by Felicien | Jun 29, 2018 | Education
We’ll Be Celebrating – But Our Help Desk Will Still Be Here For You And Your Staff
On July 1st, we as Canadians, honour the formation of the union we call home. Whether enjoying the holiday at a cottage; watching a fireworks celebration in the city; working hard in the office or shop; or marching in a local community parade; we all celebrate our great nation together as one.
Here’s to our beautiful lakes, our majestic mountains, and everything that makes Canada the greatest place to live!
For anyone who’s not Canadian, here’s what Canada Day is all about.
On July 1, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces:
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Ontario
Quebec
These four provinces were created from the former British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada. The Province of Canada was divided into Quebec and Ontario.
Canada’s boundaries have been extended since 1867. Today, Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories.
The Ten Provinces Of Canada Are:
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Canada’s Three Territories Are:
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Yukon
On June 20, 1868, Canada’s Governor General proclaimed that Canadians should celebrate the anniversary of the confederation. In 1879, the date of July 1st was designated a holiday known as Dominion Day. However, official celebrations didn’t take place until the 50th anniversary in 1917 and the 60th anniversary in 1927.
After World War II, Dominion Day was celebrated more often with organized events. And, after the 100th anniversary of the confederation in 1967, Dominion Day events became more widespread. July 1st became known as Canada Day, and officially known as this from 1983 onwards. Since 2006, Canada Day celebrations have also been held in the UK at London’s Trafalgar Square.
For our Help Desk employees, Canada Day is just another workday. We plan to celebrate Canada Day just like the rest of our countrymen (and women!). But we do this by being here if you have any technical issues.
Our Help Desk is your front-line support for submitting incidents and service requests.
We say that we operate 24/7/365 and we mean it – Canada Day, Christmas, Boxing Day, Victoria Day, Easter – no matter the holiday or day of the week.
You’ll have direct access to the IT professionals who can help you onsite and provide the advice, guidance, and rapid restoration of services you need to keep your business running.
When you call, one of our agents will log your request into our IT service management system and either resolve it for your then or escalate it to the next level of support.
You have the option of reporting an incident or service request by email or contacting us by phone. When you do, this will generate a “ticket” in our IT service management system.
Once the ticket is created, you’ll automatically receive an email receipt confirmation with your ticket or reference number. This confirmation tells you that your request has been logged at our Help Desk and that it’s been assigned to a tech specialist who knows your business and is experienced in your particular IT issue.
Here’s what we ask that you provide when submitting a request to our Help Desk:
Your name, business name, phone number, and email address.
A detailed description of the problem or concern.
Whether the issue you’re experiencing affects only one user, many users, your entire office, or multiple offices.
The impact your issue has on your business, including whether any critical applications have been affected.
Anything you or your staff have done to try to resolve the issue before contacting us.
Prioritizing Tickets
It also helps if you prioritize your need. Here’s an example of what we mean:
Non-Urgent: Your problem is minimal and doesn’t impact your ability to work. It’s something that could wait to be addressed within the next week. (For example, you’d like us to provide a new piece of computer equipment for you.)
Normal: The IT issue has some impact on your day-to-day operations. However, you could wait for two days for it to be addressed. (For example, you’d like us to help you find a better way to use an application or replace it with a different one.)
Urgent: The issue you face has significant impact on one user’s ability to work. You need help sometime during the workday.
Emergency: This issue has significant team-wide impact on your staff’s ability to work. Multiple employees are affected. You need help as soon as possible, no matter if it’s after hours, over the weekend, or on a holiday (like Canada Day). This is for things like outages and downtime.
Please do your best not to prioritize something as “Urgent” or “Emergency” when it’s not. This helps us to get to those really urgent requests much faster.
We want you to know that you and your staff can enjoy Canada Day with the peace of mind that our Help Desk is always here for you. Happy Canada Day everyone!
by Felicien | Jun 29, 2018 | Education
When most organizations are presented with the words “Cyber Security,” they often start imagining how much it’s going to cost them to install and maintain strong security measures. At the same time, there’s that gnawing feeling of stress about what would happen if any data were lost to hackers. In light of that though, the investment in security for your network is well worth the cost.
