Security The biggest and perhaps most noteworthy issue that arises with cloud migration is security, and it?s easy to see why. When you move data or applications to the cloud, you are essentially letting it live in an online environment where it can be accessed as needed. This presents all sorts of complications that must be considered. How is it accessed? Where is it stored? What kind of cloud is the best fit for the security needs of this particular data or application? A good example is the public cloud versus the private cloud; while the public cloud might be great for accessibility and ease of use, the private cloud will enhance security considerably by giving you more options. Traditionally, the public cloud does not allow for the dynamic security solutions that businesses might want for their cloud infrastructures, but private clouds do. Compatibility Whether or not you should migrate to the cloud is a serious question to entertain, as well. Just because you can move applications or data into the cloud doesn?t mean that you always should. Sometimes it?s better in terms of privacy regulations to keep data stored in-house where it is ?safer? and easier to centralize compared to the cloud. You also might need to consider whether or not the applications that you want to host in the cloud are compatible or user-friendly in a cloud-based environment. Some resource-intensive applications might require significant amounts of bandwidth in order to function properly, and it might turn into a question of whether the convenience and ease of access is worth the monetary investment. Scalability How easy is it for you to add more data storage, more users, or more features to your cloud-based applications or storage solutions? You will want to have a solid understanding of each of these for every application of the cloud you have for your organization. It also helps to plan for change and scale for growth in this regard; failing to do so could lead to your business spending too much time and too many resources than anticipated, potentially killing your budget and increasing the cost of implementation far beyond what you had initially expected. If you are unsure of how to progress toward cloud migration, White Mountain IT Services can help your business navigate through these challenges. Most important of all, we can do all of the work of migrating your data to the cloud so that you can instead focus on the process of keeping your organization?s operations in proper working order, minimizing downtime and the risk of a botched migration. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

What?s Going to Happen with Google Drive? Anyone who uses Google Workspace for collaboration is more than likely familiar with the link-sharing feature that Drive offers. For those who haven?t used it, it?s a feature that enables you to share the documents you?re working on with others with varying permissions so that multiple people can collaboratively contribute to the work done on them. It?s an intensely useful feature, especially since you can just copy and paste a link into a quick message to expeditiously share this access. However, the pending update to Google Workspace will throw a wrench into these links? at least, ones that were generated before these updates.  Basically, Some Links Will Break Here?s the crux of the situation: once these updates are applied, a resource key will be added to the URLs generated when sharing a link. As a result, there will likely be an influx of new access requests for businesses to manage. Google?s dedicated support page has made it clear that admins can choose how to apply this update until July 23. After July 26, end users will start to receive notifications alerting them to any files they manage that were impacted. If admins allow it, users will be able to choose how these updates apply to their files until September 13. Need Assistance? White Mountain IT Services is here to help businesses with IT management needs just like this. Find out what more we can do for you by calling (603) 889-0800.

