It’s safe to say that malware attacks, phishing scams, and social media engineering practices are going nowhere fast. That means that, whether you are a home user or the owner or manager of a small or medium-sized business, if you choose to ignore safer online security practices you are putting your identity and the security of your company at serious risk. But what are big providers like Google doing to stop cyber threats in their tracks? After all, surely the onus is on them to provide a service that is secure as it possibly can be?

With more than one billion people using Google’s search engine on their desktops, and over a billion more accessing it through mobile devices, it is clear that security is – or should be – paramount. Google already claims to protect desktop users with its Safe Browsing service, but what about its mobile users?

With cyber threats ranging from the annoying, such as adware, to the unsavory – hello spyware – and the downright terrifying (ransomware, we’re looking at you), mobile device users are increasingly demanding to know that they are being adequately protected when using Google’s products, tools and services. So in order to protect the mind-bogglingly large number of people who are using Google on their smartphones, laptops, notebooks and tablets, Google recently unveiled plans to extend its Safe Browsing service to mobile users – or at least to who are using Chrome on an Android device.

Whether you regard this as a blatant ploy to get users to switch to Android is something we’ll let you decide for yourself, but the fact is that Google is taking steps to protect its users. Back in August 2014, the company bolstered its Safe Browsing warnings with messages alerting users to unwanted software programs trying to sneak onto their computers by attaching themselves without warning to a legitimate download. In addition, both the Android platform and the Google Play Store have security measures in place to weed out potentially dangerous apps.

However, not every cyber security threat comes from an app or installation so, while Google is doing the right thing by guarding against threats in these areas, there are other issues that require a different means of protection. Enter social engineering, and phishing in particular, which can cause untold harm – such as data or identity theft – to a business or individual.

In order to protect against social engineering, an up-to-date list of malicious websites needs to be stored upon the device – this enables Google to send an alert to the user before they get ambushed. But there are problems with this which Google has had to overcome, not least of which is how to keep the list updated in the face of new threats. Compounding this issue further are factors that are unique to mobile browsing: mobile data speeds can be slow and connectivity patchy, depending where the user is. A fast, stable connection is crucial when the timing of an alert is paramount. Not only that, but using mobile data costs the end user money!

Bandwidth (and battery) limitations mean Google has had to find a way to ensure the data they send to users is as small as possible. Protecting their customers is crucial – but so too is not sapping battery life and data plans. Because this boils down to connectivity and speed factors, a device’s location is now taken into account. For example, if a known phishing scam is only affecting certain locations, only devices that are in that part of the world receive a warning.

Google also prioritizes data by sending information on a need-to-know basis – in other words, bigger threats take precedence over more minor issues. They have also designed the software to limit network traffic, and to be as light as possible on memory and processor usage.

Since its announcement in early December, Google is now protecting all Chrome users on Android devices as default, making Safe Browsing part of their Play services from Version 8.1 onwards. Chrome Version 46 is also the first app to initiate Safe Browsing.

How do you know whether you are protected by Safe Browsing mode? Go to your settings in Chrome, and check your Privacy menu. How do you know if your small or medium-sized business stands the best chance of survival in the face of a cyber attack or phishing scam? Talk to us today and we’ll be more than happy to share our up-to-date knowledge with you.

As end users of Google’s suite of productivity enhancing tools, we have a right to know that the company is doing everything in its power to protect its billions of users – whether they are working from a desktop, browsing while they are on the go, or working remotely. But what measures has Google put into place to keep its legions of users safe and secure in the face of rising cyber crime? How can you be sure that, no matter what device you are using, you stand the best chance of protecting yourself from attack?

With more than one billion people using Google’s search engine on their desktops, and over a billion more accessing it through mobile devices, it is clear that security is – or should be – paramount. Google already claims to protect desktop users with its Safe Browsing service, but what about its mobile users?

With cyber threats ranging from the annoying, such as adware, to the unsavory – hello spyware – and the downright terrifying (ransomware, we’re looking at you), mobile device users are increasingly demanding to know that they are being adequately protected when using Google’s products, tools and services. So in order to protect the mind-bogglingly large number of people who are using Google on their smartphones, laptops, notebooks and tablets, Google recently unveiled plans to extend its Safe Browsing service to mobile users – or at least to who are using Chrome on an Android device.

Whether you regard this as a blatant ploy to get users to switch to Android is something we’ll let you decide for yourself, but the fact is that Google is taking steps to protect its users. Back in August 2014, the company bolstered its Safe Browsing warnings with messages alerting users to unwanted software programs trying to sneak onto their computers by attaching themselves without warning to a legitimate download. In addition, both the Android platform and the Google Play Store have security measures in place to weed out potentially dangerous apps.

