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How to boost your company bottom line and productivity

So you want to know how to boost your company bottom line and productivity including profits? Of course you do, it would be very strange to say “No”!

Avison Young which is a commercial real estate firm released a study showing that if companies cut commuting times for employees, it can boost the bottom lines of companies while increasing productivity and profit.

In study, it states that organizations should try to reduce the number of employees who commute to work. This would improve many factors for the company but it would also improve quality of life, help reduce pollution as well as save money for the company and employees.

Attention companies in areas with paid parking. The most significant financial benefits associated with reducing employee commuting time is related to not only improved employee productivity, but also direct parking costs.  The parking costs are expensive especially downtown Toronto no matter if the company or employee is paying for it.

Allowing employees to work remotely gives employees more flexibility. The study also shows that employees that work remotely also spend 60 per cent more time working than those who work at the office. Working remotely also reduces employee downtime because they do not need to take a full day off to handle personal appointments, personal business or even when attending to a sick child.

Another recent study from a North American IT solutions and managed services provider found that 78 per cent of employees highly value the ability to access work from outside the office. Another 70 per cent would leave their current job for one that offers more workday flexibility including the ability to work remotely.

Interested to find out how technology can boost your company bottom line and productivity?

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Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment will give you a complete picture of your IT infrastructure including business goals, gaps in security and how technology can help increase profits and productivity.

365 iT SOLUTIONS delivers a wide variety of services including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Microsoft Surface Authorized Partner Toronto

Microsoft Surface

365 iT SOLUTIONS is proud to announce that it is now an approved reseller of the Microsoft Surface as part a leading Microsoft Partner in Toronto.  Microsoft Surface is designed for people on the move and need to do more.

Microsoft is proud to announce the following latest models to their impressive portfolio.

Surface is simple, versatility that works.

Surface goes from laptop to tablet in a snap. It works from anywhere and connects seamlessly to your other devices. It offers multiple ports and the very best digital pen experience. Surface will redefine what it means to be productive.

 

Microsoft Surface 3 is light and compact giving you an ultra mobile PC while Microsoft Surface Pro 4 gives you more screen size and power to tackle tough workloads, and Surface Book is a creative powerhouse that is built to bring your ideas to life.

Microsoft Surface Book, Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Microsoft Surface 3

Microsoft Surface Pen

 

Windows 10 including powerful and personalized user experience.

Surface will make your work life easier in incredible new ways. It runs Windows 10 and uses advanced technology from Microsoft like Cortana, Windows Hello, and Surface Pen to increase user experience.

Microsoft Surface Features

 

Microsoft Surface 3 is the thinnest and most compact with Intel processing power to get work done while Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is also extremely thin with a larger touch screen and Intel Core processor. They are both extremely versatile and can easily switch between tablet and laptop with a built-in Kickstand and click-in keyboard. They both also have high-resolution touch screens that interacts naturally with Surface Pen.

Microsoft Surface Specs

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS not only delivers clients the ability to purchase the Surface device, it can also take advantage of our Canadian teams expertise in large-scale device deployments, including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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What is Stolen Information Worth to Cyber Criminals?

In a recent study, businesses suffered almost 43 million known security incidents in 2014 which is an increase of 48%. Ever wonder what is stolen information worth to cyber criminals?

Here are some interesting numbers to consider:

  • In 2014, almost 43 million security incidents which is an increase of 48% compared to 2013. That equals 117,000 cyber-attacks daily.
  • Since 2013, there has been a growth of 62% in respect DDoS attacks across this carrier’s network.
  • 75% of businesses do not involve their boards of directors or management in cybersecurity incidents.
  • 51% of organizations are not re-evaluating their information security as a result of high-visibility data breaches.
  • 87% of U.S. business executives are worried that cyber threats could have an impact on their company’s growth prospects.
  • Over 10 major U.S. banks were attacked in 2014 and over 76 million consumer records were stolen.
  • There have been cyberattacks against retailers including Target, Neiman Marcus, TJ Maxx resulting in bad headlines because personal financial information of millions of customers has been compromised by hackers.

How do cyber criminals threaten your business?

Cybercriminals are always on the hunt for soft and lucrative targets to attack. They operate around the clock and do not take vacation days or sick days. Your company network is in constant threat of hacker attack. In recent years, they have moved their focus from individuals to businesses as it is more lucrative.

