Windows 10: Boost your PC’s performance with these tips

Windows 10 has a lot of special features that aim to improve your computing experience. Unfortunately, many of these may also slow your PC down, especially if your machine is older or has a low-end processor. We’ve listed four effective tweaks to make your Windows 10 computer faster.

Prevent programs from launching at startup

Windows makes certain programs readily available by loading them at startup. While Microsoft likely has good intentions for doing this, this auto-launch feature slows down your computer. To fix this issue, you’ll need to adjust your settings.

Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc. On the Startup tab, select a program you don’t want launching at startup — such as a media player or an optional accessory that doesn’t have to be active all the time — then click Disable. To be on the safe side, however, keep essential apps such as antivirus software enabled.

Get rid of useless applications

Having too many programs installed on your computer uses up valuable memory and hard disk space. This slows down your machine and makes it work harder than necessary. Quickly uninstall programs you don’t need by following these steps:

• Tap the Windows key on your keyboard and type “Add or remove programs” in the search bar. Selecting the first result opens a System settings window.
• Under Apps & features, you will see all the apps stored on your computer.
• Select the program/s you no longer want, and click Uninstall.

You’ll then be guided through several steps to complete the uninstallation process.

Organize your disks

It’s important to regularly clean out your computer of data you don’t need. Thankfully, Microsoft’s Disk Cleanup tool makes it easy to do so.

To find the tool, tap on the Windows button on your keyboard and type “Disk Cleanup.” If you click on the first result, the tool will launch and automatically find files that take up too much memory space, such as temporary internet and system memory dump files. Make sure that the checkbox before each option is selected, then click OK to send these files to your Recycle Bin.

Turn off apps running in the background

You may not know it, but there are a lot of programs that run in the background as you use your computer. Even when you’re not actively using them, these apps run in the background so they can receive information, send notifications, and download and install updates. However, they also slow down your CPU. Disabling these apps will reduce the burden on your computer and speed it up.

To find out what programs are running in the background, press the Windows button on your keyboard, type “Background apps,” and hit Enter. Find the programs you don’t need running and toggle the On-Off button.

By following these four steps, you’ll see a noticeable difference in your PC speed. If you want to learn how to optimize your Windows system further or need assistance with other Microsoft products, give us a call.

BYOD vs. CYOD: Which Is Better For Your Business?

Bring your own device (BYOD) and choose your own device (CYOD) policies have been shown to enhance employees’ flexibility, productivity, and job satisfaction. If you’re thinking of adopting one of these strategies, here are some things to consider.

What is BYOD?

With BYOD, employees use their own devices, such as smartphones and laptops, to connect to the company network, access business data and applications, and perform work-related tasks. Since your staff are already familiar with these devices, the need to learn and adjust to new technology is eliminated. Therefore, your employees can get right to work, which leads to higher efficiency as well as better employee experience.

Also, BYOD gives employees greater flexibility and increased mobility, as it enables them to work anywhere, anytime. They don’t have to be chained to a desk in order to do their tasks. Instead, they can use their smartphones to check emails or their laptops to edit documents even when they’re on the go.

Your business stands to gain a lot from BYOD as well. Aside from enjoying enhanced employee productivity, you can reduce expenses related to owning computers and mobile devices, including maintenance and upgrades. The money you save can be put toward investments to further improve your bottom line.

However, the main drawback of BYOD is the risk involved when you grant employee-owned devices access to corporate resources. If you’re considering adopting BYOD, you must create a BYOD security policy to ensure that your company’s assets are well protected. This policy should outline key elements such as:

• The applications and data that employees can access from their personal devices
• The minimum security control requirements for employee-owned devices
• The implementation of a mobile device management solution that will allow your IT staff to remotely wipe lost or stolen devices of company data

What is CYOD?

CYOD allows users to choose from a list of devices approved by the company. In this regard, CYOD is similar to BYOD — it gives employees freedom of choice. While not everyone may like the selection of available devices, they may appreciate having a say regarding what computer or mobile device they’ll be using for work. You can also offer employees the option to purchase the device from the company, paying in installments or upfront.

