Try these hidden Android Oreo features
If you’re a long-time Android user, chances are you already know that your device (or devices) are chock full of features just waiting to be discovered. If you’re unsure where to start, you’re in luck. We’re here to discuss Android Oreo’s useful hidden features that help you work more efficiently. Notifications More applications mean more notifications to manage. Fortunately, there are a handful of ways you can adjust your notifications other than simply turning them on or off. Snooze Notifications – Getting notifications from all your apps is distracting and reduces productivity. You can prevent them from appearing in the Notifications shade for a specified amount of time by swiping an alert in a left-to-right motion, whereby options to snooze it — for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and so on — will appear. Notification Dots – Important notifications within the Notification shade can get lost amid non-essential ones. There is a hidden feature that lets you view notifications and actions from only high-priority apps, such as a productivity platform or a messaging tool. Just press and hold an app icon and the notifications for that app will appear. Notification Channels – This feature gives you even greater control over managing your device’s notifications by letting you categorize them according to the level of priority, update status, and more. Simply swipe a notification alert from left to right, then tap ‘All Categories’ under the gear icon to adjust notification categories. Wi-Fi Settings Automatically turn on Wi-Fi – Every time you’re near a ‘high-quality saved network,’ your Wi-Fi will turn on automatically and connect to that network, saving you a few taps. To activate this setting, toggle ‘Turn on Wi-Fi Automatically’ under your device’s Wi-Fi settings, and make sure the device is not in battery saver mode and that its location service is on. Wi-Fi Assistant and Google VPN – Oreo’s enhanced Wi-Fi Assistant lets users automatically connect to open Wi-Fi networks with a secured VPN connection from Google. This means you can connect to that coffeeshop wifi without worrying about how unsecure it is. Battery Inactive apps that run in the background are a big drain on your battery. Fortunately, a battery-optimizing feature in Android Oreo solves this problem. But first, you’ll have to determine which apps consume the most battery while running in the background. Go to Settings > Battery > “App usage since full charge,” and turn off Background Activity for apps that have high “While in background” times. Data Autofill and Storage The Autofill function analyzes your personal data, saved passwords, and other information based on the content on your screen and your general usage. What’s more, it can be used even for non-Google apps. You can activate it under Settings > System > Languages & input > Advanced > Autofill service. When your device is running low on storage, Oreo’s improved Smart Storage feature frees up space by automatically deleting photos and videos that have already been backed up in Google Drive. Many businesses rely on mobile devices not just for company communications but also for productivity, and these are just some of the tips that help maximize your devices’ usefulness. Get in touch with us today for more money-saving and efficiency-enhancing tips and tricks. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Cloud-hosted vs. On-premises VoIP
Business communication has come a long way since traditional landline calling. Today, it’s all about internet-based phone systems, aka, VoIP. But before investing in VoIP phones, you need to determine how you plan to deploy them — in the cloud or on-premises. Let’s dig into the differences between the two options. Installation and maintenance On-premises VoIP phone systems are installed at your company’s office, typically managed and maintained by your own personnel. While you can hire a third party to manage the phone system for you, what you can’t avoid is the hardware cost of setting up your VoIP phones. Cloud-based VoIP, on the other hand, means all the software and hardware are hosted and maintained by a VoIP provider. Other than the physical phones, everything else is provided virtually, which means you won’t be bothered with expensive hardware costs nor will you need an in-house staff to manage the system. But since all support requests must be addressed by your VoIP provider, service responsiveness and flexibility are crucial as they can directly impact your daily operations. Security You might think having on-premises VoIP is the obvious choice when it comes to security, and in one specific case that’s very true. If you have vast IT resources, deploying VoIP on-premises gives you better security control since you will know your system’s capabilities as well as every nooks and crannies. But for small- to medium-sized businesses, cloud-hosted VoIP remains a favorable option because every aspect of security is taken care of by a provider whose reputation rests on maintaining the most stringent security measures. They are well-versed in identifying vulnerabilities, reducing the area of attacks, and protecting all entry points. Control On-premises solutions give you better control of your VoIP phones since you can design systems suited to your needs without relying on a third-party. This makes it a popular choice for larger enterprises with dedicated IT technicians needed to customize and manage the system. With cloud-hosted VoIP, you relinquish certain control to your service provider, which is the price you pay for the convenience of professional deployment and maintenance. This, however, doesn’t give your provider the right to monitor your calls or conduct any activity that breaches your business’s confidentiality. Scalability With on-premises VoIP systems, you rely on your in-house personnel to add or remove features to accommodate your changing needs. There are various backend processes involved and every expansion often increases the complexity you have to manage yourself. With a cloud-hosted solution, you’ll have an entire team of technicians at your beck and call so features can be added or removed as needed. If you’re anticipating future changes, cloud-hosted VoIP will be more effective in the long run. Whether you’re looking to host your VoIP phone systems on-premises or in the cloud, we can help make the process quick and painless. Just give us a call and we’ll be happy to advise. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Who are the ShadowBrokers?
