May 3rd, 2018 by admin
Often, businesses don't prepare for email disasters until after one has hit. But while email may comprise just a small part of a company's day-to-day operation, an email disaster can have a staggering impact on your business. The 2016 Democratic National Committee email disaster is a prime example of...
Posted in: Solutions,
April 11th, 2018 by admin
Law firms face many unique IT management challenges that stem from the confidential nature of the information they work with. And that confidential data is why law firms must make the protection of information a key IT priority. Threats can come from outside (such as hackers using pressure to extort...
Posted in: Partners and Industries,
April 3rd, 2018 by admin
While there's plenty of technology available to keep your business's data protected, the human element is still the most important piece to consider in safeguarding your company's data. Properly training employees to understand and implement data security best practices works best when your business...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
February 28th, 2018 by admin
Because IT staff get so invested in making sure software, networking and security elements are working, they sometimes overlook the human, environmental and contingency planning factors that can invite workplace IT disasters. In many cases, preventative work becomes an afterthought for IT staff who...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
February 8th, 2018 by admin
A cyberattack crisis management plan is your business's best defense for minimizing cyberattack damage after technology-based preventative measures have failed. Unfortunately for most businesses, cyberattacks are not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Establishing a crisis management plan can help...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
January 22nd, 2018 by admin
For many businesses, it is difficult to gauge how helpful IT management can be in the workplace on a day-to-day basis — mainly because when things are going well, there's little to notice. Some of the most important benefits of an IT managed services provider show themselves subtly in what doesn't happen...
Posted in: Solutions,
October 3rd, 2017 by admin
The 2017 Equifax hack is teaching a painful lesson about the necessity of businesses keeping up with software patches for IT security and to avoid catastrophic damage. The hack, which resulted in potentially exposing the financial information necessary to steal a person's identity for 143 million U.S....
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
September 26th, 2017 by admin
With proper planning, your business can take advantage of USB flash drive technology to increase productivity, while eliminating most of the medium's inherent risk. The USB flash drives likely lying around your business offer excellent opportunities to increase productivity and make workflow easier,...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software,
September 12th, 2017 by admin
It's easy to take a functional Internet connection for granted until it's no longer working. When that Internet connection inevitably goes down, your business could be left scrambling to figure out how to keep working until service is restored. The best solution your business can utilize is to develop...
Posted in: Solutions, Hardware and Software,
July 5th, 2017 by admin
It happens in every office eventually: an employee is going about their workday and suddenly their computer or monitor won't turn on. Fortunately, there's gold in those unused desktops and laptops stuck in the storage closet. Aside from the computers having literal gold in some components, your business...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
June 27th, 2017 by admin
Getting caught off-guard in a cyber security attack is a disaster for any business, large or small—and the frequency of attacks is only getting worse. According to the CyberEdge 2017 Cyberthreat Defense Report, hackers successfully compromised security at least once for 79.2 percent of businesses...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
May 3rd, 2017 by admin
Anyone who has ever lost years of work due to computer failure will tell you that backing up your devices can save you considerable heartache and frustration. Reliable, redundant, and regular data backups are your business's best strategy for disaster recovery—but two copies of your data may not be...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
April 19th, 2017 by admin
Samsung's March 2017 announcement that its flagship smartphone would support first-party peripheral that makes the device work like a desktop computer could mean big changes for how people look at their productivity devices. While this is not the first attempt to treat a smartphone as a computer substitute,...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
April 11th, 2017 by admin
If your business hasn't already made the switch from Windows 10's predecessors to a new operating system, it's time to make the initiative a priority. While your IT staff doesn't need to upgrade every computer in your office, it's necessary to make sure all vital software is compatible with Windows...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
March 21st, 2017 by admin
With a little bit of effort, your staff can reap all the benefits of a laptop, and many of the perks of a desktop, with a little bit of planning and some additional hardware. It's a common perception that laptops lead in portability, while desktops specialize in expandability. But improvements in peripheral...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
March 9th, 2017 by admin
Network-Attached Storage (NAS) servers are a great asset for small businesses managing data. For the uninitiated, NAS is essentially a streamlined server designed specifically for sharing files between devices. Because of their simplified nature, NAS devices are typically easier to use and...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
March 1st, 2017 by admin
When it comes to your office computers, a little bit of spring cleaning goes a long way. Sure, cleaning office computers can seem tedious. But think of it like preventative maintenance on a vehicle: In the best-case scenario, you'll never know all the breakdowns you avoided. Keeping your office...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
February 8th, 2017 by admin
Your employees' computers may not be up to speed anymore after two or three years of use, but in many cases your staff can upgrade or tune up these devices to keep pace with work demands. Upgrades can often be purchased and installed for under $100 a system, offering an inexpensive way to extend the...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
January 24th, 2017 by admin
Unlike most IT security threats, phishing scams attack the human element instead of the machine element. Phishing scams try to bait a person into exposing confidential information by posing as a legitimate, reputable source, typically by email or phone. Most often, the culprits seek users' account login...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
November 16th, 2016 by admin
Even seasoned IT pros have made the mistake of not backing up a device—and panicked after losing countless important files because the device failed. We may know better, yes, but that doesn’t mean we’re perfect. On the flip side, we’ve all breathed a sigh of relief when a recent backup of...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
August 16th, 2016 by admin
