Coleman Technologies Blog

What’s the Problem?
What’s the first thing that anyone who prefers Google Chrome does when they open Microsoft Edge? Simple--they download Google Chrome. Since Chrome isn’t available by default on Windows 10 devices, users have to download it, which means that they are reliant on Bing’s search results to find Google Chrome. The problem with this is that some malware sites have disguised themselves as sponsored ads for Google Chrome in Bing’s search results.

These sponsored ads would appear when a user searches for Google Chrome in the Bing search engine. Basically, instead of a legitimate sponsored ad leading to the Google Chrome download page, the malicious ad would instead bring the user to a phishing site disguised to look like the Google Chrome download page. This page would have a URL of ‘googleonline2018.com.’ If you try to access this page through Google Chrome, it’s actually blocked, but Bing and Edge don’t do this, making it a huge security issue.

These Issues Aren’t the First
Making the situation even worse is that this isn’t the first time Bing has encountered issues like this. Even as far back as April of this year, this same threat was reportedly identical to the recent version. The ad has been pulled as of this writing, but it’s strange that no explanation has been issued regarding this threat by Google, or even a confirmation that the issue has been resolved. All of these factors combine to create a situation where it’s not that unbelievable a situation like this could happen again.

Other Bing Problems
There are other problems related to Bing that have caused issues in the past, including a history of providing offensive or alarming content through its image search. For example, if you were to search for objectively neutral terms, there is a chance that, even with SafeSearch on, the image search will deliver racist search suggestions or other similarly-offensive content. Bing has also been known to push conspiracy theories through its suggested searches. Searching for the wrong thing could potentially expose users to material that they didn’t want to view in the first place, or content that could land viewers in hot water with the law.

To remain updated on similar situations to those explained above, as well as the latest security breaches and threats, subscribe to Coleman Technologies’s blog.

What is Blockchain Technology?
In essence, a blockchain is a distributed ledger that builds a collection of records that is continually growing, all protected with encryption. By design, blockchains are meant to be resilient to edits and changes, making them quite reliable in terms of ensuring the integrity of these records. Each block (or node) of data has security measures to keep it from being changed, as well as timestamps for each record and information about the transaction. If a record needs to be altered, all subsequent records must also be altered, which requires the permission of the network majority.

How Is It Used?
Originally, blockchain was developed for cryptocurrency purposes, but the fact that it’s encrypted and resilient to changes makes blockchain ideal for other purposes. Public blockchains are used for cryptocurrency like Bitcoin to provide a distributed ledger, but it’s thought that private blockchain systems might be helpful for business purposes.

How Will It Be Used in the Future?
One of the most noteworthy ways that blockchain could be implemented in the future is the sharing of health records between various provider offices. Since it’s a distributed network, all doctors on someone’s medical plan would have access to the same unaltered data so they could provide the best service possible. Other opportunities for blockchain technology include a transparent ledger for public viewing, which has a wide range of uses for tracking payments for services rendered and other information.

Coleman Technologies can help your business check up on the latest technology solutions on the market, including ones that will help you improve operations or efficiency. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

The Types of Backup
Here are four of the most common types of backup that you can expect to see in an office environment:

• Full backup: This type of backup makes a copy of all selected files in their entirety. Most backup solutions will have to initially go through this process, and since this is such an intensive process, it will take longer than other data backup types. If this is your preferred method of backup, it will likely have to be done after-hours, as it takes a long time and could tie up processes that are needed during the workday.
• Differential backup: This type of backup only backs up changes made to the data. This allows for faster backups, but the process of recovery is much slower.
• Incremental backup: This type of backup is much like a differential backup, with the main difference being that an incremental backup will always back up the data regardless of if a full backup was completed or not.
• Mirror backup: A mirror backup makes a real-time duplicate of the source and backs it up. This creates complete redundancy, but it also comes with various issues. For example, if the material is deleted by mistake, the mirror will also be deleted. This reason alone dissuades IT technicians from using mirror backups as a viable solution for their backup needs.

Now that the types of data backup have been explained, we’ll go over some of the backup-related terms you might want to know.

• Business continuity: A business continuity plan is designed to help your business get back in proper functioning order if you’re ever hit by an unfortunate situation. All organizations need to have a business continuity plan in place.
• Disaster recovery: Disaster recovery is specifically there in the event your business suffers from a disaster involving data loss. This includes cyberattacks, sabotage, user error, and even weather-based disasters that destroy infrastructure.
• Recovery Point Objective (RPO): RPO is a benchmark that represents which data will be recovered by your business if it wants to get back to normal business operations following a disaster.
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO): RTO is a benchmark that represents the time needed for your business’ data to be restored. Minimizing this number is critical to keep downtime as low as possible.

Coleman Technologies can help your business by equipping it with a comprehensive data backup and disaster recovery system. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

What Are Templates?
Evernote’s templates are handy, pre-built structures for notes that provide users with a simpler means of organizing specific types of information. Instead of taking time struggling with your formatting each time you start a new note, you can apply one of the templates that Evernote offers on their website. Those with a subscription to Evernote Plus, Premium, or Business can even use formatting they’ve created in past notes to generate their own templates for repeated use.

Applying Templates in Evernote
Once you’ve acquired a few templates, either from the Evernote website’s collection or from a past note, applying one of your choosing is relatively simple.

• In Evernote, start a new note.
• In the body of the note, click Templates to view the ones you have saved.
• From there, you can search for any templates you have, delete ones you no longer want or need, edit their names, and of course, apply them to notes.
• If you want to edit a template, follow the same process, and once you’ve made the changes that you want, save it as a new template. Note: only those with Plus, Premium, or Business accounts are able to do this.
• Plus, Premium, and Business users are also able to create their own templates this way.

