Here are four ways that mobility trends have infiltrated the enterprise environment, and why your business can (and should) apply them to its own technology strategy. Doing so keeps you one step ahead of the curb on this important industry topic: Security is important: Regardless of what types of devices your business uses, it?s primarily how they access data that you need to be concerned with. Data security is crucial, especially for mobile devices that may be connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots while out of the office. A virtual private network, or VPN, is a valid choice to mitigate the risk associated with potentially dangerous connections, while a mobile device management solution can allow you to restrict access to sensitive corporate information on a per-user and per-application basis. Increased focus on the cloud: The cloud lets your business store data and applications in an online environment, where they can be accessed from any location with an Internet connection. This makes collaboration and communication much easier, as no matter where your employees are, they can connect to your base of operations and access the resources they need to do their jobs. The convergence of desktop and mobile: Windows 10, Microsoft?s latest operating system, was an attempt by the software giant to create an OS and applications that work on a myriad of different devices, be it a desktop workstation, or a smartphone. This suggests that solutions that work on a universal level can improve the productivity and flexibility of a workplace. After all, you can get more done with a full version of an app built for a smartphone than you would with a watered-down version. Regulation and oversight are critical: Your business needs control of its data if you want to thrive. Mobile devices might have the benefit of flexibility, but you need to ensure that users can be held accountable for their actions – including how and why they use sensitive corporate data. In most cases, it?s important to restrict access to data in order to protect it from those who have no business viewing it. There?s certainly a lot to consider when implementing mobile technology solutions, but you don?t have to do it alone. White Mountain IT Services can help your team make an educated decision about how to use mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops, to their advantage. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

The DBIR has its own system of outlining breach types that divide events and incidents into nine categories. Information-based companies appeared predominantly in four of them, with helpful tricks to prevent such breaches from happening again. Crimeware: Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the industries crimeware targeted most was the information industry, with the DBIR citing a rise in ransomware (39 percent of all analyzed attacks in 2015 involved ransomware). While the scope the DBIR funnels under the Crimeware title is fairly large (?This covers any use of malware that doesn?t fall into a more specific pattern?), this by no means cheapens the risks – it arguably compounds them, as it only goes to show how many pieces of crimeware exist. To defend against them, the DBIR recommends frequent patches and backups as well as monitoring changes to configurations. Web App Attacks: Considering that 95 percent of web app attacks were financially motivated in their reports, it?s no surprise that e-commerce platforms were among the most targeted by these intrusions. These attacks are often the result of a successful phishing campaign or the infiltration of a vulnerable site. The other side of web app attacks, content management system breaches, saw plenty of digital graffiti and the repurposing of infiltrated sites as phishing sites. To avoid this kind of breach, the DBIR again recommends timely patches to remove vulnerabilities, as well as utilizing two-factor authentication and input monitoring. Cyber-espionage: Usually hunting for intellectual property, cyber-espionage attacks prefer sticking to tried-and-true methods of breaching networks, only utilizing more sophisticated methods if the simple ones don?t work. Therefore, at least in this case, basic protections may be enough to divert many of these attacks, and should not be bypassed in favor of more specialized protection. As far as avoiding issues further, keeping patches up-to-date and monitoring changes to configurations will help monumentally, as will isolating compromised devices and separating them from the rest of your network. Miscellaneous Errors: This category took all of the ?Whoops!? issues that lead to compromised security into one bundle to deal with them. While Verizon reports that 40 percent of them were caused by a server issue, many others were triggered by employee mistakes – a full 26 percent included sending a message filled with sensitive data to the wrong recipient. The DBIR suggests strengthened controls on your network as a possible way to keep away from errors, such as data loss prevention software to lock down sensitive info. Additionally, Verizon recommends thorough disposal procedures to any aged-out equipment, as well as to stay focused and learn from the mistakes from your past. Helpful information, certainly, with all that and more being available for free download at the Verizon Enterprise webpage. But big picture – what takeaway can you not afford to leave on the table? Ultimately, an overwhelming percentage of incidents reported in the DBIR pointed blame, or at least prime responsibility, for many of the errors that led to security breaches to one thing: human error. Between the willingness to exploit the natural fallacies of human nature by cyber criminals and the human tendency to make mistakes independently, human beings are placed solidly as the weakest link in any cyber security chain. So, if humans are the problem, what is the solution? In short, vigilance. Strongly enforce best […]

Virtual DesktopsHave you ever used a virtual desktop before? Basically, it lets you open up multiple desktops on your machine, which can be used for different things. This is helpful if you want to spread out your use of apps and windows, rather than cram them onto one desktop screen. To open a new virtual desktop, click the Task View icon next to the Cortana search bar in the taskbar. Then, select the New desktop feature in the right corner of the screen. If you want to move an app to a different virtual desktop, just click it and drag it like you would a file. Advanced ScreenshotsIn Windows 10, you can take screenshots quickly and efficiently. One shortcut that you can use is to hold down the Windows key and press Prt Scn. This will capture the entire screen and place the file in a Screenshots folder. Alternatively, you can use Alt + Prt Scn to copy the screenshot to your clipboard, for use in an image editor. You can then use Windows 10?s built-in Snipping Tool to customize your screenshot. We want to add that this is particularly useful for communicating with tech support, as more often than not, a visual representation of what?s happening on your screen can be beneficial toward resolving whatever your problem is. Record Your ScreenWindows 10?s new Xbox app allows users to record their screen, perhaps to give a tutorial or simply to record whatever you?re doing for later review. Launch the Xbox app and open the app that you?d like to record. Once you?ve done that, all you have to do is press Windows + G. You?ll be shown the message, ?Do you want to open the Game bar?? Check the ?Yes, this is a game? option, and hit the record button. Whether it?s a game or not is irrelevant; it?s just a cheap and easy way to record something on your computer. Battery SaverIf you?re using a Windows 10 laptop or tablet, you can customize when the Battery saver mode turns on. Normally, it will kick on once the battery has reached 20 percent, but you can set your own preference. To do so, go through Settings > System > Battery saver. If you can?t take advantage of these Windows 10 features because you don?t yet have Windows 10, we want to remind you that it?s not too late to claim your free version from Microsoft. You have until July 29, 2016 to claim it, but only do so if you?ve already thought about the migration process. Otherwise, you could accidentally bring about downtime and incompatibility with legacy applications. By using these four tips, you can take full advantage of Windows 10 and perhaps even take advantage of your operating system in new and unprecedented ways. What are some of your favorite Windows 10 features? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for more great tips and tricks.