However, not every cyber security threat comes from an app or installation so, while Google is doing the right thing by guarding against threats in these areas, there are other issues that require a different means of protection. Enter social engineering, and phishing in particular, which can cause untold harm – such as data or identity theft – to a business or individual.

In order to protect against social engineering, an up-to-date list of malicious websites needs to be stored upon the device – this enables Google to send an alert to the user before they get ambushed. But there are problems with this which Google has had to overcome, not least of which is how to keep the list updated in the face of new threats. Compounding this issue further are factors that are unique to mobile browsing: mobile data speeds can be slow and connectivity patchy, depending where the user is. A fast, stable connection is crucial when the timing of an alert is paramount. Not only that, but using mobile data costs the end user money!

Bandwidth (and battery) limitations mean Google has had to find a way to ensure the data they send to users is as small as possible. Protecting their customers is crucial – but so too is not sapping battery life and data plans. Because this boils down to connectivity and speed factors, a device’s location is now taken into account. For example, if a known phishing scam is only affecting certain locations, only devices that are in that part of the world receive a warning.

Google also prioritizes data by sending information on a need-to-know basis – in other words, bigger threats take precedence over more minor issues. They have also designed the software to limit network traffic, and to be as light as possible on memory and processor usage.

Since its announcement in early December, Google is now protecting all Chrome users on Android devices as default, making Safe Browsing part of their Play services from Version 8.1 onwards. Chrome Version 46 is also the first app to initiate Safe Browsing.

How do you know whether you are protected by Safe Browsing mode? Go to your settings in Chrome, and check your Privacy menu. How do you know if your small or medium-sized business stands the best chance of survival in the face of a cyber attack or phishing scam? Talk to us today and we’ll be more than happy to share our up-to-date knowledge with you.

With the vast majority of end users turning to Google as their search engine or default browser of choice, it comes as no surprise to learn that the company takes security seriously. But in a perpetually changing landscape where anti-virus and anti-malware tools are constantly chasing their tails in order to stay up to date with the latest threats, there cannot be many small to medium-sized business owners who can afford to ignore the issues surrounding cyber security. So what exactly is the internet giant doing to keep your users – and your organization – safe?

With more than one billion people using Google’s search engine on their desktops, and over a billion more accessing it through mobile devices, it is clear that security is – or should be – paramount. Google already claims to protect desktop users with its Safe Browsing service, but what about its mobile users?

With cyber threats ranging from the annoying, such as adware, to the unsavory – hello spyware – and the downright terrifying (ransomware, we’re looking at you), mobile device users are increasingly demanding to know that they are being adequately protected when using Google’s products, tools and services. So in order to protect the mind-bogglingly large number of people who are using Google on their smartphones, laptops, notebooks and tablets, Google recently unveiled plans to extend its Safe Browsing service to mobile users – or at least to who are using Chrome on an Android device.

Whether you regard this as a blatant ploy to get users to switch to Android is something we’ll let you decide for yourself, but the fact is that Google is taking steps to protect its users. Back in August 2014, the company bolstered its Safe Browsing warnings with messages alerting users to unwanted software programs trying to sneak onto their computers by attaching themselves without warning to a legitimate download. In addition, both the Android platform and the Google Play Store have security measures in place to weed out potentially dangerous apps.

However, not every cyber security threat comes from an app or installation so, while Google is doing the right thing by guarding against threats in these areas, there are other issues that require a different means of protection. Enter social engineering, and phishing in particular, which can cause untold harm – such as data or identity theft – to a business or individual.

In order to protect against social engineering, an up-to-date list of malicious websites needs to be stored upon the device – this enables Google to send an alert to the user before they get ambushed. But there are problems with this which Google has had to overcome, not least of which is how to keep the list updated in the face of new threats. Compounding this issue further are factors that are unique to mobile browsing: mobile data speeds can be slow and connectivity patchy, depending where the user is. A fast, stable connection is crucial when the timing of an alert is paramount. Not only that, but using mobile data costs the end user money!

Bandwidth (and battery) limitations mean Google has had to find a way to ensure the data they send to users is as small as possible. Protecting their customers is crucial – but so too is not sapping battery life and data plans. Because this boils down to connectivity and speed factors, a device’s location is now taken into account. For example, if a known phishing scam is only affecting certain locations, only devices that are in that part of the world receive a warning.

Google also prioritizes data by sending information on a need-to-know basis – in other words, bigger threats take precedence over more minor issues. They have also designed the software to limit network traffic, and to be as light as possible on memory and processor usage.

Since its announcement in early December, Google is now protecting all Chrome users on Android devices as default, making Safe Browsing part of their Play services from Version 8.1 onwards. Chrome Version 46 is also the first app to initiate Safe Browsing.