So, what do you think? Is this a welcome change to Evernote? What other improvements would you like to see them make down the line? Let us know in the comments!

Generally speaking, microchips in computers are made out of a variety of materials, but the most common is silicon. These microchips are responsible for acting as semiconductors and give your devices the ability to perform various tasks. We’ll get into the details about a couple of them here.

Memory
One of the more notable uses of microchips in devices includes temporarily storing data. These kinds of chips have a familiar name that you’ve probably heard before--Random Access Memory, or RAM. As long as the chip is receiving power, it can store data on the device. Once the device is turned off and the chips are no longer receiving power, this temporary data is wiped. Depending on what the device is used for, the computer might have many RAM chips installed on it; otherwise, the device will be slowed down considerably by resource-intensive tasks.

Microprocessors
Microprocessors have a lot to do with your device’s CPU, or central processing unit. You’ll often hear the comparison of a CPU to the brain of the human body. The CPU is responsible for processing all of the programmable commands on the device. Microprocessors generally rely on logic to function as intended. Of course, depending on the kind of device, various strength microprocessors will need to be used, as the same kind of microprocessor won’t work for every single kind of device out there.

Other Kinds of Chips
Depending on the device used, you might find various device-specific chips in use. For example, some devices that have cameras might have chips specifically designed for use with video recording or picture taking. Others that have networking abilities might have chips designed for use with those. Basically, chips are responsible for both the everyday functionality of your devices, as well as some of the specific, more advanced features that not everyone will be using.

For more information about technology or devices, stay subscribed to our blog.

What Makes a Good Backup Strategy?
It’s easy to underestimate just how valuable data is for a business, especially in today’s modern office environment. Protecting your data by any means necessary is critical to your continued success. The best way to do this is by using a comprehensive data backup solution that also has a disaster recovery component. While it might be tempting to back up all data on your network, it’s worth remembering that some data isn’t as valuable as other data. You’ll have to decide which data is worth more and design a strategy around making sure this is always available.

Resolutions for 2019
You should always strive for excellence in everything your business does, and data backup is one way your organization can improve itself for 2019. If you’re not sure how you can improve data backup and disaster recovery for your business, try following some of these guidelines:

• Implement a backup platform that lets you back up the data necessary to the operations of your business, minimizing downtime to keep costs low.
• Work with your IT administrator to plan your data backup solution based around specific factors like your recovery point objective and recovery time objective.
• Test your backups regularly to ensure that they work as intended. This means that any time you have to actually deploy a backup, you can know with certainty that they will work.

If you don’t have an IT administrator available who can help you with the process of implementing a data backup and disaster recovery solution, reach out to Coleman Technologies. Our professionals have seen their fair share of nasty situations that have led to the demise of unprepared business, like natural disasters, hacking attacks, and even user error; we don’t want it to happen to you as well.

We can help your business minimize downtime and expedite the restoration process with a data backup and disaster recovery solution from Coleman Technologies. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Innovation
Before we tell you how innovation may hurt your business, we’ll talk a little bit about how it is absolutely essential. Business is, for most companies, a very human endeavor. Humans that do the same thing day-in and day-out, don’t take all that long to get proficient at it. This proficiency, if not tested can soon turn into complacency, but if it is tested too much, it can turn into productivity-sapping frustration. Innovation is the process of renewal. Taking something that has worked, and making it work even better.

A constant need for renewal fuels the technology industry. Take, for example, a legacy computing system. A business can still utilize it because it knows what to expect. It’s been using the applications and the software for quite a while. Since it creates no new problems, and the management of it is routine, it works for your business, until it begins to cause other problems.

How could it be then, that this kind of unquestionable efficiency is actually hurting your business?

Well, the answer is pretty standard. With solutions available that take less capital to maintain, are available on newer technologies, and enhance your workers’ ability to be collaborative/productive, the expectation would be that embracing new technology systems will actually cost the business less than maintaining and supporting a legacy system. The legacy system will eventually be untenable because it will be so expensive to maintain, or, it will lose effectiveness. Either reason suggests innovation is an inevitability.

Innovation Betrayal
We’ve already established how serious business owners (and other decisions makers) need to be innovative in their procurement and deployment of business-class solutions to get more out of their business investments. What happens when the innovations they choose do the opposite? What if everything they’ve been told by industry leaders, by mentors, and by their vendors turned out to be completely ineffective?

What if by innovating some of their IT, waste and inefficiency spiked? What if the end result of a dedication to accepting new hardware and other solutions is that capital, that could be spent elsewhere (or, to maintain systems that worked properly for some time), is completely wasted? How can you justify taking capital from a functioning system and leaving your staff with a shiny, new system that doesn’t deliver the same effective computing platform (or operational effectiveness) that their old system did?

We all know that supporting a legacy computing platform is not just costly, it is risky. With the thousands of threats out there just looking to feast on unprotected, network-attached systems, upgrading to more secure systems that don’t need as much diligent oversight should likely be a priority of every business.

How do you make these two concepts play nice? One way is to virtualize. In the past, legacy applications were a major problem for IT administrators, but nowadays, there are solutions that make legacy application virtualization not only possible, but efficient. That way, you’ll be able to maintain the use of your legacy applications, but host them on a public or private cloud platform. This presents any organization with several benefits that include:

• Better for continuity
• Cost reduction
• Improved security
• Easier software licensing
• Boosts in accessibility

It may seem ironic that, by using some of today’s most dynamic technologies, you won’t have to move off of your old software systems, but that is the case. To virtualize your data, your applications, and any other part of your business’ computing systems the IT professionals at Coleman Technologies can help. Our technicians can provide you with the information and resources you need to successfully move your locally-hosted applications to the cloud, whether you choose to host that locally or not.

