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April 12, 2018

4 Emails You Should NEVER Open

Cybercrime is an ever-present threat to modern businesses.

Without up-to-date and varied IT security measures, successful hacks can compromise your customers’ and employees’ sensitive data and harm your systems, resulting in costly downtime, and worse.

Email is the primary tool that companies like yours use for daily communications in the modern business world. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s effective, but it’s also the main source of malware and spam that could threaten your business. If you’re not careful, your email could be the key for cybercriminals that are trying to exploit you:

  • Viruses and malware disguised as regular attachments from familiar sources.
  • Phishing schemes from cybercriminals posing as familiar companies and contacts in an attempt to convince employees to give up sensitive information.
  • Spam and junk email clogging up your inbox and blocking real, important emails from your clients and partners.

So what can you do? One of the surest ways to protect your business from a range of threats is to learn about them!

No matter how “bomb-proof” we make your network, you and your employees can still invite a hacker in if you click on a link or open an attachment in an e-mail sent by a cybercriminal. Some spam is obvious, but others are VERY cleverly designed to sneak past all the filters and trick the recipient into opening the door. Known as a “phishing” e-mail, this still is the #1 way hackers circumvent firewalls, filters and antivirus, so it’s critical that you and your employees know how to spot a threatening e-mail. Here are four types of e-mail ploys you should be on high alert for.

The Authority E-mail. The most common phishing e-mails are ones impersonating your bank, the IRS or some authority figure. The rule of thumb is this: ANY e-mail that comes in where 1) you don’t PERSONALLY know the sender, including e-mails from the IRS, Microsoft or your “bank,” and 2) asks you to “verify” your account should be deleted. Remember, ANY important notification will be sent via old-fashioned snail mail. If it’s important, they can call you.

The “Account Verification” E-mail. Any e-mail that asks you to verify your password, bank information or login credentials, OR to update your account information, should be ignored. No legitimate vendor sends e-mails asking for this; they will simply ask you upon logging in to update or verify your information if that’s necessary.

 The Typo E-mail. Another big warning sign is typos. E-mails coming from overseas (which is where most of these attacks come from) are written by people who do not speak or write English well. Therefore, if there are obvious typos or grammar mistakes, delete it.

The Zip File, PDF Or Invoice Attachment. Unless you specifically KNOW the sender of an e-mail, never, ever open an attachment. That includes PDFs, zip files, music and video files and anything referencing an unpaid invoice or accounting file (many hackers use this to get people in accounting departments to open e-mails). Of course, ANY file can carry a virus, so better to delete it than be sorry.

The good news is that there are many steps a small business owner like yourself can take to secure their business’ IT. Some of the most effective ways to combat security breaches are simple tasks that you can perform without having to hire a security expert.

Keep the following in mind:

  • Keep Link Clicking to a Minimum: Clicking on links that appear in random emails just isn’t safe. Hyperlinks are commonly used to lead unsuspecting employees to phishing and malware websites. Be sure to only click links when they’re from a confirmed, expected source, and when they aren’t part of a sales pitch, or an attempt to get information from you.
  • Manage A Safe Sender’s List: No matter how new, or costly, or flashy your current spam filter is, it won’t keep unwanted spam out of your inbox forever. Whenever you see that a spammer’s email has made it past your filter, take a moment to block it so that it won’t happen again.
  • Do Not Open Unsolicited Email Attachments: This is a crucial email security practice. Suspicious email attachments from unknown or untrustworthy senders are the most common source of malware, ransomware, and other digital threats. Even if it’s from a friend or colleague, consider the message they send along with it; is it worded properly? Does it sound like it’s from them? It’s always a smart move to call the sender or speak in person if possible to confirm that they sent the email. Otherwise, simply delete it until you can be sure of its authenticity.
  • Diligently Scan for Viruses and Malware: Another way to double check a suspicious email is to run a malware and virus scan on it. Even though you may have to do so more often than is convenient, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

To learn more about email fraud, and how to identify an incoming scam, download our Email Scam Cheat Sheet. It can help keep your business safe.

 

By admin
April 10, 2018

The Cisco Vulnerability Requires Multiple Patches

Virtual private networks are vulnerable to an exploit that was recently brought to light. Cisco has announced that this exploit undermines its ASA, or Adaptive Security Appliance tool. If this issue isn’t patched immediately, you could find your organization vulnerable through remote code exploitation.

