Mobile Device Management MDM, or, mobile device management is a term used in the computing industry that tailors to the general manager of mobile devices. Some of the common policies put into place within the MDM infrastructure are balancing security with usability. Generally, MDM is a concept that unifies the management of mobile devices used for the transmission, storage, and processing of data ? below, some of the fine points of security and usability are discussed. Security Whether using desktop computers, mobile devices, or any other type of digital device, a reliable security policy needs to be put in place. Security encompasses physical security, security against malware and hackers, and data preservation. Physical security in its most basic sense is making sure there’s a policy in place to safeguard against burglars and anyone attempting to physically access computers ? or rooms or desks where computers are stored. Locks put on appropriate doors and desks, and various other types of physical security devices such as security cameras are all relatively inexpensive and generally feasible options ? much of which don’t require hired help to install. Several tutorials exist on the internet that can provide direction for initiating the installation of physical security systems. Malicious software and computers hackers can be a tricky vector to guard against. Computer hackers can take advantage of both physical security weaknesses and security “holes” in computers themselves. Computers are designed to be an extension of the way people think, therefore a little common sense can go a long way in protecting against this vector ? if something doesn’t seem safe or foul play is suspected, it’s better to steer clear of whatever is going on ? one wrong click on a website or E-mail attachment can cause inadvertent installation of malicious software which computer hackers use indirectly to hack into computers. This is only scratching the surface of the varieties in which computer hackers can attack. Data Preservation is a concept that encompasses computer data being backed up on a regular schedule ? and the ability to restore it in case of deletion. It should be kept in mind that data loss can occur through a variety of ways, so it’s important to make sure a sound policy is in place to both backup and restore data ? natural disasters, theft, vandalism, and computer hackers can all lead to data loss. Usability Security should be balanced with usability. In other words, mobile devices should be reasonably secured ? not so much that one has to bend over backward in order to log into their device and make general use of it ? excessively securing devices can be counterproductive. There are some trends that could make mobile device usability a little easier, one of which is the concept of BYOD ? bring your own device ? a BYOD policy would allow employees to bring privately owned mobile devices into the workplace providing that the devices are capable of complying with the security policies of the business allowing them. Allowing privately owned devices could lower the learning curve for using the devices on the job. Managing mobile devices in any business infrastructure does not have to be a painstaking task, but great caution should be taken and it’s generally recommended to seek professional advice in both rolling them out and managing them. White Mountain IT provides a wide range of services pertaining to mobile devices. Please contact us.
#1. They don’t respond promptly to your calls anymore Have you noticed that they are slow to respond when you try to contact them via phone or email? Although their sales team may have doted on you in the beginning when they were trying to sign you as a client, that level of personal attention gradually faded over time. You deserve a responsive managed IT provider with an excellent customer service team. You should always be confident that they will respond immediately when you have a technical issue. #2. You’ve started to notice the company has a high employee turnover If your main point of contact at your managed IT company changes every couple of months, there may be a serious underlying issue. High employee turnover could be a sign that the company is in distress. It is common for some employees to occasionally leave their job for better opportunities elsewhere at other companies or to move up within the organization. However, if you believe it’s happening at an alarming rate it could mean the company is unstable. #3. They are not helping your business reach its IT goals One of the main reasons companies decide to partner with a managed IT company is because they can help create an IT roadmap that is aligned with their overall strategic business goals. A reputable managed IT company should have several subject matter experts on board who can provide excellent counsel when your company’s decision makers have to make important decisions. If your vendor isn’t proactively helping your company reach its goals or providing any real value – it may be time to search for another IT company. #4. Your company’s IT has started to experience more downtime Another red flag is if your company’s IT system is starting to experience continual downtime. Although it’s common for the IT infrastructure to be interrupted occasionally so It can upgrade the system or fix minor glitches, your website should still have a high uptime percentage. Looking for a new managed IT provider? Please contact us today to learn more about our services. White Mountain Managed IT has been a reliable business partner to small and medium-sized businesses across the United States since 1985. Our team of highly skilled IT professionals can serve as your own outsourced IT Department. We also provide IT consulting and other advanced technical services.
Wish One: Security Consciousness While it isn?t a holiday-themed story, the tale of Sisyphus would likely be quite relatable to most IT professionals. In the story, Sisyphus is doomed to an eternity in the afterlife spent pushing a massive boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down when he nears the summit, over and over and over. Many IT professionals might relate as they run between security issues that your other employees cause through their actions. Reflecting on this, it only makes sense that an increased awareness of security concerns and procedures would make a great gift for your IT resources. After all, if the rest of your team knew how to avoid issues, the result would be fewer issues for IT to juggle, thereby freeing them up to tend to their other responsibilities. Wish Two: More Cloud The cloud is a very valuable solution, and few in any organization see that better than the IT department. Not only do cloud technologies and services eliminate many of the time-consuming and outdated tasks that IT has to handle, it enables them to improve the business in other ways. If given the ability to utilize the cloud more, your IT resources could deliver benefits to your business in many more areas than before, giving you more bang for your buck, and them much less stress. Wish Three: Improved Working Relationships The IT team can get a rough deal sometimes. Not only do they have to effectively keep the business running, they also have to deal with the other people involved with the business. Putting it frankly, they often have to shoulder the frustrations that the rest of the team has when they can?t deliver as quickly as the rest of the team wants and thinks they need. One of the best gifts that you can give them is a policy of hearing IT out. They have greater insight into the workings of the business and the impact that one initiative will have over another on a business? workflow. There needs to be trust that the decisions they have made at a given time are not without reason, and that those reasons may not be apparent to an outside perspective at first. Encouraging the rest of your team to keep this in mind year-round will help to make IT?s job a lot less stressful. If you want a gift that the overworked IT resource would especially appreciate, try a managed service agreement with White Mountain IT Services! We can lend a hand, allowing your IT resource time to take a breath between their many responsibilities and to focus on the quality of the job they do. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.
