Tech Tips
Cyber security
See if your business’s data is for sale with dark web monitoring
There’s a place online where you can buy anything illegal… guns, drugs – and business data.
It’s called the dark web. And it’s where criminals buy data stolen from businesses, that they can then use to try to hack them.
This week’s video tells you about a way to see if your business’s data is for sale on the dark web.
Why you still need antivirus
It might seem in our modern age that you no longer need antivirus to protect your devices.
Not at all – it’s the opposite. Every device that’s connected to the internet needs to be protected. Here’s why.
3 scary signs your business has been hacked
Hackers are very smart people. Not only can they break into your computer without you realizing it, but they can also cover their tracks – so it’s almost impossible to spot they’re in.
Almost.
Here are 3 signs to look out for, which could indicate your business has been hacked.
Can we train your staff to resist hackers?
You can have the best security setup. With the most up-to-date software. And STILL, hackers can get access to your system.
How? Through your staff.
Hacking isn’t just about computers. There’s also an element of social engineering.
Here’s why you should invest in training your people to make your people more aware what they should be looking out for.
The 3 scams you need to know about NOW
There are lots of cyber security scams that are targeted at businesses like yours, every single day.
Here are the top 3 we believe everyone on your team should be aware of.
The biggest business crime in the US
Criminals are targeting YOUR business right now. In fact, they’re targeting all businesses, all the time.
And they can do so from the comfort of their homes. That’s what makes cyber-crime the biggest business crime in the US. Watch this video – you won’t believe just how many cyber-crimes were committed last year.
Uh-oh… did someone just click a bad link?
The scariest thing about being hacked, is that it only takes one member of your team, clicking one bad link, in one email for damage to be done.
Here’s how to stop this happening in your business.
The simple security step that protects your business
Cybercrime is so big now, it’s a matter of WHEN not IF your business will be affected.
Strong passwords are a good line of defense. But many passwords can be cracked by automated bots. Here’s something that makes your password a lot stronger, and gives your business even more protection.
One bad email. That’s all it takes…
What’s the biggest threat to US businesses right now? Let us tell you – it’s cyber-crime.
And you can see what a big threat it is, by understanding the one one one rule. This video explains it.
This one thing prevents 99% of hack attempts
Hackers are targeting all businesses, all the time. They use clever automated tools to sniff out vulnerabilities.
There is good news. One security method has been shown to be 99% effective. Here’s what it is.
Millions of smart phones are lost each year
Did you know that for every 100 devices your business buys, up to 5 of them will be lost or stolen?
And that potentially means criminals accessing your data. Here’s the simple method we recommend for protecting all your devices.
Keep a look out for these malware traps
We’ve been warning businesses for years that their email is the most likely place for a cyber-criminal to try to break into their IT system.
But it’s not the only place. Here are some other malware scams to look out for.
Have your emails been compromised?
There are lots of different ways to communicate and collaborate. But most businesses still rely heavily on email.
And that’s why it’s so popular with hackers. A large majority of cyber-attacks start in your email.
Here are some ways to protect your business from your own inbox.
Your team are your biggest cyber security threat
Through no fault of their own, your team are the weakest link in your business’s data security.
Here’s why – and what you can do about it.
How strong is your firewall?
A firewall is an essential part of your business’s IT defenses. Yet in our experience, most business managers and owners never think about their firewall.
Here’s why it’s so important and why you must get an expert to set it up for you.
What does a brute force attack mean for your business?
Have you heard of a brute force attack? It’s how cyber criminals break into accounts protected by weak passwords.
These attacks are usually automated, making them efficient and scarily successful.
Our video explains what can happen, and how to defend your business.
Is your team hiding security breaches?
It’s way too easy to be tricked by an online scam these days. What would happen if a member of your team realized they had accidentally clicked a bad link?
Our video explores how the company culture you create affects your data security.
Think your business is too small to be hacked? Think again!
