Understanding Ransomware & Keeping Your Business Safe

Posted on December 18, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

If you’ve seen any of the (MANY) recent reports about ransomware attacks on businesses and their profound effect on the business and its clients, you know that ransomware is a serious danger that your company needs to be prepared to combat. The best defense, as the old adage goes, is a good offense. This has never been truer than when it comes to ransomware. By understanding what ransomware is and creating a security plan in advance, you can save your business’ and clients’ data from a malicious attack.

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5 Essential Cybersecurity Measures for Small Business

Posted on December 3, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

Imagine you’re a small business owner in a thriving marketplace, and you’re looking toward a successful future. Then, your network gets hacked, customer data is exposed, and you find yourself struggling to recover. You’re losing clients. You’ve lost money. Your business insurance is through the roof. This is becoming an all-too-familiar story. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to cyberattack. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the cost of cybercrimes in 2018 was more than $2.5 billion. With statistics like these, it’s no wonder national agencies are warning small businesses to take action. Investing in improved cybersecurity for your business now can save your company if it comes under attack by cybercriminals.

Why Should Small Businesses Make Cybersecurity a Priority?

In recent communications, the Department of Homeland Security and the Small Business Association have released information concerning the increasing risk of cybercrimes in small businesses. If you’re a small business owner, it’s essential to understand that those who perpetrate cybercrimes may be targeting you. Because small business owners tend to devote fewer resources to cybersecurity than larger businesses, these cybercriminals know they are more likely to access the information they want without being detected. The main types of security breaches that small business should be concerned about include:

Advanced, persistent threats – this means the network was accessed, information was extracted, and the cybercriminal continued to silently probe security limits and remove information over the course of an extended timeframe.
Password-based attacks – usually a one-off infiltration, the hacker uses a stolen or otherwise acquired password to get into your system and take information, drain funds, or do other damage.
Malware attacks – this form of attack may be singular or ongoing. It uses an outside software to infiltrate your company’s network. From there, the damage to your business is only limited by the creativity of the programmer.
Phishing scams – these scams use communications that appear legitimate, including emails, text messages, and social media messages, to access information from users. In your personal life, you may quickly delete suspicious messages without a second thought, but professionally, you may feel the need to further investigate messages (even if they look suspicious) to avoid losing potential business. Cybercriminals know this, and they will take advantage of this increased vulnerability.

1 – Provide Education for Your Team

A knowledgeable employee is much less likely to expose your business to threats from cybercriminals. Create a basic cybersecurity policies and procedures document and make sure it’s reinforced with training. These policies and procedures and training resources should include information like:

Appropriate internet usage
How to protect client information
Password strength
How to identify phishing scams
What to do if employees suspect a breach

2 – Create a Data Security Plan

In order to train your employees on cybersecurity policies and procedures, you need to have a plan in place. Your data security plan should defend against cyberattacks by:

Establishing and maintaining an internet firewall
Installing and updating antivirus and antimalware software
Creating password strength settings for new users
Requiring new passwords at least once a quarter
Protecting client data (especially payment and private information) with additional layers of security

3 – Secure Your Wi-Fi Network

In addition to an internet firewall, you need to secure your Wi-Fi network. Many businesses leave their network open to encourage customers to visit, but this can also encourage cybercriminals. Having a separate Wi-Fi network for your business functions that is hidden from broadcasting to outside users and password protected is essential. If you do have a Wi-Fi network open to customers, it should still be password protected. Many small businesses have fun with giving out the password in creative ways. Turn it into a puzzle for your customers to solve. Hide the password in your receipt text. There are many fun and creative ways to give patrons Wi-Fi access, and you’re still keeping your business protected.

4 – All Passwords Must be Strong & Frequently Changed

We know we’ve already mentioned passwords a few times, but many small businesses rely on passwords to protect their company information. It’s really important that every user who accesses your business network has a strong password that is changed frequently. There are many ways to establish settings that require complex passwords and prompt users to change them regularly. A best practice is to ensure employees change their passwords once a quarter.

5 – Limit & Monitor Use of Mobile Devices

Mobile devices are now used, almost constantly, as part of running a small business. In fact, research indicates that allowing employees to access company email and other systems via smartphones, tablets, and mobile devices can actually boost productivity. Unfortunately, this brings its own added layer of security risk. Make sure that your systems are protected with robust passwords that are changed often and consult with professionals about how to create increased security for mobile devices. You may also want to monitor mobile device usage (when appropriate). Specifically, if your employees use mobile devices that are owned by your business, you may want to monitor how these devices are being used.

