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What is single sign-on and what are its benefits?Secure logins are a necessity in business, but managing so many user credentials can get tedious. The good news is that you can simplify your organization’s login processes without compromising security by deploying single sign-on. What is single sign-on (SSO)? Single sign-on allows you to use one username and one password to provide secure access […]

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What is single sign-on and what are its benefits?

Secure logins are a necessity in business, but managing so many user credentials can get tedious. The good news is that you can simplify your organization’s login processes without compromising security by deploying single sign-on.

What is single sign-on (SSO)?

Single sign-on allows you to use one username and one password to provide secure access to multiple websites. If you’ve ever clicked “Continue with Google” on a non-Google website, you’ve already enjoyed the benefits of SSO. It’s faster, simpler, and more secure. With SSO, small businesses can accomplish the same level of efficiency between their employees and cloud platforms.

Instead of requiring in-office and remote workers to track separate accounts for Office 365, Slack, Trello, and other cloud apps your company uses, you can give them a single set of credentials and manage what they have access to remotely. All employees have to do is come enter their designated username and password, and they’re all set for the day.

Why is SSO more secure?

There are a number of ways to set up a small-business SSO solution, but most of them focus on removing login information from your servers. Usually, you’ll provide your employees’ logins to an SSO provider (sometimes referred to as an Identity-as-a-Service provider) and each employee will receive a single login paired with a secondary authentication — like a biometric scan like iOS’s FaceID, or a one-time PIN (OTP) code sent to a personal device.

Every time one of your employees visits a cloud platform, such as Office 365 or Google Workspace, the SSO provider will verify the user’s identity and the connection’s security. If anything goes wrong, your IT provider will be notified.

Should your network or any of the devices connected to it gets compromised, hackers would find nothing but logins to your SSO accounts, which are meaningless without fingerprints or mobile devices.

How to get started with SSO

The first step is making sure you have a healthy and responsive IT support system. You need a team that’s constantly available to review suspicious alerts and troubleshoot employee issues. If you don’t currently have that capacity, contact us today and we’ll help you out!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Here’s what to remember when buying antivirus softwareIt’s essential to have antivirus software installed on your business computers to protect these against viruses, malware, ransomware, and spyware, among others. However, not all antivirus programs are created equal. If you’re looking for the best antivirus software, consider the following points. Cost There are free antivirus programs in the market, but they only offer […]

The post Here’s what to remember when buying antivirus software appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Here’s what to remember when buying antivirus software

It’s essential to have antivirus software installed on your business computers to protect these against viruses, malware, ransomware, and spyware, among others. However, not all antivirus programs are created equal. If you’re looking for the best antivirus software, consider the following points.

Cost

There are free antivirus programs in the market, but they only offer basic protection that advanced malware can easily evade. There’s also a risk that they contain adware, which collects data and sells them to third parties. Antivirus companies may even bundle potentially unwanted programs to generate revenue.

Speed and performance

Antivirus programs are notorious for consuming a lot of system memory, resulting in sluggish computer performance. Thanks to new technology, however, this problem has been addressed. Still, remember that antivirus performance is more important than device speed. What’s the point of a fast computer if it’s quick to succumb to hackers and malware?

Compatibility with multiple devices

Most people these days use or own more than one device, such as smartphones and tablets. Look for antivirus software that can protect all your devices, regardless of their operating system or date of purchase. It’ll be inconvenient and expensive to have different security software per device.

Comprehensive protection

Your antivirus should protect your devices from a wide variety of cyberthreats. These should include popular malware and phishing attacks, as well as malicious downloads, denial-of-service attacks, cryptojacking, and other damaging threats.

Customer support and service

Take the time to learn more about the antivirus software manufacturer. Does the company have a good reputation? Do they actively discover zero-day vulnerabilities and new cyberthreats? And are they at the forefront of developing cybersecurity solutions? If they tick all the boxes, you’re sure that their products and services are worth your investment.

