Aside from the obvious pandemic situation, we love taking a look back to reflect on what’s worked and what hasn’t over the past 12 months.
A time for IT based reflection if you will…
This year has undoubtedly been one of the strangest, most changeable, unsettled years of our lifetimes.
But, ever the optimists we are, we believe there’s a lot to learn from it all too!
What’s gone well for your business?
What hasn’t worked out so well?
And what do you want to do differently in 2021?
The unscheduled move to remote working has been a blessing in disguise for some businesses, after the initial upheaval of course, but many have found the new ‘normal’ works surprisingly well! Will your company be continuing to work remotely in the future post-pandemic world? Or will you be returning back to the ‘old normal’? Either way, it’s a good idea to plan what this means for your IT infrastructure (luckily, we’ve written a blog about that right here)
Other things we’ve noticed are that businesses have saved money, they’ve found innovative new ways to continue and succeed, plus they’ve been able to use their technology in new and productive ways. We’re proud to say we’ve had a hand in helping our existing clients navigate their way through those hazy months of lockdown and still come out the other side on top!
We’d love to hear your 2020 lookbacks, and we’d love to hear your 2021 plans even more. You know where to find us, and hopefully from reading our blogs, you’ll know what we can do for you! So, let’s talk… get in touch with our guys here.
Christmas IT support
PS: don’t forget we’re your 24/7 365 days a year IT support – we’ll be enjoying our turkey and trimmings, BUT we’re also on hand and right by the phone when you need us over the Christmas break. Merry Christmas all, have a fantastic one!
The Christmas trees are up (some even earlier than usual), the festive tunes are playing on the radio and it’s now socially acceptable to eat a mince pie for breakfast (it’s true, we double checked!) So, the final month of the year is upon us… and what a year it’s been!
So, whilst we ramp up on the calorific food intake, it’s also a time to get ahead on your 2021 planning, and more specifically, your IT strategy for the year ahead.
Whether you’ve outgrown your initial growth strategy OR this is the first time you’re tackling it, we’ve got all the info you need for a year of IT based success…
Outline your business goals – it’s incredibly important to consider how your IT infrastructure will accommodate your overall business plans for 2021. Your IT strategy should support and complement your goals so you’ll need to think about your sales pipeline and sales targets too. How can your infrastructure make achieving those goals realistic? What about any future partnerships you plan on making? Will you make any acquisitions or mergers along the way? How will your infrastructure support this kind of growth? You should also consider action plans for individual departments. Will some departments require additional IT tools or support? Will the whole business benefit from your plan, or will it need adapting for key people or departments?
Identify your key people – You no doubt already know who they are but are they the same people who are responsible for delivering your IT strategy? Do you have an internal IT dept OR does it make more sense to work with an external IT support partner? If you opt for external, then who is the person who’ll be your main liaison between the two? Once you know who they are, schedule in a chat to find out how they currently use the tech they have and if there are any elements they need to make the job easier for all?
Review your current IT infrastructure – It’s been a pretty strange year with many teams having to instantly adapt to remote working, a lot of which we’ve covered in our earlier blogs (you can find those here by the way), BUT does your current infrastructure do what you need it to do? As mentioned above, speak to your key people in each department to find out how they’re currently utilising their resources: • What improvements do they feel could be made? • What would make their job easier? • What is making things more difficult than they need to be?
Hit the IT Road…map – This might sound like the hardest step, but creating a roadmap for your new IT strategy is vital. It’s not as complicated as it sounds BUT this is probably where you could do with some help from a strategic IT partner, such as us (hey!). You’ll need to think about your overall technological architecture, which includes hardware, software, and other tools your people will be relying on. Your IT partner should be able to make the appropriate recommendations to fit your requirements, as well as suggest tools that will all work with each other seamlessly. Section your roadmap into departments, and the differing technologies they’ll require. This will help to give you an overview of how everything will fit together when the time comes for implementation.
Define the new metrics – last but by no means least, check whether your shiny new IT strategy is cost effective too! Break it all down by department again and double check those KPI’s match up too. If you’re making a big transition in your IT, remember it’s not always a quick fix, so you’ll need to allow for a short period of adjustment in the New Year. Creating and tracking a range of metrics will give you a fantastic insight into how well your new technology infrastructure is working for you. It’ll also allow you to be more proactive in identifying and solving minor issues as they arise. And importantly, before your team is impacted.
