First look: macOS Catalina’s exciting features
macOS Catalina is the 16th major release of Apple’s operating system for Mac and Macbook. Set for rollout in late September 2019, it offers a raft of useful new features and improvements that will give users a better experience. Here’s a quick look at some of them. Music, Podcast, and Apple TV apps At the 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple announced the end of iTunes. In lieu of the soon-to-be-defunct music service and software program, three new apps for music, TV, and podcasts will be introduced in macOS Catalina. With an interface similar to iTunes’, Apple Music gives you access to your existing music library (even songs from CDs you burned) so you can easily import or stream your music. You can even look up the lyrics of the song you’re listening to in the Now Playing section. Meanwhile, the Apple TV app works as your all-in-one hub for movies and TV shows: it lets you stream and download content from streaming services and subscription channels like HBO and Showtime. You can also use the app to rent or buy new movies or TV shows. Apple Podcasts brings you hundreds of thousands of free podcasts, including those you’re subscribed to or have added to iTunes. Get episode updates on your Mac to keep up with your favorite podcasters, and look up episodes by guest, host, or topic with the app’s improved search function. Sidecar Turn your iPad into a second monitor for your Mac and extend your workspace with Sidecar. Just connect your devices via cable or wirelessly, and you can mirror your Mac’s desktop so your iPad shows the same apps and content as your Mac. And if your apps support Touch Bar, Sidecar enables touch input even if your Mac doesn’t have a Touch Bar. You can also use your iPad as a drawing tablet for your Mac if you have an Apple Pencil stylus. Project Catalyst Project Catalyst will soon make iPad and iPhone apps available on Macs and Macbooks. Catalyst makes it possible for app developers to port their iOS apps over to macOS, bringing an array of new tools and programs to your Mac. The development tool is still a work in progress, though, so there are only a few universal iOS and macOS apps right now. These include Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts but you can expect to see a few more roll out with Catalina later this year. Find My Find My app combines Find My Friends and Find My iPhone into one seamless program. Aside from all the tools found in the individual apps, Find My offers new ones that work over Bluetooth, as well as Wi-Fi and cellular data, to find your or other people’s devices even when they’re offline. And because Find My uses a system that encrypts the location of lost or stolen devices, you’ll be the only one who can see it. This makes finding your Macbook, iPhone, or iPad more secure, not to mention easier. Voice Control Manage every aspect of your Mac with Voice Control. This accessibility feature built on the Siri speech recognition engine lets you dictate notes and messages and edit these as you go along. What’s more, Voice Control is smart enough to differentiate between dictations and commands. So if you say, “Buy milk. Click send,” only “Buy milk” will be typed out and sent as a message. There are many more features and capabilities in the latest macOS, all of them designed to improve the way users work and play. If you want to learn more about how Catalina will enhance your productivity, drop us a line today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Considerations for server replacement
If you’re thinking about replacing a server for your small business, then that probably means your company is experiencing success and is starting to grow. That’s great news. But is it really time to invest in a new one? Or does waiting too long risk slowing your business down? Either way, it’s important to consider your decision carefully. As a business owner, you should take the time to answer the following questions before deciding on your aging server. When do my servers need to be replaced? This is a difficult question, but there are two factors you will want to consider — age and performance. The useful life of a server is around three years. While it’s not unheard of for servers to function properly beyond year three, relying on them beyond this point can be risky as hardware problems occur more often. This means you will have to deal with costly repairs and possible unpredictable downtime. Performance is another factor to consider. Even if your servers are only a year old, it doesn’t make sense to keep them around until year three if they are slow and too costly to maintain. It’s important to do a cost-benefit analysis in these situations and look at how much money you will lose in repairs and downtime and then compare it to the cost of buying new hardware. Do I have an alternative to buying new servers? Believe it or not, the answer to your server problems might not necessarily be purchasing more physical hardware. One way to avoid this is by embracing virtualization. This process allows your servers to be stored and maintained off-site with everything being delivered to your office via the internet. There are two notable benefits of virtualizing your servers. First, you don’t have to spend a ton of money on new equipment. Second, virtualization is a scalable technology, meaning you only pay for the data capacity you use. For instance, if you only need two and a half servers, you can do that. This is in contrast to having physical equipment which would require your business to either make do with two servers or splurge and buy the third one even if you didn’t need all of that space. Of course there are a few things you need to consider before making the switch to server virtualization. One of the biggest issues is security. Ask yourself if you feel comfortable keeping all of your data off-site. While