Moving to the digital world without a partner to guide can be challenging to say the least. That’s why a lot of companies are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) to ask for support. Over half of businesses consider cloud services essential to their future and are looking to invest in managed IT services. But, the high level of adoption and various and unique needs of businesses mean that MSPs face quite a few challenges.

Rapid Changes

The fast-paced digital market and rapid technological changes are among the challenges that worry managed service providers. They need to adapt quickly while also providing the same level of service that will benefit their clients in the long-term. Finding the best solution isn’t always easy or cheap.

A Highly Competitive Market

It’s not an overstatement to say that the managed services market is highly saturated. With so many providers offering similar tools and services, trying to stand out while keeping your prices competitive has become a struggle. Companies have a difficult time finding an MSP business that can offer them the level and service and expertise that they need. With so many options to choose from, they often go for the familiar name, failing to see the benefits that the MSPs struggling to stand out may bring.

Changing Consumer Needs

A lot of business managers today are digitally savvy and well aware of the importance of cloud-based solutions. With this increased awareness, come high expectations regarding the quality of the service they are looking for. But, with the great range of services available on the market, a lot of businesses suffer from the paradox of choice – they postpone making a decision thinking that a better provider is just around the corner.

The Lack of Hands-on Assistance

Not all organizations operate during normal business hours. A hospital, for example, will not close its doors at 5 PM and a problem with one of their systems could endanger its patients. Depending on your organization’s needs, look for a managed service provider that can offer hands-on communication, and assist you when your business needs it the most.

Award-Winning Managed IT Services at Your Disposal

We understand very well how difficult it can be to find a partner that you can trust. With the market changing rapidly and new players emerging, it can be more comfortable to stick with what you already know.

Technetics Consulting has helped numerous businesses grow, resting assured that their IT needs are taken care of.

Check our wide range of managed IT services and contact us now at 1300 853 453.

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If your answer is yes, then you should know that you are not alone. About 90% of drivers think they are better than other motorists.

It has to do with optimism bias, the belief that we are more likely to experience good outcomes than bad ones. It’s the old “It won’t happen to me” mantra.

What does all this have to do with ransomware infections? Although this cyber threat has been around for over three decades now, most companies don’t think they are going to be the next victim. Some businesses think they are too small to pose an interest to threat actors while others put too much trust in their malware protection systems. The truth is that everybody is at risk of ransomware attacks.

How Ransomware Works

To better understand the probability of a ransomware attack, it’s important to learn first how this type of malware works.

Ransomware is malicious software that hackers use to infect computers and encrypt files. The victims are usually threatened that sensitive data will be published or access to it will be perpetually blocked if they refuse to pay the ransom.

There are quite a few ransomware variants that can make systems susceptible to an attack. More often than not, hackers use phishing to trick victims. These email attachments mimic official company documents every well, but once downloaded they take over the user’s computer. A lot of these attachments also have social engineering tools that trick victims into allowing administrative access. And, once they gained access, the attacker demands a ransom (usually in the form of an untraceable Bitcoin payment) to decrypt the files.

Not all ransomware attacks come in the form of phishing scams. Sometimes, attackers simply exploit the vulnerabilities of a system to gain access. In more recent ransomware incidents, the attackers claimed that they were from the law enforcement agency and they needed to restrict access due to pornography or pirated software. Of course, they asked for payment in the form of a fine to provide access again.

So, Is Ransomware Still a Threat?

While it’s true that ransomware incidents declined during the course of 2018, unfortunately, the trend didn’t continue in 2019. One study showed that the value of ransomware payments more than doubled in the third quarter of 2019. Another report estimates that ransomware is going to increase at a fast pace, becoming the biggest malware threat for both small businesses and high-profile companies.

So, what can you do?

• Educate employees about the risks of malware and teach them how to spot suspicious email;
• Restrict access to sensitive data, especially from mobile devices since they usually lack the appropriate software protection.
• Make cybersecurity a priority by working with a company that can provide the level of security you need.

Have a look at what Technetics can do for business IT security. We are an award-winning company that can protect your business from malicious intruders.

The post Is Ransomware Still a Threat appeared first on Technetics Consulting.

But, here’s the other side of the story. One study about how company culture affects employee morale found that remote employees feel less motivated, withstand more emotional pressure, and more likely to experience work inertia. That’s not to say that you should give up remote work altogether, but find solutions to motivate your team members and create a work environment that doesn’t ignore the needs of remote workers.

Communication Is Key

Effective communication is key to keeping remote employees engaged and motivated. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised to learn how many managers fail to stay connected and regularly communicate with their remote teams.