Secure passwords and recovery strategies are an essential part of doing business in the digital age—and password manager programs can help streamline the process. Password managers store and, often, automate login credentials for individuals across all secured online platforms for easy, secure, and...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
August 2nd, 2016 by admin
Not all storage devices were built to stand the test of time, so it’s important for every business to ensure its data is backed up on a reliable platform. If you’ve ever needed to reference financial records or court cases from a decade ago, you’ll know how much easy, reliable access to data can...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
June 14th, 2016 by admin
A WISP is one of the most important documents for any company doing business over the Internet—which, in this day and age, is pretty much everybody. Who's responsible for drafting and maintaining your company's WISP? Or are you even sure what a WISP is? If not, your company is already at serious risk...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
June 1st, 2016 by admin
Being the cyber-security geeks we are, we took great interest in combing through this year's California Data Breach Report, released by the Attorney General's office this past February. The report tabulates data collected from breach incidents which expose confidential information of 500 or more individuals,...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
May 11th, 2016 by admin
Smartphone users can be broken down into two camps: those who can't live without lining up to buy the latest and greatest model the day it hits the stores, and those who hold on to their tried-and-true phone until it suddenly dies one morning. There's nothing wrong with sticking with "obsolete" hardware...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
April 7th, 2016 by admin
We're only a few months into 2016, but we've already seen two high-profile ransomware attacks—where cyber-crooks heavily encrypt a victim's computer files before demanding payment for a decryption key only they can provide. Two notable incidents grabbed headlines: In January, Israel's Electricity...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
March 23rd, 2016 by admin
Since Apple famously introduced the Macintosh over three decades ago, Mac users have been confident that their computers are virtually immune to ransomware and other malware threats which plague their Windows counterparts. But those days are over. On March 4, researchers at security firm Palo Alto...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Hardware and Software,
March 2nd, 2016 by admin
When it’s time to upgrade employee smartphones, your business needs to worry about backing up data, clearing the memory, and figuring out the best way to get rid of the old devices. According to Business Insider, the average smartphone upgrade cycle reached 22 months in 2012. This time frame could...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
February 17th, 2016 by admin
A new combination of a sophisticated password-stealing Trojan, powerful exploit kit, and content-encrypting ransomware is making its way around the Internet infecting Windows users. If it hits your business, you’re looking at a considerable loss of time and finances. It’s estimated that businesses...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
September 11th, 2015 by admin
Once upon a time, IT administrators offered company-issued hardware to employees based upon something akin to Henry Ford's "Model T" approach: "You can have any equipment you want, as long as it's whatever we have for you." In light of the mobile/Wi-Fi revolution over the past few years,...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
August 6th, 2015 by admin
Each month, Microsoft releases a new security bulletin. In May of 2015, forty-six vulnerabilities had been identified and fixed, spanning products such as Windows, Internet Explorer, and Office. In June, it was even more. While some of these vulnerabilities were low-threat, others were more critical,...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
July 10th, 2015 by admin
“Disaster”: the word itself is synonymous with trauma. Of course, even after a traumatic event, there is an opportunity to rebuild. Restoring your data is a critical part of rebuilding your infrastructure and your business after a physical or virtual disaster. For businesses, especially small- to medium-sized...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
May 28th, 2015 by admin
If you're over 40, you probably remember the original Sony Walkman—the freedom of listening to a single cassette tape in portable stereo. Even if you still have a few favorite cassette tapes packed away somewhere, where could you listen to them today? Tape is just so… ancient. Ask your kids. Magnetic...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
May 20th, 2015 by admin
We've spent a lot of time on this blog talking about cyber-attacks—from nuisance hacking to data theft to virtual electronic terrorism—and the steps your company can take to defend itself. But what if, despite all your best efforts, you one day discover you've still been hacked? An insurance policy...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Solutions,
February 4th, 2015 by admin
Computers have a knack for breaking at the most inconvenient time. Murphy’s Law is alive and well. But you don’t need to wait for IT repairs in order to get an employee back to work: smart techniques and planning can minimize your downtime so you can maintain productivity and take back otherwise lost...
Posted in: Hardware and Software,
November 6th, 2014 by admin
Last month, the Bay Area commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Those of us who lived through that experience remember the sudden, unexpected jolt — and how the event disrupted our lives for several weeks afterward. Of course, we were a lot less reliant on technology back...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security, Solutions,
April 21st, 2014 by admin
It is vital that Information Technology enhance workplace productivity, rather than hinder it. With proper IT systems and management in place, it is possible to accomplish your work faster and with far less risk of downtime and technology inefficiencies. A productive IT environment also helps increase...
Posted in: Solutions,
December 19th, 2013 by admin
One Malicious Email Could Cost you Thousands of Dollars and Take Down your Entire Network – Don’t be a Victim; Learn the Facts! Ransomware viruses are on the rise and their explosive growth in the past few months has been startling. We want to help our clients be up-to-date on this issue and understand...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
November 21st, 2013 by admin
About half of all small business owners believe their business is too small to be a potential victim for virtual thieves and hacking. The facts, however, say something quite different. The majority of cyber attacks are actually perpetrated against businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Is your...
Posted in: Cyber and Data Security,
November 6th, 2013 by admin
The 5 basic tips below are essential to maintaining the health and efficiency of your network, servers, and computer systems. Please consult an expert IT Consultant or Managed Service Provider for more information about protecting your IT systems. 1. BACKUP - Data loss is a very real threat and...
Posted in: Solutions,
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