They don’t always make the news; but cyber-attacks are a huge and ongoing risk for all businesses.
Even small businesses are at risk. Because hackers use clever automated tools that hunt out any opportunity for them, anywhere.
In our video, we tell you about one of the biggest causes of data security breaches… and how to protect your business.
What is spoofed Wi-Fi?
Have you heard of spoofed Wi-Fi? If you ever connect to public Wi-Fi in a coffee shop or restaurant, you should be scared of it.
Our video tells you what you need to know.
Why your business should have a business continuity plan
Technology has reached a point where it’s critical to virtually all businesses… but is constantly under attack.
How long could your business survive without any internet access, or even your data? A day? A week? Would you still have a business in a month?
In our video we explore how easily “business as usual” can be disrupted, and why you need to be fully prepared with a business continuity plan.
What’s the biggest cyber security risk?
You have lots of responsibilities as the leader of your business. Driving growth is important, as is checking your staff are fulfilled and enjoying their work.
Another is making sure the business is protected from predictable threats. Can you hand on heart say your business is protected from the threat of a cyber-attack?
Our video explores the biggest cyber security risk to every business.
A whaling what…???
Imagine if your staff got an email, they genuinely thought was from you. Asking them to pay an urgent bill for a new supplier they’d not heard of before.
Is there any risk they could pay it?
Because actually that email wasn’t sent by you. It’s a specific kind of cyber-crime called whaling, where criminals impersonate the boss.
Here’s what you need to know about it.
Most business owners don’t know how to manage a security attack
If you switched on one of your business’s computers today, and saw a red screen saying it had been infected with ransomware… would you know what to do?
Many business owners and managers wouldn’t. But the odds of being breached are going up every week.
Here’s what we suggest.
How to spot the early signs of a data breach (and limit the fallout)
A data breach is one of the scariest things that can happen to your business. The financial and reputational impact can be huge.
Here’s how to spot the early signs of a breach… and what to do if you suspect a cyber-criminal is in your network.
Data breaches will lose you clients
If your business is the victim of a cybercrime, it’s not just money and productivity you’ll lose. It’s also reputation and trust. Here’s why.
Have you heard about the dark web… and are you scared of it?
There’s a place where the worst criminals congregate online. It’s where they sell and buy illegal things.
Not just weapons and drugs – but also data stolen from businesses like yours.
Passwords
Never have to remember a password again
Best practice for passwords these days is not to use an easy phrase you can remember.
And certainly not to use any password on more than one application.
No, best practice is to randomly generate a different long password for every app you use.
Of course, you’re not going to remember any of them… and you mustn’t write them down. Luckily there is software to make this easy for you.
Could I crack your staff’s passwords?
The safest passwords are long ones, randomly generated by a computer.
But those tend to be the ones that some staff hate the most. Because they’re difficult to type in if you don’t use a password manager.
The thing is – a weak password leaves your business wide open to hackers. They can crack short obvious passwords using brute force, where software tries every combination until it gets it right.
This video is looks at the risks of weak passwords.
And why not run your passwords through our new password checker, to see how safe they really are.
3 ways a password manager will improve your staff’s efficiency
There are nothing but benefits in using a password manager.
This one tool alone can add a huge layer of cyber security to your business. And make it easy for you and your team to stick to very good security habits.
It gets better – here are three ways a password manager can also help your staff to be more productive.
The longer your passwords, the harder they are to crack
This makes sense, doesn’t it? Yet many people stick with the same short password across multiple apps and websites as they can’t remember a long one.
Here’s the easy way to help your staff use unique, uncrackable passwords and never forget them.
What are the risks of a password manager?
Have a guess how many passwords the average person needs to remember…
It’s an astonishing EIGHTY passwords! It’s just not realistic asking someone to remember that many, is it?
That’s why we recommend you use a password manager. Our video explains what that is, and what the risks are.
