Making the Most of Microsoft Lists

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If you have Microsoft 365 but aren’t using Microsoft Lists, you could be missing out. This useful feature, which is included with your 365 subscription, helps businesses work more efficiently.

Lists is a productivity feature on Microsoft 365 (MS365), formerly Microsoft Office. This app is a more recent addition to the MS365 app store, so you may have missed it. This article shares some advantages of this tracking and work management app.

An upgrade of SharePoint lists, which has been with MS365 all along, Lists integrates with Microsoft Teams. This means Lists help you collaborate and cooperate better. In fact, all users in a Teams channel with a List can access and edit that List without leaving Teams.

With Lists, you can create, distribute, and track data in a configurable way. Yes, it is good for helping you make a simple list of, say, things to do, but you can do much more with Lists.

Added functionality of Lists

Lists comes with templates to get you started quickly. You can also configure the lists to suit your specific business needs. Plus, you can set the lists to display in the way that works best for you. Maybe you want to look at Lists as a calendar, a grid, a gallery, or in a custom view. You can do that but in real-time, with everyone using that list getting the same updated data when they’re logged in.

In Lists, you set up tables of information to track extensive amounts of data. For example, you might track a project in Microsoft Lists by adding all the tasks to a List. You could add columns for the person responsible, task status, project priority, and more. You can also use colors within the List to help sort information more easily.

Additionally, since Lists is part of MS365, you can use Lists wherever and on whichever device you access the software. You can also integrate Lists with other powerful tools on the MS365 platform. You might extend forms with Power Apps or customize workflows with Power Automate. With automation, you get even more from your Lists.

Taking advantage of Lists

There are many business applications with Lists. Besides project management, you might organize an event itinerary and speaker info in a List, or track assets, or manage a new employee onboarding checklist. If you have an idea of something you want to create, configure, watch, and share, you can probably do it within Lists.

Lists is a default feature in MS365 Teams, but you can switch it on or off in the Teams admin center at any time. You can even permit or ban certain users from Lists.

If you’re not yet using MS365, our IT gurus can help you get started. If you’re on the platform already, let our experts help you get the most you can from your license. Call us today at (515)422-1995.

Changing Your Email? A Checklist

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Changing your email is never fun, but it can be necessary. When you need to make a change, there are several things you need to consider. Follow this checklist to ensure you don’t lose data, keep up with your old contacts, and avoid security risks.

There are many reasons someone might decide to endure changing their email address. These include:

  • losing access to the old one and not being able to recover that account;
  • changing your internet service provider (ISP);
  • having to stop using a professional email for personal messages too;
  • falling victim of identity theft;
  • deciding to give yourself a more professional email by changing your address from yourbusiness@yahoo.com to you@yourbusiness.com;
  • not feeling as proud of your hotbabycakes@hotmail.com address now that you’re above the age of 14.

Whatever prompts your move, try these tips to avoid missing mail and risking account compromise.

Notify your contacts of the change

You will probably be amazed at the number of people you have in your contacts folder. Still, you can make the change easier by letting your friends and family know that you have a new email address.

When you send out a message to your contacts, respect people’s privacy. Send your update with their names in the blind carbon copy (BCC) line.

Migrate your old inbox

Most domain providers make it simple for you to migrate your old emails and contacts. Once you set up the new account, you’ll typically be able to go into Settings and find an option to import your old data. You may have to migrate the inbox and the contacts separately.

Don’t move on too quickly

You may be ready to move on, but don’t delete that old email address too soon. It’s a common mistake. Instead, try to hold onto your old email as long as possible. You don’t have to continue using it, but if you still have access, you can:

  • set up forwarding so that any emails to your old address will go to your new one;
  • see what emails are still coming to identify accounts you might have forgotten to change.

Inventory all accounts using that address

Use a password manager? We recommend its convenience. Plus, you can search there for accounts using the old address. The password manager can be a landing page for you to jump to all those accounts and make the necessary changes.

Inspect your trash and old emails

To help you think of other sites connected to the old email address, review your trash and sent emails.

