Doing so will require you to have some understanding of how each type of cloud functions. Below, we have provided a few basic guidelines to help you identify cloud types – complete with examples. Public Cloud First, we have the public cloud. The public cloud includes any service that leverages cloud technology and hosting to provide some utility to anyone who needs it. Depending on how you look at it, this could include solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive, Office 365, and the like. The public cloud arguably also includes services that may not come to mind nearly as quickly, like Netflix. While this is really more of a technicality, the public cloud includes any service delivered through shared hosted resources. This includes data, applications, or whatever service is being offered.  One of the nicest features of the public cloud is also one of its biggest drawbacks: the fact that a business leveraging the public cloud is entrusting the provider to keep their storage infrastructure secure. On the one hand, that takes the responsibility out of a business? hands (cutting costs), but it also means that the business needs to be selective about the cloud provider they use. Private Cloud In comparison to the public cloud, a private cloud is one that you have control over. When utilizing a private cloud, you could be either leveraging an external provider?s hardware resources (which are offsite from your location), or using an onsite server to host a cloud yourself that enables remote access for your employees. As you are in control of a private cloud, you can choose to use it for any of a variety of needs. These needs could include application hosting, data storage, backup support… the list goes on. Hybrid Cloud Of course, very few businesses find that one type of cloud can fulfill all of their business needs, so a hybrid cloud approach – one where both public and private cloud resources are leveraged – is a common approach for businesses to take. Company documents can be shared in a public cloud solution, like Google Drive, while mission-critical applications can be hosted in a private cloud – and that?s just one example. For assistance bringing cloud utility into your business? operations, reach out to White Mountain IT Services. Our professionals can assist you in creating a cloud strategy that suits your needs.

Keep It with You Hopefully, you aren?t naturally inclined to leave a thousand-dollar gadget lying around willy-nilly, but it doesn?t hurt to bring up the possibility anyways. Your phone should never be left unattended out in public, as any data that the device has access to is put at risk. This includes your own data, as well as company documents if the device was used to access them via a Bring Your Own Device arrangement. While BYOD policies typically include remote wiping measures, who knows what data may have been viewed before the wipe was initiated? Be Selective Concerning Wireless Networks Under the right conditions, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are great, allowing a user to connect to the Internet and other devices that boost their phone?s utility. Unfortunately, these connections can be a wolf in sheep?s clothing – unsecured networks can easily subject your device (and the data it contains) to any number of threats. A good way to minimize the chances of this happening are to avoid making connections to unknown networks, using your data plan if you have to. Protect Your Sensitive Credentials As people use their phones for almost everything these days, most of these devices now allow a user to store passwords, PIN numbers, and payment card information on the phone itself for simplified access. The thing is, if your phone was to fall into the wrong hands, this means that the person who now has the device is given that simplified access. While the best move is to simply choose not to store these details in your phone, there are secure applications that are much better to use if you do. For help in selecting one, reach out to us. Clean Out the Data You?ve Generated There?s a lot of data that your phone retains, from the words (including personal data) that its autocomplete records, to the web browsing app?s history. All of this data and more is very valuable to a cybercriminal, so as a precautionary measure it is good to clear out this data every so often. To keep your data safe, you need to protect it from all of the potential ways it can be breached. White Mountain IT Services has the tools and experience to help. Reach out to us at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.

Blockchain By now most people have heard of blockchain. It is an encrypted digital ledger system most often associated with Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies). Since new blocks represent a single transaction, added to a chain of transactions and information that is encrypted, development of security tools in financial technology and other sectors continue to grow in popularity. AI and Machine Learning Machine learning technology, a rudimentary form of artificial intelligence is powering many more pieces of software these days. It is growing fast in multiple sectors for the additional value businesses can get out of automating some tasks. The cost reduction combined with AI-enabled application effectiveness makes automation using AI extremely attractive to almost any business.  AR and VR Of any technology, none potentially have the long-term applications that augmented and virtual reality have. The concept is simple, virtualize elements of reality for the benefit of people. It is a wonderful thought. Businesses have been slow to implement VR, or even AR, as both seem to be in a state of feature creep, which refers to the state a product will get into when a product demands constant attention causing consumers to lose interest altogether. The businesses that have implemented these technologies are finding that they are great for marketing and training purposes. It is only a matter of time before AR and VR are everywhere, but it just hasn?t happened yet.  Rest assured, it?s coming. What do you think about these new technology trends? Is your business using these technologies? Where do they fit in your plan? Sound off on these questions and more in the comments section below.