That doesn’t mean that you should be available on the clock to answer your remote teams’ questions. Establish a fixed time-slot during which you check-in with your remote workers, talk about their projects, check their performance, and so on. These calls will allow you to keep track of your remote employees’ progress but also help them feel included. Try to find a balance between formal and informal communication to create a sense of belonging and make them feel like they are in a real working space.

Develop a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset motivates employees to improve their skill set through dedication and hard work. But, how do you help your remote employees not to get stuck?

Instead of penalising mistakes, help them see failure as the road to success. Turn downfalls into valuable learning lessons and focus on helping them refine and perfect their skills.

You should also foster curiosity by offering both your remote teams and office workers plenty of opportunities to expand and learn new skills.

Focus on Results, Not Seat Time

One of the things most managers worry about is that their remote workers will get distracted and that will affect their work performance. But, instead of obsessing over seat time, focus on the results your remote teams are bringing. They may not spend eight hours straight in front of the computer but that’s because they’ve found ways to efficientise their work, and that’s actually a good thing for your company.

To Conclude

In a way, motivating remote employees is not that different from managing a traditional work environment. You need to communicate efficiently, challenge your employees to grow, and focus on results rather than micromanaging their activity.

But, to do all that, you will need an IT solution that supports online collaborations. That’s where we come into play. Get in touch to learn more about our managed IT services.

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If you’re concerned about corporate network security at your business, you may be wondering how you can maximize your cyber security, maintain effective risk management, and take proper security measures to protect your data. With this cybersecurity checklist from Technetics Consulting, you can make sure that you’re protected from data breaches, hacking, and other malicious attacks.

1. Keep Corporate Data Off Of Personal Devices

It’s very important to keep corporate data off of personal devices, including both laptops and mobile devices. If your employees use laptops or mobile phones for work, they should be using devices that are issued by your IT department, are password protected, and can be remotely wiped if they are lost, misplaced, or stolen.

Allowing someone to gain access to a device with access to your IT systems and corporate network can be a huge IT security risk – so make sure you keep personal and work devices separate for your employees.

2. Update All Firmware, Software & Operating Systems Regularly

This is one of the most important things you and your IT team can focus on. You need to regularly update each worker’s computer, the programs they use regularly, and your servers, networking equipment, website, and all other IT assets used at your business.

Outdated software and firmware is a major attack vector for hackers. Regular patching is essential to make sure you always fix known exploits and protect yourself from hacking and data theft.

3. Train Employees On Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are more common today than they have ever been before – and more than 65% of all malicious hackers use phishing as part of their strategy.

Phishing involves tricking employees into clicking emails that look innocuous but often contain keyloggers or malware that can observe their activity on their computers and steal their login information and other credentials.

Make sure to create a solid training program related to phishing at your company, and create policies and best practices about opening emails from unknown sources to discourage employees from clicking potentially-dangerous links or downloading infected attachments.

4. Create An Incident Response Plan

You never want to have a data breach occur at your company – but if it does, responding in a timely manner is essential for minimizing its impact and getting back to your business’s day-to-day activities.

That means you need to create an incident response plan with the help of your IT team members, detailing what will happen if a breach occurs. How will it be resolved? How will backup data be restored? Who will notify the authorities? Working out these details beforehand ensures a speedy response during the incident.

5. Use VPNs & Other Best Practices For Remote Access To Your Network

Working from home is becoming more and more common in Australia and many other countries. But if you have remote workers, you need to make sure that you protect your network by taking steps like:

• Sending remote workers computers that are intended only for work purposes, so that they do not use personal devices to access your business network
• Discouraging the use of public WiFi hotspots in parks, coffee shops, restaurants and other areas
• Implementing a VPN to encrypt and secure web traffic from remote workers and add another layer of protection
• Use 2-factor authentication to reduce the risk of data loss if a remote user loses their device or their passwords are breached

Need More Help? Contact Technetics Consulting Today

This cyber security checklist is a great place to start, but if you’re looking for more ways to lock down your data, Technetics Consulting is here to help with cyber security audits in Australia. We can examine every element of your information security plan and create a security audit checklist to ensure that you are protected from cyber threats.

Contact us online or give us a ring at 1300 853 453 now to get started, and see how you can secure data and your network and stay protected from today’s top cyber threats. Whether you’re interested in IT security consulting, managed IT services, or any other IT services in Australia, we’re here to help.

The post Cyber Security Checklist appeared first on Technetics Consulting.

