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Why Your Employee’s Mobile Devices Need Security Protection and Proactive Maintenance, Just Like Your Office Network Computers Do

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Proactive Maintenance with StrongCare PlusSometimes small business owners and managers don’t realize they need to secure the mobile phones their employees are using and ensure the devices meet certain standards. However, this is essential in 2015, even if you don’t work in an industry like healthcare, finance, the government or the military.

If your employees have already started using their mobile devices for company work and to access the company network, employers have two options to secure these devices:

The somewhat tricky and time-consuming option – You must create a company mobile device compliance policy and require all of your employees to adhere to it. You would then have all your employees turn in their smartphones, personal laptops, tablets, (and any other mobile devices they’re using for work related tasks); and have your IT services team go through all their devices one by one and:

  • Check the devices for rogue malware,
  • Install security software,
  • Install device monitoring software,
  • Install security software to protect devices while employees are carrying them in public areas,
  • Authenticate the devices so the company network recognizes them as a safe devices,
  • Install remote software for automatic file destruction and device shutdown for lost or stolen devices,
  • Ensure that all apps the employee has installed, (and will install), on the device are compliant with company policy, and

Install software that will separate work use from home use, giving each set of tasks their own secure environment.

There’s still a chance that some employees will have to get new devices if they have secondhand devices that your IT team can’t properly secure. They will also have to agree not to use these insecure devices for any work-related tasks. In some cases, they might have to agree not to use the devices in the office or in the areas surrounding the building at all.

Proactive maintenance – Your IT team will also have to check devices regularly to ensure that employees haven’t downloaded any unapproved apps or malware. Your IT team might also have to update device software regularly and take other security measures.

The quicker, though more expensive option – You would still design a company mobile security compliance policy and require your employees to adhere to it. However, you would also provide your employees with completely secured devices for them to use for work-related tasks. Your IT team would still have to check devices for malware and unapproved apps regularly, and also perform regular device software updates. Part of your policy would entail things like:

  • Employees not using their personal devices at work or for work related tasks,
  • Employees not using their personal devices on company WiFi or to access the company network for any reason,
  • Employees not using personal devices in the office or in the areas surrounding the building, and things like this, etc.

Contact us to learn more! We’re here to help.

1Password for Mac is the One Password Manager For You

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OnePassword 1Password iconWe know. Keeping all those website passwords straight is a pain. Many avoid that pain by using the same weak and lame password for every website — trustNo1 is 25 on the list of dumb passwords, according to one piece on Cnet.com. Topping the list is 123456 with password coming in a close second.

You know you’re at risk when you use weak or repetitive passwords, but what is the alternative? What about a password like qry86jheYgcfFQ? Also, what if you could have a different and similarly complex password for every website you log on to — AND without keeping a notebook or text file to keep them up to date? Your need a password manager application, and it should work with any web browser.

1Password by AgileBits is your ticket to password tracking Nirvana. Download the Mac version for the App Store and let the software take over the headache of password security and administration.  When you load the program you are asked to enter a master password. Hint: Do NOT use 123456. Try using a sentence that is easy for you to remember, but hard for someone else to crack. Write it down and put it in a safe place. Another hint: NOT on a sticky note posted to your computer screen.

That one master password will open the 1Password application. You begin storing passwords after you allow 1Password to attach itself as a browser extension. The Mac default browser is Safari, but you can also use Firefox, Chrome and Opera.

When the 1Password extension is up and running, each time you log into a website, you must enter the current password, whereupon 1Password gives you the opportunity to either keep the existing password or generate a new, more secure string of characters. You copy and paste the new password into the website’s password box, and 1Password does the rest.

As your password inventory accumulates, the 1Password application, which can only be opened with your master password, serves as your inventory list of not only passwords, but also a place to record credit card, drivers license, passport and e-mail account data in one convenient place. It even has a place for storing confidential notes.

So 1Password is the ideal tool for you to securely store your personal information and manage website login credentials using far better passwords on any web browser. You can also synchronize your password list on your iPhone, or iPad by placing the 1Password vault file on iCloud or DropBox.

Proactive Monitoring–Peace of Mind and Optimal Performance in One Package

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Proactive Monitoring of your Mac with StrongCare MonitoringYou have heard the saying, “The best defense is a good offense.” Or maybe you are more familiar with,  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Though the thoughts expressed might be old, the truth conveyed is just as applicable today as it was when these words were first uttered. But how can you apply this wisdom to your Apple devices? You can do so by the use of proactive monitoring and maintenance.

