How Businesses Can Benefit from Managed Services Right Now It goes without saying, but businesses everywhere are feeling the impacts of widespread orders to close their doors in the attempt to minimize the continued spread of COVID-19. While this makes the idea of any major operational shifts intimidating for the small business owner, the transition into a managed service agreement can ultimately help protect your business from closing for good. Let’s look at a few of the difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused for businesses, and how working with a managed service provider (MSP) makes these difficulties somewhat less of a concern. Challenge #1: Businesses Can’t Operate with their Teams Staying Home Naturally, without their employees coming in to work, businesses have found it difficult to keep up on their workloads. This obviously isn’t a great situation for these businesses. However, in the face of such a pandemic, employees can hardly be blamed for wanting to minimize their chances of infection by staying home. This is an especially big problem for businesses deemed essential, as people are still relying on their services, but they can’t in good conscience put their employees at risk. With an MSP’s support, it is much easier to find a balance to maintain operations, especially for those businesses who can sustain themselves via remote work. While this may not apply to all industries, those that can function without employees needing to come into the office can adopt the solutions and security required to do so. In these cases, an MSP can serve as a useful resource by helping to manage the use of these solutions. Challenge #2: IT Support is Difficult to Acquire Safely Working from home is one thing. Receiving support for the technology that is used in the home is (for many) another can of worms entirely. While this is true in most circumstances, the need to keep our distance from one another makes this a larger concern. You don’t want to put your team members, or the repair technician for that matter, at risk. An MSP can help resolve this situation on two fronts, both thanks to the remote nature of managed services. First of all, the management of your IT means that an MSP’s technicians will always be using remote monitoring tools to catch and diagnose issues on the devices that your team uses. Secondly, with the same remote access, the MSP can then resolve many of these issues without an in-person visit at all, whether your team is in the office or working remotely. Challenge #3: The Economy Isn’t Strong Enough to Invest in Any Additional Services Let’s do a quick comparison between how the traditional IT services will bill your business, compared to what is included by an MSP. The old-school repair service doesn’t incorporate additional fees into their rates, like time and materials. As a result, the total price can be wildly unpredictable, and practically impossible to budget for accurately. On the other hand, by offering a predictable service covered by a comprehensive monthly fee, the MSP’s rates can be budgeted for and scaled with the services delivered. With a few exceptions for out-of-scope services, a business that signs on with an MSP can operate with the confidence that they know what their bill will say each month […]
Include Your Staff This is as big of a crisis as any of us have ever dealt with. You need to have your staff on your side if you are going to get through this situation. Some ways you can make this happen include: Keep everyone updated. Transparency can be looked upon with a lot of respect. You don’t have to share anything with your people, but making an effort to keep them in the know will work to keep them engaged. Some things, however, don’t foster any optimism and should probably be kept to yourself. Set the tone. As the boss, your staff looks to you to lead. You, like millions of other business owners, have never had to deal with anything quite like this, but staying out front and positive will keep others from letting pessimism creep in and negatively affecting their opinion of their work. Trust your people. If you are one of the lucky businesses that have been able to work through the pandemic, you’ve probably learned that trusting your people is of the utmost importance. You may have gone into this situation skeptical and afraid, but the world has changed and your business will need to change along with it. Making Necessary Adjustments If you haven’t had to deviate from your strategy, you are in the minority. This situation has caused a lot of businesses to fail outright. Those that prosper have changed course somewhat. Here are some tips to help you make the adjustments you need to make during this turbulent time. Assess your business. With things slowing down, it gives you time to completely assess where your business is at. Do you have the necessary liquidity, is your technology and your procedures up-to-date? Doing a full assessment will go a long way toward building preparedness. Make the hard calls ahead of time. After your assessment, you will be in a better place to make difficult business decisions proactively. Inaction or ignorance could cost you everything, so staying out in front of your decision making is key. Adjust using new tools. Technology can be used to create new workflows that get your products and services out. COVID-19 has been good for innovation, consider doing a bit of that for your business. Keep Your Chin Up The most important part of staying positive is to keep a healthy frame of mind. Some tips to do so include: Ignore Negative Opinions. This can be harder to accomplish than you may think, but one way to keep from being overwhelmed with negativity is to cut yourself off from all the talking heads out there. They say ignorance is bliss, and finally there is a situation where that saying is an actual strategy. Help. Helping other people can bring a lot of positivity for both the people that need help and for you. The best way to stay positive is to help others find positivity. Managed IT services are good for cutting support costs and keeping your IT–which is critical now–running effectively and supported. Call SRS Networks today at (831) 758-3636 to learn more.
