Finding the Cloud Solution that’s Right for Your Business

Implementing a cloud solution is a difficult choice for many businesses, primarily because it represents a change in the way your organization functions. If you make a rash decision before doing your research, it might lead to downtime or a decrease in operability. Therefore, it’s important to understand why businesses move to the cloud, as well as what’s available for implementation.

Why is the Cloud Such a Great Investment? 
Organizations have found that the reliable access to data and applications is too good to pass up--especially considering that all you need is an Internet connection and a mobile device. The increase in mobility and productivity has provided countless businesses around the world with the ability to break down workplace barriers. Professionals who were once limited to the office can now work wherever--and however--they want.

We wish it were as simple as explaining how the cloud works, but it’s not. There are several different types of cloud solutions, and the one you want to use will vary depending on what you have planned for your cloud. Here are the three different types of cloud solutions, including their advantages and disadvantages.

Public
The public cloud is usually offered by a third-party cloud provider, and the basic definition of it is that it’s a shared online space where users can store files and applications. Users can only see their own storage space. These solutions are for consumers, but some offer additional features for businesses or enterprises. The public cloud is ideal if your business doesn’t have someone on-hand to take care of an internal cloud system. Since it’s maintained by professional technicians within the provider’s organization, you won’t have to deal with updates or maintenance.

However, the public cloud provides limited control of your data, and you can’t take additional security measures that you might be able to with the private cloud.

Private
The private cloud is generally hosted in an on-site location on company hardware, but some cloud providers will partition off a section of their infrastructure for private cloud clients. If you choose to host your own private cloud, you’ll be responsible for the upkeep, management, and maintenance of it. This is usually only possible if you have an internal IT department with the technical knowhow, but managed service providers offer a workaround in most cases.

If you want a hands-off private cloud solution, but still want the security benefits, a hybrid cloud can work well for you.

Hybrid
Hybrid clouds are a combination cloud solution that combines the previously mentioned services into one dynamic package. A hybrid cloud keeps your data safe while minimizing the amount of maintenance your business must perform. Hybrid clouds can be private clouds managed on-site by an outsourced IT provider like Net It On. Or, we could host your private cloud on our own servers--whichever you prefer.

Why You Need to Be Cautious About How Your Company Approaches Social Media

Social Media allows businesses to share their brand with the outside world in entirely new ways. While the benefit of social media is that everyone and their mother is on it, the problem with social media is that everyone and their mother is on it. People put all sorts of information on their accounts, which translates into a major security risk in the form of targeted phishing attacks.

Social media urges people to share information about their lives with others on the Internet. If you think about it, this trend has shown people that, despite the countless threats that can be found on the Internet, it’s “okay” to share information with others who want to contact you. This causes people to put their trust in social media, which can have dangerous side-effects. In particular, it makes them vulnerable to phishing attacks performed by hackers. Plus, you need to take into account that all of your employees likely have social media accounts, and that they share their contact information with anyone who can view their profile.

This becomes another vector that a hacker can use to exploit your business. Even if your business blocks access to these websites, employees will use these sites off of your network, be it through mobile devices or otherwise. Hackers could pose as an employee’s old friend, reaching out for the first time in ages--perhaps asking for a small loan. Or, maybe they’ll ask employees for sensitive credentials or personally identifiable information. Either way, you can bet that any compromised accounts will attempt to spread malware through suspicious links or advanced phishing attacks designed to target the user’s trusting nature.

After all, social media can be trusted, right? Wrong.

Too many businesses think that social media is simply another waste of time, rather than a legitimate threat. It’s a matter of perspective; users aren’t going to suspect that threats could lie on trusted websites like social media accounts; and the more connections someone has, the more potential outlets for hackers. The reality of the matter is that threats come in all shapes and sizes, and will take whatever measures needed to steal sensitive data or infect machines with malware. Plus, the more employees you have, the greater your chances of encountering situations like the aforementioned scenarios.

Is your business nervous about experiencing social media attacks? Your first line of defense is to educate your employees on security best practices. This includes how to identify incoming threats, especially through social media websites, where hackers could pretend to be someone familiar. It’s your responsibility to ensure that your employees understand how to keep themselves safe both in and out of the office.

You should then augment your best practices by implementing a content filtering solution from Net It On. A content filter can keep your employees from accessing risky or time-wasting websites, which includes social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and so on. Furthermore, you can block access to social media on a per user level to keep the problem employees in check.

Tip of the Week: 3 Ways to Travel Without Fear of Hacking

Cyber threats are everywhere. If you’re one to travel, then you’ll encounter many of these threats on public Wi-Fi networks. Therefore, remote workers need a secure way to access company files. Here are three tips to protect your digital assets while traveling.

Connect With ConsiderationPublic hotspots are a problem, especially for corporate data. One of the favorite ways for hackers to steal information from unsuspecting users is to create their own Wi-Fi network that mimics the name of an establishment’s official network. For example, if you’re staying at the Motel California and attempt to connect to its Wi-Fi, you are given the options of MOTEL_CALIFORNIA_GUEST or MOTELCALIFORNIA_FREEWIFI. In a fictitious scenario such as this, it may be difficult to determine which connection is legitimate.