Proactive monitoring is just as it sounds. It is a service that actively monitors your Apple product, detecting and responding to problems as needed. Often, this response occurs before you are even aware of any problem. Working in the background, it is continually collecting data regarding the performance, health, and status of your device. Think of it as a knight standing guard at the castle gate. Unobtrusive, but constantly vigilant to protect your equipment and data, proactive monitoring is a wise choice for businesses that want to ensure their products perform optimally.

Optimization features increase the speed and efficiency of your devices, which translates into better productivity and ultimately increased profitability. On the subject of profitability, proactive monitoring is often packaged with proactive maintenance. This type of maintenance saves major money in machine repair or replacement costs, and extends the life of your devices by preempting a failure crisis.

Monitoring also ensures backups take place at appropriate intervals and that those backups are completed correctly. The importance of this cannot be overstated, as regularly scheduled backups aid greatly in the sad event that a failure of hardware or software systems does occur.

Taking the step of proactively monitoring your devices with proactive StrongCare Monitoring provides peace of mind for you, optimal performance of your devices, and overall increased productivity for your staff. If you would like to discuss how you can take advantage of this vital service, please contact us.  We will be pleased to assist you with all your Apple product and service needs.

Spokane Area Schools Rely on Apple Consulting to Organize Institutional Data

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Apple and Education: Think Different

3585-the-oregon-trail-dos-screenshot-river-crossing-is-treacherousWhen we think of computers and education, we often think of Apple. Think of Oregon Trail and the Apple IIe as prime examples. Today educators use iPads to distribute interactive educational content: Pages, Numbers & Keynote help students write papers and iCloud Drive organizes files in the cloud. How to connect all these amazing Apple products into one centralized virtual location so everyone in your school can benefit?

Connecting All Things Apple in One Place

Educators are often remiss on how to share school-wide information from both the classroom, the office, and the principal’s desk. How often does a teacher need to check a student’s progress report from home, or an administrator need to collect data from departments from different computers spread across campus?

Schools need experienced Apple consultants who specialize in making important data available for all parts of a school’s organizational structure. Centralizing report card information and teacher resources on a controlled, security-enforced tiered permission platform with robust teacher-friendly web-based applications is a complicated process.

What You Can Expect From Consultants to Organize Your School’s Information

With experienced Apple consulting, schools can launch a centralized web-based environment so that teachers, students, parents, and administrators can access the resources they need anywhere with an internet connection. A certified Apple Consultant can help a school put together:

  • All its important contact information
  • Tracking capabilities for multi-step processes from any internet connected computer.
  • Creation of a web-based solution for all important school-related information that selected groups can access.
  • Up-to-date class lists and important campus events.
  • And more …

If you as an educator often ask yourself, “I really would like to have my school’s information accessible anywhere I am,” reach out to us to analyze your school’s needs and everyday practices. We’ll create a custom solution geared towards your educational goals and let you get back to doing what you do best: educating your students.

Managed Cloud Backups Keep Your Business Rolling Along Despite Disaster

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Data Recovery Storage MontageRealistically, you know it can happen. Despite your best efforts to keep your business running smoothly, interruption of operations can and does occur. Natural disasters, equipment problems, and even things such as fire or flood damage to your office can severely affect business operations.

Since you have little or no control over these potential issues, it is imperative to make data recovery a basic part of your risk management plan. In times past, data recovery was often an economically challenging issue, as small businesses were sometimes ill-equipped to provide the infrastructure necessary for successful data recovery in times of crisis.

However, that need no longer be the case. A very attractive option for small businesses is the use of managed Cloud backups. Basically, this means that important data necessary to your normal business operations can be stored remotely, thereby protecting your data assets from any local causes of disruption.

What are the advantages of managed Cloud backup solutions? Beyond the obvious and most important benefit of faster recovery in the event of a disaster or interruption of service, there are also everyday benefits to Cloud backup services. Most services allow for unlimited backups, ensuring that your data is protected routinely and automatically. Also, Cloud services make it easy to back up your data quickly from any location, without having to be actually in your offices for backup to be initiated. Such solutions also allow for backup of multiple devices. This is an increasingly attractive feature, as more and more business is being conducted via mobile devices as well as the standard desktop of yesteryear.