this isn’t a concern for some companies, others may not see this as palatable. There are several workarounds to this issue, including the hybrid option where you keep sensitive data on-site and everything else off-site. Can I do anything to prevent a full-scale server replacement? Yes. It’s certainly possible for you to buy some time and give your current servers additional life, but these are short-term fixes, not long-term solutions. Server upgrades are a good place to start if your servers are less than three years old but are degrading in performance. Installingadditional CPUs or memory may increase server performance at a fraction of the cost of buying new servers. You can also utilize old servers for non-critical workloads. It’s possible to extend the life of servers that may have four or five years of wear-and-tear on them via repurposing. Instead of swapping out all of your servers, use the old ones for non-critical processes and purchase new ones to handle critical workloads. This will help you get a better ROI on your technology while avoiding a wholesale hardware purchase which could cripple your budget. If you have any questions about your servers and how you can increase their performance, get in touch with us today. We can help you procure new hardware or show you the benefits of virtualization. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Selecting the right VoIP system for your business
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are taking over communications in the digital age, making your office landline a thing of the past. More companies are starting to deploy VoIP because it is popular and cost-effective. What factors do you have to consider before getting your own VoIP system? Here are some tips you can use. Flexibility or ease-of-use? Choosing between a hosted or managed VoIP setup depends on the type of service your company is willing to pay for. Would you prefer flexibility or accessibility? Managed VoIP means that your company is in charge of managing and maintaining the on-site system. While initial costs are generally greater due to hardware and maintenance fees, when it comes to managing your own telecommunications network, a managed VoIP system provides your business with more versatility and control. On the other hand, with hosted VoIP systems, you leave the cost of new hardware and the maintenance of the telecommunications network entirely to a third party. This also frees your company from the burden of having to monitor and update your own telecommunications technologies. For many small businesses, a hosted VoIP option is the more attractive choice, as you only pay for the services you use from your hosted service provider, and these initial fees tend to be lower than the alternative. Do you want to be more technically involved? Deciding between a managed and a hosted VoIP system depends on how much you are willing to be involved in the management and maintenance of your VoIP setup. Generally, many companies with limited IT knowledge tend to take the hosted VoIP option while those who have more resources to customize their own telecommunications networks are more willing to go with a managed on-site VoIP setup. Have you considered mobile VoIP systems? With VoIP systems, telephony is no longer bound to a specific phone network. Modern employees now have a multitude of communication tools to choose from, all while accessing them anytime and anywhere. Choosing VoIP systems that offer mobile integration can allow your workers to join video conference calls and answer direct calls even when they are not in the office. Does your business intend to expand? When choosing the right VoIP system, you have to make sure that the service provider can complement your company’s plans for growth. With so many mobile devices being developed, selecting a VoIP service that is compatible with the latest technologies can keep you ahead of the game. Cloud-based solutions can help ease your expansion plans because these services will constantly update your telecommunications network for you. This means you never have to worry about your technology falling behind in functionality. Check your internet connection Regardless of which VoIP provider you choose, it is important to note that a strong and stable internet connection is necessary to support your communications network. Before purchasing from a specific VoIP provider, you should find out if your company requires a dedicated broadband or leased lines. While leased lines offer improved voice quality, opting for dedicated broadband services offer higher internet speeds. How much does it cost? How much you are willing to pay for a VoIP system? First, check how much the hardware and installation of the service costs. Then look at how much a provider charges for managing, updating, and maintaining your telecommunications system. Finally, make sure that a VoIP provider’s services meet your company’s communication needs. If the VoIP provider is offering a bundle of services that your company might not even require, then it might be in your best interest to choose a different provider. While picking and deploying a VoIP system can seem like daunting tasks, there’s no denying that any good business needs VoIP to function. If you are planning to install a new VoIP system, consider some or all of these factors to ensure you’ve made the right decision. And of course, if you’re looking for a provider, our experts are happy to help you in any way possible. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Better ways to use Office 365