Healthcare industry, the street value of stolen medical information is $50 per record and social security numbers are worth $1. There were 38 healthcare company breaches in the sector during 2014 but only 43% of the incidents identified in 2014.

Financial services showed that 39% of the financial companies surveyed being hit by cybercrime compared to 17% in other industries.

What are some industry best practices to protect your business?

  • You need to use a strategic action plan centered on prevention, detection, and response.
  • You need to perform a data inventory, data valuation, and data risk analysis.
  • You need a complete inventory of the data including location and cost of loss of information.
  • You need to install two-factor authentication as it creates an additional step of ID verification plus adds an extra barrier between cyber criminals and company data.
  • You need to analyze both inbound and outbound traffic and verify what is legitimate versus illegitimate traffic.
  • You need to have your IT support team or IT consultant use industry encryption practices.

 

What is your data worth to cyber criminals?

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Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment will give you a complete picture of your IT infrastructure including business goals and gaps in security. 365 iT SOLUTIONS delivers a wide variety of services including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

 

 

All information used in this article comeWhat Every CEO Needs to Know About Cybersecurity

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2016 IT Priorities for Organizations

Spiceworks recently released the from their “2016 State of IT” report. The survey shows 2016 IT priorities for organizations as well as trends for IT professionals.

Here are some interesting take away points from the study:

  • 60 percent expect their IT budget to increase by a mere one percent in 2016 while their organization or client remain the same employee size while increasing company revenue.
  • 70 percent expect end-of-life (EOL) to be the main point behind new hardware, software and services investments.
  • 66 percent of IT professionals have stated that they are still working in environment running Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
  • 47 percent stated they will invest in Windows 10.
  • 32 percent plan a Windows Server 2003 migration.
  • 12 percent stated they plan to migrate from Microsoft SQL Server 2005 which has an end-of-life of April 12, 2016.

Many IT professionals have stated that there will be no spend increase on security hardware, software, and services in 2016.

  • 59 percent of IT professionals do not feel their organization is investing in security.
  • 48 percent of IT professionals do not feel their company data is protected.
  • 26 percent of IT professionals have reported that high-profile security incidents have led their organization to change its security practices and policies.

In 2016, IT professionals will prioritize hardware and software as follows:

  • 37 percent of their IT budgets on hardware projects.
  • 21 percent will be spent on desktops.
  • 19 percent will be spent on servers.
  • 16 percent will be spent on laptops.

Has your IT team or IT consultant provided your business a 2016 budget that will meet your business objectives while maintaining productivity and security?

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Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment will give you a complete picture of your IT infrastructure including business goals and gaps in security. 365 iT SOLUTIONS delivers a wide variety of services including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Protect your business and avoid data breaches

As businesses continue to suffer losses as they do not avoid data breaches or data loss, it is becoming clear that organizations are failing to train staff on how to identify and dispose of confidential information.

Recently, Shred-it released a study and it shows a growing gap between large organizations and small businesses when it comes to information security.  Some interesting stats in the study are as follows:

  • 65 per cent executives surveyed claim they have corporate protocols in place for storing and disposing of confidential data compared to 42 per cent back in 2014.
  • 45 per cent of large organizations have corporate policies that require suppliers to have an information security policy in place.
  • 41 per cent require a security breach response plan.
  • 37 per cent stated they do not have a protocol for storing or disposing of confidential data.
  • 88 per cent say their large organizations claim that they “frequently” or “sometimes” conduct IT audits compared to 64 per cent back in 2014.
  • 69 per cent claim that they train their employees on security protocols at least once per year compared to 43 per cent the previous year.
  • 56 per cent say of small businesses stated they “frequently” or “sometimes” conduct audits compared to 36 per cent say they have never trained their staff on information security protocols.

In our previous article, “Why your company will fail the next compliance audit”, we addressed how auditing is becoming a standard practice in all industries. Business leaders must remember that auditing and training are two core ways a businesses can improve their IT security as well as put them in a better position to conduct business with larger Canadian organizations. IT security is not complex and there are many simple ways that can help mitigate the risk of a costly data breach.

How do you protect your business from a costly data breach?

  • All employees that handle information should have filing cabinets with a lock.
  • Company should use secure recycling bins and use a secure destruction of documents.
  • Old IT hardware should be destroyed and you should request a certificate of destruction.
  • All laptops should be locked to prevent physical theft.
  • All smartphones should be secure to protect against it being lost or stolen.
  • All software should be proactively updated to ensure all security holes are patched.
  • Limit access to network folders with sensitive information using network security policies.
  • Install professional anti-virus and anti-malware software on all computers, laptops and servers.
  • Train all new employees on all corporate information security policies and procedures.

