What Business Owners Need To Know About Firewalls

62 percent of small to mid-sized businesses either have outdated security strategies or nothing at all. Based on this report by Cisco and the National Center for the Middle Market, it’s clear that many business owners know little about data security.

And therein lies the problem.

When you risk the safety of your data, you’re putting your business on the line. It’s the reason why 60 percent of companies surveyed by the National Cyber Security Alliance went out of business within 6 months after a cyber incident.

Unless you want to be part of the statistic, you should have a cybersecurity system in place. And it all starts with a firewall.

 

What is a firewall?

A firewall could be hardware or software, or it could be both depending on how it is structured. Its main function is to protect networks from threats that may be lurking online.

Firewalls do this by monitoring traffic between network devices and the internet. Each follows a strict set of rules which dictate whether the transmitted data is safe or not. Think of it as your first line of defense. Each time a computer from your network goes online, the firewall screens data packets that go back and forth.

 

What’s the most secure firewall?

A software firewall is usually enough to keep a laptop or computer safe. Meanwhile, a hardware firewall protects an entire network of these devices. Although still widely used, software and hardware-based firewalls are no longer the standard. If you want to keep up with today’s standards, Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) are the latest in cybersecurity.

Next-generation firewalls have advanced features. Unlike previous iterations, they can monitor individual data packets for malicious activities and stop them on their tracks. They are also capable of denying services to suspicious users.

 

Proven Ways to Optimize Your Firewall

Tip #1 – Integrate with Unified Threat Management

Next-generation firewalls can be implemented with a multi-layer network security system called unified threat management (UTM). Here are some of its basic functions:

  • Detects and prevents intrusions
  • Scans and removes viruses
  • Blocks spam
  • Filters web content and URLs
  • Virtual Private Network (VPN) functionality

 

Tip #2 – Always update your firewall

A firewall is not a quick fix but a long-term solution for network security. As such, it requires maintenance to ensure it’s working as expected. Its firmware and rules have to constantly updated. That way, when your firewall encounters newer threats, it would be able to identify them.

 

Tip #3 – Encrypt your data

Encryption is an effective method for safekeeping your data. Unfortunately, threats can hide behind encrypted data. Equipping your firewall with SSL Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) will allow you to encrypt data without compromising the safety of your network.

 

Other Benefits of Firewalls

Firewalls can do more than protect you from cyber attacks. With the right setup, you can enjoy the following benefits as well:

  • Receive detailed reports on network traffic so you can meet compliance requirements (i.e. PCI, HIPAA)
  • Gain visibility of your network and traffic (real-time or historic)
  • Monitor and control bandwidth usage
  • Limit employee access to specific websites
  • Allows for easy troubleshooting
  • Increases work productivity
  • Promotes efficiency in business operations
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Onsite VS Remote IT Support: Why You Need Both

It’s no longer a question of whether you should get IT services or not. Many businesses already know they need the help professionals. More businesses are also starting to realize the value of having tech support.

The question that you should be really asking is which type of IT support is ideal for you?

Now there are two IT services to choose from – onsite and remote.

Onsite IT support is a team that you hire as employees in your company. Thus, they become part of your organizational structure. Remote IT support is an outsourced service offered by third-party agencies. They will have their own team of specialists who can provide IT support for your company from a remote location.

 

The Key Differences of Onsite VS Remote IT Support

Both are capable of filling in your needs, granted that a competent IT team is behind the computers. However, there are major distinctions in how they deliver their services. Variations in pricing, infrastructure, availability, and reliability could make huge differences in how they impact your company.

 

1. Pricing

Maintaining employees for onsite IT support is definitely more costly. Apart from their wages, you have to shoulder extraneous expenses such as their benefits and ongoing training. Getting remote IT support is cheaper since you only have to pay for the services rendered. Its only drawback is that prices could vary, as opposed to the fixed pricing model of an onsite team.

