Is your business ready for hurricane season?
In late August 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused widespread power outages and floods across Texas and certain parts of Louisiana. Weeks later, Hurricane Irma hit the coast, affecting Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina businesses. Now, experts are saying there are more storms to come, which is why you need a good disaster recovery (DR) plan that has you prepared for the worst. Pay attention to location First and foremost, your backup site should be in a hurricane-free zone. Ideally, your offsite facility should be located at least 100 miles away from your main location. If this isn’t possible, make sure it is built to withstand wind speeds of 160 mph (as fast as Category 5 storms), and is supported by backup generators and uninterruptible power supplies. You should also request an upper floor installation or, at the very least, keep critical IT equipment 18 inches off the ground to prevent water damage. Determine recovery hierarchy Certain parts of your IT are more mission-critical than others. Ask yourself which systems or data must be recovered in minutes, hours, or days to get your business back to running efficiently. For example, you may find that recovering sensitive customer information and e-commerce systems take priority over recovering your email server. Whatever the case may be, prioritizing your systems ensures that the right ones are recovered quickly after a disaster. Use image-based backups Unlike fragile tape backups, image-based backups take “snapshots” of your systems, creating a copy of the OS, software, and data stored in it. From here, you can easily boot the virtual image on any device, allowing you to back up and restore critical business systems in seconds. Take advantage of the cloud The cloud allows you to host applications and store data in high-availability, geo-redundant servers. This means your backups can be accessed via the internet, allowing authorized users to access critical files from any device. Expert technicians will also watch over and secure your backups, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of enterprise-level backup facilities and IT support. Back up your data frequently Back up your data often, especially during disaster season. If your latest backups were created on the 15th of September and the next storm, Hurricane Jose, makes landfall on the 28th, you could lose nearly two weeks of data. Get in the habit of replicating your files at the end of each day, which should be easy if you’ve opted for image-based backups. Test your DR plan After setting up your backups, check whether they are restoring your files accurately and on time. Your employees should be drilled on the recovery procedures and their responsibilities during and after disaster strikes. Your DR team should also be trained on how to failover to the backup site before the storm hits. Finally, providers, contractors, and customers need to be notified about how the hurricane will affect your operations. As cell towers and internet connections may be affected during this time, make sure your company forums are online and have your employees register with the Red Cross Safe and Well website so you can check their statuses. It’s nearly impossible to experience little-to-no disruptions during disasters like Harvey or Irma, but with the right support, you can minimize downtime. If you’re concerned about any natural disasters putting you out of business, call us today. We offer comprehensive business continuity services that every company must have. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Take a look at Outlook.com’s new features
Are you looking for a business email service provider? A convenient option would be Gmail, which lets you sync your emails easily with Google applications. But if discreet ads, a cleaner design, increased storage, and other productivity enhancements sound appealing to you, we recommend taking a look at the following new Outlook.com features. Easy elimination of unwanted emails Employees spend an excessive amount of time poring through both important and junk emails. In the redesigned Outlook.com, it takes only three clicks to block unwanted emails, helping you to organize your mailbox better and faster. Simply click on the Sweep function to configure inbox preferences like blocking incoming emails from specific senders or automatically deleting 10-day-old messages. In case you accidentally delete important messages, you can use the “undelete” function to retrieve them without the assistance of IT staff. New security features When you log in to your Outlook account on a public device or on your laptop using public WiFi, Microsoft will send you a one-time password via SMS. Once you’ve logged out of your account, further attempts by intruders to log in to your account in the same public place will be foiled by this additional safety procedure. Another security feature is the stealth email address features, which allows you to create a temporary email address. This is particularly useful in situations where you have to