Think also of accounts that may use that email address for recovery. For instance, you may have set the old account as a backup for PayPal, online banking, or streaming services. If you don’t change the recovery address, you might have difficulty regaining access to that account.

You might wonder why you should bother doing this. If you don’t, someone could claim your old account and gain access to your connected accounts. If you press a recover password link on a banking site, for instance, that email will go to that person instead of to you!

Get help making the email move

The many little things to take care of when you change your email can make this a big deal. Our IT experts are here to help. We can set you up for simple, secure email communications in the future. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

How Secure is Cloud Data?

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Data security is a common concern when migrating to the cloud. When data is on-premises, the business secures the sensitive data, and that feels safer. But that isn’t always the case. In fact, data can be safer in the cloud than on-site at your business.

When you put together your business infrastructure, you have many business priorities. Securely storing data is only one of your objectives and could even be one that you added on later.

A cloud services provider builds from the ground up with the goal of securing data online. Thus, cloud companies typically offer far more robust cybersecurity measures. After all, the success of Dropbox or Amazon Web Services depends on securing cloud data.

A hacker can use malware or phishing emails to target the data on your business devices. With ransomware, they make it impossible to reach your data unless you pay a ransom (or have a good data backup). Yet these cyberattacks don’t work in the cloud. Bad actors might access what’s stored on an individual user’s device, but they can’t get to the larger trove of data online.

Cloud servers are also safer because they’re in data warehouses most workers can’t physically access. Plus, the service providers will usually set up redundancies. So, for example, if a natural disaster hits one server site, they will offer continued access from another site.

Some cloud service vendors will also invest in third-party testing. To keep data safe, they hire external companies to test for vulnerabilities.

More reasons cloud data is safe

Cloud data is encrypted not only in storage but usually also in transit to and from the servers. This means your information is scrambled, and a bad actor getting between your business and its cloud data can’t understand it.

Cloud service providers also regularly monitor and maintain security. They spend more resources ensuring systems are up to date. They’re also more likely to use data analytics to identify trends or threats to their security. You might do the same, but you are unlikely to do so on the same scale.

Another advantage of keeping your data in the cloud? When you move to the cloud, you no longer have to store all that data on your own hardware. You still have access to your documents, media, or reports, but the third-party provider will likely have more storage space and processing speed. So, your on-site technology may function better, too.

You’re also cutting out common cybersecurity risks. You don’t have to risk storing data on laptops, which can get lost or stolen. You also end the need for thumb drives (or USB drives), which can also be stolen or lost. Plugging in these external devices can also expose you to viruses or other risks.

How to secure data in the cloud

First off, encrypt your data. Make sure you contract with a provider who will encrypt data in transit. This makes it more difficult for hackers to get at your information.

Enabling multi-factor authentication can also help secure data by adding layers of rigor. It moves your data security beyond just asking for a username and password. We know all too well that those are often compromised or guessed.

When you move your data to the cloud, you will need to pay attention to compliance regulations. Depending on your industry, there may be particular standards for data storage. Encryption is a common compliance expectation.

It’s also a good idea to train your employees on the importance of securing data. Engaging in ongoing security awareness training can help protect your endpoints. This is particularly important with people working remotely and connecting from off-site locations.

Help with securing your cloud data

Migrating to the cloud has its benefits. Still, that doesn’t make it a straightforward process. Work with our IT experts to move your data to the cloud with minimal disruption. We can help you find the right cloud service provider and assist with data backup processes. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

What is Digital Friction, and What to Do About It?

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No one wants to work harder than they have to. Digital transformation is one way businesses can make employees’ lives easier. Yet simply increasing the amount of technology isn’t the answer. Digital friction can actually make the workday more challenging. Read on to learn more about digital friction, its demotivating force, and how to avoid it.