Cybersecurity is not a luxury but a necessity for all businesses. If you’re looking for the right antivirus protection, then let our experts help you. We’ll provide you with the robust security your devices and network need.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Secure your Mac before discarding itWell over half of Americans save account passwords to an application or web browser, and at least as many also store private documents on their computers. That’s fine for people who take active measures to protect their data, but if you give away a computer, you surrender all control over it. That’s why you need […]

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Secure your Mac before discarding it

Well over half of Americans save account passwords to an application or web browser, and at least as many also store private documents on their computers. That’s fine for people who take active measures to protect their data, but if you give away a computer, you surrender all control over it. That’s why you need to follow these steps before selling or donating your Mac.

1. Back up your files

You don’t want the new owner of your Mac to find your private files, so you’ll want to reformat it first. However, you may have files you would like to keep. To save those files, back them up on iCloud or on an external hard drive or another Mac via Time Machine.

Backing up using iCloud

Follow these steps:

  1. Go to icloud.com, then sign in using your Apple ID. Fulfill multifactor authentication requirements if prompted.
  2. Check if your account has sufficient space remaining by clicking Settings > [your account name] > iCloud > Manage Storage. Free up storage space by deleting some files, or purchase more space if you must.
  3. To control what you’ll include in your backup sync, go to Settings > [your account name] > iCloud, then turn the toggle switches on or off for the applications you want or don’t want to sync.
  4. Once you’re happy with your selection, click Back up now.

Backing up using Time Machine

You can port your old files to an external drive or to another Mac. For the first option, follow these steps:

  1. Plug the external drive into your Mac and wait for its icon to appear on the screen.
  2. Go to System Preferences > Time Machine > Select Backup Disk. Select the drive you plugged in, then click Use Disk.
  3. You’ll be asked to erase the disk if it isn’t formatted to support Time Machine and Mac. The backup can proceed once you comply.

To back up your files from one Mac onto another Mac, make sure that both machines are on the same network first, Then, proceed as follows:

  1. On the Mac that’ll serve as the backup destination, click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  2. Tick the File Sharing box.
  3. Select Options. Select “Share files and folders using SMB” if it isn’t selected already, then click Done.
  4. At the bottom of the Shared Folders list, click Add.
  5. Find and choose the folder you want to utilize for sharing, then click Add.
  6. Control-click the folder’s name, then select Advanced Options.
  7. Click the “Share over” menu, then select SMB.
  8. Choose “Share as a Time Machine backup destination.”
  9. If you want, you can use “Limit backups to” to put a cap on the size of the backup to be created.
  10. Select OK.

2. Sign in to all your accounts on a new computer

Before you can ensure that your personal accounts are inaccessible on the Mac you’re getting rid of, you must be certain that you can access those accounts on another computer. If you need to recover a username or password, your options may be limited if the trusted computer has been wiped clean. Make sure to log in to these accounts on another device before moving forward:

  • Apple ID
  • iCloud
  • iMessage
  • iTunes

It’s also important that you remember account credentials that you’d saved on your web browser. If you use Safari, here are the steps to check all the accounts your browser has saved:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Select Preferences from the menu directly next to the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  3. Click the Passwords menu.
  4. Comb through the list and confirm that you can access all those accounts on another computer.

3. Sign out of everything

Deleting everything on your hard drive does not automatically mean that all of your personal information will be completely erased. This is because your device may be linked to your Apple accounts, which means that if you’re still signed in on the Mac you’ve given away, the next user may have access to your accounts.

To prevent this from happening, deauthorize as many accounts as possible before formatting the storage disk by doing the following:

  1. Open the Apple Books app, Apple TV app, or Music/iTunes app.
  2. On the top menu bar, select Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.
  3. Use your Apple ID to sign in.
  4. Click Deauthorize.

Next, you’ll want to sign out of iCloud. If your machine is on macOS Catalina or later, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  2. Select System Preferences > Apple ID.
  3. In the sidebar, choose Overview > Sign Out.

If your machine is on MacOS Mojave or earlier:

  1. Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  2. Select System Preferences > iCloud > Sign Out.

You’ll also want to sign out of iMessage:

  1. Open the iMessage app, click Messages > Preferences > Accounts.
  2. Select your account in the left sidebar and click the “Sign Out” button.