Or y’know, we could just take all of that off your hands, ready to get going on Jan 1st.
2020, we could say it’s been… emotional, but we’re ready for you 2021! Give us a bell here
PS: don’t forget we’re your 24/7 365 days a year IT support – we’ll be enjoying our turkey and trimmings, BUT we’re also on hand and right by the phone when you need us over the Christmas break. Merry Christmas all, have a fantastic one!
We’re going out on a limb here, and we’re going to assume that some companies find themselves wondering why they would spend money on hiring an external IT support company when they’ve got someone in house who knows a bit about data systems and tech support…
Ah, but IT support is so,so, SO much more than this.
It’s being there for you on Christmas Day when your systems have crashed and that Boxing day order is in peril.
It’s finding the problems and solving them before you even noticed they were an issue.
It’s staying on top of updates, like Windows 10 going out of fashion for example (check out the blog on that here).
It’s ensuring every single one of your team is working to full capacity at all times without anything technical slowing them down.
It’s making that big office move into a seamless transition… your team leaves the old office at 5pm on a Friday and returns to a brand new, ready to go office at 9am on Monday.
It’s quickly and easily moving your workforce onto secure remote working in the event of an ‘unprecedented’ pandemic (we’re looking at you Covid!)
It’s having a plan, and a back-up plan, and a back-up to your back-up plan just in case.
It’s zero downtime, it’s faster WiFi, it’s hacker-free, it’s security, it’s privacy, it’s everything you need to run a successful business.
You’ve heard us talk a lot about hackers and how to protect your computer, BUT how do you know when you’ve fallen victim to a cyber attack and what should you do if it happens to you?
Remind me, what IS Ransomwear?
It’s basically when a hacker locks you out of your computer and you have to pay a ransom (usually in bitcoin) to regain access – not cool at all right?
Due to Covid-19 (booooo!), more and more companies are putting themselves at risk due to not having the right processes in place to work from home – in fact, it’s estimated there are more than a hundred calls to insurers every day relating to problems caused by ransomware…
So, how do I know if I’m under attack?
Ok, here’s the scary bit, it could have already happened. If a hacker gains access to your systems, they won’t strike straight away, they’ll bide their time and wait for the right moment. They’ll watch for your weaknesses, investigate your database and work out how best to maximise their profit… yep, we REALLY hate hackers.
Check for open RDP links (Remote Desktop Protocol) – it’s Microsoft technology that allows a local computer to connect to and control a remote PC over a network or the internet. RDP links left open to the internet are a very common route for cyber criminals to enter your network. Scan for open RDP ports regularly, and utilise multi-factor authentication for your links (multi-factor authentication is where you generate a code on a separate device to prove it’s really you). Or have them behind a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which gives you a private network from a public internet connection.
Keep an eye out for unexpected software – Often, cyber criminals will take control of just one PC first, perhaps using a phishing email to persuade someone to click on a bad link without realising it. Once they have control of one PC, they can then target the entire network.
Monitor your admin – What’s the best way for hackers to download the applications they need? They create a new administrator account for themselves. Then they can download whichever tools they need to compromise your network. You need to be aware of software such as Process Hacker, IOBit Uninstaller, GMER and PCHunter. These are all legitimate tools which could be used by any IT specialist.
Check out any disabled tools and software – You can tell that an attack is close to being launched if Active Directory and your domain controllers are disabled. Next, any backup data the criminals have found will be corrupted. And any systems that automatically deploy software will also be disabled, to stop your attempts to update your computers after an attack. Something called PowerShell will then be used to spread everything across your network.
Help, I’m under attack! What do I do?
Ok, don’t panic. Firstly, it’s important to regain control of your RDP sessions (remember, the remote access we mentioned earlier on). This will stop attackers coming in again. And will also cut off their control access. You can force a password change across your core systems, which will also throw your attackers out. However, it’s worth noting that this is pointless if your RDP access is not cut off and controlled, as the attackers will just re-enter.