This VPN bug can leverage the ASA operating system to enable hackers to breach Cisco security devices. According to Cisco, this Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) can “allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of the affected system or to remotely execute code.” This means that an attacker could hypothetically gain complete access to a system and control it – a prospect that any business should see the threat in, especially where their physical security is concerned. In fact, this vulnerability has been ranked as a 10 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Score System, making it one of the top vulnerabilities ranked.

Granted, this vulnerability only goes into effect if WebVPN has been enabled, but that doesn’t mean that you can overlook this threat. ZDNet provides the following list of affected devices:

  • 3000 Series Industrial Security Appliance (ISA)
  • ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances
  • ASA 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls
  • ASA Services Module for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches and Cisco 7600 Series Routers
  • ASA 1000V Cloud Firewall
  • Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv)
  • Firepower 2100 Series Security Appliance
  • Firepower 4110 Security Appliance
  • Firepower 9300 ASA Security Module
  • Firepower Threat Defense Software (FTD).

When it was first discovered, this bug had yet to be used “in the wild,” but Cisco was aware of some attempts to change that. This exploit targeted a bug from seven years ago, with a proof of concept demonstrating the use of the exploit – or at least trying to. The proof of concept only resulted in a system crash, but that doesn’t change the fact that this vulnerability can be exploited in other ways, too.

Unfortunately, this vulnerability has now been observed in use, and worse, Cisco’s first attempt to patch it didn’t see to all considerations. As it turned out, there were more attack vectors and features that were not yet identified, as so were not addressed by the patch.

However, Cisco has now released an updated patch, which you need to implement as soon as possible. Otherwise, you are opening up your business security to greater risk. It is always a better practice to attend to known vulnerabilities post haste, as the longer your business is vulnerable, the more likely it is that someone will take advantage of that.

Furthermore, it is also crucial that you stay cognizant of any and all vulnerabilities that are present in your mission-critical software and hardware solutions. This bug is not an isolated case. Others like it have been found before, and more will certainly pop up in the future. Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly working to overcome the security features that software developers implement. It is your responsibility to ensure that you protect your business by implementing security patches and updates promptly.

The technicians at Net Activity are here to assist you with that. We can help you ensure that your patches and updates are up-to-date, often without needing to take the time needed for an on-site visit and handling it all remotely. For more information, give us a call at 216-503-5150.

 

 

By admin
April 5, 2018

9 Office 365 Features That Will Supercharge Your Productivity

Out of the hundreds of Office 365 features and tools available to you, you’re probably using only 10-15% of them. This could be due to a lack of training or an unfamiliarity with some of the advanced options available in Word and Excel. But it’s easy to optimize your Office 365 investment by learning more about the following communication and collaboration features.

Here are 9 of our favorite Office 365 features that will enhance your productivity:

SharePoint

SharePoint is the “communication sites” platform for building an intranet where you can upload and manage content. It’s customizable, feature-rich, and ideal for organizations that need an online library of information.

It’s a relatively new Office 365 feature that allows you to add vibrant templates and visually appealing layouts to your company’s intranet, turning it into a highly dynamic and interactive page that staff will enjoy accessing for company announcements, to share updates, and more.

Teams

Microsoft Teams is an interactive workspace that lets users chat about specific projects. It’s a collaboration tool integrated with Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, so it’s an ideal alternative to SharePoint for employees who don’t need the latter’s more robust capabilities.

Yammer

Yammer is an easy-to-use social networking platform for companies where users can post status updates, create polls, and make announcements. It’s also useful for sharing and co-authoring documents and discussing content from SharePoint and Skype for Business. Much like Facebook, it allows users to join interest groups where they can interact with members similar to how Facebook Groups works.

Planner

Planner is Office 365’s work management application that lets you create, organize, and assign tasks, share files, and chat about ongoing projects. While its functions seem similar to Teams’, Planner’s main purpose is to organize tasks and provide users with a visible and transparent platform for coordinating work. It’s primarily a business tool whereas Teams is more of a communication tool.

Clutter

Clutter can help you filter low priority email messages saving time for the most important ones. The email server keeps track of the emails that you read and those that you do not. As less important messages arrive they are automatically moved to the Clutter folder.

