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Office 365: Tools and tips for business

Office 365 is the office productivity tool of choice because it has everything business users could possibly need. That said, most of them aren’t maximizing their Office 365 investment. That’s why we’re recommending some of the lesser-known and underused tools to help you work more efficiently.

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Office 365: Tools and tips for business

Office 365 is the office productivity tool of choice because it has everything business users could possibly need. That said, most of them aren’t maximizing their Office 365 investment. That’s why we’re recommending some of the lesser-known and underused tools to help you work more efficiently.

SharePoint

SharePoint is the “communication sites” platform for building an intranet where you can upload and manage content. It’s customizable, feature-rich, and ideal for organizations that need an online library of information.

It’s a relatively new feature that allows you to add vibrant templates and visually appealing layouts to your company’s intranet, turning it into a highly dynamic and interactive page that staff will enjoy accessing for company announcements, to share updates, and more.

Teams

Microsoft Teams is an interactive workspace that lets users chat about specific projects. It’s a collaboration tool integrated with Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, so it’s an ideal alternative to SharePoint for employees who don’t need the latter’s more robust capabilities.

Yammer

Yammer is an easy-to-use social networking platform for companies where users can post status updates, create polls, and make announcements.

It’s also useful for sharing and co-authoring documents and discussing content from SharePoint and Skype for Business. Much like Facebook, it allows users to join interest groups where they can interact with members similar to how Facebook Groups works.

Planner

Planner is Office 365’s work management application that lets you create, organize, and assign tasks, share files, and chat about ongoing projects. While its functions seem similar to Teams’, Planner’s main purpose is to organize tasks and provide users with a visible and transparent platform for coordinating work. It’s primarily a business tool whereas Teams is more of a communication tool.

PowerApps

PowerApps lets you build custom applications with a minimum amount of coding involved. Although there are similar app-building tools on the market, PowerApps is especially useful for Office 365 users because it seamlessly integrates with O365 apps, including SharePoint, for easy access to your data already stored in the Office environment.

Flow

Flow is an intuitive tool that has built-in templates you can use to automate various tasks. Things like tracking hours worked, saving files from one SharePoint account to another, and creating calendar events are streamlined by Flow. And like all the aforementioned apps, Flow allows you to create workflows using files from OneDrive or SharePoint.

Whether you’re a new or a long-time Office 365 user, these programs and features are hiding in plain sight, and we’re here to help you explore and maximize them for your business. Call us today if you need expert recommendations for office productivity.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Why are Windows 10 updates so slow?

Windows 10 users are well aware of the fact that installing updates can take a long time. In fact, you’ll find many users venting about this issue in online forums and complaining to their service providers. So what kind of feedback are they getting, and why are Windows 10 updates so slow?

Why do updates take so long to install?
Windows 10 updates take a while to complete because Microsoft is constantly adding larger files and features to them.

The post Why are Windows 10 updates so slow? appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Why are Windows 10 updates so slow?

Windows 10 users are well aware of the fact that installing updates can take a long time. In fact, you’ll find many users venting about this issue in online forums and complaining to their service providers. So what kind of feedback are they getting, and why are Windows 10 updates so slow?

Why do updates take so long to install?
Windows 10 updates take a while to complete because Microsoft is constantly adding larger files and features to them. For instance, the latest Fall Creators update, which made plenty of adjustments to Cortana, Photos, and Edge, can take upwards of four hours to install. And it takes even longer if you have a fragmented or nearly filled hard drive.

In addition to the large files and numerous features included in Windows 10 updates, internet speed can significantly affect installation times. This is especially true if your network is being overburdened by multiple people downloading the update at the same time.

If multiple downloads aren’t being attempted and you still experience slowness, then either some broken software components are preventing the installation from running smoothly, or apps and drivers that run upon startup are likely to blame.

When you experience any of these issues, try the following:

Free up storage space and defragment your hard drive
Because many Windows 10 updates take up a lot of space in your hard drive, you need to leave enough room for them. This means deleting files and uninstalling software you no longer need.

You’ll also want to defragment your hard drive, a process that organizes data on your hard drive so it can read and write files faster. While this may sound complicated, it’s actually as easy as pressing the Windows button and typing Defragment and Optimize Drives. From there, just select the hard drive, click Analyze, and if the drive is more than 10% fragmented, press Optimize.

Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
If broken software components are causing installation problems, this tool might be able to fix the issue and decrease download and install times.

Disable startup software
Before your update begins, you should also disable third-party applications that can potentially cause disruptions. To do this, press the Windows button again and type msconfig. In the System Configuration Window, go to Services, click Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all. Afterwards, access Task Manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Delete) and disable any startup program that might interfere with updates like an Adobe app or printer software.

Optimize your network
Sometimes a faster connection is all you need. Consider switching to fiber optic cables or purchasing more bandwidth from your internet service provider. It’s also a good idea to use bandwidth management tools to make sure enough network resources are reserved for things like Windows 10 updates, not bandwidth hogs like Skype or YouTube.

