Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Malware Targeting Virtual Machines

Recently Symantec has released a whitepaper called “Threats to Virtual Machines”.  Symantec has shown that there is an increasing presence of malware attacking virtual machines.

According Symantec’s whitepaper, approximately 18% of the samples studied tried to detect the presence of VMware virtual machines.  There were peaks at 28% in January 2014 before dropping back down to approximately 20% in February 2014.

This is a threat to companies running Virtual Machines (VMs) as some malware may try to infiltrate the host servers on which the Virtual Machines (VMs). It’s a particularly sticky problem given the emerging popularity of Virtual Machines (VMs) over the past several years.  An interesting point is that over 70% of businesses plan to implement server virtualization within 12 months.

Some malware may avoid detection which may allow bad code to infiltrate a Virtual Machines (VMs).  Another study last year showed that 40% of businesses experienced data loss after storing their data in virtual environments.

 

So how do Managed IT Services providers protect your business?

  • As leaders in the industry, true Managed IT Service and IT Support Services providers acknowledge there is a threat to Virtual Machine (VMs) and approach this layer of IT with the same security focus as they apply to physical hardware.

 

  • Managed IT Services (MSPs) proactively maintain your IT infrastructure and apply security practices to maintain your network to industry best practices.

 

  • As part of your corporate Disaster Recovery Strategy, your IT consulting partner will develop a virtual data protection strategy to ensure that if a Virtual Machine (VM) is compromised, you have a clean backup to recover your business virtual data.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT SupportIT OutsourcingRemote IT SupportCloud Services and VoIP services.

Click 365itSolutions.ca and our take advantage of Complimentary Network and Security Assessment.

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Get a Free $25 iTunes Gift Card from Apple TV

Great news for anyone considering Apple TV.  Apple has just announced that they are giving away a free $25 iTunes gift card with each Apple TV purchase.

Apple is giving away a free iTunes gift card to those who purchase an Apple TV between now and Sept. 30 Apple is preparing to release a new software update for Apple TV this fall that will make it look more like iOS.

To view the promotion regarding the iTunes gift card, please visit the Apple Online store.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Google Gmail Crack Down on Phishing

With so much spam out there, Google Gmail is stepping up its effort to stop spammers.  Google rejects emails that include restricted character combinations.

Google has introduced a tool to block spammers to getting to a Gmail accounts users box.  Google announced that it was adding spam filtering support to its email platform in an effort to stop scammers from sending misleading or phishing messages.

 

So how the newly introduced Google Gmail Spam filters work against Phishing?

The new filters deal letter that look similar from the Unicode Consortium.  This may allow spammers to fool people as many companies, apps and websites use Unicode standard icons so that characters work across platforms however some characters look identical such as the Latin and Cyrillic lowercase “a.”

 

Here is an example of how the filters help reduce spam:

Spammers and scammers exploit the “0”, “૦”, and “ο” as they look nearly identical to the letter “o”.

Now scammers can mix and match the character and attack unsuspecting victims.  Think about it as they can create some of the following emails such as “Sh0ppingSite” vs. “ShoppingSite” or even “MyBank” vs. “MyBɑnk”.  The combinations our countless.

 

Google is taking a firm position on this and claims that its new filters will block these combinations included in emails sent to Gmail users.  Google has now put the Unicode Consortium lists on a highly restricted status.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Dropbox Not Syncing. Checkout the Competitors

Dropbox Not Syncing and has been experiencing outages and interrupted service.  According to Dropbox, they were in the process of upgrading some servers when they experienced several issues. The bad news is that when offering a service and you are experiencing downtime this will cause some of your users to check out alternatives.

After long downtime and interrupted service, Dropbox is finally working however what cloud competitors are there in the market?

So since everyone is having problems with Dropbox Not Syncing, here is a quick list of the competitors.

 

OneDrive (SkyDrive) – https://onedrive.live.com

PROS – OneDrive opens and edit files from OneDrive in Microsoft’s other applications, such as Word or the Photos app.  Since OneDrive is closely tied with Office, it’s a good choice for anyone who uses Office frequently.

CONS – In order to use OneDrive, you must sign up for a Microsoft account, which gives you access to Outlook, Xbox Live, and other Microsoft services. Whether or not you want all those extras is up to you.

 

Google Drive – https://drive.google.com

PROS – Google Drive requires very little setup  and it is easy to save attachments from your e-mail directly to Drive.

CONS – You can organize files and photos in Google Drive but there is no way to automatically upload photos from your phone. Google has an Auto Backup feature which sends your photos to your Google+ profile.