That brings us to the question, “What is the cybersecurity return on investment?”
The answer to that question is complicated. There are a number of variables to consider. For those who have endured a security breach and lost thousands of records, the answer is easy: Cyber Security protocols are always worth it.
You lose time and money if a breach occurs. Plus, your Brand can be damaged. And then, of course, there may be future lawsuits. What if a judge decides that your company was NOT doing everything possible to protect the personal information of its customers?
The average cost of a breach today is hovering around one million dollars and that makes it expensive for any business to deal with. Cybercriminals are relentless! They never take a vacation. Instead, they find new ways to get past all your best security efforts and steal your data. It’s worth a lot of money on the Dark Web and that’s how hackers earn a living. They steal data and sell it to the highest bidder.
Microsoft has a long history of dealing with Internet security problems. They’re probably one of the most experienced companies on the earth today. They build complex security systems from the ground up because they have quite a bit of data that needs protecting.
Many of their cybersecurity solutions are becoming the industry standard. That’s why they’re a good source of security products that can safeguard data on many levels. Below are some of their top cybersecurity products.
Leaked Credential Protection and Azure Active Directory
Most stolen credentials are obtained by hackers who breach vulnerable websites where passwords and usernames are stored in plain text. Typically, these websites have weak encryption. They’re an easy target for hackers.
Phishing attacks are designed to trick users into giving up their log-in information. All types of malware have been created that use deception to acquire names and passwords. Sometimes it’s not that hard to get this information because people don’t create strong passwords and/or they use similar passwords and usernames across different sites. This means that if one site is infiltrated, another site with similar credentials is also at risk.
Microsoft has built a standard set of processes and security layers with automated services such as Leaked Credential Protection and Azure Active Directory to ensure that users are always protected. They make it as difficult as possible for hackers to get past their security guards.
Office 365 ATP, Credential Guard, and Windows Hello
Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection, Credential Guard, and Windows Hello are specifically designed to protect against hackers getting to your data through phishing emails.
Windows Defender ATP, only available with the Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 plan, provides security services that assist users in detecting advanced threats. The program then investigates and responds appropriately on their servers. For more info about Windows Defender ATP, you can visit the Microsoft Windows Security Threat Protection site.
Windows Defender Credential Guard uses virtualization-based security to separate the more critical data from normal data so that only authorized system software can access the information. Any attempts to bypass this Credential Guard will result in failure. Though hackers are always searching for workarounds, Microsoft is constantly adding patches and new layers of security.
Windows Hello, on the other hand, includes advanced technology that allows you to sign in to your Windows 10 device without using any password. You can sign in by using your face, fingerprint, or iris. How amazing! This means that if your device is stolen, no one will be able to gain access to the data stored on your device.
Windows Defender ATP and Windows Defender Anti-Virus
These are designed specifically to counter malware attacks by detecting, blocking, and responding to attacks. Malware attacks cost companies millions of dollars each year. With each new attack, the technology evolves. Individuals, but more importantly, organizations, should be ready to fight cyber-crime with the same kind of resilience and resolve shown by hackers.
With Windows Advanced Threat Protection and the Anti-Virus program, you are equipped to give the bad guys a good fight.
Wrap up
Some of the best hackers get their notoriety not because they were good, but because they were underestimated. Remember that hackers work 24/7/365. That puts them way ahead of most of us. It’s not possible to spend that amount of time protecting your data. That’s why good solid antivirus and security programs are so important. In the end, they are the best and most affordable option.
Simply put, when you are deciding about your cyber-security return on investment, the most important issue is keeping your data safe from hackers. This will save you money, stress, and time. You’ll avoid expensive data loss events that could cripple your organization and damage your reputation. With Microsoft security products, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’re doing everything possible to stay a step ahead of hackers.
by Felicien | Jun 29, 2018 | Education
This article is basically an overview of what Microsoft Office 365 is. Virtually, there is nothing new especially to those who are already using Microsoft Office products; only a few enhancements to better your user experience. To start off, we will have a historical evolution of Office to give you a clear understanding of where we are coming from, and then explore Office in the Cloud and finally various Office 365 user scenarios.
Evolution of Office
Most of the Applications on Office are basically the same ones from ten years ago, only with a few improvements to increase efficiency.