How do you know whether you are protected by Safe Browsing mode? Go to your settings in Chrome, and check your Privacy menu. How do you know if your small or medium-sized business stands the best chance of survival in the face of a cyber attack or phishing scam? Talk to us today and we’ll be more than happy to share our up-to-date knowledge with you.

Mobile health applications have been growing in popularity but this doesn’t necessarily mean their effectiveness is improving. In fact, doctors have called for greater oversight and regulation when it comes to health apps as many have never been truly tested. A number of these apps also make false claims about benefits in order to get users to download them. Before you pay for, or even download, that new health app, here are a few things you should consider.

At the carnivals of the late 20th and early 21st century, you would see traveling salesmen hawking miracle elixirs that could cure just about anything that ailed you. In more recent times, it has been so-called doctors appearing on television commercials late at night with super pills that were able to help you lose weight or have more energy.

These medical shysters have now turned their attention to phone and tablet applications where they use outrageous claims to entice users to download their apps. In September of this year, UltimEyes, an app stating that it improves vision, was fined by the Fair Trade Commision (FTC) for falsely claiming their app was scientifically proven to work.

And they aren’t the only app to have been dinged by the FTC. Earlier in 2015, two apps claiming to detect melanoma were also fined by the FTC for what essentially boiled down to false advertising. It’s likely that health apps will be monitored more closely in the future but at the present moment, a large number of rogue applications are out on the market.

Not every health app out there is bad, but before you download one, especially a paid app, make sure you examine it thoroughly. Here are a few things to look for.

Who made the app

One of the easiest ways to determine the legitimacy of a health app is to see who is behind it. Chances are if it’s a name you trust like the Mayo Clinic or your healthcare provider, you don’t have a lot to worry about. If it’s some fly-by-night company with a funky name like Bob’s House O’ Health, you might want to dig a little deeper to see if the app can really do what it claims.

The online reviews

If an app has been out on the market for a little while then chances are people have reviewed it. It’s good to look at what other people are saying about the app because it can help establish if it really works or not. If an app has received a significant amount of negative feedback you best bet is to steer clear of it.

Google it

Reviews can be helpful but don’t necessarily paint the full picture. Doing a quick Google search on a health app can help unearth some additional information that might be crucial to making a decision on whether or not you should download a medical app. For instance, if the developer of the app was thrown in jail for fraud, you’d probably be less inclined to dowload it. However, if the company behind the app has received some positive press for its work, it might be worth checking it out.

Do you really believe it will work?

A lot of times, we can get too caught up in wanting to believe something is true that we fail to think critically when we make a decision. Before downloading a health app, especially one that makes a bold claim, you should ask yourself if it seems plausible or not for these statements to be true. For instance, an app that can detect cancer sounds great, but if such a thing were to exist, don’t you think everyone would know about it by now? All you are doing by placing your health in the hands of an unknown app is endangering yourself.

If you think you have a problem with your health, then it is best to contact a doctor. And if you think you are having a problem with your IT, then it is a good idea to contact us. We can help diagnose your technology troubles and find a cure.

Apple currently has four different models of MacBook laptops in their line-up: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the New MacBook. But choosing one over the other is not easy, as each one of them come in different sizes and specifications. In this guide, we’re going to examine possible options to help you make the right laptop choice and ensure you get the best value for your money.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular and affordable model. It’s perfect for anyone who needs a high performance laptop that is extremely lightweight and portable, such as students or a self-employed person.

• Specifications – There are four different types of MacBook Air, all of which possess the same 1.6 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000 card. The MacBook Air claims to provide up to 9 hours of battery life for the 11-inch models and up to 12 hours of battery life for the 13-inch models. There are two storage capacities available – 128GB and 256GB.
• Connectivity – The MacBook Air provides two USB 3.0 ports and has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to the Internet and wireless peripherals.
• Performance – The MacBook Air is more than capable of handling everyday tasks such as web browsing, emailing, and working on office applications. However, if you want to carry out high-end, professional video production tasks, you might want to consider the other MacBook options.

MacBook Pro

Apple offers two types of MacBook Pros – there’s the standard model and the Retina display model. Let’s look at the former model first. The standard MacBook Pro is perfect for mobile users who want a powerful laptop without having to sacrifice on performance and features.

• Specifications – There’s only one model of MacBook Pro available. It features a 13-inch screen with 2.5GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, 500GB of hard drive storage, and an integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics card. You can customize your MacBook Pro with a more powerful processor, more RAM memory, and larger hard drive.
• Connectivity – The MacBook Pro has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as the ports that Apple has phased out of the MacBook Air and the Retina MacBook Pro, including the Gigabit Ethernet port and 8x SuperDrive optical drive.
• Performance – Overall, the MacBook Pro is slower than the 13-inch MacBook Air, due to the the MacBook Pro’s outdated hard drive that simply can’t keep up with MacBook Air’s flash storage. However, the MacBook Pro has a slight performance advantage on tasks that are dependent on processors, such as video editing.

