Do You Have Access to Mac and Windows Hybrid IT Support? Every single IT support company in the country will offer you Microsoft support options. Not nearly as many will offer support for Mac products. But how many offer both? We offer comprehensive IT support services for Mac and Microsoft systems, but what’s more is that we even offer service to businesses that need both. Either system is complicated in it sown right, but even if you need a hybrid set up between the two systems, we can make it work for you. With our support services you can enjoy the following benefits: Ensured Compatibility. Regardless of how different the two systems are, we can make them work together for you. They may be fundamentally different, but both Microsoft and Mac computing have much to offer your business, and we want to help you get the most of out them both. Flexible Set Ups. Only get the services you need for your particular business goals. We can tailor your Microsoft and/or Mac set up to specifically meet the requirements of your day to day business, whether that’s a single Microsoft workstation among all Macs or vice-versa. One Monthly Rate. By servicing your entire system with us, you benefit from a monthly, easy-to-budget IT expenditure. Many businesses will have to seek out multiple support options to address their Microsoft and Mac systems, but with {company}, you get an all-inclusive support service. Get the IT support you need for system, whether it’s Microsoft, Apple, or both! To learn more about what we can do for your business’ IT systems, contact {company} today at {phone} or {email}. 

New Report Finds MOST Organizations Are Vulnerable to Insider Threats A recent report conducted by cyber security experts SANS Institute has found that an overwhelming majority of polled organizations are highly vulnerable to insider attacks. The study, conducted on behalf of software manufacturer SpectorSoft, polled over 700 IT practitioners, finding that while many have an awareness of insider threats, few have adequate response and detection protocols in place. The report’s author, Dr. Eric Cole, said of the findings that, “Most organizations will suffer an insider compromise and many will be unable to prevent all attacks. That your organization currently has an insider threat of some sort is a near certainty. Therefore, you have to approach security with the assumption that an insider threat has already compromised you and focus your energy on detection.” Insider attacks can happen due to negligent employees misusing information or failing to follow security protocols, as well as malicious employees intentionally compromising data via their knowledge of the workplace and security procedures. When considered with the statistics presented in the report, insider attacks are clearly one of the most serious threats to IT security in a given organization today: Almost 75% of respondents are aware of insider threats as a concept. While a third of respondents report that they’ve suffered from an insider attack, approximately the same number of those polled estimate that the attacks cost the organizations roughly $1 million in damages. While 50% of respondents don’t know how much they’re spending on insider threat protection, 44% can confirm that they’re spending less than 10% of their IT security budget. Just less than a third of respondents report that they have no way to prevent or deter an insider attack. Insider attacks are just as serious a threat as those outside of the organization! To protect your company from both the inside and out, contact us at by phone or email for more information.

Running A Version of Internet Explorer Between IE7 – IE11? You’re at Risk for Malware Infection! If you’re running a supported version of Internet Explorer – from IE7 to IE11, you’re at risk for malware infection through a serious vulnerability, wherein your systems can be infected when you browse to a malware riddled website. Microsoft has released an emergency patch for the critical security flaw – and the patch must be applied quickly – no delays. Windows users should install the patch, regardless of whether or not you’re depending on IE as your primary browser. Why? Because a multitude of applications use components of IE to function – and you don’t want to leave yourself open to this vulnerability. On a side note, Microsoft Edge doesn’t appear to be impacted. Wolfgang Kandek, CTO at Qualys, wrote in a blog post regarding the vulnerability, “The vulnerability (CVE-2015-2502) is actively being exploited in the wild. The attack code is hosted on a malicious webpage that you or your users would have to visit in order to get infected.” The hackers are out to get companies like yours – aiming to steal sensitive information and wreak havoc on you and your staff members through a wide range of techniques designed to get users to their malicious webpage: Manipulating search engine results to drive users towards websites specifically setup for the purpose of infecting visitors. Phishing (sending emails with malicious attachments) to get users to click a link that brings them to the dangerous websites. Leveraging weak login credentials/blogging server software to gain access and control over existing websites. Do not wait until it’s too late. You must apply the patch immediately before your systems are infected. Contact us by phone or email for more information.

