How does vishing work?

Cybercriminals prepare in advance to make vishing more convincing. They’ll call from what looks like a local number, and you’ll be more likely to answer. They learn enough about their victim or the organization they claim to be from to appeal to human nature.

A vishing attempt will:

use urgency to encourage you to act;
leverage false credibility to convince you they’re legit (e.g. calling from the government, tax department, IT support, or HR);
employ persuasive language to make you want to help;
take a threatening tone so that your fear you will be arrested or have your bank accounts shut down to override your suspicions;
reference current events to tap into your worries (e.g. during the tax season, criminals might spoof tax collection agencies; or during COVID, people were promised testing kits for sharing their bank information).

Avoid falling victim to vishing

Make vishing awareness part of your security training for employees. Communicating how to avoid falling victim can help your business stay safe.

The number-one rule is to never provide or confirm personal information by phone. A bank, hospital, tax office, or the police are not going to call you on the phone to ask for personal details. And they are definitely not going to call and try to motivate you to act urgently.

It is also unlikely that your manager or human resources would call you at home to ask you to transfer funds, provide confidential data, or email documents from your personal account.

Always ask for proof that you can use to verify the caller is who they say they are and works where they claim to. If you’re given a number to call to confirm the caller is legit, look it up. Call on a different phone to check that it’s a real number.

Stay aware of the latest trends. For instance, a new take on vishing sends emails claiming to share links to voicemail messages on LinkedIn- or WhatsApp-type services. If the recipient clicks on the link, they go to a convincing page (complete with CAPTCHA for added legitimacy) where crooks try to capture their access credentials.

This latest iteration of vishing aims to evade your cybersecurity solutions. There’s always something to keep up with. Need help? Our experts can set your business up for network security success. Call us today at 01255724724 or email us at support@auxcuro.com.

Talk to Your Staff About Tech Success and Stumbling Blocks

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:47:51 GMT

Staff Communication on Tech Success

You may be in charge of tech for your entire business, but that doesn’t mean you actually use all the technology you source, install, and maintain. You're responsible for updating that tech, supporting it, and monitoring for threats, yet you don’t have hands-on with that tech day in and day out. That means you can’t fully understand what’s working and what isn’t.

To gain a holistic picture of how your technology is working, ask the people who use it every day. You can’t rely on the fact that people aren’t complaining to mean your hardware or software is running smoothly.

There are many reasons employees might not reach out to tell you what’s wrong:

They are too busy to bring up their issues.
They don’t know how to communicate what’s holding them up.
They don’t realize that the obstacle they’re hitting isn’t normal for a particular solution.
They don’t know who to talk to about the problems they are having.

So, it’s up to you to be proactive. Reach out to employees to find out what they need to do their jobs better.

Gain the employee’s perspective

If you’re in IT, you’re seldom found in the trenches with your sales or marketing. You aren’t in accounting trying to track payments or keep up with supply-chain management. So, you can’t expect to know what the lived experience of your tech is like for those teams.

Talking to your staff about what’s needed can help you learn about:

digital solutions your people have heard about from peers at other companies;
new technologies staff would like to try;
roadblocks that are slowing productivity and undermining employee morale;
low-hanging-fruit changes that you can make to improve an employee’s experience (e.g. adding a second screen may be all that a disgruntled staffer needs to see their job isn’t so bad).

You might host a lunch-and-learn, where you discuss technology with different teams, or you could send around a survey. Emailing employees directly, and asking them to answer key questions can help, too. Focus your information gathering in three areas:

What works well for you?
What challenges are you facing?
What would make your life easier?

Of course, people are going to have different ways of speaking about technology. They probably don’t know a LAN from a PAN or a WAN, for example, but they will be able to convey whether they feel the network is too slow or not.

Prioritize tech solutions

Talking to people in the trenches with tech can help set infrastructure priorities. Once you’ve learned what tech is needed and what isn’t working as you’d hoped, reach out to a managed service provider for help. We can consult on new solutions and help you streamline business processes. We know tech for small businesses. Contact us today on 01255724724 or at support@auxcuro.com.

Data Breaches Are Getting Worse: Know the Basics

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 15:53:36 GMT

Increasing Data Breaches

The exposure of sensitive information can be disastrous for individuals, businesses, or governments. Yet data breaches aren’t going away. The first data breach compromised more than a million records in 2005. Since then, we’ve seen ongoing news of breaches. But there are some basic steps you can take to avoid falling victim to an attack.

Let’s look just at August 2022:

A breach at communications giant Twilio exposes 1900 users’ phone numbers and SMS verification codes.

Researchers discover at least 9000 virtual-network computing endpoints exposed online without a password.

CISCO confirms a ransomware gang has exfiltrated 2.8GB of data.

An American neurology practice notifies 363,833 individuals of a data breach.

4 million Twitter users are thought to have been affected by a data breach at the social media firm.

And that’s all during a 10-day period!

In its annual Cost of a Data Breach study, IBM found the cost of a breach hit a record high this year, at nearly $4.4 million.

How does a data breach work?

A data breach involves any unauthorized access to confidential, sensitive, or protected information, and it can happen to anyone. Data breaches happen mainly when hackers can exploit user behavior or technology vulnerabilities.

The threat surface continues to grow exponentially. We are increasingly reliant on digital tools such as smartphones and laptops. With the Internet of Things (IoT), we’re adding even more endpoints that unauthorized users can access.

Popular methods for executing malicious data breaches include:

Phishing – emails in which hackers persuade users to hand over access credentials or the data itself;

Brute-force attacks – hackers use software and sometimes even hijacked devices to guess password combinations until they get in;

Malware – infects the operating system, software, or hardware (often without the user knowing) and steals private data.

Disgruntled employees or political hacktivists can also be behind data breaches. However, more often than you would hope, the breach is due to human error.

Basic steps to avoid data breaches

Too many data breaches trace back to people using weak access credentials. Yes, there are still people out there using “password” or “123456” to log in at work! Thus, an important step to counter data breaches is enforcing strict password policies.

Multi-factor authentication can also help. This way, even if the employee uses a poor password, or their strong password is stolen, the hacker has to work to get access. They might need the user's physical device to confirm a one-time-use code sent to verify identity.

It’s also important to patch and upgrade software as soon as asked to do so. Manufacturers support security by keeping abreast of hacker attacks throughout the world. They’ll also watch for bugs and any vulnerabilities. Disregarding that message to upgrade or patch could leave your computers at risk.

Encrypting all sensitive data can also cut the risks of a data breach. That way, if the bad guys do get inside your systems, they can’t do anything with the information they access.

With more people working remotely, the number of users doing business on their own devices is also up, which represents another data breach risk. Enforce strict Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies to minimize exposure. You might require virtual private networks and professional-grade antivirus protection.

Don’t risk data breach damage

Data breaches cause business downtime and can cost your reputation and bottom line. You may lose customers and also have to pay legal fees or compliance fines. Don’t let this happen to you. A managed services provider can install protection and take precautions against data breaches. Call us today at 01255724724.

Making the Most of Microsoft Lists

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 08:47:05 GMT

How Microsoft Lists Can Help

If you have Microsoft 365 but aren’t using Microsoft Lists, you could be missing out. This useful feature, which is included with your 365 subscription, helps businesses work more efficiently.

Lists is a productivity feature on Microsoft 365 (MS365), formerly Microsoft Office. This app is a more recent addition to the MS365 app store, so you may have missed it. This article shares some advantages of this tracking and work management app.

An upgrade of SharePoint lists, which has been with MS365 all along, Lists integrates with Microsoft Teams. This means Lists help you collaborate and cooperate better. In fact, all users in a Teams channel with a List can access and edit that List without leaving Teams.

With Lists, you can create, distribute, and track data in a configurable way. Yes, it is good for helping you make a simple list of, say, things to do, but you can do much more with Lists.

Added functionality of Lists

Lists comes with templates to get you started quickly. You can also configure the lists to suit your specific business needs. Plus, you can set the lists to display in the way that works best for you. Maybe you want to look at Lists as a calendar, a grid, a gallery, or in a custom view. You can do that but in real-time, with everyone using that list getting the same updated data when they’re logged in.

In Lists, you set up tables of information to track extensive amounts of data. For example, you might track a project in Microsoft Lists by adding all the tasks to a List. You could add columns for the person responsible, task status, project priority, and more. You can also use colors within the List to help sort information more easily.

Additionally, since Lists is part of MS365, you can use Lists wherever and on whichever device you access the software. You can also integrate Lists with other powerful tools on the MS365 platform. You might extend forms with Power Apps or customize workflows with Power Automate. With automation, you get even more from your Lists.

Taking advantage of Lists

There are many business applications with Lists. Besides project management, you might organize an event itinerary and speaker info in a List, or track assets, or manage a new employee onboarding checklist. If you have an idea of something you want to create, configure, watch, and share, you can probably do it within Lists.

Lists is a default feature in MS365 Teams, but you can switch it on or off in the Teams admin center at any time. You can even permit or ban certain users from Lists.

If you’re not yet using MS365, our IT gurus can help you get started. If you’re on the platform already, let our experts help you get the most you can from your license.

What is Digital Friction, and What to Do About It?

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 13:03:46 GMT

Digital Friction At Work

No one wants to work harder than they have to. Digital transformation is one way businesses can make employees’ lives easier. Yet simply increasing the amount of technology isn’t the answer. Digital friction can actually make the workday more challenging. Read on to learn more about digital friction, its demotivating force, and how to avoid it.

Digital friction describes added challenges employees face trying to work with business technology. As businesses add more digital tools, teams must adapt to a more complex ecosystem, but problems can arise:

Technology isn’t integrated, so there are now more steps to follow.
Workflows grow more complicated, as there are several digital solutions to navigate.
Employees are overwhelmed with notifications tracking, managing, and monitoring digital workflows.
New approaches create or duplicate manual processes.
Employees become overloaded with information thanks to the many new collaborative, digital tools.

Any of these issues is counterproductive to digital transformation. The idea behind adding new digital solutions is to streamline and simplify, but if you’re complicating the work environment, you’ll undermine productivity. You aren’t helping employee engagement and morale either. Your people grow frustrated with your fresh expectations.

Sources of digital friction

When you install new tech, you intend to save time, reduce effort, and improve productivity, but the best intentions don’t avoid digital friction. If you’re going to install digital technologies be wary of these problems:

Poor understanding of workflow. If you don’t understand what is happening now, you can’t effectively install digital processes.
Inconsistent workflows. When employees approach processes differently, there will be friction on new, digital solutions.
Poor-quality data. Digital technology relies on data. A major source of digital friction is low-quality data. Employees spend too much time locating, validating, and formatting data to see benefits.
Lack of understanding of a solution’s impact. Investing in tech for the sake of “going digital” is not setting employees up for success. You need to know what the technology can do and how it will impact employees’ daily work.

What to do about digital friction

Before even adding technology, consult with your employees. Learn their pain points and what they want from a digital solution. Find out how they are doing their jobs today. Then, you can work with an IT consultant to determine which digital offerings will add value.

Look for opportunities to integrate your digital technology. Help employees avoid information overload and being constantly pinged and notified. Take stock of all the apps and software you’re using. Identify where you are duplicating processes, especially manual ones. Ferret out the places where your people are having to work harder to do their jobs. Know that data quality is a prime culprit.

Make decisions about new digital technology based on outcomes. What do you want the software to do? How will it be used and managed? Be sure you know how this new tool you’re offering is going to help people if you want them to embrace the change.

Simplify access by ensuring employees have a positive user experience. With more employees working remotely or hybrid, they need to do their jobs on a wider range of devices.

Need help cutting digital friction? Our technology-agnostic IT experts can identify problems and increase productivity. We can also consult on legacy tech and data migration to support digital transformation success.

How Secure is Cloud Data?

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 10:28:49 GMT

Cloud Storage Security

Data security is a common concern when migrating to the cloud. When data is on-premises, the business secures the sensitive data, and that feels safer. But that isn’t always the case. In fact, data can be safer in the cloud than on-site at your business.

When you put together your business infrastructure, you have many business priorities. Securely storing data is only one of your objectives and could even be one that you added on later.

A cloud services provider builds from the ground up with the goal of securing data online. Thus, cloud companies typically offer far more robust cybersecurity measures. After all, the success of Dropbox or Amazon Web Services depends on securing cloud data. A hacker can use malware or phishing emails to target the data on your business devices. With ransomware, they make it impossible to reach your data unless you pay a ransom (or have a good data backup). Yet these cyberattacks don’t work in the cloud. Bad actors might access what’s stored on an individual user’s device, but they can’t get to the larger trove of data online.

Cloud servers are also safer because they're in data warehouses most workers can’t physically access. Plus, the service providers will usually set up redundancies. So, for example, if a natural disaster hits one server site, they will offer continued access from another site.

Some cloud service vendors will also invest in third-party testing. To keep data safe, they hire external companies to test for vulnerabilities.

More reasons cloud data is safe

Cloud data is encrypted not only in storage but usually also in transit to and from the servers. This means your information is scrambled, and a bad actor getting between your business and its cloud data can't understand it.

Cloud service providers also regularly monitor and maintain security. They spend more resources ensuring systems are up to date. They’re also more likely to use data analytics to identify trends or threats to their security. You might do the same, but you are unlikely to do so on the same scale.

Another advantage of keeping your data in the cloud? When you move to the cloud, you no longer have to store all that data on your own hardware. You still have access to your documents, media, or reports, but the third-party provider will likely have more storage space and processing speed. So, your on-site technology may function better, too.

You’re also cutting out common cybersecurity risks. You don’t have to risk storing data on laptops, which can get lost or stolen. You also end the need for thumb drives (or USB drives), which can also be stolen or lost. Plugging in these external devices can also expose you to viruses or other risks.

How to secure data in the cloud

First off, encrypt your data. Make sure you contract with a provider who will encrypt data in transit. This makes it more difficult for hackers to get at your information.

Enabling multi-factor authentication can also help secure data by adding layers of rigor. It moves your data security beyond just asking for a username and password. We know all too well that those are often compromised or guessed.

When you move your data to the cloud, you will need to pay attention to compliance regulations. Depending on your industry, there may be particular standards for data storage. Encryption is a common compliance expectation.

It’s also a good idea to train your employees on the importance of securing data. Engaging in ongoing security awareness training can help protect your endpoints. This is particularly important with people working remotely and connecting from off-site locations.

Help with securing your cloud data

Migrating to the cloud has its benefits. Still, that doesn’t make it a straightforward process. Work with our IT experts to move your data to the cloud with minimal disruption. We can help you find the right cloud service provider and assist with data backup processes.

Automated Data Backups Still Need Management

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 08:04:33 GMT

Monitoring Backups

Your business is backing up its data in case of a cyberattack or other disastrous disruption. Yes, you can pat yourself on the back for that, but don’t get too complacent with backing up. Automated backup still needs monitoring and management.

Having decided to back up data, you may feel confident you can withstand an attack or recover from unexpected downtime. But if you simply trust the backup to run at a certain time, you might be surprised. Automated backups can make the job easier. Still, you should be monitoring these backups and checking them, too. There’s nothing worse than finding out months later that something went wrong with your automated backup.

Why you need to monitor backup

A technician can set an automated backup to run on a set schedule. They select a time that causes the least interruption while ensuring up-to-date data. Yet this is too important a process to leave unattended.

Things change. The automated backup is set up for the technology configuration when originally installed. A lot can happen in the meantime as the IT environment evolves.

Blindly trusting automated backup could leave you unaware of problems such as:

an unplugged backup device;
an altered device letter, which means it isn't found;
moved folders;
software updates that might have changed what needs to be done and how;
the original plan not accounting for new servers or migration from on-premises to the cloud;
insufficient capacity for the backup.

If no one is monitoring that backup, your business could assume it went smoothly. Then, when you need that backup, you could find out the hard way it didn’t go as planned.

Keeping an eye on automated backup

It’s not that you can’t automate backup, and there is convenience in doing so. Automating the backup of a computer, network, or IT environment can save time and money.

Yet you need someone to pay attention. Monitoring backups ensures that the process is running smoothly.

A managed service provider (MSP) will take a hands-on approach to your automated backups. If there is a failure, they have the skills to address the issue quickly and alert you of any bigger issues. Plus, with an MSP in your corner, you gain IT experts skilled at data recovery, too.

The MSP’s techs can even run data-restore drills, helping you to prepare for challenges such as ransomware attacks or accidental data deletion.

Process automation helps businesses, but don't rely on it unattended. Optimize data backup by adding a human element. An MSP can ensure quality and fully protect your business. Contact us today

Avoid This Top IT Mistake: The “Wait and See” Approach

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 10:10:12 GMT

Waiting Isn't Always Best

Patience is often a virtue, and being budget-conscious is also a plus in business. Yet taking a “wait and see” approach with business tech is a top IT mistake. There is a lot of uncertainty in the current economy. You may be looking to save money to give your business more budget leeway. But if you don’t make ongoing investments in your IT, your business could suffer. You might skip software upgrades, but that can put your business at risk from cyber bad actors, who look to exploit weaknesses when people don't upgrade their systems.

Deciding to put off replacing older devices or legacy hardware, you may be thinking, "What’s one more year?" It can make a big difference, actually. Your systems may have vulnerabilities that cyberattackers will leverage. Your hardware may not be able to keep up with your business during its busy times, and your people could be working on devices that are no longer supported by the manufacturer. If something does go wrong, you’re on your own.

Trying to get by with less when it comes to business technology can hurt your business. We’re not saying you have to throw all sorts of money at every new technology out there, of course; it’s about fitting the right technology to your specific business needs.

Business tech: Better now than later

Businesses today are undergoing digital transformation. Across industries, people see the advantages of IT. The right technology enhances the quality of work and boosts productivity. You have the tools needed to support faster processing and wider information distribution.

Thinking only short-term about technology, as in “it’s working fine for now,” could hurt you in the long run, however, and by not looking after your tech and keeping it current, you could be missing out on:

keeping your software and systems patched and protected against the latest cyber threats;
enjoying the greater efficiency that comes from streamlined workflows and business process best practices;
being able to collaborate seamlessly with team members or clients and customers via the latest cloud communications tools;
getting things done more easily with the hardware and software you need to keep up with your business;
scaling up or down as your business needs with the convenience of cloud technology;
having peace of mind that if there is a data breach or other system disruption, you have a backup to get your business back up.

Moving forward with an MSP

There is an inevitability to investment in business tech. You know you’re going to need it. But taking the wait-and-see approach simply puts you at risk of a cyberattack or other productivity drains. Keeping your IT current and investing in this essential area can benefit employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and your business's bottom line.

Not sure what technology to focus on while working within your budget? Our IT experts can help. We’ll get to know your systems and your unique needs. Then, we'll make suggestions about the smartest investment areas for your business. Contact us today!

“Save Me the Money”: Why Work with an MSP

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:54:54 GMT

Saving Money in The Current Climate

The pandemic, a supply-chain crisis, and rising inflation are impacting the economy. In this current climate, your business may be budgeting with caution, and you might question the value of partnering with a managed service provider (MSP). Yet as counterintuitive as it may seem, adding MSP services could save you money overall.

The right MSP supports your business efficiency. You can also cut costs and get more from your IT investment. At the same time, you gain a partner to provide IT monitoring and maintenance. This can help avoid costly downtime and lost productivity from unexpected IT disruptions. Instead of reacting to problems, the MSP proactively manages your tech to ensure it meets your evolving needs.

One of the first things an MSP will do is get an overview of your business technology environment. With an objective view of systems, software, and hardware, the MSP can identify savings. The MSP often lowers IT overheads by looking at all bills and subscriptions to find duplicates and the right fit for your plans. The MSP has provider relationships to draw upon and can help find the right solution at the right price. Unlike software salespeople, there’s no advantage in an MSP attempting to sell you more than you need.

Affordable IT expertise

With an MSP, you also avoid the effort and expense of recruiting, retaining, and training your own IT staff. Bringing in an IT team is increasingly expensive. Demand for such talent is high, and the labor market is tight. But with an MSP, you gain access to tech talent that has a breadth of experience, plus, the MSP is doing the hiring and HR for those experts.

Already have IT people on-site? Keep them happier by giving them challenging projects and inviting them to innovate. They can be contributing to your bottom line while the MSP’s team takes on the routine, mundane IT tasks.

Further, an MSP helps you scale without the challenges of bringing in more IT help or having to let valued staff go. An MSP can help your business migrate to the cloud, where you can grow tech capabilities without having to invest in more staff or systems. If market pressures make scaling back make sense, you can also do that easily in the cloud with an MSP’s help.

Cost-effective IT solutions with MSPs

The MSP's goal is to solve your tech problems. Success is boosting business efficiency and finding cost-effective IT solutions. Taking a proactive approach to IT, MSP experts can also cut cybersecurity risk, or, if the worst does happen, they can have plans in place to help your business get back up and running quickly. That can help you save money, too.

Find out more about the value of investing in MSP services.

Beyond the Ransom: Dealing with Ransomware’s Aftermath

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 11:21:44 GMT

Recovering from Ransomware

Ransomware is on the rise. The estimated 304 million worldwide attacks in 2020 represented a 64% increase. These attacks are growing more costly, too. Ransomware payouts jumped 171% from 2019 to 2020. For businesses in any industry, ransomware is a real threat, and recovery is more taxing than you might think.

With ransomware, bad actors infiltrate your devices or systems and encrypt your files. They demand a ransom in exchange for the decryption key that lets you get back to work. This type of cyberattack is always evolving. If you haven’t been compromised yet, you may want to think of it as only a matter of time.

What to Do About Ransomware

There are many ways to cut your risk of becoming a victim of a ransomware attack. These include:

educating your employees in security awareness;
securing email gateways;
limiting remote access;
using multi-factor authentication;
monitoring remote access points;
keeping up with cybersecurity to identify threats.

You’ll also want to install antivirus protection and keep your software patched and up to date.

Maintaining encrypted backups offline can also offer reassurance that you can recover from a ransomware attack.

Recovering from a Ransomware Attack

Protection is essential, but that’s not going to stop the attackers from trying to infect your systems. If your business is compromised, you’ll have to decide whether or not to pay the ransom to unlock your data.

Yet “to pay or not to pay” is not the only consideration when it comes to recovering from a ransomware attack.

First, you need to get to the bottom of the attack and learn how the malware was deployed. Attackers may have used a phishing strategy or exploited weak remote access controls. Find out where they got in and how they moved within your system.

You’ll want to report what you know about ransomware to law-enforcement agencies. If you are in an industry with compliance regulations, you may need to report there, as well. Acknowledging the ransomware may hurt your business reputation, you can at least help others learn about new threats.

You may also need to contact your clients, depending on the laws in your country. You will need to tell them about the hack and what data was released (if any). You might also warn them against opening emails from your business, as they could be compromised.

After the initial steps of recovery, you’ll also need to hunt for any malware remnants on your systems. The ransomware is the final payload, but the attackers would have used a delivery mechanism such as Trickbot, Emotet, or Qakbot. If you don’t discover this malware and get rid of it, you could be a victim of ransomware again.

MSPs Help Combat Ransomware

Managed service providers can support your cybersecurity efforts. They can monitor your systems and keep patches and antivirus software current. They can also manage the backups which are key to a successful recovery.

Turn to Your MSP for Vendor Management

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:08:08 GMT

Vending Management

With a managed service provider (MSP), your business expects tech support, infrastructure monitoring, and maintenance. Did you know vendor management is another service you can entrust to these IT experts?

You have vendors – lots of them – probably more so now that your work environment has gone hybrid. Yet managing all your vendors can be challenging. Different departments may even have their own vendor relationships. Without vendor management, there’s no one bridging the siloes. No one ensures cost savings while improving efficiency and productivity.

What is vendor management?

Vendor management centralizes the oversight of different vendors. If each department contracts on its own, you can’t take advantage of economies of scale, and you may also suffer from inefficiencies and inconsistencies. Each vendor may have different processes, services, and price points, yet no one is managing vendor partnerships to see how they impact your bottom line.

Turn to your MSP for expert analysis and oversight of vendors. An MSP can:

tackle contract transactions;
implement the changes;
seek data integration;
avoid possible compliance implications;
find greater efficiencies;
save you money by identifying duplication or finding more competitive bids;
increase the visibility of vendor sourcing, management, and payment.

What does MSP vendor management include?

Say you want a new Web host. You'll spend time identifying vendors, researching possibilities, and deciding who gets your business. Then something goes wrong. Now, you need to get in touch with that vendor to troubleshoot. Plus, you'll always need to manage that relationship and keep up with payments.

Now, multiply that effort by the many different vendors you have. You likely have antivirus solutions, broadband internet, disaster recovery, and off-site backup vendors, as well as partners providing email security, hardware maintenance, telecommunications, and Web hosting. Different offices or departments might even contract with separate vendors for these services.

Your MSP can provide added value by streamlining your vendor management. A technology- and vendor-neutral MSP can look for the best solutions for your business goals. The MSP’s goal is to find the right alignment with your objectives. That’s where they add the most value to you as a customer.

An MSP may use vendor management software to track and measure. This supports more informed decision-making. Plus, it can automate processes such as expense management, requisitioning, payments, and reporting.

Positively impact your bottom line

Drawing on experience with a variety of vendors, the MSP can simplify your supply chain. The MSP may be able to leverage preferred relationships to negotiate better rates.

Plus, their experts are up to date on the ins and outs of supporting those vendor offerings. Say there is an issue with email security. There could be a faster resolution if the vendor talks to an informed tech professional; that’s easier than a harried accountant who doesn’t know an SPF from a DKIM or a DMARC (and shouldn’t need to).

Let our experts handle your vendor management to centralize and simplify these relationships. Work with the best people and the right technology, and enjoy a better return on investment.

Businesses Beware OF Fake Meeting Requests

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 09:36:45 GMT

Fake Meeting Requests

Hi,

Important that we meet discuss speerfishing attacks over business comunicatons. We need to make plan about this IMMEDIATELY. Please click on the link [uurl.callender.com] to make an appointment with IT for quick tutorial.