Delve

Delve makes it easy to access your documents by foregrounding content from across Office 365 that is most relevant to you. Delve displays documents (primarily from SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business) in a dashboard personalized to you, giving prominence to documents that have been shared with you, you’ve worked on or identified as ‘favorites’.  It also lets you know who is working on what, and facilitates collaboration, for instance by making it easy to search for or to share documents.

Sway

Sway allows you to combine text, images, video, and social media into an interactive presentation. It’s essentially an onboarding tool that allows you to teach a new skill, or guide someone through a new process, remotely. It is well suited to making a viewer navigate through content online by themselves, rather than the material being presented by another individual.

Flow

Flow is an intuitive tool that has built-in templates you can use to automate various tasks. Things like tracking hours worked, saving files from one SharePoint account to another, and creating calendar events are streamlined by Flow. And like all the aforementioned apps, Flow allows you to create workflows using files from OneDrive or SharePoint.

PowerApps

PowerApps lets you build custom applications with a minimum amount of coding involved. Although there are similar app-building tools on the market, PowerApps is especially useful for Office 365 users because it seamlessly integrates with O365 apps, including SharePoint, for easy access to your data already stored in the Office environment.

Whether you’re a new or a long-time Office 365 user, these programs and features are hiding in plain sight, and we’re here to help you explore and maximize them for your business. If you have any additional questions about how you can use  Office 365 features to increase collaboration and save resources in your company, We’re passionate about helping organizations optimize their technology and workflow. Contact us to day at 216-503-5150. We’d be honored to help you find the best IT solutions and meet your business goals.

By admin
April 4, 2018

Which Internet Browser Is Best For IT Security?

For most users the Internet browser is one of the most utilized applications on their computer or mobile device. With the influx of aggressive problems, it is mighty useful to know which Internet browser is the best for keeping your data, identity, and network secure. Let’s take a look at the five most popular Internet browsers found on desktop and laptop computers and decipher which are the most reliable.

A Look at the Cybersecurity Industry

Since the landscape of the Internet is rife with threats, the risks an organization faces by not doing all they can to protect their information systems presents real organizational issues. As a result, the Internet security industry has expanded so far as it will do annual revenues of over $170 billion by 2020, with the Internet of Things presenting an ongoing security issue for most businesses.

For one indicator that gives away just how risky the Internet is for an organization, check out how much money is being spent on securing computers and networks. To address the innumerable threats, cybersecurity markets have begun to pop up for gadgets, appliances, cars, and other frequently utilized goods. Moreover, cybersecurity insurance is now being offered by major insurers. PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts that $7.5 billion will be spent on data insurance by 2020.

Another indicator that cybersecurity is prioritized by many businesses is how major financial institutions address these risks. Organizations like J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, with their breadth of risk-averse financial services, spend upwards of $1.5 billion per year on cybersecurity.

Get Started with Internet Browser Security

The browser is generally the end point where the data stored on the Internet is disseminated to users. As a result, small businesses, who unlike major financial organizations (or most enterprise businesses), don’t have the financial resources to spare, have come to rely on their browser’s built-in security features to do a lot of the heavy lifting in their cybersecurity strategies. By understanding which browser gives you the best opportunity to succeed, you can be ahead of the game instead of constantly playing from a disadvantaged position and putting your data and network at risk.

Browsers

The most well-known browsers are the most utilized. Google’s Chrome, Apple’s Safari, Mozilla’s Firefox, and Microsoft’s new Edge browser are currently the most utilized browsers on computers that run Windows or macOS, while Chrome, Safari, and UCBrowser are most popular on mobile. We’ll take a look at some of these browsers (and their security features) to help you ascertain whether or not a particular browser will work for your needs.

The best protection is actually from producing secure connections. In the browser, any site that has a secure connection will feature the protocol “https://”. By encrypting data sent and received through the browser, it keeps the transmission of data from being intercepted, stolen, or leaked. In encrypting the exchange of information, it highlights the two variables that need to be present for secure browsing: identification and privacy.

We’ll go through the most popular browsers to see what they offer users in the way of security and privacy:

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the most popular and utilized Internet browser in the world. For security’s sake, it features a powerful “sandbox”. The sandbox is an encrypted environment that attempts to keep the communication between the user and the website separate to offer another layer of security. Google also has the fastest response time to security vulnerabilities. One security problem users get into when using Chrome is if they use Chrome apps. The Chrome apps themselves may not be a vulnerability, but the more endpoints that potentially expose users, the higher the risk is.