With Office 365, your business can gain a lot, but you won’t benefit from it if you don’t know how to use this service. Do you want your employees to be more productive? You can’t go wrong if you follow these simple steps to boost your business. Get the staff aboard To maximize your company’s productivity with Office 365, make sure that every employee with a computer uses it. While this may be easier said than done, you can easily promote the service by encouraging the officers of your company to use it first. When your executives, managers, and top employees use Office 365, others will be persuaded to do the same. Train employees If your employees don’t know how to use Office 365, they won’t be productive, and the cloud service becomes a wasted investment. This is why training is vital. Teach your staff the ins and outs of the platform so they can take full advantage of it. One way to train your staff is to make or assemble short training videos. These are easy to digest and will be remembered by employees. They can be viewed over and over again and used anytime. This saves management the trouble of training people. Utilize core tools When you first used Office 365, what did you like about it? You were probably sold on the idea that it increases staff productivity since it allows employees to work and collaborate anywhere. If you’re not utilizing this service for that purpose, now is the perfect time to do so. Some of the tools that increase productivity are OneDrive for Business (OD4B), SharePoint, and Skype for Business. OD4B and SharePoint allow employees to upload and save documents to a virtual drive, share that document with another group or user, and edit it at the same time. This gives everyone the ability to access that document and work wherever they want. Because it is a flexible communication channel, Skype for Business also enhances productivity since employees, colleagues, and customers can communicate easily. From online meetings to conference calls, video calls to instant messaging, you have a wealth of options for instant communication. Be more secure Not only can a security breach cost you money, it can also destroy your business. While Office 365 already has built-in security with Azure Active Directory, it’s always wise to be cautious of the files you add and share on the service. If you upload files with sensitive company information to the platform, make sure you control them. These four productivity tips can help your business grow. If you’d like to learn more, or need additional training on Office 365, give us a call. We are happy to help you! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Are you maximizing your social media potential?
Social media as a component of marketing is continuously growing its own significant heartbeat in the industry — so much so that many businesses nowadays make exclusive use of it for their advertising and promotional needs. Having great content on your site is the magnet that attracts visitors. However, when there is too much competition on the most popular platforms, it can be difficult to drive results based on social media reputation alone. To reap rewards from social media marketing, you need to devise new methods and augment your strategy with social media tools to stand out from the crowd. Meetup Meetup is a great site to plan face-to-face meetings with people with similar interests. Does your company sell hiking, camping, and backpacking products? Organize a meetup for the people in your community to go on a hike. You really can’t get a better customer interaction than engaging with them through the activities they love. Eventbrite Eventbrite is a formal events planning platform that helps you organize, plan, and market your event, along with an added bonus: recruitment potential. You can easily market yourself as an expert in an industry to either attract freelancers or educate potential customers about the problems you aim to solve for them. Answer Forums Popular answer forums such as Yahoo! Answers, Quora, and even certain Reddit sub-channels such as /r/askmeanything or /r/whatisthisthing let netizens crowdsource information about certain industries or products. Many companies use these to promote their brand by answering questions, most especially those that are within their expertise. This helps establish credibility and organic connection with prospective clients. Disqus Disqus is a great way to facilitate dialogue while protecting privacy and upholding etiquette and other standards. You can embed Disqus onto your online content such as videos or blog articles so that people can voice out their concerns or opinions but in a way that helps prevent flaming (the act of deliberately insulting or provoking other people online). Disqus lets moderators monitor and regulate responses closely so that the conversation remains civil and productive. Slack Most people who use the messaging app Slack see it as a way to communicate with friends and coworkers. However, with a little creativity, you can join conversations from all over the world to boost your online presence. There are countless channels devoted to industries, categories, hobbies and more. All you have to do is insert yourself and your company into the conversation to get people talking about your business! It’s hard to deny that technology has made our lives more complicated. It can feel a little overwhelming at times. Thankfully, the answer is simple: partner with a managed technology provider. For a never-ending source of information on reputation and social media management, get in touch with us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Hacks to boost the speed of your WordPress site