Regards,

There are several things wrong with this email, and hopefully, you noticed them. All are red flags you can look for to avoid fake meeting requests or calendar-invite scams.

Business Email Communication (BEC) scams are not new. For example:

Facebook and Google suffered a $121 million BEC scam.
Ubiquiti lost $46.7 million to an attack.
Toyota transferred $37 million to crooks in a BEC snafu.

In 2020, BEC attacks were the most lucrative scam. The US estimated cybercriminals made over $1.8 billion with this approach. Beyond money, falling victim to a BEC attack also costs your business time and reputation. Here’s what to look for and how to protect against BEC scammers.

How BEC Scams Work
With many more people working from home and meeting virtually, there’s been an uptick in BEC spearfishing attacks.
On Gmail, the bad actor needs only your email address to send an invite that adds to your calendar by default. Then, you might click on what appears to be a meeting link, which actually takes you to a malware site.
Zoom has also become an attack vector. You get an invite to a meeting that asks you to login into Microsoft Outlook. You’ve done it so many times before, except this is a fake login page, and it’s set up to steal your access credentials.

How to Protect Against BEC Scams
Educate your users. As with any other type of email scam, users need to learn to be careful about the links they click. Some indicators to look for, which you can see in our opening example, include:

spelling mistakes;
urgent appeals;
poor phrasing;
suspicious links.

Email addresses, links, and domain name inconsistencies are more bad signs. Plus, be wary if something seems too good to be true (a free laptop?) or is an unusual request (transfer $1 million from the CEO’s account).

Google Calendar users can go into General settings, then Event settings, and switch off “Automatically add invitations.” Instead, select “No, only show invitations to which I have responded.” Also, under Events from Gmail, you can stop calendar events auto-generating based on your inbox. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll also be blocking legitimate events.

In these days of the hybrid workforce, we’re used to clicking on links from Zoom, Google Docs, and Microsoft Office as part of our daily workflow. The cyber bad guys know this and are taking advantage of it. Unsubscribing from email lists, keeping your email private, and reporting spam to IT can all help.

Your business might also benefit from working with a managed service provider to use a third-party spam filter. Our experts can also review your cybersecurity posture and identify areas to improve your defenses.

What to Do About the Widening IT Skills Gap

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 07:53:18 GMT

IT Skills

The importance of information technology in meeting business objectives continues to grow. Regrettably, the shortfall in professionals who can manage business tech is also growing. Learn what the IT skills gap means for you. Technology helps businesses meet strategic priorities. This includes:

implementing new systems or work processes to enhance efficiencies;
innovating and cultivating new ideas;
identifying new customer segments and markets;
launching new products or services.

In CompTIA’s research into the “State of the IT Skills Gap,” the skills disparity is widening. And it’s doing so at a worrying rate. Nearly half of CompTIA’s respondents said the skills gap had grown in scope/depth over the past two years. That's 46%, indicating significant or moderate growth in their businesses.

That may not even capture the problem accurately. Only 44% of CompTIA’s respondents felt they had the know-how to identify and assess IT skills gaps on their own.

IT skills gap issues

The IT skills gap affects strategy and also impacts staff productivity and customer service/customer engagement. The shortfall in IT savvy individuals also impacts security, particularly:

data loss prevention;
firewalls/antivirus safeguards;
cloud security;
network monitoring/access management.

Plus, the IT skills gap can slow the adoption of emerging technology. This sees businesses struggling to upgrade existing hardware and software. They aren't able to use artificial intelligence, automation, or the Internet of Things.

The shortage also hurts data integration, management, and analytics. Software or app development can also suffer.

How to address the gap

There are many ways businesses can improve the IT workforce pipeline. Providing on-the-job experience through internships or apprenticeships may work, as might encouraging IT employees to pursue new certifications and credentials.

Investing in tech talent is another way to promote your business objectives. Without the right IT support, you could end up buying the wrong technology or struggle to deploy it. Instead of adding agility and efficiency, you’ll slow things down and may compromise security, too.

With the IT environment constantly evolving, it’s difficult for businesses to keep up. Many firms can’t keep up with the rising compensation requirements, keeping internal IT trained is expensive, too. Then, if IT talent leaves, they take their business infrastructure knowledge with them.

The solution? Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP). With an MSP you gain experts that always stay on top of the latest events and are always trained up. Yet you don’t have to pay for their conferences and ongoing training. You typically pay a consistent set fee for the services you need.

Our experts can help update your infrastructure, deploy new systems, and secure IT.

What an MSP Can Offer Your Business

Tue, 24 May 2022 12:41:58 GMT

Benefits of a Managed Service Provider For You

It’s not as if the name "managed services provider " (MSP) is that self-explanatory. You might read that business description and have no real idea what it is an MSP can do for you. We’re providing managed services … OK, but what does that mean? To make things easier, this article outlines the actual IT services an MSP provides.

Most important, an MSP provides preventative services. We detect issues before they become a problem. The mission is to protect your business against costly downtime.

Too many businesses are reactive: they wait for something to go wrong with their business technology, then they look for someone to help resolve the problem. Ours is not a break-fix approach to IT. Our job is to keep your business technology safe and available. We get to know your business. That way, we can anticipate your needs and ensure your IT is always supporting your success.

An MSP proactively monitors, patches, and updates your software. We keep your technology current and optimized. This includes your laptops, desktops, and mobile devices, plus your network and servers. We’ll also keep an eye on your firewalls, switches, and access points. That way, you can focus instead on other elements of your business.

But, wait. That’s not all

This proactive mindset extends to cybersecurity services. Hackers target small businesses, expecting them to have less protection in place. You need to defend your business. The MSP’s security experts review your systems to identify and address vulnerabilities. We can keep up with system updates, software patching, antivirus, and more to shore up your security posture. You can’t keep up with the myriad daily security alerts, because you don’t have the bandwidth. For us, it’s part of our job.

Another beneficial MSP service is strategic advice. You know the ins and outs of your business; we know the finer points about technology for businesses like yours. We get to know how you and your people work and suggest the best tools to meet your needs. We can help you decide on the right technology and the best timeline for your budget. Outsourcing IT management to us, you get a well-informed CIO on your team. That's without having to take on the burden of recruiting and retaining top tech talent.

We can also manage your business continuity and disaster-recovery strategy. Your MSP will establish a solid data-backup plan. Plus, they’ll regularly audit recovery capabilities. They will ensure everything can be restored efficiently if the worst does happen.

Yet another business burden we take on for you is end-user support. Unless, that is, you like being the one your people call when a printer goes down or they can’t connect remotely. Our personable, professional tech experts can become your tech support team. You gain an on-call support provider responding to your users’ needs.

Get the right services managed

So, now you know what an MSP can do for you. Maybe you don’t need all those services managed by your MSP. That can work too. Many of us offer packages bundling different levels of service or capabilities. The point is that your MSP will work with you to provide reliable, safe, and efficient IT for your business.

Think Before Sharing That Link

Tue, 17 May 2022 07:29:49 GMT

Potential Risks of Link Sharing

Learning to share is an important early-life skill. Now, you’ve mastered it, and you’re out in the workforce. Happily, digital technology makes it much easier to share business files, but that doesn’t mean you want to do so willy-nilly. Consider these best practices for sharing with both internal and external users.

Cloud sharing makes it simple to share presentations, spreadsheets, documents, and other files. In OneDrive, Dropbox, Google, you can simply click on that document and click “share.” The link is created, and you can copy it into an email, or you can use a pop-up email from the software you’re working in at that moment. That done, you can move on to your next “to do” without thinking about it any longer.

Maybe not.

Unless you’ve set that link to expire, you’ve shared endless access to that file. Plus, you may have set the file up so that anyone with the link can open the file. You may even have given everyone with the link editing permission for that file, which means they can change the data or delete it. That’s today, tomorrow, weeks, months, or even years from now.

Think about that link before you share it. You may not intend that external contractor to have continued access to that presentation. You may want only an internal team member’s input before a client pitch, not in perpetuity, even after they’re no longer involved in that project.

Best practices with shared links

The problem compounds if you share folders. You might start out with a few files in that folder – the ones you wanted to let your client contact see – but, as time goes on, you add more files to the same folder. Do you want that client to be able to see all those files? Forever? Think about this before sending a shared link with broad permissions.

Yes, “anyone with the link can view” links are useful. They can help when you don’t know everyone’s email, or you don’t know everyone (internal or external) who will need access to a file. Still, it’s best to take the permission-based route. Allow only people with emails you know to access that file. You might set the default in your link sharing to “only people in your organization.”

Think twice about whether you want to make them editors, too. Remember that gives them the right to modify and delete that file. You might want only their eyes on the content, so limit what they can do to viewing only.

It’s also a good plan to set your links to expire. This stops the other person from continuing to access the files long after they need to do so. For confidential, sensitive data, choose a shorter expiration date; otherwise, you might go with a month. If the person needs access again after the link expires, you’ll be able to let them in again, but you’ll know you’re doing so.

Worried about unauthenticated access to your files, folders, or software and systems? Work with a managed service provider to enhance your security posture. Our experts are here to help.

SMBs Can Become a Weapon in Cyberwarfare

Tue, 10 May 2022 09:37:10 GMT

SMBs Can Become a Weapon in Cyberwarfare

Headlines today highlight Ukrainian tragedy or North Korea testing missiles. It can seem far away from your business, yet battles are being fought online, too. Your small business’s IT systems could be weaponized for cyberwarfare.

That statement may surprise you. You’ve heard of cyber targets such as:

critical national infrastructure;
election and voting organizations;
military databases;
government communication outlets.

In the days preceding Russia’s attack, 70 Ukrainian governmental organizations were hacked. Messages in Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish warned people to be afraid and expect the worst.

But, why would someone want to target your small business as part of their cyberwarfare? You may be only a stepping stone to help the attackers achieve their larger goal.

How your business can become a target

You could be the victim of a supply-chain or leap-frog attack, or you might have a business partner who is also an accountant to a defense contractor, or your business might be providing heating and air conditioning maintenance to a utility. That connection makes you interesting to hackers.

Attackers use you as a pawn in digital warfare. They expect you have fewer defenses than the highly funded end target, so they infect your network to facilitate their attack. They might send a fake invoice from your business to the target, one that is laden with a malicious payload. The client, trusting your credibility, opens the malware. From there, the attacker has access to the information they were seeking from the outset.

How to shore up your defenses

Increase your cyber vigilance. Don’t think that you are too small to be a target. Instead, create and maintain a cybersecurity plan. Follow best practices to keep your systems resilient, and ensure you have the proper protection in place.

This type of attack often leverages software vulnerabilities, so make sure that all your systems are up to date and patched, leverage antivirus tools, and stay current on the latest threats you should protect against.

Also, remind your employees about the importance of good cyber hygiene, the humans who work for you are often the weakest link. They don’t mean to cause any damage, but they click on that phishing email or go to that website with malware downloads embedded.

Multifactor authentication can also help you combat hacker access. Even if the bad actor does get a user's credentials, they still need an approved device to get in. This makes it much more difficult to compromise your network.

It’s also a good idea to establish ongoing monitoring of any security events and install remote access controls. Geo-fencing can restrict certain foreign IP addresses, and Certificates can validate trusted computers that remotely access your systems. Then, use the data from those tools to identify any suspicious activity.

A managed service provider (MSP) can help with any of these defense tactics. We don’t want to see you turned into an unwitting weapon in someone’s cyberwarfare. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do to help reduce your attack surface.

Small Business Can’t Sacrifice Cybersecurity

Tue, 03 May 2022 06:46:59 GMT

Cybersecurity For Small Business

For small businesses, it can be tempting to postpone cybersecurity efforts. There are many common excuses: “There’s so much to do,” “There’s not enough budget,” “Our business is too small to target,” etc. But right now, cybersecurity is a must-have for every business.

Think of it like business insurance. You don’t intend to get sued or have accidents, but you have insurance to cover if the worst happens. Similarly, having cybersecurity in place:

saves you time, money, and stress;
protects your business IT against damages;
provides you and your employees with peace of mind.

But small businesses are not only at risk of cyberattack. According to a study released in March 2022 by cloud security company Barracuda Networks, “on average, an employee of a small business with less than 100 employees will experience 350% more social engineering attacks than an employee of a larger enterprise.” That makes small businesses three times more likely to be targeted.

In fact, your business may already have been attacked. The Barracuda study found that one in five organizations had at least one account compromised in 2021. And hackers need only one account to launch from. An attack can spread without you knowing if you don’t have the right detection and protection tools in place.

Advice for small business leaders

Digital attacks are on the rise, and you’re going to need help. A report from Blackberry in February suggested that “one million daily security alerts are seen in 25% of security operations centres.”

But you don’t have a security operations centre, right, let alone one that can process a million alerts daily. Investing in cybersecurity gives you access to that type of security reporting, plus much more.

Hackers target small businesses because they expect them to have fewer IT resources. That can mean more weak points for bad actors to exploit.

At least you are keeping your software current and patching vulnerabilities with any manufacturer updates, right? And your business probably also uses antivirus and emailing filtering. Yet, traditional email filters are no longer enough: you need to invest in additional security resources.

Take the target off your back

So, we’re back at the beginning again. Investing in cybersecurity is now on your wish list, but you can’t see how you can afford it right now. But you can’t afford not to really. According to the Australian Cyber Security Centre, “Australia spent approximately $5.6 billion on cybersecurity in 2020, and self-reported losses from cybercrime totalled more than $33 billion.”

Plus, you don’t need to do everything from scratch and buy all the necessary software and hardware yourself. Instead, you can work with a vendor to take advantage of economies of scale. Invest in a cybersecurity partner who will do a full risk analysis to find the main vulnerabilities in your business IT environment.

Partner with someone who works to secure many small businesses like yours. They’ll be the ones investing in supplemental technology with machine-learning security to protect against all types of email. They’ll know how to put the right protection tools in place, and they’ll also have the skills to detect and respond to threats post-delivery.

The damage caused by one compromised account can be devastating for a small business. Don’t risk the worst happening: protect your cybersecurity with the help of a managed service provider. We can identify any weak points in your cybersecurity and help put safeguards in place to defend your business.

Onboarding an IT Provider: What’s Realistic?

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 12:29:06 GMT

What To Expect From An MSP

When you hire a managed service provider, you want instant results: you want all your technology to run faster and more smoothly, and everyone to be more productive. And there will be no problems again, ever, right? But that’s not realistic. Managed service providers are pretty great (even if we do say ourselves), but we’re not miracle workers. So, let’s discuss what you might realistically expect when onboarding a new IT provider.

Sometimes, quick wins are achieved. The managed service provider (MSP) may be able to immediately get that server powered up again or fix that printer on the second floor that’s only been taking up space for the past three months. Yet there is no magic wand that allows these IT experts to solve every issue instantly.

What should you expect?

If there is a pressing issue, the MSP will start there by looking into what has gone wrong. Then, they’ll be able to make plans for addressing the concern. Maybe a part failed, or your hardware has reached the end of its life. They’ll look into how you use that technology and provide suggestions to make a fix.

Otherwise, if nothing is immediately wrong, your MSP will begin the engagement by learning about your business tech. They’ll want to talk with your stakeholders to discover:

where you are now;
where you want to be the future;
how you use your IT;
what your IT budget looks like.

In getting up to speed, this outsourced IT team should be making a great impression on you. This is the beginning of your relationship. They have won your business, but you can expect them to be proving that you made the right choice. Still, this doesn’t mean they can get everything perfect right from the get-go.

The timeline depends on the context.

There could be issues that will take longer to resolve. They may need to do diagnostic work to get to the root of the problem. Solving the issue could take creative problem-solving and a lot of research legwork.

We’d love to say that every business we work with comes to us with pristine IT. Everything is in great shape, and we can immediately step in and make everything work even better. But there can be lingering or unidentified concerns. The business may not have the IT depth to recognize the problems that the MSP will quickly diagnose. Perhaps you’ve been ignoring security warnings or network errors or you’ve been bombarded with access requests from malicious IPs. The MSP is going to have to take on those outstanding concerns.

Again, there is no magic wand. The MSP can’t instantly turn the ship around if it’s been sailing toward a massive iceberg for the past year.

Expect to give your MSP team some time to learn your business and get up to speed with your IT. However, don’t give them forever. If it has been six months, and they’re still “figuring it all out,” you may want to reconsider that partnership. But be aware that cutting those ties means starting from scratch to build a relationship with a new MSP.

The better approach is to expect ongoing, informative communication from your new MSP. They should be letting you know what they are learning about your technology needs along the way and making suggestions to improve usage, boost security, increase productivity, and drive efficiency.

One thing you can realistically expect? Your MSP will make a real contribution. These experts should be more than a vendor and more like a partner in your business success.

Understanding the Cost of Downtime

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 09:02:39 GMT

Downtime Danger

Business downtime is costly. Research abounds on just how much it can set a business back. Some small businesses can't even rebound from the expenses associated with downtime. This article outlines the many expenses a business can encounter as a result of downtime.

What do we mean by downtime? There are many reasons a business might experience IT downtime. Say, the Wi-Fi goes down or there’s a simple power outage. Either could lead to a small-scale, short-term downtime.

Worse, you could be the victim of a cyberattack that sees criminals encrypting your data. A data breach or malware infection could force you to take systems offline to solve the problem.

Severe weather events such as tornadoes or hurricanes can also cause downtime. Or maybe the building suffers a gas leak or a fire, and your business isn't immediately able to get back on-site. If you don't have cloud-based access to your applications, you could suffer downtime.

Every minute you are without your business technology can add up. Let's consider the various costs you could encounter.

Loss of business revenue

If your people can't access business systems or network applications, productivity drops. Your sales team can't close deals, or your product development team can’t access schematics. Perhaps someone in client development can’t get to their pitch presentation.

Remediation costs

Fixing your business technology after downtime takes extra work, which means added resource costs. You may have to pay overtime to the IT team working round the clock to get you back up and running, or there could be places you need to catch up when you had to spend time doing things manually. This disrupts efficiency and costs money.

Customer dissatisfaction

How often do you hear someone apologize for their computer running slowly? When you call a customer service line it's a familiar frustration. Imagine telling someone instead, “our systems are down, and we are unable to help you right now.” You will be compounding customer aggravation. They don't want to wait for your downtime to end to resolve their issue.

If there's a data breach, customers will worry about personal data or compromise of proprietary information.

Legal and compliance fees

Your business could run afoul of compliance or face legal action. For instance, if you are in the health services industry and are breached, you could be hit with hefty fines for jeopardizing personally identifiable information.

Brand reputation

Say your payment processor goes down, and you’re not able to take any orders. Some customers will get impatient and order from a competing website. They may end up switching to that company permanently.

There's also a misconception that any press is good press. But you do not want your business to make headlines for having fallen victim to a cyberattack.

Employee engagement

Every business owner recognizes the importance of retaining motivated and skilled staff. Employees frustrated by downtime may start looking elsewhere.

Morale and your business culture could decline. Turnover could rise. You'll need to invest time recruiting, training, and retaining fresh new hires.

Key takeaway

Don't think business downtime can't happen to you. When it comes to technology, threats are ever-evolving. Keep current with updates and software upgrades, and be vigilant about fresh threats.

Partner with an MSP to develop backup plans. An IT vendor can help move systems to the cloud to ensure mobile access. MSPs can also be proactive. They perform preventative maintenance and help cut your cybersecurity risk.

We can't promise downtime won't happen, but we can make sure you are resilient and able to bounce back more quickly should problems arise.

Supply Chain Shortages Making It Hard to Buy IT

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 08:23:57 GMT

Supply Chain Shortages

Have you somehow missed the ceaseless news about the current global supply-chain challenges? Probably not. You could be experiencing it firsthand. This article highlights business technology supply-chain challenges and how to handle them.

The computer chip and semiconductor shortage is an IT supply-chain stumbling block. Take, for example, Marvell Technologies, which develops and produces semiconductors and related technology. In late 2021, they were offering customers a 52-week delivery time.

Meanwhile, Intel’s chief warned the chip shortage could last into 2023. The founder of Dell said even cheaper components are proving difficult to source. In a Reuters report, Michael Dell said that “the shortage will probably continue for a few years" and that "even if chip factories are built all over the world, it takes time.”

What’s causing the shortages?

For one thing, more people bought computers during the pandemic for remote work. Meanwhile, COVID-19 created a logistical nightmare for technology production and shipping and continues to do so. In March, the major Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen, went on lockdown to combat an outbreak of virus cases.

Critical international ports are also struggling to stay open amidst COVID-19 outbreaks. In March, trucks couldn't reach container ships at the port city of Yantian due to lockdown. The port had already closed last June for a week, and it took months to deal with the shipping backlog.

Many manufacturers need Chinese components before they can start building their products. Thus, the shortage stops an entire production line.

None of this is helped by people hoarding products to take advantage of supply-chain shortfalls.

Plus, business tech manufacturers aren’t the only ones needing semiconductors and chips. If it’s got an on-off switch (e.g. your phone, your car, or any other electronics), it’s hit by this supply chain shortage.

What does this mean for your tech?

Business technology is going to cost more. No surprises there. It’s basic supply and demand. Not only is technology more expensive, but it's also going to take longer to reach you.

What can you do? Plan ahead. If you've been thinking about a hardware upgrade, don’t wait to make your purchasing strategy. Anticipate your IT needs in advance to accommodate buying challenges.

You'll also want to prioritize maintenance of your existing technology. You can’t risk a critical piece of your network failing. You might have to wait weeks (months even) for a replacement.

With hardware in short supply, a repair can also take more time and money. You’ll want to take care of what you currently use to make sure it lasts as long as you’ll need it.

Working with a managed service provider can help. Our experts can do preventative maintenance and support your long-term IT strategic planning. Our established vendor relationships could also help us access the technology you need. Let us take care of your short-term and future technology issues.

Computer Down? You Need it Now. Now What?

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 08:28:36 GMT

Break-Fix Versus Managed Services

Ever met someone who responds to computer downtime with applause or relief? Neither have we. When a computer goes down, the individual inevitably needs it fixed fast. Yet, depending on your repair model, it could take longer than you hope. This article compares break-fix to managed services.

The break-fix model is a short-term one. Maybe you have someone you turn to on a consistent basis, but you may still have to wait. If you’re calling for help when it’s needed (and let’s hope it’s not that often), that IT repair guy might not be available. If they’re backed up, you’re going to be waiting.

If you don't have someone you've used before, you'll need to ask around. Look at reviews to find someone with expertise with your apps, services, or network. Then, you'll probably need to make many calls until you find someone who can come out now.

But does their immediate availability mean they’re reliable? Bringing in external IT support means trusting someone else with your computer, which often entails letting them know your passwords. A business has good reason to be wary of giving that kind of access to someone they are hiring on a one-off basis.

On the other hand, the managed services model is a long-term one. When you work with a managed service provider (MSP), they get to know your setup and business needs. Yes, in the event of computer downtime their focus is on getting you up and running now, but they will pursue approaches that fit your specific overall objectives.

Why MSPs Make More Sense

In fact, your computer may not have suffered the downtime in the first place. After all, the MSP’s focus is on avoiding any technology disruptions. One of their jobs is to proactively monitor your systems. They want to help identify any issues before they happen.

If something does go wrong, your business has the peace of mind of knowing:

You are a priority customer as part of your contract with the MSP.
They can remotely access your systems to get started ASAP.
You don’t have to pay a premium for rush services. You're covered by a fixed monthly fee (offering financial predictability, too).

The MSP will also have the advantage of already knowing your business systems and what you need them to do. As a trusted advisor, already supporting your tech, they can find the problem more quickly. They don’t have to learn your IT setup from scratch; they may even have set it up in the first place!

Your MSP partner will take precautionary measures when they know you’re coming up on a busy season. Knowing your tech needs to perform at its peak, they can test systems to ensure resilience. Alternatively, they'll know when your business slows down, so they can schedule any time-consuming updates or system upgrades more conveniently.

Taking the Long-Term Approach with an MSP

Working with an MSP has benefits beyond dealing with downtime issues, too. When you partner with a reputable MSP, you’re gaining an IT partner invested in your business success.

A break-fix consultant is focused only on what’s gone wrong. The MSP can offer valuable input to improve your productivity and streamline processes. We can also help find budget efficiencies.

Don’t wait for a downtime disaster to seek out someone to get you back in business. Instead, partner with an MSP to avoid those problems in the first place. Enjoy many other benefits, too.

All You Need to Know about Catchall Emails

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 08:30:15 GMT

Catchall Emails

The majority of small businesses rely on email as their primary means of acquiring and retaining customers. When that’s the case, you can’t afford to miss emails prospects send you. A catchall email can help prevent that from happening. Read on to find out all you need to know about catchall emails.

Catchall emails literally catch all emails sent to your domain. This ensures that you don’t miss any important emails. Plus, the catchall email helps you filter mail for cybersecurity reasons too.

Let’s examine some of the scenarios in which a catchall email, also known as wildcard emails, would come in handy:

Someone intends to email joe@yourdomain.com but mistakenly types jo@yourdomain.com.
A customer emails julie@yourdomain.com, but she left the company months ago.
A customer emails with concerns but uses an address that doesn’t exist on your domain.

In all these instances, the email would go to the catchall email address for your domain. Otherwise, you might miss that customer desperate to buy a hundred of your product for overnight shipping because in their hurry they missed one letter in an email address. Or you might not receive that customer complaint. Then, you'd miss the opportunity to rebuild that relationship.

Using a catchall email lets your small business communicate professionally with people. The customer isn’t getting error emails telling them the address does not exist. Instead, someone can follow-up, whether the individual email is still with you or not.

Setting up a catchall email

When you set up a catchall email, you can select one person who will review all those different emails. Pick someone with a strong Spidey sense for scam emails. After all, the catchall email may mean more Spam comes to your domain.

