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Microsoft

7 Pro Tips for Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is the most popular of all major office productivity software. It has 48.8% of the global market share, just edging out Google’s apps, by a couple of percentage points.It’s used by individuals, small & mid-sized businesses, and larger enterprise organizations. It does everything a modern office needs. Including from word processing and spreadsheet work to cloud storage and video conferencing.Because Microsoft 365 is such a vast platform, with over 20 apps in total, it can be easy to miss helpful features. People tend to stick with what’s familiar. But this often causes them to miss out on time and money-saving bonuses in M365, beyond the core apps.Some of the many apps you get, depending on your subscription plan, include:ExcelWordPowerpointOutlookTo DoOneDriveTeamsFormsDefenderSharePointYammerListsAccessBookingsIntunePlannerVisioAnd moreWant to get more value from your subscription? We’ll go through some of the most helpful apps and features in Microsoft 365 that you may now know about.Get More Out of M365 With These Tips1. Skip the Menu Bar by Using Search to…
Nicholas Salem
October 31, 2022
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CybersecurityMicrosoft

What Is Microsoft Defender for Individuals & What Does It Do?

When you hear about Microsoft adding security apps to M365, it’s often the business versions. But the pandemic has changed the way that we see the workplace. It’s now a hybrid world. One made up of several connected “mini-offices” located in employee homes.The outsourcing market has also contributed to the change in company networks. Freelancers are often contracted to work the same hours as employees. This means less overhead and taxes to pay. Approximately 68% of large consumer products companies outsource a part of their workforce.What we’re getting at is that the need for home devices and network security has never been greater. Company data is now at the mercy of employee devices, situated in homes across the globe.55% of employees use their own devices and software to work from home.Microsoft has been at the forefront of this huge shift in the work environment. Its latest release is another example of how it has positioned its products to address new needs.The latest security offering by…
Nicholas Salem
October 25, 2022
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Cybersecurity

The Biggest Vulnerabilities that Hackers are Feasting on Right Now

Software vulnerabilities are an unfortunate part of working with technology. A developer puts out a software release with millions of lines of code. Then, hackers look for loopholes that allow them to breach a system through that code.The developer issues a patch to fix the vulnerability. But it’s not long before a new feature update causes more. It’s like a game of “whack-a-mole” to keep your systems secure.Keeping up with new vulnerabilities is one of the top priorities of IT management firms. It’s important to know which software and operating systems are being attacked.Without ongoing patch and update management, company networks are vulnerable. And these attacks are completely avoidable. 82% of U.S. cyberattacks in Q1 of 2022 were due to exploiting patchable vulnerabilities. This is a global problem.What new vulnerabilities are lurking in products from Microsoft, Google, Adobe, and others? We’ll go through several. These were recently noted in a warning by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).Make Sure to Patch Any of These…
Nicholas Salem
October 20, 2022
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Cybersecurity

Small Businesses Are Attacked by Hackers 3x More than Larger Ones

Have you felt more secure from cyberattacks because you have a smaller business? Maybe you thought that you couldn’t possibly have anything that a hacker could want? Didn’t think they even knew about your small business.Well, a new report by cybersecurity firm Barracuda Networks debunks this myth. Their report analyzed millions of emails across thousands of organizations. It found that small companies have a lot to worry about when it comes to their IT security.Barracuda Networks found something alarming. Employees at small companies saw 350% more social engineering attacks than those at larger ones. It defines a small company as one with less than 100 employees. This puts small businesses at a higher risk of falling victim to a cyberattack. We’ll explore why below.Why Are Smaller Companies Targeted More?There are many reasons why hackers see small businesses as low-hanging fruit. And why they are becoming larger targets of hackers out to score a quick illicit buck.Small Companies Tend to Spend Less on CybersecurityWhen you’re running…
Nicholas Salem
October 15, 2022
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CybersecurityMicrosoft

Internet Explorer Has Lost All Support (What You Need to Know)