Just to be sure, confirm which network is real by asking the establishment’s staff. Plus, if the Internet connection claims to require a software update, disconnect and inform management immediately.

The Briefer, the Better
The longer that you’re logged in to a wireless connection, the more time you’re giving hackers to access your data. If you’re not using the Wi-Fi for any particular reason, disconnect from it and log back in at a later time. This practice might be annoying, but it’s much more secure than staying connected longer than you need to.

Rely on Your Own Resources 
If you have a mobile data plan that can sustain your usage, you should use that connection to create your own hotspot rather than relying on a potentially unsecured connection. At the very least, you’ll significantly decrease your chances of falling victim to a hack attack.

Bonus tip: Be sure to keep your devices close at hand. This includes storage solutions, especially those that are unsecured. If you have to leave your devices alone for any period of time, be sure to keep them locked away in cases, just to be safe.

Traveling doesn’t give you an excuse to ignore data security. By taking advantage of the proper layers of protection, as well as a security solution like a Virtual Private Network, you can make sure that your data is safe while you’re on the go. 

Every Business Owner Needs Their Technology to Do These 2 Things

Every business is different, and will require technology solutions specifically designed with their organization in mind. However, it can often be difficult to implement new solutions, especially if you don’t know what your options are. By taking a careful analysis of your current IT assets, as well as where you plan to be in the next few years, you can accurately gauge your business’s expectations and implement the right solutions.

There are a few concepts that technology solutions should meet for SMBs; functionality, interoperability, and flexibility.

Interoperability and Functionality
Your organization needs technology that works with other solutions that your organization provides. This can be difficult to gauge, especially since managing your business comes first and handling your IT comes second. Or, rather, it should be this way for a business owner, but it’s often the case that managing IT interferes with business operations. Since you don’t have the time to properly vet a solution, it might be tempting to implement it before you know it’s compatible with your infrastructure. It’s best to consult a trusted technician before implementing new technology solutions, as doing so without first understanding compatibility can cause wasteful downtime.

Plus, it helps to have professional technicians on-hand who can help your business identify good technology deals. Without having an intimate knowledge of the latest technology, it’s easy to purchase new hardware or software and have it fall short of your expectations.

Scalable, Flexible Solutions
In particular, cloud and communication solutions are designed to retain a certain flexibility for the consumer. This means that they are easy to scale to your business’s specific needs, and you will only pay for services that you want, rather than expensive bundles. Think of it like cable television; sure, it’s nice to have, but not when it also comes with several other functions and services that you’ll never use, but are still paying money for. You can see a great parallel to this type of saving in regards to cord cutters, who favor services like Netflix and Hulu Plus compared to spending much more on cable.

Some of the many IT solutions that are both flexible and scalable to meet your needs include:

• Cloud services
• Virtual helpdesk and support
• VoIP telephony
• Hosted email
• Productivity suites and software as a service

This flexibility is what keeps organizations coming back to managed IT services, as it allows organizations to create solutions that are specific to their needs. Doing so guarantees them that they will have solutions put into place that can be increased or decreased with demand, or with corporate growth.

It should also be noted, it can be difficult to implement solutions without having a solid goal in mind, especially if you’re hoping to grow. Using an IT roadmap can dramatically increase the return on investment of your business’s technology solutions, as it takes into account your goals and how your business adjusts to growth. 

Security Lessons Taken Right From the Hacker’s Playbook

As we hear news about large-scale hacks and data breaches, there’s a temptation to picture attacks like those in television shows and films like Mr. Robot, Live Free or Die Hard and other works of fiction. These attacks are often carried out by criminal geniuses or nefarious nation-states, utilizing of a crippling zero-day vulnerability or superbug to bring society to its knees.

While such stories can make for great entertainment, is this trend toward huge, sophisticated hacks in fiction representative of real life? As it turns out, apparently not.

Penetration company SafeBreach released the second edition of their Hacker’s Playbook, which describes the experience the company’s researchers had as they simulated almost four million methods of data breaches between January and September of 2016. Those that succeeded were analyzed to establish how the hacker entered the system, how they moved about the system, and how they stole data away.

The results were surprising, to say the least. The most successful attacks that were run were those that have been around for years. The old “.exe file in the email attachment” trick was effective in a quarter of all attempts that were tested, and assorted malware-distributing exploit kits and zip files tested to be very effective as well. In short, the vast majority of vulnerabilities came--not from the cinematic doomsday plots of superbug-wielding geniuses--but from the old, tried-and-true issues and user errors. Oftentimes, measures meant to stop malware aren’t configured properly, leaving a system exposed and underprotected.

So what does this mean for your business?

Quite a bit, actually. Reflecting upon such trends, it is essentially guaranteed that a hacker could make off with whatever data they could want. However, businesses can still take preventative measures against this by implementing the proper solutions (like firewalls and spam blocking tools), educating their employees as to the threats that are out there, and properly maintaining their systems.

