Limited investment capital and planning for trouble
Limited investment capital and planning for trouble Small businesses often fail to take the time to make business continuity plans. One aspect of a business continuity plan involves developing plans to handle the loss of physical infrastructure and hardware. Unfortunately, smaller and younger firms often fail to address these issues because they lack the necessary capital to invest in additional or supplemental equipment. Redundant servers, battery back systems or uninterruptible power supplies, and data backup systems that allow for offsite backup storage are the most obvious examples. These can represent considerable capex for a small firm. However, these costs need to be weighed against the costs that would be incurred if a severe business interruption occurred. Encouragingly, new technology is creating tools for redundancy and data protection that don’t require additional hardware investments. The cloud is probably the single biggest savior for small businesses looking to defend against business interruption events. The cloud means you can offload many of your business processes and infrastructure to the cloud and sidestep creating expensive redundancies on your own. Offsite data storage, increased efficiencies as a result of shared data center costs, SaaS, and even data collaboration tools are added cost savings that can be provided by the cloud. So before you throw up your hands and say you cannot afford to address business continuity, take another look. The cloud can redefine the paradigm of “business continuity.”
4 easy ways to wipe data from your phone
The smartphone has become an important part of our lives and is one gadget that many of us carry most of the time. We not only use it to communicate with others, but to store personal information like email, photos, and contacts, as well. So if you plan to sell your phone or give it to someone else, make sure you erase everything that’s stored there. 1. Encrypt your Android phone Ensure that strangers don’t have access to your private data by encrypting it to make it unreadable. Newer phones usually encrypt data by default. But if you’re unsure about yours, double-check to avoid regrets later. Go to Settings in your phone and search for Encryption. Where you’ll find that depends on the phone you’re using, but it should be easy to locate. Once there, you’ll see whether your device is encrypted or not. If it’s the latter, start the encryption process. This normally takes an hour or more, and you can’t use your device during that time. 2. Remove the SIM and storage cards Now that your data is encrypted, remove your SIM card and external memory card. Both are linked to your identity and contain sensitive information so don’t let them out of your sight. 3. Perform a factory reset You can now start the actual data wiping process. Under Settings, look for Backup & Reset and go to Factory Data Reset. This is where you can remove data and accounts from your phone. You will be asked to verify your fingerprint, or input your password, pattern, or PIN before starting the process. 4. Sever ties to specific websites The final step is to manually remove your old device from Google and other websites it is associated with. Go to the concerned sites, choose your device, and remove it from the list of Trusted Devices. Don’t forget your password manager and multi-device authentication apps; sign in to those and close any connections there as well. As long as you follow these four easy steps, you can safely get rid of your old mobile phone. For those who are still worried about their data, give us a call. We’ll protect your files from prying eyes and give you valuable tips to secure your Android device. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
3 Potential issues to watch out for during virtualization
Virtualization can boost operational efficiencies like never before, but you have to understand that the benefits aren’t always immediate. As valuable as it is, it does come with flaws to those who don’t know how to properly adopt it. Here are a few concerns that can become an issue in virtualization adoption. Backing up data can be such a hassle Incorporating a robust backup system in a virtualized setting can become a huge challenge. This is because you have to determine which data you want to store and how often it should be backed up, then you have to decide whether you should back up all your virtual machines or just some vital ones that have important apps and data. In short, the amount of data that needs to be backed up can be overwhelming. The only way to overcome this is to integrate a powerful virtual backup solution offered by a reputable managed services provider (MSP). Ensuring security complicates the virtualization process Security concerns are more complicated in a virtualized setting since you have to monitor security on a couple of tiers: virtual machine security and physical host security. If a physical host server is compromised, let us say by someone plugging in an infected USB drive into one of its ports, it will affect every virtual machine running on it. In a similar way, a compromised virtual machine may disrupt the physical server and may affect other virtual machines residing on the same host. To address this, you need to set up strong network defenses, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, antivirus software, and virtual machine security tools. Beyond these, you also need a hardened physical security system comprised of surveillance cameras, locks, biometric scans, and security guards. Of course, if you don’t have the funds to set these up, it may make more sense to leave it to a security-conscious MSP. Monitoring your systems is resource-intensive Since your team has to oversee both virtual machines and physical servers to ensure you have a fully operational environment, they’ll experience a couple of pain points. First, running monitoring software on a physical host server is likely to impede the performance of the virtual machines on that server since the former takes up precious processing power and memory. You’ll practically have to monitor your monitoring system to ensure that it’s not hogging the resources of your servers. Second, keeping tabs on your virtual machines and making sure they’re secure and running at all times is a full-time job. So unless you have a team of professionals in-house, you’ll definitely need some help from the outside. Without a doubt, virtualization brings a lot of benefits to the table, but you have to know how it affects every aspect of your business. Let us show you how you can use it to its full potential. Just give us a call today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Data Protection Laws and PIIs
