To help make sure that your company in compliance, White Mountain IT Services can be there to help you attain, and remain in, compliance. Compliances and regulations usually fall into one of two categories: Government Mandated Compliances: Depending on the industry being regulated, the state government, federal government, and in some instances, both can pass laws requiring establishments to meet certain technology requirements and standards. Government mandates are usually focused on network and data security– and will audit a business to make sure that they?re in compliance and stay that way. HIPAA is required by the Federal Government. New York State requires all financial organizations to meet Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies. Internally Mandated Compliances: More and more businesses that aren?t technically required to meet regulations by law are setting their own technology standards. IT policies, best practices, processes, and procedures are just a few items that may be part of internally mandated compliances. These types include: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) or Mobile Device Management policies to control which devices can access your network. Employees that are looking to access a company?s network remotely must do so using a secure, virtual private network or VPN. Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery: The majority of government compliances are going to require some type of business continuity planning. Managed Services Providers are in a position to help with business continuity a few different ways. First, is with a data backup and disaster recovery. Ideally, every plan should have a BDR solution. Another function of an MSP is keeping a detailed inventory of hardware, software and user access which comes in handy in the event that the building or workstations are damaged. Remote Monitoring and Maintenance: When it comes to security measures, remote monitoring and maintenance of a network is a requirement for most regulations. Even when business hours are technically 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or something similar, servers and networks are often powered on 24 hours a day. Government mandates require that your network and data are operational whenever technology is. MSPs not only provide monitoring and maintenance services, they can provide you with the data proving your network was protected during an audit. Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment: To determine how secure a network is, many compliances require that regular penetration tests be performed. This common tool is an intentional attack on a company?s network by a friendly entity. Additionally, vulnerability assessments are often required, as well. This assessment is a report that indicates where potential weak spots in your network can be found. In the event of an audit, MSPs can also provide documentation as required to prove these measures are being taken. Depending on the requirements of your industry, there are many other ways that an MSP can help with technology compliances and regulations. Whether government or internally mandated, contact White Mountain IT Services to make sure you are in compliance – and remain that way!
Alt+Tab: Move through your open tabs. Alt+Home: Open your homepage. Alt+Left Arrow: Move backward a page. Alt+Right Arrow: Move forward a page. F11: Show the current website in fullscreen mode. Esc: Stop a page from loading or a file from downloading. Ctrl+(+) or (-): Zoom in or out on the screen. Ctrl+0: Reset the zoom to normal. Ctrl+1 through 8: Jump to the corresponding tab in your web browser. Ctrl+9: Jump to the last open tab. Ctrl+Shift+B: Hide or show your bookmarks bar. Ctrl+D: Make the currently opened tab a bookmark. Ctrl+H: Show history in a new tab. Ctrl+J: Show downloads in a new tab. Ctrl+F: Find something on the page. Ctrl+N: Open a new window. Ctrl+Shift+N: Open a new window in incognito mode. Ctrl+R or F5: Refresh the page. Ctrl+T: Open a new tab. Ctrl+W: Close the currently open window. Ctrl+Shift+T: Open the most recently closed tab. Spacebar: Move down a page at a time. Shift+Spacebar: Move up a page at a time. Well, now you have a whole batch of Google Chrome keyboard shortcuts to consider for your daily productivity. For more great tips and tricks on how to take full advantage of your business? technology, subscribe to White Mountain IT Services?s blog.
Virtualization can change a lot for your business. Since you can use multiple types of solutions to expand the way your operations work, virtualization is the perfect strategy to improve your business. But what is virtualization, exactly? At its roots, virtualization takes a service or solution that your business relies on and abstracts it so that it can be accessed through the cloud or some other location. For examples of virtualization, examine what are called digitized servers and workstations. Virtualization can keep your business from relying so much on expensive hardware. Other opportunities lie in placing your applications or entire data infrastructure in the cloud, allowing for near constant, and ubiquitous access. We want to help your business take full advantage of virtualization to empower your operations. Here are some of the best ways you can use virtualization to your business?s benefit. Virtual Cloud HardwareIt?s not out of the ordinary to virtualize servers. This is due to the virtual server not needing the same maintenance or management required of a physical server unit. You can further augment these benefits by virtualizing your hardware through a service provider like White Mountain IT Services. This lets your business essentially store your servers on an infrastructure that?s hosted and maintained by seasoned professionals. We can deliver the maintenance needed without the need for an on-site visit. Furthermore, you?ll reduce the costs of operations thanks to removing hardware from your workplace. For example, you won?t need as much air conditioning or electricity to keep your infrastructure intact, which is an advantage in its own right. Virtual Desktop InfrastructureSimilar to your servers, you can host your desktop infrastructure in a virtual cloud environment where it can be accessed through the Internet. Thin clients allow for this convenience. These are basically desktops that allow you to access resources and applications through the cloud–since they use fewer resources, they are easier on the energy bill. Plus, since they are overall cheaper than a full-blown workstation, they are easier on the budget. Since you?ll be accessing your infrastructure through the cloud, you can access your virtual desktop through any connected computer or laptop, allowing for a more dynamic (and highly customizable) work experience. Virtual SoftwareIf you store software in the cloud, you can improve how much value you get out of it. This presents a unique opportunity that allows you to access data and applications through the cloud via a mobile app or web browser. This keeps your employees productive regardless of their circumstances, whether they are out of the office or across the country on a business trip. If you can think it, you can virtualize it. Where does your business want to start? To find out, reach out to White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800.
