SMART Blog

Mobile devices in the workplace are a complex conundrum that many organizations don’t know how to face properly. On one hand, they allow workers to stay ahead of their schedules, and let them stay productive even when they’re not in the office. On the other hand, they present a serious security risk that needs to be addressed. How does your business handle mobile devices in the workplace?

Nothing can damage a computer quite like user error. It’s sad when this happens because it’s often the case that the resulting issues could’ve easily been prevented if the user simply knew of PC best practices. Take for example these three easily-preventable PC mistakes that will do your computer harm.

Cloud computing is a normal part of today’s business landscape. In fact, in a recent poll of IT and business executives by Harvard Business Review and Verizon, 84 percent of respondents said they increased their use of cloud services in the past year-- 39 percent said they had “increased significantly.” However, with more users accessing cloud data, business owners must be mindful of employee permissions.

Cloud computing is an important game changer for businesses, but some are dragging their heels when it comes to implementing this new concept into their strategy. One of the biggest reasons why businesses hold off moving to the cloud is because they are not  certain of what the cloud does.

When it comes to your business’s technology infrastructure, the more basic it is, the better. Granted, a simple IT infrastructure isn’t always easy to install, especially when there are so many great solutions on the market that can be implemented to achieve optimal efficiency. Sometimes the best IT solutions are those that make your technology simpler to manage, and your network less complicated. That said, you’d think redundancy would complicate this formula, but it’s actually a necessity for your business continuity plan.

The modern business is inundated with all types of threats, from people outside the organization phishing around for information, to employees that are aloof to their role in your network’s security. If your network’s security is like a levee, it is indisputably an IT department’s job to fill in the gaps to ensure a deluge of misfortune doesn’t swamp your company’s IT. So what happens when your company’s IT department is the biggest offender of perilous activity?

Your business thrives when your technology is running smoothly, but when it fails to function as intended, it can have unforeseen consequences that reach deep into your IT budget. One of the best ways that your organization can optimize your IT is by taking advantage of outsourced services, but you don’t want to approach these “as a service” offerings uninformed.

Since you run a business, you know that your business’s network requires a secure firewall to keep threats out. In fact, the firewall is the most basic of security protocol that you should be taking advantage of. Knowing what a firewall protects you from, and what it doesn’t protect you from, is an important first step toward improving your data infrastructure’s security and improving your business’s continuity.

How much does your organization spend on cybersecurity every year? It’s a well-known fact that the Internet houses an incredible amount of threats that consistently pose a significant danger to organizations, so it’s expected that businesses will shell out to keep them away. However, large businesses with over 1,000 employees spend an average of approximately $15 million annually to protect their data. Clearly, cybersecurity isn’t a joke, and your business should take it seriously too.

One of the most controversial parts of having remote workers is how they access your organization’s network while out of the office. You don’t want them to risk compromising your business’s data, but you also need them to have access to mission-critical applications and information while on the go. Therefore, you need a solution that helps your employees access this information securely without incident, like a virtual private network (VPN).

In order for an organization to maintain operations, a strong network that’s capable of handling internal traffic is necessary. These networks handle the deployment and access of mission-critical data, applications, and other important tasks that businesses depend on. Sometimes, however, a business can push their network too hard, which can have a profound effect on its functionality, and an even greater effect on that organization’s ability to continue operations.

Have you ever wondered which websites on the Internet are the most dangerous? Recently it’s been discovered that the majority of threatening websites on the Internet fall into some very easy-to-identify categories; or, more specifically, about 95 percent of all dangerous websites are found on ten top-level domains.

When searching for tech support for your organization, you might often wonder if what you’re paying for your current service provider is really worth the maintenance that you receive. At times, it might feel like you’re being charged an arm and a leg for a simple network audit, and you can forget about purchasing new hardware components in the event of a technology failure or disaster. Rather than pay for services that are extorting money from you, your budget might find that the price of managed IT services is just right.

Anyone who uses the Internet has to be aware of the dangers involved. Beyond the safety of your network’s security solution, there lies a horde of malicious entities just waiting for you to let your guard down. All it takes is one moment to release the floodgate and allow dangerous viruses, malware, or even ransomware, into your network infrastructure. We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

One of the most important aspects of any IT infrastructure is its data. In fact, it’s the sole reason your business continues to function properly. If you were to lose your data, would your organization be able to recover quickly, or would it sink to the depths of downtime and be swallowed by it?

Your organization is constantly at risk of being attacked by malicious entities. This is a fact that modern businesses have to live with. If this is the first time you’re seriously contemplating cyber security, you need to take all potential options into account; including the worst-case scenario, and how you would combat it.

One of the greatest advances in technology solutions to have emerged in the past few years is cloud computing. In fact, it’s one of the most popular Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms out there for the modern business. Are you prepared to commit to a cloud solution that can potentially improve productivity on all levels of your business infrastructure?

Your staff’s ability to access the data they need to do their jobs is paramount to the success of your business. Are you serious about making it as easy as possible for your team to get the information they need, or is this responsibility an afterthought?

While it might be nice to imagine making $500 a day by working from home, this is the type of thing only really seen in a website’s spam comments. If these annoyances are common, know that you’re not alone. Even the most innocent sites can be stricken with this issue. So, how can you minimize spam comments?

We live in a world where money is the solution to all problems. If you have a problematic piece of technology, what do you do to fix it? You can call in the professionals, or shell out for new hardware or software. Either way, you’re spending money, but the difference in how much you need to spend depends on the policies your IT support budget specifies.