MacBook Pro with Retina display

The Retina MacBook Pro is by far Apple’s most powerful laptop ever created. It boasts a high-density display with millions of pixels and crystal-clear text and images display.

• Specifications – The Retina MacBook Pro is available in both 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes. Apple offers a dual-core Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM memory and flash storage ranging from 120GB to 512GB for the 13-inch models. The 15-inch models, on the other hand, possess the powerful quad-core Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM memory, and a 256GB or 512GB flash storage.
• Connectivity – Just like other Mac devices, the Retina MacBook Pro has two Thunderbolt 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• Performance – The Retina MacBook Pro currently sits on top of Apple Mac’s performance chart. With powerful processing power, flash storage, and a large memory capacity, you can carry out high-end graphics work or video editings smoothly.

The New MacBook

Apple’s New MacBook is the laptop in its most basic, compact form. It weighs only 920 grams and has a 12-inch display, making it much lighter and smaller than the MacBook Air. The New MacBook is for anyone who’s constantly on the move and needs a thin, lightweight laptop.

• Specifications – There are two models of the New MacBook – the difference is mainly in the flash storage and processor versions. Both models have 8GB of memory and an integrated Intel HD 5300 graphics processor.
• Connectivity – Apart from the usual built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, there’s only one USB 3.0 port for connecting to peripherals.
• Performance – The Intel Core M processor is designed to handle basic tasks and even some professional production tasks.

If you want to know which MacBook model will work best for your business, get in touch now for advice and recommendations from our tech experts.

Thinking of buying a new MacBook? Apple now has four primary models to choose from: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the latest 12-inch MacBook. With so many options available, it can be difficult to determine which one is right for you. In this article, we’re going to look at each of Apple’s Macs and show you what each model is best suited for.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular and affordable model. It’s perfect for anyone who needs a high performance laptop that is extremely lightweight and portable, such as students or a self-employed person.

• Specifications – There are four different types of MacBook Air, all of which possess the same 1.6 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000 card. The MacBook Air claims to provide up to 9 hours of battery life for the 11-inch models and up to 12 hours of battery life for the 13-inch models. There are two storage capacities available – 128GB and 256GB.
• Connectivity – The MacBook Air provides two USB 3.0 ports and has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to the Internet and wireless peripherals.
• Performance – The MacBook Air is more than capable of handling everyday tasks such as web browsing, emailing, and working on office applications. However, if you want to carry out high-end, professional video production tasks, you might want to consider the other MacBook options.

MacBook Pro

Apple offers two types of MacBook Pros – there’s the standard model and the Retina display model. Let’s look at the former model first. The standard MacBook Pro is perfect for mobile users who want a powerful laptop without having to sacrifice on performance and features.

• Specifications – There’s only one model of MacBook Pro available. It features a 13-inch screen with 2.5GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, 500GB of hard drive storage, and an integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics card. You can customize your MacBook Pro with a more powerful processor, more RAM memory, and larger hard drive.
• Connectivity – The MacBook Pro has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as the ports that Apple has phased out of the MacBook Air and the Retina MacBook Pro, including the Gigabit Ethernet port and 8x SuperDrive optical drive.
• Performance – Overall, the MacBook Pro is slower than the 13-inch MacBook Air, due to the the MacBook Pro’s outdated hard drive that simply can’t keep up with MacBook Air’s flash storage. However, the MacBook Pro has a slight performance advantage on tasks that are dependent on processors, such as video editing.

MacBook Pro with Retina display

The Retina MacBook Pro is by far Apple’s most powerful laptop ever created. It boasts a high-density display with millions of pixels and crystal-clear text and images display.

• Specifications – The Retina MacBook Pro is available in both 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes. Apple offers a dual-core Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM memory and flash storage ranging from 120GB to 512GB for the 13-inch models. The 15-inch models, on the other hand, possess the powerful quad-core Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM memory, and a 256GB or 512GB flash storage.
• Connectivity – Just like other Mac devices, the Retina MacBook Pro has two Thunderbolt 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• Performance – The Retina MacBook Pro currently sits on top of Apple Mac’s performance chart. With powerful processing power, flash storage, and a large memory capacity, you can carry out high-end graphics work or video editings smoothly.

The New MacBook

Apple’s New MacBook is the laptop in its most basic, compact form. It weighs only 920 grams and has a 12-inch display, making it much lighter and smaller than the MacBook Air. The New MacBook is for anyone who’s constantly on the move and needs a thin, lightweight laptop.