Customer Relationships
Another way that businesses have improved the way they do business through innovation is by overhauling the way that they handle their customer relationships. If your business has found success by pressing the flesh and getting out and having face-to-face relationships with customers and prospects, you shouldn’t change that now. However, today there are solutions that can make those face-to-face relationships more valuable.

By integrating technology solutions designed to help you better manage your customer relationships, you can subsidize those face-to-face relationships with automated correspondence and other services designed to promote enhancement to your organization’s sales and support. One solution is called Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

A CRM integrates all facets of your business together with one piece of software, not only improving customer relations, but also streamlining processes for sales, productivity, and support. By having all the information your team needs in one simple-to-use solution, they can produce more, provide better support, and collaborate better than ever before.

Another technology that is working to improve customer relationships is social media. There are dozens of different social media sites for a business to consider, but depending on the industry your business services, you may be able to get away with minimizing your social media presence and still have it work to enhance your relationships with customers and prospects. The major social networks like Facebook and Twitter can be of great benefit for businesses to promote their brand and interact with customers.

At Coleman Technologies, we help businesses just like yours do more with the use of technology. Our managed IT services work to proactively manage your business’ IT to ensure that you are experiencing the technology in the way it is designed to be experienced; and, that your company gets the most out of it. For more information about how Coleman Technologies can help you improve your business, call us today at (604) 513-9428.

What Do You Expect from Your Wi-Fi?
Many businesses have a tendency to either deal with their Wi-Fi as-is or will haphazardly add new networking components to their infrastructure as needed. Neither of these approaches is ideal, especially in light of the fact that you’ll need your Internet connections to be reliable as you grow your network.

A much better alternative is to design your Wi-Fi network keeping a few additional factors in mind, including your office’s particular setup and any future growth plans you may have. This way, you will not only create a network that works for your current needs but is also flexible enough to shift and adapt as your business does. Whether you’re first designing your office’s floor plan or taking another look at its setup, the key is to go about it from a strategy-first perspective.

The Process
Your first order of business is to determine where the demand for a signal will be the greatest. After all, if you have a group of employees reliant on their wireless connectivity huddled together in one area of the office, you aren’t going to want to place your equipment in a way that creates a dead zone there. This will help you to identify obstacles and inform you of where you may want to consider placing additional routers to make up for their effects.

Once your Wi-Fi has been set up and your employees are settled, you should still be collecting performance data and listening to the input that employees have about their connections. Remember, wireless is still an evolving technology, so as it develops it is likely that you will need to adjust your strategy to accommodate it.

Long story short, you’ll probably need to make this an ongoing process to ensure that your Internet is as usable as possible for everyone in the office.

The professionals at Coleman Technologies are also here to assist you with any of your technology needs. If you need help with your business’ IT solutions, give us a call at (604) 513-9428.

A Brief History in IT Security (And Why it Matters to SMBs)

Over the past two decades, IT technology has altered the business topography making it easier to produce, collect, and collaborate on data. However, the use of modern-day, internet-connected equipment for any purpose opens your business up to threats. Whether you simply use email for business correspondence, or your point-of-sales solution integrates with your website’s ecommerce system, protecting your data and infrastructure from online threats isn’t something you want to skip.

Without going too deep into the nerdy details of cybersecurity, let’s take a brief look at where the world is at so far:

• In 1988, computer scientist and entrepreneur Robert Tappan Morris developed the first computer worm that self-replicated across the Internet. This worm single-handedly caused an Internet blackout.
• In the 1990s, computer viruses were quickly becoming widespread and were getting a lot of media coverage. You might remember the ILOVEYOU and Melissa viruses that infected tens of millions of PCs. None of these viruses really had any clear objective other than causing disruption.
• These viruses led to the development of Internet security companies and antivirus solutions. It also started to build awareness for online security threats, which only led to trickier types of malware and threats.
• Email was (and still is) one of the prominent ways viruses were spread, so businesses that relied on email were just as susceptible to online threats, however businesses started to have more at stake. If emails were compromised, the integrity of the business, or at the very least, the level of security of the business, would be questioned by clients and prospects.
• During the 2000s, internet threats started to become more organized and strategic. No longer were viruses just an annoying nuisance that spread haphazardly. Instead, many major threats were identified that had serious financial objectives.
• Starting in 2005, Criminal organizations were targeting retail outlets, syphoning credit card information. One of the first and largest was when 45.77 million credit cards were stolen from TJ Maxx, costing the company $256 million to repair damages.
• Finally, businesses were starting to take cybersecurity more seriously, because there were clear and heavy consequences for falling victim to an attack.
• Today, it hasn’t gotten any better. Over the past few years, huge brands like Sony, Target, Apple, Premera Blue Cross, Anthem, Chick-fil-A, Kmart, Dairy Queen, and even the US Postal Service have been targets of very successful, very aggressive, and very expensive hacks.
• With the massive popularity of mobile devices, smartphones and tablets are now being targeted more than ever. It’s estimated that 11% of all smartphone users get hacked each year, and that number is expected to rise.
• Don’t forget data theft. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones are extremely susceptible to this. Beyond the physical device being stolen, hackers can easily intercept data being sent from a mobile device over insecure Wi-Fi hotspots like those found in coffee shops, trade shows, and hotels.

Of course, these are all the big names we’ve heard in the media. Smaller companies don’t get the same publicity (thank goodness), but smaller companies are actually at a higher risk because they tend to have little to no defense. While a criminal organization might like to steal the data of 56 million customers from Home Depot, several hundred records from a small business can be done in a fraction of the time.

