WordPress website maintenance: 6 Most essential tasks
Maintaining your WordPress website is not as hard as it seems — just follow this simple maintenance checklist we’ve prepared for you. We’ve outlined six essential tasks that you should perform regularly to keep your WordPress site running smoothly. Create complete backups of your website One of the most important things you can do to protect your website is to back it up periodically. This will allow you to restore your site if something goes wrong, such as a hacker attack or server crash. There are several ways to create backups, including using plugins or manually copying your files and database. But while plugins like BackUpWordPress and hosting servers like SiteGround automate the backup process, performing manual backups may still be necessary to cover all your bases. Verify your backups Just because you have backups doesn’t mean they’re doing their job. You should test your backups regularly to make sure they are working properly. This can be done by restoring a backup to a test site or simply downloading the files and checking them to make sure they are complete. The last thing you need is for your backups to fail on the day you need them most. Perform daily security scans One of the best ways to stay ahead of potential security threats is to monitor your website closely for any signs of compromise. A good way to do this is to perform daily security scans, which will help you track any changes or suspicious activity. There are a number of different tools and services that can help you with this, and one of the most popular ones is Sucuri. Not only does this plugin carry out inspections, but it also sends an SMS to notify you of any suspicious activity and emails you a daily status report of your website’s security. Scan for malware Cyberthreats are growing in both number and sophistication. With every passing day, new strains of malware are developed and released onto business networks and systems. Unless you are a bonafide hacker yourself, detecting malware might be a little tricky. WordPress plugins like Wordfence keep your website safe using the latest firewall rules and flagging the latest malware signatures and malicious IP addresses. Conduct page speed audits Slow and steady may be qualities valued by some, but not when it comes to your website. Plugins like Google Pagespeed Insights test how fast your site loads. If it takes more than five seconds, you should consider implementing caching and other measures to speed up your site. Slow sites put off visitors, and that further lowers those sites’ search rankings. Review your site’s structure and content Just as you should periodically review your website’s security, you should also take a look at its overall structure and content. Are the pages well organized and easy to navigate? Is the content relevant and up to date? If not, you may want to consider making some changes. Forbes, National Geographic, and The New York Times are all powered by WordPress, which means you are in good company. By sticking to the checklist, you too can harness the power of this online, open-source website creation tool. Or, instead of signing up for half a dozen services that need daily check-ins, why not have us take care of all of it for you? If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
5 Ways your business can benefit from dashboards
Data dashboards have become increasingly popular for businesses. These data visualization tools give you an overview of how your business is performing, and they cater to a wide variety of users, from marketing staff to project managers. Let’s take a look at how dashboards can support your business activities. Marketing insights Your organization’s marketing department analyzes a significant amount of data from various channels. Whether their purpose is to forecast monthly sales, predict trends, or build marketing strategies, marketing specialists use dashboards to compare, sort, and analyze raw data to produce meaningful information presented in an easy-to-understand manner. This helps key decision makers in your organization to formulate better marketing campaigns. Tracking sales opportunities Sales dashboards are ideal for tracking your organization’s products and services. They help you identify sales opportunities by monitoring top-selling products and comparing the growth in revenue on a regular basis. Sales dashboards sync to your raw data, so your charts are always up to date. This eliminates the need to manually enter and prepare sales reports and charts. Social media management Social media management is more than just posting statuses on your business’s social media accounts. And in most cases, your social media platform’s default dashboard doesn’t give you deep insights into your social media campaigns. What’s more, managing multiple social media accounts can quickly become tedious since you have to use several login credentials. Instead, you can manage all of your accounts through a comprehensive social media dashboard, saving you valuable time and effort. Financial reports Presenting financial data is a complex process that often leads to misinterpretation of critical information. Dashboards simplify the creation of financial reports, and financial analysts can take advantage of dashboards to display sensitive data — be it customer invoices, progress toward revenue goals, or business expenses — in an understandable graphical format. Project collaboration All businesses require their employees to collaborate on projects, whether on site or online. Project supervisors need to get their teams together to give them project requirements, deadlines, and responsibilities, and to get progress updates. By using project collaboration dashboards, team members will see a project’s complete workflow, allowing for a more efficient and collaborative working environment. Dashboards streamline the presentation of complex business data and make your team more efficient. If you’re looking to implement dashboards and other cutting-edge tools to make your job easier, contact our consultants today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Windows 11 settings you should turn off