Let IT ArchiTeks Provide Dedicated IT Services for Your Small Business

Many IT security firms offer big security packages that are way outside of your small business budget. At IT ArchiTeks, we do things a little differently. We work with businesses of all sizes to create customized network security, communication management systems, and IT service plans that fit your business needs – and budget. When you’re ready to get started, contact our knowledgeable team. We look forward to talking to you.

Does Your Business Need a Virtual Assistant?

Posted on November 14, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

“Alexa, where’s my stuff?”

“Hey Google, when’s my next appointment?”

“Siri, do I have any tasks left before I can go home for the day?”

Can you imagine a workplace where your employees are chatting with their virtual assistants daily? Virtual assistants have become ubiquitous in homes, and almost every family uses some sort of virtual assistant, smart speaker, or smart home hub on a daily basis. While these devices continue to gain in popularity for home use, most businesses haven’t adopted them yet. There are a number of factors that come into play when determining whether or not to use a virtual assistant in the office, including the need for improved security and remote monitoring to ensure your business data is safe when employees use virtual assistants. In this blog, we take a closer look at the use of virtual assistants for business and how they can be incorporated to streamline and improve workflow, employee efficiency, and task management.

How’s Your Digital Literacy? Take the Quiz!

Posted on November 5, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

How much time do you spend online? Most Americans spend 24 hours a week online, but a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that most people in the U.S. struggle with understanding online privacy and cybersecurity. In fact, the majority of people polled answered fewer than half the questions in the study correctly. If you want to find out how your digital literacy compares to those polled, take our quiz below.

So, You’ve Had a Data Breach – 5 Steps to Turn a Fail into a Win

Posted on October 5, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

You always go above and beyond to secure the private data of your clients and employees, but even the most conscientious network security measures can be compromised. Do you have an action plan in place if a security breach occurs? Taking the right steps after a security breach ensures you can protect your business reputation and keep your clients and employees happy.

Backup & Disaster Recovery 101 – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on September 25, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

If you run a business in 2019, you need a backup and disaster recovery plan in place. This is not something you can do without. The odds are good that 99% of your company’s information and processes all happen through computers. That means you need an information technology (IT) infrastructure in place that allows you to save, share, and access your company’s workloads and data. What happens when something goes wrong within your IT infrastructure? That’s where a backup and disaster recovery plan comes in. In most cases, you’ll hear these two terms used together – because they, like peanut butter and jelly, are better together – but they are actually two separate things. In this blog, we take a closer look at what backup and disaster recovery are, why they matter for your business, and how to test your current system to ensure your business is ready if the unthinkable happens.

Can Regular Computer Maintenance Save My Company Money?

Posted on September 5, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

The short answer is yes! Computers should be considered an investment that needs to be maintained to ensure they function properly and last for years. While it may seem like computers and technology in general are changing so quickly your business can’t possibly keep up, by updating your computer software, protecting from viruses and other security risks, and properly maintaining systems, you can keep a computer running as it did out of the box for years, giving you the opportunity to plan and budget for replacement.

Is it Safe to Use Cloud-Based Hosting?

Posted on August 27, 2019August 19, 2021 by Derek Veillon

Cloud-based hosting for data is happening at record rates, and there’s no sign that this trend is going to change anytime soon. Business owners and office managers worry that storage and business processes hosted on the cloud may be at higher risk from hacking, malware, and ransomware, but for some businesses, cloud-based hosting may actually offer increased security. IT ArchiTeks offers managed hosting services. We can help you understand and migrate to the cloud or transition from an on-site storage and networking systems (read – large, noisy server rooms) to cloud-based hosting for business networking, storage, and content management. When used properly, the right cloud-based hosting solution can be just as secure (if not more so) than the traditional systems you’re used to. In fact, many cloud-based hosting solutions are held to very rigorous security standards that ensure your business’ information and processes are stored, shared, and accessed securely.

What is Cloud-Based Hosting?