The points to take away from this are that cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more organized, and that it doesn’t matter how big or small your business is.

Protecting Your Business

To protect your business today, it takes several different approaches. There’s no single answer or software to purchase that will protect you from each type of risk. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that throwing money and solutions is going to protect your assets.

Beyond the security measures in place, a sense of awareness needs to come into play. You and your staff need to keep security top-of-mind, and rely on an IT security consultant when questions arise.

Let’s start with the basics - the solutions on your network that should handle the heavy-lifting of your IT defense plan.

Backup and Business Continuity Planning

While data backup isn’t really a preventative security measure, it is a major player when it comes to your security plan, as well as a fundamental piece of your business continuity plan. A managed, properly monitored backup solution is basically the last line of defense. If all else fails, at least you can restore your data. It should be hoped that you never need to come down to this, because if you are compromised, much of the damage is already done, but if you are compromised and your data is gone, there’s little chance of survival.

Your backup solution should store data securely offsite, and backups should be ran regularly, several times per day. Other features to look for in a good backup solution would be fast restore times (image-based backups instead of file backups), versioning, and virtualization capabilities.

Managed Antivirus

A staple of traditional IT security, having antivirus properly installed and managed across your entire network will prevent the millions of different viruses and basic threats that cause computer downtime and other issues. Antivirus isn’t going to prevent more targeted attacks, but all businesses should have it in place.

Although there are plenty of great free antivirus solutions for home users, your business will want a solution that is centrally deployed and managed to ensure virus definitions and other updates are always in place, and that scans are ran regularly.

Firewall

Equipping a centrally controlled firewall will block incoming attacks. Not to be confused with the software-based firewalls that piggy-back on many antivirus suites, a business-class firewall typically sits on your network between your other devices and the wild Internet.

Spam Protection

As mentioned before, email is one of the main ways threats get into your business. Although most email clients have decent spam filtering, junk email is still getting into your organization. Utilizing a separate spam filter solution blocks these threats from getting delivered.

Secure WPA2 Wi-Fi

Unsecure Wi-Fi can give a user full access to your network and your data. Although this only opens you up to localized threats (the user has to be within range of your company Wi-Fi), ensuring that your routers are locked down and secure is a best practice. Many modern routers have this functionality built-in, it just needs to be properly configured.

Secure VPN Access

Data theft is a huge problem when traveling. Wireless hotspots, like those found at airports, coffee shops, and hotels can be very insecure. Hackers can easily intercept your data without your knowledge. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) solution lets you access your company files and applications securely without transmitting sensitive data. This also means that sensitive data doesn’t need to be stored on the device.

Mobile Device/BYOD Policies

With the widespread usage of devices like smartphones and tablets, employees are becoming much more likely to use these devices for work. This can improve communication, collaboration, and productivity, however there are downsides certain precautions aren’t put into play. Your organization needs to develop a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy with specific rules corresponding to the storage and transferring of company data on personal mobile devices. These policies need to be read and understood by all employees, and enforced by the organization.

While you don’t want to be so strict that you prevent engaged users from utilizing their own smartphones or tablets for work, you need to enforce the protection of your data (and your clients’ data). Setting up the ability to remotely wipe a lost or stolen device, or revoke the access to company email if the employee quits is a good start, while establishing document management solutions like cloud hosting or a VPN provides even more incentive to follow best practices.

Industry-specific Compliances

Depending on your business, there may be other regulations and compliances that you need to meet. It’s best to cover these on a case-by-case basis, as each regulation will have very specific requirements. We highly recommend you reach out to the IT security experts at Coleman Technologies for an evaluation.

Ongoing Management, Updates, and Testing

What good is a smoke detector if the batteries are dead? The same goes for IT security that isn’t properly managed, kept updated, and regularly tested.

Don’t wait for a security breach or data loss to start thinking about IT security. To get started, and to find out what it would take to establish the solutions found in our fundamental IT defense plan, give us a call at (604) 513-9428.

Customer Service
Your customers are one of your most valuable assets, so it’s natural that you want to build a powerful bond with them. If you can’t support the products you sell to them, you’ll have a difficult time keeping your business in good standing with both current and prospective clients. Technology can help you maintain this positive relationship through the use of a ticketing system to handle customer complaints and concerns, and it also makes it easy to handle support for various services you might offer.

Social media and social networking in general provides businesses with more direct ways of interacting with consumers. Sites like Facebook and Twitter essentially offer a platform to promote a brand and knowledge base. Of course, this advantage can quickly become a detriment if it’s not managed properly, as you’re (again) dealing directly with customers--if they aren’t satisfied by your interaction, they’re more likely to share it and complicate public relations.

Productivity
To be successful as a business, you have to accrue money somehow. This is where productivity comes in--technology helps by enabling workers to get more done throughout the workday, building more value for your organization in the long run. For example, time-tracking software can help with task scheduling, giving employees the opportunity to accomplish more during the time they spend in the office. Moreover, you’ll be able to assign a monetary value to the time your employees spend on various tasks and streamline their work processes.

Many of today’s most helpful technology solutions come with built-in productivity solutions that allow for collaboration through the cloud. These cloud-hosted applications provide flexibility to workers so they can communicate in the way most efficient for them. Since these solutions are flexible and scalable, your business can adjust them as needed.

Finance
Money is a big part of why you’re in business, but you can’t do anything without funding of your own. You have a bottom line to keep in mind, after all. Technology can help businesses better manage their finances through online invoicing services to collect payments and reduce paper expenses. If you use software to manage payroll and other accounts, you’ll be able to handle them easily and more efficiently. If you can streamline these processes at all, your business can run much better and you’ll be better off in the long run.

