How Inflation Affects Business Tech

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You might be reading about inflation fears in the news, but that doesn’t mean you know how inflation affects your business, let alone your business technology. This article explains both.

Inflation is when things are more expensive to buy. Diminished purchasing power means your business may sell less and see lower profits, all while paying higher costs for things your business needs. Of course, if your business is the low-cost option, inflation may not be so bad, but many do suffer when the cost of living and just about everything else increases.

So, how does that impact your business technology? Well, it’s one of the many costs you may see go up.

Inflation and business technology

Inflation often starts when it’s hard to get goods and services. Heard the phrase “supply-chain challenges” in the last few years? We’re guessing, yes. So, you know firsthand the difficulties of getting some items.

You may have already noticed price jumps in several business tech areas. IDC research found that server and storage prices are up by 10–15 percent and that costs for laptops and personal computers have risen even more, by between 18 and 20 percent. Even what you’re paying for software or cloud services may have increased. IDC found price jumps of 5–7 percent.

What to do about it

The best thing you can do is to look for business efficiencies and ways to reduce costs. A managed service provider (MSP) can help on this front. Among the many services your tech partner can offer, you can typically expect an MSP to:

  • learn about your business technology and look for cost savings;
  • identify any duplication of services or software licenses (you could be one of the third of businesses, on average, with wasted software spend);
  • install cybersecurity to help you avoid costly downtime and damage to your business reputation;
  • secure better rates by consolidating your resources with fewer vendors for volume discounts.

Hiring an MSP can also help you hold on to your existing employees. You can make more efficient use of any IT staff you have on-site. Plus, the MSP can find out how your people do their work and suggest streamlined processes. Retention is easier when people feel productive and supported by your tech offerings.

Most MSPs will recommend you migrate to cloud computing if you haven’t already done so. Yes, some cloud service prices have increased, but not at the level of the hardware you need for your own IT infrastructure. Plus, with cloud infrastructure you can benefit from:

  • enhanced flexibility;
  • scalability and speed;
  • pay-as-you-go pricing.

Partner with us

As your MSP, we’ll look for efficiencies and ways to reduce your costs. It’s what we do, regardless of which way the economy is going. Outsourcing your IT management is a cost-effective solution. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

5 Questions Execs Need to Ask about Cybersecurity

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Cybersecurity is a constantly changing field. A new technology is developed to keep criminals at bay, but soon after, bad actors find a way around it. As a business leader, you have a lot to manage, but don’t overlook the importance of managing cybersecurity risks, too. Asking these five questions prioritizes keeping data and systems protected.

You already know the importance of protecting data. Leaked or stolen personal information can be devastating for your business reputation, but there’s so much more involved with cybersecurity. Your employees may be working from home more, which means you have remote equipment to manage. You could have Internet of Things endpoints, and automatic ordering and fulfillment adds more points of entry to secure.

Execs need to know what is being done to identify, protect, and detect. Plus, they should have a good idea of how the business is set up to respond and recover. These five questions can help you manage cybersecurity efforts.

#1 What assets and entry points do we have that need protection?

You need to have a full inventory of what you have to protect; otherwise, you can’t expect your cybersecurity to be effective. Determine what needs monitoring and management, as well as your priorities.

Asset inventory management helps ensure all licensing and manufacturer upgrades are current. This keeps your tech patched against the latest known threats.

#2 How are we securing our technology?

Taking a multi-layered approach is best. Besides antivirus software, your business also needs firewalls (even many firewalls). Still, it doesn’t stop there. You can also take advantage of:

  • identity and access management tools;
  • encryption;
  • vulnerability scans;
  • penetration testing;
  • employee training in defending against cyberthreats.

#3 How do we detect problems?

Be proactive about detecting incidents. Many breaches are not immediately detected, which makes the damage worse. Build capabilities to identify any vulnerabilities before the bad guys do.

Most antivirus software detects malware, spyware, ransomware, and more. You’ll get an alert of a risk and be able to cut the risk. You can also collect and analyze security logs to help identify potential threats.

#4 What is our plan in the event of an incident?

Few of us think at our best in crisis situations. It’s much better to anticipate the worst and think ahead. Leadership can make a plan to respond to ransomware, establish a disaster plan, and consider business continuity. You can also determine everyone’s roles and responsibilities. Learn who needs to be alerted, and decide who will do so. It all helps you get back to business as usual more effectively.