Privacy in Google Chrome is another matter altogether. Google’s whole plan is to know as much as possible about each of their users, so privacy isn’t in the cards in that scenario. The complete lack of privacy you have in Chrome does provide some value to the user in the way of targeted advertisements, content, and more; but, if you are looking to stay off the grid, using Google Chrome isn’t going to facilitate that strategy at all.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox’s usefulness is coming into question because of age. Firefox’s lack of a “sandbox” becomes a much bigger deal as more threats materialize, and more browsers utilize the technology. Firefox’s JavaScript plugins all share the same namespace, which can expose users that utilize them. In order to best utilize Firefox, understanding industry best practices and not diverting from them is suggested.

On the other hand, privacy in Firefox is the industry standard. Since it is open source software, and not tied to some major corporate entity, the not-for-profit’s software makes a point to protect the privacy of its users by not tracking or collecting much data at all.

Apple’s Safari

Apple had tried making Safari for other platforms, but they just couldn’t gain traction, so you’ll only find it as the default browser on every Apple product. For years, Apple’s claims that their products were the most secure held true, but today’s malware developers don’t ignore Safari any longer. Since macOS has become a target like any other computing platform, Apple has been extraordinarily good at providing timely patches and updates.

Apple is, like Google and Microsoft, tracking everything that you do in their software to help provide a better service. This obviously isn’t ideal for personal privacy, but on Apple’s devices, Safari is still the best functioning and most feature-rich browsing experience.

Opera

Developed before Microsoft launched Internet Explorer, Opera is the oldest browser on this list. Before it was retired, developers decided to overhaul the browser, and in 2013 they scrapped the proprietary engine that had run the software for the same engine that Chrome (and other browsers) use, Chromium. By adding the layer of security that comes with the Chromium sandbox, Opera has been able to sustain itself, and offers users security through obscurity.

Because of its obscure nature, privacy is less of an issue as well. They have a very conservative data collection policy which, despite the software not being open-sourced, does present users with privacy concerns some peace of mind.

Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer

Since so many computer users use Windows, Microsoft’s browsers generally are utilized, albeit with substantial frustration most of the time. The new Edge browser has replaced Internet Explorer and has enhanced security substantially. Time will tell if Microsoft’s browser will be a viable option for users, but currently Edge’s market share is middling. From a security standpoint the Edge browser utilizes the sandbox technology that the Chromium browsers do, and like Chrome, offers apps inside the software. The book is still out on Edge’s reliability and overall usability.

Privacy in Microsoft’s browsers is pretty much not there as they have adhered to the growing trend of collecting every piece of data that they can. There are options to make it less transparent, but users should be happy that Edge isn’t IE.

Security in your browser is something you cannot do without, but you will have to choose between open source software that keeps your user information private, or a more popular and transparent software that will enhance the usability of the product. For more information about Internet browsers, contact us today at 216-503-5150.

By admin
April 4, 2018

4 Reasons your Smartphone Is So Slow To Connect To the Internet

Have you ever gotten frustrated with your phone because the browser took more than five minutes to load? Before you start blaming your old phone, check out these four reasons that might be the cause of sluggish internet connection.

Router location

One simple yet overlooked reason why your WiFi-connected phone may be experiencing internet lag is because of your router’s location. Although WiFi has a range of up to 230 feet, the farther away you are from the router, the weaker the WiFi signal. Large objects like doors and walls situated in between you and the router can also weaken the WiFi signal.

It is recommended to place your router in a central location, preferably away from concrete and masonry walls or other big objects like a chimney. As the router signal radiates from all four sides, blocking any side with big objects will impact your WiFi’s signal quality and as a result your phone’s internet speed.

WiFi Noise

Did you know that home electronic appliances emit wireless signals at a frequency similar to your router’s (2.4 GHz)? So before deciding on your router’s location, determine whether there are any wireless devices nearby, as they emit signals that can interfere with your router’s signal. For example, even if the ideal location for your router is at the center of your house, you shouldn’t place it there if there’s a cordless phone nearby.

You can also set your router on a 5.0-GHz band, as this frequency is less prone to interference from other appliances. But before you start tuning it, make sure your phone supports 5.0 GHz; otherwise, it won’t be able to connect to the router.

