Innovation Is Changing Entire Aspects of Business

The search for the right technology for your business sometimes becomes problematic because you either don’t have the necessary capital or operational leeway to integrate the latest and greatest solutions. For the company that needs an upgrade, and doesn’t exactly know what the next move is, consulting with an IT professional is a great option, and can turn your entire business around.

At Net Activity, we deal in business-class technology every day, and the resulting knowledge allows our consultants to pinpoint when a technology solution is a good fit, and when it should be avoided altogether. After all, while every business needs technology that provides solid ROI, no business needs technology that they can’t properly utilize. Today, we look at two parts of your business’ computing where you could make significant technology upgrades that would provide rapid ROI, and typically won’t ruin your annual technology budget.

Communications
We’ll start with communications, because it is a core aspect of the modern business that has seen some pretty stark shifts. For decades the telephone was the number one (and only) solution for company communications. You had a desk, you sat at the desk, and answered the phone when it rang. Obviously, today things are much, much different. They are so different that sometimes you’ll be standing on line in a store and you think someone is talking to you, but he/she is actually negotiating a sale with someone two time zones away via Bluetooth headset.

Today’s business communications solutions are considerably better, and often more cost effective than communications in the past. There are a lot more of them too. With the advent of the smartphone and the cloud, more can get done on the move than ever before. Here are two of the communications solutions that are available to the modern business:

• Voice over Internet Protocol: Every business needs a telephone system, and often business phone solutions from the telephone company can be exceedingly expensive. Today there is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) that uses your organization’s Internet bandwidth to provide in-office and mobile options for businesses. Some VoIP solutions will come packaged with other services, but stand-alone fully-hosted VoIP solutions are a powerful and cost-effective option for any business because of the breadth of services that are available with a VoIP plan. Typically billed per user, per month, hosted VoIP can save you money and provide the mobility and options your business needs.
• Hosted Team Collaboration: Instant messaging and forums have been around as long as the Internet, but today there are full-featured team collaboration tools that combine the ease of use of IM with the comprehensive project collaboration found in today’s strongest email solutions. Options like Slack and Microsoft Teams can provide any business a heavily-integrated platform in which to communicate, collaborate, and cooperate, moving projects ahead faster than ever before; and, because it is hosted in the cloud, information can be accessed from any place that has an Internet connection on any allowed device.

File Storage
Any organization that relies on IT, has to store data. All the emails, documentation, presentations, marketing materials, databases, graphics, and media your organization has can chew up a huge chunk of storage space. That’s before you even take into account the amount of file storage space every application your organization utilizes. If you think about it, where and how you store your data is a major consideration.

So what innovative options are open to you? Well, as with any technology, you will want to first consider your needs in both storage needed and where you want to store it. It’s true that some of the data you have should be stored onsite, but it’s also true that today cloud storage options are faster, cheaper, and more reliable than ever. Here are two options you should consider when deciding what file storage situation is best for your business:

• Multi-Cloud Storage: It is undeniable that cloud storage has been a major benefit for business. Not only does it provide near-ubiquitous access to data, it can be set up on or off-site, as a cost-saving measure, or one that is extraordinarily secure. One problem that many organizations have with cloud computing is that they have to either give up management to the infrastructure that holds all their data, or they have to spend big on their own solution to control, and some of the data they have isn’t really worth the huge investment. With multi-cloud storage, it gives the organization freedom to assign storage (applications and processing) to whichever cloud server an organization deems appropriate. This provides the ability to enforce policies and standards across on-premise and hosted cloud environments, providing the agility and flexibility many organizations are looking for in their cloud storage solutions.
• Management as a Service: There is more data than ever, and the higher volumes of data there are, the more resources it takes to sort and manage it. Resources always cost money. As a result, you are quickly seeing management as a service (MaaS) platforms being launched. This service basically outsources your data storage management. Since companies are increasingly storing data in all types of environments, and they need to focus on turning a profit, companies are now offering in-cloud support, management analytics, and performance optimization to companies that just can’t keep up with the amount of data they are storing.