Why is it so Important to Have a Secure Conferencing Solution? Prioritizing security is a consideration that needs to be made on every part of your IT. In regards to conferencing, a secure strategy is crucial as these apps are some of the most targeted by cybercriminals right now. Diligently choosing the right technology for your business, and implementing practices that have your business’ cybersecurity in mind, will go a long way toward keeping your business secure as you heavily lean on your conferencing solutions. Some of the video conferencing applications are proven to be more secure than others. With so many people using these applications, it’s important to implement these four security strategies: Create Secure Policies Does your business have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy? If so, you will want to fashion your video conferencing solution in the same manner. It’s extremely important for your remote employees to understand that while the solution may have some security features baked in, it is on them to use good judgement and not put strain on your cybersecurity infrastructure by ignoring the best practices. Here are some line-items that should be in your policy: Users need permission from all attendees in order to record a meeting. Personal devices should not be used to record meetings. Confidential or sensitive information should not come into view during the meeting unless it is expressly relevant or requested by meeting attendees. All cameras and microphones should be disconnected when not in use. If sensitive information is to be shared, it should be done so securely and not in group meetings. Authentication and Control Many of the most used conferencing apps feature a single-sign on (SSO) system. The SSO makes it easier for administrators to control user access, but it doesn’t necessarily work to secure the solution. If your solution offers two-factor authentication, that is a good way to ensure the person signing into your meeting is the person supposed to be there. Another strategy is to set up domain-based security. This provides network administrators the most comprehensive tool to manage access to video conferencing solutions. Be Sure to Use Encryption Any conferencing solution your company uses should come equipped with 128-bit AES encryption. You will also want to deploy this on the hardware where you run the meetings to ensure that all data sharing that happens during the meeting is protected. Update Your System A video conferencing solution is like any other software system, it needs to be updated and patched regularly. This will make absolutely sure that your systems are protected from any vulnerabilities that would be found in antiquated version builds. Video conferencing is the star of the stay-at-home orders and its place in business has been fortified. Call the security professionals at SRS Networks to get more information about security surrounding your video conferencing apps.
Cloud Computing in the Context of Today’s Businesses Even if a lot of business owners don’t always trust cloud computing for their most important computing needs, they have likely been utilizing some type of cloud platform for a while. The cloud is computing that is hosted on rented hardware and is broadcast over a broadband Internet connection. These computing options are normally managed and maintained by the service provider and are billed at a static monthly rate, whether that be per user or per gigabyte. Many businesses use Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which is the most popular (and expansive) cloud computing delivery method, but more businesses are now subscribing to other cloud-based tools such as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), which delivers hardware solutions billed per gigabyte. For the modern business, cloud computing fits seamlessly. It provides them with the opportunity to get the computing resources they need, without taking on the huge financial investment that new hardware traditionally demanded. It also allows for dynamic scalability, a major benefit as to not waste money on computing resources your company doesn’t need, but giving your business the ability to quickly get the necessary resources when you need them. Cloud Options As stated above there are options for most parts of your business, including: Hardware Virtualized hardware is useful for a multitude of purposes. It can present options to host specific applications or a dedicated platform for application development. The main advantage of purchasing hardware in the cloud is that you can virtualize local computing resources and not waste money like many businesses that rely on onsite computing resources do. Software Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options available: Line of Business – Companies are hosting their line of business applications in the cloud so that they can be assured that people have access to this essential software from any place at any time. Productivity – Productivity software has long been a driving force in cloud deployment. With titles like Microsoft Office 365 and Google’s G Suite available, businesses can get complete suites of tools they need to help them be productive and improve collaboration. Communication – Solutions like Hosted Email and VoIP have changed the way that business views its communications. Security – Security is extremely important and today’s cloud platform is more secure than cloud resources of the past. Not only are there full-fledged security suites available in the cloud, the cloud itself can deliver more security options, providing businesses with all the options they need to keep their networks and cloud platforms secure. The Internet of Things, a major innovation to the way people interact with products, is fueled, in large part, by cloud computing. There are quite literally dozens of secure and reliable cloud platforms available to run IoT, AI, and much, much more. If you are looking to outfit your business with more cloud-based platforms, contact the IT professionals at SRS Networks today at (831) 758-3636.