After being the main entry to the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet Explorer (IE) is gone. As of June 15, 2022, Microsoft dropped the web browser from support.IE ushered in the age of connection to the world in 1995 and held a majority of the browser market share for many years. But the release of newer technologies like Google Chrome made it less relevant.In 2014, Internet Explorer still held about 59% of the global market share, with Chrome at 21%. But just two years later, IE lost its top spot to Chrome and trailed behind another newcomer, Safari.In 2015, the writing was already on the wall when Microsoft released a new browser, Edge. With Edge destined to take IE’s place as the official browser installed on Windows systems.It’s inevitable, the longer technology is driving work and home life, that we’re going to lose some of our favorites. Adobe Flash Player is another technology that used to be widely used and is…
Nicholas Salem
October 10, 2022
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Productivity

5 Mistakes Companies Are Making in the Digital Workplace

The pandemic has been a reality that companies around the world have shared. It required major changes in how they operate. No longer, did the status quo of having everyone work in the office make sense for everyone. Many organizations had to quickly evolve to working through remote means.During the worst of the pandemic, it’s estimated that 70% of full-time workers were working from home. Even now that the pandemic has hit a new waning phase, remote work is still very much a reality. 92% of surveyed employees expect to still work from home at least 1 or more days per week.This transformation has forced companies to rethink the tools and policies they use. Many have also needed to completely revamp how they work. They've had to switch to a cloud-based digital workspace to enable a hybrid team.This transition has brought newfound benefits, such as:Lower costs for employees and employersBetter employee work/life balanceHigher moraleThe same or improved productivityMore flexibility in serving clientsBut, the transition to…
Nicholas Salem
October 5, 2022
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Cybersecurity

You Need to Watch Out for Reply-Chain Phishing Attacks

Phishing. It seems you can’t read an article on cybersecurity without it coming up. That’s because phishing is still the number one delivery vehicle for cyberattacks.A cybercriminal may want to steal employee login credentials. Or wish to launch a ransomware attack for a payout. Or possibly plant spyware to steal sensitive info. Sending a phishing email can do them all80% of surveyed security professionals say that phishing campaigns have significantly increased post-pandemic.Phishing not only continues to work, but it’s also increasing in volume due to the move to remote teams. Many employees are now working from home. They don't have the same network protections they had when working at the office.Why has phishing continued to work so well after all these years? Aren’t people finally learning what phishing looks like?It's true that people are generally more aware of phishing emails and how to spot them than a decade ago. But it's also true that these emails are becoming harder to spot as scammers evolve their…
Nicholas Salem
September 30, 2022
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Cybersecurity

What Should You Do to Reduce Risk When Your Mobile Device Goes Missing?

Few things invoke instant panic like a missing smartphone or laptop. These devices hold a good part of our lives. This includes files, personal financials, apps, passwords, pictures, videos, and so much more.The information they hold is more personal than even that which is in your wallet. It's because of all your digital footprints. This makes a lost or stolen device a cause for alarm.It’s often not the device that is the biggest concern. It’s the data on the device and access the device has to cloud accounts and websites. The thought of that being in the hands of a criminal is quite scary.There are approximately 70 million lost smartphones every year. The owners only recover about 7% of them. Workplace theft is all too common. The office is where 52% of stolen devices go missing.If it's a work laptop or smartphone that goes missing, even worse. This can mean the company is subject to a data privacy violation. It could also suffer a ransomware…
Nicholas Salem
September 25, 2022
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Cloud

Helpful Tips for Keeping Your Shared Cloud Storage Organized

Cloud file storage revolutionized the way we handle documents. No more having to email files back and forth. No more wondering which person in the office has the most recent copy of a document.Between 2015 and 2022, the percentage of worldwide corporate data stored in the cloud doubled. It went from 30% to 60%. A majority of organizations use cloud storage of some type. Typical services include OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and others.But just like the storage on your computer’s hard drive, cloud storage can also get messy. Files get saved in the wrong place and duplicate folders get created. When employees are sharing the same cloud space it's hard to keep things organized. Storage can be difficult to keep efficient.Disorganized cloud storage systems lead to problems. This includes having a hard time finding files. As well as spending a lot of extra time finding needed documents. It’s estimated that 50% of office workers spend more time looking for files than they do actually workingHas…
Nicholas Salem
September 15, 2022