Innovating is important for any business, as new solutions can really make a difference at the bottom line. Before you sink money upgrading any portion of your organization’s information systems, contact the IT experts at Net Activity to do an assessment. Our knowledgeable technicians can find innovative technologies that are right for your business. For more information call us at 216-503-5150.

Are you Sufficiently Cooling your Servers?

In this day and age, almost every business employs some type of server management. If yours is hosted locally, temperature control could mean the difference between running smoothly and running into the ground. Understanding how to properly cool your servers prevents data loss and ensures the longevity of your hardware’s life.

How does temperature affect my servers?

High temperatures in server hardware can result in different types of damage. A server that completely crashes for any reason results in costly data loss and service interruptions, but the unbiased advisory organization Uptime Institute warns that overheating that doesn’t always result in total failure. Every 18 degrees higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, hardware reliability decreases by 50%. This decrease in reliability can be just as, if not more, expensive for your hardware budget in the long run.

Cooling methods can’t just be implemented and forgotten; they must be closely monitored to ensure the health of your server hardware in the short and long term. Options for temperature management range from simple low-budget solutions to expensive outsourced alternatives. Determining your server management budget will greatly depend on what types of methods you intend to implement at your SMB.

Cooling methods

Which system you use to cool your server largely depends on how much power your hardware is using. The more watts a computer needs to operate, the harder it’s working. This number will determine the scope of your temperature management needs.

For example, PCWorld says passive temperature control is adequate for any equipment operating at less than 400 watts. This includes simple solutions like positioning your server away from walls, low ceilings, cable clusters, and anything else that can block hot air from dissipating naturally.

For computers using between 400 and 2,000 watts, strategic ventilation becomes a necessity. Adding passive ventilation is viable up to 700 watts, but fan-assisted ventilation will be required above that and up to 2,000 watts. With the increased power consumption, temperatures will rise, and air movement needs to be more closely managed. At this stage, simple vent and oscillating fans will suffice.

Anything higher than 2,000 watts needs dedicated cooling solutions. This means air-cooled units to actively reduce server room temperature. Depending on the size and arrangement of the space, a simple self-contained unit may be enough to reduce temperatures to acceptable ranges. But if you’re not sure, you should schedule a consultation with a vendor to consider more drastic cooling and monitoring methods.

Keeping your servers running at ideal temperatures means smoother data operations, lower hardware budgets, and one less thing to worry about at your SMB. As your business continues to grow and develop, keep close tabs on increasing server loads — it could save you from devastating data loss. If you need more detailed advice about server management, or have any other questions about your hardware setup, contact us today.

Your Business Email Is Highly Targeted For Attacks

There’s a new report out, authored by ProofPoint, and its findings for business are grim.

It’s no secret that businesses of all shapes and sizes are coming under increasing fire from hackers around the world.

Now we have hard data that shows us exactly how big of an increase we’re seeing.

Here are some of the key findings in the report:

• Email fraud attacks targeting businesses have increased 25 percent in the last quarter alone
• They have increased by a staggering 85 percent from this time last year
• Phishing links sent via social media platforms have increased by 30 percent
• 60 percent of those phishing links specifically targeted individual contributors and lower-level corporate management
• 23 percent of attacks targeted employees working in operations and production
• Incidents of customer support fraud increased by 39 percent, compared to the previous quarter. This increased a whopping 400 percent compared with this time last year

Nick Frost (a co-founder of the Cyber Risk Management Group) had this to say about the disturbing report:

“Key to this is engineering emails and spoofing email addresses to a level of sophistication that fails to alert the recipient that there is anything suspicious about the email.  Techniques such as web crawling and web scraping are able to collect and collate key information about an individual that can be used in crafting an email, accompanied by a link (as part of a phishing attack) to an unsuspecting user.