Do you feel like your online activity is being spied on? That’s because it probably is — but not by cybercriminals as you might think. It’s more likely that it’s your operating system that’s tracking your information. Learn more about Windows 11’s not-so-private settings and how to fix them to ensure your privacy. Turn off personalized advertising Windows 11 features targeted ads as suggestions, recommendations, and tips on your device’s user interface. The operating system personalizes the ads a user sees based on computer activity and browser history. While personalized ads may direct users to helpful content, they can also be a hindrance to their productivity. To remove these distracting ads, here’s what you should do: Click Start > Settings > Privacy & security. Go to Diagnostics and feedback. Find the Tailored experiences menu, and toggle it off. Then, go back to Privacy & security and select General. From there, turn off the “Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID” option. You can also remove ads in Windows 11 notifications by doing the following: Go to Start > Settings > System. Select Notifications. Scroll to the bottom of the page and disable the “Get tips and suggestions when it uses Windows” and “Offer suggestions on how I can set up my device options”. Disable Cortana Cortana is a personal assistant that allows users to set reminders, schedule events, and send emails, among other tasks. Every time you use Cortana, it collects information about your computer activity — “learning” it, so to speak — to improve user experience. But if you find this feature intrusive, you can disable Cortana completely with these steps: Go to Settings > Apps > Apps and Features. Find Cortana and open Advanced options by clicking on the three-dot icon. Turn off the Run at log-in option. Change Microsoft’s Edge settings The Microsoft Edge web browser is chock full of features, such as web experience personalization and typing prediction. Such features may make you uncomfortable since they all send back data to Microsoft. Here’s how to turn them off: Open Edge and click on the menu icon (three dots) in the upper-right corner. Next, click on Settings > Privacy and services. Scroll down and switch on the “Send ‘Do Not Track’ requests” option. There’s also a bunch of Privacy and Services settings that you may want to disable, such as tracking services, navigation error resolution, blocking potentially unwanted apps, and more. For more tips on how to safeguard your security and privacy, drop us a line today. Our experts will be more than happy to help! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Understanding fileless malware
Though fileless malware has been around much longer, it only became a mainstream method of cyberattack in 2017. With fileless malware, cybercriminals are able to use legitimate tools and services, such as existing software, applications, and authorized protocols, to carry out malicious activities like unauthorized data retrieval or data damage. Left unchecked, these types of malware can adversely affect your business processes and the infrastructures that run them. What is fileless malware? Fileless malware is malicious software that doesn’t rely on executable files to infect your infrastructure. Rather, it hides in your computer’s random access memory and uses trusted, legitimate processes, such as Microsoft Office macros, PowerShell, and Windows Management Instrumentation. Fileless malware isn’t as visible as traditional malware. It uses a variety of techniques to stay persistent and can adversely affect the integrity of a business’s processes and the infrastructures that run them. Because there are no files to trace, fileless malware escapes detection by most anti-malware programs, especially those that use the databases of known threats. Most automated sensors cannot recognize illicit scripts, and cybersecurity analysts who are trained to identify them usually have a hard time determining where to look. What potential damage can fileless malware do? If it is not detected and removed, fileless malware can do a lot of damage to business systems, such as: Steal or destroy data Modify files without authorization Act as a backdoor for other types of malware Cause system crashes and instability Disrupt normal operations by taking up CPU time or memory Examples of high-profile fileless malware attacks include the Democratic National Committee hacking in 2016 and the Equifax data breach in 2017. How big of a threat is fileless malware? Cybersecurity provider WatchGuard Technologies’s Internet Security Report for Q4 2020 found that fileless malware attacks during the year jumped by 888% from 2019. Worse still, their Q2 2021 report revealed that just halfway through 2021, the number of fileless malware detections originating from scripting engines like PowerShell was already at 80% of 2020’s total script-initiated attack volume. How can you defend against fileless malware? Your business should practice defense in depth in which you implement multiple safeguards to reduce exposure and mitigate damage. Such safeguards include keeping your systems updated, limiting user access rights and privileges, cultivating a security-aware workforce, and utilizing advanced security solutions that analyze behavioral trends. Lastly, you should also partner with a managed IT services provider that offers 24/7 network monitoring, security audit, and penetration testing. Call us today to get started. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Laptops vs. desktops: Which should your small business use?