Once you have business recovery plans in place, test them. For instance, you don’t want to wait until a cyber incident to learn that your data backup wasn’t working.

#5 What are we doing to create a cybersecurity culture?

You may think about company culture as mission and values. That influences hiring, employee engagement, and business success. Yet you can also encourage an environment that motivates cybersecurity behaviors. Help your team members understand they have a role to play in championing security.

You might establish a cybersecurity culture by:

  • asking these five questions;
  • encouraging regular backups;
  • discouraging people from downloading software without prior approval;
  • establishing a bring-your-own-device policy;
  • educating employees about threats;
  • communicating who employees can contact if they suspect malware or phishing.

The more you know

Learning more about cybersecurity can only help your business. A managed service provider is a great resource for answers to these questions. Partner with us today by calling us at (515)422-1995.

How to Improve Your Data Management

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Data drives business today and losing it can be disastrous. Yet there are so many data risks challenging your efforts. These tips to improve your data management can help.

Anyone can accidentally delete data. There are many other ways you might also lose business data:

  • loss or theft of a USB drive or other portable device;
  • hardware failure;
  • a ransomware attack;
  • a data breach.

Proper storage and protection of your data needs to be an ongoing, daily practice. You can’t just set up a process and trust that it works. Effective management of how and where you save your files can help you use data to boost your business.

Know what data you have

Data management begins with understanding what data your business generates. Identify what kind of data you collect to ensure you are effectively storing and securing it. This way, you’ll also be able to use data to identify opportunities and improve efficiency.

Have a process for storing data

Consistency matters. Establish strong storage practices to better manage the quintillion bytes of data your business generates daily.

You might develop a naming format using the YYYY-MM-DD system. Standardization is especially important if international clients use a different date system.

Create a folder for currently active projects and another for archiving dormant projects. This not only helps with clutter but can help streamline your data backup. Ongoing work can be backed up by the hour, whereas archived data might be checked to see if it’s changed every two weeks.

Follow best practices for securing data

Your business likely has firewalls in place to secure on-premises infrastructure, but data is increasingly mobile. Employees might move data on thumb drives or have it on their mobile phones or laptops. This isn’t safe from loss, damage, or theft without encryption, password protection, and data backup.

Consider using the cloud to store data. A solution such as Microsoft365 allows teams to access and collaborate on files online. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about having multiple versions of the same file. You also don’t need to move data on portable devices. Your people can access the cloud data from wherever they are, on any device.

Make sure you are compliant

Data management regulations in your country may differ from countries where you do business. For example, if you sell to companies in Europe, you need to comply with its Global Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR). In the United States, rules can vary across states. Research data privacy and data protection regulations everywhere you operate.

Build in accountability for data management

Put someone in charge of data management. You need trained and experienced staff to manage data (compliant with privacy practices). The person or team responsible needs to know data quality and protection essentials.

Work with data management experts

As the volume of data grows, its management can get more complicated. Our experts have the skills to manage data and ensure the best data-handling practices. Contact us at (515)422-1995.

Announcement for Users of Gmail

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Gmail users – As of May 30th 2022 Google will disable access to their consumer (@gmail.com) accounts using ‘less secure apps’. What this means for you is; if you have a Gmail address and use something other than the gmail.com website or Gmail app on your mobile device, you may need to make adjustments to continue receiving email after May 30th. Typically, this will be people using some older versions of the Outlook app, Apple Mail app, or a mobile mail app that came with their phone.

At Little Dog Tech, we like to provide some actual information in our newsletters so those who are comfortable with making changes like this have the information to do so. It gets technical after this point, but if reading this gets your head is spinning and you don’t know what to do, we are always here to help!

So, here are some scenarios:

1. If you currently use the https://mail.google.com/ website to check your email, this does not affect you. Close this message and enjoy your day!

2. If you currently use Outlook 2016 or newer, Apple Mail 9.3 or newer, Apple iOS mail 8.3 or newer, these applications offer built-in support for Gmail, but you still need to have 2-step verification enabled on your Gmail account (this is a good idea anyway to help keep out hackers). See below for a link to a Google article on enabling 2-factor authentication on your account if it isn’t already done.