Whilst there are many legitimate web crawlers and many are enabled for business reasons, there may be organizations and individuals that wish for their information not to be collected and shared either for legitimate or adversarial purposes.  There are tools that organizations can adopt that prevent or even delay web crawlers.”

Training is the first line of defense here.  If you’re not doing it already, you should be holding regular phishing simulations so your employees become adept at spotting them. Subscribe to www.netactivity.us and you’ll get our bi-monthly IT security tips in your Inbox every month.

Fax Machines Might Be Gateway To Next Hacker Attack

Nothing bad could possibly happen to your company’s network if the only piece of information the hackers have is your fax number, right?

Unfortunately not, according to recent research by employees at Check Point.

They recently revealed details about not one, but two different REC’s (Remote Code Execution) techniques that exploit flaws in the communications protocols of tens of millions of fax machines spread all over the globe.

If you think the Fax machine has largely gone the way of the dinosaur, think again. Many printers sport “all in one” functionality, which includes both scan and fax functionality, and therein lies the problem. Since these printers are invariably attached to your network, your fax number is a good a way in, since most people don’t even think about it.

Called the “Faxploit,” the new attack type involves a pair of known buffer overflow vulnerabilities, CVE-2018-5925 and CVE-2018-5924, which allows anyone who takes advantage of them to have the ability to execute code remotely.

The researchers who discovered the issue created a proof of concept video demonstrating the attack in action. In their demo, they made use of an HP Officejet Pro 6830 and an OfficeJet Pro 8720, sending an image file with a malicious payload through the phone line. The moment the fax machine receives it, the image is decoded and uploaded into the fax/printer’s memory.

From there, the sky is the limit. Having gained a foothold on the network, what happens next is entirely dependent on the nature of the payload delivered. One thing you can be sure of, however, is that none of the outcomes you can expect will be good.

The researchers point out that there’s nothing special about the two all in one printers they selected, and the vulnerability will work on just about any make or model. Something new to be worried about.

Work productively with Chrome extensions

Well over half of all surveyed internet users utilize Google’s Chrome web browser, and it’s not difficult to see why. The ability to customize your browser via third party apps, extensions, and more makes web surfing a truly personalized experience. Keep on reading to discover the most practical extensions to enhance productivity.

Taco

The first on our list is the Taco extension that focuses on integration to boost productivity. It works by replacing Chrome’s ‘new tab’ page with a customizable framework for all of your third-party services. With various templates and layouts, you can organize and combine tasks and notes from over 40 services including Evernote, Google, Salesforce, Trello, and more.

Any time you’re about to start a new project, simply open a new tab to search for the app you need. But before you hit that ‘Google Search’ button, drag the task item into your ‘doing’ lane and off you go. Once you’re done with work and need to check on the status of your home team’s game, simply open a new tab, move the task to your finished lane, and check the score.

Strict Workflow

Strict Workflow is based on the renowned Pomodoro productivity approach. It’s a time management technique that lets you focus on your task at hand and eliminates any distraction by having you block non-work related websites during your 25 minute work time and unblock it on your appointed 5-minute break.

OneTab

A lot of us open tabs as notes, reminders, and things to check again some time in the distant future, which is why you’ll love OneTab. It’s ideal for work days when you find a stack of tabs sandwiched along the top of your screen, which can cripple your available memory. This extension allows you to condense all of your open tabs into one page that lists each of them for easy access when you’re ready to return to them.

JustRead

When it’s time to slow down your browsing and read the most recent election article or a recipe you want to try, the page is often cluttered with social sharing buttons, advertisements and stock photos. With the JustRead extension, all of this gets cleared away with the press of a button, leaving you with a clean, text-only page.

These are just some of our favorite extensions. If you’d like more suggestions or support for anything Google related, we’re here for you — don’t hesitate to call.

Click Rates For Spam Emails Are Increasing

F-Secure recently published a new report, and their findings are disturbing.

The click rates on spam emails increased to 14.2 percent for the second half of 2017, up from 13.4 percent reported in the first half of 2017.

