Setting Up Your Work From Home Tech
You’ve been told to stay put and work from home. You’re looking around your home or apartment and thinking, “uhm, work where?” You’ve never set up a home office. Here’s help getting you organized to go online and get things done working remotely.
The first things you’ll need are a computer and a cell phone. You may even need the phone if your computer is set up for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication, but at the very least, you will likely need to be able to talk to people and get online.
Work may have provided you with a laptop. Or perhaps you already had one or a desktop that everyone in the house has been sharing for years. So, you’ve got a computer on which you can log in to necessary business applications.
But wait; we said log in – you’re going to need an internet connection. Most homes do at this point, but you may have a pretty barebones router. Like you, your internet service provider (ISP) wasn’t expecting business traffic from your home.
To work remotely online you’ll need the internet speed and capacity to handle video conferencing and running business software. If it were just you, that wouldn’t be an issue. But you have a partner or roommate working from home now, too. Or perhaps there are kids out of school who are avoiding e-learning by streaming shows or playing video games.
It may be time to upgrade. Newer routers often offer both the older 2.4 GHz and the faster 5 GHz frequency, which has less interference. Additionally, since 5 GHz isn’t as common, you’re less likely to compete with neighbors for Wi-Fi signals (since they’re probably stuck at home, too).
Being Productive Working from Home
Once you’re connected to the internet, you’ll also have to log in at work. Some businesses will have set up virtual private networks (VPNs) for added security. A VPN connects a computer, smartphone, or tablet to a shared or public network as if you’re connecting to a private network.
If not, the responsibility for securing your online activity is yours. It’s always a good idea to make sure your operating system is up to date. Plus, run the latest antivirus and software with the most recent security patches installed. This is required if you’re working from home with an industry that has compliance standards, but it’s a best practice for everyone.
And please don’t use Windows 7 any longer. If you haven’t upgraded your OS since you bought that software, it’s definitely time to update. Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows 7, which means it’s also not doing anything to patch vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals know this, so don’t leave your home computer open to attack.
Knowing that you could be working from home for the next few weeks, take the time to actually establish and organize your workspace. Try to find a place away from distractions or that has a door you can close to keep distractions to a minimum. Also, think about being somewhere in the home that gets natural light. This helps people be happier and more engaged in their work.
You’ll also want to think about how far you’re setting up your workspace from the router. Depending on the power of your hardware, you could encounter a reduced signal the further away you go. You could consider a network cable or Mesh Wi-Fi for your home. Traditional Wi-Fi relies on a single router, whereas a mesh system helps you reach many, spread out areas in your home. Need to get up and running from home quickly? A managed service provider can help you connect, upgrade, or troubleshoot your home office setup.
Give us a call today at 888-333-9757
What Video Conference Service is Best for My Business
Back in the day, when sci-fi movies exhilarated us with how the future would be, it typically always had a scene where people were communicating via video conferencing or holograms. These scenes and it’s awe-inspiring technology confirmed a future that was full of advanced tools and even glamourized the business world. However, fast-forward to today and it seems those promises have since lost its shine in the eyes of many modern workers.
It seems like forever ago that we were attending our regular standup meetings each morning in the office; however, we are now living in a future of social distancing and working from home. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, many employers are requiring that their employees work from home. With everyone working remotely, this means that communication must be on point. Since hosting in-person meetings are a no-go, businesses everywhere must find a way to effectively communicate with one another.
As us “essential workers” know, communication is crucial in the business world – especially during a pandemic! Can you imagine having to rely solely on emails or phone meetings without actually seeing the other person? Effective communication helps foster a good working relationship between you and your employees, which in turn improves morale and efficiency – and those two qualities are a necessity!
Even though we don’t have holograms (yet), we luckily do have video conferencing services. Video conferencing has become the new norm for many business and organization meetings across the nation. There are several video conferencing services available on the internet, so it is important to choose one that is best suited for you and your company. Below we will compare a few services and things to be mindful of while determining which video service to choose such as security, features, pricing, etc. Even during these difficult times, the meetings must go on!
GoToMeeting
This software has a user-friendly interface and assists users begin a meeting in minutes. It also has third-party app integrations that includes support for Slack, Podio, accord, LMS, Microsoft Office 365, and much more. It is also compatible with iOS, MacBook, PC, and Android mobile devices which offer users a wider range of flexibility to use the solution while letting them join online conferences from anywhere, at any time.