3. If you currently use Outlook 2013 or older, Apple Mail 9.2 or older, Apple iOS Mail 8.2 or older, or any other mail app that came with your computer or mobile device OTHER than the Gmail app, then you should either upgrade the app you are using, just use the gmail.com website, or you will need to enable 2-factor authentication AND create an App Password to put into the older app. See the link below for “How to set up Gmail with a third-party email client”.

Again, if you are a Gmail user and you think that scenario 2 or 3 might apply to you and you don’t know how to fix it, then please don’t hesitate to give us a call and arrange an appointment for one of our technicians to help you through this.

All about ‘less secure apps’ and Gmail

How to Enable 2-Factor Authentication on Gmail

How to Set Up Gmail With A Third-Party Email Client

Finding the Best Place for your Desktop PC

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There’s a lot of talk about the best places to use your laptop. We’ll recap that discussion briefly below, but the real focus of this article is where it’s best to put your desktop PC.

First, why does it even matter? Of course, you care how your workstation looks, but beyond the aesthetics, airflow is important too. Computers cool themselves with fans to suck in cool air and expel hot air out the back or top. If you’re not leaving room for the computer to “breath” it can overheat.

When a computer overheats it can become unstable or suddenly shut down. The hot air can also damage internal components. This is true of both laptops and desktops.

That’s why you’ll hear that it’s a good idea to put your laptop on a raised, slatted service where air can reach the vents. A table over a furnace duct or in direct sunlight should be avoided too.

OK, But Where Do I Put My PC?

You don’t want to put your computer somewhere it is going to get dusty, which is a good reason not to put it on the floor. It’s exposed to more dust, hair, and other junk that way. Since the computer’s fans are sucking in cool air, they can suck in the debris too.

Also, on the floor, you risk accidentally hitting or kicking the PC. Sudden jolts are bad for mechanical hard drives. Plus, USB drives or anything else plugged into the front could be knocked out, which damages the port.

Some desks have cabinets under the desk where you can put the computer. But, these may not have been designed with enough airflow.

It’s best to set up your computer on a stable surface to avoid any bumps or drops. You also want to position it so that the cord is not going to create a tripping hazard. If you fall, you could damage the power connection or, worse, knock the computer off your table or desk.

Since the big thing is airflow, you also don’t want to set the PC too close to the wall. This can damage cables in the back if they bend too much. Or, when the hot air exhausts out the back, it will be harder to expel the heated air.

Securing Your Desktop PC

Putting your PC parallel to the monitor, safely stable on your desk or table, with good airflow and room for the cords is your best option for the safety and longevity of your desktop computer.

Need help setting up your desktop PC or finding the best place to position it in your home? Our tech experts are available to help. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

Avoid Having Your Emails Flagged As Spam

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The Monty Python “Spam” sketch makes us laugh, but business emails filtered as spam do not. Your business wants to reach its prospects and customers. This article shares tips to help you ensure customers get your messages.

Mail or internet service providers (ISPs) use algorithms, custom configurations, and/or machine learning to filter emails, and this keeps your employee’s inbox free from unwanted emails. The filters also aim to stop emails with ill intent (e.g. viruses, phishing, or ransomware).

Yet, as filters get smarter and stronger to ward off cyberattack, you need to do more. Ensure your emails get through to the intended audience with these strategies.

#1 Get permission from recipients

In some countries, if your recipients didn’t ask or agree to hear from you, and the email is of a commercial nature, the email you’re sending is spam. That’s why buying a bulk email list hurts your sender reputation. You don’t want your business associated with spam.

#2 Avoid spam trigger words

Content filters are set to be sensitive to words that typically indicate a spammer’s efforts. These include:

  • “Dear friend”
  • “Toll-free”
  • “Risk-free”
  • “Special offer”
  • “Free prize”

#3 Don’t rely on an image

An email which uses only an image will trigger a content filter. Even if you have an image in your email, you should always have something to say about it as well.

You’ll also want to avoid ALL CAPS and overusing exclamation points, too.

#4 Drive engagement

Mail providers and ISPs are able to track how people receive your emails and whether they react positively. If they immediately delete the email without even looking at it, you could be labeled as spam. If they open the email, click on a link, respond or send it on to someone else, that’s positive engagement. This improves your sender reputation, which improves your chances of reaching recipients.