Slow Network

Another reason for your phone’s slow internet is because of fluctuating network speed. Ask yourself these two questions to know the exact cause of this problem:
How many people are connecting to the router?
What are they doing over the internet?

You should increase your router’s internet bandwidth speed if you discover you have many users and all of them are either streaming movies or downloading computer games or software updates. This will allow every phone to enjoy faster internet speed.

If you’re outdoors, and you’re connected to a public WiFi, consider using your mobile data instead. You won’t have to share your internet when you use mobile data, enabling you to experience faster connectivity at all times as long as you have a high-speed data plan.

Too much cache

Last, you should check your phone’s cache if fixing your router, network, and positioning doesn’t improve your phone’s internet speed. Cache is a component in your phone that saves data from earlier searches in order to increase the speed of similar searches in the future. Although your phone becomes more efficient for that particular search, it also makes your phone much slower when you do other things that require the internet.

You can clear out your cache manually or use a cache cleaner app to thoroughly get rid of useless cache and optimize your phone’s internet speed. If you decide to download a cache cleaner app, make sure that it is reputable and trustworthy so you don’t accidentally download a malware-infiltrated app instead.

There are more reasons to your phone’s lagging internet speed. If your business relies heavily on fast mobile internet speed and you’re unable to fix the sluggish connection, call our experts today. We’re always ready to help you.

By Netactivity
March 10, 2018

Why A Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery & Backup Plan Are Important

The cloud space has been beneficial due to the overwhelming data of organizations and it has undoubtedly proven to be one of the greatest innovations of the century. The benefits it offers to the multitude of organizations across the world are mind-boggling. Businessmen and technological researchers are excited about the major changes and miracles it has in store for the coming 5, 10, or say 20 years.

Disaster Recovery & Backup Plan

The effect of cloud services is such that many organizations rely completely on them for storing their critical data as well as sensitive workloads up on the cloud and start ignoring one major cornerstone of Information Technology – backup and disaster recovery. Many businesses do so because they feel comfortable in the cloud space and trust its services for reliability and security. However, if cloud was so secure, there must not be any outages? But the fact is – Outages occur every now and then & gives no other choice to administrators but to regret.

The reason is logical. While cloud is certainly reliable and secure, it is still made of cables and computers and most importantly is managed and run by none other than humans. Electrical components have their own pitfalls and humans are bound to make mistakes. This is not to scare organizations from adopting and implementing a cloud strategy – public, private, hybrid, or a combination; it is just to emphasize on the fact that whichever cloud computing service you choose, you must not overlook the need for a solid backup and disaster recovery plan.

Plan

Cloud-based backup and disaster recovery plans are much less costly than the traditional options and effective too. Hire a responsible and knowledgeable expert to line up a careful planning to decide on the selection of a plan that would save you from the potential threats in the long run.

Disaster recovery plans range widely from defining the technical requirements, managing your data and applications, executing test plans, etc. So, being realistic is important here as otherwise you will land up paying huge bills for services you do not actually use. You need to perform a detailed analysis of your budget, personnel, recovery options, existing technologies, etc. to design a specific plan for your organization.

Test

Once a plan is designed, an immediate next step must be testing. Nothing goes perfect without testing and nobody would want to invest in a backup and disaster recovery plan that defies performance when it is needed the most. Therefore, instead of being in a false sense of security, you must make sure that potential failings are caught in testing rather than when an actual outage occurs.

Cloud is undoubtedly a wonderful technology. However, compromising on the imperative backup and disaster recovery plan use the cloud to build one for your organization. We, the Net Activity, Inc. team offer reliable cloud services along with cloud-based disaster recovery options to serve your business with a complete security solution. Visit https://www.netactivity.us/services/cloud-computing-services for more details.

By admin
February 27, 2018

Learn More about VoIP Architecture & Call Components

A lot has been written about the features and benefits of VoIP services. So, in this blog, we would concentrate on understanding the architecture and components of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. We would consider the major components along with their individual functional characteristics.