provide your email to sign up for a service, e.g., eCommerce or file sharing websites, and you’re not sure whether or not these sites are secure. Using your temporary email address, you can filter incoming emails from suspicious senders or delete them if you suspect that they’re spam. Social media contacts integration For users whose business connections extend to their social media contacts, this feature lets you easily sync and consolidate Outlook contacts with contacts from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus. Note that you can choose to sync just one platform, e.g., LinkedIn, to ensure that only professional contacts get synced to your Outlook account. Minimal advertising If you spend an inordinate amount of time in your email, a busy interface can be distracting. The new Outlook.com reduces the number of intrusive ads on your screen, unlike in Gmail where ads appear right on top of your most recent email. Although there are ads, they are not prominently placed within your mailbox, and you have some control over the ads that do get shown. Other enhancements Other minor but useful enhancements include a bigger reply window, HTML and CSS formatting functionality, folders and category labeling features, increased storage capacity via SkyDrive integration, an improved photo gallery viewer, and more. These are just some of the more useful enhancements on Outlook.com, and Microsoft is expected to add even more in the future. If you need more productivity-enhancing email features, or if you want to make the most of your existing email functions, call us today for tips and recommendations. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Facebook faces devious adware
When you receive an email from an unfamiliar source urging you to click on a link or download a file, it’s easy to send it straight to the bin due to its spam-like nature. It’s a completely different story when the message is sent via Facebook Messenger by one of your friends. Such is the case with the latest social engineering scheme, and here’s what you need to know to stay safe. What is it? Little is known about the adware itself or those behind it, but it was uncovered by David Jacoby, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, when he received a Facebook message from one of his friends, only to find out that wasn’t the case. Basically, the adware uses Facebook Messenger to track your browser activity and pushes you to click on malicious ads or give out personal information. How does it work? By clickjacking and hijacking credentials of Facebook users, the adware is able to send messages to people in the victim’s contact list. If you’re one of those people, you’ll receive a phony message from your friend’s compromised Facebook account. The message includes your friend’s name followed by the word “Video,” a shocked face emoji, and a shortened URL. Once clicked, the URL will redirect you to a Google Doc with a blurred photo taken from your friend’s Facebook page, disguised as a video. If you click on the “video”, you’ll be redirected to one of a number of targeted websites based on your browser, operating system, and location. For instance, if you use Google Chrome, you’ll be sent to a website that looks exactly like YouTube, complete with the official logo. The hoax website will show you a fake error message to trick you into downloading a malicious Chrome extension. If you’re on Firefox, you’ll be sent to a site with a false Flash Player update notice and a Windows adware executable; the same goes with OS X except the adware is hidden in a .dmg file. The goal here is to move your browser through a set of websites so tracking cookies can monitor your activity and display malicious ads or you can be “social engineered” to give up confidential information. How do you avoid falling victim? Facebook has rolled out a number of automated systems to stop harmful links and files. What’s more, they will provide you with a free antivirus scan if they suspect that your account has been compromised by adware. Still, you should be very skeptical about any shortened URL links sent to you by your Facebook friends, no matter how long you’ve been friends. Due to their low key nature as potential security endpoints, cyber criminals are turning to social media platforms as their new medium of choice. To keep your business safe, you need to stay up-to-date and educate your employees. If you have any other questions about social media and how it can impact your business, just give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
5 Simple ways to cut your printing costs
