This move toward mobility is designed to replace the department’s current IT infrastructure, known as EDUCATE (Education Department Utility for Communications, Applications, and Technology Environment). EDUCATE was implemented in 2007 by Perot Systems after they won the bid for $400 million. At the time, this was a bold move because it effectively transferred oversight of the infrastructure from the government to a contractor. Today, the U.S. Department of Education has a new set of priorities that they would like to see out of their infrastructure. According to Jason Gray, Chief Information Officer for the Education Department, the technology landscape has changed so much since 2007 that a revamp is in order. Gray says that these new infrastructure objectives should encourage innovation, optimize the cost to benefit ratio, and show flexibility to make integrating changes in requirements simple. These objectives are spelled out in a new infrastructure plan named PIVOT (the Portfolio of Integrated Value-Oriented Technology). Unlike the previous model, PIVOT looks to have each aspect of the infrastructure (like oversight, hosting data, printing, network services, technical management and integration, and mobile services) written up with its own contract. The primary goal of the Department?s new infrastructure is increased mobility. They look to achieve this by moving away from a permanently established office space, and instead, take advantage of teleworking and hoteling (where workers use mobile devices to move about an office instead of being limited to their desk). This kind of move is in line with a federal government initiative to reduce its real estate footprint. In keeping with this goal, PIVOT has the potential to free up 6,200 workers from the traditional office environment. There are lots of benefits to be had by the U.S. Department of Education from a move like this. What about your own IT infrastructure? Has it been updated in recent years to take advantage of the advancements of mobile computing? Or, are you still doing business like it’s 2005 with a workforce tied to their desks and limited to bulky workstations? To revamp your own IT infrastructure, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800 and find out what we can do for you.

Data backup and disaster recovery are critical to the success of the modern business, but so many organizations still don?t see the importance of maintaining copies of their data infrastructure, or simply don?t think that they will fall victim to a data loss incident. Unfortunately, in this case, we have to insist that you consider data backup and disaster recovery; it?s not a matter of if you lose your data, but when. The reasoning is simple; there are situations that, like it or not, are beyond your control. You alone can?t stop your office from being flooded by a freak rainstorm. You can?t always prevent a sudden and unexpected hardware failure from bringing down mission-critical systems. You can rebuild your office after an earthquake, but the data that?s lost from the catastrophe can?t be recovered without the help of a data backup system. Plus, user error is a leading cause of data loss, but no matter how many times you explain best practices, someone is bound to make a mistake sooner or later. So, what can you do to keep your data safe? The obvious answer is data backup and disaster recovery, but it?s not as simple as that. Some traditional backup solutions aren?t as effective as businesses would like them to be. One of the most common data backup tactics is tape backup, which stores your organization?s data on magnetic tape reels that are deployed in a time of need. While this method of data backup and disaster recovery was once the standard, it?s no longer the most efficient way of storing and recovering your critical data assets. In short, tape backup has the shortcomings of being both user-intensive and time-consuming; two ill-suited traits for a business that needs to think on its feet in the event of a disaster. Furthermore, tape backups are resource-heavy and often must be performed after-hours, and if someone forgets to set the tape, you could lose out on a whole day?s worth of data. If you want to ensure the continued survival of your data, look for the following traits in a data backup and disaster recovery solution: Frequent backups: Unlike tape backups, which are typically performed once at the end of the workday, you want a solution that lets you take backups as often as every 15 minutes. This helps to minimize the amount of data lost due to unexpected technical hiccups. Off-site backup storage: If you store your data backups in-house or on your company network, you?ll likely lose them, along with all of your other data, if an event were to cause its destruction. Therefore, you want to store your data in a secure, off-site location, and in the cloud for anywhere access. A fast recovery time: You don?t want to be waiting around while waiting for your data to be redeployed to your entire infrastructure. With BDR, you can be back in action almost instantaneously. The BDR device acts as a server while you work towards replacing it. If your business wants to fully leverage a modern data backup solution, you should invest in a Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution from White Mountain IT Services. Our solution provides you the dynamic and reliable data backup and recovery services you need in order to ensure the survival of your business?s infrastructure. Not […]

Two problems that most organizations have with this is that either their IT department has completely maxed out its resources, or your organization doesn’t have an IT department. Since easy access to an IT helpdesk may not seem like a necessary expense for the modern office, it is often overlooked; usually, at a detriment to the organization. As more technology gets introduced, IT problems are inevitable and White Mountain IT Services?s IT services can present real value to any small and mid-sized business struggling with downtime as a result of ineffective IT. It?s a safe bet that you don?t think about most of the technology that your organization uses. Of course, you have your computers (servers and workstations), and people are always on their phones, which if they are using the network, require Wi-Fi (routers). Your average employee doesn?t pay any mind to the other parts of your network infrastructure that all come at a substantial cost and will fail at some juncture. We understand the balancing act. At White Mountain IT Services, we offer several IT-related services that hold value for any organization having problems with their IT. Our first consultation will be a complete assessment of your computing infrastructure. We comb over your technology to see that every essential component of your company?s IT is working as intended. Using the information that we gather from this assessment, we will then build a roadmap to provide you the support and innovation you need to get to where you are going. Our managed IT services package includes complete remote support of your network and computing infrastructure (servers and workstations), IT consulting, hardware and software support, vendor support, comprehensive network security, and a potentially business-saving backup and disaster recovery solution. If, after the consultation, you believe, as we do, that managed IT services can help your business see more uptime, higher degrees of productivity, and access to some of today?s most innovative technology, give us a call at (603) 889-0800. We can provide you with the peace of mind that your network and infrastructure are properly managed, so you can again focus on what?s important to you: your business.