A business continuity plan is a strategy that covers every possible outcome of a situation that threatens the continuation of your business. It?s a plan which allows your business to keep operations moving even when it seems the world is against you. Take, for example, a lightning strike. It could fry the power infrastructure in your building. Similarly, the uncontrollable torrents of a flood could leave your business underwater. Thus, the importance of preparing for such occurrences. You must enact a business continuity plan before any of these incidents have a chance to harm your organization. You certainly can?t go without one, as the risk is simply unthinkable. This type of preventative thinking is exactly what you need to keep your business afloat. First, you need to decide what exactly needs to be addressed by your business continuity plan. Build out a list of where you stand to lose the most in case a disaster hits home. In other words, think about the absolute worst-case scenario. What?s the maximum cost of your organization losing all business functionality? How do these expenses affect your budget? How much time would it take to recover from such a catastrophe? This is called the Business Impact Analysis, and it?s used to help you prioritize the biggest problems in the event of a disaster. Your business continuity plan should include the following: Establish the plan?s reach. Identify your key business areas. Establish which business functions are critical. Outline which business areas and functions are interdependent. Establish a limit to how much downtime each function can experience. Plan to continue operations. Once your plan has been created and well-documented, and your responsibilities have been distributed to your team, you need to train your staff and test the process thoroughly to ensure that it works as intended. You could have the best process in the world and it wouldn?t be complete without a comprehensive data backup plan. The ideal backup solution is one which allows your data to survive even an in-house disaster like a hardware failure, which can be done by storing it in the cloud or an off-site data center. These backups should be continually updated throughout the day to minimize data lost in the event of a disaster. Just make sure that you keep the backup in a separate location from the rest of your infrastructure, as you could lose both the original and the backup if they are in the same location. We can?t know when you?ll experience a data loss disaster, but that?s why managed IT services that take preventative measures exist. To learn more about how we can help your business survive in the face of inclement weather or other dangerous scenarios, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
Each worker within an organization is delegated some sort of responsibility based on their role. Managers are responsible for managing, while human resources keep all workers accountable for their responsibilities. Yet, there are multiple responsibilities designated to all employees who use technology for their everyday duties. Here are ten of the most important responsibilities of all employees utilizing business technology. Take Advantage of the NetworkSaving to the network is much more beneficial than saving locally on your PC. This is simply due to the fact that the network is likely better equipped with the necessary redundancy to handle data loss disasters. It is also better for sharing information with others in your organization. If you store data on the network, you?ll be more likely to avoid a data loss incident, as it will be secured even if your workstation itself breaks down. Be Mindful of Your EmailIf you receive a lot of email messages throughout the day, it?s tempting to just quickly go through them without actually absorbing what they contain. Worse yet, it?s sometimes difficult to judge how secure a message is, as it could be nothing but a vessel for malware or viruses. You should always be aware of who is sending you messages and why, so be sure to keep an eye out for unfamiliar senders or unexpected attachments. Keep Data In-House and Backed UpYou want to ensure that your data is being kept on your network and not spread out across multiple devices, like mobile devices or portable media storage. Without the necessary protections and security protocol, your data could be at unnecessary risk–especially on unsecured devices that are outside your network. Use the CloudIf there is a reason to access data while outside the security of your network, you should be using a proper cloud solution that does all it can to protect your data. It?s also important to consider the use of a virtual private network so as to minimize the risk of your data being compromised while in transit. Implement Strong PasswordsSecure passwords are trickier to implement than you might think, and that?s because secure passwords are difficult to remember. With letters, numbers, and symbols, you might be hard-pressed to figure out what you made your password in the first place. Thankfully, password managers make this easier to do, as you?ll only need to remember one major passphrase compared to remembering multiple complex passwords. Don?t Share PasswordsYou shouldn?t be sharing your passwords with anyone in your organization. You know what they say; the more users of a password or account, the more likely it is to become compromised. You never know just how careful someone will be with credentials that aren?t their own. Think of your passwords like you would your Social Security number or credit card number. You wouldn?t share those with someone, would you? Lock Down Your WorkstationIf you have to step away from your computer for any reason, be sure to lock it, even if you?re in the office. You never know if someone will feel feisty enough to steal data from your computer, be it a stranger or an employee on his or her way out. Plus, you never want to go through your settings undoing the pranks of your coworkers. Report Any and All IssuesYou can take all […]