Pick up the phone and get directly in touch with your IT support team (like us!). We’re the specialists who can stay calm in a crisis and get to work ensuring you win this battle vs the hackers.
We’ve got you covered.
If you’d like more info on the systems and tools we’ve mentioned in this blog, don’t hesitate to get in touch here and we can provide that for you, OR if you’re looking for an IT support team who work at expert level, then give us a call for that to..
We’ve got it! We’ve got the key, we’ve got the secret!!! (High five if you sang that too)
Ok, we’ll level up with you here. As IT professionals, we’ve seen things, things that would horrify you, things that would bring you nightmares, things that you would never ever wish to encounter in your own business…
We’re talking security breaches, data theft and file corruption. It only takes one click by a team member on a bad link before your whole world comes crashing down around you – and that’s something NOBODY wants to deal with.
So, what’s this top secret behind keeping your data as secure as possible?
Other than ensuring you have a top notch IT service provider team on hand (oh, hi there!), we also recommend that every business should invest in cyber security training for their team annually.
Yep, everyone should take part in data secure training every year from entry level to CEO because a strong cyber security culture is one of the best ways to keep your business safe from the increasingly sophisticated threats out there. After all, the hackers don’t rest so neither should you.
Do you know the lingo?
The hackers are ALWAYS trying something new, but here’s a few key terms of what they can get up to given half a chance:
Crypto locking: When they access your data and then lock you out of the access
Spear fishing: Instead of phishing, which is aimed at anyone, this is targeted at specific individuals. Typically the attacker has spent time learning a lot of information about you (your name, role, company information, etc). And then uses this to their advantage.
Whaling: Also known as CEO fraud, this is when the hackers target the person at the top of the company, the one with the most sensitive data. Whaling attacks are often planned for a long period of time. And when they work, give huge financial gain to the cyber criminals.
Pharming: When you’re asked to take an action on what looks like a familiar website. Except if you look very carefully, the website address is slightly different to normal. It’s a scam site, and any information you enter will go to the criminals. There is a scarier version of pharming where the criminals manage to divert traffic going to the real website. These are really hard to detect. But often there are tiny little clues that give the fake sites away, if you know what to look for.
Spoofing: the term for when you receive an email pretending to be from someone you know – such as your accounts department. And it’s asking you to go to a link to reconfirm your details. This type of scam is often used to download malware or ransomware rather than to steal your credentials.
Smishing: Phishing with text messages (SMS)
Vishing: Phishing on the phone, or voice phishing. You receive a phone call from a blocked or unusual number. The caller will pretend to be from somewhere familiar and ask you to carry out actions, or make a payment.
Want to stay safe, secure and hacker-free? Yep, get in touch here and we’ll get onto this for you stat!
We know what you’re thinking; you’re thinking, where can I find everything I need to know about backing up Office 365… are we right? Thought so! Luckily, we had the same idea so we put everything down in one place for you right here…
As a platform, Office 365 is super secure BUT it’s crucial that you’re aware that your data is NOT backed up as it should be. There’s no trawling through your recycle bins here, with only a 30 day retention period, once it’s gone, it’s gone, zilch, nada, eliminated forever.
Well that’s not cool right?
It’s up to YOU, the user, to safeguard your data on office 365, particularly as Microsoft cannot be held accountable for protection and data retention – which can lead to some pretty serious problems later down the line. What would happen if you lost it all, your spreadsheets, your word docs, your emails, your diary? Exactly, you need to back it up and quick!
How can I back up my Office 365? It’s actually pretty straightforward once you get onto it – there’s a ton of solutions available and your talented IT service provider (who, us?) can advise on the best way forward for you and your business data. The Office 365 solutions are also pretty darn flexible which means you can keep your data for as long as you like, plus you can tailor it to ensure you meet the compliance needs of your business, including GDPR. They’re also easily scalable so it can grow with your business as it expands. You can restore info directly to the form required such as an Office 365 mailbox, an email attachment or a PST file.
Great! So, how quickly can I install the Office 365 backup procedure? The good news here is that it takes barely any time at all meaning there’ll minimal disruption to your day and your business once you’ve set it going.
What does the Office 365 backup mean for my data safeguarding?
All of your data on the platform will be safe and secure, plus a number of the solutions available also support Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business too.
