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June 17, 2021 In Managed IT Services, Our Blogs By admin

The Hybrid Workforce Is Here

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the way people worked drastically, and it did it very suddenly. As more people are being vaccinated, offices are starting to reopen. Workers, who gained substantial flexibility by working from home, however, are now expecting some of that flexibility to continue. Employers, who up until mandated shutdowns were not enthusiastic that they could make the remote workforce work for their companies are now set up to manage them proficiently. This month we thought we would take a look at the inevitable compromise that is being reached: the hybrid workplace.

A Necessary Shift

For years, workers had been chomping at the bit to be allowed to work remotely. Some companies made it work for them, while others attempted it only to realize that it was too difficult or in some cases costly to permanently utilize the strategy. The lion’s share of companies axed the idea from the get-go. This all changed when jobs that could be done remotely were moved offsite due to health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies that for years had been denying their workforce the ability to work from home, now needed people to.

Obviously, some businesses weren’t set up for this. Others, that had invested in cloud-hosted tools as a way to control capital costs, were miles ahead. Most businesses needed to make adjustments, as did most workers. Regardless of how management viewed the work-from-home model, the sustainability of many businesses was at stake, and as a result, it was clear how the situation had to be approached. Business owners and managers needed remote workers to keep their businesses running.

Workers From Home

For many workers, there was some excitement when they were forced to work from home. Over time, however, some workers have shown fatigue. Others have prospered. Workers with children who were also home for much of the time due to the same health concerns, found it to be both a benefit and a curse. As regulations start to ease some workers, who have thrived during this period, are afraid that the good work they put in during the pandemic won’t be rewarded as their management teams bring people back to the workplace. Others just want to get out of their houses and are looking forward to the personal interaction they typically have at work. There are a lot of different situations and a lot of different perspectives.

Ultimately, given the flexibility that remote work provides, a lot of workers simply don’t want to go back to how it was before. The studies that have been conducted over the past several months make this clear. In fact, one survey found that 87 percent of workers that worked remotely over the past year would like the ability to continue to do so in some fashion after the risks subside.

The Compromise

With the lack of concert expectations from management and the workforce, the workforce of the future will likely adopt some type of hybrid model. What this means is that workers will be asked to be in the office on certain days and be able to continue to work from home on the others. This is not just because workers want to work from home. It is also because people are going to be worried about going back to work with the COVID-19 pandemic still an issue, even if they are vaccinated. It’s just an uncomfortable situation, especially as tens of millions of people outright refuse to get the vaccine. 

The hybrid model still needs to be hashed out for a lot of businesses, including who would work from where when. Do you need to schedule specific days for people to be in the office, or would it be more about who needs to collaborate or use internal resources that are more secure and more readily available from the confines of the office? Your individual business will dictate how the hybrid workplace should be structured at your company. 

The Main Benefit of the Hybrid Workplace

While it doesn’t seem like there are a lot of benefits on the surface to doing business this way, you need to understand just how expensive it is to replace workers. As mentioned above, workers will look for the situations that will benefit them, and for a business that has been operating for over a year with a completely remote workforce, allowing your employees to work from home a couple of times a week is a compromise that you have to make. Your employees want flexibility and making this move will help your retention rates and your staff’s overall happiness. Ultimately, you save from having to replace the workers that will most likely leave if you were to make them come back to the office full-time.

The post-pandemic workplace will look different, but through the use of technology, you can successfully move on from the pandemic with your staff intact. If you want to talk to one of our IT consultants about the technology that can help you successfully implement the hybrid workforce strategy in your business, give us a call today at 216-503-5150.

 

 

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June 14, 2021 In Managed IT Services By admin

A Solid Mobile Device Strategy Needs These 3 Components

It’s no surprise that mobile technology has infiltrated the workplace in more ways than one. Many businesses issue company-owned devices to their employees to get work done while out of the office, while others allow employees to bring their own devices, or use their own laptops and smartphones for fulfilling their day-to-day duties. That being said, it’s important to remember that mobile devices need to be managed in a very specific way to maintain security.

Let’s discuss how your business can manage the benefits of mobile devices in the workplace without sacrificing security.