Working From Home
Working remotely with OneDrive
If some of your team are in the office, and some still working from home –maybe swapping locations throughout the week – you need a truly flexible way of working.
And that’s where Microsoft OneDrive comes in. It makes sharing documents and collaborating so much easier.
Teams really does make working from home easier for everybody
Just because your team are working remotely, doesn’t mean it must be a stress for you.
In fact, the collaborative and communication tools within Microsoft Teams really do make Working From Home easy for everyone.
Here’s how.
Data security during home working
Working from home can make your business more exposed to a potential cyber-attack. Because sometimes our home Wi-Fi isn’t as secure as business connections can be.
Here’s a clever way to keep your business safe, no matter who’s working where…
Home workers are the new target
With your team working from home, all on different Wi-Fi connections and with other people using their devices, good cyber security is a lot harder.
Here are 3 ways to protect your business.
This protects your data in your staff’s homes
Of course, your team need access to company data when they’re working from home.
But this can be a major data security risk. Here’s how to make it safer.
How to train your team on software when they work from home
As lots of people continue to mix working from home with being in the office (hybrid working), there are new long-term training needs your business needs to think about.
Such as how you will train members of your team on new software.
VPN's: Protecting data in your employees' homes
Because hybrid working is not going anywhere, data security for employees working remotely is becoming a major consideration for all businesses
Here’s one answer. It’s a way of making sure the connection from home to the office is always secure.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 features to boost productivity
There’s no better tool for getting things done than Microsoft 365. It’s packed with useful features that most people don’t know about.
In this video we’re highlighting three that many people find the most useful.
The Microsoft 365 tool that helps you work less and achieve more
There’s so much more to Microsoft 365 than just Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
You’d be surprised by how much useful software is hidden in your subscription.
In this video, we look at a productivity tool that lets you automate tasks across different apps.
Collaborating in real time with Word
We all love Word, and have used it for many, many years.
But did you know the Word of today can do so many more things, compared to the Word of yesterday.
Such as collaborating on a document in real time. Here’s
Excel: Making productivity easier with ‘Smart Lookup’
Excel isn’t just for crunching numbers. It’s got a host of very clever features to make your life easier and work more productive.
Here’s one you might not know about. It’s where Excel can look up the contents of a spreadsheet cell for you.
MileIQ: An automatic mileage tracker
Do your team forget to track their mileage when driving for business?
It can be a real pain. Luckily there’s an app that can track mileage automatically for you.
And you probably already have it, as it’s part of Microsoft 365.
Here are the details.
PowerPoint: Raising the game with audio
Love it or hate it, PowerPoint is the most useful way to influence colleagues during a meeting or video call.
There are lots of little tricks hidden within PowerPoint, to give you greater communication powers. And here’s one you’re going to love.
Microsoft 365: Mobile apps and business without the office
Microsoft 365 literally has all the answers. There are so many different applications contained within your subscription.
And it’s surprising just how many devices you can use your apps on.
OneNote: The power of translation
If your business works with suppliers and clients overseas, you can use OneNote to automatically translate text.
Here’s how to do it.
Lists: Making collaboration easier
We all know the power of a good to do list.
And if you use Microsoft 365, you have access to Lists. It’s a powerful tool that integrates with other apps you and your team already use.
Here’s the lowdown on Lists.
Editor: Perfecting content for email, documents, and the web
If you ever feel embarrassed by spelling or grammar mistakes, there’s help available – and it’s from an app you probably already have.
Microsoft Editor is part of 365. It will check your text in real time and make suggestions. And it even works on non-Microsoft products. Here are all the details.
Teams: Immersive and inclusive
You’re using Teams in your business, right? In our view it’s one of the best applications Microsoft has ever released. And in this video, we explore an inclusivity feature that makes it even more useful.
Whiteboard makes collaboration simple
Nothing beats gathering your team together around a whiteboard to brainstorm ideas. But in our new hybrid world, getting everyone in the same place at the same time can be a challenge.