Pricing: $12 /month for professional or $16 /month for business
Main Features of GoToMeeting are:
| Virtual Whiteboard Built-In Audio Meeting Scheduler Hand Over Control One-Click Recording | Join via Mobile Options Desktop/Application Sharing Personal Meeting Room Drawing Tools | Toll-Free Option One-Click Meetings HDFaces Video Conferencing Join via Desktop Options Call Me To Join Meeting |
Zoom
Zoom is a cloud-based and highly scalable video and web conferencing software that allows users to carry out online meetings, file sharing, webinars, and group messaging. Zoom offers many integrations with third-party vendors to simplify workflows, which are available on their Zoom Marketplace, and some are available as extensions and plugins (including Mircosoft Outlook plugin, the Google Chrome extension, Firefox add-on, Skype for Business plugin). It is configureable with identity providers for Single Sign-on based on SAML 2.0.
Main Features of Zoom are:
| Zoom Meetings Rooms Integrated Scheduling Video Webinar | Premium Audio Group Collaboration Cloud and Local Recording |
Pricing: $15 /month for their pro plan (great for small teams) or $20 /month for small and medium businesses
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration.
| Fully integrated with Office 365 Conversation channels Reduced Email | Direct Access to email, Skype, OneDrive, and SharePoint Collaborate Live in Real-Time Access Teams Across all of your Devices | Integrate Third Party Applications Quickly @ Feature Conversation Threads |
Pricing: $5 /month
Security
With any video conferencing platform, it comes with risks. Before choosing which video conferencing service, we’ve laid out a few important things to keep in mind:
- Decide if the system you might potentially use is too big a risk by knowing the type of data encryption the system uses, how callers log in, and how the system manages data.
- Most conferencing systems that are security-minded will use a single sign-on for user authentication to greatly reduce risks of user credentials being lost, stolen, or compromised.
- For the video conferencing system to be secure, it must have security protocols in place for data storage and data transmission.
- Data storage – since information discussed in these video conferences could be sensitive, data storage needs to be secure and separate from all other networks.
- Data transmission – since data must travel over so many public and private networks, this is the most vulnerable area of video conferencing.
The Tech Zen offers a range of services to solve your technology troubles. Each of our technicians has over 10 years of experience in servicing both PC and Apple environments. We can address your internet security concerns, provide data backup solutions, and offer ongoing support for your office to provide peace of mind. Contact us to find out how we can help.
Benefits of Outsourcing your IT
Outsourcing is the practice of hiring a party outside your company to perform services that are traditionally performed in-house by your own employees and staff. It can be a great way for companies to cut costs, including salaries for its personnel, overhead, equipment, and technology. Outsourcing is simply a business judgment chosen by many because it reduces the overhead to produce a product or perform a service, therefore increasing profit margins.
For many small businesses, maintaining an in-house IT team is not a practical solution. IT outsourcing through Managed Service Providers (MSP) can give you the service you need and benefits you may not expect. Here are some benefits of outsourcing IT and technology needs through a qualified MSP:
Expertise – Outsourcing gives a company access to specific skills or resources. If an employee is not trained in IT but is being asked to fill that role in a company, how can you assure they are qualified? With MSP support teams, they know and understand business technology and can apply their expertise right away.
More Available Resources – You can easily free up valuable company resources so you can focus on marketing, product development, and customer experience.
Cost-Effectiveness – When a company has more capital to put forth into areas of operation that directly produce revenues, it makes the business more appealing to investors. With an outsourced IT support team, they are able to solve IT-related problems quicker and can also give you a more consistent and controlled monthly expense that only increases as your company grows.
Security – Cyber Security is an essential part of any business strategy. At minimum, exposure to a cyber threat can lead to lost revenue in the form of data loss, business downtime, and a loss of client confidence. An MSP acting as your outsourced IT team can help protect you against digital threats such as hacking, ransomware, and phishing. They can work with you to provide a layered security approach and even help coach your own employees on good cyber security practices.