Remote Wiping

Let’s say that one of your employees goes on a business trip and they set their briefcase down for a moment while they order a cup of coffee or some other task. When they return, the briefcase is gone, along with any devices that were in it. Besides scolding the employee for their negligence, your first thought might drift to the question of “What about the data found on that laptop?” What might the thief do with such data? The possibilities should have you concerned. Should you fail to recover the device, you will want the capabilities to remotely wipe the device of any and all sensitive data. This is to ensure that hackers don’t make use of it against your organization and to comply with various data privacy regulations. While it might stink to lose the device and have to replace it, it would stink more to have that data fall into the wrong hands.

 

Whitelisting and Blacklisting Applications

Some smartphone and desktop applications will be more secure than others, meaning that you will need to be extra cautious in what you allow applications to access on your devices. While we encourage all users to pay attention to what permissions are granted to applications, this is especially important for businesses. You should have the capabilities to whitelist and blacklist applications based on their potential merits or risks, thus keeping your devices (and data) as secure as possible.

 

Managing and Tracking Devices

Finally, you will want to consider a method for keeping track of any and all devices used to access your organization’s data. This includes any company-issued devices and employee-owned devices used for work purposes. You want to know who has which device at any given time, when that device was issued, what the employee is using the device for, etc. All of this helps you keep track of devices so that you can be sure they are being used effectively and, most important of all, safely.

 

Implement a Mobile Device Management Policy

If you want a comprehensive all-in-one policy to keep track of your company’s mobile devices, look no further than mobile device management from Net Activity. We can help your business stay on top of its mobile devices and reinforce best practices at every turn. To learn more, reach out to us at 216-503-5150.

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June 10, 2021 In Managed IT Services By admin

Here’s The Right Way To Inventory Your Technology

Businesses use technology to varying degrees, but even small businesses have a lot of technology that must be tracked on a daily basis. With so many devices floating around the office, how are you making sure that you know who has which device, when it was issued, and how it’s being used? We suppose the question is not “how” you are keeping track of it all, but “if.” For this task, we recommend implementing an inventory tracking system for your business’ technological assets.

 

Do I Really Need One?

In short, yes, and for a number of reasons. Even small businesses have a ton of technology that is constantly being assigned, reassigned, and taken out of the office. Take, for example, the average employee. They might have a work desktop that stays at the office, a company-issued laptop for working remotely, and maybe even a company-issued smartphone to stay in touch while out and about. It makes sense to track who is in possession of which device from both a logistics and security perspective.

 

That said, your tracking system will be made up of two different components: the tracking method itself and the records you keep. You could, of course, keep a paper leger of technology, complete with manual sign-in and sign-out, but this system is just begging to be replaced by technology. Paper records are much less secure and prone to user error, so we encourage you to use one of the following methods for tracking your business tech.

 

Tracking (Barcodes, RFID)

There are two ways that your business can track inventory coming into or out of your organization. The first is through the use of a barcode scanner system. In this case, you assign each piece of technology, be it a laptop or smartphone, a barcode. When the device is assigned to someone, you simply scan the barcode. This records in the system that the device is “checked out,” so to speak, along with all other necessary details (which we will get to in a moment).

 

The other notable method of tracking your technology is to use what’s called Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The difference between the two is that unlike barcodes, which are just pieces of paper with a pattern printed on them, RFID uses microchips attached to the device. There are two types of RFID technology that can be used: passive and active. In an active system, the microchip is tagged when the device moves through a reader (kind of like a scanner in the aforementioned system). In a passive system, the microchip is tagged when it enters or leaves a specific radius.

 

Electronic Record Keeping

Whichever method you decide to go with, it should be hooked up to automatically populate information into an electronic record-keeping system. As for what information should be included in said system, you will want to know who is taking the device, what the device is, what the device will be used for, contact information for the employee taking the device, and any other information that you might find pertinent. Essentially, what you should be aiming for is enough information to be able to track down the employee should you need to retrieve any assigned devices.

 

Need Help Getting Started?

As you might have guessed, this kind of tracking system can be used for much more than just technology. Net Activity can help your business get set up with an inventory tracking system that will help you reduce waste, increase your bottom line, and improve redundancy. 