Cloud-based hosting is, basically, subcontracted data storage, networking, and or specific business process that used to be maintained on-site through servers, physical (wired) connections, and other solutions. Instead, these data and processes are housed on cloud-based (internet-connected) servers without the need for your business to maintain or manage any of the equipment on-site. One of the most basic forms of cloud hosting is email. Every time you send an email, you are using a cloud to store and share your communication. As long as your device has an internet connection, there’s no need to download specific emails. You can simply use the internet to access them again later. Cloud-based hosting is like email on a much larger scale. Instead of just storing and accessing individual communications, cloud-based hosting allows businesses to store, share, and access all kinds of files, processes, and communications in a virtual environment. This is great news for the remote-worker business model that is only going to grow in popularity in coming years.

Here’s How Cloud Hosting Keeps Your Business Information Safe

Now for the long-form answer to the question about cloud-hosting security. Yes, cloud hosting is safe for your business – under the right conditions. You still need to do your research and find the right option for your cloud-based hosting needs, and IT ArchiTeks can help with that. Some of the specific ways that cloud hosting keeps your business safe and secure include:

Protection from Disaster

If you have all of your business information on-site in one location, a disaster can set you back weeks or months, or it can put you out of business completely. Flooding, fires, theft, and any other disaster could mean huge losses, but cloud-based hosting means your data is safe offsite. Most businesses can get back on track within days (or even hours) of a disaster by accessing their information through the cloud.

Redundancy

If you’ve ever talked to an IT consultant about protecting your business information, you’ve heard the word redundancy countless times. We talk about it so much because it’s really important. If you only have one copy of something, losing it means losing time and money. Cloud-based hosting platforms offer automatic redundancy protocols for most information, which means if a server goes down, there’s a backup and you don’t lose any information or time on task.

Security Standards

As more information is shared and stored online, many industries have set standards of expected security for data. It’s important that business owners and managers who work within these industries are familiar with the standards, it can be more difficult to determine how best to meet or exceed these basic security regulations. Most cloud-based hosting providers offer security protocols that meet or exceed those set by individual industries. For higher risk businesses like financial institutions and healthcare providers, there are cloud-based solutions that are made specifically to meet the more stringent standards of security in these fields.

Monitoring

Finally, cloud-based hosting services rely on active monitoring to troubleshoot and prevent problems before they start. If you’ve ever had a server go down, you know how long it can take to get everything back online, but with reliable monitoring, these server crashes and other common concerns can be avoided altogether.

Let IT ArchiTeks Help

While it can be completely safe to use the cloud for your business network, hosting, and storage functions, you still need to ensure you’re using the right resources with information security protocols that meet the standards in your industry. IT ArchiTeks can help you better understand your cloud hosting options, find products that make sense for your business, and maintain security and privacy for your company and employees. Call our team when you’re ready to schedule a consultation appointment to discuss security options for cloud hosting or help for all your IT service and security needs.

10 Steps to Make Implementing Business Communication Tools Easier

Posted on August 13, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

Most office managers and company owners have been down the long, frustrating road of introducing a new business communication tool that promises to improve inter-departmental productivity and collaboration. Then, employees don’t use it. When you’ve invested the time and money to find the right communication software and collaboration tools for your business, this can be frustrating. While getting everyone in the company to buy-in and use your new communication tool seems like an impossible dream, you can take some steps to improve employee buy-in.

1 – Find Something Mobile Device Friendly

Most of your employees want to communicate using their phones and tablets, so any business communication tool you invest in should be mobile device friendly. You may be worried about security, employee productivity, and other concerns associated with having employees using mobile devices, but mobile device management services from IT ArchiTeks will put your mind at ease and keep your employees happy and productive.

2 – Do the Research First & Pick Something You Like Using

What do we mean when we talk about business communication tools? That may be referring to your traditional communication systems like phones, but today, business communication increasingly relies on the use of a variety of tools for instant messaging, video conferencing, sharing documents, collaborating on projects, and even giving presentations. Some examples include:

Collaboration – communication products that allow employees to collaborate on projects in real time, share files and information securely, and stay on task more easily are extremely valuable in today’s increasingly virtual workspaces. ProofHub is one popular option, but Microsoft Azure and Google Drive can also offer great options for collaboration. ProofHub and similar products are built to make the process easier and they include training support.
Chats – if you just have a quick question or need someone to help you with a task while you’re sitting at your computer, chat apps are invaluable. Rather than texting or using traditional email chats that might not offer enough data security, you can invest in products that allow your employees to discuss information quickly within a secure platform. Microsoft Teams, HipChat, and others give your employees easy and secure ways to chat throughout the day.
Conferencing tools – with an increasing number of employees and businesses being run outside of traditional brick and mortar buildings, video and voice conferencing is becoming much more important. There are numerous paid and open source options out there, but for ease of use and security Zoom really can’t be rivaled. Microsoft’s Skype is a great conferencing tool, and it is often included in Microsoft business packages.