In the past, when one needed a software upgrade, you bought it in a box and then had it manually installed on your device. What Office 365 has done is make it easier for you to access the upgrades to all the Office Applications you usually use.
This is to help you collaborate and communicate so you can get more work completed faster. Office 365 contains the normal Office Applications that most people are accustomed to such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. Office 365 has added a few helpful Apps to make your work easier such as Yammer, OneDrive, Skype, and OneNote.
OneDrive for Business
This is an App where you store your business documents to save, view, and edit. You can also co-author or co-create content with colleagues.
Skype
This App enables instant messaging, video, and voice calling and it is good at indicating whether you are at your desk, in a meeting, on a call, and even when you are away from your desk.
Yammer
This is like a social network for an enterprise. You can follow groups, teams, comment, share ideas, provide feedback, and also store content.
OneNote
This App is not new at all, but it is very useful for taking notes. It allows you to paste images, links, and store very different kinds of contents. It works like a digital notebook.
Office 365 Delivered Services
These are basically the services that Microsoft delivers to different organizations in order to enable them to use the technology reviewed above. They include helpful programs like PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote. Microsoft recently purchased Skype and has integrated this program into their suite of products. It can be used for communications and holding virtual meetings on your desktop.
SharePoint is used for sharing documents and is integrated with OneDrive and Exchange which provides email functionality.
Delivered Services by Office 365 also offer the Office 365 programs for any device, whether powered by iOS, Android, or Windows. This means that you can access your stored data in Office 365 on any device or platform.
Office in the Cloud
Traditionally, an organization runs their Apps in a central data center owned and managed by them. On the other hand, Cloud is where a service provider like Microsoft can provide computer powered storage like a hard drive to other organizations to help them manage their data. A hybrid is using both the traditional and cloud methods to manage data. Advantages of using Cloud include flexibility, accessibility, reliability, manageability, and of course security.
Office Online
This is a service that enables you to access your Apps online and also your data.
Office 365 Scenarios
Do it from anywhere
Office 365 gives you access to any device to enable you to work from anywhere. This is because files and settings are synced across devices. You can easily create, edit, and share documents and even access them on a mobile device. One Note is also your digital notebook and you can take notes anywhere anytime and all your devices will be updated with the new information.
OneDrive for Business
OneDrive for Business works with SharePoint to store, sync, and share your work files. You can co-create and co-author documents with colleagues. You don’t have to be together or even working from the same location. You can keep refining and make changes from anywhere.
SharePoint
SharePoint allows you to better manage your content. You can also collaborate on documents with your colleagues.
Skype for Business
The features of Skype allow you to connect with anyone via instant messaging (IM), video calls, and online meetings. Skype has the ability to turn the instant messenger into a phone or video call. You can record sessions to use later or share with others.
Yammer
This is the social network guru for your office. It allows discussions, ideas, and input without necessarily holding a meeting.
More information can be found on: support.office.com www.microsoft.com/en-ca/site/work-wonders
Wrap Up
The best way to learn is to explore. Get Microsoft Office 365 and start using the awesome features. It is user-friendly and totally worth your investment. Microsoft saves you time and makes work very easy.
by Felicien | Jun 29, 2018 | Education
If you own a small business that deals in offering services to the public, scheduling appointments is often part of your daily routine. You may find yourself playing phone tag so much that you sometimes lose focus on your clients. Being a small business, you may have to double up as the chief administrator and financial officer, as well as the inventory supervisor and janitor on some days.
Microsoft Bookings: empowering clients to handle the appointments part
Microsoft has a solution – Microsoft Bookings – designed to alleviate the burden of booking appointments. Microsoft Bookings is a new online and mobile scheduling tool that is available with the premium subscriptions of Office 365. It provides your business with a unique web page where customers can schedule appointments themselves. First, the customer selects the service they want, chooses a day and time based on the availability you’ve provided, then enters their contact information and proceeds to book the appointment.
First things first: set up your Microsoft Bookings portal
The first step is to sign up for an Office 365 plan that includes the Microsoft Bookings service. Once you do this, the Bookings portal is turned on by default. It’s available as a tile in the MS app launcher. If you check the app launcher page and do not see “Bookings” listed there, then you may not have the right plan.