In Australia, specifically, phishing messages are a growing issue and a huge threat to small businesses. More than 25,000 attacks were reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre in 2019 alone. Phishing attacks are very effective, particularly if employees are not trained to recognize them – and it’s very easy for cyber criminals and criminal syndicates to start sending bulk phishing messages through phishing.

In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about phishing scams including what they are, how they work, and how you can avoid them. Let’s get started.

What Are Phishing Scams? Understanding The Basics

Phishing is an email scam or text message scam that is intended to trick a recipient into purposely or accidentally disclosing confidential information. This could include details like banking logins, credit card information, business login credentials, and passwords.

In most cases, phishing emails and messages are designed to look like a message from a trusted organisation, such as your bank, a social media network like Twitter, or even a member of your IT team or someone else in your company.

Phishing emails usually contain a link or attachment that will infect your computer with malware, or is designed to trick you into entering sensitive personal or business information.

Then, the criminal running the scam can use this information to steal corporate data or even your identity. It’s often difficult or impossible for law enforcement and government agencies Australian Federal Police to track and identify the culprits behind this type of scam.

How Can I Recognise And Avoid Phishing Scams At My Business?

There are a few different ways that you can avoid phishing scams at your business. Here are a few basic precautions that you and your employees should use to prevent data loss due to phishing.

• Never click on messages or open attachments from any person or organisation that you don’t know.
• Don’t allow employees to use personal devices for work purposes. They should use mobile phones and laptops that are exclusively for work. This helps reduce the risk of corporate data loss if they fall victim to a phishing attack on a personal device.
• Check the web address of a link – and the address from which a message was sent – before clicking it. Often, phishing attempts use a URL that looks similar to a legitimate website, but if you look closely, you’ll notice inconsistencies that can tip you off and recognise a phishing attempt.
• Implement strong spam filters to prevent the majority of phishing emails and scams from reaching you and your employees.
• If you get a message from a person in your organisation that looks suspicious – such as a message from IT telling you to reset your password – contact the person who “sent” the message directly.
  This may be a “spear phishing” attempt where a hacker uses the identity of a trusted, known employee in your organisation to trick you into disclosing confidential information. By talking directly with the person who “sent” the message, you can confirm whether or not it’s legitimate.

Need Help Preventing Phishing At Your Company? Contact Technetics Consulting!

The biggest problem with phishing is that you can only protect yourself if all of your employees are properly informed about the threat, and use best practices to avoid falling for phishing scams.

To keep your data safe, you need to provide your employees with the proper training and resources. At Technetics Consulting, we can help. We offer managed IT security services, and can also help train and educate your employees to reduce the threat posed by phishing scams. Contact us online or give us a call at 1300 853 453 for more information, and to get the assistance you need.

The post Australian Businesses Have Been Hit Hard By Phishing Scams appeared first on Technetics Consulting.

What Makes A Cloud Platform Secure?

Not sure what things cloud platforms do to protect and secure your data? Here is an overview of a few steps that are commonly taken to enhance cloud security.

• Physical security of data centers – First and foremost, cloud data centers have tight access controls and security controls for workers. Only authorized IT professionals can enter the physical area where the cloud servers are located, and these “data warehouses” are tightly monitored by security teams.
• Encryption of all data – All major cloud providers will use an encryption key to “scramble” your data while it’s stored in their servers. Further still, you can add more layers of encryption to your data to enhance security even more, and ensure the files are not accessible to unauthorized users.
• Updating, patching & maintenance – This is part of the services provided by any cloud company. They are responsible for physically and digitally maintaining the servers, patching them, updating them, and ensuring they are protected against common vulnerabilities.
• Firewalls – Cloud data centers use powerful firewalls to reject unauthorized traffic coming to the network, protecting themselves from hacks, DDoS attacks, and other threats.
• Data redundancy & backups – Cloud platforms are highly-redundant, and always use large-scale backups to maximize redundancy and ensure the integrity of your data even if a piece of physical hardware fails, or there is a data breach.
• Robust access controls for users – This is critical for data security. A good cloud provider will allow you to set up personalized, strong access controls for users, so that each person only has access to the data and information they need. This “principle of least privilege” (POLP) approach to data access helps minimize the damage that can be done if an unauthorized user tries to access your files.
• Third-party penetration testing – All major public cloud providers hire third-party IT companies to use security tools and test the security of their networks with “penetration testing.” This ensures that any potential vulnerabilities are caught and patched right away.

The Most Secure Cloud Platforms – Our Top Picks

Looking for cloud storage services or cloud data centers to run your software, website, and other IT infrastructure? Make sure you pick a secure, reputable public cloud platform for your sensitive data. Here are a few of the best, most secure platforms in the cloud computing industry.