Digital friction describes added challenges employees face trying to work with business technology. As businesses add more digital tools, teams must adapt to a more complex ecosystem, but problems can arise:

  • Technology isn’t integrated, so there are now more steps to follow.
  • Workflows grow more complicated, as there are several digital solutions to navigate.
  • Employees are overwhelmed with notifications tracking, managing, and monitoring digital workflows.
  • New approaches create or duplicate manual processes.
  • Employees become overloaded with information thanks to the many new collaborative, digital tools.

Any of these issues is counterproductive to digital transformation. The idea behind adding new digital solutions is to streamline and simplify, but if you’re complicating the work environment, you’ll undermine productivity. You aren’t helping employee engagement and morale either. Your people grow frustrated with your fresh expectations.

Sources of digital friction

When you install new tech, you intend to save time, reduce effort, and improve productivity, but the best intentions don’t avoid digital friction. If you’re going to install digital technologies be wary of these problems:

  • Poor understanding of workflow. If you don’t understand what is happening now, you can’t effectively install digital processes.
  • Inconsistent workflows. When employees approach processes differently, there will be friction on new, digital solutions.
  • Poor-quality data. Digital technology relies on data. A major source of digital friction is low-quality data. Employees spend too much time locating, validating, and formatting data to see benefits.
  • Lack of understanding of a solution’s impact. Investing in tech for the sake of “going digital” is not setting employees up for success. You need to know what the technology can do and how it will impact employees’ daily work.

What to do about digital friction

Before even adding technology, consult with your employees. Learn their pain points and what they want from a digital solution. Find out how they are doing their jobs today. Then, you can work with an IT consultant to determine which digital offerings will add value.

Look for opportunities to integrate your digital technology. Help employees avoid information overload and being constantly pinged and notified. Take stock of all the apps and software you’re using. Identify where you are duplicating processes, especially manual ones. Ferret out the places where your people are having to work harder to do their jobs. Know that data quality is a prime culprit.

Make decisions about new digital technology based on outcomes. What do you want the software to do? How will it be used and managed? Be sure you know how this new tool you’re offering is going to help people if you want them to embrace the change.

Simplify access by ensuring employees have a positive user experience. With more employees working remotely or hybrid, they need to do their jobs on a wider range of devices.

Need help cutting digital friction? Our technology-agnostic IT experts can identify problems and increase productivity. We can also consult on legacy tech and data migration to support digital transformation success. Call us today at (515)422-1995.

What Internet Explorer’s Retirement Means for You

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There was no big retirement party; no one got a watch or engraved memorabilia. Yet Microsoft retired Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022. It was a long time coming, but you still may not be prepared for what that decision means for you.

Internet Explorer could be your go-to. It’s been around since 1995 and was the gateway to online browsing for millions of people globally. But, as Microsoft announced, “the web has evolved and so have browsers. Incremental improvements to Internet Explorer couldn’t match the general improvements to the Web at large.”

Microsoft wants people to switch to its Edge browser instead. Expect to see a redirect screen asking you to make the switch. The company will automatically transfer favorites, passwords, history, cookies, and other data from Explorer to Edge.

For Internet Explorer loyalists, Microsoft Edge even comes with an IE mode that allows you to enjoy Internet Explorer-specific features and a modern browser experience on Windows. It also acknowledges that some websites built with older internet technology work only with Internet Explorer.

Alternatively, you might switch to other software. Google Chrome has grown substantially since its introduction in 2008. Today, it has 77% of the market share. Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge take up the next three spots.

Why you can’t keep using Internet Explorer

When software is retired or reaches the end of its life, the manufacturer no longer supports it. That means if you continue to rely on Internet Explorer, you could put yourself at risk.

As Internet Explorer is “out of support,” Microsoft is no longer securing the browser. If there are vulnerabilities, there will be no patches released. If there are bugs, there will be no updates.

At the same time, hackers know people don’t like change. They see an opportunity whenever software is retired. If you stick to Internet Explorer, you won’t have any help keeping passwords and other data secure.

You could also experience conflicts with your computer hardware or software. Internet Explorer is outdated, and Microsoft knows it. Trying to keep it could mean a reduced user experience. It’s a little like sticking with a soup-can telephone when you could be on a smartphone.