The wildcard account accepts non-defined emails instead of bouncing them. This doesn’t mean you have to read it all. View this inbox as a staging area to review, reject, and prioritize emails.

You can also set up the catchall email as a sort of cybersecurity filtration tool. You might give distinct email addresses to your different vendors. For example, your Amazon account would go to amazon@yourdomain.com. Your cleaning services would use cleaning@yourdomain.com. The catchall captures them all for appropriate distribution.

With a catchall email set up, you can have many different aliases online. This benefits you in the case of a data leak. If you start seeing spam or malware delivered to one of those addresses, you’ll know that the vendor has been hacked. Or has sold your information. Being able to trace the threat can make it much easier to cut the risks.

Email management made easier

Weighing the benefits of a catchall email for your business? Our experts can help you with this and other email management issues.

How to Save on Hardware Refreshes

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 09:27:23 GMT

Saving on Hardware

Your business may have an established hardware refresh cycle. Good. Or you might refresh hardware every few years when you feel it’s needed. OK, so you like the casual approach. That can work, too. You don’t refresh your hardware? Not a great plan. Yet, no matter what, you’ll want to read this article about how to save on IT hardware refreshes.

What is a hardware refresh?

Let’s not confuse a hardware update or upgrade with a hardware refresh. When updating hardware, which you should do consistently, you patch any security vulnerabilities. You'll also address any other issues the manufacturer may have discovered post-release. Then, in the case of an upgrade, your hardware stays in place, but you might add drives or RAM.

Next, there’s the hardware refresh. This sees you replacing the hardware you have with new technology. You’ll replace outdated equipment with the newest versions. Read on to learn why you’d do that.

Why is a hardware refresh needed?

Business relies on technology to function and offer competitive advantage. Yet your hardware can reach the point at which it slows you down. Or, worse, it becomes an actual security risk, which could lead to devastating downtime.

There is no one magic bullet to remove all risk of cyberattack or difficulties with your business IT, but refreshing hardware helps you combat:

performance issues;
capacity issues;
security vulnerabilities.

Plus, you gain any new functionality built into the equipment since you last bought it.

Many businesses have a set hardware refresh cycle; perhaps every three to five years. Yet that timeline is only a general suggestion, and it may not suit your particular business needs. Upgrade too early, and you’re not getting full value for your technology investment. Upgrade too late, and you risk productivity and security.

Knowing when to upgrade, repair, or refresh helps ensure return on investment. You can also save on the refresh itself. More on that next.

How to save on hardware refreshes?

It’s a good idea to have a hardware refresh process, yet allowing the calendar to dictate server unit, workstation, or networking component changes can waste resources.

Reduce hardware refresh costs by doing an IT and network audit. This audit helps you understand what is currently used, how it is being used, and whether or not it is up to the task. This can also help you identify areas where you are over-equipping your employees. For example, a design firm's administrator won’t need the same amount of RAM as the designers need to run graphics programs.

You can also save on hardware refreshes with virtualization. Instead of replacing legacy technology with another physical machine, host it in the cloud. Take a server unit. Doing away with the on-site server unit provides access to the server’s resources online. You gain the flexibility of being able to run multiple operating systems on the same device. Plus, you’ll save on electricity, cooling, and maintenance costs.

Help with your hardware refresh

Refreshing business equipment brings both labour and infrastructure expenses, but failing to refresh hardware can overburden IT, slow employees, and risk security. Optimize your hardware refresh by knowing business needs, auditing current technology, and exploring alternatives.

Partnering with a managed service provider to help you establish a refresh plan can help, too. Our experts can determine what equipment needs to be changed and what is still viable. We can help you evaluate options to get the most cost-friendly solutions. Plus, we can help with upgrades and updates, too.

What IT Services Should You Outsource?

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 09:09:01 GMT

Outsourcing Your IT Services

Every successful small business owner reaches a point when they need to tap others’ talents. When it comes to IT, depending on your skillset, that point could come pretty soon. Yes, there are IT services you can do in-house, but there are others that are beneficial to outsource.

When you started, you might have been dealing with one computer in your home office. As the business grows, so will your IT footprint. Eventually, it could make more sense to outsource your IT infrastructure. Managing your own hardware could prove too costly and time consuming. In particular, a cloud service provider allows you take advantage of economies of scale.

There are umpteen options for outsourcing your cloud computing. Once you settle on the provider, someone else can manage updates, handle backups, and track security.

Even if you keep your hardware infrastructure on-site, you can outsource its management, as it can grow too complicated for you to handle alone. Bring in an IT expert to source, manage, and troubleshoot your hardware. You can return your focus to other business areas that better suit your skills.

Other IT areas to outsource

If your business sells to customers online, you might outsource your e-commerce. There are many excellent e-commerce operators out there. They focus on ensuring your customers are always able to shop and buy from a secure online shop. You don’t want to risk losing sales because you’re trying to manage e-commerce as well as all other areas of your business.

Security is another key area for IT outsourcing. Cybercriminals are not slowing down. In fact, security agencies from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom reported in February 2022 on the increasing threat of ransomware. One of their findings? No one is immune, no matter the size of their business.

As a single-computer shop, you could do automatic updates and change Wi-Fi passwords. But, as your operations grow, there are many more entry points to protect. Identifying vulnerabilities becomes more difficult, and you can’t spend all your time monitoring cybersecurity threat feeds. There’s other work to do, too.

Cybersecurity can't be set and forgotten. Sometimes, updates can’t wait until the next one you have scheduled. You may need to react quickly to a major event or move proactively to identify whether you are at risk. Outsourcing to professionals who track new threats can help you avoid the worst. When updates are due, they can schedule them at the least disruptive time for your business. Plus, if there is an infected file or malware issue, you have someone on call to deal with that issue immediately. That can help cut costly downtime.

Outsource to IT experts

You may be brilliant at your business area, but that doesn’t mean you’re also skilled at IT. By outsourcing some IT tasks, you can gain peace of mind about your business tech reliability. Instead of trying to recruit and train your own IT people in a tight labor market, you can let the experts in. Then, you can get back to focusing your attention on the other core elements of your business.

Outsourcing IT can lower your tech costs, increase your productivity, and provide peace of mind. By turning to our experts, you can be more productive and enjoy a higher level of IT services.

Could the Business You Work for be More IT Savvy?

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 09:06:40 GMT

IT and Your Business

Working for a small business, you can be asked to wear many hats. Even if one of your many roles is not IT, you may need to speak up about your business technology or cybersecurity.

It’s easy to think cybersecurity is someone else’s responsibility, but IT may not be getting the attention it deserves, and that could be damaging to the business, your career, and your identity.

A data breach can destroy a business. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that 60% of small businesses close within six months of a breach. It’s easy to calculate why. In Ponemon’s annual Cost of Data Breach report, the average cost was $161 per record. That adds up. If you’re at a business that can’t recover, you could be out looking for work again.

Of course you care about your customers. You don’t want their personally identifiable information (PII) getting out to criminals. But their information isn’t the only thing at risk. Your employer has a lot of PII about you, too. They’ll have your name, address, salary amount, and bank account details. Plus, they may have health information related to your benefits. They probably also have copies of your government identification.

Not only about protection, prevention

If your business tech is out of date, you’re at greater risk of cyber vulnerability. But improving IT isn’t only about protecting data and preventing downtime. Having the right technology to suit your business can also help you be more productive. Speaking up about IT could see the business improve, grow, and gain resiliency.

Working with a good MSP can help both you and your business:

If your company isn’t as protected, IT experts can help with data security or backup and disaster recovery.
Frustrated by network failures, lagging conference calls, or error messages? Trust the MSP to make sure the business technology is up to the task.
When the devices you’re working with aren’t doing what you want them to do, the MSP can suggest the right tools for the job.
Feel like you’re wasting time on repetitive or mundane tasks? An MSP partner could help you embrace automation. Allow machines to take on the routine and leave you free to focus on the more challenging and innovative work.

A slow system is painful to use. Having to wait even a few minutes for a computer adds up over a 40-hour work week. Worrying about the security of your data doesn’t help your focus at work either.

You don’t have to be an IT expert to understand that there is room for improvement with your technology. Connect us with your employer to schedule a free consultation for your business needs!

How to Prevent Password Spraying Attacks

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 09:41:12 GMT

Preventing Password Spraying

Bad cyber actors are what the kids these days would call “try hards.” They do everything they can think of to get into your accounts. One tactic is password spraying. In case you don’t know about it, this article gives the basics and shares strategies to prevent this type of attack.

You’re probably familiar with hackers trying many different password combinations with the username. Web security services know about this form of attack, too. That’s why you can get locked out of your site for trying the wrong password too many times.

This brings us to password spraying. The cyber criminals have found a way to get around the-three-tries-and-you’re-out-of-luck defense. Instead of one user and many passwords, they use one password with many different usernames.

Think how easy this could be. Your company database is online for people to contact your employees. The bad actor takes john@yourcompany.com, jane@yourcompany.com, jamal@yourcompany.com, and so on, or they buy a list of usernames on the Dark web. Then, they try common passwords for every one of those individuals.

“Abc123,” “123456,” and … ugh … “password” are still frequently in use worldwide as passwords. So, it’s not that much of a stretch for a hacker to be able to get in with one of these common permutations.

The brute-force attack runs through a long list of users before trying the next “wrong” password. So, by the time it has finished going through the list of users with the password “abc123”, enough time has passed to avoid lockouts, and the hacker tries another password from the user list.

What to do about password spraying

The most obvious thing? Stop using any of the passwords that appear on the most commonly used worldwide lists! Do you think no one would still be using these obvious options? In 2021, there were more than 3.5 million reported uses of the “123456” password. “Password” came in second with 1.7 million reported uses. Both take less than a second to crack.

So, prefer more complicated passwords. This doesn’t have to mean that users add seven numbers, six symbols, and three capitalized letters. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines suggest length is more important. So, users can create longer yet easier-to-remember passwords.

IT administrators can also force users to change passwords at their first login to new applications. NIST further recommends checking every new password against a breached password list.

Multifactor authentication helps, as well. This requires the user to verify themselves with access credentials and extra authentication. This might be a code sent via text to a smartphone or could involve an authentication app.

It’s also a good idea to segment your networks so that users access only what they need to. Limiting user access can minimize the damage done if there is a breach.

Put password best practices in place

Keep your business secure with the help of a managed service provider. We can spearhead the installation of lockout policies and other security measures. Our experts also stay current with the latest vulnerabilities to proactively protect your organization.

On-premises Software “Ownership” vs. The Cloud

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 19:16:53 GMT

Onsite Ownership Versus The Cloud

Cloud computing is common in business. Yet there are some who remain skeptical. One of the sticking points is that the business doesn’t own the software it is using in the cloud. This can cause concern, but this article helps you weigh up the options.

Your business has two choices really. Buy a software package and install it on your devices, or subscribe to the same or similar software offering online in the cloud. (You might also develop and customize your own software, but that’s another story).

When you buy the software, there’s a feeling of ownership. You pay for what you want, and it’s yours. But while you may have the discs in hand, you never really own that software. What you did was enter into an agreement with the manufacturer to use that application in a certain way.

If you go the cloud-based software route, you don’t own but rather subscribe. Meanwhile, you get the benefit of always up-to-date and evolving software. You have access to that software online, often from any internet-enabled device. The software is sharable with more than one person, and every user enjoys the same, consistent and convenient access.

Software support and security

When you “own” the software, you’re responsible for upgrading it and keeping it patched for the latest security vulnerabilities. You’re also limited to the features installed when you purchased that product.

Also, the standalone version of the software is supported only for its lifecycle. You can grow used to using certain software in a particular way. But after five years (typically), the software will be out of date. You can keep using it afterwards, of course, but there will no longer be manufacturer support. That can mean security risks for your business.

Those who subscribe to cloud software get ongoing support and security upgrades, for which there is an ongoing fee. Yet in return, you automatically receive maintenance updates and security improvements. Plus, as new features become available, you get access to those, too, so you can always enjoy the latest and greatest version of that software if you want to install it.

Software developers like this approach, because they can be more responsive. They are able to respond to user requests in real-time and make changes within days.

Scaling with software in the cloud

Scaling with the software you own on-premises is more challenging, as the software is static. If you want more features, you will need to buy more software to install.

With the cloud version, you often gain access to an expanded roster of features. If they are not included, you may have the option of adding on or “unlocking” a new level.

An advantage to the cloud approach? You can install those added features when you need them. But if they add cost and you don’t need them all the time, you can scale back.

Develop a cloud strategy

The type of software “ownership” that suits you will depend on your business goals. Budget can be a factor, too. It helps to have an overall technology strategy. We can help with the decisions you need to make.

Is The Cloud Right For Your Business?

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 09:13:12 GMT

Is The Cloud For You?

Cloud services have been shaking up the industry for years now, and its adoption by small and mid-sized businesses is driving cloud computing’s growth. Yet while there are many benefits to migrating to the cloud, it isn’t the solution for every situation. This article will explore some reasons why your business may not suit the cloud.

Don’t get us wrong. There are many business benefits of working in the cloud. These include:

consistent access to the same applications as on-site colleagues for every user;
no need to install software on every individual’s device;
upgrades and security patching made easier for the IT team;
faster setup and easier scaling (up or down as needed);
enterprise-level security without having to reinvent the wheel at the individual system level;
built-in redundancy offering protection against single point of failure.

Still, cloud computing isn’t a silver-bullet solution. There are areas of the business that you may want to think twice about before migrating to the cloud.

Proceed to the cloud with caution

Consider how a move to cloud computing could affect your business. Don’t blindly sign up to put everything online. For one thing, cloud migration makes your business reliant on internet connectivity. If your small business struggles with a dodgy internet service provider (ISP), solve that before moving to the cloud. ISPs that suffer frequent outages or slow speeds are not great hosts for cloud computing.

In situations involving large amounts of data transfer, such as video editing, it doesn’t make sense to work from a cloud server.

You’ll also want to think twice before putting sensitive data in the cloud. Switching to cloud servers can improve security for many small businesses, and the move also gives them access to encryption and redundancy, but if data security is a concern (or a compliance issue), do a deep dive into providers’ cybersecurity efforts.

If you use custom software and data transfer, you may also want to reconsider migrating to the cloud: it may have never been designed to work in the cloud. New cloud-based software may promise all the same features and cost savings, but make sure you understand what that software does and doesn’t do.

The cloud option may not be right for you if your needs are going to change as your business evolves. Cloud vendors are going to try to keep you dependent on their solutions, and they don’t always make it easy for you to move to new software when you need different or new features.

You also run the risk of becoming a multi-cloud organization. This is when different teams at your business each have their own cloud software. This can give users access to best-in-class applications, but it can also lead to unwieldy computing complexity.

Supporting your cloud decisions

Successful cloud migration also requires good customer support. If your IT team is overworked (or nonexistent), you need a vendor with accessible cloud support. Alternatively, you could work with a managed service provider to support your transition to the cloud.

Considering a move to the cloud? Consult with our cloud computing experts first. We can guide you to a well-established cloud provider with a wide range of services. We’re also here to help with the migration.

Aligning Strategy and IT with Your MSP

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 11:11:28 GMT

IT and Your MSP

Scaling your business is critical to your success. Business is, after all, dynamic. Ideally, it’s growing, but it almost always needs to pivot. When that happens, you need your IT to keep pace. Working with a managed service provider (MSP) to align your strategy and IT can support and even drive agility.

There are times when your business wants to scale up or needs to scale down. Perhaps you’re releasing a new product; maybe your business is seasonal; or, as we all saw in 2020, something unexpected can come along and require you to change the way you do business. No matter what, in today’s environment, you need your technology to evolve with you.

Although MSPs can help fix technology when there are problems, they can do so much more. Taking on an MSP as a partner to help guide your changes adds value to the relationship. Here are several ways the MSP can help.

Help determine what is achievable

As a business owner, it’s part of your job to be visionary and think big. Yet you don’t want to exceed your technology capacity. Demanding more of your IT than it can handle could lead to disastrous downtime. Instead, bring in your MSP’s IT experts to consult on what is achievable and how to get there.

The phrase digital transformation is on everyone’s lips these days. You might want a digital workforce, optimized digital service, or improved business analytics. Yet you won’t get the full benefit of these initiatives if your business doesn’t have the IT framework.

Plan for technology to meet new demands

Bringing on more employees? Congrats! They’ll need computers, phones, and network access. You’ll also need the right software licenses, server capacity, and more. You’re busy enough recruiting and retaining the talent. Turn to your MSP to make sure the tech infrastructure is in place to support your changing workplace.

Working with your MSP to plan for a short-term spike in tech demands can help ensure things go smoothly. For example, knowing that you’re due to be busy, they can test systems to ensure resilience, or they’ll schedule time-consuming updates or system upgrades more conveniently.

Secure the IT whatever you do, wherever you are

In 2020, most businesses had to send employees off-site. IT needs to be changed. Now, many are trying to bring people back, and IT needs are changing again. Maybe it was work from home only before, but now, your business wants to navigate a hybrid model. Whatever the arrangement, the MSP can take on the task of protecting your systems.

When technology isn’t keeping up with your needs, your business can suffer. Employee productivity can falter, as well as morale. Your customers may not get the quality experiences they expect. Aligning IT with strategy supports smooth transitions and satisfied users with cybersecurity prioritized.

Working together for agility

Aligning with your MSP to achieve a strategy makes seamless and secure adaptation possible. IT support can plan with you to set up the reliable and resilient infrastructure you need.

Alignment comes from an ongoing discussion about business goals, budgets, and timelines. Bring in your MSP for more than break-fix support, and enjoy the benefits of more strategic IT advice and planning.

Buying Tech in Time for Christmas

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 14:55:50 GMT

Buying Tech

Christmas time is back with us again. The latest devices and gadgets are hitting store shelves just in time to keep up with the rush. Magazines, television, and the web are brimming with advertisements and reviews of the latest tech your money can buy.

Before you rush out to buy the gadgets you've been waiting all year for, consider a few important questions before parting with your hard-earned cash.

Does This Technology Do What I need?

First, you must ask what problem you are trying to solve with a new piece of tech. The most important thing to consider is how adopting your new device will improve on what you had before.

In some cases, a sleek new gadget or device for fun is good too.

When you've answered this question, you should consider whether there is other tech or competing devices out there that can perform even better.

Should I Become an Early Adopter?

Early adopters are people that anticipate the release of new tech, wait in line on release day, and pride themselves on having the latest gadgets to hit the shelves. If you recognize yourself in this description you are likely to snap up the latest devices the day they are released. This eager anticipation, however, is not always the way to get the best deals or the best gadgets.

Companies often rely on new product hype to give sales an early boost. Waiting for the marketing and hype to subside, even a little, can save you a lot of money.

After initial sales fall, companies often mark down their prices to keep their devices attractive and sales high. When newer, faster, sleeker devices hit the market, companies cut prices to maintain strong sales figures. For the budget smart consumer this is an opportunity for a bargain. A device good enough to buy on launch day is well worth waiting for.

Have I checked The Reviews?

We are fortunate enough to have access to seemingly unlimited amounts of information at our fingertips. Often weeks before a product is released, reviews are available across the web.

One of the best things you can do when considering a new device, particularly a high-cost purchase, is to watch and read a wide variety of product reviews. It pays to be cautious of reviews that are particularly glowing, or too downbeat. Keep an eye out for middle of the road reviews that fairly weigh the pros and cons of each device.

Have I Found the Best Deal?

There are many ways to keep an eye out to make sure you get the best deal on your device. If you can, monitor prices over time to see how they rise and fall to find the best time to purchase.

When purchasing online, many sites include a box to add a coupon code when you are ready to buy. It sometimes pays to jump over to Google and search the website name and 'coupon' or 'voucher' to find out if there are any good deals on.

A quick search can save you as much as 10, 15, or 20 per cent on some purchases. Sometimes companies send out offers to appeal to groups they want to market to. A companies Facebook page may get different offers or vouchers than its Twitter followers or newsletter for example.

It can pay to search around for offers and vouchers to get money off before you checkout. Five minutes work can save huge amounts of cash.

Purchase in Confidence

If you have asked yourself these questions, done all your research, and found the answers you're looking for then you may well be ready to buy.

You can do so with the confidence that you've done all your homework and you're getting the best deal and gadget for your money.

Business IT Myth Buster

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 07:21:31 GMT

7 Common Business IT Myths Debunked

MythBuster programs on television never focus on business misconceptions about IT. Too bad, because believing these myths can be both costly and dangerous to your business. This article debunks seven common business IT myths.

Sometimes myths are harmless, but when it comes to business IT myths, not knowing the truth is damaging. Make smarter tech decisions with accurate information and a better understanding of IT.

Myth 1: Consumer PCs are interchangeable with business PCs.

Sorry, this one’s false. Selecting a business-grade computer can impact productivity. Don’t squander your competitive advantage by relying on consumer PCs to get the job done.

Consumer PCs are largely about getting the price point down by using lower-quality materials, whereas business computers are built to last, use higher-quality components, and go through more testing. They have business-appropriate features such as fingerprint readers or encryption tools, and better warranties and support.

How long can you be without your PC\Laptop?

Myth 2: Apple computers can’t get viruses.

Microsoft Windows users are targeted more often because there are more Microsoft users, and the payoff is bigger. Plus, Windows PCs run any program requested, regardless of danger, whereas Apple has steps in place to prevent unauthorized malware from running.

This myth is also untrue. In fact, in September, Apple released a security update to fix its phones, tablets, and watches. Victims didn’t even have to click on a malicious file to risk device infection. So, if you’re using an Apple device, go into Systems and make sure you’ve upgraded to iOS 14.8, macOS 11.6, and/or watchOS 7.6.2.

Myth 3: One backup is enough.

In the case of data backups, you are much safer taking a 3-2-1 approach to data backup. Have three data backups available on at least two different mediums, one of which should be off-site.

You might backup your data to:

a second hard drive;
an external hard drive;
a thumb or USB flash drive;
a cloud service.

Myth 4: Antivirus software completely prevents infection.

Antivirus software is valuable, yes, and your business should consistently upgrade its antivirus software. But no antivirus is going to protect your business from every threat.

Security programs do their best to keep up with new threats and vulnerabilities, but infections can spread across the internet quickly. Plus, bad guys are getting better at crafting variations to evade antivirus tools. As a result, make antivirus software only one piece of your cybersecurity strategy.

Myth 5: Cybercriminals only target enterprises.

Attacks on enterprises grab the headlines, but nearly half of the cyberattacks hit small businesses. The bad actors know that small businesses are more resource-constrained and don’t have cyberattack prevention plans in place. It is easier to go after the little fish than targeting the enterprises with IT teams as big as a basketball squad.

Myth 6: It’s OK to wait until the computer fails to replace it.

You can wait, but it’s not going to be the best thing for your business. Long before a computer fails it could be slowing down your business. Older PCs disrupt productivity and reduce employee satisfaction.

As the computer ages, you'll lose time loading applications and dealing with crashes. You may also be leaving your systems vulnerable to cyberattack if you can't upgrade the software.

Myth 7: IT outsourcing is not effective for small businesses.

Maybe you think your IT systems are too small to need ongoing maintenance or monitoring, or (Myth 5) that you’re not at risk. Yet, IT systems of any size need ongoing, consistent attention, and outsourcing can help free up your IT resources to do more value-add tasks.

A managed service provider (MSP) can monitor hardware and backups, streamline systems for speed, and keep security current. The MSP can also manage firewalls, and identify and protect against threats. Partner with us for business IT support today!

Contact us today info@auxcuro.com

What Not to Do on a Work Computer

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 07:10:56 GMT

What to avoid doing whilst working remotely

Working from home has its advantages but can also blur the line between professional and personal time. Plus, employees may grow more relaxed about what they do on their work computer while remote. This article shares things employees should avoid doing on work computers, whether remote or in the office.

Log in to an unprotected network

Working outside the office means you are more mobile. If you have a business laptop, you could decide to work one day in a coffee shop and the next in a public park. But in doing so, never connect to public Wi-Fi. This is an unencrypted network. Hackers can position themselves to compromise your computer.

If you absolutely must use a public network, add a layer of protection by using a virtual private network. This can help shield your browsing from anyone monitoring your online activity.

We partner with a Professional VPN provider that we can managed for you contact us today.

Save personal files

You spend so much time on the work computer, and you want to get a few personal things done during the day. You might even start saving personal files on the computer. Maybe you created a “my stuff” folder on the desktop.

This isn’t a good idea, because personal data could get automatically backed up to the cloud with the work files. Cloud backup is good practice for the business, but now you’re losing control of your personal information. Plus, if you leave the job, you lose access to that computer and those personal files.

Let family and friends surf the Web

Working from home changes the office environment. People want to look something up, or kids need to submit schoolwork online. And your work computer is right there! Why shouldn't they use it?

This could expose proprietary business data or sensitive information. You may think “my 10-year-old won’t know what that spreadsheet says.” Yet, especially in a regulated industry, you could be compromising compliance.

What to avoid doing when in the office

Stream personal entertainment

You have a break, or things are slow, so you decide to catch up on your favourite TV show at work. What’s the harm?

In fact, you could be making it more difficult for your colleagues to do their work. Streaming takes up bandwidth, and there is only a set amount available to your business. So, while you’re laughing at a sitcom, others are struggling. Colleagues could drop from video calls or wait longer to download important files.

Click on unrecognized links or download attachments from unknown parties

This one is well-known. It’s up there with not using simple access credentials such as “password” or “letmein.” Be wary of what links or attachments you click on or download. Cybercriminals constantly leverage human error to gain illicit access to business networks. Don’t be the weak link in your company’s security posture.

Also, avoid visiting non-work-related websites. You are more likely to visit a site that harbours malware if you are surfing the Web for personal use at work.