Tip of the Week: 4 Tips for a Smooth Transition to a New Office

So you have elected to relocate your operations to a new office space. While this can be a great way to make progress toward a variety of goals, there are important considerations you need to take into account during your search to find a space that is just right for you and your business’s needs. What follows is a list of factors to keep in mind as you narrow your real estate search.

Building Systems
Not all office spaces are created equal, and so some will have some functionality that others lack. Does the office you’re considering feature enough space for not only your employees, but also for the on-premises infrastructure? Is the HVAC system powerful enough to keep your technology cool enough and your staff comfortable enough to function properly? The ability to install a backup generator is an important consideration to take into account as well depending on the importance of uptime. An extremely important factor, while not always immediately considered, is parking. Will your workforce have enough parking space for all of its members at any given time?

Cables (Phone and LAN)
If you are moving 25 workers into a new office, you’ll need drops for their workstations to plug in to. Have the network cables been tested? How are they ran? There are many factors to consider when running networking cable, such as; making sure they aren’t ran around florescent lighting and power cables, terminating and labeling them properly, and it’s always been a good practice to run two drops for each desk in case something goes wrong.

With a wireless solution, you could get away from using some of the network cables, but setting that up requires some planning as well.

As far as phone cables go, with good network cables you could consider VoIP, which eliminates the need for separate phone cables and utilizes your network and the internet to make and receive calls.

Efficiency and Expenses
This will require a bit of math and comparative consideration, as factors other than price must be accounted for in determining the best value for your company and its needs. One key example is a property’s load factor, or how much space is used up by other features that prevent utility (like hallways, restrooms, and elevators). For example, let’s consider two properties that each have total areas of 15,000-square-feet. The cheaper of the two has an 18 percent load, while the more expensive has a 7 percent load. Despite the higher price, the second option may actually be the more economic decision as the lesser load would allow more resources to fit inside the office’s walls.

Furthermore, there are the other costs associated with being a tenant in someone’s building--maintenance, energy, and the other costs that are added to the rent--that should also factor into deliberations. Is the building equipped with features to cut costs that would otherwise increase the cost of occupancy?

Management Concerns
If a building you are looking into houses more than one business, ask yourself, “What other businesses operate here?” Are any those that you would consider your competition, a factor that would almost assuredly create some tension down the line. Talk to some of the other tenants about their experience in establishing themselves in that building. Are the building utilities well seen to? The janitorial staff will need to be proficient and efficient at their jobs, elevator and climate-control systems will need to be reliably operational. Parking will need to be accessible and conveniently located for everyone.

These are all considerations to take into account as you move your business into a new location. However, one consideration that stands above all is how you plan on moving your organization’s mission-critical technology. Net It On can help evaluate your new location and compare it to the infrastructure you already have running to make sure moving doesn’t cause major hangups in your productivity.

Big Data is Only Beneficial if You Know What to Do With It

Big data continues to be a big topic for businesses, as organizations stand to gain much from analyzing data and identifying trends. This can help you understand how your business will function in the future, but there are two topics of concern that you need to consider before using the data: how exactly do you want to use the data, and will the data that you’ve collected help you in achieving that goal?

Big data, according to Gartner’s IT glossary, is “high-volume, high-velocity and/or high-variety information assets that demand cost-effective, innovative forms of information processing that enable enhanced insight, decision making, and process automation.” Organizations collect data and use analytical tools to discover trends and other useful information that can be used to augment their business endeavor. Of course, there will always be one thing that holds back any business that collects data for this intention, and that’s the data itself. Is it even useful for its intended purpose?

It’s actually quite simple. You can collect as much data as you want, but how useful that data is for your organization could be up for debate. For example, a restaurant using surveys to track what kind of meals its customers like would be an effective way to introduce new and exciting dishes, while tracking what they wear and how they act likely won’t prove to be of much help. Basically, you want solid feedback that helps you provide better services to your existing customers, and data that can help you better target new clients.

In other words, your organization wants to collect data that helps you better target your audience and provide better services. Therefore, you’ll need big data that takes into account both your current audience and your target audience. Information that’s outside of this realm doesn’t help you at all.

Of course, big data doesn’t always seem to work as intended. Tom Goodwin at Forbes makes a claim that the human condition is counterproductive to big data, and that our behavior is often too unpredictable to fully use big data to its greatest potential: “Big Data doesn’t get how weird we are. Big data can’t explain how I can be a Guardian reading, Whole Foods loving, Golf playing guy that owns an old lowered plastidipped BMW with spinning chrome wheels. Well, I know I can’t. People are irrational, they do things for strange reasons that even they don’t understand. They may explain it, but they will post rationalize to seem more logical.”

Ultimately, big data means more than just analyzing data that’s collected, and your success with it may rely on what you choose to do with it. While you can potentially predict shifts in your industry, it’s important to take the results with a grain of salt. There will always be exceptions to the norm, and you need to take this into account. That’s just how we are as individuals, and until an algorithm can understand that, big data will be an interesting way to “almost” guess an outcome. Think of it as an educated guess; it might be right, but then again, it might not be.

So, how does your business use big data to its advantage?