With all things considered, the office is as close to a perfect environment for bacteria and viruses as any. Let’s face it, lots of people plus lots of surfaces plus a small area equals plenty of potential for an illness to spread. Just take a look at how common bacteria is on average office surfaces and items: Office phone – 25,000 varieties Keyboard – 3,000 varieties per square inch Computer mouse – 1,500+ varieties per square inch Toilet – <300 per square inch So it is safe to say that, even under normal circumstances, keeping the office clean should be a priority. How to Reduce the Viruses in Your Office Unfortunately, removing viruses is going to be a little more complicated than just dumping hand sanitizer on everything. Here, we’ve compiled a few practices to help you keep your office more sanitary. Typical Cleaning The first step is to keep the office as generally clean as possible. Use soap and water to clean most surfaces, and maintain your floors with regular sweeping and mopping. Your computers and other pieces of infrastructure, on the other hand, will need more of a specialized clean. *Disinfecting* Wipes When wiping down high-traffic surfaces, you will want to make sure that you are using the proper wipes for the job. Make sure what you are using is labelled as a “disinfecting” wipe that is meant to kill viruses. Use these wipes to clean off regularly touched things: door handles, light switches, chairs, phones, and your mouse and keyboards. Don’t forget about other items in the office that will likely see lots of activity, like a staff refrigerator, coffee machine, and microwave, or an in-office vending machine. Make sure all of these are also cleaned and sterilized properly. Encourage Hygiene Good hygiene is probably the most important step in keeping safe against possible contamination. You will want to press your people to wash their hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds, sanitize their immediate area with wipes, frequently use hand sanitizer, and to not touch their faces. As businesses reopen it will be imperative to keep people who are feeling ill from coming into work. Many businesses have been using remote strategies, so extending those strategies to your under-the-weather staff might be a good plan. With COVID-19 making us all change the way we do things, more people are apt to take cleanliness seriously. Obviously, nobody wants to get sick, but until COVID-19 has a vaccine it’s going to be our responsibility to keep the people closest to us, whether that is our families, friends, or contemporaries from catching the novel virus. What has your company done to mitigate the chances of getting COVID-19? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below and be sure to do what you can to stay safe.
Let’s review how your employees can still work remotely, while also maintaining the security standards you expect. This will require them to follow a few practices with their home networks: Use Password Best Practices It doesn’t matter that a home network is different from a business network, as password best practices are generally universal. Therefore, when setting the credentials for your home network, make sure that the usual standards apply, and that the rest of your team does the same. Here are three things that can help you keep your Wi-Fi secure: Make sure that your passwords are sufficiently complicated, avoiding common phrases and password rules. There are many articles that can be found online that summarize the most popular (which means insecure) passwords, and there are a few patterns that can be spotted quite easily. Avoid using these kinds of shortcuts. Consider using a passphrase, instead of a password. A good passphrase is the combination of random, unrelated words, and relying on one of these can boost the resilience of your accounts exponentially. Change your network access password regularly and avoid giving it out. Most people won’t need the password to your Internet connection, so don’t give it to them. Keep Your Setup Up to Date Many people may not think to update their networking equipment until things start to work poorly. However, in order to take advantage of remote access, you and the other users connecting need to make sure that their tools are fully optimized and secured. A few pointers: Install a firewall and antivirus. While these protections are sure to be installed on your professional network/workstations, there may not be enough on an employee’s device. Make sure you know what they currently have, and if need be, have them install a stronger version of both. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) should always be in use. Adjust your hardware settings. It is likely that your employees have not updated all their networking hardware or are not using it with the best configurations enabled. Take the steps to walk your employees through the process of changing the SSID on their router and other customizations. Make sure that all software is fully patched and updated. Whether your employees are using devices supplied by the workplace or their own equipment, make sure the proper security tools are installed and up to date. This includes the programs they are using to complete their tasks, as well as the software that controls and secures their devices, like their wireless router, their antivirus, and their firewall. Of course, your employees should also be just as aware of the computing best practices that you should be enforcing in the office while they are working from home. For more security best practices and solutions, give SRS Networks a call at (831) 758-3636.
