Hammett Technologies understands how important it is for businesses to save money, especially during a global pandemic. Remember that when it comes to cutting costs, it is vital to remove expenses that will not only permanently bring down the company expenses, but also ensure money is being saved. Hammett Technologies hopes to be able to, as a partner to your company and as a reliable source of information, guide you and your business on the road to saving money when it comes to your cybersecurity, efficiency, and accessibility. Cash Reigns Saving money and cutting costs can be difficult. It is hard to find areas where you can remove expenditures from your company without compromising departments and their ability to provide services to your company and your customers. However, in order to ensure that your company is able to save money where it can, it is necessary to remove expenses that are either no longer needed or seem unnecessary. While most businesses focus on removing hardware expenses, when it comes to cutting costs around the IT department, focus your attention to software as a service (SaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IasS). SaaS and IasS are expected to grow 17% in the coming year, up from 227.8$ billion in 2019, according to Gartner. Therefore, if you are expecting to make a dent in your business’s expenses and begin to cut costs. How Hammett Technologies can Help When it comes to saving money, Hammett Technologies is the king. We understand how expensive it is to run a business, and on top of that, run an IT department. Therefore, with both business experience and IT experience, we perfectly grasp how much it takes to run a secure, efficient, and accessible IT department. We never cut corners but always ensure that your company never feels a heavy hit when the bill comes. Hammett Technologies ensures that your company’s IT department runs smoothly, discussing and explaining every potential purchase with you to make sure that you fully understand and know you are not wasting money.
As we have stated multiple times before, when it comes to saving money, it is important to look over all expenditures. This “review of business expenses” should include both variable and fixed costs. We understand that it can be difficult to determine which expenses should be cut, especially when it comes to cutting fixed costs. However, in order to save money, it is important that you consider all your options. Cutting Variable and Fixed Costs Most businesses, when trying to save money, only consider variable costs, such as contractor labor. This is not to say that there is no money to be saved by cutting your variable expenses. Your business could recover much of its lost revenue by reducing its variable expenses. Cutting variable expenses also tends to be easier to cut, since they include utility costs and communication costs. However, in order to save the most amount of money, you and your organization cannot be afraid of inquiring about your fixed expenses, such as payroll or rent. Addressing fixed costs is, understandably, more difficult, since it can result in possible relocation of your business headquarters or termination of an employee. Nevertheless, while cutting fixed costs is more difficult, it is necessary to consider. In fact, it is possible to reduce your variable expenses by cutting fixed expenses, making it even more important to address when discussing cutting costs. How Hammett Technologies Can Assist Hammett Technologies understands how important for businesses to save money, especially during a global pandemic. That is why we walk you through our processes and ensure you are getting the top-tier quality, without breaking the bank. Hammett Technologies has experience in providing professional IT support without the professional cost, making us an asset to your company’s future development and cybersecurity. When you choose Hammett Technologies, you are choosing a business partner who will help guide your business through cyberspace safely and securely, without hurting you financially.
As an MSP, Hammett Technologies understands how important it is to save money without degrading the quality of service. However, when it comes to saving money, businesses often aim to “freeze” current subscriptions for a short while, going without services for a short time in order to save money. What is often overlooked is that this is a short-term money-saving strategy and will ultimately do nothing to help your business. Instead of “freezing” assets, look for areas in your IT department that can be reduced and cut back on permanently. Similar to our last post discussing how your business should target immediate impact areas, it is important to assess the importance of anything you are “reducing” from your business. Don’t Freeze, Reduce When it comes to saving money, it can be easy to cut back on some subscriptions and licenses that are not immediately necessary. However, this tactic often overlooks that that money-saving strategy only solves your business’s monetary concerns for a short time. You are not removing those subscriptions from your docket, rather you are “freezing” them. This means that, unless you are able to increase your business’s monetary income substantially, by the time it comes to renew those subscriptions and licenses, your business will be seeing red again. Hammett Technologies recommends that you begin to look for areas in your IT department that can be reduced and removed completely. This strategy, while more difficult, will result in your business being better able to track its profits and losses without worrying about “frozen items”. We understand that it can be difficult to track down and eliminate areas your IT department may not need any longer, but in order to ensure the safety of your business and those who are working for you, you must be able and willing to reduce, not only freeze assets. A Business Partner You Can Trust Ensuring that your business can stay afloat through pandemics, economic crises, and other serious situations is not only important to you, the business owner but to Hammett Technologies as well. As a family-owned, self-started business, we understand the lows and highs of the business world. We want your business to succeed, and we believe that by following these tips, it will not only succeed but thrive.