Box – https://www.box.com

CONS – You can sign up for a free individual account on Box however there is an endless list of sharing and privacy features. Features can be overwhelming to navigate the Box Web site if you’re only trying to manage a few files and folders.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT SupportIT OutsourcingRemote IT SupportCloud Services and VoIP services.

Click 365itSolutions.ca and our take advantage of Complimentary Network and Security Assessment

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

IT Support Services for Law Firms

When operating a law firm, it is very important that your staff and associates need to concentrate on their work and not the technology that makes it possible.  IT Support Services for Law Firms understand the unique technology challenges of the legal industry.  In order for lawyers to be competitive in today’s business world, they must deal with the challenge of providing legal services using the latest technologies.

365 iT SOLUTIONS provides the latest technology to help law firms and their employees become more efficient and productive.  Our proven service model will provide proactive 24/7 monitoring, unlimited remote support and reduce your overall operating costs.

Lawyers now have the luxury of mobility.  With excellent internet connections, mobile technology and cloud services including servers, email and VOIP phone systems, lawyers have now become mobile warriors.  There are many way that your law firm can benefit from these technologies no matter if it is a virtual law office or solo practice

Our Managed IT Services program is proven to be more valuable and cost effective to resolving common issues of time and expertise rather than internal IT departments.

Here are some ways that 365 iT SOLUTIONS can use the latest technology to your law firm become more efficient and productive.

So how can our IT Support Services for Law Firms program help your firm?

Managed IT Services

Our program offers fixed flat fee, predictable monthly pricing. Our program offers many advantages and services including unlimited remote support, 24/7 proactive monitoring, disaster recovery plan and many other items to run your firm efficiently.  We are your business partner and manage your entire IT infrastructure for your law practice. The will ensure your systems are optimized and secure.

Cloud Services (Law firm)

In order to stay competitive, law firms today are migrating to the “cloud”.  This will allow them to take advantage of its scalability, cost-effectiveness and disaster recovery.  Cloud technologies can improve productivity while increasing efficiency and organization. Cloud services also offers data security, document management, and workflow improvement.   All our cloud services are hosted in Canada in an ISO certified data centre. No Offshoring.

Encryption of Data and Email

It is very important that law firms understand how to use encryption strategies to protect all their data including data and email. All organizations not only law firms have legal and ethical duties to protect data and emails.  Encryption is the key to this issue as you can encrypt both emails and data to ensure security.

Disaster Recovery and Data Backup

Weather, hardware failure, criminal activities can all affect your business.  Physical hardware can easily be replaced if needed however the intellectual property and sensitive information stored on those systems cannot.  It is very important that law firms have a proper local and offsite data backup system and a tested disaster recovery plan in order to keep data safe and avoid data loss.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT SupportIT OutsourcingRemote IT SupportCloud ServicesCloud Storage and VoIP services.

Click 365itSolutions.ca and our take advantage of Complimentary Network and Security Assessment

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

What does Top Talent Want From Companies?

The success of your company depends entirely upon your ability to attract and hire great people, actually Top Talent!  We are living in a technology-infused world hence the rising demand for top talent.  Top talent look for many aspects of a company however there are two items that 365 iT SOLUTIONS can help your organization with, Flexible Hours and Remote Mobile Technology.

Today’s workers are increasingly global, mobile and flexible and they expect their employers to keep pace.  Many Canadian employees want to work with the latest technologies inside and outside the office.  Many do not have access to tools, solutions or workplace policies to make this a reality.

Most of Canada’s top talent is looking to work in environments outside the office.  Many are willing to take a pay cut or give up vacation in exchange for the opportunity to work from anywhere.

365 iT SOLUTIONS can help employers attract and retain the best talent.  Companies looking to stay at the cutting edge of technology and looking to attract the top talent should consider embracing these technology trends for the workplace of the future.

What does Top Talent Want From Companies?

1. Flexible Work Arrangements

Many Canadians believe that due to technology, the future will have offer employees flexible work hours and the ability to work from anywhere and this will be top priority when choosing an employer.  Many studies have found that majority of workers that already have flexible work hours report higher levels of productivity and improved work-life balance.  They show that many also have increased job satisfaction and reduced levels of stress.

2. Devices and Social Collaboration Tools

Canadians spend the majority of their work day using traditional workplace devices such as desktop computers and landlines. Canadians would prefer to use laptops, tablets, and smartphones as their primary work devices.