What’s the next step?

Eventually, Internet Explorer will be permanently disabled. That’s for a future Windows update. When that happens, you’ll no longer even see the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop or other devices.

Still, you don’t want to wait that long to move to another browser solution. Hackers are already searching for ways to exploit the application, and security risks will grow.

Microsoft has committed to supporting the IE mode in Edge until at least 2029, so moving to Edge could be the easiest solution. You don’t even need to wait for the redirect message: you can click on the Microsoft Edge icon on your Windows device and begin there.

If you want to transition your browser or decide on the best software to suit your needs, try our IT experts. We’re here to help. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

Automated Data Backups Still Need Management

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Your business is backing up its data in case of a cyberattack or other disastrous disruption. Yes, you can pat yourself on the back for that, but don’t get too complacent with backing up. Automated backup still needs monitoring and management.

Having decided to back up data, you may feel confident you can withstand an attack or recover from unexpected downtime. But if you simply trust the backup to run at a certain time, you might be surprised. Automated backups can make the job easier. Still, you should be monitoring these backups and checking them, too. There’s nothing worse than finding out months later that something went wrong with your automated backup.

Why you need to monitor backup

A technician can set an automated backup to run on a set schedule. They select a time that causes the least interruption while ensuring up-to-date data. Yet this is too important a process to leave unattended.

Things change. The automated backup is set up for the technology configuration when originally installed. A lot can happen in the meantime as the IT environment evolves.

Blindly trusting automated backup could leave you unaware of problems such as:

  • an unplugged backup device;
  • an altered device letter, which means it isn’t found;
  • moved folders;
  • software updates that might have changed what needs to be done and how;
  • the original plan not accounting for new servers or migration from on-premises to the cloud;
  • insufficient capacity for the backup.

If no one is monitoring that backup, your business could assume it went smoothly. Then, when you need that backup, you could find out the hard way it didn’t go as planned.

Keeping an eye on automated backup

It’s not that you can’t automate backup, and there is convenience in doing so. Automating the backup of a computer, network, or IT environment can save time and money.

Yet you need someone to pay attention. Monitoring backups ensures that the process is running smoothly.

A managed service provider (MSP) will take a hands-on approach to your automated backups. If there is a failure, they have the skills to address the issue quickly and alert you of any bigger issues. Plus, with an MSP in your corner, you gain IT experts skilled at data recovery, too.

The MSP’s techs can even run data-restore drills, helping you to prepare for challenges such as ransomware attacks or accidental data deletion.

Process automation helps businesses, but don’t rely on it unattended. Optimize data backup by adding a human element. An MSP can ensure quality and fully protect your business. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

“Save Me the Money”: Why Work with an MSP

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The pandemic, a supply-chain crisis, and rising inflation are impacting the economy. In this current climate, your business may be budgeting with caution, and you might question the value of partnering with a managed service provider (MSP). Yet as counterintuitive as it may seem, adding MSP services could save you money overall.

The right MSP supports your business efficiency. You can also cut costs and get more from your IT investment. At the same time, you gain a partner to provide IT monitoring and maintenance. This can help avoid costly downtime and lost productivity from unexpected IT disruptions. Instead of reacting to problems, the MSP proactively manages your tech to ensure it meets your evolving needs.

One of the first things an MSP will do is get an overview of your business technology environment. The MSP can identify savings with an objective view of systems, software, and hardware. The MSP often lowers IT overheads by looking at all bills and subscriptions to find duplicates and the right fit for your plans. The MSP has provider relationships to draw upon and can help find the right solution at the right price. Unlike software salespeople, there’s no advantage in an MSP attempting to sell you more than you need.

Affordable IT expertise

With an MSP, you also avoid the effort and expense of recruiting, retaining, and training your own IT staff. Bringing in an IT team is increasingly expensive. Demand for such talent is high, and the labor market is tight. But with an MSP, you gain access to tech talent that has a breadth of experience, plus, the MSP is doing the hiring and HR for those experts.

