tech bench Archives · AE Technology Group

Outsourcing on Long Island: It’s Just Better!

If one is not computer-savvy or does not have extra time for managing computers, the job should be outsourced to experienced professionals. There are far too many disadvantages possible when attempting to manage a computer — or a network of them— without sufficient experience. The following are some benefits of outsourcing:

Reduced Stress
Better-Managed Time
Better ROI — Return On Investment
Better Security

Anyone who has attempted the simple and seemingly mundane task of sending an E-mail is probably familiar with some of the caveats associated — E-mail is a great way to communicate but when difficulties come with it, one could end up wasting hours attempting to resolve them, adding unneeded stress to the situation. The human body can exert only so much energy before it needs rest — the time wasted on attempted DIYrepairs could actually cause more harm than good, in some cases.

Most businesses need computers to run and it’s generally the preferred way to manage records, various data, and payroll. When the computers are purchased they should be set up in a way that runs efficiently as possible — optimizing the potential return for purchasing them — return on investment. As implied, unless one is computer-savvy with a lot of extra time to spare, outsourcing the set-up and maintenance of computer equipment should be done — opting for managed IT support services will attain that goal.

Most computer users, even those who are savvy, are not immune to complacency when it comes to generally securing computers and the data that is stored in them — it’s easy to postpone maintenance and scheduled data back-up, and when nothing goes wrong for a while people can become complacent — with imminent computer failure! Without even considering the hoards of criminal hackers attempting to steal information from computers, preserving computer data as a part of data security can be a painstaking task if not done properly — computers and file-storage servers can break down and when the data therein is not efficiently preserved on external media, it can be lost forever.

AE Technology Group can meet the needs of various types of business who use a vast array of different technologies. Please contact us for a consultation.

Maintaining Proper Licensing

As more and more companies increasingly depend upon a plethora of software applications in order to conduct their daily business operations, the challenge to maintain the proper licensing for all these various software products increases as well. In this post we will discuss why it is important to keep accurate software licensing records, along with offering some tips on how to effectively manage them.

Why Review?

Many organizations might assume they have a problem with under-licensing rather than over-licensing, but that is not necessarily the case. On average, when a licensing audit is performed, over-licensing is more of an issue, with companies actually only using 35-38% of the software they are regularly paying for. This means a company that decides to stay on top of maintaining accurate licensing records could easily save over 65% on their licensing costs, which is a significant savings for any company.

Of course, there are still some instances where organizations are under-licensed and this can cost extra as well. Companies who do not keep accurate software licensing records thereby allowing their licenses to expire, often will have to pay significantly more to get their expired licenses renewed.

Licensing Tips

For larger organizations, licensing maintenance tasks for an entire company would be too much for one person. In these cases, assigning one or more individuals per department is more effective. Smaller organizations face a different challenge. They most likely do not have the resources to designate one individual with the task of creating an effective licensing maintenance system. In these cases, smaller organizations could benefit from outsourcing the task to an IT support company that has the resources and the expertise to properly maintain licensing records.

Whatever route a company decides to take, those in charge of licensing maintenance need to keep thorough records on all licensing, including door entry and security systems, creative teams software, along with back-up and antivirus products as well.

Summary

By keeping accurate software licensing records, companies can avoid paying fines for non-compliance, it ensures the use of legitimate software only, and roots out any questionable software that should not be on company servers, PCs or mobile devices. If you would like to know more about the benefits of tracking software licensing, please contact us.

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Factors to Consider When Controlling User Access

Controlling User Access

As computer usage becomes more and more mobile and hackers become more plentiful, the risk for corporate data to fall into the wrong hands, either through a lost or stolen device or through an online hacking event steadily continues to increase. The idea that only large corporations incur significant data breaches is simply a myth. Even smaller businesses are vulnerable to data theft by a disgruntled employee, an email scam or a misplaced mobile device that was never recovered. In this post, we will outline five factors to consider when creating a comprehensive data security plan.

Conservative Access

Companies need to be conservative when assigning data access rights to their employees. Some employees don’t need to see certain types of data at all and others might need view-only access rights. To protect data integrity, only those who need read and write privileges in order to conduct their job duties should be granted those rights. Companies also need to tell their employees not to indiscriminately share private data and passwords between each other, unless they know for certain the other employee has clearance.