Bookings are available with an Office 365 Business Premium subscription, as well as for customers with the Office 365 A3 and A5 subscriptions. However, enterprise customers with Office 365 Enterprise E3 and E5 subscriptions can now turn it on and set it up for their clients.
To turn on the Bookings app for Office 365 Enterprise E3 and E5 subscriptions, simply follow these steps:
Step 1: Login to the administrator portal
To configure Microsoft Bookings, start by logging in to the admin center of your subscription by clicking on the Admin icon and entering your administrator username and password. This gives you the admin rights to acquire new services from Office 365.
Step 2: Adding Bookings to your Office 365 Enterprise subscription
Once you’re logged on, select the Billing tab and navigate to the Purchase Services option under it. You should be able to see a whole selection of options that include a Business App (free) with a Buy Now button that shows up when you hover over it. Click on this button to add the app to your subscription free of charge.
You will then have the option to add the amount corresponding to the licenses that you want. Ensure that this amount matches the total number of users in your organization (preferably). You will want to enable this service for these users during setup.
When this is complete and you have assigned licences to the users that you want the service enabled for, the users will now see the Bookings app as a new addition to the multiple apps on Office 365.
Moving onto setup
To set up the Microsoft Bookings site for your small business, click on the Bookings icon to open the Microsoft Bookings app. This action should open the welcome screen on the Microsoft Bookings website.
Tap the “Get it now” button to begin the setup process. This should lead you to a new window where you can enter your new Bookings calendar name and add it by clicking the “Add a booking calendar” tab.
You will then see a new window that requests more information about your business. This is where you enter your business name and type (from a predefined list). Ensure that the name you provide is unique since it is what will be used as the email address from which meeting notifications are sent.
When you’re done, select the “Continue” button and give it a moment to build the site. Your new Microsoft Bookings site eventually appears, ready for customizing.
Click on the different options to add more details about your business, staff, and services. Take your time to explore the various settings, one by one to ensure that you customize everything correctly. Of course, you can go back and tweak things if you need to.
At the end, you’ll have a Home Page from which you can monitor Bookings, add activities, modify the services you offer, manage your staff by adding, removing, and/or setting them up in terms of, say, working hours and days of the week – with respective color codes for each staff member.
Wrap-up
With Microsoft Bookings, you can spend far less time scheduling appointments with your customers and instead concentrate more on actually serving them. The tool simplifies how customers schedule and manage appointments. It takes care of the appointment-booking side of your business management so you can focus on the service side.
This tool was built for small businesses that depend on scheduling appointments with customers. It’s great for companies such as an auto mechanic shop, insurance agent, accounting office, a dog groomer, hair stylist, a dentist’s office, and many more. Now customers can set up their own appointments and do it at their convenience. This frees up your staff for other tasks. Microsoft Bookings boosts customer satisfaction, plus it reduces the number of missed appointments.
by Felicien | Jun 28, 2018 | Education
2018 Top Cybercrime Facts and Why You Should Care
2017 saw some of the most devastating high-profile cyber attacks in the history of business. This happened despite tech giants constantly releasing security patches and updates. As the number of such attacks continues to rise, 2018 requires businesses of all sizes to be even more prepared given that cyber-criminals are not often selective when choosing their targets.
Below are some startling cybercrime facts that should inform your approach to cybersecurity in 2018 and beyond.
A hacker attacks an internet-connected computer every 39 seconds in the US.
The University of Maryland’s Clark School recently found that that 1 in every 3 Americans has already been on the receiving end of a cyber-attack.
While this statistic may apply to the United States, your business does not have to be located there for you to care. Cybercriminals exist on the World Wide Web and do not discriminate their targets based on geographies when perpetrating their crime. So, you can never really tell when you’re going to be targeted.
1 in 5 businesses faced at least 25-hours’ downtime from ransomware attacks in 2017.
Ransomware is the form of malware (malicious software) that a bad actor injects into your computer enabling them to take control of your system, denying you access to your data and threatening you with harm unless you pay up. The attacker usually demands a ransom in exchange for access to your files, even though, in some instances, the criminals do not fully grant access. Paying the ransom doesn’t always guarantee that everything will be restored.