Right now most businesses have some sort of cybersecurity platform in place. whether they use a firewall or actively monitor their network or have a more comprehensive solution in place, Protecting their digital assets has to be something that every business does. Unfortunately, even with all the diligent cybersecurity that businesses put in place, some bad things still get through. Since these systems typically never stop, threats are coming into your network every single day. There have been calls for cyber-clemency. Unfortunately, this is the type of scenario that hackers thrive in. With most workforces working remotely, it stands to reason that they aren’t as protected as they would be if they were still working at their offices. As a result, efforts to improve endpoint security become important to maintaining data security. There are steps you can take to try and maximize your security, but the most important action that you can take is to train your workforce to know how to protect your business when completing their remote work. Here are four things they should know: How to effectively manage passwords – Each one of your employees should be versed in how to build a solid password. No two accounts should have the same password, and since most people need to access over 10 different accounts to complete their work, using a password management tool that allows them to secure their passwords in one central location is prudent. Know how and where to use the Internet – It can be extremely dangerous to use unsecured Wi-Fi in public places when working with proprietary or sensitive data. The fact is that any threat that comes in from the Internet could be a massive problem for your business. Knowing where to use the Internet and what tools they can use to secure data transmission (remote access, VPN, etc.) any member of your staff can help you secure your network by simply being cognizant of their connection decisions. Know how to identify threats – One of the best ways that your staff can help you to secure your network is by knowing how to spot phishing threats. Millions of businesses every year fall victim to phishing attacks and if you take time to train your staff, you can do well to keep threats at bay. Know how to react if something bad does happen – Bad things happen and your business is not immune from them. Whether one of your workers accidentally clicks on a phishing attack and it delivers malware into your network, or hackers use vulnerabilities to get in, problems aren’t the end of the world: as long as there is fast communication and action. You need to ensure that there is a clear pathway for your employees to pass on potential security issues to your IT administrators so that they can find a way to quarantine the issue before it becomes a major problem for your business. This is a strange time and with any semblance of normalcy still weeks (or months) away, some business owners are panicking. This is not the time for impulsive decision making. By staying calm, you will make more calculated decisions and you just may be able to get through this situation with your business intact, and with employees that are smarter than when […]
The stimulus is not the first time that the U.S. Government has distributed stimulus checks, but as online banking has become more commonplace, the treasury has been distributing millions of checks via direct deposit and it has given online scammers the opportunity to try and steal money that by right will come to you. Here are five ways that they are going about scamming people: Avoid anything that has you sign up for stimulus money – Chances are that you don’t have to sign up to receive stimulus dollars, so be wary of anyone who contacts you claiming that you need to fill out information to enroll you. Scammers don’t just act online – There has been evidence of people getting postcards in the mail with a password printed on it and addressed to an individual. The card asks the user to go online to “access” or “verify” the individual’s payment information (bank account, routing number, etc.) Similar scams have been sent through traditional phishing messages via email, however, so read your correspondence thoroughly. You can’t get your money faster – Scammers have also contacted people promising that for a small fee, they can get their money to them faster. Reputable tax companies have services like this around tax time, so it may be just enough to fool some people. No, you aren’t getting more – There have also been reports of scammers sending people checks for more than they are owed. Later the scammer will call to apologize for the mistake and ask the person to return the difference in cash, gift cards, or a wire transfer. If the check isn’t coming from the U.S. Treasury, and you weren’t expecting another check, it is surely a scam. IRS correspondence – It’s true that some people have had to fill out forms on the IRS website in order to get their checks sent to them or deposited in their bank accounts. Scammers have set up webforms much like the ones on the IRS’ Economic Impact Payment website. The IRS typically contacts people through the mail, so if you get a message or an email from the IRS asking you to take action, it’s best to ignore it. Knowledge is the best defense against scammers. If you haven’t yet received your CARES Act stimulus money, you need to go to the official IRS website to find out why (or more likely when) you will receive your stimulus check. Have you seen any scams looking to steal people’s money? Leave your story in the comments below and check back to our blog for more information about cybersecurity, and the practices you need to know to avoid being a victim of cybercrime.