Download software without first asking IT

You might have a preferred way of doing things, but the business computers don’t have the software you’re familiar with. Deciding to download it to your own computer seems safe enough. It could be a well-known app or piece of software. It’s not like one of those shady downloads from the point above.

Yet downloading software to a work computer can cause problems for the IT team, as they don’t know what’s working on the systems. There could be upgrades or system updates you miss that create a vulnerability. You could also, again, risk noncompliance.

These six things should be avoided if you’re using a work computer. It doesn’t matter where you’re working, you still need to be thinking of cybersecurity and productivity for you and your colleagues.

Need help knowing what your employees are doing with work computers on- or off-site? We can help. Learn more about remote monitoring and other helpful tools.

Contact us today at info@auxcuro.com

Old Computers?

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 13:44:38 GMT

6 Uses for Your Old, Extra Computers

When you’ve upgraded to a new computer, the old one is a bit of an albatross. You paid good money for that desktop or laptop, and you want to continue to see return on investment. Plus, disposing of that technology feels wasteful. It’s not as if a computer is going to compost itself! To help, we’ve provided seven solid ideas for how to repurpose your old, extra computers.

#1 Turn it into a Kids’ PC

Make the computer available exclusively to your young ones. You can set the device up with parental controls software to:

• limit the sites they can access;

• control when and for how long they can use the computer;

• restrict them from downloading without your approval;

• monitor their activity.

You can also isolate the device from the family’s home network to further restrict their access and cut the risk of malware infection.

#2 Make a PC for Seniors

Or, accommodate those at the other end of the seven stages of man. Turn the computer into one geared for older family members. Optimize screen display color contrast for those with poor vision. Make the text size bigger. Set up the use of voice commands. You might even use puffy paint on the keyboard to make common keys easier to find.

#3 Convert to Storage

Storing documents, videos, photos, and music on your computer takes up a lot of room. So, turn that extra computer into a media storage device to keep your new computer in top shape. Think of it as an external storage device with much more capacity than a thumb drive.

Backing up your documents and media to the cloud is always an option. Yet, you may have more that you want to store than you want to pay the fee for storing.

#4 Share a Printer on the Network

If you have a printer that connects via a USB cable, you can generally print from that computer only. You can turn your old computer into a print server that shares the printer over the network. This way, any computer on the same network can make use of the printer.

#5 Donate

If the computer is in decent condition, donate it to a school, library, charity or other non-profit. Of course, before doing so, you’ll want to clean it up:

• Back up and then delete all your files.

• Consider “zero filling” your hard drive so data cannot be recovered.

• Reinstall the operating system so it is usable by the recipient.

#6 Sell Parts

You could continue to see value from that extra computer by parting it out. This is a good idea especially when the computer is no longer working and can’t be held onto as a backup (just in case). In some cases, parts sell for more than complete computers.

When you’re looking for that new computer or coming up with ways to repurpose your old one, our IT experts can help. Contact us today at 01255 724 724!

Are you investing enough in IT?

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 13:39:24 GMT

Signs You Aren’t Budgeting Enough for IT

Generally, we like to make the argument that nothing about your small business is too small. We do say it a lot in relation to cybersecurity — no size of business is immune. Yet, there is the chance your IT budget is too small. Consider these indicators that you might need to invest more in your IT.

Every business wants to be cost-conscious. Saving money in one area can make funds available to expand, develop new products, or pay people more. That all makes sense.

Yet technology is the lifeblood of business success today. When you have the best tools available, you gain productivity, efficiency, and transparency. Plus, your people are likely to be happier, which helps retention, too. At the same time, with cyberthreats on the rise globally, IT isn’t the best area in which to flex your thrift muscles.

How can you know you need to pay more now to avoid spending an exorbitant amount later? Look for these warning signs.

Employees Are Losing Time to Tech

The right hardware and software makes employees’ jobs easier. Robotic process automation can improve workflow to avoid effort spent on mundane tasks. But people struggling with slow, outdated technology are wasting valuable time.

If your people have to find workarounds to get that project done on deadline, that’s only a short-term fix. It is frustrating for them, which impacts morale and retention. Plus, the band-aid approach to getting the job done can backfire in the long run.

There are Important Things You Can’t Do

You may be putting off upgrades to save on your IT budget. Yet in your effort to spend less on tech, you’re undermining your business interests. You put off an operating system upgrade because your current system is working fine, except that choice could make you more vulnerable to cyberattack. You recognize the value of integrated customer relationship management (CRM) software but don’t want to splurge on that valuable tool. Still, you don’t want to save money on IT spend at the expense of business needs right now.

Customer Experience Is Suffering

You may not immediately connect IT budget and customer satisfaction, yet consumers today want convenience and personal attention. These can be difficult for the overworked human employee to do. Providing improved data and analytics makes it easier to offer individual attention. Plus, chatbots and mobile apps can transform the customer experience, because they save time and effort.

You’re Struggling to Meet Industry Standards

Businesses face different industry standards to manage and protect personal and proprietary data. There can be requirements for backup practices, infrastructure testing, monitoring threats, and more. This can make the job of IT more complicated, but not spending to safeguard data or intellectual property risks a financial hit.

Improving operational efficiencies is a priority, of course, yet security spend needs to part of the IT budget, too. Address risk exposure with recurring risk assessments and a strategic security framework.

Better Budgeting for IT

Many businesses looking to bounce back from the pandemic are struggling with tight budgets. Still, technology can improve remote work, increase productivity, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Not sure where to direct that IT spending? Our IT experts can get to know your business and its objectives. We’ll identify cost savings and suggest transformations for the best return on investment.

Call us today at 01255-724 724 .

Everyone Plays a Role in Cybersecurity

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 13:33:29 GMT

Is IT init?????

No - Everyone Plays a Role in Cybersecurity

Hollywood would have us believe that cyberattacks are elaborately planned and use expensive, sophisticated tools developed by James Bond’s tech guru, Q. Yet in real life, most hacks are nothing like that. The cybercriminals often simply fool a human to gain access.

Phishing remains a primary way to attack. A scammer sends an email that looks legitimate, and an unsuspecting victim clicks on a malicious link. They might download malware or end up on a webpage that looks credible but is set up to gather their personal data.

Social engineering targets the human desire to help. A hacker might drop an infected thumb drive in the office parking lot of the target business – they need only one well-intentioned person to pick it up and plug it into the office system – or they call, saying they represent a contractor and urgently need important credentials.

Your cybersecurity is only as strong as its weakest link. In many cases, your employees are that weakest link. They are busy working hard, so they don’t stop to question things, or they can be too trusting. A supply-chain attack compromises your vendor. The hackers change the details on the vendor's

invoice so that the money ends up in their bank account. Your people don’t notice, because they usually trust the vendor.

Educate Employees about Their Cybersecurity Role

Every business needs to educate employees about the part they play in cybersecurity. They need to care, but they may feel that it’s not their concern.

They’ll expect IT or someone else at work to handle malware and prevent cyberattacks, but each individual has a role.

It can help to put the potential threat in personal terms. Help them to understand that they are not only protecting work data on the network, and it’s not just client personal details: it’s their names, addresses, and tax numbers, too. Plus, it’s how much they get paid, healthcare records, resumes, and more, which is exactly the kind of information hackers exploit in identity theft. That one hack can have a huge ripple effect.

There’s also the argument that if your business suffers a breach or downtime, everyone could be out of the job. Particularly bad data breaches or hacks can destroy a business. Of course, the individual didn’t mean to do anything wrong, but their ill-advised action costs your company, which can mean downtime, lost productivity, damaged brand reputation, compliance issues, and more. Recovery is difficult.

Cybersecurity Is an Ongoing Concern

It’s also important that you don’t treat cybersecurity training as a one-off. Running through a list of “do nots” in employee onboarding and then moving on is not going to work. Build cybersecurity literacy into your workplace culture.

Remind employees about strong passwords and thinking twice before sharing any sensitive data. Require them to use protected networks for remote access and to encrypt files.

Your business can also show the importance of employees taking responsibility by:

discussing cybersecurity in hiring processes;
outlining policies and procedures in the handbook;
reminding employees to regularly update and upgrade technology;
monitoring applications downloaded onto work devices;
having a clear policy for people bringing in their own devices;
adding multi-factor authentication to remote access.

Ransomware threats are on the rise globally, cybercrime gangs are targeting any weakness, regardless of business size or industry. Enlist your employees in the ongoing fight against hackers.

Need help training employees or installing cybersecurity protections? We can help. Contact our IT experts to discuss policies and procedures your business can use. We know how to keep you free from threats and get your people engaged in the battle, too. Call us at 01255-724 724 today.

Paperless Office Challenge

site-9L9I3w — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 12:03:52 GMT

Do You Need Document Management?

The employee surrounded by teetering stacks of paper is less common today. What with the move to digital technology, we’re all doing more online. Yet some businesses remain true to traditional processes, passing documents around the office. You could be paying for this in lost productivity or worse. You may need document management. Check out the common signs of trouble and learn what you can do about them.

Trouble Sign #1: You are losing business due to slow work processes

It may not even be this severe. Maybe you’re not actually losing that client, but your customers are not happy with the time it takes your staff to get back to them. They call with what they see as a simple question, but your people need to hang up to find the right folder on their desk or look through filing cabinets.

Trouble Sign #2: Conflicting information is causing problems

You have digitized some work processes, but you have people who still prefer to do things the old way. You wanted to be flexible, yet document control is a problem. It’s difficult to know who has the most-current copy of a file. Plus, when someone enters inaccurate data, it takes time to notice, because various documents are floating around.

Trouble Sign #3: Inefficiencies are costing your business time and money

Exchange of information is essential for business success. You could be a one-person shop doing every task. Otherwise, you need to know what is happening end-to-end in the business. When you’re relying on manual processes, it is more difficult to track:

• orders received;

• where inventory is in the supply chain;

• when orders ship;

• current inventory levels;

• what customers are saying to customer service;

• which customers get discounts and which don’t pay on time;

• where a document is within a multi-step process;

• what employees are responsible for what tasks.

A miscommunication or lack of communication between departments wastes valuable resources. According to Google, executives waste 30% of their time looking for information. With what you’re paying top brass, you want them to do more with their valuable time.

Document Management Advantages

A document management system allows you to easily scan, capture, and retrieve documents. When a vendor calls, your employee can search a key phrase, email, or phone number to bring up the correct file.

A document management system can also streamline workflow. When sales submits a contract, underwriting can receive an alert that it’s time for them to take over. Once that’s done, the document is forwarded on to the next party. Throughout, everyone works with the same file, and all revisions and comments can be recorded and saved along the way.

Advanced document management software can also automate workflow to speed your processes. Additionally, the artificial intelligence engine running the software can confirm accuracy. You might configure the software to pre-populate fields. Some document management tools even check forms to confirm completion.

Automating document management also gives you access to data analytics. You can identify human bottlenecks and recognize employees who are particularly efficient. Monitoring documents can help identify trends, which can help with prioritizing business improvements.

With online document management, you can save on office space, too. Instead of keeping hard copies in file cabinets or off-site storage, digitally archive relevant materials.

That digital archive also supports compliance and can save your business from legal action. You don’t have to worry about being unable to provide the proper document when it’s needed. Document software systems provide a complete audit trail. The software might even generate automated notifications when sensitive information is shared.

Looking to add document management to your digital solutions? We can help your business find the best system to meet its needs. Work with our IT experts to find document management to make your work smooth and easy. Call us today at 01255 724 724

Ransomware - Help!

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 10:36:24 GMT

What to Do If You’re a Ransomware Victim!

You’ll know if you’re a victim of ransomware. Often you’re met with a red screen telling you your business files are encrypted. You won’t be able to do anything on the computer, although the cybercriminals will provide helpful instructions for how to pay up. How nice. Here’s what to do instead if you’re the victim of a ransomware attack.

It is predicted that ransomware will impact businesses every 11 seconds in 2021. Yes, you read that right. That’s up from every 14 seconds in 2019. Another research company reported ransomware increasing 485% year-over-year in 2020. Know that it’s widely considered a bad idea to pay the ransom, because you’re rewarding the cybercriminal. Plus, you can’t even be sure that they will provide the encryption key needed to regain the use of your files. What! You were going to trust the bad guys?

The Important First Step

The first thing you’ll want to do is make it all go away. Yet wishful thinking is not going to get the job done. Instead, you’re going to have to turn immediately to your disaster response plan, because, of course, you have one of those already. Really, don't underestimate the value of planning in advance for IT infrastructure compromise. Doing it proactively means calm, considered decisions rather than reacting in a crisis.

Step one is going to be identifying the systems involved and isolating them. Once you detect a compromise, limit the spread of infection by disconnecting the devices affected. Ideally, you take only a few computers offline or disconnect an individual network. Even in a large-scale compromise, remove all affected devices from the network to contain the malware.

As part of the isolation, don’t forget to disconnect any connected devices such as storage drives. The ransomware infection will even seek out USB thumb drives.

Power down only the affected devices if you are unable to disconnect them from the network. Why? Because turning them off means you might lose potential evidence.

Malicious actors may be monitoring your business communications. So, move offline to coordinate your response. Phone calls or text messaging will work, or personal email accounts.

Don’t attempt to restore critical systems until you have identified and isolated. After that, your business can move into triage mode. Prioritize what to restore, and recover using your data backup (again, of course, you have one of those, too). Consider how critical each system is for health and safety and revenue generation. Then, get to work restoring systems in an efficient, organized fashion.

Minimizing Ransomware Risk

Ransomware is a major threat to every business sector, and you don’t want to become the next victim. Common best practices include:

• preventing an attack with anti-virus and anti-malware tools;
• installing email filters to keep phishing emails from reaching your employees;
• making frequent backups and keeping them separate from your network;
• keeping up with ransomware and other cybersecurity threats.

Businesses that partner with a managed services provider have someone supporting their efforts to cut ransomware risk. Plus, if the worst happens, the MSP’s IT experts are at the ready to identify and isolate. They can find the samples needed, determine the malware strain you are dealing with, and report the attack.

Your data backup should have recent copies of all information up to (or close to) the time of infection. So, once the MSP has removed all ransomware, they will wipe your systems and storage devices. They can swiftly reformat the hard disks and reinstall everything from scratch.

An MSP can help you plan ahead to contain the damage from a cyberattack. Let our IT experts install best practices, set up safe backups, and track activity on your network. Contact us today at 01255-724 724.

Microsoft 365 - Business Backup !!!

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 18:46:29 GMT

Doing Business in Microsoft 365?

Backup Your Data!

Many business tools are moving to the cloud. One popular option is Microsoft 365, formerly known as Office 365. This unified platform consolidates Excel, Word, and PowerPoint with collaboration and communication tools. Added apps and services help streamline operations, too. Simplifying your IT infrastructure can also cut costs and reduce duplication of effort. Still, when you’re leveraging the convenience of Microsoft 365, data backup is your job.

When all software was on-site on business servers and machines, you had complete control. The IT team kept the systems up to date, virus-free, and running smoothly. They built in redundancy to ensure data recovery. They planned for natural disaster, human error, malicious attack, ransomware, or hardware misconfiguration.

Now, though, IT doesn’t have the same control. With the transition to Microsoft 365, the job has changed. Microsoft makes sure its users can continue to access SharePoint or Teams in the event of a disaster, but this doesn’t mean they are responsible for backing up your data – that’s your responsibility.

As do many cloud-based vendors, the company says you own and control your data. They ensure service availability, but you need to set up your own data backup in case of a hack, employee error, or failing to install a security patch.

What does Microsoft 365 Backup?

Reducing downtime is a big reason to backup data. Resilience in the wake of a data breach helps establish credibility with customers, investors, and employees. You may also need backups for compliance with legal guidelines and industry standards.

Yes, you can restore some data within Microsoft 365, but only in the short term. For instance, you can recover information from your deleted-items folder. When something is deleted from that folder, an administrator can often recover it from a system-wide recycling bin.

The thing is, Microsoft 365 doesn’t hold data for that long. It can range from two weeks to a month, depending on your configuration. Plus, you’re not in control of when data is purged, from which there is no recovery.

Microsoft's datacenter redundancy and data replication efforts support service uptime. It won’t matter if your data is breached, encrypted, or irretrievable due to a hardware failure, flood, or fire.

You need your own data backup. We recommend that you have "snapshots" of your data in three places: one is on-site on a local, protected computer or device; another would be on a remote device; and the third would be in the cloud with a reputable third-party backup provider.

Test Your Backup

Having a backup of Microsoft 365 data offers reassurance that your business can bounce back. Still, don’t get complacent just yet. Along with having a process in place to back up your data, also plan on testing backups.

Testing helps you learn how effectively you can recover following data loss. Plus, testing backups saves you from finding out in a crisis that something has been wrong all along.

Protect your business from data loss and lengthy downtime with your own data backup. We can offer you backup services and help get your company up and running again if the worst does happen. Contact us at 01255-724 724 for help today!

What Is Shadow IT

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 18:20:41 GMT

What Is Shadow IT - Should I be worried?

What Is Shadow IT, and Why Is It an Issue?

An old-time radio show used to start with the promise “The Shadow knows!” Yet when it comes to shadow IT, the problem is the exact opposite. Shadow IT is the stuff employees download onto a business system that IT doesn’t know about, and it can be a big problem.

You may have an IT policy telling employees not to download unsanctioned applications, but they want to boost their productivity, or perhaps they prefer to work with an app they already know and love. So, they get a tool or service that meets their needs without telling IT.

The employee may have the best of intentions. They want to work better for your business. They don’t see the harm in adding that convenient app to their computer. Or they don’t think it’s a big deal to use their own device to complete their work (even if unsanctioned). Maybe they want to be efficient, so they use a personal email account to conduct your business.

Any of these examples are part of Shadow IT, and it's running rampant. In Frost & Sullivan research, 80% of employees admitted they had used non-approved software. Even 83% of IT workers were using non-vetted Software as a Service (SaaS) applications. So, what’s the big deal? We’ll cover that next.

The Potential Pitfalls with Shadow IT

First, if your business is in a regulated industry, Shadow IT could put you at risk of noncompliance. That unsanctioned device may not be encrypted. Sharing business data over a personal email would be a big no-no in a healthcare or banking space. Shadow IT certainly undermines audit accountability.

It can also drive up IT costs. Say accounting doesn’t know that the business has already paid to use certain software. So, they pay for it again out of their own budget.

If IT is unaware of the Shadow applications or devices, they can’t manage the vulnerabilities. The business doesn’t know customer data or personal identification information about employees is at risk.

And there is greater threat of a data breach or ransomware attack. Employees downloading a third-party app could inadvertently give a hacker access to your network.

Additionally, the business risks losing productivity. The work someone does on a shadow app, for example, could be lost to the company if that employee moves on. IT wouldn’t have access to that account to retrieve the information or files. They don’t even know it is out there on that unknown app or device.

Shine a Light on Shadow IT

Because this IT lingers in the shadows, it can be challenging to coral. Still, there are several steps you can take.

Educate employees about cyber policies.

Create and communicate acceptable use guidelines, and make sure your workers know what your policies are regarding:

• SaaS downloads;

• use of personal devices (e.g. mobile phones, laptops, USB flash drives, portable data storage devices);

• emailing from personal accounts or using messaging apps;

• online document sharing;

• online voice or meeting technology.

Establish clear information classifications distinguishing between public, private, and confidential data. This can help employees recognize they are putting important data at risk when they disregard use policies.

Do a dive to discover Shadow IT.

IT needs to get to know what technology is in use at the business (both on- and off-site). This is more challenging now with people working from home due to COVID-19. Still, a survey of employees and their devices can help gather information about unknowns.

Determine the value of IT discovered.

Don’t overreact. You don’t want to necessarily ban all Shadow IT that you discover. Some of the services could have value. Vet the applications or devices found or reported. Review their connection to private or confidential data or essential network systems. If several employees use an unsanctioned app,

you may want to invest in it. With a professional version, your IT team can safely manage the app.

Deliver the IT your people need.

Why are people circumventing your IT policies? Are they are under pressure? Are they are looking to meet an unmet need? Are they are more comfortable with a familiar app or device? It’s important to understand what the employee is aiming to accomplish or why they’ve turned to shadow IT. This can help you identify IT needs and areas where you need to improve.

Shadow IT is data or applications that are outside your business protection. IT can only watch what it knows about. Shadow IT is unsafe and unpredictable.

We offer an IT Assessment service that will help identify Shadow IT as well as much much more. Please contact us on 01255 724 724.

What to Do If Your Data Is Included in a Leak!

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 18:14:03 GMT

What Do I do?

Data breaches are now daily occurrences and can happen to any business. The April 2021 leak of 533 million Facebook records was one of the largest known data leaks, but even if you weren't affected by that one, you may still be at risk.

There is no easy way to know if your information has been leaked. When a business is hacked, it typically sends a notification letting you know, but this isn’t guaranteed. And you can’t go in and check the Dark Web. It is difficult to find and dangerous to access, and that is why the bad guys like it.

It’s a good idea to navigate to https://haveibeenpwned.com to see if your email address or phone number is on any data breach files. This isn’t conclusive, but it can help.

Even, if you’re not sure if you’ve been a victim of a data leak, you’ll want to take action.

There are several smart strategies to follow immediately.

#1 Limit your social sharing

It is simple to share on social media – that is part of the fun. You share the pictures of your wedding day or anniversary, or your new house with its address. You’re filling in family and friends in your life, right?

Well, if you are using any of that information to create access credentials, you are sharing too much. Someone with a beloved cat called “Petunia” in every photo who uses the feline’s name as a password gives hackers an edge.

You might think you are sharing harmless information, but those birthday party photos posted on the big day are a clue to your identity that hackers can exploit.

#2 Use Unique Passwords

Would you believe people still use “12345678” and “password” as their passwords? If you are one of them, stop now. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again and again: use unique passwords for every one of your accounts. Yes, it is more to remember, but it helps cut the risk of a data breach at one site snowballing to disastrous consequences for you.

You might use a password keeper such as 1Password or LastPass to manage your many passwords. This is more secure than the password manager offered by your Web browser, although those are better than revising passwords or trying (hopelessly) to memorize them.

#3 Add Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) makes it more challenging for the bad actor. Now, they will need to obtain access not only to log in credentials but also to your personal device. However, since phone numbers are often included in a data leak, this isn’t the best solution. If the hacker has your name, address, and birthdate from the Dark Web, they can take over your phone number, too. They call the company and say, “I lost my phone. Can I get another SIM card.” Then, they are the ones to get those verification codes via message, not you.

Better still, use a 2FA app to confirm your identity. Authy or LastPass are good authenticator apps. After you attempt to log in, you will need to enter a time-sensitive code generated by the app to complete access.

#4 Stop Signing into Other Sites Using Social

Sure, it is convenient to use your Facebook or other social media account to sign in to connected applications, because you have fewer passwords to remember. Some of your data is automatically transferred, so signup is streamlined, too. Yet you are increasing the risk of account compromise.

The hacker may access the third-party application and use that as a stepping stone to get into your social account. That’s where the trove of data is.

#5 Develop an Alternate Ego

It all sounds super spy, but you might have one email account you open to be a burner account for social media. You could also use a fake birth date, a fake alma mater, and other alternative facts to fill out the social profile.

Don't fabricate personal details for an employer, or a financial or educational institution. But you might use a fake identity for entertainment, gaming, and social sites that bad guys may mine for personal data.

Need help securing your social media or other online activity? Our experts can help. Contact us today at 01255-724 724!

MIcrosoft 365 - Streamline Your IT

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 18:08:47 GMT

Microsoft 365 - Reduces Spend

Microsoft 365 Streamlines Business and Reduces Spend

When doing business online, you have many options for available software and systems. You might turn to one solution to handle online meetings, another to drive collaboration, and yet another to manage your content and workflow. It can get confusing. Plus, when you are duplicating tools, IT spend can mushroom unnecessarily. Microsoft 365 aims to offer a single, all-in-one solution. This article highlights the benefits of streamlining your software needs.

Formerly Office 365, Microsoft 365 is for home, business, enterprise, and education users. Microsoft touts that the software helps businesses reimagine the way they work.

Consolidating many business apps can encourage productivity, support collaboration, and cut costs. Doing away with the fragmentation of many different vendor apps your business can:

• save time;

• manage projects, communications, calendars, and more in a unified platform;

• simplify deployment;

• cut tech support and IT management challenges;

• budget better with one invoice for the one solution.

Let’s talk in more detail about all you might handle within the Microsoft platform.

Microsoft 365 Replaces Your Many Apps

There are many online business tools you can replace with Microsoft 365.

Communication

First, there’s Business Voice to replace your traditional phone systems. This secure and cost-effective VoIP service enables users to make and receive calls from any device. You can use a laptop, mobile, or desktop, while continuing to use the same number as the desk phone. You can dial in numbers for call conferencing, AI voicemail, transcription, and real-time captioning help, too.

Microsoft 365 also lets users pop into meetings immediately within their Teams channels. They can easily start a phone or video meeting, and during the meeting, they can also share files and PowerPoints. Plus, integrating Outlook contacts and calendars helps efficiency and scheduling.

Collaboration

Microsoft users are already relying on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. With Microsoft 365, these files are easy to use and share online. Collaborate in a shared document, in real-time, with version control.

Within Microsoft Teams, users have a whiteboard and screen, too. Custom backgrounds and the Together mode are particularly useful during the pandemic. Blur the background on a video call or choose a custom setting. Or sit in a shared digital background to feel as if you’re all actually in the same space together again.

This can replace GoToMeeting, Zoom, and WebEx, as well as document management software, Box, or an on-premises file server.

Apps and Services

Integrate bots, automate workflows, or manage data with more than 700 productivity, project management, industry-specific, or business department apps.

Businesses can connect data to improve agility with Power automate doing repetitive tasks. Power BI makes it easier to discuss and visualize data.

Emails and Planning

Microsoft Exchange does away with on-premises email, Web hosting provider email, or Gmail. Plus, people can stay better organized with integrated notes, documents, and calendars.