It may not seem as though your printing infrastructure is costing your business a great deal. But if left unmanaged, you could end up with an overinflated IT budget dominated by equipment maintenance and hardware and supplies purchases. Here are some ways to avoid that. Replace outdated printers Outdated and cheap printers may be functional, but they are putting a huge dent in your IT budget. Any piece of equipment that is seven years old (or older) requires frequent repairs and causes more trouble than it’s worth. Because old printers are no longer under warranty, fixing them is more costly and challenging. It’s also difficult to replace parts for old printers because manufacturers have stopped carrying them for models that have been phased out. When you replace outdated equipment with newer, multi-functional printers, you’re investing in hardware that will pay for itself with increases in productivity and efficiency. Avoid purchasing unnecessary supplies A poorly managed printer environment could result in a stockpile of cartridges, toners, and reams of paper. This happens when, for example, an employee uses a printer that’s about to run out of ink and makes an unnecessary request for a new ink or toner. This is more common than you may think, and definitely more expensive. In the absence of a dedicated printer manager, you can avoid this situation by automating supply replacement. Assign a point person to proactively place orders when supplies are about to run out, so your company can avoid needless purchases. Impose strict process workflows Submitting expense reports, filing reimbursements, and other administrative tasks require a proper document workflow. Without a guideline, employees and administrative staff tend to print an unnecessary amount of documents. Automate your company’s document-driven processes to reduce or prevent redundant print jobs that result in stacks of abandoned documents. Not only is it wasteful, it’s also a security and privacy concern. Go paperless Designing a document management solution that reduces paper consumption is the best way to save money. It may not be possible in every department, but those who can do their jobs without printing should be encouraged to do so by management. Printing lengthy email chains that can be discussed in a meeting is just one example of a wasteful practice that should be avoided. Reduce IT support calls for printing issues Calling your company’s IT guys to assist with problems like paper jams, printer Wi-Fi issues, and other concerns reduces employee frustration. You and your IT personnel could avoid dealing with these productivity killers by identifying the problem areas of your print environment. Then, you can work on solutions specific to your office, such as drafting a printing workflow, or getting help from document management experts who can recommend time- and budget-saving solutions. Having a group of experts manage your IT workflow can make your day-to-day operations more efficient and help you save on printing costs. Our experts will gladly recommend best practices and tips on document management. Call us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
OneNote: the hidden gem in Microsoft Office
Almost everyone loves PowerPoint, Excel and Word, but there’s another Office application that should be recognized as a must-have: OneNote. It’s an app for pulling together text, video, audio, and other visual resources to create shareable notebooks full of useful information. With this article, you can master OneNote in no time at all. OneNote is a digital notebook Despite the visual similarities, the thing that sets OneNote apart from Word is the way it stores and displays saved information. In OneNote, one window displays all your Notebooks, which can contain several pages and separate documents. To create a Notebook, click File and then New. From there, you’ll be given the option to create a new Notebook, which can be saved locally to OneDrive or to SharePoint. A Notebook will help you organize several types of information in one space, so let’s imagine we’ve named a SharePoint Notebook “New Product Ideas” and clicked Create New. Next, you’ll be looking at a blank screen with “New Product Ideas” in the upper left-hand corner. To get the most out of OneNote, we need to start organizing our Notebook. Separate your Notebook into Sections Every Notebook is organized into Sections, similar to what dividers do in a physical notebook. For example, our New Product Ideas Notebook might be divided into Sections based on things like design, price and materials. Sections are shown as color-coded tabs along the top of the screen, next to the name of your Notebook. You simply click the ‘+’ button to create a new section. Start filling your Sections with useful Pages Up until this point, OneNote seems like little more than a Word document with improved organization. But Pages in OneNote are built so that different types of media can be dropped into your pages with the click of a button. So let’s say you’ve bookmarked a number of websites with reference images you want to add to your Design Section. Open up Design and select Add New Page on the right-hand side of the screen. Right-click it and name the page, and in our example this could be Ideas from online. One way to insert the images from your bookmarked webpages is to save them to your computer and then drag each icon onto your OneNote Page where the image will automatically appear. However, with Microsoft’s OneNote Web Clipper this can be done much more easily. After installing the browser extension, open it and select what you want to save from