 

When we work with a business, we track every device we implement or touch. That way, we can track the overall history of support over the lifespan of the device. We’re big on documenting and linking all of our documentation to the device and user because it helps us streamline and provide the best support possible.

 

To learn more, reach out to us at 216-503-5150.

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June 7, 2021 In IT Security Services, Managed IT Services By admin

Defend Your Business From These 5 Types Of Hackers

“Know thine enemy” — it means to get to know them and their motives. In this blog, we take a close look at the five types of dangerous hackers, what their motives are, and how they operate.

Script kiddies
In terms of skill, script kiddies (or skids, for short) are at the bottom of the hacker totem pole. Their name comes from the fact that they use scripts or other automated tools written by others. They are often young people on a quest for internet notoriety or simply bored and searching for a thrill.

Script kiddies shouldn’t be dismissed so easily, however. The ILOVEYOU virus, considered one of the worst malware on the planet, was developed by skids.

Hacktivists
Hacktivists often hack into businesses and government systems to promote a particular political agenda or to effect social change. These so-called “hackers with a cause” steal confidential information to expose or disrupt their target’s operations.

Even if you’re a small- or medium-sized business (SMB) owner, you’re not immune to hacktivist attacks. This is especially true if your company is associated or partnered with organizations that are prime hacktivist targets.

Cybercriminals
Cybercriminals break into digital systems or networks with the intent to steal, destroy, taint, and/or lock away data. They usually target individuals, SMBs, and large companies that have exploitable weaknesses in their cybersecurity.

Cybercriminals attack using a variety of methods, including social engineering tactics to trick users into volunteering sensitive personal or company data. This information is then used for identity theft, sold on the dark web, or leveraged to launch attacks against other businesses. Cybercriminals can also infect computers with ransomware and other types of malware.

State-sponsored hackers
True to their name, these hackers are backed by governments. The hackers’ goal is to promote their backer’s interests within their own country or abroad. In most cases, this involves taking down websites that criticize the state, swaying public opinion, cyber-terrorism, and leaking top-secret information, among others.

As they are, state-sponsored hackers are already dangerous to business owners, but even more so when they make it their goal to cripple an entire country’s financial system or disrupt commodity supply lines. This could involve interfering with the economy or disrupting business operations. Tech and pharmaceutical companies are a frequent target, but businesses in other industries aren’t safe from state-sponsored hackers either.

Insiders
The scariest type of hacker is the one that lurks within your own organization. An insider can be your company’s current and former employees, contractors, or business associates. Oftentimes their mission is payback. They’ll steal sensitive documents or try to disrupt the organization’s operations to right a wrong they believe a company has done to them. Edward Snowden is a prime example of an insider who hacked the organization he worked for — the US government.

Malicious hackers are always changing their tactics to meet their goals, making them an ever-present threat to any organization, including yours. You must stay one step ahead by working with cybersecurity experts who can help protect your company from dangerous hackers and other cyber threats. Contact our team today to get started.

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June 5, 2021 In Managed IT Services, Office 365 By admin

Windows 10 To Get Several New Features

Recently, Microsoft announced that later this year, Windows 10 will get a significant update to be called Windows 10 Version 21H2, which will feature a significant number of updates and enhancements. Among other things, these updates will include a couple of aesthetic enhancements such as a redesigned Start Menu, with a new option added to the “Power” sub menu allowing you to restart apps after signing in when you reboot your device.

Another aesthetic tweak is the addition of a new system font. It isn’t much of a departure from the current font (within the same family), but does solve for legibility issues, no matter how large or small the font is.

In addition to that, Microsoft will enable support for HDR mode in apps that use ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles. This includes programs like CorelDraw, Adobe’s Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Photoshop. In a nutshell, the new feature will enable programs that support it to generate accurate colors and access the full range of your HDR display.

One of the more exciting additions added to the mix is a news feed for the taskbar, which will work a lot like “Google Discover” works on Android devices. Bearing the title “News and Interests,” it will display abbreviated news stories, sports scores, or summaries of articles you may be interested in, based on your interests and physical location.

