As reported by ITProPortal, over half of the respondents to a survey by BetterCloud believe that instant messaging will overtake email in the office; an impressive feat, especially considering how commonplace email is in today?s professional environment. However, this also means that businesses need to improve their instant messaging practices if they want to reap the benefits it provides, and to use instant messaging in such a way that it?s not a major workplace distraction. If you want to improve your business?s instant messaging practices, try these tips. Accurately Represent Your Current Online StatusYou need to give your team a proper representation of whether you are currently available or not. If you don?t, they could be wasting valuable time trying to reach out to you when, in reality, you?re nowhere near your computer. Make sure that you change your status to indicate that you?re away from your computer, or logged off for the night; that way, your team can know that they would be better off contacting someone else who is available. If It?s Going to Be a Long Conversation, Try a Different Communication MediumLong IM conversations can waste time, especially if they aren?t particularly relevant to the task at hand. In this case, it?s better to simply pick up the phone and call the person you need to communicate with or arrange for a face-to-face conversation. This way, the details get ironed out and you don?t waste valuable time getting to the point. Plus, emotions are somewhat difficult to express through instant messaging, while voice chat and in-person meetings are easier to get a feel for. If You Have a Short, Specific Request, Try to Put It at the Beginning of the ConversationThere?s no point in drawing out a conversation when all you need to do is ask a question. Doing so isn?t just wasting your time; it?s wasting the recipient?s time too. Be courteous and respectful of your colleagues? time and ask questions as soon as you can. Take Full Advantage of Your IM System?s FeaturesMany instant messaging platforms also allow for several other functions. If you fully take advantage of these features, your team can be more productive with your IM solution. For example, if your system allows for voice chat, using it can be a great way to clear up confusion or explain a particularly difficult concept. If you need to rope in another person, try adding them to the conversation when they need to be there. The idea is to play around with what works and what the limits of your IM system are. This way, you can help your team better understand how to take advantage of the features. By following these best practices, your organization will see a more fruitful use of instant messaging features. What are some of your favorite ways to use instant messaging, and do you have any specific practices that you follow at your organization? We?d love to hear about them. Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for more best practices and tech tips.

NATO has declared that cyberspace qualifies as an area where conflict can occur, (it surprisingly took this long). While many cyber attacks tend to be limited to only data infrastructures, there are plenty of instances where attacks have moved from the cyber realm to the physical world. Some examples include a Ukrainian electrical grid hack from just last year, as well as a supposed Iranian hack of a United States dam control system. In other words, technology systems have the capabilities to cause quite a bit of damage, like blackouts or shutting down critical systems. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a valid observation concerning the decision to add cyberspace to the list of operational domains: ?Cyber defence is part of collective defence. Most crises and conflicts today have a cyber dimension. So treating cyber as an operational domain would enable us to better protect our missions and operations.? Technology has become such a commodity in today?s world that even warfare is assisted by it, through providing access to important data and applications. Networks that are used to deploy this data could be hacked, causing important information to be either lost or stolen; thus, putting real-world lives at risk. Plus, if a hacking attack rendered citizens without heat, electricity, and other necessities, it could redefine what the world thinks of as a war of attrition. NATO plans on securing networks and focusing on helping other countries secure their own. Additionally, NATO wants to help others identify where attacks come from, and what can be done about them. In 2014, NATO changed its policies to allow them to respond to any attacks against nations involved with the organization, so this shows that cyber warfare could potentially become a major factor in ongoing conflicts in the future. Granted, measures that could be put into place are easier to talk about than to actually implement. Cyber security is generally handled on a state level, and while the US and UK have invested heavily in cyber security, other countries tend to think of it as a low priority, or don?t foresee it affecting them in the near future. This decision by NATO should drive the importance of cybersecurity in the workplace, and reaffirm that your organization needs to take a cautious and proactive stance. Additionally, you?ll need to use best practices in order to minimize the risks of working online, as you?ll probably realize far too late that you?ve been infiltrated by hackers. It?s in your best interest to take a preventative stance on network security, regardless of how much risk you feel your business is at. To learn more about IT security, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Security professionals have been at war with hackers ever since the Internet was created, but a recent NATO decision has affirmed the fact that cybersecurity is a real-world problem, and one that needs to be fixed. Just like land, air, and sea, cyberspace has become a battlefield, albeit a very different kind of battlefield. The decision by NATO declares that cyberspace can be defined as an ?operational domain,? which is an area where conflict can occur. There have been some incidents of cyber attacks that have transcended from the cyber realm, to having effects in the physical world, such as the recent Ukrainian electrical grid hack, or the supposed Iranian hack of a United States dam control system. The idea is that hacking attacks can have direct effects, such as causing blackouts or turning off critical systems. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a valid observation concerning the decision to add cyberspace to the list of operational domains: ?Cyber defence is part of collective defence. Most crises and conflicts today have a cyber dimension. So treating cyber as an operational domain would enable us to better protect our missions and operations.? Technology is so prevalent in today?s world that it?s practically impossible to imagine warfare, of any kind, that?s not assisted by it; and where there are technology systems, there are networks that can be hacked and taken advantage of. If data that?s deployed to bases or war zones is inaccurate, lives can be lost, rather than protected. Another example would be hacking critical infrastructure, like with what happened in the Ukraine, which left countless citizens without heat, electricity, and other necessities. In particular, NATO plans on securing its networks and focusing on helping other countries secure theirs, as well as implementing ways to identify where attacks come from, and why. In 2014, NATO changed its policies on cyber attacks to allow NATO to respond in force to any attacks against nations that are involved with the organization, so defining cyberspace as a grounds for conflict shows just how quickly this situation is escalating. Of course, all of this is easier said than done. Cyber security as a whole is still handled primarily on a state level, and while the US and UK plan on investing in cyber security, other countries find that it?s of low priority, or that it?s too far off to consider at this moment. This decision by NATO should reaffirm that your business needs to take a cautious, proactive approach to network security, as well as leverage best practices in order to minimize risk while working online. If your business falls victim to a hacking attack, you?ll realize far too late that the online world is a dangerous place filled to the brim with malicious entities. Therefore, it?s in your best interest to take a preventative approach to network security. White Mountain IT Services can equip your business with the tools needed to keep your IT infrastructure safe. To learn more, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