A survey by Osterman Research found that ransomware attacks were the most common in 2017, leading to massive losses to businesses from the inflicted downtime. Many businesses had to shut down their systems for extended periods of time – up to 100 hours or longer.
Small to medium-sized businesses are increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
The number of SMBs that experienced a cyber-attack over the course of 2017 was 61 percent. This number was 55 percent in the previous year. Approximately 54 percent of these organizations lost employee and customer data due to cyber theft.
This information is consistent with a separate survey that found smaller organizations to be increasingly targeted because of their tendency to discover security breaches late. Small Business Trends reports that the percentage of cyber-attacks targeting small organizations rose from 15 to 43 percent of total attacks between 2011 and 2015. Smaller businesses and organizations tend to have fewer cybersecurity resources, hence are a favorite target for ransomware and crypto-jacking attacks.
Most threats emanate from the employees.
The human element within organizations remains the main point of weakness as far as cyber security is concerned. Negligent employees or contractors result in up to 54 percent of all data breaches. This is up from 48 percent the year before, according to the Ponemon Institute’s 2017 report on the State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium-sized Businesses.
Cybercriminals frequently target the workforce with malicious emails and websites which an employee may easily click on, setting themselves up for malware attacks.
One recommended way to mitigate these kinds of threats is to train employees to practice some level of cybersecurity housekeeping. This can include simple acts such as logging out of their systems, not logging into company databases from unsecured Wi-Fi, as well as keeping their passwords secret.
Reminding employees of the importance of such good cybersecurity practices can go a long way in staving off ransomware and other cyber threats.
Global toll of ransomware attacks hit $5 billion in 2017.
Estimates indicate that the cost of ransomware damage reached $5 billion in 2017, which is more than 15 times the cost incurred in 2015; barely two years earlier. Businesses experience massive losses in downtime, related fines, and productivity losses. The actual amount of the ransom you pay only comprises a fraction of this overall cost.
The annual cost of cybercrime projected to reach $6 trillion by 2021.
The global toll of cybercrime damage is estimated to hit a whopping $6 trillion annually by 2021. This is because state-sponsored hacking and organized crime are projected to rise steeply making cybercrime more profitable compared to the worldwide drug trade. Unlike drug traffickers, cyber-criminals are difficult to catch and rarely are punished for their crimes.
Cybercrime continues to become more lucrative, making it more appealing to prospective and current perpetrators. And with the growing sophistication of the tech world, you can expect the tactics that cybercriminals use to evolve.
What can be done?
Expert assessments hold that organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity through some very basic measures. These foundational steps can readily be implemented.
Since most of the successful cyber attacks exploit the human element, plugging this loophole can work for both small and big companies alike. Start by educating your personnel about the cybersecurity Dos and Don’ts through such simple acts as putting up memos around the office with messages such as “do not share your password with anyone” or “log out the system when you finish.” Ask a local IT expert to come out and speak to your employees about the importance of cybersecurity.
Adopt the use of more secure emerging technologies.
Organizations that use various emerging solutions that are more hardwired to withstand cyber threats, such as Microsoft Office 365 products, report better protection against cyber-attacks. In light of the increasing cyber threats, consider using solutions that can not only detect existing threats, but also pre-empt, investigate, and respond to new threats even before they are executed. Most experts agree that the proactive approach to cybersecurity is the best way to go.
by Felicien | Jun 28, 2018 | Education
A foolproof guide for increasing efficiency in Excel
Excel often gets a bad rap. It is misunderstood as the groan-inducing, spreadsheet monster with tricky-to-navigate features. However, the truth about Excel lies in the user’s commitment to making the most out of the feature-rich platform. If we put aside Excel’s tedious reputation, creating step-by-step guides for mastering Excel efficiency really is a no-brainer.
The Marvelous Macro: How Macros Make Your Life Easier
What better place to start than by creating a macro in Excel. Creating a macro is hands-down the best possible way for users to automate repetitive tasks and get tedious work done more efficiently. Can you think of something that you or one of your team members does repeatedly in Excel? Whether it’s data entry or calculations, creating a macro can help streamline team processes and seriously boost productivity.