So, I need to recover data, how easy is that to do? Very! You can find and restore specific data sets, plus on some of the solutions available you can enable quick search and item recovery including mailboxes, folders, messages and tasks in existing or archived – there when you need it!
How often should I back it up? We always advise backing up your data on the regular. They run in the background and have no impact whatsoever on how you use the Office 365 platform. Most of the available backup solutions are done automatically which means you can cross that one off your to-do list!
So now that’s all your questions answered, we can give you a hand in finding the very best Office 365 backup solution for you! Simply drop us a line or give us a call here and we’ll get straight onto that for you.
Multi-factor authentication – are you using it yet?
We recommend you absolutely should be!
Here’s why:
Those annoying cyber criminals are repeatedly coming up with new ways to target businesses and their data, and so the more security you have in place, the less likely you are to be hacked, it’s as simple as that.
So what is Multi-factor authentication?
It’s basically another level of safety for you when you or your team are logging into apps. You’ll recognise it from things like logging into your bank account or anything which requires a high level of security.
How does it work?
You enter your password, then when you move onto the next screen, you agree to have a code texted to your phone with a second, single-use only password. This ensures it’s you who is requesting access and not a hacker from another location.
You can use it to access a variety of apps that hold any data which you’d rather not fall into the wrong hands.
It’s also incredibly easy to set up.
What do you need to know?
There’s tons of different ways to do multi-factor authentication to protect your business’s data and these include:
Text message approach – in all honesty, it’s better than having nothing at all BUT it’s also the least secure of them all so try these instead…
Generating a code to your mobile phone – a safer method.
Using a small (but extra special) USB device which must be plugged into your laptop.
Need a hand setting it up? You know where to find us, but just in case, here’s our details
Still using Windows 7? STOP! ?
It was good while it lasted, it was a great operating system, it really was but if you’re still using it then you could be putting yourself at risk! Now we’re not the kind of people who employ scare tactics but we are incredibly passionate about data security which is why we’re giving you the heads up.
Some data we recently saw from research company, Net Applications revealed that Windows 7 is still being used on 23.4% of PC’s. That’s almost a quarter… not cool.
Why is it such an issue?
When it was discontinued in January of this year, that meant that there are ZERO security patches, software updates or tech assistance from the people at Microsoft.
Because of this, hackers (yeah, we hate these guys) are actively targeting Windows 7 users, because it’s an easy way in. In fact, over in the US, the FBI have released a formal warning highlighting the dangers.
What do you need to do?
If any of your machines are still on Windows 7, then you need to make it a priority to upgrade to Windows 10 immediately! Let’s get that sorted for you ASAP. Give us a bell here
Who knew we’d be living in a world of social distancing and supermarket shopping in face masks 9 months ago?
It’s been a huge time of change for everyone, in some ways bad but also there’s been some promising elements to come out of it all too.
As we settle in for that brand new cliche of the ‘new normal’, many businesses have been able to test out and see that working from home and flexible working is actually a viable option for them long term, and now is a great opportunity to look at how you and your teams will be working in the future.
Firstly, there are three main questions to consider here:
How will your business be dealing with these new working patterns?
Will your team be returning to as it was pre Covid-19?
Will some of your staff members be continuing on with remote working full or part time?
Secondly, have you thought about these issues when it comes to your IT support?
Will they have a work issued device to use at home and a computer for the office?
Will they bring their laptop back and forth?
Will they use a personal device at home and a work device in the office?
There’s much to think about right? Whatever you decide, security should always be at the very forefront of your mind.
Your IT support provider should be able to provide you with a FULL security checklist to ensure your data is NEVER compromised in the process. This should include whether your devices are up to date with their operating systems, any procedures for stolen devices, whether you can remotely restrict access to data, and even who will take responsibility to ensure all of these new processes are followed correctly.
They should also be advising you on best practice when it comes to internal communication such as Microsoft Teams (check out our blog on that here)
Plus, there’s your new IT infrastructure to consider too. E.g. Does your current VPN suit your needs? Do your devices work well together? Have there been any IT or comms problems your employees have encountered during the lockdown period?
Done properly, it should very well be a smooth transition, if it’s not, then it’s time to take a deeper look. Which is where we come in.