We could keep going, and for every type of business communication tool, you’ll find 1,000 specific options. At the end of the day, we recommend trying them out, and picking one that offers the functionality you’re looking for in a format that you actually like to use. As a company leader, if you like a product, you’ll be a good ambassador for it to your team.

3 – Plan First THEN Act

Once you find the right product, test it out. Ask a core team of employees to try it and give feedback. Then, work together to create an implementation plan for the product, list out all the office functions it will be used for, create guides for your employees, and be prepared for training and answering questions. Once your plan is in place, introduce the product to all of your employees. Too many businesses don’t do the planning on the front end before they implement a new product, and this is one of the leading causes of lack of buy-in from employees. When there’s no clear plan for the product, employees either don’t use it or misuse it.

4 – Ensure Privacy & Security

There are numerous open source business communication tools available, but one of the leading reasons businesses use paid products rather than free options is security. When you’re sharing business communications, documents, and resources, you don’t want the wrong people to have easy access. Before you invest in a product, review their privacy and security measures to ensure they meet or exceed the standards in your field.

5 – Communicate Clearly & Educate Employees

When you’re ready to share the new product with your employees, create a clear, concise way of educating people about how the product is used, what tasks you expect them to use it for, and when you want everyone to be using the new product. In addition to communicating this clearly, you should post this information electronically and/or physically, so employees can access information about the new product whenever they need it. Whatever timeline you set, make sure to check in with employees throughout the process to make sure they are transitioning to this new communication tool rather than leaning on their existing work arounds.

6 – Champion Your New Communication Tool

Don’t make using the new communication tool sound like a punishment. Instead, talk about why you picked it, what you like best about, and how much you hope it will make their jobs easier. Be positive about using the new option rather than negative about getting rid of the old processes. Change is never easy, but the more you talk about the benefits of a new product or system, the more likely people are to want to use it.

7 – Get Your Managers and a Core Group of Employees to Hype the Product

As a continuation of the 5^th step, you should recruit that team of core employees from the planning stage of the process as your product ambassadors. Encourage them to have team meetings to discuss what aspects of the new product will be beneficial for their specific job functions rather than the business in general. Make sure one person in each department is the go-to for questions and concerns about the product, and make sure you really listen to your employees if they express issues with the new product or process.

8 – Ask for Reviews from Employees

Don’t wait for your employees to come to you with concerns. Ask them to write a review after the first week using the product. Send out a survey email or ask your team leads to meet with their departments to get this feedback. Even if the product worked great when you tried it and seemed to have all the functionality you needed, there can still be issues after your employees start using the tool regularly.

9 – Don’t Give up Too Soon

After hearing negative reviews from employees or getting frustrated when employees don’t adopt the product right away, many managers and business owners just give up on the product altogether. Instead of throwing in the towel, give the provider an opportunity to help you fix the problems. Most products offer support services and customization for businesses, so reach out to them with concerns and ask them to help you solve problems.

10 – Work with IT ArchiTeks for Installation, Support & Maintenance

At the end of the day, you want your business to run smoothly and you need employees to work efficiently, but if finding the right product, installing it, and maintaining the systems and applications all sounds like more work than you have time for, let IT ArchiTeks help. Our team can help you find the best business communication tools, implement them effectively across departments, and keep your products functioning and secure. Give our team a call to learn more or schedule a consultation.

Microsoft Office 365 VS Microsoft Azure – What’s the Difference?

Posted on August 6, 2019August 17, 2021 by Derek Veillon

In the past few years, products for business like Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Azure have gotten a lot of attention, and they’re definitively being used by more companies of all sizes each year. If you’re not in the information technology (IT) field, you may not really know what these products are and what they can do for your company. This week’s blog discusses some of the unique characteristics and business options of both Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Azure, but if you want to know more specifically about how these products and services can improve your business, it’s time to talk to the IT ArchiTeks team. Contact us to learn more about our IT support and consulting options. Whether you’re struggling to migrate your business networks to the cloud or you’re unhappy with performance of your costly business software suites, we can help you find cost-effective solutions that work for you.