When purchasing computers for your small business, one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make is whether to get desktops or laptops. The choice ultimately depends on five factors, which we’ve outlined for you below. Portability The COVID-19 pandemic has driven most businesses to adopt remote work and hybrid work setups. If you’re thinking of implementing a remote or hybrid work arrangement, investing in laptops is the smart move, as your employees can easily take their laptops with them and work anywhere, anytime. That said, you must not discount desktops altogether. While laptops are light and portable, modern desktop computers aren’t nearly as immobile as they used to be. In many cases, today’s desktop monitors are thin and light, and all-in-one desktops are easy to move around. Memory and speed In the past, desktop computers had more memory than laptops, and they were faster because they had bigger processors. This has now changed, thanks to improvements in laptop technology. But until high-powered business-grade laptops become more affordable, desktop computers are going to provide your business with more memory, speed, and power for your money. How much speed and memory you need depends on the work you do. If your employees’ work mostly entails word processing and emailing, laptops should be enough. But if they need to run gaming software or edit heavy media files, it would be better to invest in desktops. Security A desktop computer is more physically secure because it’s often kept in one location, making it easier to guard. And because a desktop’s internet access is often a single source (whether through Wi-Fi or cable), it’s easier to defend it against malware and cyberattacks. If you choose to invest in laptops, make sure to put in place strict security policies for devices used by remote workers. Don’t let your staff connect to unsecured networks, and deploy encryption tools to protect data from unauthorized access. You must also employ mobile device management software to enable your IT administrator to wipe laptops of data should they get lost or stolen. Price Laptops, especially the smaller notebook-style ones, are a lot cheaper than desktops. However, desktop computers are also becoming more affordable through local channels and flexible payment terms. A capable IT services provider can offer cheaper desktop options so you can get powerful machines without going over budget. Quality Although laptop computers provide the convenience of portability, they’re prone to battery and charging cord problems. They are also easily damaged, especially if they are dropped or mishandled. By contrast, desktops are generally sturdier. But when they do experience a problem, repairing them can be expensive. The desktop versus laptop debate is an old one, with supporters on both sides touting the advantages of their choice. A growing company usually needs a combination of both types of computers, especially as their needs evolve. If you need help choosing the best computers for your business, or if you have any business IT-related question, give us a call today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Keep callers on the line by using these VoIP features
Callers generally don’t like being put on hold for very long periods. But sometimes, your staff will have to put them on hold to verify their identity, find answers to their queries, or refer the call to a supervisor. One way to make sure callers do not feel abandoned while on hold is to use certain Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) features. VoIP phone systems can help make waiting on the line bearable or even downright enjoyable by sharing fun anecdotes and info, playing on-brand music, and conveying engaging messages. Messages Customers who are put on hold are captive audiences for your marketing messages. VoIP systems let you record a variety of messages for different numbers according to the purpose of the caller. For example, if the caller wants to get in touch with the sales department, the on-hold message could inform them of current special offers, promotions, or sales. “Hold message” scripts that utilize your company’s TV, radio, or online ads might elicit an “I think I’ve heard this somewhere before” response. Conversely, you could put a totally new spin on the usual tone and style of your marketing messages and really get creative with humorous advertisements that make your customers chuckle. A little bit of levity never hurt anybody. For the service department, you can use messages that assure the customer that an agent is taking care of their concerns. Using a service-appropriate message makes callers feel like they’re getting personalized care. Information Providing customers with new information and intriguing anecdotes will keep them from thinking that they aren’t being served when you’re actually doing your best to address their concerns at the other end of the line. You can also initiate a trivia or a guessing game where providing a correct answer once the call resumes wins them a prize. Music Callers who hear music while on hold tend to stay on the line compared to those who experience silence. While traditional phone systems also have a music on hold feature, VoIP services enhance this feature and offer more options. Instead of being limited to legacy tools’ music loops, VoIP systems let you easily upload your audio of choice. Just a couple of tips: use music that suits your brand and take your clientele’s demographics into account. Upbeat music may work for a sporting goods brand, but not for an investment bank. With VoIP systems, you can customize the frequency and duration of a track and configure whether the music restarts or continues where it left off when a caller is placed back on hold. You can also set the order of different tracks or randomize them for callers. The rich functionality of VoIP systems allows you to turn the on-hold experience into a positive customer service experience. Make sure to take full advantage of this window of opportunity. Get in touch with us today and we’ll help you increase the odds that your clients will happily stay on the line and continue to do business with you. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Microsoft 365 Apps admin center: Features you need to know