• Microsoft Azure – Microsoft Azure is one of the most well-known and respected cloud platforms on the market, and it’s a great option for both proprietary and open-source IT assets. More than 85% of Fortune 500 companies use the Microsoft Cloud in some capacity.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) – AWS launched in 2002, and slowly grew over the years until it became the #1 leader in cloud computing. It has more than 1 million users in 190 countries, and is used by major companies like Netflix, Twitch, and LinkedIn, to name just a few.
• Google Cloud Platform – The Google Cloud Platform is another great option for your business. It’s highly secure and very flexible, allowing you to run just about any type of software or server. It also offers strong data backup features, as well as a truly “pay-as-you-go” usage model, so it’s a good choice for companies of all sizes.

With these major cloud providers, you can rest assured that your customer data and sensitive data will always be protected.

Managed Cloud Services with Technetics Consulting

At Technetics Consulting, our professional services team can help you move your IT assets from physical servers to a cloud platform which most suits your business. With a secure, robust cloud infrastructure, you can protect your data more effectively, enjoy enhanced performance, and spend less on your IT infrastructure.

Contact us online or give us a call at 1300 853 453 for more information about the benefits of switching to the cloud, and get the assistance you need as you make your switch.

The post Which Cloud Platforms Are The Most Secure appeared first on Technetics Consulting.

1. Ransomware Attacks

This is one of the biggest cyber security threats in recent years. Businesses face steep costs associated with ransomware – it costs businesses more than $75 billion per year. But what is it?

Ransomware is a type of malware or virus. When downloaded onto a computer or a server, the virus encrypts the information located on the hard drive or other storage units – making it impossible for users to access.

Then, payment is requested by the hacker. Usually, you will have to pay the ransom via bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. If you don’t pay, you will lose access to the encrypted data permanently – so many companies simply pay the requested money to avoid this.

2. Phishing Emails

Phishing attacks are one of the most persistent threats to small businesses and large businesses alike. A phishing email is an email that looks like it’s been sent from a legitimate source – like Google, a vendor partner, or even another employee of your company.

But it’s fake – and these emails often contain links or attachments that can infect your computer with malware or viruses, and steal your sensitive data. They’re also often used to distribute ransomware.

It can be hard for employees to realize that they’re not opening an email from a legitimate source. According to a recent round up of phishing statistics, 30% of phishing messages are opened by the targeted users – and it’s been estimated that up to 90% of data breaches are related to phishing in some way.

This cybersecurity threat is very real and very dangerous – so we highly recommend implementing spam filters and other such tools to catch these messages, and to invest in training to help employees recognize phishing emails before they’re opened. This will help protect you from security risks and the loss of sensitive data.

3. DDoS Attacks (Distributed Denial of Service)

DDoS, or “Distributed Denial of Service” attacks are caused by hackers who use a “botnet” – a large number of internet-connected devices – to access your website simultaneously, overloading the server and taking it down.

DDoS attacks do not result in data loss, but can result in costly downtime for your network and website. Attackers may request payment or ransom to discontinue the attack, though it’s often possible to harden your network and implement IT security solutions to stop the DDoS attack on your own.

4. Employee Or Contractor Negligence

Negligence from employees and/or contractors can be a serious problem that leads to the loss of sensitive data. For example, if your employees use personal devices like phones and laptops to access company networks, cloud-based programs, and other data someone who steals the device could gain access to this information.

Proper training and safeguards – such as enabling two-factor authentication and disallowing employees/contractors from accessing corporate data on personal devices – can help minimize these security risks and protect your data.

Need Protection From Cyber Security Threats? Contact Technetics Consulting

At Technetics Consulting, we offer advanced protection from common cyber security threats, such as those outlined above. If you’re worried about your business data and security, we’re here to help. Contact us to get a cyber security assessment and learn more about how you can protect your data from hackers, data breaches, ransomware, and more.

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Understanding The Cost Of Downtime At Your Small Business

One of the most important aspects of 24/7 IT support is that it allows you to minimize unexpected downtime – failures of your critical IT systems. And this is a big deal. It’s estimated that small businesses can lose between $137 and $427 USD per minute of unexpected downtime, though this can vary depending on your industry and the size of your business.

If you don’t have 24/7 IT support, you may be stuck waiting until the next business day to get help for your issue – which could result in steep losses, dissatisfied customers, and a variety of other issues. For this reason alone, 24/7 IT support is highly recommended for most small business owners.