The WannaCry ransomware strain was created by amateurs who copied and pasted security vulnerabilities from a famous hacker group. It’s no longer a threat if you have updated your computer, but as evidenced by a recent announcement, the hacker group will continue to release dangerous security exploits for anyone to use. Who are the ShadowBrokers? There are several theories about who the members of this hacker group are — from National Security Agency (NSA) employees to Russian operatives — but all these theories are based on unreliable information. All we know for sure is that the ShadowBrokers are using social media to sell a seemingly endless trove of cybersecurity secrets. What are they selling? The ShadowBrokers’ first auction was in August of 2016, promising in broken English that the highest bidder would receive security vulnerabilities on par with government cyber weapons. Over the year that followed, the ShadowBrokers used auctions, crowdfunding, and direct sales to release vulnerabilities that all seemed to come from the NSA. In April of 2017, the fifth release went public and was characterized by one security expert as “the most damaging thing I’ve seen in the last several years.” It included the ETERNALBLUE Windows vulnerability that allowed WannaCry to infect over 300,000 computers in a single day. The September 2017 release In a recent announcement, the ShadowBrokers announced a subscription service that will include access to bi-monthly security exploit releases. The first package included an NSA exploit named UNITEDRAKE, which allows hackers to remotely monitor or control a computer running any of the following versions of Microsoft’s operating system: Windows XP Windows Vista Windows Server 2003/2008/2012 Windows 7 (if no updates have been installed) Windows 8 The UNITEDRAKE exploit can secretly record audio from your microphone, video from your webcam and anything that is typed while you are logged in. It can also remove itself from the target computer leaving no signs of a breach. How to protect yourself from ShadowBrokers releases To date, all the known NSA security exploits and ShadowBrokers releases have targeted older and outdated versions of software. The best thing you can do to protect your computers is keep your operating systems and software applications patched with the most recent vendor updates. Advanced network monitoring can detect suspicious activity, but that requires a significant amount of time and IT expertise. Small- and medium-sized businesses usually don’t have the resources to handle 24×7 network supervision, but our team can help. If you need help securing your business and its information from cyber threats, give us a call today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
MS redesigns Office 365 web app launcher
Microsoft is improving the way Office 365 users access their apps and files and collaborate with colleagues. With Office 365’s redesigned web app launcher, users get quicker access to the tools they use the most and useful snapshots of their recent activities. Learn how it can make you work more efficiently. Key changes to the Office 365 main page The newly added “Recommended” section displays activities — comments, edits, and @ mentions — on recently opened files. This gives users an overview of changes to recent documents. Underneath the “Recommended” section is the “Recent” document column, which shows the most recent activities, while “Places” displays the SharePoint sites you frequently visit and the OneDrive folders you’ve recently accessed. Being able to see the edits, shares, and comments on your documents makes collaboration more transparent among users within an organization, and these new upgrades make that possible. What’s more, you can now search among online documents, web apps, SharePoint sites, and contacts within Office.com without having to open individual apps. For example, when searching for a document whose file name you don’t know, you can type in the name of the author and the results will show you the author’s profile and other relevant files and activities. Web app launcher enhancements One of the biggest improvements to Office.com, however, is how apps are displayed in the app launcher. The main window of the new web app launcher has been redesigned to highlight the most frequently used apps. It will still show all the apps within your Office 365 subscription, but you can pin your most used apps or display all items in the main bar, which makes opening and switching between apps a lot easier. You can also return to the main page with a single click of the Office 365 button from the App Launcher — no need to minimize or close each app. Office 365 Gallery Users aren’t always aware of every application included in their subscription, which is what the Office 365 Gallery is for. Its main function is to provide users with personalized suggestions of applications — and their descriptions — which may be useful to their active tasks. These suggestions include links to mobile and desktop-based versions of the applications they recommend, and resources for learning more about them. To access the Gallery, click “Explore your applications” from the Office.com main page. Each of the changes in the new and improved Office 365 are aimed at simplifying and personalizing business users’ experiences, and we recommend exploring the tools available to you. Call us to know more about Office 365’s productivity-enhancing applications and features. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
What you can learn from Equifax’s leak