Increase Efficiency and Competitiveness – Whether you have a small- or medium sized business, you simply do not have the same range of resources that larger corporations have. However, with IT outsourcing, it allows you to have the same level of expertise, equipment, and support as larger companies. This allows you to keep up with larger companies, while providing the excellent experience your customers expect.
Reduce Risk – With every business, a certain amount of risk is always lingering. Markets, competition, government regulations, financial conditions, and technologies all change very quickly. Outsourcing providers assume and manage this risk for you, and they generally are much better at deciding how to avoid risk in their areas of expertise.
Outsourcing your IT may be the right choice for your business. It can help your business save money while keeping up with the latest technology in todays digital world.
The Tech Zen offers a range of services to solve your technology troubles. Each of our technicians has over 10 years of experience in servicing both PC and Apple environments. We can address your internet security concerns, provide data backup solutions, and offer ongoing support for your office to provide peace of mind. Contact us to find out how we can help.
How to Stop Cybercriminals During This COVID-19 Pandemic
Cybercriminals Are Counting On You Letting Your Guard Down
During This Global Pandemic – Here’s How To Stop Them
The world is slowing down during this COVID-19 pandemic. Wall Street is being hit hard. People are no longer going out. We’re told to quarantine or self-isolate and not engage in groups.
You can bet there’s one group that’s not slowing down at all. In fact, they’re probably working overtime while the rest of us have our lives turned upside down. Cybercriminals and hackers know there’s no better time to strike than during a global crisis. While you are distracted and spending your time trying to make sense of this new normal, they are finding new ways into your IT network so they can steal data and passwords, compromise your clients’ private information and even demand large ransoms.
Cybercrime is already on the rise and is expected to cause $6 TRILLION in damages by 2021! But, if history repeats itself, hackers will be out in full force throughout this coronavirus scare. We fully expect in the upcoming weeks that headlines will change from stories about COVID-19 to accounts of a frenzy of cyber-attacks on corporations and small businesses.
Here are solutions you can implement now to help protect your business data, money and productivity:
1. Be more suspicious of incoming e-mails.
Because people are scared and confused right now, it’s the perfect time for hackers to send e-mails with dangerous malware and viruses. At this moment, your in-box is probably filled with “COVID-19” subject lines and coronavirus-focused e-mails. Always carefully inspect the e-mail and make sure you know the sender. There’s a cdc-gov e-mail address out there now that’s not legitimate and is spamming inboxes across the country. See our article on How To Spot a Phishing Email for additional tips.
2. Ensure your work-from-home computers are secure.
Another reason we expect a rise in cyber-attacks during this pandemic is the dramatic increase in employees working from home. Far too many employers won’t think about security as their team starts working at the kitchen table. That’s a dangerous precedent.
First, make sure your employees are not using their home computers or devices when working. Second, ensure your work-at-home computers have a firewall that’s turned on. Finally, your network and data are not truly secure unless your employees utilize a VPN (virtual private network). If you need help in arranging your new work-from-home environment, we would be happy to get your entire team set up.
3. Improve your password strategy.
During crises like the one we are all facing right now, your passwords could mean the difference between spending your time relearning how to grow your business and trying to recoup finances and private data that’s been hacked. Make a point now to reevaluate your passwords and direct your team to create stronger passwords.
Also, while it’s so convenient to save your passwords in your web browser, it also lessens your security. Because web browsers simply require their own password or PIN to access saved passwords, a skilled hacker can bypass this hurdle. Once they access your saved passwords, they can steal as much as they want – credit card information, customers’ private data and more!
Instead, you should consider a password manager to keep all of your passwords in one place. These password managers feature robust security. A few options are [LastPass, 1Password and Keeper Security Password Manager].
You, your team and your family have enough to concern yourselves with regards to staying healthy, living a more isolated lifestyle and keeping your business strong. There’s no need to invite in more problems by letting your computer and network security slide during these times.
If you need additional security advice or would like to have a consultation to discuss how to keep your data safe, simply connect with us today.
The Tech Zen offers a range of services to solve your technology troubles. Each of our technicians has over 10 years of experience in servicing both PC and Apple environments. We can address your internet security concerns, provide data backup solutions, and offer ongoing support for your office to provide peace of mind. Contact us to find out how we can help.
Business Continuity – Setup your office so you can work from virtually anywhere!