Microsoft Office 365

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you have probably used the Microsoft Office Suite. These are your daily-use products like Word, Excel, and Power Point. In the past, you may have purchased physical disks that contained individually licensed software to be used on one or a few devices. More recently, you likely updated to the downloaded version of the software for each of your business computers, and now, you’re hearing some rumblings about the benefits of switching to Microsoft Office 365. In addition to allowing for easy download online from any device, Microsoft Office 365 gives your employees the ability to access their documents, apps, and information from up to five devices. Notice we said your employees have this ability. Rather than downloading and maintaining a license, Microsoft Office 365 allows you to establish individual accounts for users. Once they’re set up, your employees can download updates, customize their app preferences, and access the same Microsoft products on any computer or mobile device. It’s great news for increased productivity with diminished headaches for your IT manager, and these products are even better for companies that no longer have a traditional brick and mortar business since any user has access to the service center and troubleshooting options.

Check out our July blog on the benefits of migrating to Office 365

Microsoft Azure

If Microsoft Office 365 gave your business the flexibility to allow employees access to business software on the go and when working remotely, imagine if they could access ALL of your business network offsite. That’s the power of Microsoft Azure. It’s not one product or software. Instead, it’s a fully customizable, cloud-based platform and IT infrastructure tool. That sounds complicate, and it can be. Put simply, Microsoft Azure is a flexible and customizable infrastructure that can be used for safe and redundant data storage, easy communication and collaboration between employees, and better access for businesses who have remote employees around the globe. Because it is so easily customized, Microsoft Azure can be extremely beneficial for your business, but all of the moving pieces and flexible components can be a little overwhelming if you don’t have an IT background. Don’t forget IT ArchiTeks has team members who can help translate all the technical specs and IT lingo into great products that work for your business.

Check out our July blog on the benefits of migrating to Microsoft Azure

Know Your Service Acronyms – SaaS, IaaS & PaaS

So – what is the difference between the two Microsoft products? Like so many things in the world of IT, it all comes down to knowing your acronyms. Microsoft 365 is an SaaS product. Microsoft Azure is a cloud platform that combines elements of SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS products. We’ve broken down the definitions and descriptions of each of these for you here:

SaaS – Software as a Service

You may also hear this referred to as on demand software. Essentially, software as a service (SaaS) is a distribution model for software licensing. It allows for greater flexibility and improved function as the software is constantly updated and perfected by the providers of the program. This means you pay a monthly fee that includes the software itself as well as regular updates and improvements. In the case of Microsoft Office 365, your employees will also have access to limited IT support if they experience issues with software. Additionally, Microsoft offers user-centered tutorials and help videos and articles, so your employees can easily learn new functions of the software and troubleshoot issues from anywhere.

IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service

Infrastructure as a Services (IaaS) gets a little more technical. We recommend thinking about your current computing, storage, and networking tools. Does your office have an onsite room filled with servers and/or an offsite server? These can be bulky, costly to maintain, and if you don’t have offsite backups, you may find yourself losing business if the unforeseen happens and your server room is compromised. Rather than relying on a set of physical infrastructure components (like servers) that you need to maintain, replicate to ensure redundancy, and increase as necessary to support your business, a cloud-based IaaS product gives you the ability to rent just the space and infrastructure support you need. This makes IaaS products great options for businesses that are growing fast.

PaaS – Platform as a Service

Perhaps the most complex in concept, Platform as a Service (PaaS) tools offer your business the ability to develop, customize, and maintain computer applications without first needing to have a degree in computer science! Some PaaS products that are commonly created by businesses include shared calendars/task management systems. Almost every business needs these applications, and PaaS products allow you to make one that is customized to your needs without building a new product from the ground up. There are many different uses for the PaaS functions within Microsoft Azure if you’re able to take the time to explore all of the capabilities. The IT ArchiTeks team can also help you review and explore these solutions and how they can improve your business.

Still Not Sure Which is Right for You? We’re Here to Help!

If you still don’t feel 100% ready to commit to one of Microsoft’s new cloud-based office suites, it might be time to give IT ArchiTeks a call to schedule a consultation. Our team of experts can translate the technical jargon and help you understand how these resources will benefit your business.