Not too long ago, cloud apps and platforms were the answer to IT efficiency. Today, virtualization is the solution everyone is talking about. And as a business owner, you probably want to know if virtualization can improve your business’s processes.

What is virtualization?

Virtualization is the creation of a virtual version of a device or resource, anything from a server to an operating system. This allows you to turn one physical server into a group of virtual servers that all share the same resources.

How is it different from other systems?

If you're paying a provider for access to virtual IT resources, you have instant access to nearly limitless computing resources. It also gets rid of haphazard IT rooms, cables, and bulky hardware, reducing your overall IT overhead and management costs.

While many people confuse virtualization with the cloud, it's better to think of virtualization as one of the many tools that enables cloud technology to function. For example, if you wanted to simultaneously run Windows and Mac OS X on the same computer, virtualization could do that. This improves overall application performance due to technology that can balance resources, and provide only what the user needs.

When should you virtualize?

Virtualization can be a solution for many businesses, but not for all. The key is to know exactly when to virtualize. Here are four situations where a business should make the leap:

• Virtualize if you rely on technology – Companies that are dependant on technology often end up with more hardware than they actually need. Virtualization prevents this from happening with more efficient use of IT.
• Virtualize if your company exceeds 20 employees – Tech experts agree that there is no need for virtualization if you employ fewer than 10-20 employees. With that number, traditional servers are more than enough to cater to your needs.
• Virtualize if you can cover the costs – While virtualization is meant to reduce costs, it still requires an initial investment. The cost of virtualization can be high for small businesses to implement, but you have the option of working with an IT partner like us. We can help you realize cost-savings or even a return on investment.
• Virtualize if you want more space – Certain business operators throw away a big chunk of their budget on extra office space to house large server racks, wires, or even IT personnel to maintain them. In this situation, virtualization can save space while reducing hardware costs.

There are several reasons why businesses look into virtualization. Like any type of technology, it’s a tradeoff between practicality and money. If you think you’re ready to move your systems to a virtual world or are looking to learn more about virtualization solutions, contact us today.

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When it comes to computers, it’s better to be safe than to risk losing or exposing your data. One of the simplest and most reliable ways to protect your Mac and all the information it contains is to lock it with a solid password.

It’s not enough to log off your Mac

Some people “lock” their Mac computer by logging off or shutting down the device. If you’re stepping away from your desk to use the bathroom or do something quick, both of these methods may prove to be time-consuming and downright impractical. But what can you do to prevent others from snooping on your computer?

Protect it with a password, of course.

Setting a password is easy

Locking your screen and setting a password with which to unlock it is easy.

1. Go to the Dock or the Apple menu and from there, launch System Preferences.
2. Click on the Security & Privacy pane.
3. Go to the General tab and check the option that reads, “Require password after sleep or screensaver begins”.
4. A dropdown menu will appear — choose Immediately.

This series of steps locks your computer every time you put it in sleep mode. To “awaken” your Mac, just input the password you set.

Get your Mac to sleep on command

The quickest way, by far, to put your Mac to sleep is to go to the Apple menu and click Sleep. You may also use these keyboard shortcuts:

• Option + Command + Power button — Puts the computer in sleep mode
• Option + Shift + Power button — Makes the screen go to sleep mode

For Mac models with a Touch ID sensor, you can use the same key combinations but replace the Power button with the Media Eject button.

You can also activate Hot Corners, which puts your monitor to sleep when you move your cursor to a specific corner of the screen. Access this feature through the following steps:

1. In the Apple Menu, click on System Preferences.
2. Click on Desktop and Screen Saver.
3. Click on the Screen Saver tab.
4. In the bottom right corner, select Hot Corners.
5. Select which corner you’d like to use when putting your Mac in sleep mode

Looking for more Mac OS tips? Curious to learn about our Mac services? Call us today to learn more.

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A recent report by Sophos uncovered 15 adware apps in Google Play. These apps run unwanted ads on your device and collect marketing-type data about you. What’s more alarming is that 1.3 million Android users have downloaded at least one of these apps. Here’s a list of the adware apps that have been identified, and how you can avoid downloading such malicious apps in the future.