Ransomware, the unpleasant form of malware dedicated to denying users access to their own device, has become more prominent with mobile technology. While ransomware is typically associated with desktop computers, it?s fully capable of infecting mobile devices. Therefore, it should be no surprise that cases of mobile-based ransomware have increased nearly four-fold in the past year. According to software security group Kaspersky Lab, their customers in Germany were victimized by mobile ransomware at the highest rate worldwide, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Furthermore, Kaspersky cited that it protected 35,412 mobile users from ransomware between April of 2014 and March of 2015. During the next year, that total surged upwards to a total of 136,532 users protected. Mind you, these totals aren?t factoring in the number of users who fell victim to their attacks, meaning the actual totals of mobile ransomware victims are likely much, much higher. Much like the ransomware that attacks desktop and laptop systems, mobile ransomware infects the victim?s phone–however, rather than encrypting the data contained on the phone, which many users have backed up, ransomware on a mobile device will simply block access to apps and display a note explaining how to pay the demanded ransom. What?s more, many of these mobile ransomwares fight dirty, even by their hacking standards. One particular ransomware originating in Ukraine locks the keys and replaces the home screen with a fraudulent FBI warning and a MoneyPak voucher code. The recipient of such ransomware is someone who (according to the warning) has broken the law by visiting illegal adult-themed websites. The ransomware shows screenshots from said websites included from the user?s browser history, and demands a $500 fine. Besides the repulsive nature of the screenshots, the most terrifying thing is how indiscriminate these attacks are in selecting their victims. All one needs to do is click on the wrong link on their smartphone to be infected. This was proven in 2014, when a 12-year-old girl unintentionally installed some malware that locked her phone. The malware downloaded some very illegal videos and threatened to contact the FBI if she didn?t pay $500. So, how can you defend yourself from mobile ransomware? Update software on a regular basis: Malware and software updates are in a constant race to improve upon themselves, which means that outdated software simply won?t stand up to the more advanced malware. However, if regularly updated, your software stands a much better chance in fighting off an attack. Utilize a cloud-based backup: While not the ideal circumstance, if your cell phone turns out to be beyond saving (without a complete and comprehensive wipe, at least) you will be very happy that your contacts and documents are safe in the cloud. Avoid questionable downloads: Simply put, if you don?t trust the source of a download, don?t download it. Otherwise, you are inviting an attack into your phone. Finally, don?t be afraid to contact the authorities: For this, we return to the 12-year-old girl from before, who ultimately contacted her local authorities to report the malware incident. Even if there is illegal material on your phone, law enforcement members will be able to tell that it?s a plant from ransomware. For more tips on how to avoid threats on all of your devices, contact us at (603) 889-0800.

In a world where businesses either pride themselves on their security solutions or have woefully unsecured networks, you need to understand that one of the most common threats to sensitive corporate data comes from within your organization. User error is the leading cause of data loss and security-related problems, although, it?s important to remember that they often have good intentions that may result in an unfortunate outcome. One way this happens is with what?s called shadow IT. This is the implementation of technology solutions that may not be sanctioned by your organization?s IT department. For example, an employee might choose to download a free antivirus if they see that their workstation?s antivirus software license has expired. Or, if they don?t have a word processing solution, they may look for alternatives on the Internet. While they may have only good intentions when implementing the solution, this can lead to several security discrepancies that could put your data at risk. Another way that this might happen is when an employee is working hard on a project in order to meet a deadline, but the software license expires and they are no longer able to access the tools they need to continue working. Rather than go through the proper channels (especially if IT is bogged down with work, and is unresponsive to urgent requests), the employee might choose to take matters into their own hands and find a solution that works. The employee can now get back to doing their job, but they?ve just implemented shadow IT, which is a major red flag for businesses. When it comes to shadow IT, the primary concern is the source of the solution. Where did the software that your employee found come from? Depending on what exactly they downloaded, it could be a seemingly-benign open-source software from a reputable website. However, if they found it on some ad-encrusted sketchy corner of the Internet, you might be in trouble. Freeware is often exploited by hackers to spread their influence, knowing full well that people will download it and use it, rather than pay for a software license from a reputable vendor. The best way to prevent shadow IT is to control the permissions that you provide for your employees on their workstations. Downloading a new software solution often requires administrator permission, so when you remove these permissions from a workstation, you?re forcing the employee to go through the proper channels when requesting a new software to work with. It also helps to educate your employees on how to use the technology solutions your business has adopted–as another reason why they might choose to use something different could be the fact that they?re unfamiliar using other applications. In general, having a responsive IT department can minimize the trouble that your team has with its IT solutions can be a great deterrent for shadow IT. When they don?t run into hiccups, and they are comfortable using your business?s technology solutions, they won?t feel the need to implement additional solutions that can put your company?s data at risk. To learn more about shadow IT, and the threats that it poses to your business, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.