For businesses, the biggest advantage of CYOD is security. You can equip devices with security features to ensure that sensitive data is properly protected. However, since you own the devices, the responsibility of spending on security and optimization will fall on you. This may not be ideal for small businesses or those with a limited budget.

Which policy should your company adopt?

Ultimately, the choice between BYOD and CYOD boils down to what your business needs. If you’re operating on a tight budget, a BYOD policy is the right option for you. On the other hand, CYOD is perfect if you want to ensure the security of your data and other company assets.

If you still need more information to help you make a decision or you just need guidance on all things related to business IT, give Net Activity’s experts a call today.

Microsoft Teams Fend Off Phishing Attacks With Link Protection

Microsoft Defender has long included “Safe Links” protection as part of its overall function. The company recently announced that it would be extending Safe Link functionality to protect from inside Microsoft Teams.

Safe Links is a powerful safety feature that scans a web link in real-time as a user clicks on it. Many users share useful links inside Teams. Most of the shared links are fine but some point back to poisoned websites that contain malicious code. That could potentially infect a user’s computer or other devices. Microsoft aims to limit this risk by extending the protection that Safe Links provides to include Teams.

The company had this to say about the change in a recent blog post:

“With today’s announcement, organizations with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 can further protect Microsoft Teams users from malicious phishing attacks that are often orchestrated using weaponized URLs.

Safe Links in Defender for Office 365 scans URLs at the time of click to ensure that users are protected with the latest intelligence from Microsoft Defender.”

It’s a very good and very timely change. Teams has seen explosive growth over the last year and a half. Some of that growth would have occurred even without the pandemic but Covid-19 is undoubtedly the reason for most of the surge.

Because so many more people are using teams, the decision to extend Safe Links protection to the platform was easy.

Kudos to Microsoft for taking an active stance here and providing even better and more robust protections to one of the company’s most popular products. This will by no means completely prevent poisoned links from being shared because no system is perfect. It will dramatically reduce the number though and that’s a very good thing.

Lost Employee Smartphone? 7 Steps You Need to Take Now

“Hey boss, I lost my smartphone.”

How well have you prepared for this moment? It will happen sooner or later. If your company has a plan in place, no big deal. If not, you may suddenly get that sinking feeling in your gut…And well you might. You now have three big worries:

Compliance Issues –If your employee had access to information covered by any number of regulations, your company could be subject to stiff penalties. One employer we know of wound up with a $900,000 fine.

Data Security –Sensitive company data in the wrong hands could spell disaster. Access to your network, secure sites, proprietary files, work-related e-mails and corporate secrets may now be out of your control. You must move quickly to prevent serious financial harm.

Employee Privacy and Property Concerns –If a valued employee had family photos and movies on the device, and you remotely delete all data on the phone, you may now have a disgruntled, or even uncooperative, employee. Especially if company policy regarding BYOD (bring your own device) and data loss were not clearly stated and agreed to up-front.

So how do you prevent a relatively minor incident from blowing up into a big problem? Here are seven smart measures you can take right now to prepare for the day an employee smartphone is lost or stolen:

1. Install a mobile device management (MDM) system on any employee device to be used at work. This software can create a virtual wall separating work data from personal. It facilitates any security measures you wish to impose. And to protect employee privacy, it can limit company access to work data only.

• Determine which devices will be allowed and which types of company data people may access from them.

• Require that employees agree with an Acceptable Use Policy before they connect to your network. Make sure these include notice as to conditions in which company data may be “wiped” –i.e., destroyed. Also include specific policies regarding device inspection and removal of company records.

• Put strong data protection practices in place. Require use of hard-to-crack passwords and auto-locking after periods of inactivity. Establish protocols for reporting lost or stolen devices. Mandate antivirus and other protective software as well as regular backups.

• Designate someone at your company to authorize access to software and critical data. This person can also be your main point of contact for questions about BYOD policy and practices. It might also work well to distribute a resource page or FAQ document to your employees.