Schedule updates for low-traffic periods
In some cases, however, you may have to accept the fact that certain updates do take a long time. So instead of installing them during the day, schedule them for after hours when you’re not using your computers. Simply go to Settings and specify when you prefer updates to be installed.

If you need help with any of the tips above, we’re always here to help. Call us today to meet with our Windows specialists!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Millions more affected by Equifax leaks

Back in 2017, Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus in the US, made a major security blunder that leaked millions of sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and credit card details. The company estimated that the data of 145.5 million people (almost half the US population) were exposed.

The post Millions more affected by Equifax leaks appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Millions more affected by Equifax leaks

Back in 2017, Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus in the US, made a major security blunder that leaked millions of sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and credit card details. The company estimated that the data of 145.5 million people (almost half the US population) were exposed. But according to recent reports, there may be millions more affected by the leaks.

What happened?
On March 1, Equifax reported that the names and driver’s license numbers of approximately 2.4 million Americans were stolen. According to the company, sensitive information like home addresses, home states, or the license issue and expiration dates were not leaked. Equifax said these breaches were discovered only recently because their forensic investigations primarily focused on stolen Social Security numbers.

In response, the company said that anyone affected would be notified directly. They’re also now offering a security program designed to prevent identity theft and credit tampering. However, given the company’s poor track record, not many are willing to enroll.

When the company first announced the breach in September last year, the tool used to check whether an account had been hacked didn’t work and came up with false positives. Fortunately, there are other things you can do to protect yourself.

Monitor your credit
Consider looking through your credit reports for any suspicious spending. If you spot any new accounts, loans, and other payments you don’t recognize, contact your credit card company to report fraudulent transactions.

Check the dark web
Compromised data is often sold to the highest bidder on the dark web, so most Equifax data can probably be found there. To see whether your personal information has indeed been compromised, sign up for dark web monitoring services. Then consult with a security professional to discuss your options.

Place a credit freeze
One way you can prevent hackers from opening credit cards and making payments in your name is to freeze your credit. When you implement this, anyone masquerading as you will be required to provide a PIN to unfreeze your account. Contact the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to activate this service.

Set fraud alerts
When you set a fraud alert, credit card companies and businesses must verify your identity before opening an account or making any payments. Together with a credit freeze, alerts will make it extremely difficult for hackers to steal your identity.

Learn to identify phishing scams
Because Equifax is notifying data breach victims directly through email, hackers could take this opportunity to send fake messages that direct users to dangerous websites. As such, knowing how to identify phishing scams (suspicious URL links, attachments, and spelling errors) is vital.

Dealing with data breaches is a long and frustrating process, especially for businesses that just want to focus on growing their operations. So if you have any security concerns, call us today. We have the cybersecurity expertise to protect you.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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iPhone security impenetrable no more

Cellebrite claims that they have devised “undisclosed techniques” to unlock Apple devices running on any iOS operating system. The U.S. government contractor based in Israel recently notified clients of their ability to circumnavigate iOS protections that’s part of their new service for forensic specialists and law enforcement.

The post iPhone security impenetrable no more appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

iPhone security impenetrable no more

Cellebrite claims that they have devised “undisclosed techniques” to unlock Apple devices running on any iOS operating system. The U.S. government contractor based in Israel recently notified clients of their ability to circumnavigate iOS protections that’s part of their new service for forensic specialists and law enforcement.

iPhone vulnerabilities leaked, is it true?

A couple years ago, Apple had a showdown with the FBI regarding data privacy, and this prompted them to develop exceptionally secure mobile devices. But Cellebrite has crashed the party, developing several methods to access iPhone operating systems, including the most recent version.

The engineers are now promoting their methods to private forensics and law enforcement professionals around the world who would benefit from this new service. In fact, in November 2017, the Department of Homeland Security successfully raided data from the iPhone X, most likely through the use of Cellebrite technology.

Secure your business at all costs

To protect you from this potential security issue, here are a couple suggestions from tech experts:

  1. Patching mobile devices is a crucial step for both businesses and consumers. For devices that cannot be patched, you must retire it to prevent risks.
  2. Adopting a disaster recovery plan is vital. This way, you can limit how much damage a breached gadget can cause.

Only time will tell whether Apple’s reputation and the iPhone’s security really has been weakened. Still, it doesn’t mean that you should hold off on protecting your business. Use this news to give your technology an overhaul, improve your business processes, and update your employees’ security training.

Even with all the ingenious ways to hack into systems nowadays, you felt you could count on Apple to be one step ahead of everyone -- but that might not be the case anymore. Ensure that your privacy is secure and your files are still safe by strengthening your usual security practices. But if that's too technical for you, just give us a call and we’ll take care of it!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post iPhone security impenetrable no more appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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