#5 Work with a reputable internet service provider

Your business may be sending from a shared IP address. If someone else has been sending spam from that address, you will be a suspect, too, at least by those who filter based on IP. This is particularly painful, as you’re suffering as a result of someone else’s bad deeds.

If you are sending mass marketing emails, use an email marketing platform such as Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign. These platforms manage their own sender reputation.

#6 Always include a way to unsubscribe, plus your contact information

When mailing a list, provide updated and valid contact information for your company. Also, make sure you offer a clear opportunity to unsubscribe. If you don’t, you risk noncompliance with regulations against unsolicited marketing.

#7 Pace yourself

Sending too many emails at once will prompt filter scrutiny. That’s why many marketers take a “drip campaign” approach. Instead of sending hundreds of emails at once, you schedule a staggered send.

 

Stay in touch successfully

The success of your email marketing and day-to-day communications relies on your getting through spam filters. It can help to ask new subscribers to whitelist you. That means they’ll add your “From” address to their contact list. This tells the service provider that they asked for this communication.

Monitoring your deliverability is one of the best ways to stay in touch successfully. Make it easier on your team by partnering with a managed service provider to help avoid spam folders. Call us now at (515)422-1995.

Trades Should Add Technology to Their Tool Belts

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There are many hands-on trades that haven’t traditionally needed technology. Yet modern tech tools help the plumber, carpenter, welder, or other trade improve productivity and competitiveness.

There are certain common tasks tradespeople face daily:

  • scheduling appointments with clients, suppliers, or inspectors;
  • tracking project deadlines and budgets;
  • communicating with project managers, customers, trades, office administrators;
  • paying employee salaries;
  • invoicing and tracking payables, receivables.

These can all be done with pen and paper, sticky notes, and forms in triplicate, but technology cuts the time spent and lets you focus instead on increasing your bottom line.

The Difference Technology Tools Make

Most of us carry small, powerful computers around in our pockets every day, whether it’s a smartphone or a tablet. Internet-connected devices give tradespeople access to tools to enhance productivity.

Let’s start with scheduling apps, as tradespeople are often on the move throughout the day. Signing up for a scheduling tool (e.g. Doodle) makes it easier to set appointments, and you aren’t involved in the booking process. Customers simply go to your website or link to the app and choose an available time that works best for them. You can even set it up to ensure you have buffers between appointments or prevent someone from scheduling a new, big project to start at the end of your day.

Integrating the scheduling app with your website helps customers reach you. Also, connecting also to a shared cloud calendar can help your team work together better. Everyone invited into the calendar can see who is out on a call, and where.

You can make changes to a cloud-based calendar on any connected device. Others will see the alterations in real-time. This helps you avoid scheduling conflicts. You can set a follow-up meeting with an inspector while you’re out in the field. The office secretary sees your availability in real-time to set up a new customer visit.

Your Trade Office On the Move

With cloud-based office software also available online, you can get more done out of the office. You don’t have to make a trip back to the office to enter your invoice slips and make photocopies of receipts. Instead, take pictures on your phone or tablet, and attach them to the project file in the cloud, or invoice directly from a secure cloud-based processing site. You won’t have to worry about any paperwork getting lost in the back of a truck or bottom of a toolbox.

The Microsoft Office suite, Google Docs, and cloud storage are available from iOS and Android devices. This lets you monitor project timelines, view budgets, and track invoices and payments in the field. Cloud-based accounting packages let you see cashflow or outstanding balances, and pay contractors or suppliers on the spot.

Cloud-based software also gives every employee access to business tools in the office. With a virtual desktop, they can collaborate easily (out on a job or in the office) and make changes in real-time. For instance, a contractor could access software to edit a building plan, then actually see the new design in 3D modelling software.

The great news is that technology is ever more accessible and easy to use. Embracing modern digital tools can improve customer service and trade business efficiency.

Your skill set may not extend to technology, but that’s where we come in. We can help you find the right technology for your business needs. Contact us at (515)422-1995 today!

Why You Need Professional Virus Removal

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“Your computer has a virus.” Such a dreaded five words! We don’t want to come down with a human virus; we’ll feel awful and miss work. But when a virus hits our computer, we could lose valuable information or be vulnerable to attack. Chicken soup won’t cut it.