The increase seems to be driven by two factors.

First, more intense targeting of smartphone users, who are typically more distracted and not paying as much attention when opening and reading emails.

Second, a slight increase in sophistication.  For instance, an email that appears to come from a known sender is 12 percent more likely to be opened and responded to, so hackers are using this approach more often.

Even so, the report isn’t all bad news.  While spam is still the most common means of attack, it’s highly inefficient, relying on brute force (volume) rather than an abundance of sophistication.  Second, the report reveals that 85 percent of malicious attachments are made up of just five file types:

• *.7z
• *.PDF
• *.XLS
• *.DOC
• *.ZIP

Knowing this, a savvy user who’s paying attention can more easily avoid falling into the trap of the hackers.

Other highlights from the report include:

• 46 percent of all spam campaigns are related to online dating
• 23 percent contain the malicious attachments described above
• 31 percent contain links to malicious websites

Sean Sullivan, an F-Secure Security Advisor had this to say about the report:

“We’ve reduced criminals to spam, one of the least effective methods of infection.  Anti-malware is containing nearly all commoditized bulk threats.  And honestly, I don’t see anything coming over the horizon that could lead to another gold rush, so criminals are stuck with spam.”

Overall, the report is bad news mixed with some good.  One thing it clearly underscores is the continuing importance of ongoing email education for all employees of companies of any size.

The Spectre Virus Makes a Comeback

When one cyberattack is stopped, another more powerful variant almost always takes its place. It happens all the time with ransomware, computer viruses, and Trojan horses. Recently, this has become the case with Spectre attacks, which exploit a fundamental flaw in modern computer chips. Here’s everything you need to know.

Spectre 101
For those who don’t know, Spectre is a vulnerability in modern computer chips like Intel and AMD that allows hackers to steal confidential information stored in an application’s memory, including passwords, instant messages, and emails. Malicious code running on a computer or web browser could be used to exploit this vulnerability, but ever since Spectre was discovered, Microsoft, AMD, Intel, and other tech companies released a series of updates to fix it.

What is NetSpectre?
To perform Spectre attacks, malware would have to run on a targeted machine to extract sensitive data. But in late July, Austrian security researchers found a way to launch Spectre-style attacks remotely without locally installed malware. The new attack is called NetSpectre and it can be conducted over a local area network or via the cloud.

So far, it’s impractical for average hackers to use this method to steal data. In tests, researchers were able to steal data at a rate of between 15 to 60 bits per hour, which means it would take days to gather corporate secrets and passwords. As such, NetSpectre will probably be used by hackers who want to target specific individuals but don’t want to resort to obvious methods like phishing scams or spyware.

Experts also warn that while NetSpectre may be impractical now, hackers may develop faster and more powerful variants in the future.

How should you protect your business?
NetSpectre attacks exploit the same vulnerabilities as the original Spectre so it’s important to install the latest firmware and security updates. You should also secure your networks with advanced firewalls and intrusion prevention systems to detect potential NetSpectre attacks.

Last but not least, working with a reputable managed services provider that offers proactive network monitoring and security consulting services can go a long way in protecting your business from a slew of cyberthreats.

If you’re looking for a leading managed security services provider, why not talk to us? We provide cutting-edge security software and comprehensive, 24/7 support. Call us today for more information.

Your New Smartphone Probably isn’t Much Smarter Than Your Last One

The difference in today’s mobile devices and those that came years before used to be staggering, but in recent years, the differences in power and functionality have started to wane. Manufacturers have begun to roll out devices with only minor changes in power, but with exorbitant increases in cost. For the first time, in 4Q of 2017, the smartphone saw stagnation, and we’ll try to get to the root of it.

The Smartphone Market
The heavy hitters of the smartphone market have been the same for almost a decade. Samsung and Apple are, more or less, the biggest players in the smartphone market. There are others that have emerged, like HTC, Blackberry Limited, and LG, but it’s hard to argue that they have the same presence in the smartphone industry as Samsung and Apple. Similarly, there is now a competition for Chinese companies thanks to an increase in Asian smartphone demand. Manufacturers like Huawei and Xiaomi have grown considerably as a result.

