My take on #Microsoft

1. Microsoft365 is the future for Small to Medium businesses. Pretty much every single product Microsoft are producing has M365 at the foundation. In my opinion, I love this – When GSuite, Dropbox, Apple and Android came along they disrupted the IT Market, As a IT Admin or Business owner it felt like we lost control of the data. M365 solves this and still allows users to use whatever device they like, wherever they like!

2. Microsoft Teams – Great product, getting better all the time lots of new improvements. i like to think of it as Whatsapp, File share, Meetings and Skype all rolled into one, easy to use app on any device.

3. Passwords – passwords are the number 1 reason for data theft. We’re moving into a pass-wordless world with Face, Fingerprint and Authentication apps. Much better than typing password in on a smartphone.

4. Windows 7 is End of Life – January 2020.

5. Windows Virtual Desktop is getting released for preview in 4 weeks – I’m really excited about this!! It’s basically your desktop in the cloud on any device. Very Secure!

Every single point I’ve mentioned above is part of Microsoft365. There was one session on Server2019… ONE!

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Cheers 🙂 William

 

Any company that takes cyber security seriously will have an array of defences to plug the gaps that cyber criminals could exploit. Unfortunately, fewer create defences for the biggest danger of all — humans. Our cyber security experts have created a top 10 cyber security tips below to help you protect your business against cyber criminals.

You can have all the security tools you can afford, but a single person who fails to follow procedures can let the hackers in. Simply clicking a link or opening an attachment can be the fatal step that leads to a massive data breach.

So what are the things to remind your employees of — or to remember yourself, for that matter? We have ten of the most important.

1. You’re Not Immune To Cyber Attacks

The worst possible attitude to take for the purposes of cyber security is “it couldn’t happen to me.” It doesn’t matter whether your business is large or small, you’re a target for cyber criminals. The biggest difference between those who are victims and those who aren’t is vigilance.

2. Up Your Password Game

Having a strong password is a minimum requirement for cyber security. It shouldn’t be anything that could be too obviously associated with you (such as pet’s name) in case the criminals are following your social media. Use a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers and other symbols — and, most importantly, keep it to yourself. Don’t write it down anywhere, and certainly not on a note stuck to your computer.

3. Keep Your Devices Locked

Any unattended computer, tablet or phone is a vulnerability. If you’re going to leave it, even for a very short time, make sure it’s locked up, either physically or by logging out of your account. Whatever you need to do to ensure no-one can use it while you’re away. And that goes for any flash drives or external hard drives, as well.

4. Think Before You Click

If you receive an email with links or attachments, don’t click on it unless you’re absolutely sure it’s safe. Even if you know the sender, if the message’s contents are unusual or unexpected, the account may have been hacked. And don’t assume a link is necessarily safe because the URL looks familiar. A favourite trick of cyber criminals is to use a URL that looks like one you’d trust, but with one or two characters different.

5. Be Careful How You Browse

You can’t use the internet without browsing, but beware of clicking on anything that looks interesting, especially if you’re not on your own personal computer with a trusted network. One of those sites you land on could be a trap. If you’re using a public computer or a café’s free WiFi, your data could be at risk.

6. Back-ups Are Your Friend

Cyber criminals don’t just steal your data. They may also block your access to it, or crash your devices so that everything’s lost. Make sure you back your data up regularly, preferably to a secure cloud service, as well as keeping your anti-virus software up to date.

7. Watch Your Hardware

It isn’t only emails and websites that pose a danger to your devices. Malware can lurk on external hard drives, flash drives or smartphones, so be vigilant about what you’re plugging into your computer.

8. Criminals Use Social Media Too

The dangers of social media have been much in the news lately, but a less-publicised hazard is that cyber criminals may be using it to get information from you. Finding out where you work or when you go on holiday can help them — and those games based on using your first school or your first pet can give them the answer to your security questions. Think before you share information.

9. There Are Also Dangers Offline

Just because cyber criminals target you online doesn’t mean they don’t also try to get your information in other ways. You’ve probably at some time had a phone call from someone claiming to be your bank or utility company, or even the police. If you give the information they ask for, you might be letting them into anything from your bank account to your computer’s data. You have the perfect right to refuse and call a genuine number for the organisation to check.

10. Monitor Your Accounts

An invasion of your accounts may start slowly, allowing the cyber criminals to get their claws into you. Monitor all your accounts regularly for any unusual activity that could be criminal activity. You may still have time to do something about it.

Cyber Security Tips Conclusion

I hope you have found our cyber security tips useful. There’s no substitute for improving your cyber security — both by installing and maintaining powerful systems and by training your workforce to use their devices intelligently and vigilantly. You’re very welcome to get in touch with us if you want to know more about staying safe online.

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It’s no exaggeration to say that cloud computing has revolutionised the way people do business; so much so that 88% of UK organisations have now adopted it in some form.

And this is where the fun begins. Because there are an infinite number of ways to implement the cloud for your business.

Some businesses go all in, transferring everything to the cloud. Others stick with a hybrid solution; keeping the benefits of some on site servers and technology.

There’s no right or wrong way to do it; just what’s best for your specific business. It’s why you should always get an experienced, professional IT support company to pull together your technology strategy for you.

We’ve written this educational guide to explain the different options that are open to you. This guide might reinforce that your current set up is spot on. Or it might give you some powerful ideas to explore, to gain greater flexibility and productivity.