Verizon Looks to Develop Internet That’s Faster Than Ever Before! Verizon, an innovative wireless communications company, is looking to make the Internet 1000 times faster than ever before – providing customers with a new service that has download speeds of 10 gigabits per second! What does that mean for you? That means Internet that’s 1,000 times faster than the average US residential Internet connection speed. What would you do if your Internet was that fast? Let’s look at how fast the service would actually be: Uploading 1,000 photos would only take two seconds. Downloading a two-hour movie would only take eight seconds According to Verizon, the new technology would be able to, in the future, offer speeds as quick as 40-80 gigabits per second! Although the new technology is being tested at the moment, they’ve been able to reach 10 gigabits per second speeds in a lab, a home, and a business. For companies like yours, the benefits of Internet speeds that are 1,000 times faster are obvious: Improved ability to respond to customers: If speeds are slow, employees are often left staring at the screen waiting for an email to load or send, especially when files are attached. If speeds are fast, you’re able to communicate quickly to customers and potential customers. Enhanced ability to find information: Whether you’re searching in a general search engine or online database, quick speeds let you find important information faster and more efficiently; giving you an edge over the competition. {company} looks forward to the future of faster Internet speeds. We’ll keep you in the loop on the latest advancements and news. Call us at {phone} or send us an email: {email}.

After a great deal of consistent criticism from users, Google has announced this week that they will no longer require YouTube account holders to use their social media network Google+. Instead of tying their social media accounts to other Google services, a simple, private Google account is all that users will need to be a part of YouTube and other Google services. What does this mean for those of you who are using Google+ alongside YouTube? Here’s a few factors to keep in mind: The Roll-Out Will Be Staggered Google+ will be incrementally removed from YouTube. As of last week, comments will no longer show up on Google+ profiles, but other features of YouTube, such as channel creation, and commenting on and uploading videos, will still be tied to Google+ for at least a few more weeks. More Independence on YouTube. Once Google+ has been completely separated from YouTube, the underlying requisite Google account will not be searchable or followable – letting those who enjoy YouTube do so without it affecting their public Google+ profiles, which is great news for many of us. This is Not the End for Google+. Those who use and enjoy Google+ need not worry, the social media service is not going away for good. User can still enjoy Google+, but the service simply won’t be integrated with YouTube for much longer to better suit users that have no interest in Google’s social media. To stay up to date on the latest technology news and information, contact {company} at {phone} or send us an email: {email}. We stay ahead of the latest news and information so you can stay informed. 

Google is rolling out “Your Timeline”, a new feature available on desktop and Androids that, with data from your devices’ Google account sign-ons, will help you recall great celebrations, retrace your forgotten steps and revisit your routines. You can use Google Maps to remember where you have been and if you use Google Photos your snaps will be included as a visual support to your memories. Record and Keep Great Memories We all have great memories of those times out with friends and family that we never want to forget. Thanks to “Your Timeline” along with a selection of great selfies and photos that you and your friends took during your adventure can create a record of the event that would rival a scrap book project. You can add a few notes to remember specific locations, including the exact time you were there and the details of any event are yours for a lifetime. What if you want to recall the name of that great restaurant where you had lunch with your family the last time you visited this resort town. Or maybe you misplaced your car in a busy shopping centre at the end of a busy afternoon, you can use “Your Timeline” to retrace your steps and recall specific location from your past. How to use “Your Timeline”  “Your Timeline” is available on devices running on the Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher platform and all iOS devices. You can access “Your Timeline” if you have chosen to store your Location History with Google. When enabled, this setting allows you to use other features such as Now notifications for local traffic updates or current weather conditions. The recent launch of “My Account” allows users to easily manage all your Google settings in one place. You control what you keep This private feature is visible only to you and you control what you do and do not want to keep. You can easily delete one event or your complete history whenever you choose. Or if you don’t want to publish a private location you can name it a pseudonym like “my favorite haunt” or “my best guys place” and the location will be available to you in Google Maps when you’re logged in. Interested in the latest technology advancements? Contact {company} at {phone} or send us an email: {email}.

Although information systems are vital for innovation, many businesses find themselves caught up in trying to simply maintain those systems – from servers to storage devices to applications; it quickly becomes an endless cycle of integration, configuration, and maintenance. As the modern business environment becomes more technology-driven, companies need to reduce the amount of time and money spent keeping IT up and running – and focus their efforts on achieving goals and objectives instead. Did you know the average company spends almost 10% of their annual revenue on technology? If you’re ready to leverage IT for increasing business opportunities and revenue growth, here’s a few tips: Start Using Social Media: Social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, allow you to reach more potential clients, develop a trusting relationship with potential clients, and of course, market your products and/or services in a cost-efficient manner. Plus, you’re able to manage client expectations and learn more about what those you serve are looking for. Move to the Cloud: When you simplify the way you use information technology and move to the cloud, you’re able to free up valuable time and resources – leaving you much more able to focus on innovation as opposed to simply keeping IT up and running. This lets you continue operations seamlessly while focusing on what’s important: staying competitive. Find New Ways to Communicate: In today’s day and age, communication is everything – it’s absolutely vital to have the right communication methods in place, in order to stay responsive to those you serve – thus resulting in more ‘word of mouth’ referrals that lead to business opportunities. Smart phones, VoIP systems, hosted email, video conferencing, and more allow you to stay in constant contact. {company} is here to help you increase business opportunities and revenue growth through information technology. Call {phone} or send us an email: {email}.

