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Grateful for Optimization: Why We’re Celebrating Tech Innovation This Thanksgiving

For today’s business owners, technology is tightly woven into everything they do. A strong IT platform is literally the foundation of every modern business, however, it’s become second nature, so its contributions are often overlooked or undervalued. Professionals become so used to technology being a core part of business operations, that they rarely stop to consider just how big of an impact technology truly makes.

Counting Our Blessings: The Reasons To be Thankful for Business Technology

It goes without saying that if a company’s technology infrastructure were to fail suddenly, operations would halt. This could result in countless business hours and opportunities lost. A strategic and reliable technology system that literally keeps your business functioning? Now that’s something to be grateful for.

However, the real benefits of modern technology go beyond basic functionality and productivity. It’s the way technology has transformed the very business landscape itself that gives professionals the real reasons to be thankful. A huge part of that that innovation has been focused on web optimization in the Cloud.

Have You Thanked the Cloud Lately? Understanding How the Cloud Changed Business

Recent years have seen a surge of Cloud innovation for business. The Cloud has made it easy for businesses to cut costs and optimize processes without making compromises that impact productivity. No matter the size, shape or industry, any business stands to benefit from Cloud migration. Here are the top reasons why:

• CENTRALIZATION OF DATA

The Cloud offers business owners the ability to centralize business apps and data in one, easily accessible and scalable place. Business owners can also take advantage of administrative controls in Cloud platforms. This allows business leaders to keep a finger on the pulse of all business operations in one place.

• STORAGE & BACK UP SOLUTIONS

In the Cloud, business necessities like data storage and backups are simplified and scalable to meet changing needs and growing business demands. Additionally, recent developments in Cloud security tools, making it the safest place to store and backup data.

• ACCESSIBILITY

Increased accessibility is another huge benefit of the Cloud. Increased accessibility allows businesses to transform their approach to collaborating, sharing information and completing projects. Simply put, the Cloud frees employees from the confines of their office, giving them the freedom to work from anywhere at any time.

Tech Innovation Translates into Business Benefit

In terms of actual infrastructure, there are countless Cloud-hosted solutions designed specifically for business. As mentioned, these solutions help centralize and streamline business data and strategically manage mobility and remote access.

Here are some the leading core business tasks that the Cloud optimizes:

• Communication & Collaboration

Having all business applications and data centralized in the Cloud makes it easier than ever for teams to stay connected with clients and colleagues. From dynamic email platforms and strategic tools for real-time collaboration, the Cloud offers an entirely new way to enhance teamwork and keep lines of communication strong.

• Security & Access

Many business owners are wary about migrating to the Cloud because of security concerns. However, Cloud platforms offer business owners a variety of ways to keep lines of defense strong. Cloud platforms are designed with built-in threat detection and alert tools to help business owners stay ahead of threats. Cloud platforms also offer dynamic controls that manage access to mission-critical data and applications, which makes security management a breeze.

• Monitoring & Reporting

Cloud computing platforms also allow business owners to keep a constant finger on the pulse of business functionality and productivity. Dynamic monitoring and reporting tools not only help business owners keep platforms secure, they also help them identify areas for optimization and increase efficiency.

Limitless Potential: Reflecting on the Cloud’s Strategic Benefits

By removing limitations on when and how employees can get work done, businesses can better tailor services to suit the needs of clients. That flexibility is fantastic for business leaders as well. The Cloud increases the ability to address business more immediately, from anywhere with an internet signal. This makes it easier for business leaders to better manage their team, follow up on leads and address urgent issues as they happen.

Even if issues arise outside business hours, the Cloud makes it possible for business leaders to free themselves from their desk and avoid back and forth trips to the office. Requests can be handled from home and on mobile devices, no matter how far from the office you are or what time of day it is. This allows for increased productivity, a streamlining of business resources and frees up time to secure new business. Who isn’t grateful for increased profit margins?

Thanks to the Cloud, boosts to efficiency and productivity have allowed business owners to be much more strategic. Additionally, the Cloud has transformed business operations across countless industries, making the lives of countless professionals easier. In fact, Cloud has become so valuable to business owners, if often makes one wonder what we ever did without it.