• Specifications – There are two models of the New MacBook – the difference is mainly in the flash storage and processor versions. Both models have 8GB of memory and an integrated Intel HD 5300 graphics processor.
• Connectivity – Apart from the usual built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, there’s only one USB 3.0 port for connecting to peripherals.
• Performance – The Intel Core M processor is designed to handle basic tasks and even some professional production tasks.

If you want to know which MacBook model will work best for your business, get in touch now for advice and recommendations from our tech experts.

When it comes to purchasing a new MacBook, there are four main options available: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the new 12-inch MacBook. Each model comes with different display resolutions, configurations, and various custom-made options. So how do you determine which one is best for you? In this guide, we’ll give an overview of all the MacBook models and provide expert advice to help you make the right choice.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular and affordable model. It’s perfect for anyone who needs a high performance laptop that is extremely lightweight and portable, such as students or a self-employed person.

• Specifications – There are four different types of MacBook Air, all of which possess the same 1.6 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000 card. The MacBook Air claims to provide up to 9 hours of battery life for the 11-inch models and up to 12 hours of battery life for the 13-inch models. There are two storage capacities available – 128GB and 256GB.
• Connectivity – The MacBook Air provides two USB 3.0 ports and has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to the Internet and wireless peripherals.
• Performance – The MacBook Air is more than capable of handling everyday tasks such as web browsing, emailing, and working on office applications. However, if you want to carry out high-end, professional video production tasks, you might want to consider the other MacBook options.

MacBook Pro

Apple offers two types of MacBook Pros – there’s the standard model and the Retina display model. Let’s look at the former model first. The standard MacBook Pro is perfect for mobile users who want a powerful laptop without having to sacrifice on performance and features.

• Specifications – There’s only one model of MacBook Pro available. It features a 13-inch screen with 2.5GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, 500GB of hard drive storage, and an integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics card. You can customize your MacBook Pro with a more powerful processor, more RAM memory, and larger hard drive.
• Connectivity – The MacBook Pro has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as the ports that Apple has phased out of the MacBook Air and the Retina MacBook Pro, including the Gigabit Ethernet port and 8x SuperDrive optical drive.
• Performance – Overall, the MacBook Pro is slower than the 13-inch MacBook Air, due to the the MacBook Pro’s outdated hard drive that simply can’t keep up with MacBook Air’s flash storage. However, the MacBook Pro has a slight performance advantage on tasks that are dependent on processors, such as video editing.

MacBook Pro with Retina display

The Retina MacBook Pro is by far Apple’s most powerful laptop ever created. It boasts a high-density display with millions of pixels and crystal-clear text and images display.

• Specifications – The Retina MacBook Pro is available in both 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes. Apple offers a dual-core Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM memory and flash storage ranging from 120GB to 512GB for the 13-inch models. The 15-inch models, on the other hand, possess the powerful quad-core Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM memory, and a 256GB or 512GB flash storage.
• Connectivity – Just like other Mac devices, the Retina MacBook Pro has two Thunderbolt 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• Performance – The Retina MacBook Pro currently sits on top of Apple Mac’s performance chart. With powerful processing power, flash storage, and a large memory capacity, you can carry out high-end graphics work or video editings smoothly.

The New MacBook

Apple’s New MacBook is the laptop in its most basic, compact form. It weighs only 920 grams and has a 12-inch display, making it much lighter and smaller than the MacBook Air. The New MacBook is for anyone who’s constantly on the move and needs a thin, lightweight laptop.

• Specifications – There are two models of the New MacBook – the difference is mainly in the flash storage and processor versions. Both models have 8GB of memory and an integrated Intel HD 5300 graphics processor.
• Connectivity – Apart from the usual built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, there’s only one USB 3.0 port for connecting to peripherals.
• Performance – The Intel Core M processor is designed to handle basic tasks and even some professional production tasks.

If you want to know which MacBook model will work best for your business, get in touch now for advice and recommendations from our tech experts.

Having a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is great, but only if you know when it needs to be invoked. If you don’t know when it should take effect, then you might as well not have one at all. While a lot of business owners might believe it is pretty obvious when a BCP needs to be invoked, the process is not always so cut and dry. So let’s run through a few situations that might require your company to put its BCP into action.

When a disaster happens, your first thoughts will likely revolve around how it will affect your business and the services it provides. Depending on what occurs, you might be required to call your Business Continuity Plan (BCP) into action to ensure your company remains operational and that any Recovery Time Objectives are met.

Unfortunately, too many business owners fail to properly prepare themselves for taking this action, by viewing disasters as two-dimensional events. Realistically, a disaster has many possible outcomes and is not as black and white as you may think. For instance, think about how a flood can disrupt your company.