the web page with your cursor. The Web Clipper will ask which OneNote Page you want to save the selection to and it will automatically be added. Start experimenting! Now that you understand how to organize your information, you can experiment with linking Pages from different notebooks, adding category tags to Pages, and inserting online videos into your notes. If you’re worried about a Notebook becoming overly complicated, don’t worry. Above the Pages pane is a search bar that you can use to find keywords from Notebook titles, Section titles and Pages content. You could spend an entire year learning the ins and outs of every Microsoft Office application, but a faster way would be to let us help you cut through the clutter with practical recommendations and assistance. Call us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
New Locky ransomware: what you need to know
In 2016, the Locky ransomware infected millions of users with a Microsoft Word file. It was eventually contained, and cyber security firms have since created protections to detect and block previous Locky variants. However, a similar malware is currently spreading worldwide and has so far infected tens of thousands of computers. Quick facts According to a threat intelligence report, the email-based ransomware attacks started on August 9 and were detected through 62,000 phishing emails in 133 countries in just three days. It also revealed that 11,625 IP addresses were used to carry out the attacks, with the IP range owners consisting mostly of internet service providers and telecom companies. How it works The malicious email contains an attachment named “E 2017-08-09 (580).vbs” and just one line of text. Like the original Locky authors, attackers responsible for the new variant deploy social engineering tactics to scam recipients into opening the attached .doc, zip, pdf, .jpg or tiff file, which installs the ransomware into their systems. When an unsuspecting user downloads the file, the macros run a file that provides the encryption Trojan with an entry point into the system. The Trojan then encrypts the infected computer’s files. Once encryption is completed, the user receives instructions to download the Tor browser so they can access the “dark web” for details on how to pay the ransom. To retrieve their encrypted files, users will be asked to pay from 0.5-1 Bitcoin. What you need to do This ransomware variant builds on the strengths of previous Trojans. In fact, the original Locky strain made it easy for cyber criminals to develop a formidable ransomware that could evade existing cyber security solutions. This is why adopting a “deny all” security stance, whereby all files are considered unsafe until proven otherwise, is the best way to avoid infection. Here are other tips to avoid infection: Don’t open unsolicited attachments in suspicious emails. Alert your IT staff, and most importantly disallow macros in Microsoft Office unless they’ve been verified by your IT team. Performing regular backups guarantees you never have to pay cyber criminals a ransom. If all other security measures fail, you can always rely on your backups, which protect your business not just from cyber crime-related disasters, but also from natural and other unforeseen system failures. Train your staff to identify online scams like phishing. This and other similar ransomware strains take advantage of users’ lack of cyber security training. Update your operating systems as soon as updates become available to reduce, or eliminate, the chances of your system’s vulnerabilities being exploited. Even with a trained staff and the latest protections installed, your IT infrastructure may still have unidentified security holes. Cyber security experts can better evaluate your entire infrastructure and recommend the necessary patches for your business’s specific threats. To secure your systems, get in touch with our experts now. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
How Amazon AppStream 2.0 can help businesses
Today’s workforce is no longer confined to office walls. People work from home, while they’re commuting to and from work, and even on vacation. This is made possible thanks to remote access solutions, and Amazon’s powerful web features. Here’s what you need to know about this powerful application streaming service. What is it? Initially released in 2013, Amazon AppStream was created as a platform for remote access to digital resources to help businesses streamline the costly process of managing apps on-premises. Simply put, it streams desktop apps to users across various devices via a browser. Today, Amazon AppStream 2.0 has been updated with major improvements thanks to user feedback. Now, you can stream desktop applications from Amazon Web Services to any device running a web browser compatible with HTML 5. What can you do with Amazon AppStream 2.0? You can run desktop applications on any device, including Windows, Linux, Macs, and Chromebooks. Amazon AppStream 2.0 features multiple streaming options, including the General Purpose, Compute Optimized, and Memory Optimized. Everything is fully managed