Here’s a clever online whiteboard tool you can use to achieve the same benefit.
My Analytics will help you be more efficient
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a dashboard with information about your team’s work patterns? To help them collaborate more. And make sure they were disconnecting from work to have proper breaks.
This dashboard exists. And it’s within Microsoft 365. Our video has the details.
Access: Database management for casual users and professionals
There’s a tool inside Microsoft 365 which allows you to get a lot more out of data sitting inside your business.
It’s not Excel – it’s more powerful than that. But it’s still user friendly. We reveal all in our video.
To Do… making your life easier
Half the battle of being productive is knowing what you need to do, by when.
There’s a very powerful task manager that works with other Microsoft 365 applications. Here’s the lowdown on it.
SharePoint: The benefits for your business
If you’re looking for a customized way to collaborate and share information within your business, maybe SharePoint is the answer. Our video shows you some of exciting things you can do with it.
In fact, the collaborative and communication tools within Microsoft Teams really do make Working From Home easy for everyone.
Here’s how.
Bookings: Delivering organization and customer satisfaction
We’re all busy, with packed calendars. Which sometimes makes it difficult to find a good time to talk to each other.
Enter Microsoft Bookings. It’s designed to find gaps that suit you and the person you want to meet with. And make sure everyone gets reminders about the call or meeting.
Plus, it’s fully integrated with your Outlook. Here’s how it works.
Microsoft Project makes project management simple
If a lot of your work involves managing projects, there’s lots of software you can use to help you.
In our video, we recommend some software that integrates well with the other 365 applications you already use.
Planner helps your team to get things done
If your team is based in lots of different locations, managing projects effectively can be a headache.
Not if you’re using Microsoft Planner. It’s a powerful tool, and integrates perfectly with the Microsoft 365 apps you already love.
Let’s explore many of the benefits.
Microsoft 365 Sway: A niche app with a real purpose
You need to design a document for work… but you’re not a designer. And apps like Publisher are too confusing?
Enter Sway. It’s inside Microsoft 365, and makes designing easy for non-designers. Here’s our take on it.
Why Microsoft 365 needs multi factor authentication
If your team uses weak passwords for applications, it’s only a matter of time till you have a major security problem.
Multi-factor authentication is a major defensive weapon to help protect your business.
Forms: Connecting safely to the people you need to
You need to collect information from prospects or clients? Microsoft Forms is a safe way to do it.
Visio gives you powerful visualization tools
Do you need to create a diagram – perhaps a flow chart or a floor plan for a new project. Visio is an easy way to do it. Here’s what you need to know.
Publisher puts professional publishing at your fingertips
The days of needing a designer to create professional looking designs are over. You already have the tools you need – such as Microsoft Publisher.
Stream: A great place to share videos
There’s nothing better than video for communicating with people, especially your team. Did you know you have access to a powerful live streaming and video on demand tool within your Microsoft 365 subscription?
Outlook: A simpler way to do it all
Constantly switching between contacts, your calendar and inbox as you set up your working week? It can be frustrating when information is in different places.
Now you can do it all within Outlook.
OneDrive: Security as standard
Looking for an effective way to store files safely, access them from anywhere, share them easily and sync everything in real time? Here it is.
Do you need a Microsoft 365 backup?
So, your business relies heavily on Microsoft 365. Everything is in there.
Question is then, do you need a backup for it?
Best Practice
The importance of keeping your device updated
It annoys most people when you get one of those alerts that your device needs to be updated.
And they’re so easy to ignore. “Leave it for a few weeks… it’ll be OK…”
Right?
Wrong.
There are many reasons why you should always keep your devices fully updated, and why we do this for our clients, so they don’t have to think about it.
Here are the main reasons.
3 ways to keep your PC healthy
We all rely on our computers so much.
And thanks to a peak in demand some new devices can be hard to get hold of.
So, it’s really important you look after your PC properly. In this tech tip, we’ve got 3 ways you can keep your PC healthy.