The Benefits Of 24×7 IT Support

There are a lot of key differentiators that make 24/7 IT support a better option than other types of outsourced IT services. Here are just a few of the advantages of choosing to work with a 24/7 partner like Technetics Consulting.

• Proactive service with rapid response times – Most 24/7 IT support companies offer real-time proactive monitoring of your important IT systems, like your corporate network, web applications, websites, and other such systems. This ensures that if there’s an issue, your IT team can take care of it right away – reducing downtime, and enhancing security and performance.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction – Less downtime of your payment systems, website, and other tech systems can lead to a better overall customer experience – which improves satisfaction with your product or service, and can help you boost profits at your company.
• Ideal for companies that operate in multiple time zones – If you have an online store and sell items internationally, for example, you may need to get IT help outside of working hours, since customers in different time zones may be shopping at any time of day.
• Support outside of work hours – You will have enhanced accessibility to support, and can get answers to IT questions, bring up issues, and work with your IT partners outside of the typical 9-5 shift, which increases convenience. You can usually talk to an IT team member over live chat, email, the phone, or a custom ticketing system – whichever is right for the situation.

Protect Your Business With 24/7 IT Support From Technetics Consulting!

24/7 IT support partners offer excellent customer support for small businesses – ensuring that you get the customer service you need for peace of mind, and to know that your IT systems are running properly.

Need help? Want to protect your business? Technetics Consulting is here to help with managed IT services. We offer flexible, customizable 24/7 IT support for small businesses of all sizes in Australia. To learn more and get started, just contact us online for a free consultation.

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But with virtual desktop infrastructure like Windows Virtual Desktop, you can use Microsoft Azure cloud services to enhance the user experience, enjoy better security, and provide an easy-to-access, cost-effective computing environment to all of your remote workers. Learn more below!

What Is Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD)?

Windows Virtual Desktop is a cloud-based, multi-session Windows 10 implementation. Essentially, it runs multiple virtualised desktops on the powerful Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure.

Instead of each individual having their own desktop environment, WVD hosts multiple operating systems using powerful backend servers. Using a simple client for macOS, HTML5, Android and iOS, workers can access a fully-functional virtualised desktop environment quickly and easily.

Basically, the Windows operating system is hosted on the cloud – rather than on each person’s physical computer. Then, they can use remote access tools to interact with the WVD Windows 10 instance – and get the same user experience they would if they were using a normal Windows computer!

When it comes to desktops and apps, each instance can be set up just like a standard Windows 10 installation, with apps like Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and any other programs required for each individual user.

The Benefits Of Windows Virtual Desktop

Why bother setting up Windows Virtual Desktop for remote work? There are a few reasons that this solution may be ideal for your company.

• Enhanced security – WVD has security benefits like the ability to use Azure AD (Active Directory) to authenticate users, as well as support for multi-factor authentication (MFA), special network security that helps prevent cyber attacks, and much more – keeping your users more secure.
• No need to send out new computing hardware – You can upgrade a user’s Windows 10 environment at the click of a button – without having to send them a new desktop or laptop. This dramatically simplifies the logistics of IT and remote work, since there is no dramatically reduced need to purchase and distribute new computing equipment.
• Lower overall costs – Thanks to cloud-based economies of scale and the power of the Microsoft Azure platform, you can enjoy lower overall costs to provide your employees with the computing tools they need.
• These advantages – simplified logistics, better security, and lower IT costs – combine to make Windows Virtual Desktop a powerful tool for companies that are shifting to a remote work model.

Need Help Getting Set Up? Technetics Consulting Can Help!

If you have Microsoft Office 365 Apps For Enterprise (formerly known as Office 365 ProPlus) at your organisation, you may already be able to use Windows Virtual Desktop at your organization, since you are already using Microsoft Azure for cloud computing.

However, we understand that shifting to a long-term desktop virtualisation strategy can be intimidating and complex. If you need more information about the benefits and process of using Windows Virtual Desktop to work from home, contact Technetics Consulting today. As experts in cloud solutions, we can provide you with the guidance you need – and help you understand what virtual infrastructure is right for your organisation.

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Think Up Consulting is a young, fast-growing agency based in Greenville, South Carolina. The agency specializes in brand strategy, change management and strategic consulting to help global brands make deep, lasting connections with customers.

For Think Up, the ability to ensure seamless communication and reliable security while maximizing productivity are musts. To support these priorities, the company chose Microsoft 365 Business to streamline internal processes and dramatically reduce the number of emails employees send.

A forward-thinking company, Think Up continues to explore and adapt new technology to help increase employee efficiency and better meet its customer’s needs.

We can help you do the same. Contact us to learn more.

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