The reason we say ?tested? and not ?used? is because IT departments want a chance to test the operating system for use with mission-critical applications and software before deploying the operating system to their entire infrastructure. According to Spiceworks, 18 percent of businesses are testing Windows 10 for use with their organization, while only 9.3 percent of businesses were testing Windows 8 when it was released. Considering the fact that 94 percent of IT executives are interested in Windows 10, this makes sense. It?s only a matter of time until it?s adopted by businesses all over the world, and these organizations are doing the smart thing by making sure that Windows 10 doesn?t break their operations. According to Spiceworks, there are several combined conveniences that can be attributed to the increased interest in Windows 10. Here are just a few of them: Windows 10 is a free upgrade: Microsoft has been pushing Windows 10 hard, citing the fact that it?s a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 and 8.1. This gives businesses the opportunity to test it on a single computer without putting the entire infrastructure on the line. Familiar features have returned: Windows 8 had a slick Metro-filed user interface that removed the Start menu, confusing many longtime Windows users. The Start menu makes its triumphant return in Windows 10. This might seem like a trivial thing to be excited about, but it?s great nonetheless. Windows 10 requires less training: Windows 8, while not that fundamentally different from previous Windows operating systems, felt a bit strange for some users, and required some training with the new tiled Start menu and the Search app. Windows 10 is more of a traditional operating system interface, which means less time that your organization has to spend on training. If you?re not yet using Windows 10, you should consider doing so. It might have features that can help your business be more productive. However, you don?t want to make the jump to Windows 10 without first assessing your business?s needs. If you upgrade without checking your compatibility with your legacy applications and software, you can potentially fall victim to unnecessary downtime. By first assessing your business?s needs, you can avoid wasting time and resources. Our trusted professionals have the skills necessary for helping you upgrade to Windows 10 with minimal consequence. For more information, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800.

The Bitglass experimentRecently, Bitglass came out with a report showing what happens when your login is stolen. Their research team made-up a digital profile, including a Google Drive account and a bank portal, for a fictional bank employee. They then leaked the login data into the Dark Web; a watermark on each file allowed Bitglass to track what happened to these pieces of information. Within a relatively short amount of time, hundreds of people from around the world viewed the login credentials. Most of the hackers who accessed the Google Drive account and bank portal were savvy enough to mask their IP addresses. The vast majority of hackers tried the login credentials on other accounts, counting on the fact that the fictional bank employee would use the same information across sites. Many also downloaded various files – sometimes indiscriminately, other times targeting files that seemed to contain sensitive information. Another alarming development showed how the login credentials lingered, with people revisiting them. Months after the initial leak, hackers appeared to take interest in the data once more, and there was another flurry of activity. Once your sensitive data is out there, cyber criminals can find all kinds of ways to exploit it. You, and the people in your professional and social network, remain exposed and vulnerable.How can your login credentials get stolen? There are a number of ways hackers and scammers can obtain your username and password, including the following:?    Your password is easy to guess or you have shared it with people.?    Hackers correctly guess the answers to password recovery questions.?    Malware has gotten on your computing device and has tracked keystrokes, including what you enter into web forms.?    You fell victim to a phishing scam, providing your credentials to an impersonator or entering them into a fraudulent website (for example, a site that closely resembles the one for your bank).?    Cyber criminals have gained access to your unattended computing device. Strong login protectionAs mentioned in the Bitglass Report, there are a number of strategies for keeping your login credentials safe. These include choosing strong passwords, using multi-factor authentication, and not using the same login credentials for all of your accounts.You should set up ways to monitor your accounts and receive alerts for suspicious activities – for example, if your account gets hit with multiple login attempts from different countries. Furthermore, if you suspect that one of your accounts is compromised, you should act immediately, notifying people, tracking account-related activities and changing your login credentials. It’s also important to keep an eye on your computing devices and not leave them unattended. In addition to guarding against physical theft, you should protect each device as best as possible with anti-malware programs and firewalls. To further discuss the security of your login credentials, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re fully aware of what can happen to your login information once it’s stolen. We’ll help you consistently protect your sensitive data and remain vigilant against data theft.

Here are four ways that cloud computing is changing the way that businesses function. Data StorageThe cloud?s primary function for many organizations is that of data storage and deployment. Businesses like the ability to store their information in secure, off-site locations, and the cloud?s added ability to access information via the Internet makes it a great alternative to storing data in remote data centers. Storing data in the cloud allows any employee who?s using an approved device to access mission-critical information, which gives them more flexibility than simply working in the office. Application DeploymentYour team needs access to various applications and software solutions on a daily basis. If they lose access to these programs, their productivity can suffer and so too will your bottom line. By using the cloud as a deployment option for your mission-critical applications, your team can access the software they need to perform their daily duties anywhere with an Internet connection. This opens up all sorts of opportunities for cost savings, including providing them with the ability to work from anywhere. VirtualizationBusinesses that take advantage of the cloud can leverage virtualization benefits to their advantage. When we say virtualization, we?re talking about the abstraction of IT resources, like servers and desktops, and storing them in the cloud for deployment. Virtualizing IT resources removes the physical cost of operating this equipment, allowing you to save on operational costs and dodge hardware failure. This is a pretty broad capability with a lot of uses. For example, you can deploy all of your users? desktops virtually from the cloud so you don?t need to rely on the hardware the user is using. Simply dial into your company cloud and access all of your applications and data on virtually any Internet connected device. Backup and Disaster RecoveryThe cloud is a critical part of a proper backup and disaster recovery solution. The BDR device takes multiple snapshots of your business?s data, and then sends the copies to both a secure, off-site data center, and to the cloud for easy deployment and access. The BDR device can then take the place of your server temporarily while you find a more permanent solution. The cloud is what allows BDR to work, as the restored data is deployed to the BDR device via the cloud. As you can see, the cloud has a myriad of great uses for the SMB market. Depending on your business?s specific needs for data control, you?ll want to implement either a public, private, or hybrid cloud solution. White Mountain IT Services can help your business get the most out of your cloud solution. For more information about the options that are available to, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