Canadians want access to the latest tech but don’t want to lose face-to-face interactions.  Businesses of all sizes can look to change the way they work by adopting technology for collaboration and communication within a virtual environment like Microsoft 365, Google Apps, VOIP systems, VDI, Remote Desktop or Microsoft Lync.

3. Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) Policies

Many companies now allow their employees to bring their own devices to the workplace.  Majority of them use smartphones for personal and professional purposes.  Many of them are comfortable with their employer enforcing security policies.  The big news here is that many companies do not have a BYOD policy.

Business is competitive, good employees are rare, technology is changing.  It’s clear that where, when and how employees work is changing.  Companies that embrace technology and create a connected workplace with flexible workplace policies and collaboration technologies will attract top Canadian talent.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

What to do about CryptoLocker Malware. Decrypt your files for free.

CryptoLocker, it has been in the news since 2013.  It has been a constant battle for IT departments, IT consultants and professionals around the world.  Great news, there is a free fix!

If you have been fortunate enough to avoid it, Ransomware would lock a computer and then demand a fee in order to unlock the machine, however CryptoLocker was different.  CryptoLocker would encrypt the files on the victim’s storage using AES-256 bit encryption.  Once encrypted, they would demand $300 in bitcoin in order to retrieve the decryption key.  If not paid within a specified time, then the files would remain encrypted forever.

Security experts have collaborated to reverse engineer the CryptoLocker software in a project they called “Operation Tovar.” This led to the identification of many of the private keys used by CryptoLocker and they have developed a free decryption assistance website and tool to help victims of the Ransomware retrieve their data at no cost.

On the website listed below, you are required to upload any file that has been affected by the Ransomware and the tool will email the user the relevant private key that can be used for decryption. At that point the user must download a specific tool, enter the private key and the location of the encrypted file, and the tool will decrypt the encrypted file.

Although the software unlocks the original CryptoLocker malware you must remember that there are copycats out there of CryptoLocker that they would not be able to unlock.

The decryption assistance website can be accessed at www.decryptcryptolocker.com

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT SupportIT OutsourcingRemote IT SupportCloud ServicesCloud Storage and VoIP services

Click 365itSolutions.ca and our take advantage of Complimentary Network and Security Assessment

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

How to Strengthen and Secure Your Passwords

This week has been full of the recent hacking from a Russian crime ring.  They have managed to collect 1.2 billion username and password combinations.

This is the largest known collection of stolen Internet credentials.  A full list of compromised websites has not been disclosed however it is best practice to change your passwords immediately.

So how do you strengthen and secure your passwords?

365 iT SOLUTIONS has put together a list of some steps to create a strong password:

  • Long Password. It’s tempting to use short passwords; they are easier to type and easier to remember. Many computer systems require passwords of some minimum length, but for those that do not, consider the following reasons why longer passwords enhance computer security.

 

  • Combinations. Use combinations of letters and numbers, upper and lower case and symbols such as the exclamation mark. Some services won’t let you do all of that, but try to vary it as much as you can. “PaSsWoRd!43” is far better than “password43.”

 

  • Dictionary. Avoid words that are in dictionaries, even if you add numbers and symbols. There are programs that can crack passwords by going through databases of known words.  If you do use a dictionary word, try adding numbers in the middle of a word.

 

  • Substitute. Characters, numbers, uppercase, lowercase, symbols (if applicable). For instance, use the number zero instead of the letter O, or replace the S with a dollar sign.

 

  • Same Password. Never reuse passwords on other accounts, always make them different. A good trick on this one is to create a very good secure password and modify it slightly for each login. Add “F”, “FB”, “fB”,”Fb” to your password for Facebook.

 

  • Two Stage Authentication. Many services like Gmail are giving you the option of using two passwords when you use a particular computer or device for the first time. If you have that feature turned on, the service will send a text message with a six-digit code to your phone when you try to use Gmail from an unrecognized device. You’ll need to enter that for access, and then the code expires.  Hackers cannot access the account without possessing your phone. Turn it on by going to the account’s security settings.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS provides industry leading IT security consulting in the Toronto area.  Whether you have a small business or nationwide enterprise, you can trust we will keep your network running smoothly and secure from external threats, hardware failures, and service disruptions.

 

Our Canadian team offers industry leading expertise in design, implementation, monitoring, and management.  Our solutions are based on Scalability, Availability, Load-balancing and Security.