These are all reasonable requests. However, as a business owner you also need to maximize productivity, bring in revenue and try to grow your business in these demanding times. How can you accomplish these goals when your office is now a ghost town and productivity has fallen off a cliff? The answer lies in setting up your office to function remotely. If you’ve never implemented a work-from-home policy before, it may seem like a whole different world. Managing an entirely remote workforce goes far beyond giving your employees a laptop and reminding them to check in every once in a while. After all, there are many factors most business owners haven’t ever had to consider, such as: What technologies do I need? How can my employees work from home without compromising the security of our network? How can I make this new work environment as easy, comfortable and productive as possible? We understand these are unique times. We know that “business as usual” is going to be quite different for an undetermined amount of time. But together we can help you adjust to today’s new normal by giving you the tools, technologies and insights to create a secure and productive work-from-home business environment. Here are three important considerations to getting you set up and running a successful work-from-home business: 1. Don’t allow employees to use home computers or devices. Their mindset may be, “Well, I’m working from home so I may as well use my home computer.” This is a dangerous mistake. Our team works hard to ensure your company computers and network are secure and protected from malware, viruses and cyber-attacks. Their home computers and devices could be littered with tons of downloaded music, videos, images and more. Because it’s more exposed, it can invite malware into your network. Rather, provide a company-approved and secured computer/laptop for employees to use at home. 2. Secure their WiFi access point. Without a secure WiFi access point, you’re essentially leaving a back door open to hackers. That’s because WiFi signals are often broadcast far beyond your employees’ homes and out into streets. Yes, drive-by hacking is popular among cybercriminals today. A few tips for securing your employees’ WiFi access points: Use stronger encryption and a more complex password Hide your network name Use a firewall These security measures are not difficult to set up. But if you have any questions or need assistance, we will be happy to help get your employees set up remotely. 3. Use a two-factor authentication VPN. VPN stands for virtual private network. It’s essentially a private, encrypted tunnel that goes direct to your IT network in your office. Ideally, you’ll want your VPN to support two-factor authentication. This means it’s doubly secure because your employees will need to call in to access the network. If you don’t have a VPN for your employees to use, you can consider other services, such as GoToMyPC or Zoho. While these products are not as secure, at least they keep your home network from being exposed. As business owners ourselves, we too are having to pivot and work differently than we ever have before. However, because we have the technology and infrastructure in place, we are still surprisingly productive. Our team wants to help your business survive and thrive during today’s […]
Communication Is (and Isn’t) Easy If a business is in operation today, it’s a safe bet that their employees each have their own email account for the business. Email usually serves as a good foundation for a business’ communication strategy, as it is a convenient means of communicating internally, with any vendors you are working with, or with your clients. However, email isn’t perfect. There is the chance that miscommunications can occur when using email—and on a related note, instant messaging—and ultimately derail your productivity. To help prevent this situation, it is recommended that more complicated communications take place using video conferencing. Combining webcams and microphones, video conferencing allows people to interact with each other in a format that provides non-verbal cues that written correspondence and telephony just don’t express. With the right solution, meetings and discussions can be held between parties in different postal codes practically as if they were in the same room. Therefore, it can be considered best practice to have a comprehensive assortment of collaboration tools at your disposal for use in different circumstances. Etiquette Matters When communicating within a team, it is important that a certain level of decorum is maintained. For example, important conversations are not the place for redundancy. If a conversation drags on for too long or has far too many irrelevant details that drown out the important ones, the people who are supposed to get the message are far more likely to miss it. Make sure your team is subscribing to the KISS principle as much as they can when they are sharing important information with one another. Sarcasm also doesn’t translate well in many methods of communication, so avoiding its use is best, especially when remote work is involved. If someone misses the joke, it could create serious issues in your company culture and/or your productivity. On a related note, insist that your team keep important conversations free of jokes, memes, and emojis. Even if Grumpy Cat had some amusing commentary to offer that summed up the gist of your conversation well, there is the risk that the testy tabby will distract from an important detail. Make sure that any messages you share with your team are also very easy to understand, and if you receive some that aren’t, don’t be shy about asking for clarification. For collaboration to work properly, the right information needs to be passed along efficiently and comprehensively. This also makes proofreading especially important. Spending a few extra seconds to go over what you’ve written to make sure that there aren’t mistakes, omissions, or other factors to get in the way of what you’re trying to say helps keep you from having to backtrack and explain things again later. This can also keep incorrect presumptions from influencing the results of your efforts. Remote work can be challenging to adapt to, but the right tools and behaviors to facilitate communications can simplify things considerably. For assistance in setting up the communication solutions to make remote work a feasible option for your business, reach out to SRS Networks by calling (831) 758-3636.