Data Protection Laws and PIIs Last week we discussed the overall concept of “Data Protection Laws,” which govern the handling and securing of specific data. While these laws are wide ranging, most of these laws reference Personally Identifiable Information (PII) This “refers to information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.” (https://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104256) For example, if you possess an individual’s first initial and last name and store it with their credit card number, bank account, SSN or driver’s license number, that becomes a PII. At the Federal level, the United States doesn’t have any overarching and comprehensive data protection laws of the sort that most European nations do, but they do exist and primarily affect individual sectors, such as healthcare. Presently 48 states in the US have some laws requiring private or governmental entities to notify anyone whose data has been breached. In other words, if you possess personal data, you may have a regulatory responsibility to report the breach to both a government entity and the individual victim. Failure to do so may mean you’re in violation of these laws and subject to fines and penalties. So what does this mean for a small business? You need to be aware of the likelihood that you are regulated by such laws and that you have some responsibility to show that you have taken reasonable measures and put in place procedures to maintain the security and integrity of outside data. As a responsible business owner, you have an obligation to be aware of any applicable laws, keeping in mind that your client or prospect data may include PII from those in other states or countries. You also have an obligation to protect that data. Keeping up with the best practices for protecting your important data from hackers and data thieves is an important responsibility of every small business. Contact a Managed Service provider to learn how they can support your business with a complete cyber protection plan.
The risks of jailbreaking your iPad
While the iPad and other Apple devices allow you to download and install literally millions of apps, they don’t exactly leave much room for customization. Jailbreaking lets you fully customize your iPad by enabling you to install third-party apps on your device. But it’s not without risks. Here’s why you should think twice before jailbreaking your iPad. Security vulnerabilities Jailbreaking removes security features designed to protect your iPad and the sensitive information it contains. So when you download and install third-party apps onto your jailbroken iPad, you may introduce malware, spyware, and viruses that can compromise your data’s security and slow down or damage your device. Warranty issues Although it’s perfectly legal to jailbreak your iPad, Apple has made it clear that jailbreaking is a violation of the iOS software license agreement. As such, any jailbroken Apple device will not be protected under their warranty service coverage. Apple may even deny service for your jailbroken iPad, so if something goes wrong with it, you’re basically on your own. No iOS updates Technically, you can install iOS updates onto your jailbroken iPad, but you’ll lose your jailbreak. This means you have to go through the entire jailbreaking process again and reinstall all apps and extensions. What’s more, if you decide to update your iOS, you may have to wait for an updated jailbreak version to become available, which could take days, weeks, or even months. Device instability Jailbreaking can cause your iPad to randomly reboot or malfunction. Also, because third-party apps can access features and protocols not available for apps designed or approved by Apple, you may find that your iPad crashes more often or that certain apps don’t work smoothly. Shortened battery life The jailbreak in and of itself doesn’t affect your iPad’s battery life. Shortened battery life issues on jailbroken iPads may be caused by installed third-party apps and tweaks. Some of these, like lock screen widgets and live wallpapers, may be increasing background activity on your device, thus draining your battery faster. Unreliable voice and data services If you use jailbroken iPads or iPhones, you may experience dropped calls and spotty data connections more frequently. This can be a major issue if you use your device for work, as unreliable voice and data services can hinder your communications with your colleagues and clients. Also, you may encounter some location data problems on your jailbroken device. Now that Apple has added so many features to iOS, jailbreaking iPads and iPhones is not as prevalent as it was in previous years. But if you want to increase your device’s functionality even more, jailbreaking is something you definitely want to look into. Keep in mind, though, that it has many disadvantages that can put your device and data at risk. If you want to learn more about jailbreaking or need help with your Apple devices, get in touch with our experts today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Are you subject to Data Protection laws?