Migrating workflows to the cloud, securing all company devices and software, and ensuring 24/7 data access are gargantuan IT admin tasks, especially as companies adopt flexible working arrangements post-COVID-19. Fortunately for Microsoft 365 Apps users, the admin center offers features that empower IT personnel to be more efficient and effective in handling these crucial responsibilities. Office cloud policy service This feature enables administrators to enforce policy settings for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise on users’ devices. Even on devices that are not domain-joined, these settings are automatically implemented via roaming the moment their users sign in to Microsoft 365 Apps admin for enterprise. This feature gives administrators better control over how data is handled in users’ devices, providing major benefits to data security. Microsoft 365 Apps health Microsoft 365 Apps health enables IT admins to examine how well Microsoft 365 apps are running during and in between deployments. The feature also calculates an organization’s overall app health using three criteria: app reliability, app performance, and supported versions. Furthermore, Microsoft 365 Apps health shows performance and reliability trends, such as Office app session crash rates, which allows admins to quickly identify issues and take appropriate actions. Inventory This feature gives administrators valuable insights into the status of all the Office apps and services installed in devices throughout the organization. Admins can also see more detailed information on specific installations. These include information on the hardware and the device’s operating system, as well as the particular apps that are currently installed. The inventory feature can also show admins the last user to sign in and which devices are running old versions of Office apps. In these ways, the inventory feature helps them ensure that devices are running optimally at all times. Security update status This feature shows administrators which devices in their network have already installed the latest security updates, providing them with information that can help them keep the organization’s environment secure. This reduces the risk of data breaches and other cyberthreats made possible by unpatched security vulnerabilities. Servicing profile This feature further reduces the possible danger caused by unpatched systems. This allows administrators to assign servicing profiles to a set of devices. All machines with an assigned profile automatically receive monthly updates starting on the second Tuesday of each month. To prevent the updates from bogging down the devices’ performance, these are delivered in successive batches. Admins have the ability to set deadlines and select which updates will be installed throughout the process. With these features, administrators can better manage Microsoft 365 apps, and users can count on better experiences and fewer instances of downtime. If you want to learn how technology can make your business more efficient, don’t hesitate to call us. Our IT experts are always ready and glad to help. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
The advantages of a hybrid cloud setup
Each of the original types of cloud infrastructure — public and private — comes with their own sets of pros and cons. Fortunately for resource-strapped small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), they don’t need to conduct trial and error to see which one is best for them — they can simply reach a happy medium with the hybrid cloud. Hybrid clouds are a combination of private and public clouds. In private clouds, data and applications that require tighter controls are hosted either internally or privately on an off-site facility. Meanwhile, public clouds are managed externally by third-party providers with the express purpose of streamlining a company’s IT infrastructure. Benefits of a hybrid cloud setup Here are three significant advantages of hybrid cloud environments. Adaptability Having the ability to choose between internally or privately hosted cloud servers and public ones lets you pair the right IT solution with the right job. For example, you can use the private cloud to store sensitive files while utilizing more robust computing resources from the public cloud to run resource-intensive applications. Cost efficiency and scalability Does your business struggle to meet seasonal demands? With a hybrid cloud solution, you’ll be able to easily handle spikes in demand by migrating workloads from insufficient on-premises servers to scalable, pay-as-you-go cloud servers whenever needed, without incurring extra hardware and maintenance costs. So if there are last-minute computing demands that your hardware can’t support, or if you’re planning for future expansion, you can easily scale capacity up or down with a hybrid cloud solution. Security Last but not least are the security advantages of a hybrid cloud solution. You can host sensitive data such as eCommerce data or an HR platform within the private cloud, where it will be protected by your security systems and kept under close watch. Meanwhile, routine forms and documents can be stored in the public cloud and protected by a trusted third party. How to set up a hybrid cloud The following are the different ways to set up a hybrid cloud model based on your SMB’s requirements and the providers available to you: Employ one specialized cloud provider who offers comprehensive hybrid solutions. Integrate the services of a private cloud provider with those of another public cloud provider. Host a private cloud yourself and then incorporate a public cloud service into your infrastructure. Our experts can help you transition to a hybrid cloud solution without interruption and huge costs. Contact us today to learn more about the business benefits of a hybrid cloud. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Business intelligence tools: Why every SMB should use them