Does your company’s IT infrastructure leave you feeling grateful? If not, reaching out to a local technology firm for guidance could transform your approach to business technology.

If your business technology doesn’t make your life easier, it’s time to make a change. Technological innovation is constantly changing the way professionals do business – take advantage and build an IT infrastructure that you and your employees can be thankful for.

We are issuing a warning to businesses to be on the lookout for the “GlobeImposter” or “Fake Globe” ransomware virus, which is once again making headlines. This variant of the ransomware virus has become part of a large-scale email-based campaign that manages to slip past the defenses of some unsuspecting companies.

GlobeImposter, also known as Fake Globe, is distributed through a malicious spam campaign. This can be spotted by it’s a lack of message content and an attached ZIP file. This type of spam is known as “blank slate”. It can also be distributed through exploits and malicious advertising, fake updates, and repacked infected installers.

As with all ransomware, GlobeImposter encrypts the victim’s files, making them irrevocable without payment. Most ransomware has a built-in file extension filter that will leave executable files intact. This variant, however, encrypts all executable files, rendering the system unbootable as a result.

It is vital that we properly educate our clients and provide the right tools to minimize the serious risk at hand.

While antivirus and firewalls are incredibly effective in reducing risk, you need a more robust security solution in place to defend against the increasingly dangerous threat landscape. To be fully protected, companies will need a proper, reliable backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution with online and offline backup solutions as the ultimate failsafe against successful attacks.

What Your Company Should be Doing to Stay Secure?

Most internet users today share a common burden: managing the passwords for various email accounts, online portals, and social media profiles. However, for business owners, managing passwords is a whole different ballgame. They have to keep track of employee account passwords, email passwords, software program passwords and most importantly, company Wi-Fi controls.

Unfortunately, Wi-Fi passwords often get put on the back burner and are assumed to not be very important in the grand scheme of business responsibilities. However, neglecting Wi-Fi password management in the business setting can leave companies open to massive cybersecurity risks that threaten their livelihood and continuity.

Back to Basics: What is a Wi-Fi Network Password?

A common misconception is that wireless network passwords only involve internet access. In reality, much more than web access is at stake when it comes to wireless network passwords. Wireless broadband routers allow administrators to manage their company networks through a specified account. Anyone who knows this account username and password can log in to the router, which gives them complete access to the router’s features and information about connected devices.

Most manufacturers set up all routers with the same default username and password. The username is often something straightforward like “admin” or “administrator.” The password field follows suit using simple defaults like “password” or “public”. However, users are given the option to personalize and change router passwords from the default settings to customize and better secure networks.

What are the Risks? How Weak Wi-Fi Security Leaves Business Networks Exposed to Risk

It’s incredibly important for business owners to change default passwords when setting up a new router. The default passwords and usernames for leading market routers are well known among hackers and cybercriminals. In fact, this info is often posted publicly on the internet for anyone to find.

If default passwords are left untouched, anyone who comes within signal range of a company’s Wi-Fi router can attempt to log in. If they make it inside, they can change passwords and settings, wreak havoc, shut down the router and hijack the entire company network. While there are limits on a Wi-Fi routers signal reach, in many cases it extends outside the office to surrounding buildings and homes at the very least.

Strategic Protection: How to Better Secure Your Company Wi-Fi Network in Uncertain Times

To avoid the risks outlined above, business owners should have clear and explicit Wi-Fi password SOP’s in place. Implementing hardline policies for managing Wi-Fi security is the best way for business owners to keep company networks on lockdown and safe from invasion.

Here are some strategic considerations to keep in mind when developing Wi-Fi security policies:

• Change default passwords immediately upon install

As mentioned, changing default passwords immediately is critical. To do this, administrators can log into the router’s console with the current password to then set a new, strategic password. Administrators should change the username as well if the router offers this capability.

Also, note that changing the default password to a weak one like “123456” or “password1” does not help. Choose a strong and strategic password that hasn’t been recently used and is difficult to guess.

• Schedule regular password change dates

To maintain network security for the long-term, implement a change of the administrative password periodically. In fact, experts recommend changing Wi-Fi passwords every 30 to 90 days.