A Strong Password Policy

Every IT administrator should enforce the policy of using strong passwords, both for mobile devices and office computers. Strong passwords include both upper and lower case characters, numbers and special characters as well. IT administrators should also force employees to change passwords every 30-90 days, along with preventing staff members from simply alternating between two passwords. Admins also need to instruct employees not to use personal information such as date of birth, names of children or pets, SSN etc. for their own personal protection.

Using Personal Devices

If a company allows their employees to use their own devices for work-related activities, employees need to agree to whatever security measures their employer decides to institute. Company admins need to have a plan in place to add those security measures, monitor them to ensure their usage, and have a plan in place to remove corporate data access from the devices when the employee terminates their position. Employees must also be instructed to immediately report a lost or stolen device to their employer.

Regular Monitoring

IT admins should conduct regular checks to look for idle user accounts and shut them down after a designated period of time. In addition, they should perform regular inventory checks to determine the whereabouts of all devices, both mobile and stationary, that are typically used for work-related activities.

A Thorough Termination Policy

Some employees are involuntarily terminated, whereas in other cases an employee voluntarily leaves their position after giving one or two weeks notice. Either way, companies need to have a proactive plan of action in place before these situations occur. Ideally before firing someone, a thorough accounting of all their data access points should be compiled and shut down before they are escorted from the building. In the case of voluntary termination, it is up to the employer if they want to continue to grant access until the employee’s last day of work.

If you would like to know more about creating an effective data access security plan for your organization, please contact us.

controlling user access

3 Things to Know About Why Updates are Vital to Your Company’s Safety

3 things to know about why updates are vital to your company safety

Updates for Company Safety

Most of us have experienced the annoyance of waiting for our computers to update while we anxious drum our fingers wanting to move onto the next task. But rather than be annoyed, it is important to remember why we have these updates in the first place. In this blog post, we will discuss 3 things to know about why updates are vital for your company’s safety.

Hackers Exploit Out-of-Date Systems

Updates and patches are there for one main reason—to fix issues that users or the developers themselves have identified. Some of these errors allow for malicious users to hack into your computer or network and wreak havoc. You can liken a computer without the most recent updates to a business leaving their front door unlocked. It only takes someone with the wrong intent to check that door and find out it is open for them to cause whatever harm they desire.

Updates Can Pile Up

When you aren’t consistent about letting your computer update, the updates pile up and there never seems like a good time for you computer to spend an hour updating. Staying on top of your updates keeps your computer safe from being vulnerable. At AE Technology Group, we suggest planning updates for a time when your network isn’t busy. Perhaps set a weekly reminder on your phone or computer to run any updates on your computer. Make it right before your lunch break or run updates before a meeting when you won’t be needing your device so it can update without causing any inconvenience to you.

AE Technology Group Can Help

At AE Technology Group, we can help manage your updates so they don’t seem overwhelming while still providing all the security you need for your computers and systems. Don’t leave your door unlocked—so to speak—and encourage staff to complete regular updates. To find out more about how AE Technology Group can help, contact us today.

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Beware of Ranscam Warns IT Support on Long Island

You turn on your computer, eager to put the finishing touches on a project for your most important client.

Instead of your typical desktop, you get a message stating that your files have been encrypted and you won’t be able to access them until you pay a certain amount. You try to open your files and confirm that you can’t access anything.

You recognize this threat as ransomware.

You loathe such tactics but the amount requested is relatively small compared to what you’re going to earn from completing the project on time. So you’re not going to take the time to find a work-around. Instead, you go through the convoluted process of paying the ransom, which typically involves converting cash to bitcoin so the recipient is untraceable.

Unfortunately, once you send the money, your files are deleted and you never hear from the perpetrators again.

You’ve just become the latest victim of ranscam, which follows all the ransomware conventions except for the part that restores your files in usable form. The only defense for this insidious malware is to restore a backup that doesn’t contain ranscam. If you haven’t done that, you’re out of luck.

Hopefully, ranscam is so new and not widespread enough that you have yet to experience its effects. You still have time to avoid or prepare for a potential attack.

If you want to know how or want more information on other types of malware, please contact us.

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