3 ways to protect data on your mobile
We rely on our phones for EVERYTHING these days. Especially running our businesses and doing work efficiently.
If you do any work at all on your phone, this is a must watch video.
It’s the 3 things we recommend to keep your business’s data safe, no matter what happens to your phone.
When was the last time you checked your backups?
These days everyone knows the importance of backing up data. It’s a basic way to protect your business.
But there’s a second regular you job you must do – and that’s to check and verify your backups.
Here’s why it’s so critical.
What do you do when your IT network goes down?
It’s so frustrating when your IT gets in the way of important work that needs to be done.
And it’s why we take a preventative approach to our clients’ IT. It’s an important part of our partnership.
Here’s what we do and how we do it.
A type of insurance your business WILL claim on
There’s a type of technology insurance that your business WILL claim on, at some point.
Yet it’s estimated that 50% of businesses don’t even have it. What is it? Find out in this video.
What does ‘disaster recovery’ mean?
When it comes to thinking about the bad things that could happen to our business, many of us act like an ostrich – we put our head in the sand and don’t think about it.
But the smart thing is to think about what could go wrong in advance and pull together a disaster recovery plan.
Technology tasks when an employee leaves you
It’s not just annoying when a member of your team decides to leave. It can also be a security risk, even if they left on good terms.
These are the technology tasks you should look at every time you lose a member of the team.
Where's the best place to put your Wi-Fi??
Did you know that the location of the Wi-Fi box in your business and home can have a big impact on internet speed? Here’s why.
Efficiency
Here’s why your computer could be so slow
Don’t you just hate it when your technology slows down, and stops you from getting on with your work?
Here are 3 reasons why computers slow down. One of them you should be very scared of…
Outdated technology is costing your business
It’s a real false economy.
What is? Continuing to use old technology for your team.
Because while you think you might be saving $$$, the reality is you’re losing your staff’s time and productivity every day.
Here are three other threats to your business from using outdated technology.
If you're unhappy with your existing IT provider
So, look – cards on the table. We’re now taking on new clients. If you’re frustrated with your current IT support company, we really should talk.
This video tells you why.
Is your IT stealing your staff's time?
Sometimes, members of your team will look for any excuse to down tools, make another coffee, and talk about how “their computer’s down”.
Bad IT can have a huge effect on productivity.
If this is a recurring problem for your business, we really should talk.
Boss, I need a new laptop
If a member of your team tells you they need a new laptop or other device because they’ve lost it, don’t just think about the cost.
You’ve also got to consider the data security of the lost device. Here are a few key questions you must ask yourself…
Is Dave on Facebook again?
Social media can be a good thing. But it can also be an unwelcome distraction.
Instead of just banning social media on your business’s network, here’s something else you can do instead.
Old tech isn’t just slowing you down
Computers slow down over time. It happens gradually, so you don’t tend to notice it. Side by side, a 3 year old computer will be so much slower than the latest model.
But there’s another big downside of older computers that scares most IT professionals…
Does your business need an upgrade?
When Covid first appeared in 2020 and everyone rushed to work from home, some businesses thrived.
Typically, these were the ones that had already got a robust IT infrastructure in place for their people to work anywhere, at any time, on any device.
Productivity and profits can and should be improved when your business prioritizes its technology.
Should your business be cloud based?
Of course, you’ve heard of the cloud. And that lots of businesses are embracing it. But maybe you’ve never really understood exactly what it is, and what the benefits are.
Reality is, you’re probably already using the cloud in parts of your business. Our video explains what it is, and whether you should fully embrace it.
3 ways to become a paperless office
Going paperless has plenty of benefits for your business… you just need to do it properly. Here are our three suggestions to help you get there.
Bad network cables could be causing low internet speeds
In our exciting modern wireless age, we forget that many things are still connected with cables. And bad cables can have a very negative effect on internet speeds.