Planning password changes on a set schedule help make it a standard practice in your office. It’s also a good standard practice for managing passwords in other areas like email and other online accounts.

• Be Smart with Storage of Passwords and Password Policies

Whatever you do, don’t undermine your efforts to stay secure by storing password policies and login info inconspicuous or easily-accessible places. For this kind of information, it’s probably best to develop and on-paper, hard-copy approach to storage. Storing this information on the company network leaves all of it exposed to potential risk or loss.

Office managers or administrators should have a designated place where a binder of Wi-Fi password information can be kept. The binder should contain password change policies, including dates of previous and upcoming password changes. Additionally, keep a record of recently used passwords as well as a designated section for the current one. This avoids reusing passwords and creates a master log where forgetful employees can look up Wi-Fi security info as needed.

Open Door Policies: Setting up a Secure Guest Wi-Fi Profile to Share Web Access with Customers & Visitors

Another key consideration that business owners need to make in their efforts to manage Wi-Fi security is network use by customers and guests. It’s become second nature for consumers and professionals to assume they can access Wi-Fi while visiting business institutions of all kinds. Providing business visitors and customers with access to the Internet brings many benefits, but if you are going to open your network to guests, security cannot be an afterthought.

Businesses who do not properly manage guest Wi-Fi leave themselves exposed to considerable risk. Visitors on the network could engage in morally or ethically questionable activities on your company network. They may accidentally or deliberately install malware or ransomware, or visit phishing websites. Securing guest Wi-Fi for business visitors will protect visitors and your network, prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, malware downloads and block phishing attacks. Secure guest Wi-Fi also keeps businesses protected from any kind of legal liability.

Here are some tips for creating secure Guest Wi-Fi profiles:

• Implement Network Segregation

Segregating your network is important for two reasons. First, it ensures that visitors will not be able to gain access to parts of the network used by your employees. Your internal network must be totally separate from the network used by customers and guests. It should not be possible for guests to see your network assets, confidential files, and company resources.

Secondly, in the event of a malware infection due to guest web access, network segregation ensures the attack will not spread from the guest network to your internal network. Businesses should implement a network firewall or create a separate VLAN for guest use and use a software firewall to protect servers and workstations from guest network traffic.

• Always Change Defaults

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again. Changing default passwords and usernames is one of the most basic security practices. However, it’s often the one that’s most commonly forgotten. There are countless reports of data breaches that have occurred because of the failure to change default passwords.

It is also a good idea to change your SSID for your Wi-Fi network. The SSID should reflect the name of your business and it should be quite clear to your customers which is network is yours. Failure to do this makes it easier than ever for hackers and criminals to set up rogue access points and launch man-in-the-middle attacks.

• Stay on Top of Firmware Updates

Like all tech updates, firmware updates are issued for a reason. They patch vulnerabilities that are easily exploited by cybercriminals to gain access to business networks and devices.

If these vulnerabilities are exploited, your business network can be hijacked by malicious individuals. Businesses should have policies in place that require firmware updates to be installed regularly and promptly, with checks performed monthly.

• Encrypt Company Wi-Fi Network Signals

You want to make it as easy as possible for your guest Wi-Fi network to be accessed by your customers and visitors. However, be sure you don’t make it too easy for hackers to spy on individuals connected to your company network.

Encrypt your wireless network with WPA2 encryption. You can then post the SSID and password strategically to make it as easy as possible for legitimate guest users to access the network.

• Filter Content

Managing and securing guest Wi-Fi also involves implementing and managing controls over the content that can be accessed on your Wi-Fi network. Content filtering is a must for any business offering guest Wi-Fi capabilities. Access to any kind of adult content should be blocked, including: pornography, gambling sites and other web content that is ethically or morally questionable.

Content filtering solutions will also protect your customers from accidental malware and ransomware downloads while blocking phishing websites. Consider using a cloud-based web content filter as they require no additional hardware purchases and allow for remote monitoring.

Increased internet access is without a doubt making life easier for businesses and consumers alike. Access to the information highway is great, but businesses especially need to be aware of the threats posed by anytime, anywhere Wi-Fi access. Keeping business networks dynamically secure with strategic passwords should be at the top of the priority list for any modern business.