Instead of tracking things in Trello, Basecamp, or another project platform, use Planner to stay on top of progress.

Backup storage

Your Microsoft 365 subscription includes 1 terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage. That’s equivalent to 6.5 million document pages (such as Office files, PDFs, and presentations). Plus, your workers can share, locate, and collaborate in SharePoint.

Cybersecurity

Microsoft 365 also offers secure messaging and multi-factor authentication. The “1,000+ security and privacy controls” help meet industry and regulatory standards. That’s without needing Proofpoint, Mimecast, or Barracuda, or other advanced threat protections.

Simplify your IT infrastructure with Microsoft 365. Reduce software duplication, cut back on software licensing costs, and regain storage capacity.

Find out more about this secure, current, unified platform solution. Microsoft 365 can benefit your business. Our IT experts can answer your questions. We'll help you make the most of your Microsoft subscription. Contact us today at 01255-724 724.

Is Your Instagram Account Secure?

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 18:00:55 GMT

Securing Your Instagram Account

Is Your Instagram Account Secure?

Why would someone want to target your Instagram account? You share what you ate, maybe the books you read, the shoes you bought, or that really cool image of the sky above. How is that going to help a hacker? Read on to learn more.

OK. Your obvious love of chicken and waffles isn’t going to mean a lot to a cybercriminal, not unless your password is “chicknwaffles.” But there are people who make a living from Instagram. Influencers can make millions by posting a pic of their latest smoothie or the new pair of socks they love. Their IG accounts are their business. A hacker gaining access could destroy an influencer’s reputation, their livelihood.

Businesses, too, are moving to IG as a way to reach a targeted audience with vibrant visuals. They can’t afford to have their accounts taken over by an ill-intentioned hacker. That could lead to lost customers and brand damage.

Then, there’s you, the “average” IG user. Yes, the cybercriminal might still target your Instagram account. For one, they might use your IG handle to reach out to your friends and say, “I’m stuck overseas. I need some money.” Caring friends, not knowing it’s not you, could end up a victim of a scam.

How to Protect Your Instagram Account

#1 Go Private

Instagram lets individuals, influencers, and businesses show creativity. However, you want to control who sees what you post. You may not want everyone to see your photos. Limit your content visibility to friends and family in the Instagram profile window:

• Click on the three dots in the right corner.

• Scroll to the bottom of the options.

• Turn on the Private account setting (the button should turn blue).

You can also block followers you don’t know. Click on your Followers list, and tap on the users you don’t recognize. Tap on the menu button and choose “Block User.”

#2 Disable cross-app sign-ins

Using your IG account to sign in to other applications is convenient, because you have to remember only your IG access credentials. Still, by streamlining your sign-in you are also making it easier for a hacker to compromise your accounts. Now, they can get access to one account and use that as a way into the other connected accounts.

Log in to your account and review all connected applications. You can do this by visiting the Authorized Applications tap under the Edit Profile tab.

#3 Don’t overshare

Sure, that’s the golden rule of social media. Still, we’re talking here about reviewing personal information you share on Instagram. Take a look at your profile information and review whether all those details really need to be there. A hacker could use anything specific you write in your Bio to verify your identity elsewhere. Reconsider posting your birth date, alma mater, anniversary, favorite sports team, etc.

#4 Turn off location services

Instagram’s location services can let you check in at a particular place. But by doing this, you’re giving thieves extra information they can use against you. Instead, go into your phone’s Privacy settings and turn off location services for IG.

You also don’t want to cue criminals that you’re away for a vacation with posts from the beach. You might want to share that sunny sand pic. Then, you regret it when you come home to a burgled home.

#5 Enable two-factor authentication

Of course, the starting point is to pick a strong, unique password for your Instagram account, but Instagram has added two-factor authentication for an added layer of security.

In Instagram’s mobile app you click on the Options icon at the top right to get to a menu offering this option. You will get a short link to click on. Do so, and turn on the two-factor authentication. You’ll set it up using your mobile phone. Then, in the future, you’ll have to log in with the added security of a unique code sent to your phone via text message.

#6 Review your login activity

Keep an eye out for illicit use of your account by reviewing Login Activity. This is under Settings on the desktop app and shows a list of locations from which you’ve logged in. So, if you’ve never been to Thailand, but your IG account has, that would be a red flag. If you do spot locations you don't recognize, log out from your device, and change your password.

Need help securing your Instagram account or other social media channels? We have the expertise you need. Contact us today at 01255 724 724.

How to Protect Your Proprietary Information

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 08:17:04 GMT

Protect Your Data!

Proprietary information makes your business special, whether you’re a tech startup with a smart algorithm or a food manufacturer with a secret sauce. Regardless of industry, business gains competitive advantage from distinct practices or unique data. The last thing you want is someone with ill intent getting their hands on your differentiators. Here’s how to protect your proprietary information.

We all know cybercriminals are trying to gain unauthorized access to your computers. Most attention is on hackers stealing personal data, or malware attacks that render computers useless unless a ransom is paid. Other prime reasons bad actors seek out technology vulnerabilities are for corporate espionage or to make a buck selling your proprietary information to the highest bidder.

Trade secrets, business strategies, or product designs could all be at risk. The very future of your business could be at stake if you don’t control and protect your proprietary data. These strategies can help.

#1 Limit Access on a Need-to-Know Basis

It sounds very cloak and dagger: “you don’t have clearance for that.” Still, limiting access based on roles builds a stronger perimeter around proprietary data.

The front receptionist doesn't need the same level of access to technology or data as the founder. Keep accountants and product development team members on their own systems, too.

This cuts the risk of inadvertent exposure or insider threat, plus, it contains possible damage. If one person’s access credentials are compromised, a hacker will only get so far.

#2 Educate and Audit

Check your control over proprietary data, and regularly audit what critical information you have and who has access to that data.

Also, vet employees to prevent bad actors from getting inside your security perimeter. Ongoing education can also help, as it will keep best practices top of mind with your employees.

#3 Limit Personal Device Usage

Many employees have powerful computers they can’t live without, or they may prefer to use their smartphones, laptops, or tablets. If you’re going to allow Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), you need to establish strict guidelines.

The business should:

• ask employees to register any personal devices used for work;

• segregate personal devices from the business network;

• install remote monitoring to allow you to audit device access and ensure best practices;

• require up-to-date software and vulnerability patching;

• create a separate, encrypted drive on those personal devices for work data.

Also, ban the installation of hardware or software on office computers without involving IT. This can avoid someone downloading and installing a program that provides third-party access. The employee or department didn't mean to cause a security breach, but you want to be safe.

#4 Protect Multifunction Devices, as well

Even with businesses doing more in the cloud, we still use printers, scanners, and copiers. Any of these could have internal storage that stores the data your users send to them. These devices are also attached to your network, and you may never have even changed the default password from the manufacturer.

Shore up security. Give these devices their own network separate from the main system.

#5 Destroy Any Hardware Properly

When you upgrade to new hardware, what do you do with the old technology? In many instances, it will sit unattended in a closet somewhere, or get boxed up and sent to an auctioneer without first clearing the hard drive. Work with a certified data destruction company. They can wipe your technology clean before resale or destroy them effectively.

Plus, keep in mind that paper remains a threat, too. Your employees need to be aware that a messy desk can mean documents go missing or get mixed up, and it is that much easier for a visitor to see and take an important document.

The ways to handle your proprietary information will evolve. Control and protection are key. Our IT experts can help you keep up with the threats and cut your risks.

7 Things Lawyers gain from Workflow Automation

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 16:29:28 GMT

Workflow Automation

There is always information being collected and shared at a law firm. Files go between employees and back and forth among clients, too, and these can contain critical data. One mistake could cost the firm money – and reputation. Workflow automation technology tackles document sharing and data collection to offer several benefits.

#1 Improved accuracy

Collecting information using workflow automation saves a menial task. The client entering the data saves the paralegal manually, keying it in from a paper form. This also cuts the back and forth over email or time spent on phone calls confirming intake details. Plus, there is less risk of a mistake in the data entry.

#2 Greater productivity

Some software notifies the lawyer or associate a document is ready for review. The firm can even set up reminders to ensure timely document processing. The software may integrate with billable hours tracking to enhance time-spent analysis.

#3 Enhanced customer satisfaction

We’re in a digital age, no matter how old-school your firm, and clients want to take advantage of digital signing options. For example, Adobe Sign and DocuSign integrate with many different software packages. They appreciate uploading documents to cloud storage (such as Dropbox or OneDrive) from the comfort of their own homes.

#4 Freedom from the humdrum

No one becomes a lawyer to push paper. With the right automation tools, lawyers can use technology to:

start document requests;
obtain internal approval;
document dates, signatures, and other information receipt;
organize finalized documents.
Workflow software configurations set conditions to trigger the next action. For example, if the firm is trying to collect prospective client details or if someone signs up for the firm’s newsletter, their email address is automatically added to an Excel spreadsheet.

#5 Collaboration and Mobility

Moving document workflow to the cloud supports improved collaboration. With more people working remotely, sharing information online is beneficial. With many tools, people can work together in real-time online. Even those back in the office enjoy keeping up with case documents and communications on the go. With cloud software, staff and clients can stay involved from any mobile device.

#6 Added security

A law firm relying on paper documents risks all its institutional history going up in flames, or being destroyed in flooding or another extreme weather event. Workflow automation digitizes documents and provides an online backup of the information. It’s still a good idea to have another backup, though, and we recommend keeping a current data backup in three different places.

#7 Cost savings

Workflow software handles administrative tasks more accurately and efficiently, which can mean hiring fewer admin personnel. Plus, with digital documentation, think of the file storage space you’ll no longer need. You might be able to add some offices or meeting rooms, or cut your real estate and off-site document storage budget.

Conclusion

Workflow automation is available to any law firm. You can start out with Microsoft Forms or Google Forms, and DocuSign or Dropbox. Intermediate automation tools such as Zapier and IFTTT take it up a notch. Or you can invest in the workflow automation software targeting law firm management.

Need help selecting the best automation options for your office? We can help. We’re here to set up, secure, and keep your software and systems running smoothly. Contact us today at 01255 724 724

7 Things Lawyers gain from Workflow Automation

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 14:57:24 GMT

Workflow Automation

#1 Improved accuracy

#2 Greater productivity

#3 Enhanced customer satisfaction

#4 Freedom from the humdrum

No one becomes a lawyer to push paper. With the right automation tools, lawyers can use technology to:

start document requests;
obtain internal approval;
document dates, signatures, and other information receipt;
organize finalized documents.
Workflow software configurations set conditions to trigger the next action. For example, if the firm is trying to collect prospective client details or if someone signs up for the firm’s newsletter, their email address is automatically added to an Excel spreadsheet.

#5 Collaboration and Mobility

#6 Added security

#7 Cost savings

Conclusion

Need help selecting the best automation options for your office? We can help. We’re here to set up, secure, and keep your software and systems running smoothly. Contact us today at 01255 724 724

Verifying Identity at Law Firms

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 14:53:53 GMT

It’s Who You Know:

Trusting identity is foundational to a law firm’s work. In a law office, the documents going back and forth contain sensitive information, and contracts, negotiations, or transactions can't be shared with the wrong parties. The industry needs to be cautious about validating identities.

Legal service providers need to achieve compliance and protect clients and their assets. Techniques are changing as lawyers move from in-person conferences to digital document exchange. This article examines four digital-age areas in which lawyers need to validate identity.

#1 Phishing Scams

Phishing is always a risk, no matter the industry. Paralegals, associates, and lawyers risk inadvertently clicking on malware, especially as this field relies heavily on attached documents going back and forth.

A cybercriminal criminal might steal money copying a vendor’s invoices. Everything looks the same, but payment details put the dollars in the crook's bank account. Or they will send an “urgent” message containing a link that goes to a Web page that looks credible. It might seem to be from a bank or the government, but one character in the URL is different. Those who don’t notice the difference will enter sensitive account details into a form that goes to the bad guy.

Verification tip: Firm-wide filters can check for malicious attachments before they reach people. Educate employees about always verifying the URL before clicking on a link. Hovering over the highlighted text will show the address where a click will take the user.

#2 Business Communication Email Scams

Business communication emails scams also often target law firms. In one example, Jared Kushner’s lawyer exchanged emails with someone imitating the ex-White House aide. Emails from kushner.jared@mail.com prompted the lawyer to share newsworthy information.

Verification tip: At the beginning of an engagement, verify the client's private, secure email address. Always confirm that the sender’s email address is the same as you have on file before responding.

#3 Outgoing Email

Email automation can also lead to problems. The associate allows Outlook to auto-populate the recipient’s email address from the address book. Too busy typing a quick note, he doesn’t confirm that he’s sending it to the right person. But Smith, John is a divorce attorney and Smithson, John is a client at a dental firm. They should not be getting each other’s filings!

The law firm Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale, and Dorr sent files detailing a history of whistleblower claims at PepsiCo to the wrong person, a Wall Street Journal reporter. So much for client privilege.

Verification tip: Check and double-check your email address list. Set up your firm’s email program to disallow any auto-populating of email addresses.

#4 Multi-Factor Authentication

One other area where you want to verify identity is when staff access your systems and software. Relying on username and password credentials only isn’t strict enough. Humans make mistakes. They share information that makes their access credentials easy to guess. Your people may not pick complicated passwords or change their access credentials. Data breaches can put professional accounts at risk when people reuse passwords.

Verification tip: Adding multi-factor authentication makes it more difficult for the cybercriminal. Even two-factor authentication adds another important level of security. Having the access credentials alone isn’t enough. The hacker also needs to get their hands on the personal device where the authentication code is sent.

Need help establishing robust digital practices to confirm client and employee identities? A managed service provider can help. Our IT experts can review risks and suggest simple, affordable solutions. Improve your identity experience. Contact us today at 01255 724 724

Moving to a more Virtual Law Practice

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 16:32:58 GMT

Pivoting to the Practice of Virtual Law

It seems, in our experience the law profession has been slow to embrace virtual work. It’s a people-oriented business, and there is great reliance on sensitive files and court documents, yet the pandemic pushed lawyers – and the rest of us – to embrace more digital technology.

Sure, lawyers were using mobile devices before. They worked in satellite offices, on-site with clients, or from home. Still, the profession’s traditionalists were loathing putting paperwork online or meeting virtually. Now they have to do so.

While many are eager to get back to the office, digital transformation has still taken hold. Let’s discuss the digital technology available to law firms today.

Digital Technology in the Law Firm

Digitizing documents and uploading them to case and practice management software has many benefits. The law firm gains:

collaborative access;
streamlined process;
improved productivity;
storage space previously wasted on boxes of file folders;
greater flexibility of interactions with clients familiar with digital upload of documentation;
peace of mind data backup is available;
centralized systems.

The software also adds a layer of accountability, as firm leaders or administrators can see who is accessing what and when. This enables better measurement of productivity and billable hours.

Clients also enjoy not having to leave home and find parking to drop off documents. Paperless transactions can speed the process on both sides, especially with virtual forms collecting data. This also avoids the inaccuracies that can come from manual data entry.

Another significant development for the virtual law firm? Relying on cloud-based collaboration tools such as Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). Paralegals and lawyers can work on documents and spreadsheets simultaneously in real-time. With Outlook email and calendar sharing, everyone stays current on any device.

SharePoint and OneDrive also offer secure document sharing. SharePoint is an internal file management tool, whereas OneDrive is a bit simpler.

Communicating Face-to-Virtual-Face

Lawyers now need to meet with clients and opposing counsel, and to appear in virtual courts. Online communication requires a good internet connection, plus a quality camera and microphone to take part in a Zoom or other type of virtual meeting.

Other firms are moving to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Those who have used Skype are already calling via data packets transmitted online. And there are other options available: B2B VoIP vendors offer options integrating call forwarding, call queues, and more. With VoIP, the client calls a local number and connects to an employee anywhere without noticing a difference.

All these digital technologies can have a positive impact on the day-to-day running of the law practice, yet it needs correct installation, as security is critical. You don’t want confidential documents shared publicly or phone conversations carried out on insecure lines.

Enjoy digital transformation efficiency with a managed service provider (MSP) installing the right tools. The technology saves space and frees up resources for other practice priorities. Meanwhile, an MSP will offer its IT expertise at a consistent set fee you can budget around. Plus, you’ll know you have IT help on speed dial if something goes wrong.

We’ll make sure your digital transformation – whether short- or long-term – is done right. Contact us today at 01255 724 724

Legal - Why Law Firms Need Managed Services

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 17:55:20 GMT

Managed Services for Law Firms

The legal industry isn’t known for embracing change quickly: tradition can trump a willingness to embrace new technologies. Yet digital technology has become an essential part of many lawyers' working day. Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) provides support and enhanced cybersecurity during this evolution.

Lawyers rely on technology today to:

• communicate with colleagues and clients;

• exchange documents;

• schedule events and share calendars;

• research precedent and legal issues;

• streamline file management;

• automate menial tasks;

• track billable hours;

• invoice clients and pay vendors;

• access information from mobile devices, when and where needed;

• virtually conference during the pandemic.

Now, imagine the disruption if that tech-savvy firm’s systems went down, even just for a few hours. No, this is not an argument to return to paper-pushing and the old-school methods; it’s a reminder that you need an IT expert at the ready in case something goes wrong. Plus, an MSP can manage and watch systems to help prevent the worst.

The MSP Solution

Legal service provider clients expect digital proficiency. They want to schedule appointments online; they want to upload documents to the cloud instead of coming into the office; they are looking to provide digital signatures and pay securely online. The MSP can set up software to meet customer expectations without risking compliance or cybersecurity.

An MSP with experience in the legal industry can also boost competitive advantage. These IT experts can identify opportunities to improve productivity. It may be a faster network or computer upgrades, or you may benefit from improving software integrations and adopting better collaboration tools. The MSP’s initial tech review may also save you money. They'll identify where you are overpaying or places to streamline software licenses.

Also, on the financial front, the law firm can enjoy a consistent budget line item working with an MSP. Instead of waiting for something to break and then looking for someone to fix it, you’ll have expert ITs on call, which can reduce costly downtime. Better still, the MSP will take preventative action to avoid that downtime in the first place. This includes keeping your antivirus and security updated and checking technological asset health.

The MSP’s small, ongoing fee is something you can plan around. The ongoing monitoring makes a budget blowout less likely, as well.

Managed IT services offer proactive support plus enhanced security. They understand the importance of end-to-end, layered security. They know the threats to a legal firm and can recommend quality precautions. Attorneys need to secure sensitive data and documents to remain compliant. The MSP can suggest secure storage and backup to perform the essential tasks.

Further on security, the MSP has the know-how to help your firm become more mobile, but safely. Your tech partner can put systems in place that allow your team to securely work when and where they need to.

It also helps to have a dedicated support team available. They'll already know your firm and its technology. This can speed up the response if there are ever issues, plus, you have a consultant to call with questions about new technological innovations.

Keep pace with customer expectations and maintain competitive advantage. Enjoy technology support and cybersecurity peace of mind with an experienced MSP. We’re here to help. Call us at 01255 724 724 .

Residential - Five Tips to Get the Right Printer for You

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 17:50:24 GMT

Need a New Printer???

Five Tips to Get the Right Printer for You

Buying a printer can be overwhelming. There are so many options available from different brands, and buying guides galore. Yet we still often see people with printers that aren’t the best ones for their needs. That said, we’re offering five tips to help you find the right one for you.

#1 Identify Your Needs

What are you going to use that printer for? Is it for family use? Home office use? Just as a backup for occasional documents you need to print and sign? For printing photos? For printing graphic designs? Your needs for quality, efficiency, speed, and colour or black-and-white prints will influence your choice.

Different printers offer distinct perks. You may want one that prints quickly or one that is compact. Or perhaps you want one that holds a lot of paper. If your priority is photos, you may need a printer that can handle many types and sizes of paper.

If you are running your office from home, you may want to invest in a multi-function printer. These not only print but also scan and copy.

You may not even need a home printer. If you’re using your printer for photographs, you’re better off going to an actual photo printer. It’s about five times cheaper to get photos professionally printed than to colour print at home. Plus, you’ll get top-quality copy every time.

#2 Don’t Settle for Cheap

Yes, it’s usually very cheap to buy an inkjet printer from the local big-box store. You may even get a free or dramatically reduced price on a printer with the purchase of your computer. That’s because they’re getting you to buy the printer so that you’ll need to take on the high cost of ink. You’ll also need high-quality printing paper if you want to avoid the ink bleed that can happen on normal office paper.

Another issue with inkjet printers? If you don’t use the colour cartridges for a long while, they can dry up, which will leave partial lines on your prints, or the printer won’t work at all until you pay for a fresh, more expensive colour cartridge.

#3 Consider Laser Printers

If you’ve decided you do need a home printer, consider a laser printer. Whether you want a printer that works fast or you plan to use it all the time, a laser printer is quick to start up and print. Plus, it offers high-quality results. There is a higher cost upfront, but in the long-term you could save on ink. These printers use a fine powder that doesn’t dry out due to inactivity.

Colour laser printing is expensive, yes, but black-and-white printing on a laser printer can be quite cheap and effective.

#4 Read the Reviews

The manufacturer specifications will help you learn:

• monthly page volume.

• estimated annual print costs.

• printing speed.

• maximum resolution.

• Wi-Fi functionality.

• card reader and media plug-in capability.

• added benefits (e.g. automation features such as collating or stapling).

Still, customer and online reviews can help you find out about durability and productivity. Read both positive and negative reviews to get a full sense of how the printer will suit your needs.

#5 Let Us Help

Inkjet, laser, all-in-one, and photo printers each have their pros and cons, and there is a lot to consider. We can help you choose the right model, set it up in your home, and help you keep it going strong for the long term. Contact us today by calling us at 01255 724 724 .

Residential - Time to Replace Your Laptop Battery?

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 08:56:09 GMT

Time to Replace Your Laptop Battery?

Your laptop computer may feel like a lifeline. It has everything important on it, both personal and professional! Regrettably, the time does come when you need to replace it. Yet, some computer problems could be solved instead by replacing the laptop battery.

Some computers now come with a variation on the car dashboard indicator light. You may see a red X on the icon that shows you the power level for your battery. Those with computer models with Windows 7 and up get a message saying, “consider replacing your battery.” But not all of us have this useful warning, in which case you’ll want to be on the lookout for these sure signs that battery replacement is needed.

#1 You Have to Charge the Computer Often

When you buy a battery-powered device the marketing boasts of the many hours it can hold its charge. Expect a fully charged laptop battery to last six hours (depending on the programs used). But as the laptop battery ages, it doesn’t hold its charge for as long.

You might plug it in overnight and wake up to find it still has charging to do. Your solution may be to keep your laptop plugged in at all times, but this cuts into the very mobility a laptop promises, plus, it can be a fire risk.

#2 Your Lap Is Heating Up

You’re working away on your tasks and the computer becomes an unexpected warming blanket in your lap. That didn’t used to happen! Now, your battery is having to work harder to power applications. This causes your computer to overheat, which can strain your computer. Plus, it can be a fire risk (yep, that again).

#3 Your Laptop Keeps Shutting Down

This one is going to get you worried really quickly. You’ll be seeing the dollar signs associated with buying a new computer in your eyes. This may be a sign instead that your battery needs to be replaced. A bad battery doesn’t hold charge for very long, and your computer will unexpectedly power off.

#4 Time Is Not on Your Side

You know your laptop is more than five years old. Don’t be surprised if you experience power issues. Did you know that laptop batteries are typically meant to last only 400 charges? That’s one or two years! So, your laptop battery might already have been living on borrowed time for years.

Be Nice to Your Laptop Battery

Before you buy a new computer, think about whether it could be the battery instead. Laptop batteries are not manufactured for eternal recharging. You might think you’re doing the right thing by keeping it plugged into a wall charger all of the time, but you’re actually doing your battery a favor by unplugging it every once in a while.

One other suggestion: don’t let the computer get below 20% charge before plugging it back in. This can help preserve battery life.

Replacing a laptop battery isn’t always straightforward. Don’t worry. We can find the right battery for your laptop and replace it for you.

E-accounting: Top 3 Considerations for Online Client Meetings

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 08:41:44 GMT

E-accounting: Top 3 Considerations for Online Client Meetings

Many businesses were teleconferencing before COVID-19. After all, meeting virtually saves both you and your client time, and busy business owners often don’t want to spend the time to make a trip to your office. The coronavirus has hastened the move to e-accounting, but this approach presents some new problems, which we’ll address in this article.

#1 Speed

First, let’s consider speed. You may have a promised internet speed such as “up to 15 Mbps.” But internet connection speed, which impacts your experience, reflects bandwidth and latency. Bandwidth is the amount of data transferred per second, whereas latency is how long it takes for that data to get from source to destination. You need both to be good to be able to handle many video calls at once. Yet a lot of consumer-grade hardware is not built for several of your staff to be on the same call with a client.

Tip: Switch to a business-grade router. Optimize its settings to ensure security from bandwidth leeches and improve signal strength.

#2 Quality of Service

Large downloads can also impact your connection with a client or team member. If you’re on a video call and someone else in the office downloads a large file, your call could lag or drop. Likewise, if you’re working from home during a conference call and your teen is playing Grand Theft Auto, that could also cause issues.

Tip: Use smart networking hardware. You can rank the activities your business values more to improve Quality of Service (e.g. configuring video conferencing to take data preference ahead of file downloads).

#3 Security and Privacy

With virtual communication, you need to be aware of security and privacy issues. Accountants have to consider compliance with regulations, too. Before jumping on an online call with a client, research the teleconferencing app, not only how it secures the call communication but also what it does with the data collected. Encryption is standard, but end-to-end encryption is the highest level available to you.

Tip: Depending on the app, there may be security options you are not using. They are not set up by default because they can make the software more difficult to use. Still, if security and privacy are a priority, you’ll want to make those changes.