The news feed will be pinned to the taskbar and users can hover over the weather icon to access it. Additionally, you’ll be able to customize your feed by clicking on the “Manage Interests” button which will launch a customization page in the new Chromium-based Edge browser.

On top of all this, you’ll also find enhancements to your display settings, camera settings and even a new touch-friendly interface for File Explorer. While none of these changes are game changers, taken together, they represent a significant step forward in terms of overall user experience. Kudos to Microsoft. The upcoming enhancements look fantastic and we can hardly wait to start playing with them.

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June 1, 2021 In IT Security Services, Managed IT Services By admin

Breaking Bad Habits – 4 Ways Your Employees Are Putting Your Business At Risk Of Cyber-Attack

Several years ago, TechRepublic ran a story with the following headline: “Employees Are Almost As Dangerous To Business As Hackers And Cybercriminals.” From the perspective of the business, you might think that’s simply inaccurate. Your company strives to hire the best people it can find – people who are good at their jobs and would never dream of putting their own employer at risk.

Your employees are instrumental when it comes to protecting your business from cyber threats. But they can also become targets for hackers and cybercriminals, and they might not know it. Here are four ways your employees might be endangering your business and themselves — and what you can do about it.

  1. They’re Not Practicing Safe And Secure Web Browsing. One of the most basic rules of the Internet is to not click on anything that looks suspicious. These days, however, it can be harder to tell what’s safe and what isn’t.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid websites that do not have “https” in front of their web address. The “s” tells you it’s secure – https stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. If all you see is “http” – no “s” – then you should not trust putting your data on that website, as you don’t know where your data might end up.

Another way to practice safe web browsing is to avoid clicking on ads or by using an ad blocker, such as uBlock Origin (a popular ad blocker for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox). Hackers can use ad networks to install malware on a user’s computer and network.

  1. They’re Not Using Strong Passwords. This is one of the worst IT security habits out there. It’s too easy for employees to use simple passwords or to reuse the same password over and over again or to use one password for everything. Or, worse yet, all of the above.

Cybercriminals love it when people get lazy with their passwords. If you use the same password over and over, and that password is stolen in a data breach (unbeknownst to you), it becomes super easy for cybercriminals to access virtually any app or account tied to that password. No hacking needed!

To avoid this, your employees must use strong passwords, change passwords every 60 to 90 days, and not reuse old passwords. It might sound tedious, especially if they rely on multiple passwords, but when it comes to the IT security of your business, it’s worth it. One more thing: the “tedious” argument really doesn’t hold much water either, thanks to password managers like 1Password and LastPass that make it easy to create new passwords and manage them across all apps and accounts.

  1. They’re Not Using Secure Connections. This is especially relevant for remote workers, but it’s something every employee should be aware of. You can find WiFi virtually everywhere, and it makes connecting to the Internet very easy. A little too easy. When you can connect to an unverified network at the click of a button, it should raise eyebrows.

And unless your employee is using company-issued hardware, you have no idea what their endpoint security situation is. It’s one risk after another, and it’s all unnecessary. The best policy is to prohibit employees from connecting to unsecured networks (like public WiFi) with company property.

Instead, they should stick to secure networks that then connect via VPN. This is on top of the endpoint security that should be installed on every device that connects to your company’s network: malware protection, antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-ransomware, firewalls, you name it! You want to put up as many gates between your business interests and the outside digital world as you can.

  1. They’re Not Aware Of Current Threats. How educated is your team about today’s cybersecurity threats? If you don’t know, or you know the answer isn’t a good one, it’s time for a change. One of the biggest threats to your business is a workforce that doesn’t know what a phishing e-mail looks like or doesn’t know who to call when something goes wrong on the IT side of things.

If an employee opens an e-mail they shouldn’t or clicks a “bad” link, it can compromise your entire business. You could end up the victim of a data breach. Or a hacker might decide to hold your data hostage until you pay up. This happens every day to businesses around the world – and hackers are relentless. They will use your own employees against you if given the chance.

Your best move is to get your team trained up and educated about current threats facing your business. Working with a managed service provider or partnering with an IT services firm is an excellent way to accomplish this and to avoid everything we’ve talked about in this article. Education is a powerful tool and, when used right, it can protect your business and your employees.

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