Your friendly, local IT support team, on hand to provide you with all of the above. Let’s have a conversation and see what needs to be done for you. Get in touch here
Have you heard of Ransomwear? It’s basically a form of malware (malicious software) that holds your business to ransom… that already sounds not cool at all!
So what happens?
Cyber criminals take control of your files, photographs, and any other data that’s important to you. They encrypt it, and deny you access until you’ve paid a ransom of their choosing. You’ll know quite clearly if you’ve got ransomware. You’ll be locked out of your computers. And there’ll be a message on your screens telling you to pay a “fine” or the crime gets worse.
Sounds like a bad 90’s action movie… but unfortunately it’s happening to many businesses from small to large, and it could happen to yours if your security isn’t up to scratch.
The stats speak!
Did you know that:
Up to 88% of UK businesses have suffered data breaches in the past 12 months?
1 small UK business is successfully hacked every 19 seconds?
These breaches cost an average of £25,700 to clear up?
48% were attacked with ransomware in the last year?
13% of these businesses paid the ransom?
How does it happen though?
Without you even realising. It’s as simple as an email. More than half of infections occur when someone clicks on a dodgy link in an email.
That’s not surprising, given that one in every 3,722 emails in the UK is a phishing scam. And 55% of UK email is spam.
How can you prevent it?
Bring in the experts – Your IT service provider is a pro at handling these situations and ensuring your company is 100% secure at all times.
Stay on top of your updates – Yes, it’s a pain, but running all of your updates when they’re due, every time will keep your data safe as houses. Also make sure you’re running the latest version of your security protection software. The same goes for your operating system and all other software or applications that you use. Malware and other types of attack are always evolving and becoming more sophisticated. Your security protection, apps and operating software companies spend huge amounts of money to keep on top of these threats and adjust their software accordingly to keep you safe.
Beware of emails – spam email is responsible for almost half of cyber-attacks, so be vigilant when it comes to opening unusual emails or clicking on links or attachments that you’re not anticipating. Pay particular attention if an email asks you to enable macros to view its content. If it’s not an email you’re expecting do not enable macros. Delete the email immediately and tell your IT provider asap!
Back up – This is the single most effective way to protect you and your business from data loss. Because even if a cyber-criminal hacks you and encrypts your files, you’ve got another copy of them safely in the cloud. Constantly backing up and checking data means you can access versions from before you were attacked, minimising the chance of reinfection.
Train your team – Investing in IT training for your team means they know what to look out for and have their guard up for any spam type emails, even if they look like the real deal!
If you think you’ve been targeted then remember:
Stay calm
Do not pay the ransom
Call us straight away
Breathe
Is your current data security triple locked secure and up to date? If you have any doubt whatsoever, don’t leave yourself with the risk. Get in touch with your friendly, local IT service team (hey!) and get things double checked. You know where to find us…
You’re all set up for your 11am video call with your client, things are going well, pleasantries have been exchanged and you’re just about to start screen sharing that big presentation and…
They’ve gone, you’ve lost them and your internet connection has failed you!
Is there anything more frustrating than a broken con…sation when… can’t …. hear… sorry what was that?
It was to be expected, with more people now working from home, video calling, working online, streaming music, films and TV, all at the same time.
Things were never going to be working at the optimum levels you expect in an office but it’s not exactly helpful for your productivity is it?
So, what can be done for you and your team?
Check what services and coverage are available in your locations. Are you and your staff with the best provider or would a move be a better solution?
Could you subsidise your team members to move to a better and faster internet provider?
Check the routers. Is there a better option for the kind of work you do? Would a range extender solve any issues?
We understand this remote working life presents its own problems, but there’s usually a way around it when you’re given the right tools for the job.
What can we do?
We can check these for you.
We can provide advice on upload and download speeds.
We can find the best providers for you in your area.
We can basically ensure your internet connectivity at home is as top notch as it would be back in your office (those were the days, hey!)
Here at AGT, we’re your IT support system wherever and whenever you’re working, your handy go to people for ‘Help, why is this not working?’, your ‘maybe I need a better way of working’ team. We’ve got your back. Need a hand? Get in touch via our contact details here