When it comes to security, it’s better to be safe than sorry. But as the Equifax leak case has taught us, once a security breach does happen, it’s best not to be sorry twice. Read on so your business doesn’t experience the same fate as the giant, bumbling credit bureau. What happened to Equifax? Equifax, the huge American credit agency announced in September 2017 that its database was hacked, resulting in a leak of tons of consumers’ private data, including personally identifiable information of around 143 million US citizens. It included names, social security numbers, addresses, birthdates, and credit card and driver’s license numbers. Equifax responded by setting up a new site, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, to help its customers determine whether they had been affected and to provide more information about the incident. Soon after, Equifax’s official Twitter account tweeted a link that directed customers to www.securityequifax2017.com, which is actually a fake site. Fortunately for Equifax’s customers, the fake phishing site was set up by a software engineer who wanted to use it for educational purposes and to expose flaws in Equifax’s incident response practice. So, no further harm was done to the already-damaged customers, and Equifax is left with even more embarrassment. So what did Equifax do wrong? One of the huge mistakes Equifax made in responding to its data breach was setting up a new website to give updated information to its consumers outside of its main domain, equifax.com. Why? You first need to know that since the invention of phishing scams, phishers have been creating fake versions of big companies’ websites. That’s why so many major corporations buy domains that are the common misspellings of their real domains. You should also know that phishers can’t create a web page on the company’s main domain, so if Equifax’s new site was hosted there, it’d be easy for customers to tell whether the new page was legitimate and not be fooled by a fake domain name. What’s obvious from this embarrassing misstep is that Equifax had never planned for a data leak. And this is an unforgivable oversight by a company that handles the information of over 800 million consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide. Don’t repeat Equifax’s mistake Whether your business is a small startup or as big as Equifax, it needs to prepare for a data breach. Besides having a comprehensive network defense plan, you also need to have the right incident response plan in place. So what you should do after you’ve discovered the leak is, first of all, be upfront with your customers and notify them as soon as possible. You also need to establish a message that includes the following information: How the leak occurred How the leak could affect your customers How you will prevent future attacks What your company will do to support affected customers You should also create a web page to keep your customers up to date. But remember, the new web page should be under your company’s primary domain name. As we’ve seen from Equifax, an incident response plan that’s robust is a must. Feel free to talk to our experts about how you can come up with an acute one — so you won’t have to repeat Equifax’s apologetic statement, since it doesn’t help the company redeemged reputation at all. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Need business management software? Try ERP
Whether you run a startup or a well-established corporation, there are always ways to improve how the business is managed. For some, introducing new corporate policies can streamline business processes, but if you want to see significant improvement, consider enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. What is ERP? Simply put, ERP software integrates various aspects of your business — from accounting and human resources to production and sales — into one system where you can easily manage tasks and process data. The key feature of any ERP system is a central database that gives users a complete summary of financials, sales figures, and other important metrics. In practice, this means employees in different departments can rely on the same information without your having to reenter that information into a different database. But simplicity is only one of many benefits. Enhanced reporting With business information consolidated in one location, you can generate comprehensive reports and analytics at any time. One of the most popular uses for this feature is financial reporting. General ledgers, revenue recognition, and tax reporting functionality are built into most ERP software solutions, allowing you to balance the books in seconds. In addition to this, ERP systems come equipped with business intelligence features that provide intuitive analysis into your operations and forecast the growth of your company. This helps you and other executives find fresh business opportunities and make better-informed decisions. Better customer service Access to up-to-date business information also makes it easy to provide high-quality customer service. Suppose a customer inquired whether or not an item was still in stock. Rather than wasting five minutes asking your supply manager, who then checks his or her own records, representatives can access the ERP database to provide the customer with information in half the time. Simplified compliance Until recently, most organizations were forced to rely on impractical spreadsheets and manual processes to meet compliance requirements; but with ERP, you can easily and consistently achieve this. ERP software generally comes with audit functionality, giving you full visibility into your processes. What’s more, it provides templates and guidance to help you meet regulations within your industry, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the International Financial Reporting Standards. Streamlined workflow Another key feature is automation. Repetitive tasks that eat a huge chunk of your time can be eliminated by programming automated workflows. For example, you can set your ERP to instantly reorder materials when stock levels have reached a certain threshold. This ensures that your shop never experiences out-of-stock or overstocked incidents. You can even assign workflows that route invoices and reimbursements to the right accountant to make sure tasks are handled quickly and efficiently. Rich integrations The beauty of ERP software is that you can integrate it with other services to extend its capabilities. If you need to track customer information and sales figures, you can combine it with customer relationship management software or pair it with e-commerce services to streamline web-based purchases. ERP systems can adapt to your ever-changing needs, which is incredibly valuable for your rapidly growing business. If you need more ideas or solutions that can add value to your business other than ERP, call us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