Basically, a macro lets you record an action or series of actions that can then be run repeatedly as needed. The creation of a macro is essentially a duplication of some specific set of mouse clicks and keystrokes, which gets recorded and saved to help you work smarter not harder. The best part about macros? They’re completely customizable. Once you’ve created your macro, you can make tweaks and edits to ensure they work just the way you want them to.
Productivity Game Changer: Working Smarter Not Harder with Excel
When you think about it, this is a game-changer that’s super easy to implement. Consider this. Perhaps one of your team members creates daily, weekly or monthly reports for managers, customers or other staff members. The creation of these reports, on a repetitive basis, can be extremely tedious when done manually each time. This results in long completion times and a huge decline in morale for your tied-up workers.
Creating an Excel macro for projects like these helps keep your team moving forward while still staying on top of boring, yet mission-critical reports. An Excel macro can be tailored to help workers format names, color-coded report data, and customize formatting and presentation. The macro can then be run and applied to any selected cells, meaning monotonous tasks really do become as easy as the click-of-a-mouse.
How to Create a Macro in Excel – A Fool-Proof Guide
Alright, ready to cut to the chase? How exactly can you and your team start taking advantage of the Excel macro feature in hopes of improving productivity, efficiency, and morale? Check out the fool-proof step-by-step guide below.
Creating a Macro in Excel
Initial Steps
Before you record a macro, you must ensure the Developer tab is visible on the ribbon. As a default, Excel keeps the Developer tab hidden. In order to get it front and center, complete the following steps:
Go to Excel > Preferences > Ribbon & Toolbar
Under the Main Tabs list, select the Customize the Ribbon
Then, select the check box beside Developer and then click
Record Your Macro
You’re now ready to record your series of actions to create your macro. With your desired keystrokes and mouse-clicks in mind, follow these steps to record your macro:
Under the Developer tab, select Record Macro.
If you wish, enter a name for the macro in the Macro Name
Enter a shortcut key in the Shortcut Key
Enter a description in the Description
Select OK to start recording.
Carefully perform the series of actions you wish to automate.
Once you’ve finished the sequential actions, select the Developer tab from the Code group and select Stop Recording.
Fine Tuning Your Macro
In order to make the most out of your creation, be sure to check out the different ways you can customize and edit your macro. To edit a recorded macro, follow these steps:
Under the Developer tab, click
Select the name of the macro you wish to customize and choose
This will open the Visual Basic Editor. Here, you can witness how your recorded actions play out as macro code.
This is where the creativity comes in. Experiment with your code, then close the editor to run your macro again. Tweak and customize as much as you wish until the macro is running just as you envisioned.
Back to Basics: Reaping the Productivity Benefits Already Built into Your Infrastructure
It’s that simple! Suddenly, your team members have a more streamlined and efficient way of completing even the most tedious of Excel tasks. This means increased productivity, a boost in morale and a more efficient team overall. By keeping your team moving and productive, you keep your team occupied and happy, which can only have positive impacts on your day-to-day operations and ultimately, on your bottom line.
In an increasingly crowded marketplace of digital productivity solutions, it can become easy to get lost in the shuffle and postpone the mastering of your operational pains. However, when professionals remember to get back to basics, a world of difference can be discovered.
Excel has been on the scene for decades and Microsoft is working all the time to optimize features and prioritize user experience.
By paying attention to what your existing digital infrastructure can do for your business, professionals can save time, money, and frustration. Good leaders understand the trials their employees endure each day. Any organization can make solid improvements without subscribing to new or trending efficiency solutions.
IT experts know that helping professionals make better use of their existing infrastructure is a core part of the managed-service mission. Professionals don’t need all the very latest tools and gadgets to help their team navigate technology more productively. They simply need to learn how to maximize those tools they’re already using.
With a humble and level-headed approach, a strategic IT partner will be committed to helping every client make better use of what they have and become the masters of their own tech infrastructure.
If you’re looking to get a better handle on the tech resources your team uses daily, don’t hesitate to reach out to a team of IT experts for advice and consultation. One phone call can put your company on the path to revamping your existing infrastructure and mastering operational needs.