The 4 major VoIP components include:

  • Signaling Gateway Controller
  • Media Gateway
  • Media Server
  • Application Server

VoIP Phone Services

SIGNALING GATEWAY CONTROLLER

The signaling gateway controller (SGC) is a known as ‘called agent’ due to its call control function and is popularly referred to as a ‘Media Gateway Controller’ because of media gateway control function included in the system. The SGC entity is the heart of VoIP platform and performs multiple roles out of which connecting the PSTN world with the IP world is its main function. Some of the main characteristics of SGC component are:

  • Supporting signaling system 7 (SS7) protocol stack
  • Supporting voice call control protocols such as H.323 or SIP
  • Supporting media control protocols such as Megaco (H.248) or MGCP
  • Generating detail call records
  • Providing bandwidth management control using admission control mechanisms
  • Supporting bandwidth policing mechanisms
  • Allocating media connections

MEDIA GATEWAY

The transmission of voice packets is performed by the media gateway by using RTP transmission protocol. The media gateway performs extra functions such as packetization when it’s used in a converged IP/PSTN network. It requires using IP trunks on one side and TDM trunks from the other. Some functions of the media gateway can be listed as below:

  • Supporting MEGACO or MGCP
  • Transmitting voice data using RTP
  • Supporting E1/T1 Trunks
  • Supporting various compression algorithms
  • Managing digital signal processing (DSP) resources

MEDIA SERVER

The role of media server comes into the picture when additional features such as video conferencing or voicemail is needed. It also assists when announcements or special tones need to be transmitted. Media server performs the following functions:

  • Voice activated dialing
  • Voicemail function
  • Transmitting customized call progress tones or special service announcements
  • Transmitting voicemail to email
  • Supporting Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

APPLICATION SERVER

Application Server takes the responsibility to provide value-added services to the IP network. The server provisions both – customer specific and global services. Moreover, session specifications and call characteristics are also influenced by the application server. Below are its main functions:

  • Offering basic services like call forwarding, call waiting, call transfer, etc.
  • Supporting private dialing plans
  • Generating call detail records (CDR)
  • Free Phone service

Once you opt for VoIP phone services, it is important to decide on a reliable VoIP service provider who can assist you with business-specific requirements and provide cost-effective services to your business. The Net Activity team is well-versed and well-equipped to serve your organization with a functional VoIP system. Please visit https://www.netactivity.us/services/voip-business-phone-services to know the details or contact Harry Bhatia at 888-545-5346.

By admin
February 7, 2018

Is Switching to a Third Party Hardware Maintenance Provider a Good Idea?

IT managers usually face the fiscal pressure of reducing costs while improving operational efficiency. One of the major costs involves repairing and replacing system hardware components. Strategies that help in extending legacy hardware life cycles are gaining popularity. They allow organizations to continue using the hardware for a longer duration and thereby minimize the cost of IT.  While it’s difficult to maintain a balance between legacy and contemporary hardware, this complex environment invites major challenges, this complex environment is important to maximize the value of data center systems.

Hardware Maintenance

All of these strategies that aim at extending hardware life cycles focus on having alternative hardware maintenance plans. A major problem here is relying too much on the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). They undoubtedly offer best-of-the-class experience; however depending solely on the OEMs would leave the hardware uncovered once the end-of-service-life date arrives. Moreover, the extended warranties are way too expensive. A better solution would be to hire the services of third party providers. Let’s see how…

Reduced Costs

Cash is often a huge concern and bottom line for IT managers while aligning operations and business priorities. Getting Dell, HP, EMC support from third party IT Managed Service providers seems to be more budget-friendly.

Simplified Approach

While concerning with OEMs for managing extended warranties of the hardware of your data centers is difficult. It leaves the IT managers confused with many points of contact and complexity that eventually increases the gap. A third-party provider possess the capability to handle multiple device types at a time ensuring that the IT managers focus on their core tasks rather than communicating with many points of contact at the OEMs.

Flexibility

OEMs have their support models. However, they concentrate more on their business’ core competency – selling hardware. Maintenance is the secondary goal and they often have rigid maintenance plans while they strive to excel in their primary goals i.e. the operational sales. IT managed service providers promote support activities as their core competency and therefore can adapt easily to different client demands. IT managers can be more comfortable working with these third-party providers.

Value Addition

A third-party IT maintenance provider offers reliable plans at the best market value. A partnership with them also gives IT managers the access to refurbished parts, making component purchasing decisions, migrating data, and help them move hardware between facilities.