Already have IT people on-site? Keep them happier by giving them challenging projects and inviting them to innovate. They can be contributing to your bottom line while the MSP’s team takes on the routine, mundane IT tasks.

Further, an MSP helps you scale without the challenges of bringing in more IT help or having to let valued staff go. An MSP can help your business migrate to the cloud, where you can grow tech capabilities without having to invest in more staff or systems. If market pressures make scaling back makes sense, you can also do that easily in the cloud with an MSP’s help.

Cost-effective IT solutions with MSPs

The MSP’s goal is to solve your tech problems. Success is boosting business efficiency and finding cost-effective IT solutions. Taking a proactive approach to IT, MSP experts can also cut cybersecurity risk, or, if the worst does happen, they can have plans in place to help your business get back up and running quickly. That can help you save money, too.

Find out more about the value of investing in MSP services. Contact us today at (515)422-1995!

Beyond the Ransom: Dealing with Ransomware’s Aftermath

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Ransomware is on the rise. The estimated 304 million worldwide attacks in 2020 represented a 64% increase. These attacks are growing more costly, too. Ransomware payouts jumped 171% from 2019 to 2020. For businesses in any industry, ransomware is a real threat, and recovery is more taxing than you might think.

With ransomware, bad actors infiltrate your devices or systems and encrypt your files. They demand a ransom in exchange for the decryption key that lets you get back to work. This type of cyberattack is always evolving. If you haven’t been compromised yet, you may want to think of it as only a matter of time.

What to do About Ransomware

There are many ways to cut your risk of becoming a victim of a ransomware attack. These include:

  • educating your employees in security awareness;
  • securing email gateways;
  • limiting remote access;
  • using multi-factor authentication;
  • monitoring remote access points;
  • keeping up with cybersecurity to identify threats.

You’ll also want to install antivirus protection and keep your software patched and up to date.

Maintaining encrypted backups offline can also offer reassurance that you can recover from a ransomware attack.

Recovering from a Ransomware Attack

Protection is essential, but that’s not going to stop the attackers from trying to infect your systems. If your business is compromised, you’ll have to decide whether or not to pay the ransom to unlock your data.

Yet “to pay or not to pay” is not the only consideration when it comes to recovering from a ransomware attack.

First, you need to get to the bottom of the attack and learn how the malware was deployed. Attackers may have used a phishing strategy or exploited weak remote access controls. Find out where they got in and how they moved within your system.

You’ll want to report what you know about ransomware to law-enforcement agencies. If you are in an industry with compliance regulations, you may need to report there, as well. Acknowledging the ransomware may hurt your business reputation, you can at least help others learn about new threats.

You may also need to contact your clients, depending on the laws in your country. You will need to tell them about the hack and what data was released (if any). You might also warn them against opening emails from your business, as they could be compromised.

After the initial steps of recovery, you’ll also need to hunt for any malware remnants on your systems. The ransomware is the final payload, but the attackers would have used a delivery mechanism such as Trickbot, Emotet, or Qakbot. If you don’t discover this malware and get rid of it, you could be a victim of ransomware again.

MSPs Help Combat Ransomware

Managed service providers can support your cybersecurity efforts. They can monitor your systems and keep patches and antivirus software current. They can also manage the backups which are key to a successful recovery. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

“Help, I dropped my laptop!” Now What?

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Dropping your laptop is not a good idea. Trust us: this is not a statement you want to test. Still, it can happen. Typically, this happens in painful slow motion where the laptop is just out of your reach to recover it in time. Dropping a laptop doesn’t always lead to damage, but it will depend on several factors. Learn more about this common concern.

What happens to your laptop if it is dropped will depend on different considerations:

  • how hard and far it fell;
  • what kind of surface it fell onto;
  • whether it was running at the time of the fall;
  • the laptop model;
  • whether you have a mechanical hard drive or a solid-state drive;

Drop a laptop from a footstool onto a thick plush carpet and you might not see any damage. Push that same laptop off a kitchen island onto a hard tile floor, and it might be completely destroyed.

