Author: Andrew Hartman

Phishing Emails: How Fast Do Your Employees Take the Bait?

We’re all too smart to fall for phishing email messages nowadays, right? When that message purporting to be from your bank, credit card company, or ISP hits the inbox begging for clicks, we all know to just delete it. Isn’t that just common sense?

Of course not. Not only are we still falling for phishing scams, we’re actually doing it in record time. A recent study by Verizon finds that nearly half the people targeted by phishing scams click links and they do so quickly. How quickly? Users who open phishing messages click a link on an average of about a minute and 22 seconds. With all the recent news about data breaches, email security should be first in everyone’s minds.

The speed at which we’re clicking those links is only matched by how quickly cyber criminals are using our information. The Verizon study shows that attackers waste no time putting their ill-gotten data to use. Within minutes of victims clicking links and giving their sensitive information, criminals launch into action, stealing personal and company data. Even though over a third of breaches are contained in just a few hours, criminals act so quickly that even the speediest response by IT staff isn’t fast enough.

How can companies protect against phishing-related data breaches? Syndeo Communications, a leading IT support company in San Diego, suggests shifting the focus of security efforts from technology to people. End users need to be educated so they can spot phishing messages and other forms of hacking that rely on this type of “social engineering.” All the firewalls, antivirus, and spam protection at a company’s disposal can’t protect against a user clicking a bad link or giving out their password. Savvy, educated employees are the key to protecting against phishing.

To learn more about protecting your employees and your business from phishing scams, call Syndeo Communications at (760) 650-3300. We’re a leading San Diego IT consulting company, offering network and email security, data recovery, and 24-hour, onsite, and remote support.

Your Business Should Outsource Network Security: Here’s Why

At one time, only large companies could afford their own systems security. For small- and medium-sized businesses, the expertise and tools required to defend against cyber attacks was out of reach. But reality dictates that every business must open their websites and networks to the world wide web.

Increasingly, for smaller companies, outsourcing systems security to managed network security service providers costs less than staffing and equipping an in-house team.

Managed network security firms can provide experienced security professionals armed with state-of-the-art technologies at affordable prices because they divide their costs among several clients.

A company pays only for the services they require. This is advantageous to smaller companies because volume of work and, therefore, pricing can match a company’s changing size.

Typical services offered include:
– Anti-malware
– Network security
– Host security
– Email security
– Firewall management
– Database firewall management
– Vulnerability scanning
– Forensics

For a company with no IT security experience, the best way to start is to outsource IT security management. This will create the foundation for additional outsourcing through established and effective policies, procedures, and operations.

Network monitoring is especially effective to outsource because the service provider has not only operational expertise but the ability to access many data sources. They can collate and analyze that data to the advantage of each and every client.

Most business owners are overstretched. Trusted IT support San Diego business owners can count on allows for focus on the business instead of on security. And, in practice, a businesses enjoys better leverage over an outsourcing partner than with their own IT staff.

But negotiating and implementing a managed security agreement is not without risks. A business needs to be able to assure it can deliver services to internal and external users at the same time security services are enabled. A “trust, but verify” mindset will facilitate the most effective arrangement.

If you have questions about outsourcings your network security, Syndeo Communications can answer them. We’re a premier IT consulting company, providing everything from email security to server support in San Diego on-site and remotely. Call us at (760) 350-3300 and schedule a no-obligation consultation today.

What Is Google Sharing About You and What Can You Do About It?

The saying goes, “if you’re not paying for a product, then you are the product.” Is your personal data the currency you’re using to pay for services like Google Apps and Facebook? Google recently took a step toward allaying those fears with its new MyAccount page, which allows you to see what data Google collects, what it does with it, and how to opt out of sharing. To keep you, your personal information, your business, and your employees’ information safe, San Diego IT consulting companies suggest sharing the following information with the whole team.

Answers to Your Questions

The main page of the new MyAccount is an FAQ explaining exactly what information Google collects. This includes sites visited, videos watched, location, personal information like name and gender, and more. It also explains what Google does with this information (mostly tailor services to you and sell ads) and what it does not (sell it to others). Users are encouraged to run two “checkups” to get a better handle on their privacy configuration.

Security and Privacy Checkups

The Security Checkup and Privacy Checkup pages are where you go to review your privacy settings and manage what is shared. The Security Checkup page lets users review their contact information, devices, account permissions and Gmail settings. It’s a quick walk-through leading to the more granular Privacy Checkup section.

Privacy Checkup is where you to select what services like Hangouts, YouTube and Google Plus collect and share. It also includes handy settings for Google Ads. A good deal of information is left open by default so it’s crucial to go through this process. If seeing how much data Google gathers puts you off, MyAccount is also the place to go to delete everything and close accounts.