Although hardware maintenance may not seem to be the game changer or revenue generator for businesses, it helps IT manager greatly to simplify operations. Net Activity, Inc. is an IT Managed Service provider in Cleveland that conforms to the latest technological advancements while delivering best-in-class service to its clients around Ohio. Please contact Harry Bhatia at 888-545-5346 to discuss further or visit our website https://www.netactivity.us/it-managed-services/ for more information.

By admin
January 4, 2018

Why Your IT Needs a Disaster Recovery Plan

We often hear in the news costly business disasters due to infected IT and mostly the losses are too big to overcome. Most of the time the IT disaster is harmful to an extent that data cannot be recovered and so, it is very important to have a disaster recovery plan.

Although planning for the unexpected can be difficult, it shields you when a natural or man-made disaster happens. It’s unpredictable as to how likely your organization is prone to cyber-attacks, it is vital for every organization must take IT disaster recovery and prevention as its primary objective. Here’s why:

HARDWARE IS BOUND TO FAIL

While IT hardware is built with the most secure practices and using tough components, there are doorways to peep in. Internet connections are a profound source of these kinds of interventions and disaster recovery plan is the only way to save the priceless data from being corrupted. A more sensible option is to have your data regularly backed-up by outsourcing your IT infrastructure to a Disaster Recovery service provider rather than building your own data center.

Disaster Recovery Plan

TO ERR IS HUMAN

Much like machines, humans also are not perfect. So, a disaster recovery system is essential that will keep log files by creating online backups and letting you restore files easily.

CUSTOMERS EXPECT PERFECT, ON-TIME DELIVERY

Customers have an advantage today as there are many options available in the market. If you can’t deliver on time, your competitor will. So, being prepared with a disaster recovery plan is always a good idea. You cannot complain about your anomalies to customers.

LOSING CUSTOMERS IS DEVASTATINGLY EXPENSIVE

It is widely known that retaining a customer is comparatively cheaper than re-acquisition of an old customer after an IT disaster. Customers maybe disgruntled when they learn that the organization they rely upon does not have enough security to secure their data. So, it is recommended to have a plan to detect defects long before they cause lasting damage to your business.

Net Activity, Inc. understands IT loopholes better and serves their best to shield you with proven disaster recovery plans and online backup systems. We are a company that has been providing IT Managed Services across the country since 2002 and ensure that your IT infrastructure remains safe and healthy.  Contact Net Activity today at 216-503-5150 to set up a Disaster Recovery Plan.

By admin
November 30, 2017

US Government’s Revelations Against North Korea Cyber Attacks

Recently, the FBI and The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued alerts to warn people of two types of malicious software or malware that the North Korean hackers are using to attack telecom, media, aviation, and finance industries.

One of the malwares is known as FALLCHILL and has been in use since 2016. It facilitates hackers to get access of and monitor infected computers remotely. The malware spreads when users accidentally download it by visiting infected websites. The DHS and FBI also mentioned that FALLCHILL uses multiple layers of ‘proxy malware’ to conceal its origin and makes it even more difficult to trace the hackers.

Cyber Attack

Another type of malware introduced by the North Korean hackers, named VOLGMER uses a spear phishing technique to infect computers. It sends a legitimate-looking email with a link that spreads the virus when clicked on. The US authorities say that North Korean computer hackers have been using this malware since 2013.

According to the DHS and FBI identified both the above mentioned malwares to be in association with HIDDEN COBRA, a term used by the US government to refer to the “suspicious & malicious cyber activity by the North Korean government.” In the recent years, North Korea has been linked to a few of the most high-profile, destructive cyber attacks that includes a $101 million theft from Bangladesh’s Central Bank in the year 2016, an attack on movie studio – Sony Pictures in 2014 and several disruptions to its neighbor South Korea’s systems. These hackers also have been accused of being the mind behind Wannacry Ransomware attack in May 2017 that caused a terrible loss to hundreds and thousands of computers across the world.

The North Korean cyber attacks have been making headlines for quite some time. However, the countries that are capable of doing so are constantly tracking, watching and spying on the capabilities of other countries. They usually attack the countries that fall beyond its immediate borders with cyber intrusions or missiles.

Net Activity, Inc. is protecting businesses of such kind of malware attacks since 2002 and has proven the competence of its IT Managed Services at the time of cyber attacks. Secure your network and hardware system before a malware takes its control. Contact Net Activity today at 216-503-5150 to learn how to protect your business from these malicious attacks.

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