Category: Orange County Managed Services

You’re More At-Risk Than You Realize

Orange County IT services providers often work closely with businesses to help increase the effectiveness of their security profile. This is more necessary than ever, because cybercriminals understand they’ve got a better chance of “ransoming” data from smaller businesses than larger ones. Consider these factors impacting SMB effectiveness:

SMBs are a Vulnerable Target

SMBs are more vulnerable to attack for several reasons, chief among them being their lack of awareness pertaining to operational danger. Many small businesses don’t think hackers would be interested in them, so they don’t bother with security. Hackers know this and know this makes them more likely to pay a fee. SMBs are prime targets for cybercriminals; if you don’t work with the best tech providers to safeguard your business, chances are increasing that you’ll be compromised.

There’s an Increasing Operational Threat

Cybercrime is a growing industry— it’s expected to hit $46 trillion by 2021. If you don’t safeguard operations with the help of Orange County IT services providers, you will be undermined eventually. It would be statistically anomalous for you not to have security and escape unscathed.

The Right Attack at The Wrong Time Can Bankrupt You

Small businesses are apt to run under a deficit for a number of years before sustainable profitability is attained. You’re already running close to the “red line” if you’re an SMB. Without security, one tiny hack could eliminate necessary data, estranging a core client, and ultimately causing your operation to implode on itself. You can’t afford to be unprotected as an SMB. Even if you’re doing well financially, the right attack at the wrong time could be very impacting. Prepare accordingly.

Orange County IT services providers like Advanced Networks can help you safeguard your SMB against pernicious and expanding cybercriminal threats. Contact us to get an idea of your vulnerabilities and eliminate them.

Malware is one of the most common cybersecurity threats in the workplace, but an Orange County IT support provider (MSP) can help keep your computers safe and secure. Malware can disrupt the day-to-day business operations of your company and make it almost impossible for employees to remain productive. However, understanding the common signs of a malware infection is essential in today’s work environment.

Here are five common signs that your computer is infected with malware:

1. New Homepage and Toolbar

A new toolbar or changes to your homepage are a few examples of a potential malware infection. Many times this occurs if an employee accidentally clicks on a link that downloads malware to your device. The best way to remove any forms of malware is to run an antivirus scan for your entire computer system.

2. Unusual Error Messages

Another common sign of malware is if you receive unusual error messages that appear randomly. Sometimes your computer may randomly shut down or tell you that you do not have access to certain areas. Always keeping your computer up to date and downloading antivirus software is essential in keeping your system protected. You may also need to reinstall your operating system if you continue to experience error messages.

3. Disabled Antivirus Protection

Some types of malware will disable your antivirus protection for your computer, which is especially true for advanced forms of malware. However, you can reach out to an Orange County IT Support provider to help you remove all kinds of malware while also giving your business access to around-the-clock monitoring services.

4. Strange Messages That You Didn’t Send

Malware can also send messages from your Facebook account and other social media platforms without your knowledge. It is essential to immediately log out of all your accounts on each device and change the password. Always using a complex password and two-factor authentication are just a few ways to keep your accounts safe and secure.

5. Unfamiliar Desktop Icons

Malware will often download unfamiliar desktop icons that can create data breaches and pose significant security risks for your business. An MSP will walk you through step by step on the best way to remove malware without causing further damage to your computer.

Malware continues to grow in complexity and cause a wide range of IT security issues for businesses. Advanced Networks is one of the leading companies that offers Orange County IT Support for small businesses. We understand the many dangers of malware and can help ensure that your entire computer system is safe from these malicious threats.

Contact us now to learn more about cybersecurity and schedule a no-cost consultation!

Orange County IT services providers cater to more than one business at a time. Accordingly, they offer better solutions than most internal strategies can. Following are several considerations worth discussing as you seek the best wireless networking solutions. Outsourced tech delivery has considerable advantages, including:

• Professionalization
• Staff reduction
• Customization
• Compliance

Professionalization

Orange County IT services providers operate with greater professionalism than most internal techs can. Internal techs have your resources and equipment to deal with. Their job is on the line if operations fail; but also, your budget may preclude them from doing the most professional work. Accordingly, it could literally be beyond their scope of service delivery to provide you what you need, putting internal tech failure on the shoulders of management. With an outsourced tech solution providing wireless networking, this won’t happen, as they operate at a single recurring monthly rate, and so have in-built motivation to perform.

Staff Reduction

If you’re outsourcing wireless networking solutions and mobile device management (MDM) and bring your own device BYOD, you’re not going to need internal techs managing your operations. Instead, you can rely on the auspices of exterior professionals, paying less for better service.