Checking Out

MyAccount has a link on the Account Preferences page to delete all account data and close the account. It’s essential to remember to download and save data by using Google Takeout first. It’s also important to consider that Android devices and Chromebooks will lose some features when your Google account is shut down.

MyAccount is a big move for Google, aimed at keeping users happy by affording more transparency and control over its data collection. It will be worth watching to see if other popular online services like Facebook and Instagram follow suit to keep us happy and not feeling so much like products for data mining.

Although it might take a little time to comb through the various settings, it will be well worth it to know essential information isn’t being shared. If security is still a concern for you, however, contact Syndeo Communications at (760) 650-3300. We provide email and network security services, as well as emergency IT support in San Diego, ensuring business are operating efficiently and safely at all times.

Benefits of IT Managed Support

With today’s constantly evolving technological developments and risks, IT Management is essential to a highly functioning, smoothly run business. The benefits of Managed IT Services in San Diego (from a company such as ours) can far outweigh the perks of having an on-staff Technician by providing:

  • Reliable, highly trained, and certified Technicians and Computer Telephony services both available around-the-clock on an as-needed basis
  •  Constant monitoring, with timely updates and back-ups
  • Better and more dependable infrastructure with safe (offsite), high-capacity storage
  • Financial savings (ability to budget in what your company needs) with the advantage of fast access to the latest IT solutions (at a fraction of the cost)
  • Knowledge of different regulatory compliance needs from Sarbanes-Oxley to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), helping companies understand the requirements and also comply with them
  • A façade for smaller companies, giving the appearance of being one of the “big guys” in a highly competitive market

By choosing outsourced IT Support in San Diego, business owners can focus on the core of their business with the reassurance of knowing that someone else is responsible for the IT/CT upkeep. Staff can focus on their jobs, ensuring better customer service or clientele management, and the business as a whole can improve both efficiency as well as productivity.

Looking for the right combo of managed IT services for your small or medium-sized business? Call Syndeo Communications at (760) 650-3300 and request a complimentary consultation. We provide on-site, remote desktop, over-the-phone support, and 24-hour IT support San Diego companies rely on.

Don’t Forget Your IT Support When Moving

Having access to reliable San Diego IT support during a business move will make these efforts both seamless and hassle-free. Unfortunately, consulting with IT providers before moving is an important step that many companies overlook. Not only does this increase the likelihood of problems that can lead to dissatisfied customers, a damaged commercial image, and considerable profit loss, but it also increases the amount of time it takes to get your new office up and running.

Plan in Advance

It is best to consult with your IT provider well in advance of your move. If you start early enough, your provider may even be able to help you identify a space that will best meet the technical needs of your operations. If you’ve already found and committed to a unit, your provider can assess the layout of your new digs and look for potential problems. This will give the provider the opportunity to resolve any issues before your actual move-in date arrives. Alerting your provider in advance will also put them on notice in case you need 24-hour IT support at any point during the moving process.

Update Your System

Relocating will give your company a fresh start. Thus, this is also a great time to revamp your business website, upgrade your hardware, and ensure you have all of the right technical tools for maintaining your competitive edge. You can even have a technology and security audit performed during this transition for improved data security and to ensure your technical infrastructure is in compliance with all industry standards. Taking care of both your move and any desired system upgrades at one time will limit your downtime and allow for greater business continuity.

Instant Success

The best reason to get your IT support company involved in your move is the fact that these professionals can help you get your company up and running in its new location in almost no time at all. This will help your business establish and maintain a reputation for reliability. Experienced San Diego IT services can even help you get a solid disaster management plan in place for preventing data loss while recommending strategies for keeping key employees and systems functional during the actual relocation process.

With the right planning and support, your company’s move can go off without a hitch and the productivity and profits of your business will be minimally affected at best. Planning a move soon? Call Syndeo Communications, a leading provider of managed IT services San Diego businesses trust, at (760) 650-3300 and request a free consultation today.

How Custom IT Services Help Small Businesses Thrive

IT is becoming more complex every day. Most small businesses simply don’t have the in-house resources to keep up with all the changes and leverage them to grow a brand. In this fast-paced and challenging environment, managed IT services in San Diego can provide lasting advantages.

1) Network Security

Experts have estimated that cybercrime costs more than $400 billion each and every year. You don’t have to be a global brand to be concerned: Small businesses often make tempting targets, too. A custom approach to network security can provide you with resources that will protect your sensitive financial data now and in the future.

2) Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has made it possible for small businesses to leverage the power of global, distributed teams, tapping into international labor pools. It also allows executives to retain a strategic view of their business no matter where they are. Implementing cloud computing in a secure, cohesive way means taking a custom approach to growing your business.

3) Video Conferencing

No matter how large or small your business is, odds are good you have customers who are hours away. Video conferencing gives you a powerful tool for prospecting and presenting to your customers as well as having a true “meeting of the minds” with your internal teams. Custom IT can help you make simple, fast video conferencing a reality.

With the right IT mindset, even the smallest businesses can get the most from new technology. That means competitive advantages that will level the playing field, enhance your productivity and give you the tools you need to achieve greater market penetration.

For more information about the right IT services for your business, call (760) 650-3300 to speak with an experienced IT consultant from leading San Diego IT support company, Syndeo Communications.

How to Know If Your Business Is Prepared for a Disaster

Whether a disaster is caused by nature or by man, it can be devastating to a business, especially if there is no plan, preparation, or 24-hour emergency support in place. Rough estimates suggest some 25-40% of smaller businesses hit by a disaster don’t recover at all. Read on to learn more about preparing your business for the worst.

Staff Safety

Staff safety is the most important issue. Find out if your place of business has an evacuation plan in place, including a safe location to meet in case going home isn’t possible. Also, a well-packed emergency kit, which includes water, tissue, hand-sanitizer, snacks, flashlight, batteries and first aid kit, should be easily accessible. Depending on the physical layout of your business, you might consider having multiple kits.

Communications

Ask a staff member to be in charge of Communications and re-route phone calls and e-mails to the designee’s cell phone. Another staff member should notify clients of your recent disaster, offering reassurance and, hopefully, a time frame for the return of normal operations. You may also need to contact other branches of your business, if they are national or international.

Backup

It’s well known that backup of data, network, and intellectual property is vital for recovering post-disaster. Make sure to have a data disaster recovery plan and a backup location that’s a significant distance from your business’ physical address in case of a natural disaster.

Insurance

Review the insurance policies for your company, the building or unit, the equipment, etc., making sure that you have coverage for the type of natural disaster most common in your state, as well as what is covered for certain man-made disasters. It might also be a good time to look into “Business Interruption” coverage.

Alarm Systems

Does the fire and intruder alarm system have a backup source of power? What happens if there is an extended power-outage? Do some research and make necessary improvements to ensure emergency systems won’t be compromised.

It’s important to make sure there is a disaster plan in place, allowing time for testing as well. The quicker your business is back up-to-speed, the quicker you can return to normalcy and bringing in revenue. For help with emergency preparedness call Syndeo Communications at (760) 650-3300. As a trusted San Diego IT support company, we offer 24/7 support, continuity planning, and top-notch network security.

Tips for Combining In-House IT Staff with an MSP

IT support is an essential part of keeping a business running at its full potential. Typically there are two different options for IT support, Managed Service Providers and In-House IT support staff. Each have their own advantages and capabilities. Some small businesses even combine them to get the best of both. Here are some tips on how to get the best results from both your in-house staff and an MSP provider.

The first step is to understand what each type of support can provide for you. An in-house IT technician can usually provide onsite support for users and resolve small issues quickly. However, unless you have more than one technician on staff, they may get bogged down providing user support and might not have time to work on large projects and efficiently manage day-to-day tasks such as monitoring backups and deploying updates. This is where the MSP comes in. An MSP is able to work on long-term projects and keep the large-scale operations moving.

MSP’s are able to provide many different types of support from user management to specialized tasks. Since Managed IT services in San Diego have more resources available, they are able to provide technicians who specialize in certain areas. This means that you can use MSP’s to handle tasks that your in-house staff cannot.

One advantage of having both in-house IT staff and MSP’s is that they can work together to better understand a network. Since your in-house staff will be more familiar with the way your specific network works, they will be able to provide technical information to an MSP if they are having trouble understanding certain aspects of a network. Since an MSP and IT support staff are able to work together on complex issues, they will be able to resolve them twice as fast as if they were working on their own. This can help minimize downtime and keep your business functioning at top performance.

MSP’s can also provide services that would otherwise not be cost effective, such as offsite storage. Offsite storage is often used to keep backups safe from natural disaster and theft. Since offsite storage requires a second location in which to store information, it is not always cost effective for small businesses to manage this themselves. An MSP would be able to provide this service for a fee and your IT staff would be able to concentrate on other tasks.