How SaaS can benefit your business
As technology progresses, more solutions are created to help businesses reduce costs and increase efficiency. One such solution is “Software as a Service,” aka SaaS. To know if this new solution can be of benefit to your business, you need to know first what SaaS actually is. Read on to learn more. What is SaaS and what makes it appealing? Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software delivery model that allows you, as a user, to access software from any device via the internet. This gives you more flexibility since you won’t have to come to the office to use the software, but will be able to work from anywhere that has an internet connection. As opposed to a traditional on-premises setup where software is stored locally, SaaS software is hosted in the cloud, eliminating the need to buy new hardware or spend money on its maintenance. Besides, by transferring software hosting to a third party, you’re also outsourcing all the responsibilities that come with maintenance such as upgrades and troubleshooting. Another aspect that sets SaaS apart from using on-premises software is licensing. With on-premises, you purchase a license and pay yearly support fees; while with SaaS, you pay a monthly or annual subscription fee that covers licenses, support, and other fees. This is advantageous since it allows you to spread out costs over time, instead of purchasing licenses outright. Will my data be safe? One of the issues that makes companies reluctant to switch to SaaS is data security. Who will own my data? Will my data be safe? What if the vendor goes out of business? First of all, when you’re outsourcing your software to a SaaS vendor, you have to sign a service level agreement (SLA). Make sure that the SLA specifies that you own the data and that the vendor is obliged to provide access to your data even if they go bankrupt. Secondly, it’s likely that data hosted by your SaaS vendor will be more secure than when it’s stored on your average SMB’s network. That’s because SaaS vendors have to undergo strict security audits, forcing them to invest more in security, backup technology, and maintenance than a typical SMB has to. Should I switch to SaaS or stick to on-premises? SaaS is an ideal solution for small- and medium-sized businesses with straightforward business models that are looking for a way to reduce upfront costs. But if your business is large or has complex business processes, a traditional on-premises solution might be a better choice since it offers more functionality and allows for full customization. Still unsure about whether SaaS is the right answer for your organization? Want to know more about SaaS before making the transition? Call us today. Our experts are ready to answer any questions you may have about SaaS! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Troubleshoot your WiFi with ease
You’ve invested in WiFi routers so you can access emails, collaborate in real-time, browse Facebook, and watch YouTube videos at blistering speeds. But when your WiFi refuses to work the way it should, the frustration sets in and you begin to contemplate smashing your router into pieces. Avoid the temptation with these easy ways to troubleshoot five common WiFi problems. Range constraints WiFi works via radio waves which are broadcast to all possible areas from a central hub, usually a piece of hardware known as a router. In order to avoid a weak signal in your office, make sure: Your router is placed in a centralized location and not tucked away in the farthest corner of your facility. Your WiFi antennae are either in a fully horizontal or vertical position for optimal signal distribution. Note that WiFi range constraints can also occur from interference, so if your office is situated in a highly populated area, try changing your router’s channel. Slow speed Despite having high-speed or fiber optic internet, slow load times can still occur for a number of reasons. To eliminate this, try the following: Make sure your router is located in the same room as your endpoints. Have more routers to better accommodate a high number of connected devices. Close bandwidth-intensive applications such as Skype, Dropbox, YouTube, and Facebook. Disable your router’s power-saving mode. Create a new router channel to avoid network bottlenecks. Connection issues We understand how frustrating it can be when the WiFi network shows up on your device but you just can’t seem to get it to connect. Before you give up, these solutions might help: Determine whether your WiFi connection is the problem or if your internet is down by plugging in your laptop directly into the router via an Ethernet cable. If you get a connection, then your WiFi is the culprit. Reset your router with a paperclip or a pen and hold down that tiny button for about 30 seconds. Try rebooting your device. Unstable connection Random drops in WiFi connection can happen from time to time. If this has become a constant nuisance in your office, try the following quick fixes: Move your router to a different spot or even a different room. Avoid having multiple routers in the same location as they can confuse your device. Network not found Glitches in the router can result in your WiFi network not appearing at all. Two solutions that can resolve the problem are: Disconnecting the router from the power source and waiting at least 30 seconds before reconnecting it. Checking to see how old your router is; if it’s over three years old, you’re probably due for a replacement. When you experience WiFi issues, these tips will help you avoid serious downtime. But if you’d rather have a dedicated technology provider take care of your hardware needs, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Microsoft launches My Workspace for macOS