by Amazon and all your applications and data will be kept on Amazon Web Services. This means you can expect robust security like network firewalls, web application firewalls, secure streaming gateway, encryption in transit across all services, and the ability to isolate your applications for secure delivery. You’ll always have access to the latest version of your applications and minimize the risk of compromising confidential data if your device gets lost or stolen, as data is stored on Amazon’s cloud infrastructure. What other benefits are there? Apart from mobile access to documents and applications, you’ll appreciate the simple user interface that allows you to upload files to a session, access and edit them, and download them when you’re done. What’s more, Amazon AppStream 2.0 uses NICE DCV for high-performance streaming. This ensures secure and fast access to applications since NICE DCV automatically adjusts to network conditions. Amazon AppStream 2.0 also supports delivery of high performance graphics applications from Amazon Web Services. This allows you to stream powerful graphics applications to a web browser on any desktop. Last but not least, this remote access solution lets you scale up or down as needed and pay only for the streaming instances you use, and a small monthly fee per authorized user. There’s no upfront capital or premises infrastructure maintenance costs. If your business mainly consists of a remote workforce or is planning to adopt remote work policies, Amazon AppStream 2.0 is one solid option. For other tips on how small- and- medium-sized businesses can leverage technology to improve efficiency and lower costs, give us a call and we’ll be happy to advise. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Surf the net with Microsoft Edge
People prefer one web browser over another for all kinds of reasons, including ease of use, applications, security and of course, performance. If you’ve recently downloaded Windows 10, there’s a new browser on the block: Microsoft Edge. Here are some nifty features you may find useful. Import favorites You can easily import the list of websites you’ve marked as favorites from any web browser to Microsoft Edge. You can do this by going to the More actions tab (located right next to the address bar), then Settings, and clicking on the Favorites settings tab. From there, choose the pages you want to add to your favorites list and click Import. Change font size in reading view Even with your reading glasses on, a website’s font can be too small to read. Microsoft Edge allows you to adjust the reading view by going to Other actions and selecting the Settings tab. From there, scroll down and click on the Reading section that will allow you to adjust the font size and even brightness to your liking. Make notes on the website Ever wished you could write on, circle, or highlight specific parts of a website and share them with your friends? Microsoft Edge lets you do just that with its new note feature. Select Make a web note and use tools such as the ballpoint pen or highlighter, or add a typed note on the page you’re browsing. When you’re done, click Save or Share to complete the process. Reading list This feature allows you to save articles, e-books, or any other content you wish to peruse later. By signing in with a Microsoft account, your reading list will appear on all your Windows 10 devices. Select Add to favorites or reading list, and then Reading list > Add. You can also add a link to your reading list by right-clicking on any link without having to visit the page. Ask Cortana Microsoft Edge users can easily access Cortana, Windows’ voice-activated personal assistant since it is built into the web browser. Cortana can make dinner reservations, offer additional discounts on certain shopping websites, and download applications that you may find useful. Simply highlight a word, phrase, or image, press and right-click it, and then select Ask Cortana to get more information or find related images. View and delete browser history As you browse the web, Microsoft Edge remembers and stores the information you’ve entered into forms, passwords, and sites you’ve visited. Most of it will be stored on your PC; but if you use Cortana, some of the data will be stored in the cloud which will be used to better assist you. If you need to delete cache history, you can do so by following either of these two methods: View your browsing history at Hub > History, then select Clear all history. If you want to retain certain data, you can choose what to remove, then select Clear. Since Cortana’s browsing history is stored in the cloud, select Change what Microsoft Edge knows about me in the cloud, then select Clear browsing history. Switching from one web browser to another isn’t always as smooth as it is made out to be. In order for users to make the most out of their time online, they require a period of adjustment. If you still have questions about making Microsoft Edge your default browser, get in touch with our experts today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
What to do with your dinosaur PC?