• Establish a standard protocol for what to do when a device is lost or stolen. Both Android and iOS phones have features that allow device owners to locate, lock and/or “wipe” all data on their phones. Make sure your policy requires that these features are set up in advance. Then, when a device is lost or stolen, your employee can be instructed to take appropriate action according to your protocol in order to protect company data.

• And finally, your best protection is to implement a well-crafted Acceptable Use/BYOD policy in advance. Develop it in partnership with risk management and operations personnel, as well as legal counsel and IT professionals, to come up with an effective and comprehensive plan.

Download a Mobile Device/Acceptable Use Policy Template here to get started.

Don’t risk waiting until an incident occurs! Begin the process with our template, and contact us anytime for help clarifying and developing a “bulletproof” policy to keep your data safe. Contact us today 216-503-5150.

4 Ways Microsoft Bookings Saves You Time

We all undeniably have hectic schedules, and they’re made even worse with unorganized meetings, impromptu lunch dates, and unscheduled yoga classes. To move or cancel appointments, your clients would generally have to pick up the phone and call someone, which can be a drag. But with Microsoft Bookings, clients can schedule and effortlessly manage appointments. In case one isn’t enough, here are four more reasons to give it a go:

Visibility

Bid adieu to the days of scribbling on post-its and frantically going through your schedule to find out where you’re heading for lunch. Microsoft Bookings provides you with a unique webpage that is compatible on both desktops and mobile devices. Here, customers can select times and dates based on current availability — simply enter the contact information and then book it! The system fully automates the process of managing your appointments.

No more rain checks

Cancellations and missed appointments mean wasted time slots unless you’re able to fill them up with new bookings. Avoid lost income by controlling how much advance notice is required to make a cancellation. With Bookings, appointments appear immediately in staff calendars and can be added or revised by customers in their own personal calendars. Additionally, a confirmation email is automatically sent to the customer, which is then followed by another automatic email reminder before the appointment time. The web page also offers a rescheduling service: customers can simply click on the link on the confirmation email and pick a time that they’re more comfortable with.

Synchronization

Once completed, the booking is then synced to a centralized calendar where businesses are given the option to reschedule, cancel, or reassign the appointment to other staff members as they see fit.

If you do decide to reassign it to staff members, Bookings offers a nifty feature known as “split view.” This shows which staff members are booked at which times, and you can compare everyone’s schedules side-by-side. The appointments are synced not only to your calendar but to the staff members’ calendars as well. Moreover, this versatile system accommodates Office 365, Outlook, and even Google Calendar, so clients and staff can keep whatever calendaring service they prefer.

Double duty

Appointment setting might be the primary goal of Bookings, but the system can also be utilized to build your company’s customer list. Once customers input their information into the system, it automatically creates contact entries for those customers. The contact card contains personal information such as your customer’s name, address, phone number, and email address.

And, as your company grows, you can add more staff members as well as create additional booking pages for free. Furthermore, staff members aren’t required to have Office 365 subscriptions to be a part of the service.

Efficient tech resources aren’t enough to maintain a successful business anymore. To really stand out from competitors, you need comprehensive appointment management. Give us a call if you need any questions answered or issues addressed. We’re more than happy to help.

6 Ways To Strengthen Your BYOD Security

Many businesses are adopting bring your own device (BYOD) policies as more employees work from home. The problem is, if you’re not careful, BYOD can expose your company to major cybersecurity risks, including the following.

Loss or theft of devices – Employees often bring their personal devices wherever they go. This means there’s a higher chance of devices, as well as the data stored in them, being lost or stolen.

Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks – Cybercriminals can intercept information transmitted from employees’ devices if these are connected to poorly secured public Wi-Fi networks.

Jailbroken devices – Jailbreaking is the process of removing the restrictions imposed by the manufacturer of a device, typically to allow the installation of unauthorized third-party software. This increases the risk of an employee inadvertently installing malicious software on a personal device.

Security vulnerabilities – If employees have outdated operating systems and software on their devices, cybercriminals can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities to gain unfettered access to company systems

Malware – A personal device that has been infected with malware can spread that malware to other devices that are connected to the company network and cause data loss and downtime.