Winner: Remote IT support

 

2. Infrastructure

Having a dedicated team of specialists means you have to provide them office space, tools, and the equipment necessary for IT support. Naturally, your company will be paying for all these. Meanwhile, outsourcing your IT requirements spares you of any additional costs on infrastructure.

Winner: Remote IT support

 

3. Availability

Onsite IT professionals are almost always ready when you need them. Whenever issues arise, you can count on their undivided support. They are also capable of addressing IT problems during its early stages or before they happen. Both help employees be more productive and efficient at work since they have less to worry about.

The downside? Your team may not be able to give you 24/7 support. For larger companies, this could cause problems. You’d have to hire enough IT specialists who can work on a shifting schedule. Unfortunately, this would be too expensive for small to mid-sized businesses.

A remote team of IT professionals can serve you any time of the day. Though you have to remember that you’re just one of many companies they provide services to. So you shouldn’t expect them to deliver fast IT support. Because they’re located elsewhere, they also can’t assist you with hardware-related problems.

Winner: Onsite IT support

 

4. Reliability

Hiring your own team of IT specialists guarantees that you get to work with qualified individuals. Their physical availability allows them to be familiar with your infrastructure and provide customized IT solutions. With an outsourced team, you have to be more careful since you don’t really know if they’re competent enough to meet your IT needs.

Winner: Onsite IT support

 

Onsite VS Remote IT Support: Which Is Better?

It depends, really.

Small businesses are better suited with remote IT support due to their limited infrastructure and budget restrictions. Medium-sized businesses can opt for remote IT services or a hybrid system that combines remote with onsite IT support.

Larger companies can hire IT professionals as employees since they’re likely able to afford it. Plus, they have a massive infrastructure needing support. Alternatively, they can take advantage of both onsite and remote IT services.

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Is Office 365 Perfect For My Business?

Office 365 is a subscription-based service from Microsoft. It provides solutions for an extensive variety of users, from startups to large enterprises. However, this begs the question of whether your business really needs it.

To answer this query, we need to understand what Office 365 is and how your company can make use of its features.

 

What is Office 365?

Strictly speaking, Office 365 is not just a service but a fully-functional software. Instead of being offered as a product, Microsoft delivers it as a service which you can subscribe to on-demand.

 

Is Office 365 any better than Microsoft Office?

Yes, it is. And for a number of reasons too. Below, we will highlight the 5 advantages of Office 365 from the now-outdated Microsoft Office.

 

1. Flexible usage

Its main advantage is that you still get to use the Microsoft Office Suite, but you are no longer restricted to a single user or computer. Office 365 enables multi-platform use across several devices, from Mac and PC desktops to smartphones and tablets running on Android, iOS, or Windows RT. Depending on your plan, multiple users can also share accounts and use services simultaneously.

 

2. Offers more services

Office 365 grants access to a broader set of services. Basic plan subscribers get to use Office Online, which is basically Microsoft Office packaged for online integration. It includes:

  • Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • OneNote
  • Outlook
  • People
  • Calendar
  • Tasks
  • OneDrive
  • Publisher
  • and Access

 

3. Easy to collaborate

Business and enterprise plans not only gain access to the above features. Companies can also utilize a range of hosted services for collaborative purposes. Namely, they are Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, Yammer, and Delve.

 

4. Seamless online syncing

Another advantage of Office 365 is its cloud-based platform. Of course, you can still view, create, and edit files remotely on a compatible device. But you can also access them anywhere as long as you’re connected to the internet.

 

5. Rolling updates

With Office Suite, you had to purchase a new license to get an updated version of the software. But with Office 365, you receive continuous and automatic quarterly updates for as long as you are subscribed. These include minor updates such as bug and security fixes and major updates.

Now that you know its features, let’s take a look at why Office 365 is the perfect business solution.

 

Why Office 365 is ideal for business

Office 365 is highly adaptable. You could have a one-man army or a massive enterprise with thousands of workers. And still, you’d be able to make great use of its services. You can choose a suitable plan that caters to your specific needs. Microsoft offers a range of plans exclusive to businesses and enterprises.