Security
Security plays a critical role in the sustainability of your business, both on your network and in your physical office. You can’t let workers or other entities waltz around your network and your office uninhibited, as the opportunity to cause major damage is practically omnipresent in today’s business world. You need to implement not only network security solutions such as antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and spam blocking technology, but physical security solutions like security cameras, biometric security locks, and other measures as well. Doing so ensures the protection of all your business’ assets, whether it’s from a hacker or a careless employee.

A lot goes into making a business successful, and technology plays a large role in doing so. How does your business use technology? Coleman Technologies can help you get started thinking about the future for your organization. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Collection Concerns
Data collection is one of the current big concerns in technology. With another newsworthy data breach practically every other day, companies that accumulate data for seemingly little reason effectively put their clients and customers at a greater risk of having this data stolen. Reflecting upon this, it is no wonder that 75 percent of consumers are concerned about brands keeping track of their browsing habits.

Facebook has been the focus of some negative attention in past months thanks to these concerns. In addition to the Cambridge Analytica situation, Facebook has adopted artificial intelligence technologies to analyze their users. This analysis is used to predict future behaviors, these insights being sold to advertisers. While this brings up many legitimate concerns about data privacy, it also introduces a different topic: the need for a code of ethics surrounding the use of collected data, as well as how much data is collected.

Why This Is a Real Issue
It should come as no surprise that businesses and individuals have different priorities, and that these different priorities shape their ethics in different ways. Likewise, the primary purpose of any business is to generate revenue through profit. Therefore, it only makes sense that a business as a unit would have the motivation to collect as much data as they can - after all, the more data available, the more insights that could be presumably be gleaned, and the more successful the business would be… in theory.

However, as mentioned above, many businesses seem to collect as much data as they can just so they can have it. This is not a great approach for them to take for a few reasons. Most obviously, because it just enables more data to be compromised if a breach was to occur.

Without the guidance of a code of ethics leading your business decisions, the likelihood of risking your clients’ data for the sake of advancement - be it more insight, improved automation and artificial intelligence, or another business goal - becomes much higher.

Enforcing Ethics
In order to create a workplace that is in alignment with your determined ethics, you need to make sure of two things. One, that you clearly establish and share them within your business so that your employees are on the same page as you are, and two, that you stand by these ethics.

To accomplish this, learning your company’s ethics should be a part of an employee’s onboarding process, with a written document leaving no questions as to what will and won’t be tolerated. Then, you need to make sure that you not only listen when ethical violations are reported, but also allow those reporting them to remain anonymous.

What would be the most important aspect of your policy for employees to follow? Share it in the comments!

Extension Restrictions
One of Chrome’s largest advantages over its competition has to be its library of add-on extensions. Unfortunately, any kind of functionality with these additional “programs” can lead to security concerns. Google has had to slow down the production of extensions to create new requirements for developers to adhere to. One example is how cryptocurrency continues to be a major talking point, prompting extensions to include cryptocurrency mining and cryptojacking in their features. Google is shutting down these supplemental programs, as well as generally holding developers to higher standards than they previously were. It now demands that developer accounts be protected by two-factor authentication, as well as paying closer attention to apps that require lots of permissions or host their code remotely.

Security Measures
Chrome 70 is also packing in all kinds of new security features to keep phishing attacks away from end users. In particular, Chrome is trying to push education of its native password management tools, as well as warn users when the links they are about to access aren’t secure. In essence, this simply states that websites need to be secured if they want visitors, reinforcing the fact that websites need to prioritize security these days.

Login Concerns
While some changes have been accepted with open arms, others… not so much. While Chrome has allowed users to use the browser without logging into the browser, some have noticed that Chrome appears to log a user in, even if they are only using one service out of the many provided. This is primarily an issue because Google could potentially share the user’s data (think browsing history), which is not something that users traditionally take lightly. In the time since then, Google has announced that Chrome isn’t necessarily logging users into Chrome--it’s more of an in-between measure to show a user which of their accounts is currently logged in.

As with any new solution, there will be roadblocks and concerns that users might be faced with during the experimentation phase. What kind of experiences have you had with Chrome 70 so far? Let us know in the comments.

Why Use a VPN?
The best way to understand what a virtual private network does, is to have a little background knowledge of why it’s necessary to have one. The easiest way to understand it is to think about accessing your business’ data as a two-lane road. On one side of the road is the traffic moving from your business’ infrastructure toward your device, and on the other side is data moving from your device to your business’ infrastructure. Anyone with the right tools can see the data as it’s being transported from one location to the next, and if the data isn’t protected by the right solutions, it can be stolen while it’s in transit. A VPN makes it much more difficult for hackers to accomplish this feat.

Understanding a VPN
Your average connection should be encrypted to protect the integrity of any data stored on it, and a virtual private network helps by augmenting this practice while out of the office. To aid in protecting your organization’s network connectivity, a virtual private network can encrypt your connection to sensitive data while on a different connection, such as if you’re working from a remote location, or just simply not in the office at the moment. When the data is encrypted, hackers have a harder time stealing the information that’s being sent to and by your devices while out of the office.

To be fair, it’s not that hackers can’t steal the data being sent to or by your devices while using a virtual private network; it’s that the data that hackers do steal is much less useful to them overall. The reason for this is the encryption. If the hacker can’t crack the encryption of the files, the can’t read the data, and, then the data they have just stolen is completely useless to them. Modern encryption methods are virtually impossible to decrypt (at least, the average hacker will spend more time than it’s worth to decrypt the data, making the process far less appealing than it normally would be).