The logical conclusion for most business owners is to picture their office underwater. While that is one possibility, several others may also exist that could require you to consider implementing your BCP. A flood may not disturb your office, but what if it strikes an off-site storage facility where you keep digital or paper data? This is likely to have just as great an impact on your business, and necessitate your BCP coming into action.

Here we’ll take a look at a few other disasters that can happen, and which factors you need to consider before implementing your BCP.

Fire

If a fire takes place at your business, invoking your BCP is a fairly obvious decision. However, what do you do if a fire occurs in the same building as your office, or next door to you? It can be a problematic situation as you may not know what, if any, damage has occurred. Smoke travels fast and can leave behind soot, which may render your servers inoperable or highly unstable. There may be health issues at play as well, and sometimes it is not be feasible to have your employees working in the office in the immediate aftermath of smoke damage.

Before invoking your BCP in this situation, you will want to speak with fire crews on the scene about when they will let you back into your office and what kind of damage has been done. This should give you the necessary information on how to proceed, and enable you to decide whether your BCP needs to be put into action.

Civil unrest

It can be hard to gauge what to expect in times of civil unrest. We have witnessed large protests that remained peaceful, but we have also seen ones that have become unruly and destructive. Several business owners had to halt or significantly reduce services in places like Missouri and Baltimore because of the latter. Only time will tell if they are able to recover, or end up having to shut their doors for good.

Due to the volatility of these events, it is impossible to fully prepare yourself, since you can never completely know how the situation will pan out. Instead make sure you and your staff are prepared to invoke your BCP should the situation deteriorate. Even if something were to happen at your premises, if you’re diligent and paying attention you should be able to act quickly and prevent a large-scale service disruption.

Security threats

Most people don’t put things like viruses and security breaches in the realm of disasters, and that in and of itself can be disastrous. Let’s use one of the fastest growing security threats to small businesses, ransomware, as an example. It could be downloaded to your network by a deceptive email and opened by an employee. When ransomware makes it way onto your network, it will encrypt or block all access to your data until you pay a sum of money.

Because ransomware can appear suddenly, often business owners get flustered and either pay the ransom or suffer a long period of downtime trying to figure out how to fix the problem. Either way, money is lost. If ransomware or any other security breach occurs, it’s important to quickly analyze the situation and determine whether you need to invoke your BCP, which should allow you to avoid both downtime and ransom payments.

It’s important to remember that a disaster can appear in many different ways, shapes and forms. If you need help on determining when it is appropriate to initiate your BCP, or have any other questions about how a BCP would help your business, give us a call.

Do you know when to invoke your Business Continuity Plan? A lot of business owners assume they know when it will be required, but the reality is that it can be hard to determine when a BCP is really necessary. It’s important you are able to assess what is taking place, and make an informed decision with regard to putting your continuity strategy into action. Here are few things you need to consider when it comes to invoking your plan.

When a disaster happens, your first thoughts will likely revolve around how it will affect your business and the services it provides. Depending on what occurs, you might be required to call your Business Continuity Plan (BCP) into action to ensure your company remains operational and that any Recovery Time Objectives are met.

Unfortunately, too many business owners fail to properly prepare themselves for taking this action, by viewing disasters as two-dimensional events. Realistically, a disaster has many possible outcomes and is not as black and white as you may think. For instance, think about how a flood can disrupt your company.

The logical conclusion for most business owners is to picture their office underwater. While that is one possibility, several others may also exist that could require you to consider implementing your BCP. A flood may not disturb your office, but what if it strikes an off-site storage facility where you keep digital or paper data? This is likely to have just as great an impact on your business, and necessitate your BCP coming into action.

Here we’ll take a look at a few other disasters that can happen, and which factors you need to consider before implementing your BCP.

Fire

If a fire takes place at your business, invoking your BCP is a fairly obvious decision. However, what do you do if a fire occurs in the same building as your office, or next door to you? It can be a problematic situation as you may not know what, if any, damage has occurred. Smoke travels fast and can leave behind soot, which may render your servers inoperable or highly unstable. There may be health issues at play as well, and sometimes it is not be feasible to have your employees working in the office in the immediate aftermath of smoke damage.

Before invoking your BCP in this situation, you will want to speak with fire crews on the scene about when they will let you back into your office and what kind of damage has been done. This should give you the necessary information on how to proceed, and enable you to decide whether your BCP needs to be put into action.

Civil unrest

It can be hard to gauge what to expect in times of civil unrest. We have witnessed large protests that remained peaceful, but we have also seen ones that have become unruly and destructive. Several business owners had to halt or significantly reduce services in places like Missouri and Baltimore because of the latter. Only time will tell if they are able to recover, or end up having to shut their doors for good.