The adware apps that Sophos identified are disguised as system or utility apps. They include image editors, QR code readers, and even an app for erasing confidential data from your device. Their names even resemble those of legitimate system apps, chosen for the express purpose of tricking Android users into installing them onto their devices. These apps are:

• Flash On Calls & Messages
• Read QR Code
• Image Magic
• Generate Elves
• Savexpense
• QR Artifact
• Find Your Phone
• Scavenger — speed guard
• Auto Cut Out Pro
• Background Cut Out Pro
• Photo Background Editor 2019
• ImageProcessing for Android
• Background Cut Out New
• Auto Cut Out
• Auto Cut Out 2019

These apps are also hard to detect because they display two different sets of names and icons — one on your device’s Settings app and another when they’re actually running. This makes it more difficult to identify and uninstall the adware apps on your device, which is exactly what the developers want.

If you install one of these apps, it will appear on your app tray, but launching it triggers a message that the app is incompatible with your device. You will then be redirected to the Google Maps page on Google Play. When you return to your app tray, you’ll find that the app’s icon has disappeared.

If there’s no icon then, how can you uninstall the app? Andrew Brandt, a researcher at Sophos, says deleting adware apps will require a little bit of digging on your part, as there’s no icon that you can click and drag to the top of the screen and into the trash.

First, identify the adware apps. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications. This will direct you to a page that displays the most recently opened apps on your device. Next, check if any of those apps have the generic greenish-blue Android icon and/or have generic-sounding names such as Back Up, Update, etc. If they do, they’re likely adware. Finally, tap the icon and then tap Force Stop > Uninstall. Note that a legit system or utility app will have a “Disable” instead of an “Uninstall” option.

Sophos warns that there may be similar apps that are yet to be identified and more are likely to be made available on Google Play in the future. The key takeaway here is to be mindful of what you download, even if it’s from Google Play or other official platforms. Check out the reviews — the reported adware apps got poor reviews from users who complained about getting a lot of pop-up ads. Remember that malware can be hiding in even the most innocuous apps, and downloading them gives bad actors the chance to access any confidential information on your device.

For advice on how to keep your Android devices safe from adware and other malicious malware, give us a call today.

The post Sneaky Android adware apps to watch out for appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Many small businesses have embraced data virtualization over the past few years. And as with any kind of business data, virtualized data needs to be protected from disaster, cybercrime, and human error and, therefore, needs backup. When backing up your virtualized data, there are some most common difficulties you need to prepare for.

Data virtualization involves taking all enterprise data stored in different local computers or systems, and moving them to a virtual server for centralized management and for on-demand delivery to business users. This provides multiple long-term benefits, including integration of various data types, centralized governance and security, minimized data replication, reduced movement of data across different locations, and real-time data delivery to consumers. But data backup can be a bit tougher with virtualized data, because of these hurdles.

Overwhelming rapid file growth

Before, businesses had to worry about managing servers containing millions of files. Now, they have to manage billions of files. For this reason, it has become almost impossible to back up servers of such immensity through traditional means using legacy systems.

You should take steps to ensure that your backup solution can handle immense volumes of data. While a virtual solution may be working now, it is a good idea to check that your IT partner can easily scale to handle all your data.

Rapid server growth

The advent of virtualization has led to the development of an “app mentality” among many users and business owners. There’s an application for every function, with many being delivered through a virtual machine.

For businesses, this means an increasing number of virtual servers needed to host your virtual solutions. It is crucial to protect these virtual machines and the servers that host them because they are quickly becoming the most essential tools for your business. If your business is growing, your current virtual machines are likely backed up, but you will need to ensure that these are also backed up as you add more servers.

Very high user expectations

Needless to say, users have high expectations caused by misunderstandings about technology, and virtualization in particular. Users expect their IT partners to have emerging issues resolved in an instant or as quickly as possible.

While backup speeds are increasing year on year, it still takes time to copy data files from backup servers, especially when there are over a billion files to be copied. It is worthwhile talking with your IT partner about backup and recovery times to know what you can expect when you need to recover virtual systems.

If you have questions about data virtualization or virtualization in general, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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