Coleman Technologies can help your business set up the perfect virtual private network for all of its specific needs. Whether you’re out of the office momentarily or for a lengthy amount of time, or if you have remote workers in all corners of the globe, the right virtual private network can keep your data as secure as can be while it’s moving from one location to the next. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

What’s the Big Deal?
You would think that assigning administrator accounts would prevent users from making poor choices with your data. The main difference between the two is that administrator accounts have many more privileges compared to the traditional account used by the average user. In fact, a traditional account is much safer to use unless you actually need administrator access to perform a certain task. Ordinarily, a normal user account can’t install software or mess around with important files in the system, but this isn’t necessarily the case for an administrator account.

Admin accounts are essentially the most powerful account on your computer. They have the permissions to perform just about any role on your PC. It’s the same role that your IT department uses to make any significant changes to your devices during updates and general maintenance. Every computer needs to have at least one admin account found on it, but if access from untrained users is allowed, they could make changes to important files needed for the computer to run properly.

Why You Should Limit Admin Account Use
While it might make sense to have admin permissions if you’re the only one who uses your computer, this is simply not the case on a managed network. There are security problems associated with using an admin account as your primary device account. What happens if your account gets compromised by some sort of malware? It’s simple; the malware will install on your admin account and be able to make any changes it wants to any of the important files only accessible by your admin account. While more permissions as the device owner might sound ideal, it only makes it easier for threats to leave a lasting effect on a device.

Standard accounts have more limited permissions, meaning that if they are compromised in any fashion, they will be more limited in the amount of damage they can cause. It’s for this reason that it’s best to limit administrator accounts as often as possible, as there is no guarantee you will never fall victim to such attacks.

To minimize the chance of your business’ endpoints falling prey to attacks, you should implement proactive measures against the countless possibilities out there--including a compromised admin account. To learn more about how your business can protect itself, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Why Use a VPN?
A virtual private network works by protecting your network from prying eyes while data is in transit. While you’re out of the office and connected to a network, any data that moves between your device and your internal infrastructure is susceptible to being intercepted. Any villain with the right tools could snatch your data while it’s moving from one location to the next. A VPN makes this task more difficult for the hacker, if not outright impossible.

Understanding a VPN
Any network should be encrypted to keep the data stored on it safe, and a virtual private network takes this one step further by implementing an encrypted connection while out of the office or on a different network. This is particularly helpful if you don’t trust the integrity of the web connection you are currently using (and you shouldn’t--hotels, coffee shops, and other public places attract all sorts of folks). If data sent to and from a device is encrypted, hackers have a harder time making heads or tails of the data or its purpose, thereby removing the incentive to actually steal it.

To be fair, a VPN doesn’t necessarily make it harder for data to be stolen--rather, it makes it harder to be read, analyzed, or interpreted. It transforms the data into a jumbled mess that can only be decrypted by someone who has the encryption key. This makes the data stolen significantly less valuable, as hackers can’t really do anything with encrypted data. At the absolute worst, the hacker will spend an insane amount of time trying to crack the encryption, and it’s entirely likely that they will simply give up or see it as not worth the effort.

If your business wants to maximize security for remote workers or traveling, a virtual private network is a necessity. Coleman Technologies can help you implement the best one for your budget. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

VoIP Improves Inter-Department Communication
Landline telephones in the office have been dated for quite some time. Even if they were once necessary to get in touch with coworkers and other departments, they are now quite antiquated compared to modern solutions. After all, there’s no guarantee that an employee will be available to take your call, as the workplace is filled with countless tasks that often require their full attention. Sure, you could leave a voicemail, but there’s no guarantee that the employee will see the message until it’s too late to respond. Since Voice over Internet Protocol doesn’t rely on your employees having a traditional handset, and instead has them using more mobile devices, they’re more likely to be available when you need them most.

VoIP Is More Flexible
Some organizations have employees who aren’t always able to work in the office for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they are simply on the move for conferences so often that they are just never in the office, or perhaps you have employees who work remotely from time to time (or even permanently). VoIP lets you stay in touch with these employees in the same way you can with your in-house team. Since VoIP can be used on mobile devices, laptops, and even desktops, it doesn’t matter where your employees work, as long as they have the VoIP application and a headset. In this way, VoIP is much more flexible than any traditional landline.

VoIP Allows for Additional Features
Landline phone services tend to have features built into them, but many of them are decided by the cable company that provides your telephone service. These features are often not what your business wants or even needs. VoIP services give your business all the features needed from traditional landline telephone services, including conference calling and voicemail, but with lots of additional features that add a quality to your business’ ability to communicate. You can take advantage of video conferencing and instant messaging built right into your VoIP solution. By going through a VoIP provider in this way, you save money by only paying for services you will use rather than those your cable provider assumes you want.

To get started with a VoIP solution today, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Your IT is no different, and there are specific KPIs you can measure to gauge the success of your technology infrastructure. These include the cost to maintain it, the cost to train your staff to use it properly, the cost of downtime (and how much downtime you suffer from), the costs of adding your next few users, and just how effective it is at allowing you and your employees to be productive.

There are plenty of other reasons to take a look at your current IT;

• Your business is growing but your current technology is holding you back.
• You are suffering from regular downtime.
• You need an IT consultant who’s more aligned to your business instead of just a computer repair person.
• You simply feel like you aren’t getting what you deserve out of your IT investment. (Those gut feelings are important!)

Is the current system in place working? Is your current support provider delivering the level of service your business deserves?

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself when reevaluating your existing IT support provider.

Do they actively manage and maintain your IT or do they wait for it to break and for you to call them?

Many computer support companies (including Coleman Technologies) have done away with the traditional break-fix business model. As it turns out, computers crash far less often when they are properly maintained and monitored. By taking on a proactive approach, it can save your business from surprise bills and expenses, not to mention downtime.