Due to the volatility of these events, it is impossible to fully prepare yourself, since you can never completely know how the situation will pan out. Instead make sure you and your staff are prepared to invoke your BCP should the situation deteriorate. Even if something were to happen at your premises, if you’re diligent and paying attention you should be able to act quickly and prevent a large-scale service disruption.

Security threats

Most people don’t put things like viruses and security breaches in the realm of disasters, and that in and of itself can be disastrous. Let’s use one of the fastest growing security threats to small businesses, ransomware, as an example. It could be downloaded to your network by a deceptive email and opened by an employee. When ransomware makes it way onto your network, it will encrypt or block all access to your data until you pay a sum of money.

Because ransomware can appear suddenly, often business owners get flustered and either pay the ransom or suffer a long period of downtime trying to figure out how to fix the problem. Either way, money is lost. If ransomware or any other security breach occurs, it’s important to quickly analyze the situation and determine whether you need to invoke your BCP, which should allow you to avoid both downtime and ransom payments.

It’s important to remember that a disaster can appear in many different ways, shapes and forms. If you need help on determining when it is appropriate to initiate your BCP, or have any other questions about how a BCP would help your business, give us a call.

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is a valuable security blanket for countless companies across the nation. And while business owners hope they never have to invoke their continuity plan, it is important to understand which events might necessitate it coming into action. By understanding how certain disasters can impact your business, you’ll have a better idea of when and if your BCP needs to take affect.

When a disaster happens, your first thoughts will likely revolve around how it will affect your business and the services it provides. Depending on what occurs, you might be required to call your Business Continuity Plan (BCP) into action to ensure your company remains operational and that any Recovery Time Objectives are met.

Unfortunately, too many business owners fail to properly prepare themselves for taking this action, by viewing disasters as two-dimensional events. Realistically, a disaster has many possible outcomes and is not as black and white as you may think. For instance, think about how a flood can disrupt your company.

The logical conclusion for most business owners is to picture their office underwater. While that is one possibility, several others may also exist that could require you to consider implementing your BCP. A flood may not disturb your office, but what if it strikes an off-site storage facility where you keep digital or paper data? This is likely to have just as great an impact on your business, and necessitate your BCP coming into action.

Here we’ll take a look at a few other disasters that can happen, and which factors you need to consider before implementing your BCP.

Fire

If a fire takes place at your business, invoking your BCP is a fairly obvious decision. However, what do you do if a fire occurs in the same building as your office, or next door to you? It can be a problematic situation as you may not know what, if any, damage has occurred. Smoke travels fast and can leave behind soot, which may render your servers inoperable or highly unstable. There may be health issues at play as well, and sometimes it is not be feasible to have your employees working in the office in the immediate aftermath of smoke damage.

Before invoking your BCP in this situation, you will want to speak with fire crews on the scene about when they will let you back into your office and what kind of damage has been done. This should give you the necessary information on how to proceed, and enable you to decide whether your BCP needs to be put into action.

Civil unrest

It can be hard to gauge what to expect in times of civil unrest. We have witnessed large protests that remained peaceful, but we have also seen ones that have become unruly and destructive. Several business owners had to halt or significantly reduce services in places like Missouri and Baltimore because of the latter. Only time will tell if they are able to recover, or end up having to shut their doors for good.

Due to the volatility of these events, it is impossible to fully prepare yourself, since you can never completely know how the situation will pan out. Instead make sure you and your staff are prepared to invoke your BCP should the situation deteriorate. Even if something were to happen at your premises, if you’re diligent and paying attention you should be able to act quickly and prevent a large-scale service disruption.

Security threats

Most people don’t put things like viruses and security breaches in the realm of disasters, and that in and of itself can be disastrous. Let’s use one of the fastest growing security threats to small businesses, ransomware, as an example. It could be downloaded to your network by a deceptive email and opened by an employee. When ransomware makes it way onto your network, it will encrypt or block all access to your data until you pay a sum of money.

Because ransomware can appear suddenly, often business owners get flustered and either pay the ransom or suffer a long period of downtime trying to figure out how to fix the problem. Either way, money is lost. If ransomware or any other security breach occurs, it’s important to quickly analyze the situation and determine whether you need to invoke your BCP, which should allow you to avoid both downtime and ransom payments.

It’s important to remember that a disaster can appear in many different ways, shapes and forms. If you need help on determining when it is appropriate to initiate your BCP, or have any other questions about how a BCP would help your business, give us a call.

Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 is a tool that promotes collaboration and productivity in the workplace – that’s just one of the many reasons businesses are adopting this powerful application. But migrating to the platform is not as simple as it might seem. There are many things to keep in mind, and it’s important that you don’t make bad decisions about the migration – since they often can’t be reversed. Here are some useful tips to make your Office 365 migration a successful one.

