The Origins of Our Data Storage OptionsNAND flash memory, the method of data storage on a flash drive, continuously dropped in price throughout the 1990s. By the time the new millennium rolled around, a Singaporean company called Trek 2000 International released the first commercially available USB flash drive. Trek 2000?s ThumbDrive was released early in the year, soon followed in the United States by IBM?s DiskOnKey. Cloud storage?s roots can be traced back to 1969, when the concept was first conceived of by J.C.R. Licklider. Licklider had dreamt up a storage system that existed online, accessible on a global scale through an Internet connection. Of course, putting this idea into action was impossible until the technology existed to support it, but its capabilities were quickly adopted once it came into being. Google and Amazon were among the first to provide their users with utilities, like data storage, via cloud technology. Pitting Flash Storage Against the CloudTo be fair, this is an incredibly one-sided ?fight.? When all’s said and done, the lone advantage of a USB is that it allows a user to share files independent of an Internet connection. Other than that, the only real benefit they offer is convenience, but even that is shadowed by the convenience of the cloud and its other features. For starters, the cloud is secured against threats, with AES-256 encryption protecting it along with multi-factor authentication access control solutions. Your data is also backed up when it?s stored in the cloud, offering considerably more security than a USB drive could. As a result, the cloud is a superior option before one even considers its improvements in utility over a USB drive. Over a secure connection, the cloud allows you to use your Internet connection to access and edit your stored documents from any device. Furthermore, the cloud can benefit your ability to collaborate with other people, as you can share access to a document by sharing a link instead of handing over a USB (and entrusting the data within to the recipient). This also allows multiple users to collaborate on the document at the same time, something a USB simply couldn?t do. There was once a time that a USB drive might have been a handy (if risky) means of data storage. Now, the cloud holds that distinction. If your business is ready to embrace the next step in data storage and management, reach out to White Mountain IT Services. Your move to the cloud is only a call to (603) 889-0800 away.

It goes without saying that businesses that don?t want to invest in the latest and greatest software solutions will be denying themselves the opportunity for more productivity and efficiency, but most of all, security will be put on the line. A new study has proven that there is a direct correlation between businesses that run older versions of out-of-date operating systems and web browsers, and organizations that suffer from data breaches. The organization behind the study, BitSight, found that out of 35,000 companies analyzed worldwide across 20 different industries, over 2,000 of them had over half of their computers running on operating systems that are out of date. Around 8,500 companies also had been using out-of-date browsers. The study focused on those who use Apple and Microsoft operating systems, and included an analysis of the Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome Internet browsers. The numbers speak for themselves. Businesses that use outdated operating systems are three times more likely to suffer from a data breach. On the other hand, businesses that use outdated browsers are twice as likely to suffer a data breach. Keep in mind that these numbers don?t necessarily reflect that the outdated browsers and operating systems were the direct causes of the data breach. Rather, they are just one factor that was taken into account during the study. Of course, this shouldn?t come as a surprise. Businesses have long understood that outdated software can provide all sorts of inconveniences, but the amount of organizations that don?t mind dealing with outdated software is a cause for concern. There are far too many businesses out there that don?t take proper care to upgrade away from unsupported software, like Windows XP and Windows Vista. It almost makes you wonder if your own business is vulnerable to attacks that exploit outdated software, and what you can do about it. For starters, you can perform a network audit to make sure that none of the software used by your organization–including operating systems and web browsers–are out of date. To do this, you need to reach out to an unbiased and trusted third-party consultant who can give you a clear idea of what needs to be done to shore up weaknesses in your infrastructure. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough, especially in the wake of highly publicized threats like the WannaCry ransomware and other dangerous threats. White Mountain IT Services can be the one to deliver this comprehensive network security audit. To learn more about what we can do for your business, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