Do you feel like you are suffering from regular downtime and computer issues?

This is a big one. Downtime is expensive. If your employees can’t work productively because of network or computer issues, your business is losing money. You still pay your employees to do their job even if they can’t get that job done because of downtime.

If you are suffering from downtime issues, it needs to be investigated into, as there are many reasons that could be causing it. Our professional team of IT experts can assist you and evaluate your network to determine why you are suffering. If you’d like to know more, give us a call at (604) 513-9428 before downtime strikes again.

Does it feel like your computer guy makes the most money while you are suffering?

We have a phrase for this, it’s “Kicking you when you are down.” If the person who’s managing your network and computers starts shopping around for new Porche when you suffer from a major outage, it’s time you start shopping around for a new computer guy. All joking aside, this is the model of some computer support companies. While you are paying your employees to not get work done, losing revenue, and falling behind on quotas, you are being charged hourly for support.

Coleman Technologies believes in taking the proactive approach, and with our managed IT services, you pay a flat-rate for us to prevent downtime. In other words, we’re the ones losing money if you suffer from downtime

Do they respond to emergencies in an hour or less?

Again, if you or your staff can’t do your job because of computer issues or network downtime, it’s a huge problem. We consider it an emergency and act as quickly as possible. In many cases, we know of issues before our clients do, because we detect it during our active remote monitoring. Sure, issues can still happen, but a huge number of problems can be picked up and resolved before they cripple your staff.

Do they document and understand your specific needs or do you have to explain things over and over again?

One of our biggest peeves is undocumented IT solutions. Some IT companies make it difficult and expensive for a business to drop them because the network isn’t properly documented. This includes software license and asset management, device configurations, network maps, cable labeling, and much more.

To be frank, at Coleman Technologies , we’re OBSESSED with proper documentation and project tracking. We want to be as efficient as possible, so that any of our technicians can quickly evaluate issues despite the specific nuances on your network. The same goes for projects and new technology implementations.

Are they absolutely religious about backing up your data?

Any experienced technician who cares about your business will ensure that your data is backed up before doing anything. Not only do we want you to have a data backup solution in place, we check it regularly to make sure it’s doing it’s job and properly backing up your data. An untested backup may as well not exist in the first place.

At Coleman Technologies , we also think beyond the backup, and can help you establish a business continuity plan that will help you get back on your feet in the event of a major disaster.

Does it feel like you are paying them to learn their trade?

It’s one thing to include research and development for a new project, but if it feels like you are paying for your computer person to spend most of their time searching the web for a solution to a problem, you aren’t really getting the value of working with an expert.

Do they meet with you regularly to discuss and review their performance as well as your business plans and how it all ties in with IT?

Is your computer support only there when things go wrong, or do they take their understanding of your business and apply it to your IT? Do they regularly meet with you to discuss the future of your network and help you establish a budget for growth?

At Coleman Technologies , our account manager can act as your virtual CIO. Your account manager understands your business needs and can help align your technology to fit those needs.

Can your staff submit a support ticket without worrying about an additional, unexpected bill?
Although not every business wants to work this way, there are benefits to letting your staff submit support tickets to get technical help when they need it without going through a manager first. Plus, with our remote monitoring and maintenance services, thorough documentation, and knowledgeable staff, we offer the most cost-effective support in the area. Whether your agreement covers helpdesk support or it’s outside of the scope of your agreement, we strive to provide the highest level of service.

Do they work with you to actually reduce your unexpected IT costs?

This scenario really irks us - does it feel like your current computer support guru is just selling you expensive services without worrying about how it improves productivity or saves you money? All to often, we see businesses running too many servers or using solutions that are overkill. Whenever possible, we try to recommend IT solutions that will save money or even help you become more profitable in the long run.

Want to learn more about what Coleman Technologies can do for your business? Give us a call at (604) 513-9428 for a no-obligation, non-invasive consultation and tell us about the IT issues you deal with on a regular basis.

First, we’ll talk about how managed IT can provide value for your organization’s project management efforts, and then we’ll tackle how project management software specifically can aid in this.

Managed IT for Project Management
You can’t make progress on a project if your technology solutions are constantly experiencing problems. For example, if an employee is trying to work with Microsoft Office, but the license runs out for the solution, you’ll be unable to get work done with that solution. The same thing could happen for just about any software your business relies on to get the job done, as well as just about any other asset that your project management team needs.

Coleman Technologies can help your business manage its IT so that your assets are always available when you need them most (like in the middle of a project implementation). This means that you won’t have to worry about your technology experiencing any inefficiencies while you’re focused on the project’s implementation. In essence, by effectively doing our job, we can help you get your job done as smoothly and efficiently as possible. This means that instead of focusing on keeping your technology solutions working as intended, you’re focused on getting the job done as quickly as possible, meaning you experience less downtime and save more money for other endeavors.

Project Management Software
Project managers have the responsibility of managing all of this information and connecting the implementation team with all the resources they need to get the job done. This is often easier said than done, but thanks to project management software, your organization can take advantage of a central hub-like interface to connect all resources to users in a centralized fashion.

In essence, project management software helps your team communicate and access resources in the most convenient way possible. Project managers can take a look at progress, assign tasks to specific individuals, check the current state of the project’s budget, and so much more, all through a single software solution. This helps to make sure that projects are completed in a timely manner, keeping your business from having to redo the implementation process multiple times (because we all know that doing something twice wastes time and money better spent elsewhere).