To mitigate these risks, you must devise a BYOD security policy that works for the needs of your business as well as the needs of your employees. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Set passwords on all BYOD devices

Prevent unauthorized access to company data by enforcing the use of passwords on all employee devices and accounts. Passwords should be unique; contain letters, numbers, and symbols; and are at least 12 characters long. It’s also a good idea to implement multifactor authentication to add another method of identity verification such as fingerprint scans or temporary passcodes sent via email.

2. Blacklist unsanctioned applications

Blacklisting involves prohibiting the installation of certain applications on BYOD devices that are used for work purposes. This includes applications like games, social networking apps, and third-party file sharing platforms. The simplest way to blacklist applications is through a mobile device management platform that enables IT administrators to secure and enforce policies on enrolled devices.

3. Restrict data access

Adopt the principle of least privilege on both BYOD and company devices. This means that a user is able to access only the data and software required to do their job. This can reduce the effects of certain types of malware and limit the fallout in the event of a data breach.

4. Invest in anti-malware software

Anti-malware software identifies and removes malware before they cause irreparable harm to a device. The best anti-malware programs are often backed by the latest threat intelligence databases and use behavior-based detection techniques to pick up any traces of malware.

5. Backing up device data

A well-thought-out BYOD policy can go a long way toward minimizing the risk of a security breach, but if something manages to slip past your defenses, you need to have backups prepared. Back up your data in off-site servers and in the cloud to ensure that any data stored locally on a device can be quickly recovered.

6. Educate your staff about security

The vast majority of BYOD-related security risks involve human error. This is why you should educate your employees about proper mobile safety. Train them on spotting apps that could contain malware, sharing security threat updates, and securing their devices beyond enabling default security settings.

You should also approach us if you need assistance with protecting your BYOD environment. As a managed IT services provider, Net Activity keeps tabs on the latest trends and innovations related to BYOD and will recommend solutions that work for your company. Contact us today to see how we can help.

6 Ways to Save Energy With Your PC

It may be difficult to save energy when you use your PC every day. In fact, a complete desktop computer setup (i.e., one that includes an internet modem, a pair of loudspeakers, and a printer) that is on for eight hours a day consumes 600 kWh per year. But don’t worry, you can use the following tips to reduce your PC power consumption.

1. Unplug your computer when not in use

When you’re not using your computer, it’s best to shut it down and unplug it. This is because a plugged-in PC — even when switched off — still consumes standby power.

2. Disconnect external devices

When they’re connected to your PC, devices such as printers, headphones, and webcams consume power even when they’re not in use. This is why you should disconnect or remove external devices from your PC once you’re done using them.

3. Alternatively, use a smart strip, especially for computers you cannot turn off

A smart strip is a series of several electrical outlets in one strip, with circuits to monitor and maximize your gadgets’ power consumption. It can electronically unplug any device so that they stop drawing current, which saves energy. By connecting your PC and peripherals (e.g., printers, scanners) to the smart strip, you won’t need to unplug your equipment when you’re not using them.

4. Adjust your computer’s energy settings

Adjusting your PC’s power settings will help you consume less energy. For example, you can opt to put your hard drive and monitor into sleep mode when they’re left idle for a few minutes. Lowering the brightness of your screen also saves electricity.

5. Use a charger only when your laptop is charging

When we charge our laptops, we tend to forget about them, leaving them plugged in for hours. Unfortunately, overcharging degrades the battery over time. Leaving the charger plugged in — even if it’s not connected to your computer — also consumes standby power.

To save energy, make sure to unplug your laptop charger once you’re done charging. Alternatively, you can use a wall outlet with a timer or plug your charger into a smart strip.

6. Choose an Energy Star-compliant PC

Energy Star is the US Environmental Protection Agency’s symbol for energy efficiency. Every product that earns the Energy Star symbol is guaranteed to deliver both quality performance and energy savings. The more stars a product has, the more energy-efficient it is. Studies show that a single Energy Star-compliant computer and monitor can save between $7 and $52 per year in electricity bills.

These tips should help you lower your electricity costs and make smart hardware choices. If you need assistance in choosing the best hardware for your specific needs, give us a call. We’ll be glad to help.