Customer Relationship Management Software Let?s face facts – without clients or customers, your business isn?t going to be around for very long. As such, it helps to have the tools to communicate with your prospects, and to keep track of their preferences and interaction levels. Using this information, you will have the capability to more effectively convert your prospects into loyal clients and retain them for longer. Project Management Software Of course, you?ll only be able to retain your clients if you can deliver the services they are expecting of you. This is where project management software is very useful. This software helps to keep your processes, goals, and tasks on track and on schedule. Project management software does more or less what it says on the box – allows you to manage your internal projects more effectively. Security Software As your business becomes more successful, you will only become more attractive for cybercriminals to target – and it isn?t like your business is ever immune to attack. This is precisely why you need to be sure that your interests are protected with updated and comprehensive security solutions. In addition to this, many threats are automated in this day and age, so your business could be at risk without someone actively targeting it. The right software solution can help minimize these threats. Collaboration Software Finally, what?s a business without effective communication capabilities? Usually, less successful than one that can effectively communicate – both internally, and with clients, vendors, and partners. Various software solutions, such as VoIP, enable businesses to improve their communications – in turn, improving their productivity. If you are seeking out the business benefits we?ve outlined here, reach out to White Mountain IT Services by calling (603) 889-0800. We can provide you with these and other useful business tools to assist you in accomplishing your goals.

Habit 1: Too Few, Too Weak Passwords This habit is a particularly bad one, as an employee with a weak password can potentially undermine your entire organization?s security. While nobody likes having to remember a different, complex password for every account they have, many users will default to reusing one password. What?s worse, these passwords are often very simple – simple enough for a hacker to decipher will little trouble. While some will require a little detective work on the hacker?s part, like a personal detail that can be found somewhat easily, an unfortunate number will use something too easy, like ?password? or ?12345.? You need to hold your staff to a higher standard. In addition to establishing minimum password requirements, make sure these passwords are updated regularly. If remembering these passwords proves to be a challenge, suggest alternatives, like a password management solution or using passphrases. Habit 2: On Top of Having Too Few, Too Weak Passwords, Sharing Them One thing that all of your employees will have in common? Whether you call it ?being efficient? or ?cutting corners,? they will always be on the lookout for ways to simplify their work processes. One simple way (in their eyes) to do so? Sharing credentials! Now, for the record, this isn?t in reference to company-owned accounts that are often set up, such as company social media accounts and shared resources. However, since these should be managed by (surprise, surprise) the company, these aren?t really applicable to our considerations. The main takeaway here is that anyone in your company could create a very bad situation through the wrong actions, and any safeguards you have (such as password protection) are in place to keep the company safe. Habit 3: Storing Company Files in Personal Storage Solutions While cloud computing provides a vast amount of value and utility for businesses, there are also a few concerns you need to be aware of. For instance, it isn?t uncommon for employees to utilize their own personal cloud solutions to store company files. It is important to address the fact that their motives for doing so are oftentimes pure. If an employee wants to commit a little extra time to a project, they very well may simplify things for themselves by sharing a company document with their personal cloud account. However, by doing so, this employee is also taking this document out from behind the protections your company should have in place for its data. This simply should not be done, despite the good intentions that motivate your employees – after all, we all know what they say about good intentions. Fortunately, there are solutions out there to allow your employees to safely access work materials, boosting their productivity without undermining your data security. Habit 4: Introducing Shadow IT Shadow IT is software (or hardware) that has been installed (or implemented) on your business? solutions without the knowledge or approval of IT. This usually happens when your employees are unfamiliar with the solutions you provide to them, so they instead seek out an alternative that they prefer to use. Unfortunately, shadow IT is often the cause of severe issues, so your users need to be compliant to a policy of clearing any technology not provided by IT past IT, helping ensure nothing problematic pops up. Habit […]