If businesses adopt technology, there?s this misconception that if it?s not something they need, it will be a waste, but this is certainly not the case. More of a good thing is not going to make your job any more difficult. It can only make your responsibilities easier and more efficient. Whether your organization just wants to implement IT to alleviate weak points in its infrastructure or completely revamp operations, we can help you understand how modern technology solutions can help your business make great strides. Here are just five benefits IT can provide for your organization. Money Management The goal of business is to make money, no matter what that business actually is. Controlling the flow of money and managing it should be a priority for business, as it?s a valuable resource that allows it to continue operating as intended. While a spreadsheet can accomplish this goal, there are other dedicated platforms that allow your organization to save time when managing your finances. Collaboration The traditional way of storing files is not necessarily ideal for collaboration, as paper files demand that everyone has a copy of the file–and you can forget about all edits being made on the same document in real time unless everyone is huddled around one single sheet. IT solutions, with cloud computing in particular, can remedy this issue and make it easier to collaborate during meetings. All team members who need to see a document or edit it can do so in real time on their own devices. These documents are also saved in a location where they can be accessed at any time by whoever needs to work on it, either as a team or individually. Efficiency Your organization has a lot of work that must be done, and any tools to get it done cannot be ignored. If you can use these tools to monitor and schedule time spent on tasks, you can make sure all responsibilities are being met with minimal waste. You might be surprised by how much your organization saves by managing tasks better. Mobile Work and Telecommuting Smartphones, tablets, and laptops are all mobile tools that can help your organization go mobile while also being productive. In fact, smartphones today are more powerful and dynamic than even computers were just a decade ago. By making use of these devices, you can empower your employees to get even more done throughout the workday, whether it?s while away from the desktop or away from the office. Customer Service Customer service is another major part of your business that you can improve with the right technology solution. If employees are constantly being interrupted by phone calls for support or other customer interactions, you can set up automated systems for general inquiries or questions. If you have a more appointment-based business model, you can schedule meetings with clients or customers on a calendar that can provide automatic updates to both parties involved. This is only a small sample of what the right technology solutions can do for your business. To learn more, reach out to White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800.
The Basics: Viruses and Malware Your computer?s operating system is a software solution in and of itself; all devices on your network run an operating system in addition to a myriad of other software that can be exploited by threats. This is where viruses and malware come in. Viruses are little pieces of code that make changes to the code of your software. The results can vary from being a simple annoyance to a major waste of productivity and efficiency. Malware, in particular, can be extremely dangerous to your business. This ?malicious software? can be used by hackers to steal, alter, or destroy data, so it can be quite damaging to your business. The More Dangerous Threats: Ransomware and Spyware More specialized types of malware are used to extort money from companies and steal data covertly without the business knowing. Ransomware has become a major threat to organizations, as it?s designed to coerce money from organizations by threatening to lock data away forever. Hackers like to use ransomware because it can collect a considerable amount of revenue due to the large amount of victims it can reach. Spyware is also in this vein of dangerous malware, as it can be used to install backdoors, keyloggers, and other types of covert threats that give hackers a way to slowly siphon data from businesses. The Vehicle: Spam and Phishing Attacks One of the biggest reasons why threats are so dangerous is because they are concealed in such a way that even the most well-trained employee could slip up and make a mistake. After all, you never hear about brute-force attacks being the main causes of data breaches (or, at least, they don?t happen as often in this way). The biggest and most devastating data breaches tend to occur over extended periods of time in which countless records are stolen without being noticed by security professionals or network administrators. To this end, spam and phishing campaigns are hackers? best friends. How often do you receive emails enticing you to click on links or ?claim your price?? How about messages that pose as others within your organization, or those who your business has a professional association with? These kind of spam and phishing attacks mean that vigilance is key to protecting your organization?s network. Protect Your Business with Proactive Tools and Best Practices While there are more threats these days than ever before, it?s never been easier to protect your business? network infrastructure, especially with all of the great security features that your business can take advantage of. A Unified Threat Management solution combines the comprehensive security tools your organization needs to prevent infections and limit the scope of attacks against your network. You can take advantage of a firewall, antivirus, spam blocker and content filter to prevent and detect threats on your network before they can cause too much damage. By limiting access to data on a user basis, you can also keep specific data much safer than it would be otherwise. In general, it?s best to use industry best practices to only share data with those who need it for their specific roles within your organization. For more information about how to keep your business secure from threats, reach out to the security expects at White Mountain IT Services via (603) 889-0800.