Conclusion

Not all internet service providers (ISPs) are equal. Some ISPs, and the modems or routers they supply, may not be up to the task for your business.

Partner with a managed service provider (MSP) to identify the best options for your firm. Perhaps high-quality internet isn’t available in your area. We can help you find a good wireless option. If the internet is unreliable, we can set up failover options to switch your traffic to 4G when necessary.

We can also help you address common e-accounting issues. Our experts will find you the right hardware to handle your traffic. Plus, we can configure QoS prioritization, block some devices, and schedule activities that need a lot of bandwidth. For example, we can schedule system backups for the middle of the night when fewer people will be online.

Embrace e-accounting’s advantages without losing speed, quality, or security. We can help. Contact our IT experts today

Outsourced Help Desk for Accountants

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 14:29:38 GMT

Outsourced Help Desk for Accountants

Accountants are experts at surviving the “busy season.” Tax accountants, for instance, are slammed as annual deadlines draw near. There are slow times, too, but during crazy times, the last thing an accountant wants is essential tech going down.

A broken computer or server downtime can be devastating. Say it’s a few days before a tax deadline, and the accountant logs into an essential tax preparation application and sees a blank screen: the system is down, and they can’t get in. It’s the kind of crisis that more cups of coffee can’t handle.

In the United States in 2018, the Internal Revenue Service’s website crashed on April 17, Tax Day. Since many people had waited until the last minute to submit their tax returns, this single day of downtime is estimated to have cost millions. It’s a clear example of the damage even a day of server downtime or other type of outage can cost a business and, in this case, one that business accountants can relate to!

If the firm takes a break-fix approach to its technology needs, the answer will be to call in an expert. This could mean hours on the phone with an IT helpline only to find out the problem is with another service provider. Or it could mean trying to reach someone to come out and check the network only to get on their calendar in the next available spot.

Deadlines are looming, and you are spending time on IT woes? It’s a disaster.

A proactive approach is to outsource IT help to a managed service provider (MSP) instead. Rather than waste valuable time trying to solve the problem yourself, turn to an IT technician to get to work.

Outsourcing Your IT Help Desk

With managed services, when you need help, the experts are readily available to tackle your concerns. Many solutions are remote.

Better yet, the MSP will use your slow times to set up systems to cut the risk of downtime during crunch season.

The MSP gets to know your business objectives and your technology infrastructure, which can help them react more efficiently and effectively. They can also track your IT to detect issues or security vulnerabilities early. Plus, they will help create business continuity plans to get your firm up and running again fast.

If the worst does happen, the MSP is only a help ticket or phone call away. Their experts are familiar not only with your technology but also with how you use it. Plus, as a consistent customer, you are a priority, not just another name on a list of people needing help who all see their needs as an emergency.

One other advantage to outsourcing your IT help is that it can reduce costs. The break-fix approach can be an expensive one. Instead, you’ll pay an MSP a set, monthly fee for the peace of mind that your IT needs are being looked after. The MSP can also help you identify opportunities to reduce IT-related operational costs.

Less Common Cyber Attacks for Accountants

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 15:02:41 GMT

Accountants - Less Common Cyber Attacks

Check the news any given day and you might see a report about hackers accomplishing a data breach, or of a ransomware attack encrypting all company data until it pays up. These are the well-known types of cyberattack, but there are less common cyberthreats accountants should be aware of, as well.

There is almost a malware malaise now. You’ve heard so much about the threat of a virus invading your networks or systems. Someone clicks on a perfectly innocent looking email, and the result is computing chaos? It’s not fair!

You also know to put a firewall around your technology; it’s as if you’re in a military movie. You have to “protect the perimeter.” Ensure no one can breach your cyber protections to secure personal data and intellectual property.

Still, a watchful eye for phishing emails and social engineering attempts isn’t enough. Installing security tools and upgrading anti-virus software also won’t cover everything.

Knowing where less common cyberattacks are coming from could help, though.

Less Common Modes of Cyberattack

You may not believe it possible of the people you work with, but they are a real vulnerability.

One problem is that we’re eager to help, especially when it comes to clients. There is a pre-established relationship, as your business has visibility into their financials. People are less likely to think twice about providing information to a client.

Yet cybercriminals do their homework and have enough information to be credible. Then they play on urgency and emotional appeal. They might call or email someone at your firm pretending to be an admin assistant for someone at the client. They might spin a tale of the CEO needing emergency cash in a far-flung location. Can’t you please help get it to them? Or they send a malicious file asking you to look at this complicated tax document for them (posing as the client). By the time you realize it wasn't actually the client, it's too late.

Insider attacks are a problem, too. Employees know your company’s infrastructure and are familiar with your cybersecurity tools. They also know where the sensitive data or confidential information is kept. Additionally, they may not act maliciously all the time. If a disgruntled worker is patient, rather than going out in a blaze of glory, it can be harder to detect the breach.

According to the Ponemon Institute, insider-related incidents cost $11.45 million in 2019. Establishing role-based access credentials can help limit exposure. With this approach, people can get only to the information they need to do their jobs.

Other Forms of Insider Threats

Humans also lose things. This is unintentional insider vulnerability. Perhaps they use their personal device to log into the business systems. Laptops, external drives, and mobile devices allow mobility and simplify data access, but what if that mobile device is lost or stolen? If you’re not protecting remote access, you could end up having to tell clients their data is in unknown hands. Encryption can help.

Then, there are the simple mistakes. It’s a good idea to review how you share and publish information. Information goes back and forth regularly between team members, the business, and clients. Don’t lose track of the information or where it is stored. You need to be sure that location is compliant with financial regulations.

If you’ve ever “replied all” when you meant to send to one person, you know how easy it is to mistake sharing privileges. You may intend to share only data with a client, yet you send it out with permissions where everyone can see it. Major oops!

Conclusion

Accountants can prevent, detect, and react effectively to these less common attacks. Don’t be complacent. Thinking it won’t happen to your firm can lead to disaster.

Partner with a managed service provider (MSP) to enhance your user activity monitoring and access management practices. These IT experts can set up alerts and incident response plans, too. Avoid the worst happening to your business. Be proactive. Contact us today at 01255 724 724

Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 20:11:12 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Why You Need to Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

All good things must come to an end – it’s inevitable with computer software. If you’re using Adobe Flash, the day has arrived. It’s time to uninstall Adobe Flash Player.

Adobe stopped supporting Flash Player on December 31, 2020. What does this mean?

Adobe is no longer issuing Flash Player updates or security patches. The company “strongly recommends immediately uninstalling Flash Player.” The company announced the decision to bring Flash Player to end of life (EOL) in 2017.

To help secure user systems, Adobe began blocking Flash content from running in Flash Player on January 12, 2021. Major browser vendors have also disabled Flash Player from running: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge have all stopped supporting the technology.

This renders Flash Player pretty useless. Flash was key to early Web browsing, powering interactive website elements such as animations and forms. Web developers loved it, because it saved them from offering users dull, static pages. However, open standards have matured to provide a viable alternative to Flash content. The HTML 5 standard has replaced Flash in many cases.

Adobe Flash is old, unsupported, and has unfixed security issues. It’s actively used for malware. Fake Flash Player installers have long been an effective way to deliver malware. As recently as 2020, three years after the EOL announcement, it was found that 1 in 10 Macs were infected by one prolific piece of Flash malware.

Don’t keep it on your system, and definitely don’t download versions of the Flash Player from third-party sites.

Uninstalling Adobe Flash Player

If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, you don’t need to worry. Flash was never supported on iOS devices. Otherwise, it’s worth checking if you have Adobe Flash Player in-stalled. You may not even remember downloading it, but don’t just let it sit there.

To check if Flash Player is installed, navigate to https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html . Under Install Flash Player in five steps, the first step is to check installation. Click on “Check Now.” If it tells you “Sorry, Flash Player is either not installed or not enabled,” you’re in good shape.

To uninstall from a Windows computer , you will need to download the uninstaller found here ( https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html ) to your desktop. Then, exit all browser and other programs that use Flash. Run the uninstaller to delete all Flash Player files and folders. Restart your computer, open your browser, and verify uninstallation is complete.

Mac users will need to download the uninstaller ( https://helpx.adobe.com/au/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html ) suited to their OS Version. You can determine your version by clicking on the Apple icon and choosing About This Mac. You then run the applicable uninstaller. After restarting your computer, verify the uninstallation is complete.

Without updates or security patches, hackers could access your system using Flash Player vulnerabilities. It can be frustrating when software reaches EOL. Even so, it’s important to be proactive. Take the precautions to keep your system safe.

Worried about downloading and uninstalling safely? We can help. Not sure what other legacy software you might have on your computer that is putting you at risk? We can help there, too.

Contact us today at 01255 724 7624 . We can review your computers to secure your confidential data and important info.

Accountants - Address Your Biggest Tech Issues

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 13:04:10 GMT

Ebook - Accountants - Big Tech Issues

Evolving accounting technology offers tremendous growth potential. But digital transformation leaves accounting firms with more IT to monitor and maintain.

Read this ebook to learn how to make your business more accurate, efficient and effective while minimizing your risk exposure.

Remote IT Will Create Tech That Works for You

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 11:06:44 GMT

Remote IT Will Create Tech That Works for You

There are few things as frustrating as IT issues getting in the way of your work. Even the simplest of problems can break your flow, ruin your productivity, and waste your time.  IT should be working to boost your day instead of slowing you down.

Tripping up on a computer glitch can happen at any moment.  Working to fix one can take hours.  You might try a few steps that have worked before, ask a colleague for help, or try a web search to see what turns up.  All of these take time from you or your colleagues, and often make the original problem worse.

When you outsource your help desk, your IT problems become our IT problems.  We take charge of righting the ship to keep your tech on the right track.

Setting Up Your Business for Success

Many businesses try a break/fix model to deal with IT issues.  This means waiting for problems to happen before contacting IT to resolve them.  Break/fix adds costs and downtime to every IT issue as they happen.  To us, this makes it an unacceptable long-term solution for business.

The process of scheduling a mutually suitable time to visit, diagnosing the issue, and resolving every issue on a case-by-case basis is massively time-consuming.  Both IT technicians and in-house staff waste productive hours dealing with, often trivial, problems.

We think that time could be better spent building your business instead.

Your Personal Help Desk

When you outsource your IT help desk, you get a custom service dedicated to resolving your issues fast.  Technicians with the knowledge and experience of years in IT can work without creating new problems or making the original issue worse.  In modern IT, knowledge and experience is the key to successful solutions.

Many of the issues we resolve on a day-to-day basis are problems we have seen many times before on many different systems.  IT is our business, and we know it very well.

How Outsourced IT Works For You

Outsourcing your IT means simply submitting a ticket to have issues taken care of.  Having your own help desk to rely on means having help available exactly when you need it.  Waiting on a local firm, or nearby technician to become available should be a thing of the past.

Queueing for an 'advisor', waiting on hold, and spelling out your problem over and over again is no fun for anyone.  There should be better ways your time can be spent.  There are certainly many ways firms can benefit more from ours.

Submitting an electronic ticket to resolve your issue is an easy, one step, process.  Detail the problem once, email the ticket, and you can return to your work.  We'll call you back to work on a solution when the timing best works for you.

Managing Problems Remotely

To resolve system issues, diagnose, update, or maintain systems, we often log in remotely and take ownership of the problem personally.  We've found there is little advantage to wasting time asking staff to find menus, click on links, and tell us what they see. We get straight to the heart of the problem and fix it there and then.

Problems that tie up one or more machines for a long time can be scheduled for out-of-hours, holiday, or weekend fixes.  Large, system-wide updates or upgrades can be done remotely when they won't get in the way.

For staff, updates appear to happen without anyone around to see them.  You would be forgiven for thinking the IT is fixing itself.

Our golden rule is to make sure IT works for you, not the other way round.  If you are wasting staff hours on hold, arranging meetings just for your tech, or structuring your day around simple problem solving, your firm could be upgraded in a flash.

Call us on 01255 724 724 or email us at info@auxcuro.com

Why Managed Services Make Your Life Easier!

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 10:07:55 GMT

Making Your IT life easier

Why Managed Services Make Your Life Easier

That smile of relief when we fix someone’s technology is a gift of doing IT service. When we get a call out, we’re happy to go out (or log in remotely) to fix what’s broken. We enjoy getting our customers back up and running quickly. Who said saving the day is only for superheroes, right?

Still, as much as we get a boost out of being the hero, we’d rather our clients’ systems didn’t go down in the first place.

How can we make that happen? By adding you to our managed services client roster. So, what does managed services mean?

Fixing things when they break is reactive, whereas managed services are more proactive. It involves:

• ongoing monitoring;

• handling system patches;

• managing software updates, virus scans, and keeping malware current;

• checking hard drive health to help catch issues in advance;

• tuning up your technology;

• setting up new devices, printers, networks, and systems.

As your managed service provider, we get to know not only what’s gone wrong but also find out your goals and objectives. Understanding what your needs are, we can suggest the technology that best serves you. Plus, we might be able to help you find discounts on new software or cut costs for your home office. After all, we can identify where you are duplicating licenses or paying for more than you need.

Managed Services Make Budgeting Easier

All those services sound costly. The benefit is that you’ll pay a single, consistent monthly fee (or annual fee) for all managed services. Instead of having to handle a big financial hit when something does break, you’re already covered.

Plus, if the worst does happen, we already have a relationship. We know what’s important to you, and we focus on your needs. You’re a regular customer we want to keep satisfied rather than a one-off engagement (not that we don't appreciate those, too!).

Of course, no one can promise you’ll never get hit by a cyberattack. There are new threats every single day. But, if malware does strike, we can get you back up and running more quickly. After all, we’ve been keeping your systems up to date. So, less work needs done to clean up.

Conclusion

Your home IT environment is getting more complicated. Even if you’re not working from home, you probably have a desktop, laptops, tablets, gaming devices, and mobile devices. All these need secure internet access and might need data backup. Really, just connecting all your devices to a shared, secure network is a headache at this point, but it doesn’t have to be your headache. Stabilize your IT expenses and enjoy having an expert on speed dial with managed services.

If you want a higher level of IT support, we should talk about managed services. We can help keep the problems at bay. You’ll be happier. We just don’t get to see it on your face (though you’re welcome to send an appreciative email!).

Call us now at 01255 724 724 or email info@auxcuro.com

Lower Healthcare's Cybersecurity Risks

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:33:24 GMT

Cybersecurity - Healthcare Sector

The entire Healthcare sector, including Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacies, GP surgeries, Care Organisations, is a prime target for cybercriminals. Protected health information and electronic

One US clinic paid $1.5 million, and the U.K. National Health Service lost nearly £5 million. In Germany, a patient died, all because the healthcare industry is a prime target for cybercriminals.

Learn about the threat and what you can do about it.

Download this Valuable Ebook Today! Here

How to Maintain Your Computer (Without Lifting a Finger!)

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 18:13:47 GMT

How to Maintain Your Computer (Without Lifting a Finger!)

For a device that’s supposed to make life easier, computers sure do involve a lot of work! There’s so much to keep track of that it’s no wonder most people push ahead and forget the routine maintenance until something breaks. Of course, the problem with being reactive is the damage is already done. Photos and files get lost forever in a crash, and information gets stolen in a hack...by then it’s far too late. It’s a bit like closing the gate after the horses have already fled. This is where proactive people come out on top. Thousands upon thousands of homes around the world are using managed services to put computer problems firmly behind them. It’s a done-for-you maintenance program we offer, and here’s why it’s the best choice.

You’re always up to date.

It seems like every second day there’s some new and urgent update waiting to be installed. Whether they’re patching security flaws or adding new features, they seem endless. Sometimes, it goes beyond inconvenient, it gets overwhelming! Even if they do install automatically, they tend to do it at the worst possible moment, leaving you to wait up to 30 minutes when all you wanted to do was quickly check your email. Using our special managed services software, we can make sure your computer’s updates are all finished and done - before you sit down to use it. As part of our service, we also make sure all updates are compatible not just with your hardware, but also with your other software. After all, updates are supposed to make your experience more secure and more enjoyable!

You’ve got super anti-virus.

The best anti-virus is the one that’s up-to-date and running, yet you’d be surprised how many people switch it off or never let it update. While you might be in the habit of scanning files and browsing safely, others in your home might not have the same priorities. Having managed services ensures your anti-virus is always running and dealing with any viruses it finds. As soon as a new virus becomes known, we make sure your system is actively protected against it. We also monitor for cyber-attacks and can alert you before they become a problem.

Your hardware stays healthy. While a reactive person is always suddenly stuck without a computer when hardware fails, proactive people with managed services have already had the problem fixed. Our special software monitors the health of your hardware, eg, your hard drive, looking for early warning signs of failure. If detected, we can let you know in advance. This means you’re able to get it repaired at your convenience, making sure no files are lost and no other hardware is damaged in a domino failure.

You never miss a backup.

The worst part of a crash or hack isn’t the financial cost, it’s losing your files forever. Many people have their entire collection of photos stored on their computer, plus important family files, most of which can never be replaced or recreated. Whether it’s a report just created, a recipe handed down for generations or a novel you’ve been working on for longer than you’d care to admit, managed services ensures your backup is working correctly. Backed up files are ready to go when you are, and losing files to corruption, failure or theft is a thing of the past.

Support is a phone call away. Just got a new printer and it won’t play nice? Got a weird error popping up? Your laptop won’t talk to the wifi? Our remote support team can help with whatever technology issue has been bugging you and wasting your time. No nonsense advice is just a phone call away, and our team can remotely connect to diagnose and fix many problems. This means you can likely skip the cord shuffle and carting your computer into the shop, and still get your most pressing computer issues fixed.

You’re always optimized.

Whether your computer is actively playing up or not, our monitoring service can keep in touch with your event logs, services and processes and look out for anything that needs correction. This means we’re effectively stopping problems before they get to you, making sure that when you sit down to use your computer, it’s doing exactly what you want.

Put computer problems behind you - get our managed services today. Call or email now.

Computer Cleaning for the New Year

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 20:20:38 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

The new year can mean resolutions and promises for a “new you.” One way to start this year feeling more in control is to clean up your computer. Follow these simple steps!

Tackle the inbox

We do a lot of shopping at the end of the year. Whether you shop online or in stores, you’re asked to provide your email address when you buy, which multiplies the number of mailing lists you’re on. Don’t start the new year deluged by unwanted newsletters and advertising emails.

The extra messages in your inbox distract you from the messages that matter. Instead of deleting every new unread message from “Let’s Make Cookies,” click on one and unsubscribe. Usually, there’s a link that lets you do this at the bottom of the email. If you’re a Gmail user, start your effort to cut down on unwanted mail in your Promotions tab. Google’s algorithm sends sales pitches here, so cut messages from this section first.

Clear bookmarks

The internet is built for browsing. We’ve all lost hours to clicking and linking in this vortex of information. “Wait. How did I end up here looking at kittens eating cupcakes?!” To make things easier, we’ll bookmark sites we visit often or put a page we want to return to on a reading list.

By the end of the year, we have marked many sites that we don’t even remember favoriting in the first place. “When was I interested in this?” Getting rid of any bookmarks for passing interests can help you navigate the Web better this year.

In Google Chrome, click on the three dots in the upper-right of your browser window (to the left of your profile icon). The drop-down menu will have a Bookmarks option. Click on this to see another drop-down menu with Bookmark Manager on it. On the next screen every one of your bookmarks will have three dots beside it. Click on this to select the delete option, and get rid of the ones you don’t need any longer.

Safari users can click on Bookmarks on the top menu or the sidebar icon on the tool bar (to the right of the arrows on the left). Then edit your bookmarks by clicking on sites you no longer want and hitting your delete button.

Sort through downloads

We also download a lot of stuff in a year. Sometimes, because we’re impatient or don’t realize we’ve already hit download, we get multiple copies of the same file! A full download folder takes up storage space on your computer and can slow your computer down.

On a Mac, go to the Finder and click on Downloads on the “Go” drop-down menu. You’ll find a folder filled with .pdfs, .docs, and .jpegs you long forgot about. Click on those you don’t need any more and drag them to your trash can.

On Windows, you can usually go to the “This PC” icon and then the “Downloads” Folder. Right-click on the files you don’t want, and choose “Delete.”

Empty trash/recycling bins

Items you put in the trash or recycling bins at home take up space until you take those bins to the curb or the dump, and the same is true of your computer trash or recycling. Empty these bins by selecting “empty trash” on your Mac Finder menu, or “empty recycle bin” after clicking on the bin icon in Windows 10.

Remove unused programs/apps - If you’re not using a program or app, don’t give it computer space. On a Mac, you can click on the icon for that program and drag it to the Trash. With Windows, you’ll open the Start menu, click on Settings, then System, then Apps and Features from the left pane to select what you want to uninstall. Click the uninstall button, and you’ve decluttered your computer that little bit more for the new year. If you need help with any of these streamlining measures, let us know. We can help! Call 01255 724 724 .

Buying Tech in Time for Christmas

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 20:09:11 GMT

Buying Tech in Time for Christmas

Christmas time is back with us again.  The latest devices and gadgets are hitting store shelves just in time to keep up with the rush.  Magazines, television, and the web are brimming with advertisements and reviews of the latest tech your money can buy.

Before you rush out to buy the gadgets you've been waiting all year for, consider a few important questions before parting with your hard-earned cash.

Does This Technology Do What I need?

First, you must ask what problem you are trying to solve with a new piece of tech. The most important thing to consider is how adopting your new device will improve on what you had before.

In some cases, a sleek new gadget or device for fun is good too.

When you've answered this question, you should consider whether there is other tech or competing devices out there that can perform even better.

Should I Become an Early Adopter?

Early adopters are people that anticipate the release of new tech, wait in line on release day, and pride themselves on having the latest gadgets to hit the shelves. 

If you recognize yourself in this description you are likely to snap up the latest devices the day they are released.  This eager anticipation, however, is not always the way to get the best deals or the best gadgets.

Companies often rely on new product hype to give sales an early boost.  Waiting for the marketing and hype to subside, even a little, can save you a lot of money.

After initial sales fall, companies often mark down their prices to keep their devices attractive and sales high.  When newer, faster, sleeker devices hit the market, companies cut prices to maintain strong sales figures.   For the budget smart consumer this is an opportunity for a bargain. A device good enough to buy on launch day is well worth waiting for.

Have I checked The Reviews?

We are fortunate enough to have access to seemingly unlimited amounts of information at our fingertips.  Often weeks before a product is released, reviews are available across the web.

One of the best things you can do when considering a new device, particularly a high-cost purchase, is to watch and read a wide variety of product reviews.  It pays to be cautious of reviews that are particularly glowing, or too downbeat.  Keep an eye out for middle of the road reviews that fairly weigh the pros and cons of each device.

Have I Found the Best Deal?

There are many ways to keep an eye out to make sure you get the best deal on your device.  If you can, monitor prices over time to see how they rise and fall to find the best time to purchase. 

When purchasing online, many sites include a box to add a coupon code when you are ready to buy.  It sometimes pays to jump over to Google and search the website name and 'coupon' or 'voucher' to find out if there are any good deals on.

A quick search can save you as much as 10, 15, or 20 per cent on some purchases. Sometimes companies send out offers to appeal to groups they want to market to.  A companies Facebook page may get different offers or vouchers than its Twitter followers or newsletter for example.

It can pay to search around for offers and vouchers to get money off before you checkout.  Five minutes work can save huge amounts of cash.

Purchase in Confidence

If you have asked yourself these questions, done all your research, and found the answers you're looking for then you may well be ready to buy.

You can do so with the confidence that you've done all your homework and you're getting the best deal and gadget for your money. .

Ring in the New Year with New IT

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 15:46:09 GMT

2021 - Is just round the corner

For many of us, 2021 can’t come soon enough, and we're hoping next year will be a better one. One way to get the best start in the new year? Take the time now to review business technology. There are several areas that you might improve to support 2021 success.

First, look at your website. In this digital age, your business website is your calling card to the world. It is where your prospects and customers will go to learn more and buy your product or service. Yet many business websites are at least a few years old. That won’t do these days. Whether you’re a B2B or B2C, your buyers are making a decision about your brand based on your website. If your website looks a decade old, they’re going to doubt you’re on top of your game.

When reviewing your website, priorities should be:

ease of site navigation – people have a low tolerance searching for information online;
mobile responsiveness – depending on industry, more than 60% of website visits are from mobile devices;
call to action – you’re making it clear what you want people to do on your site;
visual appeal – if it doesn’t look good, your credibility will be damaged;
search engine optimization – are you doing all you can to get people to your site?
security – customers care more and more about data security and privacy.

Updates in the Office Environment

Of course, there are still people who will pick up a phone and call a business. Traditional phone systems are the reliable business workhorse. But settling for a plain old phone system could mean you’re missing out on a lot. Modern digital phone systems offer you access to a wide range of useful features. With a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone system, businesses of any size can get enterprise-level features. These include:

interactive voice response (IVR) systems (e.g. "Press 1 to speak to sales, 2 to speak to tech support … etc.”;
call queuing that helps distribute incoming calls to the right party;
call recording that helps you track compliance, and provides training and sales script intel;
local phone numbers, free in-network calling, and consistent international-rate plans.

Also in the office, there may still be employees signing in to desktop workstations running Windows 7. This operating system reached “end of life” on January 14, 2020. That means Microsoft is no longer updating the software. Hackers know that, too, so sticking with the old system could make you vulnerable to cyberattack.

COVID-19 prompted businesses that might have been putting off cloud migration to move up their timetable, but some use virtual private networks or other remote access to enable work from home. It doesn’t look like we’ll be back in the office full-time, full-force at the outset of 2021, so this is also a good time to revisit the idea of cloud computing.

Making Your Business Secure in 2021

Start the new year off right with a resolution to make your business IT more secure. This could mean embracing two-factor authentication as an upgrade to password-only authentication.