Probably the most attractive feature of Google Chromecast is that it essentially turns any compatible screen into a smart TV, allowing you to utilize popular apps via your smartphone or desktop that?s equipped with Chromecast capabilities. Here are five of the best Google Chromecast features that new users will want to take advantage of. Stream music: If you?re already using popular music streaming apps like Spotify and Pandora, then you?re going to love having the ability to cast your favorite songs on the big screen. What?s more, if your television is equipped with a rockin? sound system, then you can get rid of that bulky CD and record player and replace them both with Google Chromecast. Stream video: The video watching options for Google Chromecast are as vast as there are ways to digitally watch a video. Some of the more popular uses for watching video via Chromecast are by utilizing apps like YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix. Basically, if your computer can play a video, you can cast it on your TV. View pictures: With Chromecast, you can turn your TV into a screensaver that cycles through HD photos. This is a sure way to enhance any room. Google Chrome actually has an app specifically designed for this purpose which taps into thousands of photo libraries ranging from NASA, 500x, and even your own! Mirror your device?s browser: With Chromecast, whatever is going on in Chrome can easily be casted to your TV. This feature has the potential to really enhance office presentations. Additionally, it?s easy for multiple users to take control of the big screen by casting what?s on their device, which can help someone explain their point at an office meeting. Use VideoStream: One handy app made for Chromecast is VideoStream. This is a super easy way to drag video files to your Chrome browser and play them on your Chromecast-connected TV. Every serious Chromecast user will want to download this free app. Actually, these five Google Chromecast features are just the beginning of what this little device can do. There are several apps designed specifically for it and they?re worth exploring if you get the chance. Do you use Google Chromecast? What are your favorite uses for this fantastic product? Sound off in the comments.

Google, with its seemingly limitless funding, can, of course, provide their employees with every imaginable benefit under the sun. Take for example just some these perks Google provides their staff (aka, ?Googlers?), as reported by Inc. The free gourmet food and snacks are never-ending. Googlers at the Mountain View campus get a free ride to and from work. The TechStop helps Googlers stay plugged in with 24-7 tech support. Free “massage credits.” New parents get the break they deserve. New dads receive six weeks of paid leave, and moms can take 18 weeks, and employees’ stock continues to vest (and they continue to receive bonuses) while they are on leave. If a Googler passes away while working there, all their stock vests immediately, and, on top of the life insurance payout, their surviving spouse continues to get half of the Googler’s salary for the next 10 years. Employees get free fitness classes, gym access, and are encouraged to participate in organized intramural sports. Google employees can get extended time off to follow their passions. Due to the sobering fact that you?re not Google, let?s face it, sometimes money is tight and you as a business owner must make the hard choice of what to cut in order to make payroll. In trying times like these, before you lay anybody off, you?ll first want to attempt to save money by making cuts to perks that may be draining your budget. While nobody enjoys making cuts, sometimes cuts are necessary in order to get a handle on out-of-control expenses and to better allocate resources. Ask yourself, ?Can your business do without perks such as these?? Company PartiesBusinesses have a reputation for knowing how to throw some pretty extravagant company parties. Take for example Yahoo?s $7 million ?Great Gatsby? themed party thrown last December. What makes such a party outrageous and newsworthy isn?t so much the price tag; it?s the fact that Yahoo recently laid off 15 percent of its staff after posting massive losses. For an employee who just watched their peers lose their jobs due to ?budget cuts,? moves like this can be maddening. This, in turn, will sink employee morale, which is the complete opposite of what a company is trying to accomplish by throwing a party. An alternative option: Instead of dropping huge sums of cash to rent out a yacht and party bus, keep it simple. You can still have a party, but many of your employees will have just as much fun at a small gathering with punch and pizza, or even a potluck event. Free Food and SnacksIt?s well known that providing employees with food makes the office a much more pleasant place to work at. However, when money gets tight and you start feeding your staff excuses that you can?t afford raises along with food, then even the most tasty of meals will lose its flavor. As great as free food is, at the end of the day, most employees would prefer a raise and/or keeping their job. High Executive SalariesThere?s just something inherently wrong about a company executive who cuts jobs citing budget concerns while giving themselves a fat raise. Take for example Viacom?s CEO Philippe Dauman who recently gave himself a board-approved raise of 22 percent (which translates to a cool $54.2 million per […]