Hammett Technologies prides itself on its ability to offer businesses a cost-effective way to manage their IT department. Each of our technicians are trained professional who managed, assist, and guide you and your business on ways to increase security, functionality, and efficiency, without breaking the bank. We wanted to share with our readers ways that you can help your business cut down on IT costs. Over the next few weeks, will we outline ten (10) useful tips that will help you save money, without degrading the quality of the IT Department. Target Immediate Impact When it comes to cutting costs and saving money, the first thing CIOs should look for is unnecessary costs and subscriptions. It is relatively easy for businesses to overlook these small subscriptions, some of which may only come in at $100+ a month. However, when there are multiple subscriptions, the costs can be staggering, often without one realizing. Therefore, your first step to cutting down costs of your IT department should be to look for subscriptions or quarterly licenses that are no longer needed. While doing this it is important to not go overboard. If the removal of said subscription or license could result in weaker security or possible corruption of data, do not, under any circumstance, remove those programs from your expenses. If information were to become corrupted or stolen, the cost of having the data restored or dealing with the fallout of a lawsuit is far more expensive than keeping the software in the first place. Why Hammett Technologies Hammett Technologies prides itself on its ability to maintain a healthy, state-of-the-art, IT Department without cutting corners and without breaking your business’s bank. We ensure that your company is only spending what it needs to spend for its IT Department, with no hidden costs and complete transparency. We break down every payment and all your options so that you, not only know what you are paying for but also understand how it will impact and improve your business. Hammett Technologies is a team of dedicated individuals that want to help you, and your business, grow and thrive.
Ransomware is one of the most dangerous computer viruses in the computer world today. It would not be surprising if many of you, regardless of your background knowledge of computers, have heard of ransomware to some extent. Perhaps it has been through the numerous cities that have been hit, or maybe it was because of the few schools that have begun to be targeted by this disastrous virus. With ransomware on the rise, more and more businesses are being targeted. In order to keep your business’s sensitive information safe, taking preventative measures immediately is the best course of action to ensure your computer systems are not held for ransom. Setting up your Defenses Running Backups One of the most important steps, one often disregarded by many businesses, is ensuring that all computer systems are backed up daily. In the event that your network becomes infected with ransomware, having backups of critical information systems and configurations can save millions of dollars in lost revenue. Educate and Reinforce Basic Cybersecurity Awareness Ransomware needs a human element in order to infect a computer system or network. Therefore, proper and regular training of staff on how to spot phishing emails and suspicious files is essential to a business’s overall cybersecurity. Ensure that staff understands “think before click” and the dangers of downloading attachments from unknown senders. Make sure staff are browsing safely as well and know how to spot fake websites. Fake websites can look strikingly similar to the real ones but often have variations in their URL, which give away their true identities. Make sure employees are suspicious of anyone on the phone or email asking for sensitive information. Always ensure you are communicating with a trusted individual before divulging sensitive information. Have a Plan in Place in the Event of an Attack Make sure a clear plan is established in the event an attack does occur. Ensure response plans outline how to request outside assistance from cyber first responders (state agencies, CISA, and MS-ISAC). Update and Patch Systems Regularly updating and patching computer systems not only keeps the systems running smoothly, but it also protects against viruses such as ransomware. Additional Resources Once all the above is completed, consider reviewing the following articles: MS-ISAC Security Primer – Ransomware CISA Tip Sheet on Ransomware NGA Disruption Response Planning Memo NASCIO Cyber Disruption Planning Guide Each article outlines further steps you can take to protect yourself from ransomware. A Trusted Defense If any of the above worries you, consider calling Hammett Technologies. We are a trusted IT company and are well versed in the dangers of all computer viruses, not just ransomware. We use only the latest technology to ensure your business’s safety, regularly backup all your systems, and train your staff on safety procedures when handling information online. When you partner with Hammett Technologies you do not become just a partner, you become a priority. If you want more information as to what we can do to assist your company, click here!
