Someone, somewhere ended up calling a plumber in a panic because they YouTubed a fix for their leaky faucet, and their kitchen turned into a swimming pool. Two years of pandemic in the rearview, and we’ve all grown a little more tech savvy. Most of us are pretty confident using and troubleshooting the tools we have at our disposal, and that’s great. 

Fixing your sink is great, too, but knowing what problems are too big to tackle on your own is even more important. What may seem like a “leaky faucet” problem can actually be a “call the plumber” problem. The same applies to IT and the technology you use to run your business.

Save yourself a headache (and a potential security breach) by NOT trying to DIY these things:

• Data backup and sharing 

Sure, you may be well-versed in Google Drive, Dropbox, or one of the many other consumer-oriented solutions. Everyone’s already using something like these to backup their photos and important files. So what’s the problem with setting up a company Google Drive to store data and share it between employees? The answer is almost nothing (if you know exactly what you’re doing AND you’re comfortable only backing up your data to the cloud). 

Okay, those are pretty big caveats. Here’s why: most of these cloud storage and file sharing services DO offer business-oriented plans and solutions, but that’s not what most of us are familiar with using. There are so many considerations that come with setting up file storage and sharing. Here are just a few of the big ones:

• Who has access to save, delete, move, and change files…and which ones?
• Who can see what is shared and when?
• What file/revision history is available?
• Can the files be made available locally?
• Can multiple people work on a file at the same time?

This is in addition to the fact that you will want a physical backup and restore solution as part of your overall data strategy as well. When (not if) something fails, you want to be up and running in no time. That’s not possible if all your eggs are in one basket and that basket comes crashing down.

That’s why we recommend leaving this to a professional Managed IT Services team that can handle your data safely and securely, with a plan for speedy recovery in case of emergency. What’s more, they can use a more comprehensive solution like Microsoft Teams through Office365 to create a safe and effective environment for collaboration and sharing files.

• Buying new hardware

As much as you love your shiny new gadget, nothing lasts forever. Whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or phone you’ll need to replace it eventually. It can be tempting to do it yourself, because how hard could it be to go to Dell or Apple and buy a new laptop? Obviously, it’s not hard to click add to cart and purchase a great device. The hard part comes when considering how that device fits into your IT ecosystem.

If you’re a one-man shop using your personal devices for your business, no worries. As soon as you need 2 devices to talk to each other and share information, you’ve got a network. With a network, comes security and compatibility concerns. You have to make sure your computers can print to the printer, and receive automatic updates, and share files with each other, and can be remotely logged into by both the user and IT tech support, and is your head spinning yet?

If you already have a large network, you understand how important it is to consider what devices are added to it. If you don’t, it’s important to start off correctly so you can plan how to scale into the future. Either way, let your Managed IT Services team save you the headache. 

• Video conferencing

Early on in the pandemic, the verb “to zoom” quickly became the noun “Zoom” which then promptly became a verb again with an entirely new meaning—to video chat. With many classrooms, meetings, and even concerts moving online for safety, Zoom dethroned FaceTime as the goto household name in video conferencing.

So yeah, now everybody knows how to Zoom. We all have it installed, and we all know how to use it. That makes it a no-brainer for businesses to incorporate into their workflow, right? Well, like your cousin’s relationship status on Facebook after a contentious Thanksgiving…it’s complicated. 

While Zoom has been addressing it’s security issues over time, there are still concerns. For a one-off meeting with a potential new client, it’s probably okay. However, when implementing a standard for your organization, there are solutions like Microsoft Teams that are built with data security for business in mind. With Teams, properly implemented by a Managed IT Services team, you’ll have the confidence your organization is using a secure solution custom built for its needs. 

The best part? Microsoft Teams, as part of Office365, works hand-in-hand with other services your business likely needs, like data backup, office software, chat, and dozens more. All these pieces “talk to each other” in a comprehensive way that helps improve efficiency, without worrying (so much) about safety or requiring employees to learn a dozen apps for each solution you need.

Ready to stop Googling “back up data easy DIY”? We can help. Contact amshot for a free consultation.

Here’s why (and how) work-from-home is becoming the new normal 

Work is changing, and we must evolve with it. 

A shift toward remote work was always inevitable because, for many jobs, it doesn’t really matter where the computer is that you sit in front of. Why waste time and money on commuting and office space? As we run more of our lives and businesses online, workers’ physical presence is becoming less and less relevant. For jobs that could be remote, it seems like inertia was the main thing keeping a “traditional” office setting the default option.  

In that regard, the global health crisis has forced a lot of hands. Everyone had to scramble to figure out how to keep the lights on when gathering together in an office wasn’t an option. Fast forward to today, and influential businesses like Twitter and Square have made waves by announcing their employees would be allowed to work from home permanently. By 2025, it’s expected that 70% of the workforce will work remotely at least 5 days per week. The first dominoes have fallen, and it’s a safe bet there’s no going back.