Coleman Technologies can help your business get started with managed IT and project management. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Variants of Ransomware
Unlike other malware threats, ransomware isn’t designed to gain access to a system to steal data outright. Rather, it’s just to convince the user to hand over some cash for the safe return of their data. Businesses struck by ransomware are in danger of losing their data and money completely, as there is no guarantee that the hacker will ever return the data, even if the ransom is paid in full. There are two different types of ransomware--“locker” type ransomware targets the CPU, while “crypto” variants go for the encryption of file systems.

It doesn’t matter which strand you contract. The basic premise is still the same. After the threat is unpackaged and executed on the user’s device or network, it encrypts access to data, processing, or both, and it gives the system its demands in the form of instructions on how to make payment. The user then has to make the decision of whether they actually pay the ransom. If they don’t, there is always the option to restore from a data backup platform, if you have one.

Ransomware is a drastically different kind of malware compared to the more traditional methods of hacking. Unlike malware that wants to keep itself hidden so it can siphon information from a computer or install backdoors, ransomware wants you to know what misfortune has befallen you. Ransomware has grown more common in recent years, and so many strains are now seen in the wild that it’s tough to keep up with. These attacks have targeted municipalities, enterprises, and other organizations, all with the goal of leeching as much money from them as possible.

How Ransomware is Delivered
Ransomware might seem like something created by only the most nefarious hackers, but in reality, it’s spread in much the same way that any other threat would be. Spam messages and targeted email campaigns can initiate a ransomware attack, either through clicking on infected links or downloading suspicious attachments. In these cases, ransomware is typically most effective against businesses that have poor network security practices.

Take spam, for example. There’s no reason your business should be dealing with messages like this on a daily basis. With enterprise-level solutions, they can be outright prevented from even entering your inbox. The same can be said about your employees. With proper training, they shouldn’t be downloading unsolicited attachments or clicking on suspicious links in emails. If you invest some time and resources into proper network security, you can minimize the odds of being infected by ransomware.

The Consequences of Ransomware
The most dangerous aspect of ransomware is the downtime that ensues because of it. If you can’t get your work done due to your files being locked down by ransomware, you’re simply wasting time. The same can be said for any employee on your network. Assuming that the entire network is now encrypted by the ransomware, your whole organization could be left with nothing to do until either a backup is restored or someone hands over the ransom. It’s generally a best practice to not pay the ransom, as there is no guarantee that the hackers on the other end will stay true to their end of the bargain.

Instead, it’s best to take preventative and proactive measures to ensure that ransomware doesn’t become a problem in the first place. A Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution is a great way to keep your network secure from external threats, and employee training can keep influences beyond your direct control (like your employees) from placing your entire business in jeopardy. It’s also imperative that your business have a continuity and redundancy strategy in place, as in a worst-case incident like a ransomware attack, you’ll want to restore affected files and systems from a time before the attack struck.

To learn more about how your organization can stay safe from malware--including ransomware--reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

Statistic #1: 75% of Small Businesses Don’t Have a Continuity Policy
It doesn’t matter what kind of business you run. It could be a small mom-and-pop shop or a large business, the importance of continuity is still the same. Ultimately, it comes down to the possibility of a major setback. If you don’t have continuity, you might have to close down for a few days until conditions have improved (if they improve).

Imagine the following scenarios:

• Let’s say you run a deli or other similar small business. The hardware on your payment card system crashes and you lose your customers’ financial information. How do you think they would react to this? It might not be stolen, but the situation doesn’t help anyone.
• You run a small retail business with several employees. What if one of them checks their email and clicks on a link, installing malware on the computer in the process? Something simple like this can be devastating for a business.

A comprehensive data backup strategy can help you combat threats to your business’ continuity. Everything from hardware failure to employee sabotage should be considered for this plan. In other words, you’re preparing for a worst-case scenario, and no stone should be left unturned.

Statistic #2: Over Half of Companies Have Experienced Downtime Lasting Longer Than a Full Work Day in the Last Five Years
Downtime can end even the strongest business. If you experience operational downtime on a regular basis, you’re not producing anything during that time. This also means that nobody is making sales, and you’re paying people to do nothing. From the perspective of data recovery, if you don’t have your data backed up and ready to be restored, downtime is a business killer. If you don’t have data, you can’t get much done.

Redundancy is a key factor for business continuity. A BDR solution provides a network-attached device that can both back up local data and push it to the cloud. This means that it can be found in either location in the event of a disaster, improving the odds of recovering swiftly.

Statistic #3: Nearly 77% of Malware-Compromised Organizations in 2017 Were Hit By “Fileless” Malware
It’s no surprise that the spread of malware has evolved over the past decade, growing more sophisticated and more difficult to handle. There have been times in the past where antivirus solutions and firewalls have failed to handle some of the more recent additions to hackers’ repertoires of threats, resulting in stolen data and corrupted systems.

That being said, fileless attacks aren’t anything new. These types of attacks don’t leave behind executable files, making them more difficult to trace back to their sources and remove. Here are some of the more popular fileless techniques used:

• Registry-resistant: Attackers store malicious scripts in the registry to help them survive system reboots and make it hard to remove.
• In-memory: Attackers utilize exploits and code-injection to load and execute malware straight from a system’s RAM.
• Living off the Land: By injecting malicious code into legitimate admin tools, an attacker can disseminate malware throughout a system without any warning at all.

Regarding data backup, malware attacks can complicate the recovery of your business. If malware manages to infiltrate your network at multiple endpoints, it can be difficult to root out the issue and get it resolved quickly. A data backup and recovery solution can make it much easier to recover, as long as the malware hasn’t managed to corrupt your backups (hence why you store them off-site). You can effectively eliminate downtime and the costs associated with it, since the network-attached device essentially acts as a server until you can get your hardware replaced or repaired.

Coleman Technologies can help prepare you for even the worst scenarios. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.