Keep Things Clean and Tidy Technology solutions like workstations and server units are complex pieces of machinery with tons of moving parts. As such, it makes sense that they will function at their best when things are kept clean. You may have noticed that dust and other particles can gather in particular spots on your computer, such as near the fans and any small grates that give the machinery room to breathe. Take a moment every so often to clean things up a bit. Just make sure that you don?t blow or wipe the dust into the machine, as dust accumulating in the case itself could lead to damaging the internal components. Apply Patches and Security Updates If keeping your technology clean externally is important, then that goes doubly for making sure that it is cleaned up internally as well. By this, we mean making sure that everything is spick and span with your computer?s software and operating system. Developers issue updates periodically throughout a software?s lifetime designed to keep it safe from hackers and vulnerabilities. Apply these patches as they are released and you should have minimal opportunities to suffer from a data breach (in theory, anyway–it?s never quite this simple). Perform a Routine Network Assessment When it comes to network health and IT maintenance, it helps to zoom out and get a bird?s eye view of your entire network infrastructure. While it certainly is beneficial to look at network health on a micro level, the macro level can also provide valuable insights. For example, if you look at the whole, you might find bottlenecks where data is getting held up, which is not necessarily something that you would find unless you were looking in the right place. A network assessment can also give you information regarding network security and efficiency. Contact Us! If you are not comfortable performing maintenance on your technology, don?t worry. You?re not alone in this regard. In fact, we highly encourage and recommend that you have only qualified and experienced technicians perform maintenance on your business? technology. Remember, these devices are assets, and they must be protected with proactive maintenance whenever possible. To this end, White Mountain IT Services can help. We can administer proactive maintenance designed to keep issues from evolving into major problems later on down the line. You can know with certainty that we are keeping a close watch on your technology solutions for any signs of wear and tear. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Software Licenses vs Software as a Service Anyone who has ever purchased a piece of software knows that it can be expensive up-front. Normally you would pay a fee upon purchase, then upgrade to the latest version of the software as time goes on, constantly purchasing and repurchasing the same software, just updated with a new coat of paint. This can be seen as a wasteful practice, and some small businesses simply do not have the funds to make this happen for multiple employees. Furthermore, if licenses for all software cannot be purchased, businesses might opt to use older and less secure versions of the software, leading to increased likelihood of data breaches and data loss; and that?s not even mentioning the productivity issues that could result from using older, defunct software. No, it?s far easier to use the most recent, up-to-date versions of software whenever possible. That?s where Software as a Service comes into play. The Benefits of Software as a Service Generally speaking, when you use a cloud-based version of an application, you are likely using it as a ?software as a service? model. When you utilize Software as a Service, you are always using the most recent version of the program in question. There is no concern that you are using an outdated or unsecure version of the software. Adding new users is easy, too. Rather than purchasing new licenses, you are simply adding user accounts and adjusting your monthly rate. Furthermore, since you are paying for the software on a month-by-month basis, the payments are smaller and easier to fit into a budget than the larger up-front costs of investing in a certain number of software licenses. It?s just one way that the ?as a service? model can make running a business easier. Get Started Today White Mountain IT Services can equip your organization with the software tools it needs to succeed in today?s rapid-fire business environment. To learn more about how we can help you manage not just your software, but also your entire IT infrastructure, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

Before discussing this particular phishing threat, let?s examine phishing attacks in a more broad sense. What are they, and what do you need to know to protect yourself? Explaining Phishing Attacks Hackers will often find that forcing themselves through your defenses is simply not the best approach for their needs, instead resorting to what are called phishing attacks?calculated measures that are designed to trick or mislead users?to gain unauthorized access to data. Phishing attacks are most commonly initiated through downloading an infected file, clicking on a suspicious link in an email, or handing over credentials to someone claiming to be tech support or a higher-up within the organization. Why It Matters The biggest challenge that phishing attacks pose for businesses is that it doesn?t matter if you have done all that you can to secure your business; phishing attacks still might find their way into your organization. These types of attacks can often make it past even the best solutions, relying instead on the less reliable part of your infrastructure?your employees?for a way into your business. In this way, your security solutions are only as effective as your employees? collective knowledge of network security. Agent Tesla As a threat, Agent Tesla has been around since 2014. This malware uses a keylogger to steal information from infected devices. The stolen data is then transmitted back to the hacker periodically throughout the day. The hacker might desire information like passwords, usernames, and other data that is typed into the system. This new variant of Agent Tesla is notable thanks to its ability to steal cryptocurrency from the user. This is where that background information on phishing attacks comes into play; Agent Tesla spreads through infected Excel email attachments. An attack detailed by Fortinet utilized an Excel file titled ?Order Requirements and Specs” in an attempt to spread the malware. It might seem like a legitimate file at first glance. When the user downloads the file and opens it, it will run a macro that downloads Agent Tesla to the device. This specific process, as it?s explained by Fortinet, involves installing PowerShell files for Agent Tesla, adding several items to the Auto-Run group in the system registry through the use of VBScript code, and finally creating a scheduled task that executes at a designated interval. One of the most concerning things about Agent Tesla is that it is quite accessible, being available for a relatively cheap price with opportunities for support from its developers. As such, the bar is set pretty low for budding hackers who want to try their hand at making other peoples? lives miserable. What Can You Do? The last thing you want to do is find yourself in a position where you are forced to react to threats rather than prevent them entirely. Here is the key to keeping your organization secure from not just phishing threats, but all security threats: Implement quality network security solutions to catch the majority of threats before they reach your network. Train your employees to identify threats so that the ones that do get through your defenses do not cause more trouble than they need to. Does your company need help with securing its infrastructure and staying safe from threats? White Mountain IT Services can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.