Worker expectations have shifted, and that gives you an edge.

No commute, the comforts of home, the ability to throw a load of laundry in the wash while you’re on a conference call…many people got a taste of the benefits of working from home, and they like it. According to Pew Research Center 54% of workers would like to continue working remotely after Coronavirus ends. Conversely, up to a third of workers say they would quit their job if there was no possibility of working remotely. 

These stats are a snapshot in a trend that’s only growing. Getting ahead of the curve in the remote work revolution gives you a competitive edge in hiring the best talent. 

You can cut costs while retaining productivity.

No matter your business, if you have an office, you’re also in the real estate business. You need space, supplies, desks, utilities, security and about a thousand other things that come along with simply supplying an office to your employees. It’s a no-brainer that every employee that could be moved remote is money in the bank and a major reduction of logistical headaches that come with running an office. 

The only thing stopping a lot of business owners is a concern over productivity. “How can I make sure my employees aren’t slacking if I can’t check up on them?” Of course, work-from-home comes with temptations like always having Netflix within arm’s reach. One could easily envision an employee taking advantage of their lack of supervision. But reality, it turns out, is quite different. One survey showed that, even with employees working remotely, 94% of employers said productivity was actually the same or higher than before the pandemic.

It’s important to implement work-from-home the right way.

Setting up employees to work remotely presents efficiency and security challenges. Without the benefit of face-to-face, you need to ensure your team has the proper tools in place to manage their workflow and communication effectively. How do you protect sensitive data and information once it leaves the walls of your office?

While the potential benefits of empowering your business with the ability to work remotely are myriad, so are the pitfalls. It’s definitely a “measure twice, cut once” situation. That’s why you want a full-service IT company like amshot to get you up and running. You want a team that can analyze your specific security needs and can implement and maintain your service from beginning to end. 

Schedule a consultation with amshot to ensure your business is staying ahead of the curve.

How you’re almost asking for your data to be stolen through bad passwords and indifference.

Protecting your data is pretty important. We even wrote a whole blog about why backing it up is mission critical. As crucial as it is to safeguard your data within your organization, it’s just as essential to keep it out of the hands of others. In today’s economy, data is money. And like money, data can be lost or even stolen.

Cyber breaches can cause huge financial and emotional heartache through theft or loss of data which we should all endeavor to prevent.

Those are the words of a spokesperson for the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, after a 2019 research study revealed troubling trends in online security. Not to make any assumptions, but it seems like “huge financial and emotional heartache” is something you might want to avoid.

If you’re thinking you’re an unlikely target because of the size and scope of your business, think again. Ransomware and extortion can impact anyone with valuable data to lose. “More than half (56%) of ransomware victims paid the ransom to restore access to their data last year, according to a global study of 15,000 consumers conducted by global security company Kaspersky.”

Would your customers even be able to trust you after something catastrophic happens? There are too many fronts that need defending, and there is too much to lose by being indifferent and hoping for the best.

So how do they get my data?

Glad you asked. One prominent study showed that nearly half of all data theft occurred via remote login apps. A full 90% of the time, hackers were able to gain access to an organization’s network without any trouble at all. How? Bad passwords and default passwords. To the company, the hackers looked no different than an employee logging in from a coffee shop.

Can you guess what the most common (and easily hackable) password is? If you said 123456 (#1) or password (#4), well done. But guess what else makes the top 200 common passwords: names, sports teams, cities, fictional characters, and musicians.

Did we just hear an uh oh? An audible gulp? Of course not, because this is a body of text and is in no way sentient. But there’s a high likelihood you read that sentence and blinked a few times blankly at the screen while your heartbeat elevated.

We are sorry to bring the bad news that OKCThunder1! Is not a secure password. Neither is CarrieUnderwood4eva. Simply put, remote access is a vital component to many businesses, yet it is extremely vulnerable to malicious actors if not managed by experienced IT professionals.

People are human and fall victim to social engineering.

Let’s face it, you can’t expect every single person in your organization to behave like an IT security professional. We make honest mistakes. In the rush of a busy day, a phishing email that looks extremely convincing can swipe someone’s credentials. All it takes is one dodgy link to infect a network with malware or ransomware.

It’s not just over the web, either. If someone can get access to a computer, it can potentially be compromised by a thief or even a disgruntled employee. A USB thumb drive is a potential vector for attack, whether intentionally, or by accidentally transferring malware onto the system.

Despite all due diligence, it’s impossible for you to be eternally vigilant. That’s why amshot provides comprehensive enterprise IT security services that safeguard your organization against cyber-attacks and data breaches. Ready to take the first step to avoid that “huge financial and emotional heartache” we talked about?  Contact us to set up a consultation.

Happy April Fools Day from all of us at amshot!