Managed Service Providers and IT support staff have many unique capabilities and can also share much of the same knowledge when it comes to IT support. Utilizing both at the same time can get you the best of both worlds and lead to an overall more efficient and functional IT infrastructure. With their combined knowledge, there is little they cannot accomplish together.

Interested in using Managed IT services to supplement your in-house IT staff? Call (760) 650-3300 to schedule a complimentary consultation with an experienced IT consultation from Syndeo Communications. We provide onsite, over-the-phone, remote desktop, and 24-hour IT support in San Diego and can help you find the right managed services to boost your business.

Top Infrastructure Management Concerns

When we hear the term, Infrastructure Management, it generally refers to Information Technology and encompasses such things as equipment and its maintenance, data storage and security, networking, ease of end-user computing, speed of processes, and reliability through data center upkeep. One challenge of infrastructure management is ensuring the IT goals align with those of the business itself. While mutual priorities are certainly one of the more significant challenges, other top concerns include the following.

  •  Networking is the circulatory system of a company, vital for communicating with clients and within the company itself. Computer systems and telephony equipment must be perfected for reliability and clarity.
  • Security is a priority with today’s “in a blink” technological grasp. A breach of critical or private information could have great financial impact and lead to identity theft. Excellent physical, network, and email security is definitely a necessary investment and not one to be frugal with.
  • Storage is of upmost importance, whether on-site, off-site, or in the cloud, providing the ability to safely back-up and/or store the company’s crucial data.
  • Equipment will always be at the top of the list of concerns for Infrastructure Management, as it must be constantly upgraded, maintained and repaired in order for an organization to run at maximum capacity. A solid Data Center is one that is well-maintained while allowing for upgrades and growth.
  • Ease of use in facilitating all aspects of technology bears rewards for the public sector and for a company’s staff members. The public needs to have easy access to an organization’s products and services, and employees need strong and operable equipment to maintain productivity.
  • Speed gives us maximum output in a minimum amount of time. Lengthy waits for downloads, processes and communications can bog down an organization’s level of functionality and with that, loss of time and revenue.
  • New Technology is developed every day. A successful organization must be well informed of new trends that best align with their needs. Keeping a company well endowed while simultaneously keeping in line with its growth is not an easy juggling act.

A company has many more variables to monitor in this technological age. While processes are faster and improved, they come with a whole new gamut of concerns. Keeping one step ahead is a constant challenge we need to be constantly aware of. An organization needs to utilize a perfect ratio of Business Management to Infrastructure Management to be successful today. Need help finding the right balance? Call (760) 650-3300 to speak with a friendly consultant at Syndeo Communications, the leading provider of IT support in San Diego. We offer a wide range of services, easily tailored to fit your specific needs.

4 Important Questions to Ask Your Current Cloud Service Provider

When deciding to adopt an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model and move resources out of the data center and into the cloud, it’s easy to assume that the cloud provider’s security and stability are nothing to worry about. After all, that’s the business they’re in, why wouldn’t everything be top-notch? While you may be right, it’s still crucial to evaluate your current San Diego cloud service provider to make sure your data and your business’ longevity are safe. Here are four important questions you need to ask your cloud company right away.

  1. Is my infrastructure shared or private?
    Not all hosting is created equal. Providers can cut costs and offer lower rates through shared hosting, where customers’ systems exist on the same infrastructure. While this is good for the bottom line, it’s not ideal from a security standpoint. If your cloud service sits on shared infrastructure and you’re concerned about security, ask what provisions they make for segmenting data, and consider moving to private infrastructure if their answers are not satisfactory.
  2. How are your financials?
    If you didn’t vet your cloud provider’s financial records during the onboarding process, it’s not too late to do so. While some cloud companies are established and solvent, others may be just getting by. The last thing you need is for your hosted infrastructure to disappear overnight due to your provider hitting a financial snag.
  3. What about your security and controls?
    This is one question that encompasses a range of areas. While it’s hard to cover every single area where security is a concern, our San Diego IT support specialists share a few key places to look. Which cloud company employees have access to your data? Are employees screened and bonded? What are the cloud facility’s security measures, both physical and data-related? What security certifications does the provider possess and how often are their procedures audited?
  4. What are your SLA’s?
    What uptime guarantees does the cloud provider offer? More importantly, what forms of remediation are offered if the provider can’t uphold their SLA’s? The best, cheapest and most secure cloud platform is still no good if it’s frequently offline and you have no recourse.

Have other questions about cloud service for your business? No problem! Call (760) 650-3300 and an experienced and friendly IT consultant from Syndeo Communications will be more than happy to help. We provide IT consulting San Diego companies trust and a wide range of comprehensive services that can be tailored to your needs. We look forward to hearing from you.