These are just a few of the advantages of managed cloud backups. If you would like to know more about how such a solution can be tailored specifically to your business needs, please contact us. We will work with you to ensure the fast recovery of operations for your business despite any type of unforeseen interruption.
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Why Mac Operating System Upgrades Have Succeeded

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Mac OS 9The current generation of Mac operating system upgrades began in 1999 with the introduction of Mac OS X (the X is the Roman numeral 10). OS X changed the look of Mac’s Linux-based system from the 1984 inauguration of OS 9, which was finally phased out in 2002. For over 30 years the Mac operating system has been the flagship for the “computer for the rest of us,” the Macintosh. (Watch this old Mac commercial and see Steve Jobs introduce the first “insanely great” new Macintosh.)

Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10The modern Mac operating system, nicknamed Yosemite (version 10.10) comes preloaded on every new Mac. It replaced version 10.9, Mavericks, and the upgrade is a download from the Apple App Store.

Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9Apple has taken somewhat of a more measured approach to upgrading their operating system. Relying on a consistent and familiar user interface, upgrades have been incremental. The operating system has been adapted to the industry-standard Intel processor, which, among other things, allows users to run Microsoft Windows on any Mac.

Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8Yosemite, released in mid-October 2014, like its predecessors is not a complete revamp like the (some say confusing) Windows 8. There are some improvements in the Spotlight searcher, the Safari web browser, as well as the Mail and Calendar apps. Also, look for better continuity and sharing between your Mac and all your devices.

Mac OS X Lion 10.7So Apple has avoided all the operating system upgrade problems experienced by Microsoft – e.g., Vista and Windows 8. Yosemite is a rock-solid operating system with value-added apps – Photos (formerly iPhoto), Maps, Mail, Calendar, Contacts, etc. – all of which work great, both on the hard drive and on the free Apple Cloud storage.

If you’re looking to upgrade your business or home computer network, contact us. We are your Mac personal computing as well as B2B resource. We would love to either get you started or keep you going, whatever your personal or business needs for hardware, software or training.

Mac OS X Time Machine is a Great Start to Your Data Recovery Strategy

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Time Machine BackupIf you rely on a MacPro or MacBook Pro to run your small business the OS X operating system has a priceless bonus for you: It’s called Time Machine, and it’s the greatest local data recovery tool ever. It is your instant data insurance policy, and the only thing you need is an extra hard drive – preferably external – and take the extra time to do that first complete backup. The emphasis here is on the modifier “local,” because if your backup storage media is destroyed – well, you get the picture.

More about off-site backups later. First, let’s do a quick review of the Time Machine. Chances are your Mac has the Time Machine application ready to install. You need to be running OS X 10.6 (released August 28, 2009) or later. As previously mentioned you also need an extra hard drive with at least one terabyte of free space.

Plug in your spare hard drive and follow the prompts to install, configure and begin your first full Time Machine disk backup. The first full backup could require anywhere from 90 minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of data the Time Machine has to replicate for the first time.

After the first backup, the Time Machine flags only the applications and files that you added or changed since the previous backup. The backup system is always on and works silently and unobtrusively in the background. Time Machine’s backup schedule works like this:

  • Time Machine does hourly backups of your system until the end of the day. The day’s backup is preserved for one calendar month.
  • At the beginning of a new month, Time Machine saves the previous month’s weekly Friday backups.
  • When the backup drive is full, the Time Machine discards the oldest backups to make room for the most recent increments.

The beauty of the Time Machine goes far beyond its ease of installation and effortless operation. After the backup system is up and running and has accumulated a few days, just click on the small clock icon on your main menu and select “Enter Time Machine.” Prepared to be impressed.

Restoring an older or deleted version of a file is as simple as finding the file’s existing or former location window. Just click on the file and tell the Time Machine what to do – restore it to its old location, etc. – and the system goes back in time to give you a second chance.

As previously mentioned, the Time Machine is only your first step in a smart backup strategy. It’s the convenient onsite way to do everything from restoring a deleted file to loading everything back to a corrupted hard drive. However, if a natural disaster strikes and your backup drive perishes along with everything else, you’ll need to have an off-site alternative. That’s where we come in. Contact us. Our data recovery service and facilities are efficient, reliable and reasonably priced.