Are you subject to Data Protection laws? This blog introduces a new topic that many may be unaware of: Data Protection laws. These are laws that define fully, or in part, what type of data is covered by government regulations, proscribe general standards for the securing of covered data, and may also require notification of victims and governmental authorities in the event of a breach. Small businesses, no matter what product or service they provide, are likely subject to some manner of regulations regarding the storage and use of digital data. For instance, any medical office or organization that handles medical records is subject to HIPAA, the federal law regarding health data privacy. Meeting IT regulations can be expensive and time consuming and they also require timely upgrades. Failure to stay up to date can lead to fines, penalties, and a damaged reputation. Chances are, you are subject to some data protection or data security laws. You are also very likely to be subject to breach notification laws. As a small business you should consider having an audit conducted to determine if you possess data that may be regulated by these laws. Failure to be aware that you are covered by them does not protect you in the event of a data breach. In our next blog, we will discuss one category of information that is the focus of many data protection laws. This category is referred to as Personally Identifiable Information. When you discover what that includes, it will be pretty apparent why protecting this data is important for the integrity and success of your business.
A buyer’s guide to business projectors
A typical projector bulb lasts 2,000 hours (and newer ones, like LED lamps, can go up to 20,000 hours). But there are other factors that affect a projector’s lifetime before it needs replacement. If you’re unsure about what to look for in your next projector purchase, this list will help you choose the best product. Brightness and light output A projector cannot display bright images without enough light output. Even if you dim the lights in the room to compensate, images will appear muddy and blurred if the light output is too low. To find out if a projector’s lamp has the correct brightness for your needs, look for its ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Lumens rating. It will tell you how much light that particular projector can put out. Projectors that have 1,000 ANSI Lumens or more are relatively perfect for the job, but other factors like ambient light, the distance or size of the screen, and the size of the room will also impact the need for fewer or more lumens. Connectivity options Some projectors in the market are more affordable because they’re only equipped with an HDMI port to connect to a TV or computer. You may have to spend more money on a projector that has multiple connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, and VGA inputs. If you want more flexibility, buy a projector that is compatible with various audio and video formats as well. Front or rear projection Many projectors can now be set up to project images from either the rear or the front of the screen, and can be mounted on the ceiling instead of just stationed on a table or flat surface. Front projection is the easiest to configure, and the most common set up for projectors. Contrast ratio This setting determines the variance between the darkest black and the brightest white, so the higher the contrast ratio, the clearer the images. Projectors with a good contrast ratio figures will allow you to enhance the quality of text onscreen and the depth of displayed images. For typical meeting rooms, the contrast ratio can range from 3000:1 to 20000:1. Any contrast higher than 20000:1 will intensify the presentation quality but bump up the price of the projector as well. Resolution Because high-resolution images and videos are so readily available these days, you may want your projector to have 720p as a native resolution. But if you can afford the full HD models, you will have the capacity to show off a comprehensive data image on screen. The caveat here is that your resolution will depend on the specs of your source media player. Our customers often forget to utilize one of our most useful service options: hardware consulting. If you’re ever in the market for new equipment at your organization, or need advice on how to get the most of what you currently have, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re an office full of gadget geeks who love the opportunity to talk about the latest and best that the industry has to offer. Contact us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Ransomware Part II
Ransomware Part II In our last blog, we explained what ransomware is, and why it can be an especially troublesome virus. Today, let’s look at what you can do to avoid falling victim.Prevention is the best cure. Follow standard “data hygiene” principles that you probably hear about all of the time. Update your OS, software, and apps whenever a new release or patch is released. Do this ASAP. Some patches may be released solely as a result of the discovery of a vulnerability. Watch out for phishing scams. If anything looks “off” about an email, don’t open it. And never open links you aren’t totally sure of. If unsure, email back to the sender to verify they actually sent you a link. Unfortunately, human error is one of the biggest problems for data security. Employees unwittingly open links received via email or download information from insecure websites. Beyond prevention, the most important thing you can do to make sure your data cannot be held ransom is strictly adhering to a regimen of backups. Routinely backup your data. However, with ransomware, even backups may not be foolproof. If your data has been infected and you are unaware of it, or the backup is not segregated from your network, your backups may also be corrupted. Given the severe consequences of a ransomware attack, consider having a security evaluation done by a managed service provider who will have the security expertise to advise on the best backup protocols for your situation. Ransomware presents some unique challenges that require more sophisticated data protection protocols. Contact a managed service provider for a complete security evaluation.