When smartphones first outsold PCs in 2010, people no longer have to put up with slow and bulky computers to do business. This comes as no surprise why many stashed their aged PCs away. But there are ways to breathe new life into your ancient laptop and computer, so if you haven’t trashed them, it’s time to plug them in. You might have to do some light upgrades like install more RAM and a bigger hard drive, depending on how old your PC is, but it’ll be worth it. Once you’ve done that, explore these options: Try a lighter OS While you might be tempted to install a new Windows or macOS on your old computer, they won’t work optimally without a fast processor. However, Linux-based operating systems, which come in a variety of options called “distros”, will make your computer feel brand new without exhausting its hardware. Popular distros options like Ubuntu, elementary OS, and PinguyOS, can be easily installed, have similar interfaces as Windows, and come with a ton of software packages. The best part is they only require a minimum of 4GB of RAM, which means you won’t have to invest much at all. Make a NAS server Network-attached storage (NAS) is a server for your home or small business network that allows you to store files that need to be shared with all the PCs on the network. If your old PC has at least 8GB of RAM, you can use it to make your own NAS instead of purchasing one. Simply download FreeNAS, a software accessible from any OS (Windows, MacOS, Linux) that enables you to make a shared backup of your computers. FreeNAS features access permissions and also lets you stream media to mobile OSes, like iOS and Android. However, if you prefer turning your PC into a private cloud for remote access and data backup, Tonido is a great alternative. Compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux, it turns your PC into a storage website so you can access files from anywhere on any device. Tonido offers up to 2GB of file syncing across computers. There’s even Tonido apps for iOS and Android for mobile access. Secure your online privacy Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your old computer into a dedicated privacy PC so you won’t have to worry about compromising privacy while browsing the web? With The Amnesic Incognito Live System (TAILS), you can. This Linux-based software routes all your internet traffic and requests through TOR Project, a software that makes it extremely difficult for someone to track you online. All of TAILS’ integrated applications like web browser, Office suite, IM client, and email software, are pre-configured for robust security and privacy protection. Take your media up a notch If you’re looking for a way to listen to your music, podcasts, or watch videos on other PCs, or mobile devices, a server software like Kodi can help. What it does is bring all your digital media together into one user-friendly package so you can use your old PC as an audio and video hosting platform. From there, you can play files on other devices via the internet. There are remote control apps for iOS or Android users and even an app for Kodi playback on the Amazon Fire TV. Kodi works on any device running Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and even rooted Android and jailbroken iOS devices. We’re always on the lookout for ways to help our clients make the most out of their technology investments. If you’d like to know more about how to utilize other hardware to your business’s advantage, give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Office 365 gets a slew of new upgrades
There’s a good reason why businesses like Office 365: It’s a feature-rich productivity suite that gets plenty of upgrades throughout the year. Last month, Microsoft announced four new upgrades that will make the cloud platform even more irresistible for small- and medium-sized businesses. Microsoft Connections Email marketing campaigns are a great way to build relationships with contacts and increase sales, but they’re often difficult to manage. With Microsoft Connections, you can easily launch a campaign in minutes using pre-designed templates for newsletters, referrals, and promotions. As you acquire more contacts, Connections allows you to segment your mailing list so you can target different customers. For instance, you can send product promotions to clients who have stayed with your business for more than six months. After firing off your emails, performance charts track important metrics like open rates, clickthrough rates, new sign-ups, and canceled subscriptions that can be used to improve future campaigns. Microsoft Listings Microsoft Listings helps you seamlessly manage your online presence. Whenever you update your business profile, Listings automatically publishes those changes across your Facebook, Google, Bing, and Yelp accounts, allowing you to keep important information like business hours up to date. What’s more, Listings includes a web dashboard where you can monitor page-views, reviews, and likes, helping you assess your company’s online reputation. Microsoft Invoicing Another useful addition is Microsoft Invoicing, a tool that helps you generate price estimates and invoices. When combined with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, you can program workflows that automatically redirect invoices, pending payments, and estimates to the right accountant. This application works for credit, debit, and PayPal transactions. Office 365 Business Center The Office 365 Business Center brings Connections, Listings, and Invoicing all under one roof. This means information listed on one application is automatically registered onto another, saving you from inputting data multiple times. The main hub also features a unified dashboard where you can track an email campaign’s performance, Facebook impressions, and any outstanding invoices, giving you full visibility into your accounting and marketing processes. According to Microsoft, these powerful features will be generally available for Office 365 Business Premium subscribers in the coming months. But if you want to get early access, consider joining the Office 365 Insider program. Office 365 will likely have even more surprises for SMBs this year, so make sure to keep in touch with us to get the latest rundown on feature releases and Microsoft news. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.