Would your company pass an IT security audit?

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Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment that will give you a real picture of your IT infrastructure including business goals and identifying gaps in security. 365 iT SOLUTIONS delivers a wide variety of services including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Over 75,000 Engineers and Geologists Information Leaked

There has been a significant data breach from a body that regulates engineers and geologists in Alberta. Over 75,000 names and email addresses have been given to an unknown party as a result of a phishing event.

According to the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), the database breach happen on Monday September, 23rd at approximately 11:45 a.m..

The APEGA website warns members not to respond to emails that appear to originate with APEGA. They also warn not to provide any personal information including member ID, credit cards or passwords.

APEGA has put in a temporary call centre to handle all inquiries regarding the data breach.

Companies need to take the following steps to protect themselves against phishing:

  • Beware of emails asking for confidential information. Legitimate organizations will never request sensitive information via email.
  • Beware of pressure tactics to provide sensitive information like scare tactics and threats. No reputable company will take such action.
  • Beware that most of the spam you receive on a daily basis is potentially dangerous phishing emails.
  • Beware of generic-looking email requests for information as fraudulent emails are often not personalized.
  • Beware of submitting confidential information via forms embedded within email messages as cyber criminals are able to track all information entered.
  • Beware of links in an email to connect to a website unless you are absolutely sure they are authentic.

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365 iT SOLUTIONS delivers their Complimentary Network and Security Assessment that will give you a real picture of your company goals and gaps in security using a wide variety of services including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

 

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Why your company will fail the next compliance audit

A few years ago, all healthcare and insurance organizations were subject to an IT compliance audit however now more industries are accepting the practice.

In recent years, other industries have been adopting IT compliance audit including manufacturing, automotive and other professional services due the increasing amount of sensitive data. If your business fails an IT compliance audit, it shows that your company security protocols are weak some key areas and need to be immediately addressed. If you deal with large multinational organizations, these gaps in your corporate IT security system can lead to a variety of very expensive consequences including loss of contract.  For example, if you are working on a prototype for a large automotive manufacturer. They want to ensure that their prototype drawings are safe in your hands and away from the competitors. In the cybercriminal world, prototypes drawings would be worth millions in some cases.

It is extremely important that potential security breaches are not to be taken lightly or even ignored.  This will result in severe consequences if your company does not take proactive measures to address and correct findings from an IT compliance audits. It can include the following security concerns:

No Trust – Your clients need to trust your organization with their vital information such as intellectual property and credit information. If trust is lost, your run the risk of losing that client.

Lawsuits – Many large companies would be able to handle large lawsuits and have the ability to pay out millions if they have had a security breach or had vital data stolen. How well would your company withstand a major lawsuit?

Internal Costs – If your company fails an IT compliance audit, you have to engage your IT department or IT consultant to find out why these security weaknesses have occurred and where your company is most vulnerable. This will you’re your company time and money to find out who dropped the ball and what it’s going to take to get it fixed. These costs and loss of productivity will come out of the bottom line plus loss of credibility.

Reputation – If you fail an IT compliance audit, you will not only have to deal with your IT security issues, you will have to focus on repairing your company reputation which could end up costing you your client base, money and contracts.

Will your company pass or fail an IT compliance audit?

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As a leading Toronto IT consulting boutique firm, 365 iT SOLUTIONS brings the right technology and security to the table.

Do you want to measure your IT infrastructure? Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment will give you a real picture of your company goals and gaps in security. We deliver industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Cisco Routers Firmware Attacks

Cyber security researchers have reported attacks from hackers that have been doing Cisco router firmware attacks in order to gain access to networks.

Cisco is a leading provider of world-class equipment in networks and it makes them attractive targets to cyber criminals. The malicious malware been nicknamed “SYNful,” and it signals a router when it starts to communicate with another router and implants the exploited. This new threat would give a hacker an excellent position in any network. According to the report, hackers are using a modified IOS image and are taking advantage of default or stolen credentials in order to gain initial access to the routers.

The cyber criminals use a modified Cisco IOS image that allows the attacker to load different functional modules. They also implant unrestricted access using a secret backdoor password. It is reported that Cisco 1841, 2811, and 3825 routers are known to be targeted.