Perhaps you have an antivirus product installed on your computer. This computer software is intended to prevent, detect, and remove viruses. Antivirus tools are designed to keep infections out. They can also delete any viruses that may already be on the computer when the software is installed.

The software provides protection by tracking malicious code and other computer threats via:

  • classifying the actions the file or code drives (as malicious or OK);
  • inspecting file signatures for matches to an existing signature in its virus dictionary;
  • scanning for rootkits that can change how your operating system functions.

However, antivirus software isn’t that good at cleaning up. When it detects a malicious file, it will delete it. But what if the virus spread before discovery? If the infection spreads before virus deletion, it can do all sorts of damage.

Think of it this way: you have a cyst on your knee. Doctors decide it is pre-cancerous and operate to remove the cyst before it spreads. But, that’s all they do. They have seen the cyst. They go for the cyst. However, they don’t notice the cancer that’s in your shin or femur, because they were only working on the cyst. The rest of your leg remains unhealthy, and you don’t even know it!

Getting a Second Opinion on Viruses

If the antivirus software is your primary physician, a computer professional is the specialist you go to for an expert second opinion. For one thing, antivirus products don’t always remove all the malicious files. Many viruses start as one thing but can mutate into several different strains. The antivirus software may not be programmed to identify all of the virus variants. A professional actively looks for undetected strains on your computer.

Viruses are always evolving. A recent strain of malware, SquirtDanger, let hackers take computer screenshots, capture passwords, download files, and empty out cryptocurrency wallets.

Some viruses can change the settings of your computer. For instance, a common virus changes your computer’s DNS, which is like a bit like the Yellow Pages for the internet. On a virus-free computer, when you type in “Google.com”, your browser goes to Google’s servers located at the IP address “216.58.203.100.” However, an infection can make Google.com on your computer go to a different address. Perhaps a server address cybercriminals use to capture your personal data. It still looks to you like Google, but it’s no longer safe. These settings can still remain after the infection is long gone.

Viruses can also leave behind browser toolbars, extensions, and other nasties designed to spy on your Web browsing habits. If you’re consistently redirected to unwanted sites, or seeing unwanted pop-up advertisements, it’s likely your computer’s infected with a browser hijacker.

Ultimately, if you detect a virus on your computer, check with a professional. Don’t trust that your antivirus software is going to do the same, thorough job an expert can offer. Sometimes your computer isn’t fully safe until the operating system is reinstalled, but you can’t know that until someone can go in and see what the virus did and what remnants are still there, lurking.

Cybercriminals are growing more sophisticated and better able to design viruses that disguise their tracks. Avoid being an unwitting victim. A computer security expert can diagnosis when your computer gets a virus, or determine if there are strains on your device you don’t know about. Let a security expert protect your computer from harm today! Call us at (515)422-1995.

What to Do about Slow Internet in the Home Office

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A few months ago we thought working from home would be temporary: a couple of weeks of remote work was going to help corral this coronavirus thing, and we’d get back to usual. Now we know better, and the things we could put up with in the short term loom as bigger challenges. Poor internet connectivity is one of those.

Many home internet connections were fine before. Someone in the family could be streaming Netflix, and another person could be checking email or paying bills – no biggie. Yet the demands on the internet connection have grown exponentially. People still want to do all those things, but students are also connecting to online learning platforms. Employees are logging in to video conferences, too.

Many businesses and their employees have seen the benefits of working from home during the pandemic. However, as remote work becomes a long-term solution, people can’t continue making do with subpar internet connectivity. What can be done?

Improving Internet Connectivity

Internet connections vary widely depending on where you are. You could enjoy blazing fast internet that allows you to upload large files in minutes even while someone else blasts zombies in a multi-player video game. Yet a few streets away, a user lacks the bandwidth to participate in a conference call without connectivity issues.

Home office internet connectivity depends on several factors, one of which is your internet service provider (ISP). Some ISPs simply aren’t as good. They may be cheaper, but they could be overselling their capabilities, which results in slowdowns at night. Higher-priced ISPs are less likely to have this problem. You may gain speed by simply switching to a different provider.