Click and DragIf you have your files placed in one location, like on your desktop, you can click and drag your mouse to create an boxed area of effect. Any files within this box can be moved through a simple click and drag function. Select the files you want to move, then drag any one of them to the location to move all that are selected. Select the CheckboxesIn Windows 10, you have little checkboxes that you can click to select the individual file. If you have several files that you need to move you can click the checkboxes for all of them, then move just one to move them all. This can save you considerable time and effort. The Click-ShiftYou can select files that are horizontal and adjacent to each other by using the Click-Shift method. Basically, you select the file that you want to move, and then hold down the Shift key while selecting the last one you want to move. Anything in between will be selected. All you have to do is click and drag the files to their new location. Hold CtrlWhen you hold down the Ctrl key, you can click on files that you want to move. Once they?re selected, all you have to do is move them to the appropriate folder. Select All FilesIf you decide that your desktop is much too cluttered, and you need to move everything on it to a new location, the same Select All keyboard shortcut that works in most word processors can be used to select all of your files at once. Just hit Ctrl+A to select all files in your current window, or desktop. Just click and drag them, and you?re all set. Just remember that some of these keyboard shortcuts also work with Mac OS X. All you have to do is substitute the Ctrl key for the Command key, and they should work in generally the same way. Fun Fact: You know how Windows is bundled with Solitaire? No, we aren?t assuming that you are playing it at work. Microsoft decided to bundle their OS with Solitaire as a way to get users more accustomed to dragging and double clicking objects with their mouse. For more great tips and tricks, subscribe to White Mountain IT Services?s blog.

The term ?meme? was originally coined by a British evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. Its official definition is ?an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.? Dawkins initially used it to discuss the way that ideas and values are adopted by people within a society, but an Internet meme is somewhat different from the scientific approach (though the definition certainly suits the way a meme spreads around the Internet). While the evolutionary idea of a meme is based on sporadic and seemingly random change, an Internet meme defies this principle, often as the result of a ?hijacking? of the original intended purpose of the image or video that is the subject of the meme. To put it in simpler terms, think of it this way. Internet memes often take the form of popular images that were originally used somewhere else, like in popular culture, TV shows, etc. For example, the ?Futurama Fry? meme takes a silly image of the show?s protagonist in deep thought, and uses it to explain confusion or indecision. Another example is the ?Matrix Morpheus? meme, which uses an image of Morpheus from The Matrix to discuss a revelation that, according to KnowYourMeme, ?belittles futile or petty behavior.? In fact, some memes are funny just because they aren?t funny. Take, for example, the ?Anti-Joke Chicken? meme, which tells the beginning of a joke, and ends with a rather obvious statement, something that makes logical sense, or something completely unexpected. (It?s funny because it?s not funny) Makings memes for your business isn?t difficult, and it?s free. There are many meme generators online that you can use to make memes. In order to effectively use memes for your business (or just pass them amongst your coworkers), keep the following rules in mind: Stay relevant to your goods or services: If you want to use memes, you need to first figure out what theme you want it to follow. It should be aligned with the services that you offer. Use the right image: Once you?ve figured out the theme for your meme, you can proceed to find the right image for it. We recommend doing some research and looking at examples of previously existing memes, but be warned; the Internet has many memes, some of which may be offensive. Keep the audience in mind: Your memes should appeal to your target audience, especially if that audience consists of young people that frequent the Internet. Be funny: At their very core, memes are meant to be funny and humorous. If they aren?t, you?re not doing it right. Share it on social media: The point of a meme is to bring light-hearted attention to your brand and to be shared. You can do both by exposing it to many followers on social media. For an example of how you might apply a meme to the real world, we?ve made this one using the ?Disaster Girl? meme character: Two things to note: 1) Get your point across by finding a meme that?s relevant to your goods and services, and 2) Use an odd combination of humor and terror to inspire action from the viewer. If you came across this on a social media page, would you snicker and give it a […]