It certainly helps that most people are already familiar with Microsoft’s products. Combined with cloud and multi-platform environment, employees will find it accessible and easy to use. Should you decide to integrate it into your business, there will be minimal adjustments needed.

Office 365 makes it easy to collaborate on projects. Employees can send emails and instant messages, share files, and host audio and video conferences. Thanks to its suite of tools, Microsoft can improve performance and facilitate business growth.

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How Small Businesses Can Use Virtual Machines

Large enterprises are no stranger to virtual machinery, though it’s still unknown to smaller businesses. Perhaps it’s because they don’t know what it is, why they need it, and how they can use it. Indeed, small business owners have yet to discover the potential of this technology. But that’s what we’re here for!

By the time you finish reading, you will finally know the benefits of virtual machines within a small business environment.

 

What are virtual machines?

A virtual machine is software that acts like a physical computing device. Since it’s a type of software, it has its own operating system and apps. What makes this software special is that it behaves as if it were a computer. This unique function is due to the presence of virtual “hardware” components.

Thus, a virtual machine does not contain…

  • Hard disk
  • Central processing unit (CPU)
  • Random access memory (RAM)
  • Network Interface Card (NIC)
  • Any physical hardware

Instead, these “hardware” have been virtualized and integrated into virtual machines in the form of software.

 

How Small Businesses Can Benefit From Virtual Machines

Small businesses may not need as much computing technology as larger businesses. In spite of this, virtual machinery is more useful to these environments than you might think.

 

1. Imitate any PC setup

The key benefit of virtual machinery is that it essentially lets you copy the setup of any computer. It’s quite handy when hiring new employees. You can just set them up with a laptop or desktop which replicates the function of a typical PC in your office.

 

2. Continue running old technology

Updating to the latest hardware and software doesn’t come easy for small businesses. You’d have to train employees and undergo an adjustment period. And you may not have the time or resources if you’re still starting or trying to scale up. Not to mention, it’s a costly investment.

Most small businesses make do with old tech. Sadly, your computers will eventually break down, causing you to lose those old yet trusty programs. Instead of buying new hardware or software, you can use a virtual machine to run old software.

Virtual machines are compatible with any x86 architecture. It’s a cost-effective way to resume business operations without having to invest in new technology. At least, not until you could afford it.

 

3. Easily transition to newer systems

Of course, you can’t hold out on new tech forever. If you want to keep up with competitors, you’ll have to update to more modern systems at some point. A virtual machine can make the transition easier for your company. How do you do this?

By dividing your workforce.

You can assign most employees to continue working with the existing setup so it’ll be business as usual. At the same time, you can use virtual machines to train other employees. When everyone is ready, simply replicate the new setup and install it throughout your network. If ever you encounter major problems, you can always revert to the old system.

As you can see, even small businesses will find virtual machines helpful. You get to save money on expensive technology and time on training while avoiding setbacks which may decrease employee productivity and business efficiency.

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Does Your Business Have A Disaster Recovery Plan?

The digitalization of data sparked a revolutionary business environment which continues to evolve. However, businesses are also more vulnerable now that everything is accessible online. The risk of losing your precious data has never been greater. Apart from taking security measures to prevent data loss, businesses are also advised to have a disaster recovery plan.

 

What Is A Disaster Recovery Plan?

Unexpected occurrences such as natural disasters, cyber attacks, and human error can compromise your data and affect your business operations. A disaster recovery plan (DRP) ensures your company’s timely and proper response to such events so you can lessen their impact. Unlike cyber security which protects data, disaster recovery is a continuity plan that deals with the consequences of data loss.

DRP is divided into two phases – data backup and recovery. Each phase is comprised of solutions that perform the following functions:

  • Keep your business running in the event of data loss
  • Significant recovery from setbacks

 

5 Reasons Why You Need Disaster Recovery

Businesses that don’t have a DRP are usually unaware of its benefits. So we’re giving you five good reasons why should have one in place.