The guide is free for business owners and managers. Download your copy for free here.

Business technology is changing at a rate that few companies can keep up with. Even giant organisations often struggle with outdated systems, and it’s an even bigger challenge for smaller companies to stay up to date with both technology and expertise.

It isn’t only the technology itself that’s changing quickly, though. IT is changing the way we do business, and one of those ways is an increase in opportunities for outsourcing. So can outsourcing solve this problem?

Outsourcing IT support is increasing at a rate of about 5.9% a year, according to Computer Weekly Magazine. Here are ten top reasons why this may be the right answer for your business.

1. Reduced Staff Costs

Dedicated IT staff don’t come cheaply. A good IT Manager is likely to expect a salary of at least £50,000, and that’s only the start. When you add recruitment costs, company benefits and ongoing training — essential in a fast-changing environment — the costs quickly mount up.

Outsourced IT, on the other hand, just involves a single, regular payment that can be easily budgeted for. It’s up to the supplier to ensure their staff are up to date in knowledge.

2. Keeping Up with Skills

Both new technologies and updated versions of existing systems are coming at such a rate that it’s difficult to keep up. In practice, it’s not feasible to ensure all relevant in-house staff are familiar with the latest requirements.

Even if it were an option to have someone fully trained in house, this too poses problems. Maintenance of the IT infrastructure is crucial for a business, but your expert is likely to be idle for a good deal of the time.

On the other hand, if you have an outsourced unlimited IT support contract, you can call on a qualified expert with up-to-date knowledge when you need them. The rest of the time, you don’t have to find them something to do.

3. Flexibility in IT Support

Having your own IT engineer may certainly offer some advantages, but it also throws up numerous problems. What happens if a second crisis arises while the engineer is already working on a problem? What happens if something arises while your engineer is on holiday or off sick?

Quite apart from these issues, one engineer is unlikely to be an expert in every problem that may arise, even if they can keep up to date with the necessary training. On the other hand, an outsourced IT company will be able to provide a full range of expertise whenever you need it. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing there’ll always be someone available who can solve your crisis.

4. The Recruitment Dilemma

If you’re going to employ an IT expert to manage and maintain your systems, you’re faced with a paradox. You want someone with a high level of knowledge and ability, but how can you assess that without having an IT background yourself?

This isn’t a recent dilemma. In 2010, the Confederation of British Industry ran a Skills Survey which found that 53% of employers doubted their ability to find staff with the skill required.

Outsourcing your IT support gets rid of this problem. As long as you satisfy yourself about the company’s reputation and credibility, you can be confident about leaving recognition of expertise to them.

5. Productivity Issues

One common solution to the issue previously  outlined, that a dedicated IT Manager may not have enough to do during some periods, is to train one or more existing staff members to act as a part-time IT support. This has the dual attractions of reducing costs and offering flexibility.

However, not only are these people not genuine IT experts, but working on this area also takes them away from the jobs you originally hired them to do. There are likely to be issues they can’t fix, and meanwhile their productivity in helping your business grow is compromised.

It’s likely to be a sounder solution in the long run to outsource IT support to a company that can provide the top expertise, thus leaving your own staff free to concentrate on what they do best.

6. Up-to-Date Technology

IT is developing at such a rate that it can be hard to keep up. It may be crucial for your company to have the latest, cutting-edge technology — but, unless you’re an expert yourself, how can you be sure you’re making the right choices?

Even if you have a dedicated IT Manager, they’re not likely to be on top of every type of technology. An outsourced IT consultancy company, on the hand, will have a team of specialists who’ll keep you up to date on the new technology that’s ideal for you.

7. Additional Services

Your current IT arrangements might suit you at the moment, but in the IT world standing still means slipping back. Outsourcing to an IT support company means you’ll have access to a range of additional value-added services when you need them. These include:

• Mobility — In the modern business world, having your workers stuck in the office puts you at a big disadvantage. An outsourced company can help you make your staff more mobile without compromising security.
• Disaster Planning — Any disaster that crashes your system could also crash your company for good. You can avoid that by having a disaster plan to ensure your company can continue.
• Cloud Solutions — There are many benefits to migrating to the cloud, including reducing costs for capital and support on an ongoing basis.

The various extra services the company can provide are likely to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance productivity. They can also reduce the risks in case of crisis.

8. Being Proactive

Most companies tend to maintain their IT systems on a break/fix strategy, addressing problems as they arise. This can often have a negative impact on productivity while engineers repair faults.

Outsourced IT support can offer round-the-clock proactive support, identifying and fixing potential issues before they disrupt your business. It can also provide full automation for software updates and installing patches, along with ongoing diagnostics on your server to prevent problems arising.

9. Managing Risks

Outsourcing your IT support offers the opportunity to manage risks in case of a crisis, as well as the problems that may arise on an ongoing basis. The agreement may also include the IT support company accepting legal responsibility, so that you could seek damages if anything goes wrong.

10. Run Your Business, Not Your IT

The IT your company uses is a tool, not an end in itself. Your focus should be on the big picture, growing your business and increasing your profit, but it’s easy to get bogged down in detail.

Managing and maintaining your IT systems doesn’t have to be one of those details, if you outsource it to a reliable company. Why not get in touch to find out more about how outsourcing could help you.