We’ve all experienced the frustration that comes with a slow-loading website. While 10 years ago, we would have waited patiently as a site loaded with all the urgency of a sloth, today’s internet surfers won’t hesitate to close the tab. Most expect at least a three-second load time, while some won’t settle for wait times over two. So how can you create a faster WordPress website that millennial users won’t close? Here are some ideas to get you started.0 Keep WordPress and plugins up to date While you may already know that updating WordPress and plugins will keep your website secure, you may not know that doing this also increases your site’s speed. So if you want a fast site, install those updates as soon as they become available. Choose a host wisely Your host can make or break your website, so before you select your host, do some research on the various options out there, particularly on their website speed and uptime. Also, while your first impulse may be to choose shared hosting because of its low cost, be aware that it’s also going to be your slowest option in terms of speed because many websites are simultaneously relying on the same server for bandwidth. If it’s not an option for small- or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to use a dedicated server because of cost restrictions, their best alternative in the middle price and performance range is a virtual private server (VPS). This acts like a dedicated server in terms of functionality, but still technically uses a shared server. Regardless, using a VPS will give you a boost in speed over typical shared hosting. Keep your site lean The leaner your site is, the faster its speed will be. To create a lean site, be mindful of these four aspects: Theme – While the promise of a versatile theme can spark the imagination, actually implementing one can set you back in terms of speed. When a theme has a ton of features, the amount of code to produce those features can bog down your site. To avoid this scenario, test the theme demos to see how long it takes for them to load. If it’s more than a few seconds, look for a lighter theme that loads faster. Design – Similar to theme, design elements have the ability to dramatically slow down the speed of your site. Simple sites are faster, so think carefully about what ads, images, and extras you’re going to use. Plugins – Not all plugins are created equal; some run fast and others slow. To tell one from the other, you can use special plugins that show the impact a plugin has on your site’s load time. Another rule to follow is that fewer plugins equals more speed. So think twice before your next plugin installation spree. Images – Bulky images can also slow down your site. And while many raw images are around 3,000 to 4,000 pixels wide, most featured images are only 600–800 pixels wide. To reduce image weight and gain a faster site, resize them to the exact size they’ll appear on your screen. Mind your plugins You should stick to only the essential plugins to speed up your site. Cache plugins like W3 Total Cache and WP Super Cache can provide more speed by caching every aspect of your site and reducing its download times. Another helpful plugin is Lazy Load. It speeds up your site by loading the elements at the top of the website first, where viewers are looking when they first visit your site. Before installing the Lazy Load plugin, check your Theme Options to see if you already have it. Create redirects sparingly If a page on your site needs to be redirected to another page, it can really slow down your site so it’s best to use them as little as possible. And to ensure you aren’t using any unnecessary links without knowing it, use the Redirect mapper tool or similar alternatives that help you find redirects you don’t need. If you implement some or all of the speed tips above, you’re sure to see a noticeable difference in the speed of your site. Do you need more tips to optimize your website? Do you need help with web or IT matters? We’re just a phone call away. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Comparing the top business dashboards
A dashboard is a single display that provides all the information you need to make important business decisions and manage your company. While dashboards are generally helpful, you need to choose the one that works best for your company’s objectives and goals. Here are three types of business dashboards to consider. Strategic dashboards Ideal for senior managers and executives, strategic dashboards are designed to help identify potential opportunities for business expansion and improvement. This type of dashboard gives a bird’s-eye view of your business and track performance metrics against enterprise-wide strategic goals. They summarize performance over set time frames: past month, quarter, or year. They can contain anything from overall sales numbers to sales and revenue comparisons to inventory levels, making it easy for executives to understand the overall health of the organization and monitor the long-term company strategy. Operational dashboards Business owners use operational dashboards to monitor and measure in real time the effectiveness and efficiency of their employees’ progress in relation to their targets. Since these dashboards focus on tracking operational processes, they are often more detailed than strategic dashboards and are usually viewed by junior levels of management multiple times throughout the day. They are also commonly found in departments that need to respond to critical information quickly, such as marketing and operations. They help departments stay proactive and ahead of problems. For example, marketing teams can use this type of dashboard to monitor their campaign’s metrics such as cost per acquisition, total number of clicks, total acquisitions gained, and the total amount spent. Any significant changes would immediately alert the team. The operations team of manufacturing firms, on the other hand, may use this to track products manufactured, number of defects, complaints, and returns. They are then alerted right away when performance falls below targets. Analytical dashboards When it comes to creating and implementing strong business strategies, understanding the trends and events in your data is crucial. Analytical dashboards use volumes of data collected over time so you could compare current against historic data, enjoy in-depth analysis, identify patterns and