Besides the increase in popularity of smartphones in places with high populations, the smartphone market has typically relied on repeat customers who replace their phones when new models are released. Today’s smartphones are built with specifications that are designed to help manufacturer’s make back their money with high sales. The less people upgrade their devices, the more money these manufacturers have to pay in order to get ads in front of potential consumers. Therefore, if the biggest draw of the latest smartphone is taken out of the picture–the potential for upgrading–the entire basis of the market screeches to a halt. Even though Samsung and Apple have large numbers of repeat customers, the same can’t be said for their closest competitors.

Even though the technology market’s stagnation is occurring at around the same time as the mobile device market’s, the ultimate cause seems to be demand for the devices. Locations where smartphones are increasing in popularity–namely India, Africa, and southeast Asia–don’t have the Internet accessibility needed to use devices to their full capacity.

Even though the numbers are down, the smartphone market will still continue to innovate and push toward groundbreaking new technologies. Some of the hot topics are currently 5G wireless and augmented reality. It’s likely that these new innovations will keep the smartphone relevant in the coming years.

2018 Smartphone Technology
Smartphone companies rely on the success of their most popular devices, and therefore, they need to take measures toward improving these devices. They have to improve pretty much everything about them in order to attract both new and returning consumers. This ranges all the way from the cameras and screens to the innards–the operating system, RAM, and other software included with it. The sad reality is that these new versions of flagship devices are simply not that much different from previous versions. This is true even in light of insane spending on innovation, research and development.

Most flagship smartphones today provide the following features:

• 4G LTE availability
• Responsive operating system
• Large application ecosystem
• Usable screen size around six inches
• PPI over 400
• OLED, AMOLED, or Super AMOLED display
• Carry weight of less than 7 oz
• At least a 12 Megapixel rear-facing camera
• Front-facing camera
• 4K video capture
• Optical Image Stabilization
• At least a 3.25 GHz processor
• At least quad-core
• At least 3 GB of RAM
• At least 64 GB of onboard storage
• At least 10 hours of constant usability on battery
• Rapid charging with USB Type-C (or proprietary charger)
• Water resistance
• Bluetooth
• Security features (including face lock or fingerprint scanner)

Unfortunately, poor sales means higher prices to make up for these poor sales. This makes trouble for small businesses with limited budgets, as they could potentially be using devices several years old. While there’s nothing wrong with this inherently, it does mean that there will be more focus on productivity rather than all the new bells and whistles.

Choosing Employee Smartphones
Some businesses provide employees with smartphones, so they can remain productive even while out of the office, but if you decide to go this route, you’ll need to consider how you plan on paying for these smartphones. First, you need to consider whether or not the phone can run applications required by your organization. While this might seem like a daunting task, there are places where you can bulk purchase devices at wholesale prices. Palindrome Consulting can help you find these vendors, as well as those who deal in repurposed or slightly used devices.

Most small businesses simply can’t afford to equip every single employee with a mobile device, prompting employers to allow employees to bring their own devices to the workplace–a trend known as BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device. A good BYOD policy outlines what these devices can and can’t do, particularly in regard to data access, application downloading, and security. If they choose to bring their devices to the workplace, they will need to buy in to this policy to guarantee security and productivity on the network.

Does your business need a BYOD policy or mobile devices? Net Activity can help. To learn more, reach out to us at 216-503-5150.

Improve the Value of Your Business Data

Are you making the most of your business’s greatest assets? The data your employees and customers generate is an unsung hero, just waiting to take your business to the next level. Obviously, enough information can help any company make better decisions, but how can a small or medium-sized organization use data analysis to increase revenue?

Many businesses shy away from data analytics due to the perceived costs and resources required to get anything of value. However, even the most humble mom-and-pop stores and home-based entrepreneurs have access to a broad range of worthwhile information.