Business data is valuable. When utilized properly, it can enable small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) like yours to discover growth opportunities. One way to harness the power of data is to use business intelligence (BI) tools. Multinational companies have been using these tools for years with the assistance of experts who help make sense of massive amounts of data. But now that there’s a growing range of BI tools available for all types of organizations, there’s no excuse for you not to leverage your SMB’s data. Whether you have always wanted to try BI or are on the fence about it, you can’t deny that it brings a suite of benefits that can help your SMB grow. Here are some of the top reasons why BI is changing the way SMBs do business. Self-service BI tools are plentiful — and inexpensive The emergence of self-service BI puts useful business analytics within reach of SMB owners who lack the big budgets of larger corporations. In fact, there are numerous self-service BI tools that you can use to get started without even spending a dime. Microsoft Power BI is a powerful and user-friendly application, and most businesses will find the functions they need in the free version. Zoho Analytics has a low entry-level cost, too, and the slightly pricier yet still affordable Tableau is another option worth exploring. You already have the data you need It’s easy to underestimate the amount of data your SMB already has at its disposal. In every area of your business, from finance and sales to customer relations and website management, the software packages you use to run your everyday operations reap tons of information that just sit in storage devices or the cloud. By talking to the key people in your organization, you can get an idea of the kind of data you already have, how it’s generated, and where it’s stored. You can then utilize BI tools to transform that information into meaningful business insights that will inform your decision-making. There’s no need to invest in time-consuming data generation from scratch! It’s easy to get started BI is an intimidating term, especially for business owners who are not technologically inclined. But by taking small steps, it’s easy for anyone to get started. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying the benefits of having data-driven, intelligence-based insights that will enable you to make better business decisions. Most self-service BI tools come with built-in suggestions for reports that businesses commonly run and find useful. Some worthwhile statistics to explore include the percentage of your clients who cancel within a given period, website landing pages that generate the longest visits, and your most profitable individual products or services. You can also use BI to know the days or months in which you generate your highest revenues, as well as which of your clients bring in the most revenue and profit. Harnessing data is the future of the business world — it’s how companies like yours can make smarter decisions that increase efficiency and profitability. And with a trove of self-service tools available in the market, SMBs no longer need a humongous budget to reap the benefits of BI. To find out more about implementing tools that can help you do smarter business, just give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
5 Reasons you should hold off upgrading to Windows 11
Windows 11 is the new kid on the block. It looks sleek and modern, and many users are tempted to upgrade to the latest Microsoft operating system (OS). But should you make the switch? Here are five reasons why you may want to stick with Windows 10 for now. 1. Your computer doesn’t meet Windows 11 minimum system requirements One of the main reasons that can keep you from upgrading to Windows 11 is that your computer might not be able to run it. Windows 11’s system requirements are quite high: your computer needs 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or system on a chip (SoC). It also needs at least 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 64 GB of available storage. Although these standards aren’t extraordinary, a considerable number of users have outdated hardware that doesn’t meet Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 11. If you are one of them, you may need to purchase a new PC to get the latest OS. 2. Windows 11 has a lot of bugs Windows 11 is still fresh out of the oven, and it’s far from being bug-free. Users have reported compatibility issues, missing notifications, and some built-in applications not opening or working as expected. The OS is still missing some features available in Windows 10, and issues are constantly being discovered and fixed, but these are to be expected of any newly released OS. So if you want to stick with a stable and reliable OS, it’s better to wait until Windows 11 is more mature. 3. You can’t access Android apps directly from Windows 11 (yet) The Your Phone app currently lets Android phone users access mobile apps directly from their Windows 10 PC. This is an especially useful feature for remote and hybrid employees, as the ability to access phone apps on a larger desktop or laptop display and use a mouse, pen, or touchscreen helps with multitasking. If you are one of the people who rely on this feature, you’ll have to wait for the next Windows 11 update to get this functionality. 4. Windows 11 is very similar to Windows 10 Windows 11 wasn’t intended to be a new version of the OS. It was meant to be a substantial update to Windows 10, initially called the Sun Valley Update. That’s why save for a few features, many apps and functions look and work the same in Windows 11 as they do in Windows 10. So unless you’re looking for something radically different from what you have now, it may not be worth upgrading. 5. Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until 2025 If you are comfortable with your current setup and don’t have any urgent need to upgrade, you might as well stick with Windows 10. Microsoft has stated that it will continue to support the OS until October 14, 2025. This means that Windows 10 won’t become obsolete in the near future, so you can still enjoy bug fixes, security updates, and new features for this OS version for a few more years. These are just some of the reasons why you may want to stick with Windows 10. If you decide that upgrading to Windows 11 is right for you, go ahead! But if not, there’s no need to worry — Windows 10 will still be here for a while. Either way, our experts can help you make the most out of your Windows setup. Give us a call today to learn more. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.