1. Keeps your data safe from disasters

Natural disasters can happen without warning. Floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other events can ruin the infrastructure where your data is stored. You run the risk of permanent data loss and may have to shut down your business.

A recovery plan secures backups of your data in a separate location from your office. When disaster strikes, you can retrieve copies of the original data that’s been lost.

 

2. Prevents downtime during system failure

No matter how advanced your technology is, expect to encounter issues along the way. Software and hardware problems may cause your systems to crash and either damage your data or render them inaccessible.

Disaster recovery prevents downtime should these systems fail. It promotes seamless data access until issues are resolved.

 

3. Protects your customers

Customers entrust businesses with all sorts of personal information. If your business model requires you to gather their complete name, home address, email, and other sensitive information, you risk losing this data to cyber attacks.

You don’t want to compromise your customers in any way. Otherwise, you might lose their trust and your business. A disaster recovery plan protects their data and your brand reputation.

 

4. Reduces incidences of human error

Employees make mistakes too. They might accidentally delete or alter your data and cause setbacks in normal operations. Or they could unknowingly expose your data to security risks and leave them vulnerable to cyber crimes.

Your DRP provider can train and educate your workers on data security and disaster preparedness. Or they could create a plan of action that enables you to address these internal problems.

 

5. Lessen the impact of cyber attacks

Cybersecurity isn’t 100% foolproof. You could try to meet the best standards and still lose your data to an attack. Its effects are serious and can range from operational delays to ultimately crippling your business.

Disaster recovery lessens the impact of a successful cyber attack. It gives you the chance to continue business as usual.

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What to do when your business’ network goes down

Do you have a plan for what happens when your business’ network goes down? Maybe you’re experiencing a power outage. Perhaps systems are malfunctioning, you’ve lost an access key or you’re experiencing business-wide data loss. Whatever the cause, network downtime can cause serious problems for small and medium-sized businesses.

Even if this type of thing has never happened to your business, it is crucial that you plan what to do if it ever does. The more reliant your business becomes on software and the cloud, the more devastating network outages can be. That means the likelihood of serious disruption is only going to increase.

Don’t believe us? There are a huge number of ways that businesses can experience network outages in this day and age. These include the following:

 

  • Power outages: Backouts still happen frequently across the country. Your building’s electrical wiring could short circuit. Planned engineering could shut your business down.
  • Natural disasters: Fires, floods, and storms can all take your network offline and lead to severe data loss.
  • Hacking attacks: Your business could be hacked at any time. Don’t think that because you are an SMB that hackers won’t bother with you. Thousands have SMBs have been attacked over the last few years.
  • User error: Your employees can cause your network to go down, whether it’s maliciously or by accident. It only takes them to push the wrong button for everything to be deleted in an instant.

 

Create a disaster recovery plan

Often it can’t be helped when your business experiences network downtime. But your reaction can change. You need to make sure you have a quick and reliable way to get back to business whenever downtime strikes.

This starts by having a quality backup and disaster recovery system. Getting up and running again often means accessing work that is either temporarily unavailable or lost for good. That’s why having satisfactory backups is essential. You need to be backing up all of your business’ data daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. That way you always have the latest data to hand, as well as a historic record should you need to revert to an older data set.

You then need a backup solution that allows you to restore data as quickly as possible. Traditional tape backups are not satisfactory in this regard. These can take hours to restore business data. Instead, you need high-performance backup data recovery software that restores data instantly. This keeps downtime to a minimum and ensures staff can get access to data and start work as soon as possible.

For more information on creating a satisfactory disaster recovery solution for your business, get in touch with our team. Call our sales and support team on 281-768-4800 today.

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What does IT support cost for a small business?

Everyone likes to know what something costs and how that cost is broken down before they buy it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a meal in a restaurant or the cost of getting your car serviced, we can use the price to make an informed decision if we want to go ahead with the service.

Working out how much IT small business support should cost can be tricky, however. That’s because prices can be highly tailored to individual businesses, meaning there is no industry standard to use.