If you are in the health care business, chances are you have heard the phrase “HIPAA Compliance” before. However, what you may not know is how truly important HIPAA Compliance is for your business, or even what HIPAA Compliance is. No need to worry; Hammett Technologies is here to help! What is HIPAA Compliance HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was is a set of rules and restrictions established to outline the lawful use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI). *a more complex outline of HIPAA can be found here: https://www.hammett-tech.com/how-we-protect-you/hippa-compliance/ Why Being HIPAA Compliant Is Important If you are in the healthcare business, there are numerous reason you should be HIPAA Compliant. From lawsuits to fines from the government, HIPAA Compliance is to be taken seriously and followed completely. Some of the most important reason to be HIPAA Complaint are: Fines Fines for not meetings HIPAA Compliance have increased substantially. These caps on these fines have increased from $25,000 per year to $1,500,000 per year. Furthermore, if you ignore HIPAA Compliance and encounter a breach or receive a complaint, your business can be investigated for breaches, compliance failures, and other issues which can lead to further fines. Other Organizations Other organizations that work with you are most likely HIPAA Compliant themselves, especially if they are a larger corporation. Each Business Associate or Covered Entity your healthcare business works with must following HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. This, in turn, means that if your business if not HIPAA Compliant you will lose their assistance, as well as, lose business in general. Blacklisted If a breach does occur, and the breach results in more than 500 individual’s Protected Health Information being affected, your business is required by law to report it to the Health & Human Services Department, as well as, the public and media. Other companies will not hold back comparing their HIPAA Compliant organization to yours, stealing both business in the present and future. If you are fearful that you do not meet all the HIPAA guidelines and regulations or are having trouble understanding HIPAA Compliance and how to become compliant, call Hammett Technologies! We have a devoted, professional IT team that can help you meet all HIPAA requirements stress free! HIPAA Compliance is essential for any business that handles Protect Health Information. Hammett Technologies will ensure that your business meets every requirement.
As the demand for experienced cyber security workers increases, our national security decreases. Some analysts believe that by as early as next year there could be a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals. With cyber-attacks becoming an increasing threat, enlisting and training a new generation of well-versed cyber security experts, as well as training current workers in the field, will aid in not only restoring the confidence of those who use the internet, but those who are just starting to experience the world wide web. Rebuilding our defenses online is the first step to a stronger, more confident nation. Some of you may be wondering what you can do to help, and the answer is simple! The National Cyber Security Alliance and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security both urge parents, teachers, and employers to motivate potential talent to pursue a career in cyber security. A cyber security professional needs an understanding that goes deeper than just math and technology. They need to be curious, passionate about learning, have a strong ethic and moral compass and be aware of the risks that come with the job. While all these ideas play an important role, at the end of the day, a profession in cyber security means having a passion in keeping our online world more secure and safer for all. To those who are worried about a boring job, fret not, for you will be at the front lines. While cyber security experts are behind the scenes, the roles they play impact our digital lives in big ways. Cyber security experts tackle catastrophic issues before they can detonate, causing massive issues for the internet. This profession is dedicated to protecting those online, keeping them more secure and safer from any threats they may face. A profession in cyber security builds important team-based skills and provides an environment for one to continue to learn and improve in skill. If you believe your student or child to be interesting in cyber security, there are steps you can take to aid them! You could volunteer at school or set up community workshops that help to teach children and adults about online safety and a career in cyber security. Try exposing students or your children to the opportunities in the field of cyber security by hosting an open house at your company to talk about what your cyber security department does. Inspire children to learn about cyber security by mentoring a team in a cyber challenge or hosting events and after school programs. Work with schools or community organizations to create an internship program for hands-on learning. For parents, become knowledgeable about the educational steps to a career in cyber security and about organizations that host events for cyber security. For those in college searching for a job in cyber security, get credentials. Four out of five cyber security jobs require a college degree. Do volunteer work and internships so that you can become more experienced in the field itself. Offer help to you IT professors at college or employer to gain more experience. Read about the latest advancements and breaches regarding cyber security. Pay attention to how these breaches occur and how they were fixed. If you are interested but not sure if cyber security is right for you, take a look at the National Initiative for Cyber security Careers and Studies (NICCS). NICCS has career resources for learning more about jobs in the field, as well as guides for learning about how to join a cyber security team! At Hammett Technologies we put your online security as a top priority. We treat your network as our own, with regular maintenance and updates to keep your company’s data secure. Be with a team you can trust, become a Hammett Technologies Partner today! Still curious as to what we can do to help your company grow? Click here to find out more!