Encourage employees to change their passwords. Most people have dozens of online accounts but only two or three unique passwords. So, it’s a good idea to require your people to update their passwords regularly. That way, if a site such as LinkedIn suffers a data breach, you aren’t vulnerable because of an employee’s duplicated password.

End-of-year downtime provides an opportunity to review any long-standing IT problems. Evaluate how much time or productivity was lost in 2020 while troubleshooting IT. It’s also a good idea to proactively plan your backup strategy and set up for disaster recovery. That way, if the worst does happen in 2021, you’re ready.

Keep your business secure and up to date with the help of a managed service provider. We’ll make sure you’ve got the best technology for your needs. We manage and monitor your IT tools, too. You stick to what you do best, and our experts will focus on your IT. Contact us today at 01255 724 724

Why MSP Support Beats a Break-Fix Approach

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 15:31:06 GMT

I just call my IT Guy!

Computers break at challenging times. Always. And there’s no worse time than the holiday season. Your employees want to spend time with family and friends, relaxing and reminiscing. They do not want to wait around for a fix or to find a replacement. That’s one reason a managed service provider (MSP) is a good choice year-round.

Many businesses have more work at the end of the year. An employee saddled with a laptop that won’t load necessary business applications is not productive. A wider system problem is even more costly. According to Gartner, “the average cost of network downtime is around £4,300 per minute.” Do you want to lose about £245,000 an hour during your busy season?

Even businesses that close the office for the holiday season have employees trying to get work done before the vacation. A broken computer is not going to help them meet their deadlines.

Relying on the break-fix model of computer care isn’t going to serve you well during the holiday season. Even those companies with a dedicated IT person could struggle when something goes wrong if that individual is already away for the holidays.

At many times of year, you’re patient: you can wait for someone to come in and fix that desktop or deal with the printer that’s acting up. But, if you’re calling a company in sporadically, they have no obligation to be available when you need help. If they’re backed up, you’ll need to try the next option for computer repair that came up in your Google search.

Also, computer help hired at short notice won’t know your particular setup or business needs. Their focus is on getting you up and running now. They won't weigh short- and long-term approaches that fit your specific objectives.

Prepare for the Worst with MSP Support

Partnering with an MSP gives your business a different experience. For one thing, there is always an IT expert on call to assist you. They have also learned your IT setup and may even have installed your computers in the first place. That means there’s no steep learning curve to figure out a unique system configuration. They can quickly identify the problem and get you back up and running.

Additionally, an MSP will understand your business objectives and your unique technology considerations. For example, they’re not going to suggest you replace a broken laptop with a desktop, not when your people move around to meet clients and brainstorm with colleagues.

Contracting with an MSP, you won’t have to worry about exorbitant fees for computer help during holidays. You’ll pay a fixed monthly fee that offers financial and strategic predictability.

Your MSP partner is also invested in your business success. Knowing you are approaching a peak period, they can prepare your setup to be more resilient. They will also know to scale up cloud computing services when you’re bringing in more people to get the job done. Or, recognizing your business is on a break, they could schedule time-consuming upgrades or integrations for the lull.

At any point in the year, an MSP can also help your business reduce costs. By providing the best technology for your tasks and putting disaster protection in place, an MSP doubles operational efficiency, too.

Sign on with an MSP early, and go into every holiday season knowing there are IT elves on call if you need them. Don’t wait until disaster strikes to start looking for help. Learn more by calling us at 01255 724 724 .

That’s So 2010: Why Upgrade Your Office Software

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 15:12:33 GMT

Office 2010 is End Of Life

Are you still using Office 2010?

It may have served you well over the past decade, but this software reached its end of life in 2020. It’s time to upgrade.

Here’s why and what to consider.

Software has a typical life span, after which the manufacturer turns its resources to supporting a more recent release. Support for Office 2010 ended on October 13, 2020. Microsoft no longer provides tech support, or bug or security fixes. That means there’s no protection from harmful viruses, spyware, or other malicious software. The software won’t be updated, and there’s no more phone or chat support if you run into trouble.

Cybercriminals know that Office 2010 users are on their own. They’re on the lookout for businesses relying on this legacy software. Without updates, you risk opening a document designed to leverage an unpatched exploit.

What can you do?

Move your business computers to one of the more modern Microsoft software offerings. You can choose to upgrade to the latest version of Office as a one-time purchase, or buy a Microsoft 365 subscription to the latest features, security updates, and other improvements.

The currently available version of Office, Office 2019, is available for PC or Mac. You can install Office only on one device, and you’ll get support and fixes during its lifecycle period only. New features aren’t offered.

Tip: Know that Office 2019 came out in September 2018 and is due to be succeeded by Office 2022 in the second half of 2021.

Before deciding to wait until 2021 for the next release, consider Microsoft 365 (MS 365). MS 365 gives you access to Office’s cloud-connected features across devices, plus, 1 TB of OneDrive storage, Office mobile apps, Skype minutes, and access to support.

As new MS 365 features become available, all subscribers get access on a monthly basis. With a business account, the administrator can control when you are able to see them.

Is MS 365 for Us?

You may want to keep everything on-premises for compliance or regulatory reasons, or perhaps you feel better with everything where you can see it. You can upgrade to Microsoft 365 and use offline versions of their software.

Still, for many, MS 365 appeals because it’s on the cloud, or both on-premises and in the cloud. Employees can use familiar tools such as Word or Excel installed on desktops, then save files to the cloud. This makes work available anywhere, from mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices.

Microsoft 365 also adds in Teams. Enjoy video conferencing, screen sharing, group chat, calling and Teams collaboration software.

Then, you always have the latest version of Office, Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype. Your subscription sets you up with the latest version without the need for a major migration.

MS 365 comes in several different business packages. The Basic version provides free Web and Mobile only, along with Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. If you don’t need those four services, save money using the free, web-only Office 365 Online version.

Ignoring Office 2010's end date could be costly. Don’t risk a disaster. Upgrade your old-school Office software today.

If upgrading seems overwhelming, our IT experts can take it on. A managed service provider can suggest the best software for your business needs and set it up, too. Let us help! Call us now at 01255 724 724

Business Cloud Computing

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 15:34:53 GMT

Facing the Five Top Cloud Computing Fears

The public cloud service market is growing. Software, infrastructure, desktop, and other service numbers are all on the rise. Yet some businesses are still holding back from migrating to the cloud. This article addresses common resistance to this highly scalable and cost-effective solution.

#1 Fear of Losing Control

“I want full responsibility for my IT.” Moving to the public cloud means partnering with a vendor. Some of your existing technology can move as is, whereas other tools your people rely on may need replacement or redesign.

One solution is to migrate to a private cloud. This allows you to continue to control the data environment but will be a more costly solution than a public alternative. When partnering with a public cloud service provider, establish clear responsibilities. Ensure you’re both on the same page about who is accountable for what.

#2 Fear of Change

“If it ain’t broke, why fix it,” especially when it comes to business computing, right? Transitioning from one datacenter to another requires preparation and effort.

Yet the resulting greater flexibility makes the work worthwhile. Cloud migration is appealing because the technology offers, among other things:

• scalability;

• increased effectiveness;

• faster implementation;

• mobility;

• disaster recovery.

The cloud allows you to store data, run applications, deliver content, and more – all online. Your business doesn't have to invest in the hardware or networking tech on-site.

#3 Fear for Data Security

Any downtime for a data breach can cost business revenue and brand reputation, and productivity can suffer, too. And that’s only the beginning. So, you don't want to move to a solution that expands your vulnerability to attack.

There are two ways to get attacked: digital or physical. Working with a cloud provider, you gain a partner focused on security. They know the mitigations and countermeasures for cloud-computing-specific capabilities. They know the frameworks, architectures, and approaches to best protect against digital attack. Microsoft spends $1 billion annually safeguarding Azure, its cloud offering, from cyberattack. Can your IT budget compete?

As for physical security, cloud datacenters are secure facilities: we’re talking guards with keycards, fenced perimeters, power backups, and server redundancy. They have the works. Your office is probably less secure.

#4 Fear for Interoperability Challenges

We’re always told to play nicely with others, but what if existing business technology doesn’t play well with the cloud? Business leaders may fear they’ll be stuck having to reinvent the wheel.

The good news? There have been great strides in interoperability. Many application programming interfaces are available to help. Cloud providers want your business systems to exchange and use information seamlessly.

#5 Fear of Cost Increases

Before giving in to cost concerns, take stock of your current IT operating budget. The time and money you could save may surprise you. For example, the software provider takes charge of updates, patching, and new capabilities, which alone can increase IT’s productivity in other areas.

The scalability of cloud solutions also counterbalances cost concerns. With cloud technology, you know your tools are always evolving. Plus, you can quickly add or reduce licenses or data storage size as needed, because there’s no waiting for hardware to arrive and be provisioned by an overworked IT team.

Conclusion

With cloud migration you also avoid training employees to support the technology. Plus, you're not paying to use office space, power, and cooling to house the equipment. The cloud also provides end users with immediate access from almost any device.

The one challenge is migrating to the cloud securely. Give us a call to get you migrated swiftly and ensure you're using cloud computing safely.

Target - Small Businesses

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 15:30:29 GMT

What Hackers Target In Small Businesses

Hackers today have many ways to attack small businesses and business owners. Many attempt to use technology to send malware, viruses, or phishing attacks; or use information to con owners and employees into handing over more information than they should.

One or more of these techniques can be combined with gaining physical access to steal from vulnerable firms. Identifying precisely how criminals target businesses and what they deem most valuable can help to protect from the most devastating attacks out there.

Remaining vigilant and informed is one of the most vital things you can do as a business owner to protect your assets and reputation.

Extortion

Different types of attacks tend to rise and fall in popularity. Fifteen years ago, computer worms were the most common attack that businesses faced. Security software wasn't as advanced or as widely used at it is today. Computer worms were, at the time, an exceptionally low-cost and efficient way to inflict the maximum amount of damage for minimum cost.

Today ransomware has seen an unfortunate boom in popularity. This technology aims to encrypt the target's files on their personal computer. This technique denies the victim access and charges a large fee in exchange for the key to retrieve the victim’s own data.

The attack has worked so often because it requires minimal effort and can be used again and again. Many businesses have no option but to pay because the data is worth far more than the ransom demand the hackers have made.

The best defense against ransomware attacks, in addition to strong online security, is an up-to-date offsite backup — one that is tested to work reliably.

Targeting Customer Records

One of the most important things for your firm to take care of is your customer data records. Records which include names, dates of birth, and other personally identifying details. These details are extremely valuable to hackers or criminals who, either use them personally or sell them on to someone who will.

Many regions have strict laws and guidelines about how this information must be stored, accessed and protected. Failing to follow these can result in severe penalties that could devastate any company.

Targeting Financial Information

Like personal information, a small business must take extreme care when storing customer financial information. Sensitive details such as credit card or banking information are a key target for hackers looking to steal money fast.

The impact on your business reputation following a breach of financial data will be severe and devastating. Even a simple mistake can require years of advertising and great PR to repair. Many firms have failed to recover after losing the trust of their customers.

Social Engineering

Most firms today run good IT security packages to protect against online attacks and other forms of malware. Attackers often know to take their methods offline to achieve the best results.

Whether posing as a supplier, customer, or interested party; attackers can seek to gain information that you may be less than willing to hand over to a stranger. Small businesses can often be used to gather information on vendors and suppliers they do business with in order to attack them too.

Be particularly cautious of the information you provide when discussing business with individuals you haven't spoken to before.

Keeping Small Business Safe

Each of these targets and attacks are just some of the most popular and hard-hitting attacks out there now. The list is forever changing, and the methods we use to protect against them always needs to change too.

Some can be defended against with great security, backups, and software. Others, such as social engineering, need you and your staff to stay up-to-date and remain vigilant about the major attacks affecting small business today.

If you need help tightening your businesses security, give us a call at 01255 724 724.

How the Bad Guys Get Your Password

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 15:26:25 GMT

LetMeIn101, Password123, P4ssW0rd

Passwords are essential to your cybersafety. You know it, but if you’re like the rest of the digital society, you probably have dozens of passwords to remember. It’s a lot. So, you might take shortcuts. Taking advantage of your laissez-faire attitude is one way bad guys access your passwords.

Incredibly, there are still people out there using “password” or “123456” in their access credentials. Some people don’t change the default passwords on their devices. So, anyone can pick up a router, look at the sticker identifying the password, and access that network.

Tip: Avoid the obvious passwords! When you have to create a password, make an effort. When it’s time to update a password, do so. Steer clear of simple, easily guessed patterns.

Cybercriminals can also guess your password. With a little bit of research about you online, they can make some informed guesses. Common passwords include pet names, birthdays, and anniversaries. These are all easy to find via your social media accounts.

Tip: Be careful what you share on social media! Don’t befriend strangers, as you are giving them access to a goldmine of info for personalizing an attack on you.

If that doesn’t work, criminals may try brute force. They might script an automation bot to run thousands of password permutations until they get a hit. The software will try a long list of common passwords and run through dictionary words to gain access.

Tip: Use a complex password with numbers, letters, and symbols or a passphrase. A passphrase is typically at least 19 characters long but is more memorable, as it unique to you.

The criminal may also be working with info from a data breach. In early 2019, a security researcher found more than 2.7 billion email/password pairs available on the Dark Web. Criminals accessing that database could use the data as a starting point, as many people duplicate their passwords across accounts.

Tip: Use a unique password for each site. Yes, that’s overwhelming to remember, and that’s also why you should use a password manager to keep track of it all for you.

Criminals can also access your account if you’ve used a hacked public computer. The bad guys may have installed a key logger on the computer. The logger records every key you press on the keyboard. Or they might have compromised a router or server to be able to see your information.

Tip: Be cautious about your online activity on computers or networks you don’t trust.

Of course, there’s one more method of getting your password that we haven’t addressed yet. It’s the familiar phishing attack. For instance, you get an email that looks like it was sent by your bank. Phishing typically has an urgent message and a link that directs you to what looks like a credible page.

Tip: Pay attention to who is sending the email and hover the mouse over the link to see where it goes. If you are concerned about your bank account, for example, open up a browser and type the URL manually rather than clicking the link.

These tips can help you to protect your valuable passwords. Still, setting up a password manager and amping up your internet security can help too. Need support getting ahead of the cybercriminals? Contact our experts today!

Why 2-Factor Authentication is Important

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 15:17:20 GMT

Make IT too hard for Hackers

You hear about hacks all the time. The news covers major websites who have had data leaks containing your email and password. Computers get infected and capture your login details for bank accounts and credit cards. In the worst cases, identity theft occurs because it is an easy crime to commit with a high reward.

In 2018, the passwords you used to trust to keep the bad guys out of your accounts are not enough anymore. Cyber attackers now use methods such as phishing, pharming, and keylogging to steal your password. Some have the power to test billions of password combinations.

If you’re like the majority of people, you use the same password for several websites. That means anybody who has figured out that password has access to everything you’ve logged into with it. In a time when it is extremely easy to look up what a person named their first pet or high school mascot, security questions aren’t much help.

Consider how a jewellery store operates. They don’t simply keep their valuables locked away with one key. There are alarms ready to be triggered, motion detectors, and sometimes even bars on the windows. Your data is valuable, just like jewellery. You need more than one line of defense to protect it.

In the computer world, your second line of defense (after your username and password combination) is called “2-factor authentication.” Sometimes referred to as multiple-step or multi-factor verification, 2-factor authentication is a way to double check a person’s identity. This can be enabled every time a person logs in or just under certain circumstances. For example, signing in from a new device or different country might trigger 2-factor authentication.

Many of the services you may already use, such as Facebook, Gmail, Xero Accounting, and more, have 2-factor authentication options. If your bank has ever sent you a special code through text or email to enter before logging in, you’ve already used a type of 2-factor authentication. They can also be in the form of a smartphone app or a physical electronic dongle.

2-factor authentication is absolutely crucial for online banking, email, and online shopping such as Amazon or PayPal. It’s also a must-have for cloud storage accounts (like Dropbox or Sync), password managers, communications apps, and productivity apps. This is especially true if you frequently use the same passwords for different websites and apps.

Some may consider 2-factor authentication unnecessary for social networks, but these are actually very important to keep safe. For ease, a lot of websites and apps allow you to sign up through your Facebook or Twitter account. You need to keep these networks safe so that somebody with your password can’t suddenly get into every account you have linked.

The point of using 2-factor authentication is to make hackers’ lives harder and prevent them from getting into your accounts. If they have captured your login username and password, they still need a second device to get in, especially when the computer or phone they are using has never logged into your account before. This makes it significantly more difficult for anybody to breach your account.

Plus, if you receive a notification with a special code to enter for logging in, and you weren’t trying to log into that account, you have a good signal that somebody else was trying to get in. That means it’s time to change that password and be grateful you had 2-factor authentication.

It’s unfortunate that there is currently an abundance of skilled hackers ready to take advantage of those unprepared. Luckily, you can still stop them even if they have your login information at hand. 2-factor authentication is one of the easiest methods to keep your accounts safe.

Give us a call at 01255 724 724 to help secure your business and accounts.

Need Home IT Help? Try Residential Managed Services

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 11:17:50 GMT

Try Residential Managed Services

Maybe you used to be able to troubleshoot your own technology, or had a tech-savvy family member or friend who could help out in a pinch. But now that home computing has become more essential, you may be feeling overwhelmed.

If you’re working from home, and others are doing virtual learning too, you can't wait for your IT geek buddy to visit. You need your desktop to do your job, and you can’t risk missing a deadline or losing hours of work. Your kids might welcome the excuse to miss a few assignments, but you don’t want them falling behind at school.

With all the technology you’re using today in a regular basis, your home is basically a small business. You want to be able to access the internet from any room and print from anywhere in the house, or to have a cloud backup of all your photos and videos.

So, partner with a managed service provider (MSP) for your residential computers. Many businesses use MSPs for IT help, 24/7 monitoring, improved security, and reporting. Home users can benefit, too.

Advantages of Residential Managed Services

A managed service provider helps organize and protect your technology. These IT experts can:

network all your devices (printers, routers, laptops, desktops, and more);
set up the best internet connectivity option for your home;
recommend the best software and hardware to meet your individual needs;
put virus protection in place on your devices;
monitor your hardware for impending failure;
scan your computers for malware and other threats;
establish system and storage backups so you have a Plan B;
improve your productivity with more efficient solutions and expert advice;
keep your systems up to date by handling patches and upgrades;
move your computing to the cloud for greater mobility and cost savings;
educate you and your family on internet safety and best practices.

Valuing Your Time in Favour of MSPs

The idea of paying for IT assistance can put off home computer users. Before deciding an MSP isn’t for you, consider the value of your time. How many hours do you waste trying to figure out your tech solutions, or searching the Web for the answer to your problem?

With an MSP, if something does go wrong, you have to make only one call to get help. Don’t waste time on hold with your internet service provider only to find its a laptop problem, which means another helpline. An MSP is your one go-to for all your IT needs.

Also consider the value of your personal files, photos, and videos, and the importance of protecting and always being able to access any work you’re doing remotely.

For a small, set monthly fee, you add a human IT expert focused on your needs to your team. You have a lot to think about already. Take technology concerns off your “to do” list by partnering with a local MSP today.

We’ll simplify technology for you, offering a budget-friendly, customized managed services plan. Contact us today 01255 724 724

Or you could lose hours of work. Someone else might drag that project you’ve been working on to the trash with a school assignment rubric.

Our IT experts can set up different account profiles for each user. Doing this not only helps to secure your work from home, but can also add protection for your kids.

The immediate appeal is personalizing the desktop for the individual user. Your kids can pick their own home screen backdrops and menu bars. You might not need access to TikTok, but your teen is thrilled to have it right there on the desktop. For smaller children, you can make icons and text bigger. Set up narration to give yourself a break from the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon.

For parents, security advantages of the profiles include being able to set up the following:

• Web filtering enables you to set rules to screen incoming Web pages. This can help avoid children seeing explicit content or accessing a malicious site. You might also limit Web browsing to particular sites.

• App limitations can ban kids from buying and downloading certain apps or making in-app purchases. For older kids you could require parental permission first.

• You can set up Screentime limits for particular sites (e.g. Netflix or YouTube) or allow young people to access online content only at certain hours of the day.

• Age restrictions allow you to filter mature content from search results. These also filter what apps, games, and media the young user can view or buy.

Individual profiles also make it easier for parents to track online activity and computer use. We can even set it up for you to receive reports on Web browsing and application use.

Secure your work from home and protect your family of users. Get help setting up the right controls for your home computer needs.

Contact us today on 01255 724 724

Solving Your Work-from-Home Internet Woes

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:37:44 GMT

Solving Your Work-from-Home Internet Woes

Your internet used to meet your needs. You could check social media and stream a TV show whenever you wanted without trouble. Now, since working from home, you’re finding your internet service more frustrating: it’s too slow when you want to send and receive large work files, or erratic when you take part in video meetings. Here’s help.

Blame your service provider

Ah, the familiar pastime – blaming someone else. The problem could be with your provider.

Yes, it’s a good idea to keep your expenses low, and that budget internet provider may not have been a problem in the past. But internet service providers (ISPs) may save money by buying less bandwidth. Bandwidth impacts the data transfer rate, which makes a difference to downloads and connectivity. ISPs might also oversell their capabilities, betting that everyone won’t be online at the same time. Yet, now, everyone is!

Switching to a higher-quality ISP can help address your connectivity concerns. It’s a good idea to find out what kind of connectivity they’re offering, too.

Some people are fortunate to live in places with full-fiber connections. This new technology uses fiberoptic cable to send more data, more quickly. Other people have to rely on providers using copper cables. Copper cables are old school and designed to carry call data as electrical pulses. The further your internet signals travel, the more your signal strength falters.

If poor wired infrastructure to your home is the issue, swap instead to point-to-point Wi-fi, 4G, or 5G. For instance, for Wi-fi, you’d install a Wi-fi dish on your roof pointing to a nearby wireless provider. With a 4G connection, you’d be using cell phone towers. 5G is the same, but you’ll find it faster if its available.

Redundancy is another way to go. Your existing wired connection may be fine most of the time, but you’ll have a backup in place. You can roll over to the 4G option if the wired internet goes down.

Sorry, the problem’s at your end

It’s possible the root of your internet problems is right there in your home or neighborhood. You are no longer the only person using your internet connection. You could be trying to download something on one computer while your partner is taking a video call. Maybe you also have kids online in an online classroom or looking for a supply llama in Fortnite.

Even if you’re only trying to watch Netflix, just as you used to, you might notice you’re lagging more than before. There are probably more neighbors on their Wi-Fi, too, which can result in congestion in your area.

If you can switch to a 5 GHz connection, do so. The speed will improve. Plus, you’ll find you’re not in competition with as many others, as many home Wi-Fi setups are on the 2.4 GHz frequency.

There’s a solution out there

The solution to your work-from-home internet woes will vary. It depends on your location, what’s around, and the internet service options available.

You don’t have to troubleshoot your internet on your own. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but our tech experts can help find the right fit for your needs.

Contact us today on 01255 724 724

How to Get Your Devices to Play Nicely Together: Home Networking Help

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:32:55 GMT

How to Get Your Devices to Play Nicely Together: Home Networking Help

Why can’t we all just get along?

You’ve probably thought that before. But the sentiment is also one that goes through our heads when we’re trying to set up home networking. When cables and passwords abound, we can’t help but wish it was easier to get all our devices to play nicely together. Here’s help.

Desktop computers. Laptops. Tablets. Network printers. Routers. Modems. Smartphones. Smart speakers. Media players. Gaming systems. Homes today have many, if not all of these. Each has all sorts of features, and they’d be even more useful if they connected to one another. If only it wasn’t so challenging to get all our devices to relay information between each other reliably.

Home networking can bring so many benefits. You might enjoy:

• accessing emails on all your devices, wherever you are;

• surfing the Web using your voice;

• being able to share files, photos, and other media with any other networked device;

• viewing a baby photo album from your computer on your Smart TV during a Sweet 16 birthday party;

• printing from your smartphone or other devices, even when not connected to the device via cable, using AirPrint or Google Cloud Print;

• backing up all computers in the house to a centralized location via the network;

• securing your activity on all devices at home with a protected Wi-Fi network.

Yep, all that sounds pretty great, but we’re right back where we started. How do we get our devices to do all that?

What Your Home Network Needs

First, take a moment to imagine connecting all the computers and smart devices in your home via cables. Ack! As if you want more cables snaking around your home! You don’t want to feel as if you’re rooming with Medusa.

So, you’ll be looking into a wireless home network to connect your devices to the internet and each other. That means setting up a modem and a router (we’re assuming you already have an internet service provider).

The modem is what connects your network to the internet. The router connects your devices to each other and to the internet through your modem. The router communicates the wireless signal between your devices and the modem. A gateway option combines the modem and router functions in one device.

If your home is spread out over several floors or square feet, or you have to deal with thick walls, you might have difficulties at home with Wi-Fi dead spots. Great! You’ve made all this effort, and it’s still not working! You could try a mesh network. Instead of making one device do all the signaling, a primary router and many smaller satellites (or nodes) relay the signals with equal power.

Securing Your Home Network

When you get your devices connected, you’ll want to secure your home network. Taking these simple steps helps protect your personal information and prevent cyberattacks.

First, change the default passwords on your modem and router, and choose something more complex than “123456,” “password,” or “letmein.”

You’ll also want to set up a guest network if the router supports it. This allows visitors to access the Wi-Fi without you having to share access to your main network.

Also, rename your Wi-Fi network so that it isn’t obvious that it’s your house. For example, if you live at 920 Hassell Place, you wouldn’t name it 920Hassell. Or, if you’re the Wilsons, don’t name it WilsonNetwork. Don’t make it easy for someone trying to target you to identify which network they are trying to hack.