 

We will design, implement, and maintain highly scalable LAN and WAN systems.  We maximize uptime, optimize performance, and improve security.  Our Canadian IT Security team will perform network and security assessment.  We are your business partner therefore we will ensure the integrity of your business critical systems.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

What is your business Cloud Readiness strategy?

You hear a lot about “the cloud”, what is your business Cloud Readiness strategy?

You have seen a lot of marketing and advertising from top providers such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Salesforce.com.  There are multiple service models including Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Platform as a service (PaaS), Software as a service (SaaS) and Unified Communications as a Service in addition to multiple deployment models including Private cloud, Public cloud and Hybrid cloud.

So what is your business Cloud Readiness strategy?

Cloud is a hot trend that many companies are taking advantage of, but is the cloud right for your organization?

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is one of Toronto’s leading Cloud consulting services.  We have put together 5 questions all business should ask themselves prior to migrating mission critical business systems and/or applications over to the cloud.

 

What information should I know about Cloud Computing?

If you’re the one responsible for making this decision, then you should be able to fully grasp and communicate to others what cloud computing is before making the move.  Moving your organization’s sensitive information to a third party hosting service is a big deal.  You do not have to understand the technicalities of virtualization but you do have to have a basic understanding of where your data is stored, what security measures are in place, and what will happen to your data in case there’s an emergency like a power outage or a natural disaster.

 

What are All the Costs of Cloud Computing?

When in the market for a Cloud partner, you should check references and reputation of the organization prior to committing.  You should look at multiple items such as where are they located? Where is the information stored? What experience do they have?  You want to look closely at this monthly bill and compare it with your company’s data needs and budget but you must also be aware of other expenses that come with signing up for cloud computing such as your company’s dependency upon accessing the cloud so  you will want to upgrade your Internet service.

 

What are the Details of Your Cloud Computing Service Contract?

Cloud is not cloud.  Not every cloud hosting company is the same. When you are in the market for a cloud partner, you will find various different prices, different business processes and different levels of service.  Prior to engaging a cloud provider, you will first want to understand your company’s data needs and growth projections.  Put together a list of your business needs and then compare them to the cloud provider’s specifications like uptime, response time, performance, etc.  Be very selective when choosing a Cloud partner as this will be a long-term relationship and switching providers can be very expensive in cancelled contracts and technical service fees.

 

How efficient is Cloud Implementation?

When shopping for a cloud partner, ask for a detailed technical proposal.  Reputable cloud service companies should be able to provide how much time and resources it will take to transition your applications over to the cloud. You will want to consider this, along with how much time it will take to train your staff to use the cloud; this way, you can understand how quickly you will see a return on your investment (ROI).

 

Will You Have to Convince Others about the Value of Cloud Computing?

You may be sold on the benefits of cloud computing, but not everyone in your organization may see the value of the cloud and share your enthusiasm. When it comes to transitioning a company’s sensitive information to the cloud, you may find holdouts from the proponents of traditional IT that equates ownership with data security. If you find yourself to be a lone proponent of the cloud in an organization that doesn’t trust a third party to host their data, then you will want to first convince your coworkers of the cloud’s value before implementing it.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Free Network and Security Assessment

365 iT SOLUTIONS offers qualified businesses in Toronto a Free Network and Security Assessment.

We are a leading IT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing, Cloud Services, and Business VoIP services.  Our industry leading assessment provides business owners and managers with a clear picture of their IT infrastructure and allow them to make informed decisions regarding technology within their organization.

Our certified IT Canadian technical team will provide a clear picture when performing the Free Network and Security Assessment.  Our assessment is in-depth and will address all components of the network and ensure your network adheres to industry best practices.

Our assessment will access all areas of the network including but not limited to, the following:

  • Network Setup, Integration and Resource Allocation including Workstation, Laptop, Notebook & Server Hardware Life Cycle, Operating Systems, Versions, File Sharing and Drive Mapping.
  • Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning including Corporate Backup & Data Management, On-site & Off-Site Backup Systems and Data Storage and Centralization.
  • Internet & Network Security including Firewalls including Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS).
  • Cabling, Wiring & Hardware Infrastructure
  • Microsoft Software License Management
  • Remote Access Mobile Employees and Virtual Private Networking (VPN)
  • Internet Connectivity, Bandwidth and Latency
  • Business Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Evaluation
  • Domain Name Management and Website Hosting
  • E-mail Hosting and SPAM Protection including Microsoft 365, Google and Blackberry
  • Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Malware License & Update Management
  • Necessary Network Maintenance & Technical Support

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS takes the hassle out of information technology so you can focus on growing your business.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com