If you are like most computer users, you have a small armada of passwords for the plethora of accounts you have. With that many accounts and passwords surely, things will be forgotten and lost. Then you must go through the hassle of continually resetting the password every time this occurs! Now you could opt to use similar passwords for all your accounts, but then you run the risk of not just one but all your accounts being compromised. Or you could use different passwords for every website and always click the “Remember Me” button. Still, again, if some unauthorized user accesses to your machine, they have no issue logging in to all your accounts. I know what you are thinking, “Why don’t I just write them all down?” That is a good idea; however, are you willing to carry that book with you everywhere you go? What if you lose it at the house or lose it when you are out in public? Thankfully, there is help. Password managers enable you to keep track of your passwords and accounts without having to remember them all. The added benefit is that password managers can create extremely complex passwords for your accounts, ranging from 20+ characters, including symbols, numbers, and capital letters! Furthermore, most password managers have an autofill feature, meaning you no longer have to use “Remember Me.” What’s the catch? There is none! The only password you are responsible for is your “Master Password,” so make sure it is incredibly secure! You will use this master password to log yourself into the password manager, granting you access to all your passwords and accounts. One of our personal favorites is LastPass. LastPass flawlessly integrates with most browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.) as a browser extension. But don’t take our word for it, go and give them a try! If you are worried about LastPass getting breached, a legitimate concern to have, worry not. LastPass does not personally store your passwords. While they may be stored on a server LastPass owns, the passwords are encrypted to ensure that even in the event of a data breach, hackers cannot uncover anything that may damage users. If you are worried about password managers, please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We are more than willing to answer any questions you may have to help ease your concerns. I think password managers are great. They allow the user to create extremely complex passwords without the worry of having to keep them written down or stored in one’s memory. They make the day-to-day web browsing much more comfortable and more convenient.
Picking the best version of Office for your business can be overwhelming. Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) and Office 2019 offer pros and cons that can difficult to see when browsing on Microsoft’s website. The plans offered by Microsoft 365 can also be overwhelming to look at if you do not entirely understand all the features that come with it. Let’s dive deeper into what each package offers so that you can make the most accurate decision! Microsoft 365: Business Standard Hands down the best option if your business needs access to all the applications Microsoft has to offer. Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based subscription service, with yearly or monthly renewal times. Microsoft also pushes continual updates to all the applications on Office 365, ensuring you have the latest, fastest, and most secure builds of Office applications, at all times. If you encounter issues with any updates or applications, Office 365 comes equipped with Customer Support features to assist. For businesses, Microsoft365 comes equipped with features such as: Teams (cloud-based chat platform for your company) Exchange (email) One Drive (cloud-based storage) SharePoint (similar to one-drive but offers more in-depth customization) Many of these applications are must-haves for businesses, but these added features come with a price. While the Microsoft 365 subscription begins with a $5/month fee, this package only comes with access to Teams, Exchange, One Drive, and SharePoint. For full access to all application (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access, etc.) Microsoft 365 requires a monthly payment of $12.50. It is important to note that while Microsoft 365 does offer support for Windows and Mac OS, Access and Publisher are PC applications only. If you are a Mac user, you will have to resort to these applications’ web versions, if needed. However, with so many applications built into Microsoft 365, there is the likely-hood that you may wind up paying for features you never use. There is also the possibility that Microsoft’s services may be down at some point, possibly preventing specific applications from functioning correctly. Microsoft 365: Business Premium For businesses that need