Successful cloud migration for unified communications
There are several benefits to migrating your unified communications (UC) to the cloud. These include better business agility, disaster recovery, greater mobility, increased efficiency and reliability, and better customization, just to name a few. To ensure that cloud migration is successful, your organization needs to do the following. Opt for a gradual transition Migrating unified communications to the cloud doesn’t have to be accomplished in one big move. It can be done gradually. You can move UC for departments that can benefit from it, while those with no pressing need for a cloud-based UC, such as a company’s call center, can keep using on-premises systems. This way, users can ease their way into the new system without experiencing network disruptions, which could lead to reduced productivity. Secure sufficient bandwidth Issues on speed and performance will inevitably arise, so make sure to cover all the bases before migration. That means securing a reliable internet service provider, checking the stability of your internal network, and having a Plan B. This is a critical point to ponder if you have operations in locations where unstable or slow networks could pose serious problems. Determine the level of bandwidth your entire business needs, and get it from an ISP that can deliver. Test, test, test Transitioning UC to the cloud may appear seamless, but there may be a few unexpected kinks that need ironing out long after the migration is declared a success. To soften potentially costly and time-consuming impacts, test the systems throughout the duration of the migration. Whether you’re trying out voice, data, or video, conduct tests, set benchmarks for performance, and predict future usage patterns. Go live and act on identified problem points After going live with your cloud UC, consider the overall user experience and availability of support for devices, applications, and other components. Are persistent connectivity issues going to cause troublesome conference calls? This and other issues may prove detrimental in the long run so keep them in mind when deciding to keep, enhance, or discontinue a cloud-based UC. Cloud migration should solve problems, not cause them. Constantly monitor performance and quality Don’t be surprised if you encounter a few issues even after extensive testing. Migrating to the cloud simply requires planning and a sustainable strategy, whether your organization is dependent on instant messaging, voice conferencing, or video calling. There’s also a good chance that you will be working with several vendors, so always demand for the best service. Having your UC moved to the cloud may seem like a daunting move. But with our cloud technology and VoIP know-how, we’ll make sure it’s an easy process. Contact us today for advice. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Gmail strengthens anti-phishing features
Phishing is a social engineering attack that never grows old. In fact, cybercriminals know that it’s still easier to trick people into giving away their personal information or clicking a malicious link than to break through several layers of protection. To help in the continuing fight against phishing, Google has improved Gmail’s anti-phishing security features. Machine learning Google uses machine learning technology to further enhance their email security. Phishing scams usually follow a predictable pattern, so Google experts developed an algorithm that analyzes such patterns and updates Gmail’s security database in real time. When the same phishing attempt is made, Gmail flags and quarantines potentially dangerous messages. According to Google, around 50% of emails sent to Gmail accounts are spam and phishing emails, but with the new detection algorithm, Gmail has achieved 99% accuracy in detecting them. Click-time warnings Google has also added precautions for suspicious links. When Gmail detects an incoming email from untrusted senders containing either encrypted attachments or attachments with scripts, Gmail automatically flashes a warning message. Gmail also identifies and scans links to external images, and prompts a warning if the links come from untrusted domains. Although Gmail does not completely block access to the link (in case of false positives), it advises you to be extremely careful if you do decide to proceed. Or you can choose to quarantine the message or send it to your spam folder. External reply warnings Another enhancement focuses on securing reply messages to prevent employees from falling prey to email spoofing. Spoofing is when a cybercriminal impersonates someone’s email address. Gmail warns users when they are about to send a reply to an address that is not in their contact list or company domain, from an unauthenticated domain, or one that’s similar to an authenticated domain. This improvement prevents users from being fooled into giving away sensitive information to third parties. Every Gmail user can take advantage of these new security controls today, but keep in mind that these can’t replace security awareness. Even Google has emphasized that these Gmail features are complements to existing security systems and best practices. Being able to identify what is or isn’t a scam goes a long way in protecting your business. To find out more about the latest from Google, get in touch with our experts or watch out for more Google-related posts. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.