If you’re using Office 365 on a Mac computer, here’s some good news: Microsoft has introduced a new tool that will help you manage your Office 365 apps much more easily. My Workspace is a productivity-enhancing application that offers quick access to frequently used apps and files. Office workspace for Mac My Workspace sits in the Menu bar along the top of the screen and provides macOS users of Office 365 with a quick and easy access to pinned documents, recently accessed files, OneDrive files, Skype calls, and iCloud Calendars. It also makes their lives easier by offering quick buttons to Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, and OneNote. You can download the app for free at myworkspace.ms. The app is the brainchild of four interns at the Vancouver offices of Microsoft Garage, Microsoft’s Washington-based experimental projects division. It was created when the interns were tasked with developing a tool to “add value to a person’s day.” Benefits to macOS users For those who use several Office apps at once, My Workspace’s unobtrusive placement and long list of accessibility features will make their Office experience far more efficient. By clicking the icon located at the right-hand corner of the screen, you can get a quick overview of your day, respond to event invitations in your calendar, and join Skype calls. The intuitive tool determines recently opened files and displays them on the Recent tab, which gives you quick access to your most important documents. Under the Pinned column, you’ll find a full list of recently opened files along with shareable links, making collaboration easier. Account management and customization features With My Workspace, you can easily access your Office 365 account settings, making account management a breeze. From this window you can manage Subscriptions, Security & privacy, App permissions, Install status, and other general settings. What’s more, My Workspace allows you to customize your App Settings, where you can set the number of events and recent documents you can see, and decide which apps you would like displayed in the launcher. Small yet substantial improvements such as My Workspace make Office 365 a thoroughly convenient business tool. There’s plenty of productivity-boosting functionalities within Office 365 regardless of device, and if you want to explore its useful features, call us today for tips and recommendations. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
New phishing scam targets Office 365 users
With more than 100 million monthly active subscribers, Office 365 has attracted the attention of hackers who’ve revamped an age-old trick. This time, they come up with a highly targeted, well-crafted spear-phishing scam that’s even more difficult to identify. Here’s everything you need to know. What makes it different from other scams? The new threat comes in the form of spear phishing, an old familiar method in which hackers send emails that purport to be from trusted sources and dupe you into disclosing sensitive information. In this particular attack, the email messages are admirably well-crafted, making them even harder to spot. The emails are also rid of the usual telltale signs such as misspelled words, suspicious attachments, and dubious requests. You might have to recalibrate what you know about phishing scams, because this new threat ticks all the boxes that make it look legitimate. How does it work? The hackers behind the attack craft personalized messages, pretending to be from trusted sources, such as your colleagues or Microsoft itself, and send them to your inbox. The messages could contain a link or a PDF file that leads to a legitimate-looking landing page. Upon clicking the link, the user will be prompted to enter his or her credentials, which the hacker will use to launch attacks within the organization. Once they gain control of your account, they might set up new forwarding rules to monitor your communication patterns, which will be useful for their future attacks. They might even use your account to send further phishing emails to your co-workers to collect more sensitive information. As for the phishing emails with PDF attachments, there will be instructions to fill in username and password to view the document. And once you do, your account is no longer yours. Another way they can get your credentials is by sending an invoice that requires you to log on to a web portal to view the file. Attackers can also use this technique to trick you into performing a certain action, such as forwarding sensitive information or paying an invoice. What can you do to stay protected? Your first line of defense is multi-factor authentication, whereby you use a password and another authentication method — like an SMS code — to secure your account. This function is already included in Office 365 and here’s a step-by-step guide on how to activate it. The second line of defense is training yourself and your employees to spot common phishing techniques. In particular, verify the accuracy of the wording and the sensibility of the requests in the messages. For good measure, your organization can also install an email-validation system which is designed to detect and prevent email spoofing, such as the Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC). Identifying phishing emails and planning and implementing a robust defense system are ways to protect you and your organization against the new Office 365 threat. For tips on how to spot this type of scam and how to plan thorough security practices, contact our experts today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.