Protecting your company’s continuity means protecting your company network. Phoenix Technologies has helped countless businesses implement security strategies that keep Wi-Fi networks dynamic and secure.

There’s no denying that email contacts are the modern-day equivalent of the traditional address book. For modern businesses, digital contacts are a company’s lifeline. They provide the means of connecting with clients, collaborating with team members and communicating important information to employees. Without an organized approach to setting up and maintaining these digital address books, communication lines can be broken and business productivity can take a hit.

A huge number of modern professionals use Microsoft Outlook to send and receive business mail. Whether businesses are using server versions like Exchange or cloud-hosted versions with an Office 365 subscription, developing streamlined procedures for setting up and managing Outlook contacts will save your business time and hassle.

Today’s Rolodex: Using Outlook Contact Lists to Streamline Business Communication  

The contact list feature in Outlook has a variety of streamlining tools to make business communication easier than ever. For instance, with an organized contact list, new emails can be addressed simply by typing the person’s name or selecting it from your contact list. Additionally, if you’re detailed when building your contact list, you can add other personal info like mailing addresses and phone numbers. This allows businesses to use Outlook as their easy-to-manage and scalable ‘digital Rolodex’.

The process of building a contact list will vary among different businesses, depending on their situation. Some companies will be starting from scratch, creating an entirely new collection of contacts, while others will already have some contacts in place. Regardless, keeping an organized list of contacts is the best way to keep track of all the people you communicate with.

Building Your Contact List: Creating, Syncing and Adding New Contacts in Outlook

There are a few different ways to add contacts to your Outlook list. You can manually create a contact with all the necessary details. You can avoid manually adding contacts by syncing a pre-existing list from another webmail provider. You can select someone’s email address to manually add that person as a contact. Or you can use the Outlook Suggested Contacts tab to select familiar contacts to add. Let’s check out the details for each way of setting up contacts in Outlook.

Manually Creating a New Contact

• Open Outlook.
• Select the People icon in the lower half of the left side pane.
• Select the New Contact
• In the Contact window, enter all relevant contact details for this person.
• Select Save & Close.

Syncing an Existing Contact List from Another Source

Export your existing list:

• Pull up your online mail service using your internet browser.
• Select the contacts you want to export and click on the appropriate export command.
• Choose the option of exporting your contacts in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook CSV
• Save the exported CSV file.

Import your contacts into Outlook:

• Open Outlook.
• Select File and then select Open & Export.
• Click the Import/Export
• In the Import and Export Wizard, select the option to “Import from another program or file” if it is not already selected.
• Click Next.
• At the Import a File window, select the Comma Separated Values option if it is not already selected.
• Click Next.
• At the next window, browse for and select the CSV file you exported from your webmail browser.
• The next window will then provide three options:
  • Replace duplicates with items imported,
  • Allow duplicates to be created, or
  • Do not import duplicate items.
• Select the option you want and click Next.
• At the next window, make sure Contacts is selected as the destination folder.
• At the final window, confirm that the CSV file will be imported from the Contacts
• Click Finish.

As a side note: Export settings will vary among different webmail providers. For instance, with Gmail, you can select the contacts you wish to export, export a specific group, or export all contacts. However, with Yahoo, your only choice is to export all your entire contact list.

• Creating a New Contact Using Email Address Selection
• Right-click on an email address in a received or sent the email message.
• From the popup menu, select the Add to Outlook
• A contact card will pop up – enter any further contact details required.
• Click Save to add that contact to your master list.
• Using the Suggested Contacts Feature
• Open the Contacts
• Select Suggested Contacts in the left side pane.
• Select the contacts you want to add to your Contact list.
• Drag and drop your selections into your Contact list.

Managing Contacts in Outlook: Making the Most of Your Outlook Contact List

Once you have your Outlook Contact List started, it’s just as important to keep it organized. Making sure you weed out old contacts, verify that information is correct and up-to-date, and manage contact access will ensure that your entire staff experiences the streamlining power that Outlook offers.