It doesn’t make sense to spend half your week mired in spreadsheets and charts if you’re not extracting information that helps increase revenue. Basic data analytics solutions from companies like Microsoft and Google offer solutions to streamline the collection and examination of company information. But with an array of different tools to choose from, what should you consider before investing in one?

How easy is it to use? There’s no point investing in a dashboard solution if you don’t understand the way the insights are presented. Analysis functions must be straightforward and user-friendly.

Are the results actionable? Great insights are worthless if applying them requires another staff member that you can’t afford. Test drive an analytics solution before investing to ensure that its insights are easy to understand and apply.

Does it save you time? If you’re already relying on data analysis for growth, your first priority should be boosting productivity. Look for solutions that will enable you to complete your current analytics tasks in less time.

Is it compatible with other apps? You need a solution that cuts down on manual data entry and doesn’t add steps to any existing processes. Make sure any analytics software you’re considering can integrate with your existing solutions before signing on the dotted line.

Whether your aim is to attract new customers, retain existing clients, expand your services, or decide on a new location, your data is an indispensable asset. It’s there in good times and bad times, just waiting for you to take a closer look.

If you’d like to learn more about adding value to your business with data analysis, or want to explore data analysis software options, get in touch with us today – we’ll be happy to recommend options based on your needs and requirements.

5 Ways You Could Blow Your Online Reputation

As a small business owner, you’ve probably used social media to establish a connection with your customers and share stories that will shine a positive light on your brand. While social media is a great tool to foster your business name, if used incorrectly it could just shatter your online reputation. Here are some common mistakes you should avoid when implementing social media marketing in your business.

Your online reputation will not take care of itself

Assuming that your enterprise doesn’t need an online reputation management (ORM) strategy is the most common ORM mistake business owners should avoid and, probably the first one as well. Just because your business’s reviews were positive today, doesn’t mean they will be tomorrow. Your online reputation can change in an instant.

Think about it: The key to protecting your business from the harmful bad reviews is a good ORM strategy. In short – this is a process that could make or break your reputation, and you should be extra careful. The more work you put in ORM, the more control you have over what appears in search engines for your products or services.

Expressing your personal opinion

You’re making a big mistake if you let your emotions get in the way when posting content on your business’s social media profiles. Discussing religion, politics, or other controversial issues may turn off people who matter to your business. Unless they’re relevant to the nature of your business, avoid mentioning sensitive topics. Instead, try to keep a neutral tone, since the goal of your social media efforts is to appeal to everyone.

Ignoring or responding aggressively to negative comments

Negative feedback can be painful to hear but, if you can put aside your pride, it is a real opportunity for improvement. When customers post a negative comment, ignoring it can make things go from bad to worse. Customers may think that you’re not taking their issue seriously, and could resort to posting complaints on all sorts of platforms, which quickly become impossible to control.

Also, don’t let things get out of hand – reply in a timely manner and try to solve problems as best you can, not by posting abusive rants or sending back angry emails to authors of bad feedback.

Posting fake reviews (both negative and positive)

Another online reputation mistake is to post negative reviews on your competitors’ website to dampen their credibility. This underhanded strategy is ethically wrong.

On the other hand, influential websites like Google have algorithms in place to help weed out false customer feedback, so making the mistake of posting fake client reviews to boost your business is such a waste of time and effort. Instead, focus on delivering high-quality products and services to generate authentic customer reviews, which can really pay off in the long run.

Being inconsistent

To build a good online reputation, you need to be consistent. Your social media fans followed your page for a reason – they have certain expectations that you will post regular and interesting content. Updating social media with ten posts one day, followed by complete silence for the following few weeks, is a bad example of consistency. Don’t disappear for days or weeks on end. Try to schedule a routine and interact with your audience on a regular basis.

A credible online reputation is an important part of your business’s public image. If you want to discuss how to establish an online presence and a strong ORM, contact us today and we can give insights from experts.