Buying a protective cover for your laptop can help prevent damage. You can also get a screen protector. Another good idea is to be wary of where you put your laptop down. Don’t put it in high-traffic areas. Also, make sure corded accessories don’t create a tripping hazard that will see someone taking your laptop down as they fall.

Common red flags

Let’s assume the laptop appears to have survived the fall. You still have an intact screen, and the laptop continues to power on. Whew! That’s great. Still, after a laptop drop, you’ll want to look for the following warning signs:

  • noisy fan;
  • flickering or dim screen;
  • unresponsive keyboard;
  • a blue “screen of death”;
  • error message saying, “unmountable boot volume”;
  • computer won’t power up;
  • Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity no longer works.

Your laptop is a convenient, compact computer. That means that inside that hard case the parts are packed tightly. Dropping the laptop can jar important parts. It’s best to take your laptop to a computer professional to help address any boot, screen, power, or other issues.

What do I do when my laptop falls?

First, don’t panic. Yes, it’s scary to see your technology fall to the floor, but try to remain calm. Retrieve your laptop carefully and handle it gently as you take the following steps:

  • Inspect the exterior looking for scratches, dents, or cracks. Small, cosmetic injuries you might cover with stickers. The bigger ones? You may need a technician’s help.
  • Examine the screen to see if there are any cracks and if the screen still works as a display. Keep an eye out for lines, spots, dead pixels or a flickering display.
  • Boot the system to ensure the laptop remains functional.
  • Listen for unfamiliar noises which could indicate parts have come loose.

The earlier you respond to the damage from dropping a laptop, the better. So, don’t just hope that any issue you notice will go away. Instead, take your computer to a local repair shop for repairs or parts replacement. The reward could be a longer overall life cycle for your laptop. We’re here to help. Contact us today at (515)422-1995!

How SaaS Can Save Your Business Money

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When you see the acronym SaaS you may not immediately think of dollar signs, though the S‘s are pretty close. Yet Software as a Service, what SaaS stands for, can save business money.

What is SaaS?

For SaaS to save you money, you need to understand what this solution involves. Think back to a few years ago: installing software from discs was one of the first things you had to do with a new computer. Depending on how old you are, you might remember doing so from a CD or maybe even a floppy disc!

A business might have paid for several licenses and uploaded the software to many computers, but each copy was unique, whether uploaded to on-premises computers or laptops.

The SaaS solution offers greater flexibility. The business user gains online access to whatever software applications they need. There is no need to install each specific app on Jamal’s computer and then do the same for Janice. Instead, the software is available whenever users want and on the device they choose. It doesn’t matter, as long as they have internet connectivity.

This means workers no longer have to be on-site to use all business tools. Plus, since applications aren’t installed on business machines, you don’t need the same storage space or processing power.

How SaaS saves you money

Software as a Service reduces your upfront costs. Under the old model, you needed to pay for the physical disc or download the software from the internet. You also needed to ensure you had the appropriate hardware to run the applications. Plus, you would pay to maintain the license and support the software.

With SaaS, you pay only the monthly or annual subscription fee. The vendor providing the software has the servers and hardware. That means they cover the costs for its maintenance and upkeep. Meanwhile, you get the advantage of a set fee that covers licensing and support.

Cloud-based SaaS is also economically priced for the number of users you want to access that software. Since it is in the cloud, you can scale up or down as your business needs change. If you’re not using the software as much as you expected, drop that application. You’ve paid only a subscription fee rather than investing in a lifetime license, hardware, and maintenance.

Starting with SaaS

The one big concern businesses have about SaaS is data security. Having control of the software on-site can feel safer. But SaaS providers invest more in cybersecurity than your small business could. Their business depends on reliability and resilience. They build in redundancy, have backup tech, and keep the software upgraded and secure.

Making the move to SaaS doesn’t have to be difficult, especially if you partner with another acronym, an MSP. A managed service provider can help you find software solutions for your needs. We’ll advise you on SaaS options and support your transition to the convenience and cost savings of SaaS. Call us now at (515)422-1995!

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