Editing & Deleting Contacts:

There’s nothing worse than having a crowded contact list, filled with outdated or unnecessary contacts. Maybe you have old employee info to remove or maybe there’s a stash of an old client’s info that’s no longer relevant. Regardless keeping your contact list groomed is a great habit to keep.

Here’s the step-by-step process for editing or deleting contact info:

• To view the details for any contact, double-click on the contact name or right-click on the name and select Edit Contact from the menu.
• If you need to edit info, make the necessary revisions and when finished, click
• If you want to delete a contact completely, just select the contact and use the Delete key on your keyboard. Otherwise, you can right-click the contact and manually select Delete from the menu.

Dual Contact View

This might seem like a strange feature, but viewing two contacts at the same time can be extremely helpful in organizing your inbox. Perhaps you have duplicate entries for a certain contact and you want to compare info to see which is most recent. Or, maybe you communicate with multiple people in the same office and want to make sure addresses and phone numbers match.

Regardless of the reason, here’s how to pull up two contacts at once in Outlook:

• Double-click on the first contact you’d like to view.
• Select the Cancel button to display the contact card.
• In the card, click on the Pin icon to keep the card visible.
• Double-click on the second contact and perform the same steps to keep the second contact in view.
• Now you’re able to position the two contacts in a side-by-side view.
• Click on the Edit link for each contact card.
• Copy and paste information as needed, from one contact to the other.
• When done, click Save for the contact whose information you revised and Cancel for the other.
• Then, close each of the two contact cards.

Add Individual Contact Lists to the Outlook Address Book

To keep businesses even more organized and productive, the Outlook Address Book helps to centralize company contacts in one place for easy access. Using the Outlook Address Book allows you to access your contacts instantly from within an email message by selecting the To, Cc, or Bcc buttons.

Here’s a step-by-step process for adding your contact list to the Outlook Address Book:

• Open Outlook.
• Select the File
• Select the Account Settings button, then select Account Settings again.
• In the Account Settings window, select the Address Book
• Make sure an address book is listed. If not, select the New
• Select the option for Additional Address Books and click
• Click Finish.
• In the Contacts window, right-click on your Contacts list.
• Select Properties from the popup menu.
• In the Contacts Properties window, click on the tab for Outlook Address Book.
• Click on the checkmark to “Show this folder as an Email Address Book” if it is not already checked.
• Click

Here’s how to access and view contacts once they’re added to the Outlook Address Book:

• Go to your email view and start a new message.
• Click on the To field, and you should see your contacts listed.
• Double-click on the contact or contacts that you want to send mail to.
• Click any contact that you want to Cc and then select the Cc
• Click any contact that you want to Bcc and then select the Bcc
• Hit send and you’re all set!

As you can see, while business contacts are a straightforward concept, Outlook offers a variety of dynamic ways to create, maintain and optimize your digital address books. Staying on top of organizing and updating business contacts is critical to ensuring your company’s line of communication is working as strong as possible. Make sure your company is making the most out of the technology you deploy.

It should be noted that these step by step instructions are for the 2013 and 2016 versions of Outlook. However, the steps for earlier versions are quite similar. If you’ve recently made the switch to Outlook or if you’re looking to get on top of your Outlook Address Book once and for all, don’t feel overwhelmed. Making use of Outlook’s dynamic contact management features will have your digital address book neat and tidy in no time.

We are issuing a warning to businesses that there is a major internet outage being reported across the United States today. The issue is being reported by several major outlets including Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T. Comcast is calling it an “external network issue”.

This comes shortly after the one-year anniversary of a major DDOS attack on Dyn last year that crippled the internet for an entire day back in October 2016. There are no firm reports of a cause as of yet. According to DownDetector, a site that tracks outages, Comcast customers are experiencing problems in “Mountain View, Denver, Portland, Chicago, Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Houston, Minneapolis, and Boston.”

The story remains ongoing.

It is vital that we properly educate our clients on how to handle outages and provide the right tools to minimize the serious risk at hand.

While antivirus and firewalls are incredibly effective in reducing risk from ransomware and hackers, but you need a more robust security solution in place to defend against the increasingly dangerous threat landscape. To be fully protected, companies will need a proper, reliable backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution with online and offline backup solutions as the ultimate failsafe against successful attacks.