opportunities, and determine why processes are working in certain departments. These dashboards present complex data, utilizing complex models and what-if statements, so they are commonly just used by staff with advanced training such as business analysts. How do I know which dashboard to choose? To help you choose which dashboard best suits your needs, you can ask yourself the following questions: #1. What business problems are we trying to solve? Strategic dashboards – Top-line organizational KPIs Operational dashboards – Data awareness and time-sensitive data Analytical dashboards – Trends or deeper insights #2. Who will be using the dashboards? Strategic dashboards – Executives, directors Operational dashboards – Business managers Analytical dashboards – Business analysts, data analysts #3. What are our goals? Strategic dashboards – Strategic goals, such as achieving KPI targets Operational dashboards – Employee awareness and tracking against goals Analytical dashboards – Analytic goals, such as visibility into key processes Dashboards concentrate all data, metrics, and parameters in one place, bringing a totally new dimension to business intelligence. Your company can significantly benefit from the right dashboard. If you’re looking to implement dashboards for the first time or to enhance the functionality of your current dashboard, get in touch with us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
What you need to know about hosted Exchange
A server can host most business programs, and many businesses rely on at least one server — most commonly Microsoft Exchange — to host their email platform. Some companies, however, don’t have enough room for a server. Hosted Exchange solves this dilemma. What is Microsoft Exchange? Microsoft Exchange is a messaging system that offers businesses a number of services, including email, calendar, task management, address lists, and more. By integrating Exchange into your business, you can access all of these servers from any location, on almost every device. Many companies that purchase Exchange install it on servers that are usually on premises. This setup can be a bit expensive, especially for small businesses. Moreover, the server needed to host it can take up space that a business may not have. This is why many companies prefer to operate on cloud-based systems. What is hosted Exchange? To meet the demands of businesses of all sizes, many IT companies like Microsoft started to offer hosted Exchange. In this setup, your IT provider makes space available on one of their servers. They then install Microsoft Exchange in a space accessible only to your company, over an internet connection. They are in charge of ensuring the data stored within is secure and accessible to you at all times. Many hosted Exchange providers will also offer extra features like improved security, full-time management, and data backup. In other words, hosted Exchange is the cloud-based version of Microsoft Exchange managed by the host company. You and your employees will still be able to access it as if it were hosted in your office. Benefits of hosted Exchange Companies looking to integrate hosted Exchange into their business can enjoy the following benefits: 1. Predictable and lower costs Like many other hosted services, the majority of hosted Exchange services are offered on a monthly, per-user basis, inclusive of maintenance and hosting. This makes costs predictable as you’ll be paying a fixed fee. Hosted Exchange also lowers overall costs. If a business were to calculate the cost of purchasing a new server, Microsoft Exchange, and the infrastructure required to use it, plus maintenance fees, the total and per-user cost will likely add up quickly. For many small businesses, paying a monthly fee will be far less expensive than hosting a Microsoft Exchange solution in-house. What’s more, you save money on maintenance overhead and future expenses. 2. Easier implementation Implementing Microsoft Exchange in your office would require you to find space for the server, install the server and Microsoft Exchange. Once installed, you’ll have to manage Exchange and add new accounts and users. In case the service goes offline, you’ll have to fix it yourself. With a hosted Exchange solution, your IT partner will take care of hosting, management, and installation, so you can focus on running your business. 3. Flexible solutions Growing businesses may find it tough to scale up or down on an in-house Microsoft Exchange solution because it’s limited by the capacity of the server. With hosted Exchange, you can just contact your provider, who can ensure that space and resources are available. The hosted Exchange provider can also help scale your solutions in case you move offices. Looking to learn more about hosted Exchange and how your business can benefit from it? Chat with us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Keeping your email safe
If you think your email is safe from hackers, think again. A lack of sufficient email security measures can result in data theft, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and malware attacks. Here are some tips to secure your email account from unwanted intruders and the many troubles that come with them. Use separate email accounts Most people use a single email account for all their personal needs. As a result, information from websites, newsletters, shopping deals, and messages from work get sent to this one inbox. But what happens when someone breaks into it? There’s a good chance they would be able to gain access to everything else. Having at least two separate email accounts will not only boost your security, but will also increase your productivity. You can have a personal account to communicate with your friends and family, while another is used solely for work-related communications. Set strong passwords Too many email accounts have predictable passwords. You