When we talk about best practices, we are typically referring to the practices used by successful companies to garner the best results. A new study by Disaster Recovery has shown that, as backup and recovery solutions go, enterprises are providing some pretty disappointing results as many fail to continuously back up their data and it results in additional inherent risk. A lot of it has to do with perspective. Many businesses understand that there are too many risks out there to properly mitigate them all. In fact, in a study an amazing 72-percent of business surveyed would be happy to lose more than 24 hours of data if some type of cyber incident were to befall their network. This seems irrational, but since many businesses still rely on tape systems to back up their data, losing 24 hours worth of data is much more palatable than it probably should be. Sure, by using tape backup your procedures will likely be more labor intensive and less automated; and, would result in more lost data. Some organizations admit that they don?t have any solution to back up their data. Amazingly, 13 percent of businesses surveyed said they didn?t have any form of backup. While using tape backup is better than using no backup, being ?happy? to ?only? lose a day?s worth of data probably shouldn?t be the perspective these people should have. Businesses today rely on technology, even those that don?t handle a lot of data; but, data loss–of any kind–is unacceptable. So while some organizations consider a bit of data loss as the cost of doing business, the professional IT technicians at White Mountain IT Services can?t stress enough that the goal should be to lose nothing, no matter what kind of business you run. If the largest of retail outfits could be done in by a data breach, your business can be. As a result, the modern SMB has to be more diligent, more prepared, and more careful than ever before. For businesses that need a solution to protect their data from the numerous causes of loss, consider the managed IT services available through White Mountain IT Services the solution to your problem. We not only provide proactive monitoring and management for all your IT, we protect it further with our Backup and Disaster Recovery service. We deploy a network attached storage facility and powerful and secure cloud computing platforms to provide businesses like yours with the data redundancy you are looking for in a reliable data backup solution. For more information about data backup, disaster recovery, and the other IT services we deliver to protect your most crucial business assets, call us today at (603) 889-0800.

It?s seems unbelievable just how much thought and effort hackers can put into their attacks. Scammers are all over the place, and you can never truly be safe. Here are five scams that you should always be on the lookout for. 1. Be Careful Where You DonateDonations are great ways to show your support for certain causes, and they?re also tax-deductible. However, hackers have been known to take advantage of the people?s generosity. Many will set up fake charity websites that will scam people with good intentions. This money, which was meant to be used to help others, is now funding a hacker?s agenda. To guarantee that you?re donating to a reputable charity, AARP recommends the following: ?Before donating to a charity, make sure it is registered with the Secretary of State and ask how much of the money goes to the charitable fundraiser and how much goes to the charitable purpose.? 2. Look Out for Fake Gift CardsGift cards are often purchased as last-ditch present ideas for birthdays or holidays, but they are also one of the primary ways that scammers will use to make a quick buck off of unwary people. If you see deals on online auction sites for discounted gift cards, you should stay away from them, as they could easily be stolen, making them worthless. Make sure that you only purchase gift cards from trusted, licensed vendors. Plus, you want to make sure that the cashier can check the balance of the card before purchase, so that any cards placed on the shelves by a thief don?t play you for a fool. 3. Track Your PackagesIf you?ve ever ordered something online, you?ll know that it can be tricky to arrange for packages to be delivered to your residence while you?re home. After all, what?s stopping a thief from walking to your front porch, picking up your package, and taking off down the road? It?s unlikely that the thief would know what?s in the box, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and perhaps all they want is a way to make a quick buck. To keep this from becoming a problem, ask that your package require a signature upon delivery, or have it shipped to your work address, just in case nobody is home. 4. Watch for Credit Card SkimmersSome thieves will use credit card skimming devices to steal your data from ATMs or point-of-sale terminals. This means that you should probably be shopping with a credit card over a debit card, but more than anything else, cash trumps this card skimming tactic. It?s also helpful to take note of the device that you?re using to pay with a card to ensure that it hasn?t been tampered with. 5. Don?t Fall for Bogus DealsHere?s one last tip that might be one of the most basic: an offer that?s too good to be true is probably just that. A purchase that seems like the deal of a lifetime might be nothing but a scammer who wants to make off with your goods or your cash. Remember that if there?s so much as a hint of skepticism concerning your purchase, you should approach the situation with a hefty dose of skepticism. Stay Safe OnlineThe Internet is full of threats, so the best way to stay safe is […]

Benefit 1: Fewer Support NeedsAs ?maintenance? can be loosely defined as making sure that something continues to operate as intended, it only makes sense that maintaining something is a good way to ensure that its function is preserved. This can be seen in your IT, as regular maintenance can prevent irksome issues and other problematic situations from disrupting your business operations and requiring assistance from support. Benefit 2: Maintenance Leads to Monitoring, Which Leads to DetectionThere?s a pretty natural progression from maintaining a solution to monitoring it for issues. Furthermore, when your information technology is maintained, the issues that cause downtime and other problems can be identified and resolved before they cause any adverse effects. Applying software patches and security updates also helps block incoming issues that are more easily avoidable with regular maintenance. Benefit 3: Better Decision-Making CapabilitiesIt?s no secret that an unstable environment makes it more difficult to make decisions, let alone the right ones. This is no different when the environment in question is your IT infrastructure. A well-maintained network means that you will not be forced to choose between resolving one issue over another. Furthermore, the MSP is more likely to be familiar with issues that will arise, meaning that they are more able to resolve these issues without the added expense of an onsite visit. Reach out to White Mountain IT Services to see how we can help you maintain your network and enjoy these benefits. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 today.