Another serious security concern is that it exists within a modified Cisco IOS image file and continues to maintain its presence even after the router is rebooted.

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365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading boutique IT consulting firm brings the latest and right technology to the table. Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment will give you a real picture of your company goals. We deliver industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Office 2016 is coming with New Features

Microsoft has announced that Office 2016 will be available on September 22 and it is packed with many new features to help users.

This will be a free upgrade to Microsoft 365 subscribers and the release of Office 2016 for Windows desktop follows Office for Mac 2016 earlier this year as well as the touch-friendly Windows Store versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote that are already available in Windows 10. Microsoft has stated that they are also releasing new tools that will make the upgrade experience easier for businesses, IT departments and IT consultants. There will be many of the new features to simplify tasks and make productivity more focused.

Here are some of the new features of Office 2016:

Math input control – Not new to Microsoft as this is already available in OneNote and Window. Math input control will now be available in Word, Excel and PowerPoint so you can write math equations with a digital pen, a pointing device, or even your finger, and have the ink converted to a “typed” format.

Microsoft PowerPoint – This will simplify resolving conflicts when coauthoring. You can choose between two versions of the conflicting slides instead of sifting through the individual conflicts.

Microsoft Project – You can now have multiple timeline bars in a single view and you can set the date range for timeline bars so they can just represent a specific phase of your project. Click on the timeline and then go to the Format tab. Note the new Date Rage and Insert Timeline Bar commands.

Microsoft Visio – Visio will now offer “The Getting Started” experience by providing a select set of pre-crafted starter diagrams which will help users with templates. There will also be tips provided with the diagram which help in editing and completing their diagram creation experience.

Skype for Business – Formerly known as Lync, there will be new features including the Call Monitor. Power users need fast and easy access to dial-pad and other calling features and in Skype for Business. You have a refreshed dial pad layout that reduces the number of clicks to the core call management tasks as well as the consumer chat experience and chat message bubbles that are now included in updated IM experience.

Clutter in Outlook – Clutter moves low priority messages out of your Inbox and into their own folder, saving you time when you scan for important messages. Clutter looks at your past to determine the messages you’re most likely to ignore and then moves those messages to a folder called Clutter.

Now the stuff that all managed IT services and IT consultants love, IT control and manageability:

Azure – When your IT team defines a set of relevant departmental templates in Azure Rights Management (RMS), it can be accessed from the relevant Office apps using Information Rights Management (IRM).

Data Loss Protection (DLP) – Is a high-value enterprise feature and now introduced in Excel to enable real time scan of content based on a set of policies for the most common sensitive data types.

Multi-factor authentication – Streamlines sign on for Office and layers security through the process in one single sign on.

For a list of all new feature and details in Office 2016, please visit “What’s new in Office 2016 Preview”.

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As Toronto’s leading IT consulting firm, 365 iT SOLUTIONS brings the latest and right technology to the table. Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment will give you a real picture of your company goals. We deliver industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Why Email Encryption is Vital to your Business?

Email Encryption is vital to your business however many businesses do not understand how lack of security can result in fines and reputation damage.

Your IT department or outsourced IT provider have already made it clear the importance of strong passwords, properly configured anti-virus software, firewalls, and various other various security measures however what about email encryption? As a business leader, you have to remember that email is the primary method of communication amongst businesses and if your company is not encrypting email, your business is leaving sensitive information out in the open.

No matter if you are a large or small company, every business will suffer if they a data breach. This can include sensitive information as well as financial records, client information that is very valuable in the hands of hackers. Healthcare and financial services companies have to use email encryption as industry regulations require all information to be protected.

How does email encryption work?

Simple, the email contents are scrambled and once it is received by the intended recipient, they will use a private key to open the message and make it readable again.

What are the benefits of encrypting your email?

You will be able to protect financial information against theft including important financial information and other information useful to cybercriminals. Email encryption protects your company and clients by making the email unreadable to any hackers who are trying to steal that information. You will also be able to maintain compliance with industry-specific regulations as many industries require sensitive information to stay protected.

Is your company using email encryption to safeguard your information while remaining compliant?

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As Toronto’s leading IT consulting firm, 365 iT SOLUTIONS offers a Complimentary Network and Security Audit to give businesses a real picture of their IT infrastructure, IT security and IT investment. Our Canadian team delivers industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.