 

IT support isn’t cheap

The vast majority of IT support websites will never mention their prices online. Sometimes, this can be to remain competitive but sometimes it’s because some IT firms will try and quote a low price to draw you in.

This can make it very appealing when you are quoted a cheap price compared to other IT consultants. Why should you pay so much more for what seems like the same service on the face of it.

The truth is that cheap IT support can be very expensive. Because when a price is too good, it usually is.

The service will either match the price and be nonexistent. This can lead to big problems and expensive fixes when you need to hire in proper professionals to do the work. Or there will be a host of hidden fees that make the price much, much higher than you thought it would be.

 

What should IT support actually cost?

The truth is that IT support prices vary considerably depending on your location, your business size and your needs. This makes it very difficult to give a definitive answer to the question and why so few IT companies will list out their prices on their website.

We quote projects on a business by business basis, meaning that few businesses are ever paying the same amount. This is the fairest way possible and the only way to ensure that every business gets the attention it needs.

That doesn’t mean you can’t work out if you are getting a bum deal, however. The best way to work out what IT should actually cost for a business of your size and in your area is to have a very well define brief of needs and get costs from multiple IT consultants. That way you’ll be able to see which figures most closely aline, which ones seem way too cheap and which seem way too high.

You can then use that information to question each IT consultant further on their pricing and ultimately make a decision.

For more information on managed IT support and we can help protect your business’ digital assets, get in touch with our team. Call our sales and support team on 281-768-4800 today.

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VoIP vs Landline: which is the right choice for your business?

If you’ve had your phone line for years, you may question why you need to upgrade it all of a sudden. In fact, you may even be wondering what the heck VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) actually is and why it matters all of a sudden.

If you are looking into a new phone line and want to get to the bottom of which choice is better for your business, we’re here to help.

 

How do different systems work?

When a customer calls your landline phone, electrical signals are sent through copper wire strung across telephone poles or buried in the ground, which is then converted into electricity and sent to your phone. When you speak back, the process happens in reverse.

With VoIP technology, the calls are transferred through your internet connection. Rather than converting your voice into electricity, your voice is converted into a data file which is sent back to the receiver.

 

What are the positives and negatives of each option?

Now you know how they work, we’ll next look at the positives and negatives of each solution.

 

You have to have internet for VoIP to work, but not for landlines

If you want to have an effective VoIP service, you’ll need a reliable, high-quality internet connection. If you don’t have an internet connection (or it goes down) you won’t be able to receive or make calls.

You don’t need the internet for landline phones to work meaning they can still function in power outages and deliver high-quality calls even if your internet is patchy. If you don’t have the internet at your premise, work from a remote area or absolutely have to have phone functioning at all times, landlines are the best choice.

That being said, if you are in a city and have great internet access, VoIP calls will be as good or even better quality than landline calls.

 

VoIP is cheaper

Given that VoIP uses your existing internet connection, it won’t be a surprise to know that VoIP is considerably cheaper than a landline. In many cases, it is a fraction of the cost. This means small businesses and startups often favor VoIP when they need a phone service but don’t rely on it.

 

The different services come with different features

Both types of phone service come with additional features, many of which are the same such as call recording, voice mail, extension lines and call transfer. But the price of these additional services and what they actually entail will differ between the two choices. These features are often more expensive for landlines because they rely on additional software packages called PBX systems. They are usually cheaper and easier to install for VoIP systems and can be done much faster.

If you still aren’t sure about which phone service is best for your business, seek advice from your IT consultant or IT support company today. Or get in touch with our team on 281-768-4800 today.

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The questions you should ask a potential IT support company

Finding an IT support company that you can trust is tough. It’s even harder if you’ve never worked with an IT company before and you have no idea what to expect. Pick the right company and it can transform your business and the start of a fantastic business relationship. But pick the wrong company and it can destroy your business.

Choosing a great IT support company starts and ends with the questions that you ask. If you don’t ask the right questions or understand how to comprehend the answers, you’ll never be able to successfully choose between two different companies.