Customization

No MSP will be able to remain competitive without some level of customization, and while certain clientele wishes may be impossible to achieve, it is the prerogative of any competitive tech agency to provide the fullest possible service delivery.

Compliance

With healthcare facilities, shared liability defines the MSP/client relationship, meaning if a client is found out of compliance, the MSP is fined, as well. Accordingly, they are committed to ensuring your compliance which is greater than internal tech solutions in a natural way.

Better Wireless Networking, Reduced Expense

At Advanced Networks, as an Orange County IT services provider, we can help your operation function more efficiently while reducing associated cost. Contact us now to discover what options are available to you.

Orange County IT services facilitate security solutions for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This is very necessary, and for multiple reasons. First, consider that IoT is coming to define modern tech infrastructure. If you’re going to retain competitive viability, you’ll need the monitoring, metrics, and other data services which are made possible through an expanded technology surface area. However, an increased tech surface area additionally increases vulnerabilities. Even worse, should data be compromised on an IoT network, the fallout could be much worse.

Realistic Considerations

Imagine an entire airplane being digitally hijacked. That’s not unrealistic; especially considering the recent airplane crashes that developed from faulty autopilot software. Imagine a hacker breaking into such a system and sending an airplane into a cliff deliberately. Cybersercurity is paramount, and doubly so as pertains to IoT applications. Following, several strategies will be briefly outlined to give you an idea what sort of protection your IoT network needs:

RMM/MDM: Software Update, Operating System Management, and Wiping Capability

Remote monitoring and management (RMM) represents an integral security measure in the deferral of cybercriminal intrusion. You need to be able to update systems externally from an internal place of control. Also, you should have remote wipe capability.

Should quarantine keeping devices from accessing networks become necessary, this should be an option. MSPs can help institute the best RMM protocols. Mobile Device Management (MDM) overlaps most of these protection measures.

Minimizing Accessibility of Devices

How accessible devices are will bear a close relationship with how hard or easy it is to enter them in an unauthorized way. Devices should only be accessible given the right access criteria. Usernames and passwords need to be updated regularly.

Device Authentication Prior Network Access

Orange County IT services providers tend to institute protocols which don’t even let an IoT device have access to your network unless it’s been properly authenticated. There is a slight downside here in that authentication can take time, slightly reducing the speed at which you can utilize your IoT array. However, what you lose in time you’ll gain in security; and that’s better.

Keeping Networks Safe

An Orange County IT services provider like Advanced Networks can help you institute the best authentication protocols, ensure accessibility of devices is strictly monitored in terms of passwords and login data, and help you determine which RMM/MDM protocols best fit your particular business. Cybercrime and IoT applications are in expansion; this trend looks as though it will continue. You need to be prepared. Contact us now for more information.

Orange County IT services providers understand the benefits and hazards of mobile productivity solutions. On one hand, you can cut down on employee travel time, increase availability, reduce operational costs in terms of space as well as equipment, and experience better employee productivity. On the other hand, security issues can be massive when it comes to mobile solutions, as can management.

Micromanagement is Reduced Through BYOD

If you’re a micromanagement fan, you’re likely not going to prefer solutions like BYOD (bring your own device). However, the numbers could make you change your mind. Granted, you can’t get the feel you could for the output of employees, but then, if you’re always holding their hand, how will they ever run? Your staff has to trip and smack their professional facade against some digital pavement in order to realize where the discontinuities are in the sidewalk of business. If you never let them fail, they’ll never succeed. Now granted, there are some costs you absorb, but proper leadership helps avoid those unnecessarily large while yet providing freedom for employees. BYOD is a great way for your staff to maximize output while reducing unprofitable activity.

Instituting Mobile Device Management Protocols

Here’s the thing: you need to have some MDM (mobile device management) solution in place. Orange County IT services providers can help you apply this kind of thing in terms of password management and access control. Using DaaS (Desktop as a Service), you’re able to have your workers update operations continuously as though they were updating things from their own end-user portals in a cubicle. But if you don’t manage access, cybercriminals will seep in at the edges and either piggyback your network or outright steal from you. Multi-factor verification protocols can be very effective in preventing cybercrime, as can proactive management and support as facilitated by an MSP.

Transitioning in a Strategic Way

A final consideration involves transition. This can take time, but with mobile device solutions facilitated through the cloud, you can incrementally shift your staff as they’re able to make the change. Additionally, through such an incremental shift you can more effectively determine what operational impediments are waiting for you, and more comprehensively anticipate such issues as more of your staff make the switch.

Orange County IT services providers, like Advanced Networks, can help you effectively manage a non-localized operational model in terms of security, visibility, and transition. Adopting such a solution is an increasingly popular technology choice for many businesses, so additionally making the switch facilitates competitiveness. Contact us for more mobile information.