4. Remove the device from Apple Support

Another thing that people often forget to do is revoke their Apple Support registration (unless they want the new owner of their Mac to receive free assistance from Apple Geniuses). Visit support.apple.com/my-support, sign in with your Apple ID and remove any device you plan to get rid of or no longer own.

5. Do a factory reset

When all your files have been backed up and your accounts are accessible on other devices, you can wipe clean your Mac’s hard drive. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Enter recovery mode. Apple details separate instructions on how to do so on Intel-based Macs and Apple Silicon-based Macs.
  2. To proceed wiping the hard drive, go to Disk Utility.
  3. Under the Internal heading, choose the Macintosh HD drive and click Erase in the top toolbar. Retain Macintosh HD as its name and set its format to either Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS.
  4. To wipe that drive, click Erase or Erase Volume Group (whichever button is shown), then repeat the process for all the other internal drives, if any. This ensures that all data on the Mac is completely erased and that errors during the reinstall process will be avoided.
  5. Close the Disk Utility window to return to the Recovery screen.
  6. Press Command-Q to shut down the Mac.

From here, you can let the person getting the machine install a clean version of macOS.

All in all, this entire process can take a couple of days. Small businesses can save a lot of time by hiring an IT provider with Apple experts to take care of mundane tasks like wiping an old computer’s hard drive. Give us a call today to learn more about what we do.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Secure your Mac before discarding it appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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BYOD vs. CYOD: Which is better for your business?Bring your own device (BYOD) and choose your own device (CYOD) policies have been shown to enhance employees’ flexibility, productivity, and job satisfaction. If you’re thinking of adopting one of these strategies, here are some things to consider. What is BYOD? With BYOD, employees use their own devices, such as smartphones and laptops, to connect […]

The post BYOD vs. CYOD: Which is better for your business? appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

BYOD vs. CYOD: Which is better for your business?

Bring your own device (BYOD) and choose your own device (CYOD) policies have been shown to enhance employees’ flexibility, productivity, and job satisfaction. If you’re thinking of adopting one of these strategies, here are some things to consider.

What is BYOD?

With BYOD, employees use their own devices, such as smartphones and laptops, to connect to the company network, access business data and applications, and perform work-related tasks. Since your staff are already familiar with these devices, the need to learn and adjust to a new technology is eliminated. Therefore, your employees can get right to work, which leads to higher efficiency as well as better employee experience.

Also, BYOD gives employees greater flexibility and increased mobility, as it enables them to work anywhere, anytime. They don’t have to be chained to a desk in order to do their tasks. Instead, they can use their smartphones to check emails or their laptops to edit documents even when they’re on the go.

Your business stands to gain a lot from BYOD as well. Aside from enjoying enhanced employee productivity, you can reduce expenses related to owning computers and mobile devices, including maintenance and upgrades. The money you save can be put toward investments to further improve your bottom line.

However, the main drawback of BYOD is the risk involved when you grant employee-owned devices access to corporate resources. If you’re considering adopting BYOD, you must create a BYOD security policy to ensure that your company’s assets are well protected. This policy should outline key elements such as:

  • The applications and data that employees can access from their personal devices
  • The minimum security control requirements for employee-owned devices
  • The implementation of a mobile device management solution that will allow your IT staff to remotely wipe lost or stolen devices of company data

What is CYOD?

CYOD allows users to choose from a list of devices approved by the company. In this regard, CYOD is similar to BYOD — it gives employees freedom of choice. While not everyone may like the selection of available devices, they may appreciate having a say regarding what computer or mobile device they’ll be using for work. You can also offer employees the option to purchase the device from the company, paying in installments or upfront.

For businesses, the biggest advantage of CYOD is security. You can equip devices with security features to ensure that sensitive data is properly protected. However, since you own the devices, the responsibility of spending on security and optimization will fall on you. This may not be ideal for small businesses or those with a limited budget.

Which policy should your company adopt?

Ultimately, the choice between BYOD and CYOD boils down to what your business needs. If you’re operating on a tight budget, a BYOD policy is the right option for you. On the other hand, CYOD is perfect if you want to ensure the security of your data and other company assets.

If you still need more information to help you make a decision or you just need guidance on all things related to business IT, give our experts a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post BYOD vs. CYOD: Which is better for your business? appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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