We’re here to help. So you can make sure you are picking the best IT support company for you, we have created a list of the top questions to ask potential IT companies. These questions will help you identify the duds and learn more about the companies that you should actually consider.

 

General questions about your IT company

These are the following questions that you should ask any potential IT support company. These are the top level questions that can help you quickly narrow down your shortlist.

  • How long have you been operating?
  • How many companies do you currently work with? What type of industries are those companies in?
  • Have you stopped working with any companies in the past year? If so why?
  • What’s your personal background in IT?
  • How many people work in the company?
  • Can you put me in touch with a current client’?

 

Questions about IT support

Once you’ve narrowed down your potential IT support companies to three or four potential providers, you should then start to probe their offering. Getting an accurate picture of what their IT support service entails is essential if you are to choose the best company for your needs.

Here are the questions you should ask:

  • How many support tickets can I submit? Is there a daily/weekly/monthly limit?
  • How can I get in contact with your staff? What is the estimated wait or response time?
  • How much extra is priority or out-of-hours support on weekends or the holidays?
  • Do you have an SLA? What are the details of this?
  • What happens if my company grows? Do you charge per workstation or per employee?
  • What happens if my data storage solution needs increase?
  • What happens if my business comes under a cyber attack?

 

What services should you look for in a company

Questions will only get you half the answer. You also need to understand which services you need and what services are desirable. Here are some of the services that we recommend:

  • Unlimited remote and on-site support
  • Security administration
  • Managed antivirus and cybersecurity support
  • Regular data backups and recovery plan
  • Data restoration when necessary

For more information on managed IT support and we can help protect your business’ digital assets, get in touch with our team. Call our sales and support team on 281-768-4800 today.

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The cybersecurity tips that every business should know

Understanding how to combat cybersecurity isn’t an option for business owners and employees anymore. It is absolutely essential for the security of the company. But knowing how you can uphold cybersecurity isn’t always obvious. And even when it is, you can’t always rely on employees to care. Unfortunately, this attitude can lead to serious problems in the future when an employer or employee negligence results in a cyber or ransomware attack that puts the business at financial risk.

Keeping it simple is the best way to ensure that key cybersecurity principles are upheld. That’s why we’ve distilled down the leading advice into the following tips.

 

Key cybersecurity tips all employers and employees need to know

Only use a backed-up network or the cloud to store files

All files should be stored on the business’ backed-up server or in a cloud storage solution such as Dropbox or Google Drive. This ensures that they are automatically backed up and easy to recover should the business fall victim to ransomware or another form of a cyber attack. Saving files to machine desktops is okay during the day when they are being worked on, but everything should be saved back on the server or into the cloud at the end of the day.

 

Don’t connect unknown devices to the network

No one at the business should connect unknown hardware devices such as USB sticks to any computer that is hooked up to the business’ network. Malicious software can be downloaded and installed as soon as the device is attached, even without the user clicking a button.

 

Don’t download third-party applications without approval

It can be very tempting for employees to download their favorite third-party applications to their business machines. But even if they perceive that this is for the benefit of the business, they shouldn’t download anything without approval from the business’ IT department or from an IT support company. Employees never know what malicious software could be downloaded alongside their favorite applications.

 

Never respond to unsolicited emails or click links

Phishing, the process of sending unsolicited emails with attachments or links, is one of the main ways that hackers install ransomware on business computers. Just clicking on a link in an email can be enough to automatically download malicious software. It is crucial to educate your employees and tell them that they should never respond to, click a link or download an attachment from an email that wasn’t solicited or is from an email address that they don’t recognize.

 

Never accept IT support from an unexpected caller

Your IT contractor or support company will almost never call you out of the blue offering support. You’ll almost certainly have to call them first. As a result, you should never respond to or accept help from anyone calling you out of the blue offering IT support. Regardless of what they say or where they say they are calling from, hang up.

 

For more information on cybersecurity and how to protect your business in the future, get in touch with our team. Call our sales and support team on 281-768-4800 today.

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