The kind of network connectivity available is also a consideration. Perhaps your network provider’s signal is carried over copper wiring. If that’s the case, the internet signal degrades with distance. Those physically further away from the exchange will have slower internet than someone closer in. Unless you want to move houses, there’s not a lot you can do about this one.

Still, fiber-optic cables are increasingly available in different areas. The ISPs charge more for these connections, but reliability benefits. Fiber loses only 3% of its signal over distances greater than 100 meters, whereas copper can lose up to 94%! At the same time, fiber is more durable and lacks the conductivity issues of copper, which can be vulnerable to power lines, lightning, and signal-scrambling.

Another factor may be the plan you’re on. The ISP may have a 100+ Mbps plan, and you’re only on the 12 Mbps. That was enough before, but you may want to upgrade now that so many devices are connecting to the internet at the same time.

Find out also if your plan is subject to a data cap. Some ISPs set up a data threshold limiting the amount of data you can use in a month or at particular times of the day.

Get Expert Insight into Your Internet

You might also benefit from upgrading your home internet connections. An IT expert can come in and take a look at the hardware you’re using to get online. There could be some quick connectivity gains with an upgraded router or gateway, or moving your wireless access points.

Our IT gurus can also determine whether a Wi-Fi booster or mesh solution would help. In your area, you may have a 4G or 5G wireless option. It’s more expensive but can be another way to get the speed you need.

Point-to-point Wi-Fi might also be an option. If you’re within range of a location providing business-grade internet, it may work to set up a dish on your roof. Of course, geography matters in this case, as you need a line-of-sight connection to the signal source.

Now that work from home is stretching long term, consider how you can upgrade your internet connection at home. Support remote work, student online learning, and other ways you use your bandwidth by getting the best you can. Give us a call at (515)422-1995 to learn more!

Handle with Care: Sending Data Securely

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In our digital economy, we send and receive information quickly online. The Internet offers immediate communication with colleagues, clients, vendors, and other strategic partners. Yet we shouldn’t prioritize convenience over data security.

What data do you send in a day’s worth of emails? Sensitive data you send might include:

  • personally identifiable information (PII);
  • credit card or payment card information;
  • attorney–client privileged information;
  • IT security information;
  • protected health information;
  • human subject research;
  • loan or job application data;
  • proprietary business knowledge.

The problem is people sending without thinking about the security of the transmission. One way to gauge the need for security is to consider how you might send that same information via the postal service. Would you put that data on a postcard that anyone could read? Or would you send a sealed, certified mailing and require the recipient’s signature?

Transmitting data on the Internet in plain text is like the postcard – anyone can read the information. And before you think that no one can actually see your data in transit, think about where you are sending from. Your office network may be password protected and secure, but what if someone waiting for their coffee at Starbucks opens the message using the free Wi-Fi network?

Anyone can intercept communications on open networks with the right tools. This type of cyberattack is common enough to merit its own name: a “man-in-the-middle” attack.

So, how can you stay safe when sending sensitive data?

Embrace encryption. Encrypting the data is like sending that sensitive information in a locked box. Encryption encodes the information to add a level of security. If encrypted data is intercepted, the scrambled data is unreadable by unauthorized users. Only a user with the correct decryption key can access the text.

Encryption also provides additional confirmation that the information is coming from a reliable source.

Your business should also require Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) for sending and receiving large or numerous digital files. You may have heard of FTP, but this file transfer protocol is not encrypted. SFTP is the secure version of FTP, as it encrypts the files in transit. If a nefarious entity does intercept the files, it won’t be able to read them without the decryption key.

Specifically, encourage your employees to:

  • use encrypted email only (common providers such as Gmail and Outlook support it; others require third-party apps or services);
  • encrypt files before sending to the cloud (in case accounts are breached or services hacked);
  • never open business communications on unsecured Wi-Fi networks;
  • keep good track of laptops and other portable devices and use drive encryption in case – with encryption, a lost laptop or stolen thumb drive is more secure, and criminals will have a difficult time stealing sensitive information, too;
  • control data access – grant permission to view, edit, or send files with sensitive information only to users who need that data for their jobs.

Managed service providers help your business decrypt how to send its sensitive information. Turn to experts in cloud services and IT security to learn how to securely send and receive data.

Contact us today at (515)422-1995!

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