might be surprised to learn that email passwords like “123456,” “qwerty,” and “password” are still the most common around. For the sake of security, set longer passwords (or passphrases) that contain a good mix of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Make sure these passwords are unique to that account to keep all your other password-protected accounts safe. You should also consider enabling multifactor authentication (MFA). This creates an extra layer of security by requesting for another method to verify your identity like a fingerprint scan or a temporary activation code sent to your mobile phone. Beware of email scams When you see a link in an email, don’t click on it unless you’ve assessed its authenticity. You never know where those links might lead you. Sometimes they can be safe, but other times they can infect your computer with malware. If you’re expecting a file from your friend or family, then go ahead and open the attachment. It’s always good to know the person sending the file. But be wary of attachments in emails from strangers. Even if the file name looks like a JPEG image, you should never open it. Attached files may seem harmless, but they may actually be a malicious program ready to latch itself onto your computer the moment you click on it. These types of attacks are known as phishing and they can be remarkably clever. For example, cybercriminals may masquerade as high-profile companies like Amazon, Facebook, or the Bank of America to catch their victims off guard. They might even create a sense of urgency by claiming that there’s an issue with your account, and that you should send them information or click on a dangerous link to “confirm” your personal details. Even if there was a genuine issue with your account, these companies would never ask something so suspicious over email. If you get these messages, contact the company directly through a verified website or phone number — not the contact details on the email. Monitor account activity Periodically watch over your account activity. Make sure to limit access privileges to apps if you want to ensure maximum privacy and security. Also, check for any suspicious activities in your logs like unusual devices and IP addresses that have accessed your account. This indicates that hackers may have successfully broken into your account. If this is the case, sign out of all web sessions and change your password as soon as possible. Encrypt emails and update your software Email encryption ensures that any message you send won’t be intercepted and viewed by unauthorized users. Meanwhile, installing the latest updates for your anti-malware, firewalls, and email security software filters potential email scams and fixes any vulnerabilities hackers can exploit. Protecting your email accounts from various threats can be a daunting process, but with the right support, it should be effortless. Talk to us today for all your cybersecurity needs. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Protect your Android device from viruses
Your smartphone and/or tablet are essential to your day-to-day tasks. Should they get infected by viruses, would you know what steps to take? If you’re using an Android device, you’re in luck. This guide can help you remove viruses on your Android phone or tablet. The lowdown on Android viruses A virus infection on Android devices is actually incredibly rare. Seeing pop-up ads prompting you to buy a virus removal app doesn’t automatically mean your device is infected. In fact, buying one of these apps could get your device infected by a virus! That’s because all Android viruses are contracted via apps you install on the device. To avoid getting infected, install only apps from the Google Play app store. If you must buy one from third-party stores, do some research first. If you suspect that your device has been infected, here’s what you can do: Use antivirus apps from Google Play or Google Play Protect – A lot of these are free and will detect and remove malicious apps, but some have a tendency to report apps as infected when they’re actually completely fine. Perform a factory reset – If a virus has infected your phone, this is a surefire way to remove it. However, in doing so you return your phone to its original factory settings. That means you’ll lose all data that you haven’t backed up. If your device has been infected, here are ways to remove the virus. Turn safe mode on. To do this, access the power-off options by pressing the power button, then press and hold Power Off. This gives you the option to restart in safe mode. However, this doesn’t work with all Android phones or tablets. If it doesn’t work with your device, a quick Google search will pull up model-specific instructions. Turning on safe mode prevents any malware from running. Search for the infected app. Do this by opening Settings and then Apps. Check the Download tab (since the virus can only be something you’ve downloaded), and then start searching for the suspected app. If you don’t know the virus’s name, it’s likely something that looks suspicious. Uninstall the app. Yes, it’s really that simple. Just click on the suspected app and uninstall it. Then you’re done. But if the name of the app is grayed out and can’t be tapped, it means the virus has given itself Device Administration Status. In this case, follow the next three steps below. Remove Administrator status: Do this by tapping on Settings and Security, then Device Administrators. Simply uncheck the infected app and hit Deactivate on the next screen. Uninstall the app. When you return to the Apps menu, the infected app will no longer be grayed out. Simply uninstall it. Restart your device. This takes it out of safe mode. Now your phone will be protected from viruses. Want more ideas for Android and IT security? Don’t hesitate to give us a call today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.