You like using all your devices, but getting them all networked seems like a headache. Still, once you have a home network set up, you’ll wonder why you waited so long. Don’t put off the convenience any longer. We can help you get all your devices playing together nicely and securely.

Contact us today on 01255 724 724

What Is SharePoint, and Why Use it?

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 18:03:23 GMT

Mobile, remote workforces still need tools to share and collaborate with one another. Business teams want to work together and get the job done efficiently. Microsoft SharePoint helps make that happen.

SharePoint is used in science and education, law and government, finance, computers, electronics, and technology verticals..

If you’re subscribing to one of Microsoft 365’s business plans, you already have access. SharePoint is Microsoft’s document management and collaboration tool. Users, wherever they are, connect to SharePoint through their own browser. SharePoint streamlines the process of tracking workflow and documents. But that’s not all that the platform offers.

SharePoint Core Features

Businesses gain several benefits from using SharePoint.

Collaboration. Now, you can store documents in a folder on a server. SharePoint lets you create workflows, see document history, track file access, and more.

Organization . SharePoint greets users with a screen that shows:

what they interact with most frequently;
sites that they are following;
featured links;
a search bar

Having recent activity and access to important links and relevant sites as the entry point to the platform can help keep your people productive.

Within SharePoint sites, you can also create lists to collect items. This might be announcements, contacts, links, or a task list.

Integration. SharePoint works with Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and more. A team might create a shared notebook to keep information in one place and evolve as projects do.

Create community . SharePoint websites are a centralized location for teams to find what they need. Human resources might set up a site with its updates and important forms. This allows everyone to quickly find the information they need.

Version control. Don't worry about emailing documents to various team members for input. A SharePoint document becomes the single source for the one, current document.

Search. Advanced search capabilities make it easy to look across a site library. Or users can search content in all SharePoint sites they can access. Avoid decentralization where assets are spread over employee PCs or different department siloes.

Data insights. Keeping all business data in one place makes it easier to review. Determine what’s being used or who is accessing what to identify trends. Site admins, owners, and members can track number of views, popular items, how many times people interact with the site, and more.

Share news. Keep teams engaged and informed using the News feature. Users post updates, or share reports and documents in the newsfeed section of the website.

Mobility . Users can upload files and access them from anywhere. SharePoint works with Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox browsers. There’s even a mobile app to let people remain connected from their mobile devices.

Why SharePoint?

SharePoint bundles many features together in a dedicated platform suiting different industries. Replace inefficient, paper-based processes with a centralized, online repository of documents. This can help with accountability and limit business bottlenecks.

SharePoint helps you build personal, team, project, customer, and/or vendor-facing websites. Avoid unwieldy email threads or confusing conference calls. Chat online and track edits in SharePoint.

You can also automate business processes. SharePoint allows you to create intelligent workflows for simple tasks. For example, you can streamline processes, with SharePoint automatically sending files for approval. Once done, you’re notified the review is complete.

Success with SharePoint

You’ll need to establish an implementation strategy, and also train employee to understand SharePoint’s value. Know that businesses lacking IT resources struggle to customize features and build automated workflows.

Our IT experts can determine the SharePoint service model that’s best for you. We can help integrate SharePoint and add customizations where they can help you.

Why Periodic Security Assessments Should Be Your New Normal

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 12:41:49 GMT

Why Periodic Security Assessments Should Be Your New Normal

By now you know that building up your cyber security is just as important as building up your cash flow. Both are essential to your success, but while most businesses keep an eye on the financials, they tend to think cybersecurity is something they can set and forget. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new methods of attack and the security you had in place yesterday may not be sufficient today.

Instead of reacting to breaches and taking on the costs of downtime, lost files and destroyed trust, a periodic security assessment can identify blind spots that place you at risk.

Once you know about these problems, you’re able to proactively setup adequate protection before cybercriminals strike. It’s best to use independent IT experts who can audit your security from an outside perspective, often seeing risks that would otherwise be missed.

Regulations change - Are you affected?

Many businesses are kept to strict government regulations around the way they store, process and protect data. Their operating license depends on staying as secure as possible. All regulations require regular security assessments but they vary in scope and timeframe. As regulations change, so do the security assessment requirements. You can imagine how much stricter they are now compared to just 5 years ago. Our team can ensure your business is meeting the relevant regulations, diving deep to be certain you’re safe.

Security patches and updates are vital

It’s so easy to fall behind on your security patches, after all, it seems like there’s a new update every week and each one takes precious time to apply. What we’re seeing though, is that cybercriminals are targeting any business running late, and it’s basically easy pickings for them. If you’re unpatched where it counts, it’s like inviting them in. When we conduct your security assessment, we take a look at your history and see if your business has a robust patch plan in place and make sure you’re up to date. If there’s an issue that’s placing you at risk now, impacted you in the past, or will in the future, we’ll find it.

Viruses are always evolving

Just like the human variety, computer viruses are nothing to welcome into your workplace. They’re constantly evolving to skip past anti-virus scans and do damage in new and interesting ways. Cybercriminals know people are more aware of the traditional infection methods like downloading an attachment or inserting an infected USB, so they’re getting more and more creative. Your security assessment doesn’t just include ticking that you have the latest anti-virus, it includes identifying where you’ve had the most breach attempts and where your biggest vulnerabilities are. This type of precise awareness has a lasting impact on reducing your risks.

Your business may have changed

As your business has grown over the years (or shorter if you’ve experienced a recent surge), your entire setup has changed. More employees, expanded remote access, additional vendors, supplementary locations...the list really is endless. With each change has come a new risk, particularly if your security has been growing around you. It might be that your password policies haven’t been updated since you began, or that you still have the old voicemail system even though phones are within easy reach of customers. This is perhaps one of the most useful areas a security assessment can help with, as you and your employees are accustomed to the business working in a certain way, whether that way leads to risk or not. Our experts will be able to see things from a different perspective, particularly as we make sure to think the same way a cybercriminal would.

What to do with your assessment results

While many experts might present you with a long list of problems and leave you feeling overwhelmed, our team ensures you have a benchmark for progress. You’ll know exactly what you need to do, how we can help, and perhaps most importantly, which actions take priority. Moving ahead, future security investments will be smarter as you focus on the high-payoff areas. You’ll also know exactly what you’ve done well and where your security strengths lie. Employees will see how much you value security, which helps to create a stable culture, and you’ll be able to report your commitment to customers, confirming they’re making the right choice by staying with you.

Book your security assessment with us today

11 Reasons To Upgrade to Microsoft 365 Today

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 11:57:47 GMT

11 Reasons To Upgrade to Microsoft 365 Today

With Microsoft 365, it seems common sense has finally prevailed, giving business the changes they actually want. It’s still Microsoft, and your staff will still know exactly how to work it, but they’ll get so much more done.

1. The whole Mac/Windows drama is over

Microsoft 365 brings with it a stack of benefits, but perhaps the most relieving is the in-built file compatibility across all platforms. No more converting (or corrupting) files back and forth, productivity black holes have essentially been eliminated.

2. It’s always ready to go

Microsoft are so confident in their cloud-based software and data storage; they’re giving a 99.9% uptime guarantee. You can even call a real life human for support.

Work online, offline or mobile – the choice is yours.

3. Security is built in

A large part of Microsoft’s uptime certainty comes from their extremely robust security protocols. Microsoft 365 offers enterprise-grade admin controls at your end, as well as government-grade security at their end.

4. Generous data allowances

Each user gets 1TB of cloud space for file storage, which can be shared at folder or file level.

5. Work anywhere, anytime

Previously, staff needed to establish a VPN or manage security concerns which made working off-site difficult and cumbersome. Microsoft 365 has solved that problem and working from anywhere is now easy.

6. Integrated organization

Calendar, email and contacts are all synced and updated across multiple devices: Laptop, desktop & mobile.

7. Yours for no upfront costs

Once upon a time, updating your Office version meant paying a small fortune and half a day downtime. Microsoft 365 changes that, with no upfront cost or installation delay.

8. Mailbox storage through the roof

Forget the days of ‘user mailbox is full’ – each user is given a whopping 50GB in a gorgeous, easy-to-use mailbox.

9. Built in malware and spam protection

Data security doesn’t stop at file storage: email is scanned for malware and spam, protecting your organization from all manner of attacks before they happen.

10. Collaboration tools and virtual meeting

Cancel your 3rd party services and bring all your collaborations into the one platform.

11. Integrated Team planning

Schedule tasks, meetings and track allocations from a top-down level to know exactly how projects are progressing.

We can help with your Microsoft 365 migration and setup – give us a call today!

7 Bonuses For Small Business In Microsoft 365

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:41:50 GMT

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You’ve seen all the ads for Microsoft 365. They’re popping up on your desktop, your employees are sending you meaningful looks, and clearly, it’s not going away. You’ve probably even jumped online to see what all the fuss is about. But is Microsoft 365 a necessary upgrade for your small business? The answer is yes. It’s more than a refreshed set of tools, it’s an efficiency and productivity powerhouse. Here are 7 spot-on reasons why small business owners should upgrade now.

1. Data security is built in

Microsoft 365 was created with data security at its core. The built-in compliance and security protocols mean your cloud storage is safe, and you can control access so your valuable data remains exactly where you want it. Storing your data in the 365 cloud keeps it safe in case of emergency, with 1TB of storage per user included at no extra cost.

2. Ditch the licensing drama

Software version differences can be a real nightmare in a small office. Not every system can do the same things, and half the time, they can’t even open the same files. It quickly becomes a hodge-podge of workarounds and lost time. Microsoft 365 includes site-wide licenses with upgrades at the same time.

3. Mail storage for real people

Not everyone lives in the land of inbox zero. In fact, most people tend to leave messages in their inbox forever. Occasionally we’ll do a quick clean up, but only when the alert comes in that the mailbox is full. Meanwhile, new emails from customers may be bouncing away with the old ‘mailbox full’ message. Eek! In Microsoft 365, your employees can communicate without worrying about storage space.

4. Better time management

Every person in your business is juggling meetings, emails and contacts – usually across multiple platforms. Microsoft 365 brings all those elements together, integrating seamlessly for more efficient time management. Contacts updated via mobile while offsite are automatically updated across all connected devices. Meetings scheduled in an email are added instantly to the calendar. You can even access files from any device, edit on the run and then back in the office, simply pick up where you left off.

5. Predictable costs

Forget about planning (and delaying) those costly upgrades. Microsoft 365 has small business covered. You can choose a plan based on your unique needs and change at any time. You can even add or decrease the number of users as you scale and streamline. It’s so easy to fit Office 365 into your monthly budget while knowing you’ve got the very best and latest in small business software.

6. Work on the go

The days of fiddling with private network and security settings are over, thanks to Microsoft 365. You don’t even need any special IT skills or extra software. Users can now securely access their files from home, during their commute, or in meetings for on-the-fly impressive presentations. Got an internet connection? That’s all they’ll need to squeeze productivity out of every day.

7. Stay up and running with no downtime

A whopping 25% of small businesses shut down permanently after flood, fire, crash or cyber-attack. With Microsoft 365, all your data is stored in the cloud with built-in backups for redundancy. No matter what happens, your data will be there, letting you stay up and running – and always ahead of the pack.

If you are ready to take your email to the next level, give us a call on 01255 724 724

Should You Pay for a Ransomware Attack?

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:26:48 GMT

Should You Pay for a Ransomware Attack?

Getting hit with a ransomware attack is never fun, your files get encrypted by cybercriminals and you’re left having to decide: should we pay to get them back? It’s a scene that’s played out across the world with 70% of businesses saying ‘yes’ in 2016 alone. Here’s what you should consider if you’re ever in this situation.

Do you trust them?

Besides the fact that they’re criminals holding your data hostage, how confident are you that they’ll send the decryption key? Most attackers demand you send the payment via untraceable Bitcoin, so you have no recourse if they take it and run. You’re also equally trapped if they decide they asked too little and come back with increasingly higher demands. If they do send the decryption key, be aware they still have access to your systems and can hit you again at any time until your network is disinfected by experts. Businesses don’t exactly want their breach publicized either, so many don’t admit to paying the ransom, whether it went to plan or otherwise.

Can you manage the impact?

Best case scenario, you can wipe the affected drives and restore from a clean backup without paying the ransom. You might even decide the encrypted files aren’t that important and simply let them go, or even wipe a whole laptop or workstation. On the other hand, if your data management comes under any special regulations, like health or legal, you may find the attack has a much wider, more intense impact. The attacker will usually give you a countdown to motivate a payment, with a threat of deletion when it hits zero. If the data isn’t that valuable, or you have confirmed backups, this urgency has no effect. There are also new types of ransomware like KillDisk which can permanently wipe your entire hard drive or even network.

How much do they want?

Cybercriminals rarely send out global attacks with set amounts, instead, they prefer to customize the ransom based on how much they think you can pay. Large corporations and hospitals are hit with very high demands, while small business demands are more modest. They may be criminals, but they’re smart people who know your financial limits. They’ll also consider how much similar businesses have paid and how quickly, then expect you to follow suit.

Are your backups good?

Many businesses are discovering too late that their backup systems aren’t robust enough to withstand this type of attack. Either they’ve become infected too, they weren’t up-to-date or they backed up the wrong data. It’s worth doing some quick checks on your backup processes as even if you have to take the system down for a day as you recover, you’re still light years ahead of those without them.

What’s your policy?

More and more often, businesses are adding ransomware to their disaster recovery plans and having predefined actions mapped out. Seemingly simple inclusions like who has final say over the payment decision can stop chaos in its tracks. Employees and management alike can then approach the situation calmly, ready to make the best decisions for the business.

Stay safe in the first place

Ransomware is showing no signs of slowing down. As more businesses keep them funded the cybercriminals are steadily launching new attacks and making it their full-time job. Most attacks come via phishing emails - those emails that trick employees into clicking a link - and they can be extremely convincing. While training helps people spot them, it’s no guarantee. We recommend using business-class spam filters to catch these types of emails before they land in your employee inboxes so that triggering a ransomware attack becomes something that happens to other businesses, not yours.

Secure your data systems now, we can help! Call us at 01255 724 724

Will That Click Cost You Thousands?

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:22:28 GMT

Will That Click Cost You Thousands?

Ransomware has undeniably been the biggest security threat of 2016. No-one was safe. Hackers targeted everyone and everything, including home PCs – and they were astoundingly successful – earning themselves upwards of $846million from US reported incidents alone. Business is booming for hackers, with thousands of attacks each day bringing in an average of $640 per target. Perhaps even more alarmingly, the financial cost of each individual attack is on the rise – the more ransomware proves to be an easy earner for them, the more they demand each time.

For a quick payday, some hackers offer to ‘rescue’ you from immediate danger – for a fee. One method is to trick you into thinking you have a virus that will spread if you don’t pay money to remove it immediately. Another much scarier method is to pretend to be the FBI and say your computer was involved in a crime (anything from money laundering to child pornography) and you can avoid going to prison by paying a few hundred dollars.

Thousands of regular people are also waking up every day to discover they’ve been locked out of their own files. Entire music and video libraries, digital photos from the past 5 years, personal budget files and even their secret novel draft …all held hostage until the user pays a ransom. The encryption is so strong and unbreakable that paying the ransom often becomes the only solution.

The way ransomware gets onto your computer is deviously simple. Generally, the hackers convince you to click an email attachment/link or pop-up. With both approaches, the hacker usually offers helpful information, for example:

• Tracking an unclaimed parcel

• Alerting that a virus was found and needs to be removed

• Advising details of a recent traffic fine

It’s so tempting to click through for more details and that’s what the hackers count on. Their messages and pop-ups aren’t obvious threats and so slip easily under our radar. Unfortunately, they’re not the most trustworthy bunch so paying may not actually unlock your files, and one payment can quickly become several.

To make matters worse, they can encrypt any backups connected to your computer too, like a USB drive. Having a backup is super important in any situation, but in cases like this, the right backup is needed. Not only one stored separate from your network, but one created recently with all the files you can’t bear to lose. Before restoring your backup, however, you’ll need to make sure the malware isn’t lurking in the background, ready to not just re-infect your restored files but also the backup drive itself.

To avoid finding yourself up to the waist in ransom demands or sending hackers money each month, we recommend being wary of email attachments, even from friends and family. If you’re not sure what the file is, don’t click it. They may not have sent that email intentionally; their infected system may be auto-emailing everyone in the address book. You should also be careful with any popups that appear out of place, especially ones that try to make you panic. If it doesn’t sound right or look right, don’t click it.

Ransomware is just too dangerous to risk.

Call us to set your computer up with protections against ransomware, and put backups in place that will keep your important files safe.

Ransomware Exposed: What it is and How it Works

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:16:10 GMT

Ransomware Exposed: What it is and How it Works

Ransomware has become an undeniable threat to business growth, profitability and security. It’s a ruthless type of malware that locks your keyboard or computer to prevent you from accessing your data until you pay the ransom, which is usually demanded in untraceable Bitcoin. Cyber criminals are turning this type of attack into big business, raking in billions each year as many businesses have no choice but to pay up.

How does ransomware get into the network?

Surprisingly, it’s NOT those random USB drives floating around from unknown sources. That’s old school, and cyber criminals operate much more effectively now. The most common vehicle for ransomware attacks today are email and compromised websites.

One email is all it takes.

We’ve all become so used to email as the major form of business communication that getting someone to click a link is easier than ABC. Ransomware attacks come disguised as legitimate emails that can trick your employees into clicking through to an infected website or opening an infected attachment. Unfortunately, cyber criminals have gotten really, REALLY good at faking internal emails, external communications from stakeholders and seemingly genuine inquiries from customers. They’ll often conceal their ransomware in normal attachments like invoices and reports in Office docs as well as PDFs. Even TXT files can actually be an executable javascript in disguise!

Infected websites aren’t always obvious.

Let’s face it, cyber criminals will infect any web page they can get their hands on, which is why of the less reputable sites should be avoided. But it’s not just about making sure you and your employees stick to suitable sites, mainstream websites can also carry ransomware infections ready to spread to all visitors. It’s happened before – in 2016 the New York Times, BBC & MSN homepages accidentally exposed thousands of web visitors when their infected site showed malicious ads.

What happens during an attack?

As soon as ransomware is in the door, it immediately scans local and connected drives (including connected backups) and encrypts thousands of files. Within minutes, everything from Office files to multimedia is locked up tight, inaccessible to all users – even admin. Then a notification appears demanding a ransom to unlock the files and gives helpful instructions on how to pay it. At this point, many businesses are on hold until the situation can be resolved. Typical options include: restoring from safe, external backups; wiping the entire system and starting again; or paying the ransom and learning a hard lesson in data security. Ransomware may not be fun, but it certainly makes for an interesting day at the office!

We can help you with a complete data security plan, including safe backups. Call us today at 01255 724 724

11 Reasons To Upgrade To Microsoft 365 Today

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:09:34 GMT

11 to start

With Microsoft 365, it seems common sense has finally prevailed, giving business the changes they actually want. It’s still Office, and your staff will still know exactly how to work it, but they’ll get so much more done.

1. The whole Mac/Windows drama is over

2. It’s always ready to go

Microsoft is so confident in their cloud-based software and data storage; they’re giving a 99.9% uptime guarantee. You can even call a real life human for support.

Work online, offline or mobile – the choice is yours.

3. Security is built in

4. Generous data allowances

Each user gets 1TB of cloud space for file storage, which can be shared at folder or file level.

5. Work anywhere, anytime

6. Integrated organisation

Calendar, email and contacts are all synced and updated across multiple devices: Laptop, desktop & mobile.

7. Yours for no upfront costs

Once upon a time, updating your Office version meant paying a small fortune and half a day downtime. Microsoft 365 changes that, with no upfront cost or installation delay.

8. Mailbox storage through the roof

Forget the days of ‘user mailbox is full’ – each user is given a whopping 50GB in a gorgeous, easy-to-use mailbox.

9. Built in malware and spam protection

Data security doesn’t stop at file storage: email is scanned for malware and spam, protecting your organisation from all manner of attacks before they happen.

10. Collaboration tools and virtual meeting

Cancel your 3rd party services and bring all your collaborations into the one platform.

11. Integrated Team planning

Schedule tasks, meetings and track allocations from a top-down level to know exactly how projects are progressing.

We can help with your Microsoft 365 migration and setup - Contact Us

What Can An MSP Do to Kickstart Your Business

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 07:48:11 GMT

What Can An MSP Do to Kickstart Your Business?

Business today relies on technology in a way which we have never seen before.  It makes up the core of almost every firm currently in existence.  Today going digital impacts small companies more than large ones; it can make new opportunities possible and accelerate your path to success. 

The advantages of modern technology to small business is likely to be present already within your firm, but so too are the disadvantages.  Faster transactions, quicker payment, accurate inventory, and improved customer outreach serve to boost our capabilities.  While complex set-up, systems management, and ever-present security threats hold us back from our full potential.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can eliminate the drawbacks, sharpen up your systems, and allow your business to grow to its full capacity in the modern business landscape.

What An MSP Does For You - There are a staggering number of systems a modern business is expected to keep tabs on today.  Accounting, inventory, and timekeeping; on top of customer-facing services such as maintaining a website, managing social media, and processing online orders.  It's simply impossible for every small business to keep up.

An MSP is an expert in the field, managing your IT services to give you the confidence your business is on the right track.  If the core of your business relied on maintaining a fleet of vehicles, you would hire a mechanic to keep each one in top condition. Building your firm on modern technology should employ a similar strategy.

For your company, an MSP exists to keep your systems in their best shape to generate maximum mileage for your business.

Tailored to Exactly What You Need - The key to unlocking near unlimited growth in your own company is to find out precisely what you need to operate to capacity.   An MSP can provide consulting services to your firm to find out how your business can improve.  Simple tweaks and minor changes are often all it takes to create a more streamlined, more productive, working environment. 

Almost always, the smallest changes in the right places make the most significant differences. Working with technology, rather than fighting against it, provides your firm with the competitive edge to put you in control.

Technology That Helps Without Getting in The Way - An MSP can both enhance and protect your business by providing backup and recovery services that will safeguard your data and services against any disaster.

The nature of IT failures means they can appear to happen at any time. Whether hit by a natural disaster, criminal break-in, or IT outage; a severe failure at the wrong time can cost customers, money, and reputation. A high quality, effective MSP works in the background to guarantee uptime, recover from adverse events, and increase security against threats.

Technology That Keeps You in Business - A huge number of businesses, both high-profile and small owner-operated firms, have suffered massive client losses as a result of missing deadlines, losing data, or exposing their customers to unnecessary threats.  Clients are often left with little choice but to choose a firm that takes their data and privacy seriously.

One of the most significant benefits to managed services is regular, predictable support costs.  Making regular and fixed payments to keep your IT in good shape protects against major and unexpected blow-outs in the monthly budget.

By monitoring systems, diagnosing issues, and maintaining technology, many of the problems that cause unexpected downtime and data loss can be avoided altogether.  Preventing problems before they happen saves you money, but more importantly maintains your business reputation too.

An MSP Working For You - Increasing your potential, reducing your costs, and protecting your reputation are all great reasons to incorporate a managed service provider into your business.  You can effectively add a whole new department to your business without adding unnecessary management overhead.

By eliminating IT distractions that take you away from your core business, you are free to pursue activities that make your company great.  Take up an MSP and return to doing what you enjoy most, the part of the firm you are great at, the reason you got into your business in the first place.

Let us do the IT we are great at, so you can build and run the business you have always wanted. 

Is Your Business’s IT Ready for the Coronavirus 2

site-9L9I3w — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:13:40 GMT

Government Advice - "Work from Home if you can!"

The Coronavirus is spreading again as fast as feared. Again Business must be ready for the worst. One priority? Protecting the health of employees.

Preparing the way for remote working is one top recommendation.

We have had already a dry run of this with the previous lockdown. We found business collaboration software such as Teams and Zoom helped. This tech helps business continue as usual, even with quarantined employees.

We’ve already seen big business take major measures but they are already mature in their IT to support and have the staff and budgets to cope.

Encouraging working from home. This appeals, but how did you find employees working remotely. Did it work for your business?

The Right Technology for Remote Work

Remote workers want a centralized platform with a simplified (yet secure) login process. Business collaboration software is a great enabler of mobile, flexible work. Replace in-person meetings with voice or video conferencing. Streamline chat, voice, and video in one software platform. Tools such as Microsoft Teams, Google’s G-suite, or Slack, allow business to create team channels.

Business collaboration tools also simplify access to email, calendars, documents, and file sharing. Employees can use a single sign-on to access business tools and data. This supports improved efficiency and increased transparency.

Providing a virtual desktop can provide access to important business applications, as well. Virtual desktops in the cloud allow users to work separately from their personal computers. The software virtualizes the user’s unique desktop environment at any workstation. All the data and applications are stored on a central server. Users access apps, folders, and toolbars from anywhere, with a consistent, secure experience.

Using a cloud-based solution also provides peace of mind. While remote workers access the corporate network, the sensitive data isn't stored locally. So, the business needn’t worry about the loss or theft of sensitive data. Plus, cloud-based virtual desktops are easy to rapidly install outside a quarantined area.

Worried about securing those remote connections?

Another option is a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN connects computers, smartphones, or tablets to a shared or public network as if connecting to a private network. These encrypted connections to the internet secure data and protect employees’ mobile activities.

Mobile Work Helps Every Day

You can hope that your employees stay healthy and your business remains unaffected, but why take that risk? Empowering remote work benefits business, even without the threat of a fatal flu.

Remote teams enjoy greater work-life balance. The workers spend less time commuting and are more productive. Empowered, they also feel trusted and more engaged.

Meanwhile, business can save money on physical space and hardware investments. Additionally, the hiring pool of qualified personnel expands with remote work, and the business can offer its services more globally and flexibly. All that’s true whether the coronavirus becomes an issue for your business or not.

Enabling a remote workforce takes technology. Need help installing and connecting your employees? We can help. Contact us today