Current events have prompted many businesses to re-evaluate their working situation. Some businesses will find the need to work remotely as much as possible. At The Tech Zen, we want to make you aware of the current capabilities we can provide to our clients.
Remote Access – Being able to remotely access your office resources from home can be critical for your business. We can deploy a remote access solution on the computers in your office which will allow you to use a personal computer from another location to gain access to the applications and files at your office. Our preferred software for remote access is ScreenConnect but there are other options such as Teamviewer and Logmein that can also be deployed if needed.
Hosted VoIP – A majority of our clients use our Hosted Voice over IP Business Phone System which is a full-featured phone in the office that has the capability to be brought home and connected to the router in your home and this provides phone service as if you were in the office. This is a full-featured phone system and sometimes it can be less expensive than a traditional phone service while providing more features than those that are offered by your local phone company or ISP. Learn more about our Hosted VoIP Solution.
VPN – If you need access to the resources on your network in the office, we can review your current setup and configuration to see if a Virtual Private Network is the right solution for your situation. Example: If you use your laptop as your only business computer but still need to access systems and resources physically located in the office such as shared files/folders. A VPN would allow you to use a single computer that will behave as if you were still in the office. This solution does require equipment to be configured in the office that will allow a remote computer to gain access to the network. A Static IP is also recommended for this solution.
Cloud File Storage – A cloud storage solution would enable a centralized location for your files that can be accessed from anywhere over the internet. Example: Multiple employees need access to the company files in order to work from home. This solution provides an internet-accessible folder so employees can work on the same shared files as if they were in the office. This can be done with numerous platforms such as Axcient Anchor, Dropbox, One Drive, and more… We can help find the right solution for you.
Communication/Collaboration – Platforms such as Microsoft Teams which is part of Office 365 business can be utilized to collaborate, chat, conference calls, and share files for various projects. This is something that we can help provision and deploy quickly.
There are a number of solutions available that can be customized to fit your specific business needs. Please reach out to us to discuss any of the options listed above. It is our sincere hope that we can help you maintain as much continuity in your business as possible during this difficult time.
The Tech Zen offers a range of services to solve your technology troubles. Each of our technicians has over 10 years of experience in servicing both PC and Apple environments. We can address your internet security concerns, provide data backup solutions, and offer ongoing support for your office to provide peace of mind. Contact us to find out how we can help.
How to Spot a Phishing Email
A phishing attack typically starts with an email that claims to be from a legitimate website, such as a banking or online store websites. Cyber criminals trick users into revealing their private information by making them believe that the message is something they want or need.
This increasingly popular form of cyber-crime poses a very real threat to organizations as well as individuals around the world. Even though the tactic seems simple, the key behind phishing success is catching people who are unaware of what a phishing attack looks like.
In today’s world, cyber criminals often find it easier to attack users rather than attack software. If a cyber-criminal can convince a user to email their credentials, or download a file, then there is no need to go through all the effort of cracking encryption algorithms.
Fortunately, a little information can go a long way when protecting users and their data. The best way to protect against phishing attacks is user education. Here are some ways to spot a phishing attack:
- The email asks you to confirm personal information: Phishing emails often ask you to either reply or personal data or enter them on a website.
- The message is designed to make you panic: Urgency and scare tactics are a psychological way to manipulate users into lowering their guard so they respond quickly without thinking.
- The web and email addresses do not look genuine: Legitimate organizations will not contact you from an address that is sent from a public email domain. It is important to always check the addresses the email came from.
- There’s a suspicious attachment: It is advised to never open an attachment unless you are fully confident that the message is from a legitimate party. Legitimate companies will not send attachments that are unsolicited – especially IP files. Opening attachments are cyber criminal’s #1 choice for spreading malicious software.
- It is poorly written: Users can often point out a scam if it contains poor spelling and grammar.
- Hover to discover:Mouse over links in the email to reveal their true URL (DO NOT click the link). If the name and URL do not match, delete the email.
The Tech Zen offers a range of services to solve your technology troubles. Each of our technicians has over 10 years of experience in servicing both PC and Apple environments. We can address your internet security concerns, provide data backup solutions, and offer ongoing support for your office to provide peace of mind. Contact us to find out how we can help.