more security and management opportunities for their workflow, Business Premium may be the option for you. This plan comes with all the features of Business Standard, but also includes: Intune – A program that allows for mobile device management, giving you the ability to decide how your businesses’ mobile devices (tablets, laptops, phones) are used. Azure Information Protection – A program that assists in protecting sensitive information such as emails and files. This process can be defined using labels and handled automatically, manually, or a mixture of the two. Benefits and Drawbacks from Microsoft 365 Business vs. Microsoft 365 Home vs. Office 2019 When choosing the best version of Office for your company, it is essential to weigh all your options. Microsoft 365 Business has multiple great programs that any business can stand to benefit from having. Its multiple plans allow companies to make informed decisions on what they want and gives them the ability to upgrade or downgrade. Furthermore, the business applications (Teams, One Drive, Exchange, and SharePoint) offer businesses with more in-depth customization options and a chat platform. Microsoft365 Family may look promising to some companies that are looking for a cheaper option. Microsoft 365 Family may be best for smaller businesses that do not need access to Teams or have their storage solutions. Office 365 Family comes equipped with all the base application Microsoft 365 Business Standard has (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, OneNote, Outlook, and Publisher). However, as stated, it leaves out Teams, OneDrive, Exchange, and SharePoint. Possibly the biggest, and only, advantage Office 365 Family has is the pricing, allowing for six (6) individual users under the same license. Microsoft 2019 is another great platform, but only for companies that are just starting. The primary reason is pricing differences. Microsoft 2019 costs one payment of $150, giving access to the most popular apps (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook). However, that is about where the benefits end. Office 2019 is not regularly updated with patches and bug fixes; instead, only security updates are pushed out. Confused? If you are feeling overwhelmed or confused, don’t fret. We know this is a lot of information to take in and try to grasp. If you are worried you are not making the right purchase, consider giving us a call or sending us an email! Hammett Technologies is here to help with any and all your technological needs, no matter how big or small they may be.
Thunderbolt ports are commonplace on many laptops today. They allow for high-speed connections for data transfer, video display, charging phones, and even the computer itself. However, as useful as Thunderbolt ports are, they also leave one’s computer vulnerable to hackers. Theft and laptops go hand in hand. They are expensive, can hold sensitive information, and are relatively easy to carry around and conceal. However, to counter this, laptops come equipped with encryption techniques for data and passwords. However, these safety measures will prove futile against Thunderspy. What is Thunderspy Thunderspy is a technique requiring physical access to a computer and utilizes the thunderbolt port on one’s machine. Using this technique, individuals can access a computer’s information regardless if the computer is sleeping, locked, or encrypted. Even if one’s system comes equipped with Kernel DMA protection for Thunderbolt 3, a countermeasure that protects one’s machine from Direct Memory Attacks (DMA), you are still not entirely protected from this attack. Kernel DMA protection will only protect your computer from a few vulnerabilities that Thunderspy exploits. Intel has made a statement regarding Thunderspy, stating that with Kernel DMA protection active, they were unable to hack into a machine’s data successfully. Staying Safe If you wish to find out if your system is vulnerable, the security researcher (Ruytenberg) who discovered the vulnerability has released a tool that allows Windows and Linux users to check their systems. Although, the only real way to make sure that your system is safe from this type of attack is to make sure that Thunderbolt is disabled or make sure that no unauthorized access to your machine takes place. Are you worried that your data is unprotected and vulnerable to attacks? Worried your sensitive information may leak onto the internet? Hammett Technologies will make sure that all your personal and business information is encrypted and secured. By monitoring all corners of the internet, including the Dark Web, we make sure that even if your data does leak, it becomes unavailable as quickly as it appeared. Call us today and find out how we can help your business’s online data stay out of the hands of criminals!