Microsoft is constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to advancements in technology. We know that your IT needs to be solving problems, not creating new ones – you need smart, effective solutions that are designed to make your life easier and help maintain security; that’s why we know c is a great option for businesses. Microsoft Single Sign-On provides unparalleled convenience – it simplifies access to all of your applications and databases, providing a great deal of benefit for your operations. Get in touch with {company} at {email} or {phone}. Our skilled and reliable team of experts is eager to help you improve your business by working with the best and most effective IT solutions.   Microsoft’s Single Sign-On service is built into Azure Active Directory. You and your employees gain the ability to sign in to all of your most important Internet applications in one place and with the same credentials, including SharePoint, Salesforce, Google Apps, Drop Box, Hotels.com and thousands more. Passwords are constantly forgotten or stolen, compromising business data and leaving your applications insecure – Single Sign-On allows you to easily change all of your passwords quickly and conveniently, so you’re never shut out of accounts and access is never given to unwanted parties. When an employee leaves the company, you’re able to change their password for just one account and ensure that all of their other passwords are also altered. Advanced authorization options are configured to meet your unique needs, along with options for multi-factor authentication to ensure further protection. Microsoft’s Single Sign-On is designed with your convenience in mind; you’re able to decrease disruption to workflow or potential downtime by easily signing into all of your most important business applications. Get in touch with {company} to talk more about how Single Sign-On will be a valuable asset to your business. Contact us at {email} or {phone}.

Emails Linking to a “Windows 10 Upgrade” Actually Encrypts Your Files and Forces You to Pay a Ransom to Get Them Back Windows 10 was recently released, exciting the many Microsoft users who were eager to wash out the bad taste that Windows 8 left in their mouths… but this much-anticipated release has attracted some attention from cybercriminals as well. You may receive an email, as many people already have, that contains a link that supposedly directs you to free upgrade to Windows 10. Don’t follow that link. That link will actually end up infecting your computer with CTB-Locker, yet another one of the many ransomware programs that have made ransomware one of the fastest growing trends in the cybercrime threat landscape. So, what is ransomware? What does CTB-Locker do, exactly? First, CTB-Locker will encrypt your important files. Documents, photos, videos, databases: the works. Then, your screen will display a message that explains why you can’t access your files, shows you all of the files that have been encrypted, and tells you that if you don’t send over a ransom (usually somewhere between a few hundred and a couple thousands dollars) in the next 96 hours (4 days), all those files will be lost forever. Microsoft actually does offer free upgrades to Windows 10, on the condition that you already have Windows 7 or 8. But they’re not going to send you an email about it. For that free upgrade, follow these instructions from Microsoft (and we assure you, that link is actually safe). This recent scam highlights a much larger issue: to keep your network secure and avoid ransomware (as well as the class-action lawsuits and regulatory fines that often result from an online security breach), don’t follow any links or download any attachments from any source you’re not 100% sure is legitimate. Give us a call at {phone} or send a message over to {email} for more information about our IT services.

Windows 10 Is Now Available…It is crucial that you check with your IT experts before you make the move to this new version of Windows. In our years of providing IT services and support for a wide range of industries, {company} has learned many valuable lessons. One of those lessons is that the newest or most expensive technology isn’t always the best; technology should never be blindly trusted or chosen. It’s likely that Windows 10 will offer a great deal of benefits to many businesses – but with software so new, it’s impossible to really know. {company} knows our clients can’t risk working with software that is full of vulnerabilities or glitches. We value your time and pride ourselves on providing you with the best services and support for your unique needs. That’s why we believe Windows 10 needs to be tested before you decide to migrate your business. Get in touch with {company} at {email} or {phone} to discuss Windows 10 and any other IT concerns you may have. {company} recommends that our clients do NOT move to Windows 10 until we’ve had a chance to really understand how it operates. We’re eager to gain feedback from the IT world and then discuss the benefits, and perhaps downsides, of Windows 10. From there, we’ll strategically plan whether or not your business should make the migration. At the end of the day, we want your business to thrive. {company} aims to ensure you’re working with the right technology to meet and exceed goals – that’s why we want to make sure that Windows 10 is really the best option for your business before making the switch. {company} isn’t just your IT provider, we’re your IT partner. We’re here to help ensure your operations are always running smoothly and effectively, and that’s why we think it’s best to wait until we have a complete picture of Windows 10 to make the movie. To discuss the migration to Windows 10 and any other IT issues or concerns, contact {company} at {email} or {phone}.