Do your research

Researching Office 365 can seem a little overwhelming at first, but it will certainly give you a good idea of how everything will work, and what you can expect before, during, and after the migration process. You should understand and anticipate how your business’s daily operations will change when you make the move to a cloud-based platform. You also need to be aware that traditional Microsoft Office programs and Office 365 applications are completely different in terms of functionality, features, and interface.

Create a checklist

Most businesses fail to create a comprehensive migration checklist, because they tend to focus on the technical aspects without addressing other areas that are critical to the migration’s success. These include elements such as training, informing users, and gathering adoption feedback. You can start by drafting a step-by-step plan that clearly defines the phases of the migration process, and then keep refining the plan until everything is covered.

Check email settings

For a seamless transition, you need to synchronize accounts between your active directory domain and Office 365, by using Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory Synchronization tool. Don’t forget to point your company’s mail exchanger record to Office 365, so new emails will be sent directly to the new mailboxes in Office 365. Misconfiguration of email sync during the migration could flag your organization’s email as spam, disrupting the communication process with your clients and partners.

Choose your migration

Each migration plan looks different, and you should choose the one that best fits your needs. Generally, Office 365 migrations can be divided into three categories:

• Cutover migration – this is a single provisioning and transfer of mailboxes, users, contacts, and mail groups to Office 365. The cutover process can handle up to 2,000 mailboxes, and the migration time depends on the number of users and mail volume.
• Staged migration – if you don’t want to migrate all your resources at once, staged migration is a good alternative. It allows you to move mailboxes in smaller batches over a much longer period of time.
• Hybrid migration – this type of migration is perfect for organizations that need to move more than 2,000 mailboxes and wish to run local Exchange servers and Office 365 simultaneously.

Test everything

Once you have broken down the whole migration into various phases, it will be easy to design a testing procedure for each phase. Standard testing processes include migrating a small amount of data, sending and receiving emails, and application trials, in order to ensure that everything works as expected. The more components you can test before migrating to the platform, the less chance there is of your company facing issues afterwards.

If you’re considering an Office 365 migration, why not let our expert technicians do the job for you? We can migrate your resources seamlessly and smoothly without disrupting your business. Get in touch today.

Office 365 from Microsoft provides businesses of all sizes with the ability to collaborate and exchange information more effectively – this is one of the many reasons why more and more companies are switching to the platform. But migrating to Office 365 is no easy feat, especially if your organization has many users and resources. If you’re considering this powerful suite for your company, make sure to follow these tips to make the migration process stress-free.

Do your research

Researching Office 365 can seem a little overwhelming at first, but it will certainly give you a good idea of how everything will work, and what you can expect before, during, and after the migration process. You should understand and anticipate how your business’s daily operations will change when you make the move to a cloud-based platform. You also need to be aware that traditional Microsoft Office programs and Office 365 applications are completely different in terms of functionality, features, and interface.

Create a checklist

Most businesses fail to create a comprehensive migration checklist, because they tend to focus on the technical aspects without addressing other areas that are critical to the migration’s success. These include elements such as training, informing users, and gathering adoption feedback. You can start by drafting a step-by-step plan that clearly defines the phases of the migration process, and then keep refining the plan until everything is covered.

Check email settings

For a seamless transition, you need to synchronize accounts between your active directory domain and Office 365, by using Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory Synchronization tool. Don’t forget to point your company’s mail exchanger record to Office 365, so new emails will be sent directly to the new mailboxes in Office 365. Misconfiguration of email sync during the migration could flag your organization’s email as spam, disrupting the communication process with your clients and partners.

Choose your migration

Each migration plan looks different, and you should choose the one that best fits your needs. Generally, Office 365 migrations can be divided into three categories:

• Cutover migration – this is a single provisioning and transfer of mailboxes, users, contacts, and mail groups to Office 365. The cutover process can handle up to 2,000 mailboxes, and the migration time depends on the number of users and mail volume.
• Staged migration – if you don’t want to migrate all your resources at once, staged migration is a good alternative. It allows you to move mailboxes in smaller batches over a much longer period of time.
• Hybrid migration – this type of migration is perfect for organizations that need to move more than 2,000 mailboxes and wish to run local Exchange servers and Office 365 simultaneously.

Test everything

Once you have broken down the whole migration into various phases, it will be easy to design a testing procedure for each phase. Standard testing processes include migrating a small amount of data, sending and receiving emails, and application trials, in order to ensure that everything works as expected. The more components you can test before migrating to the platform, the less chance there is of your company facing issues afterwards.

If you’re considering an Office 365 migration, why not let our expert technicians do the job for you? We can migrate your resources seamlessly and smoothly without disrupting your business. Get in touch today.