Managed Services

5 entryways for cyber criminals to access your business

Selling stolen IDs and other personal data is a lucrative trade for hackers. They are always looking for sources where vital information is stored. As a small-to-midsize business, you store your client’s personal information, collected from different sources, on your computers and servers. Your Point-of-sale (PoS) terminal and some website transactions can be completed by use of electronic banking, credit cards, or debit cards only. Your customers have to key-in their pins or passwords to make payments. That information has to be saved. Also, depending on the kind of services or products you provide, you may be collecting Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and birthdates of your clients. Personal information is a gold mine for a hacker. All this means only one thing for you: A data security nightmare.

Here are the channels hackers can use to break into your IT infrastructure

  • Your website: Hackers have become very sophisticated in cyber attacks on websites. They can access specific information by targeting websites that have the information they are looking for. For example, if they want only financial information about their victims, they can use tools that will fish for the websites that carry that kind of information. Implementation of web-based applications has made it easier for cyber criminals to connect to your website database. They are able to find the loopholes and hack into systems. Your computers and servers: Your computers and servers are treasure-troves of information. By sending malware into your systems they can steal your admin passwords, and then login to your servers and other network devices. These hardware devices are the ultimate prize for cyber thieves because these devices not only hold important information about your clients, they also have all the information about your business and possibly about your vendors and associates.There is nothing about your business that these hackers don’t know. Imagine how devastating this attack can be.
  • Mobile devices used by your employees: If you allow your employees to use their mobile devices to conduct business, you have another security issue to worry about. You don’t know how secure their mobile phones, iPads, laptops, or tablets are against a security breach. You don’t know how hard or easy their passwords are to crack. Breach of security into those devices will lead hackers right into your networks where they can steal critical business data.
  • Unsecure Wi-Fi network: Most businesses keep their Wi-Fi networks well protected, but unsecured Wi-Fi is an open invitation to cyber criminals. If your Wi-Fi network is not secure, hackers are one step closer to breaking into your systems.
  • Your PoS systems: PoS systems are the prime targets for hackers who want to commit financial fraud. Cyber thieves know that PoS systems that come with preloaded software can be hacked using an unsecured, Wi-Fi network. This fraud has a direct impact on an individual’s finances because a hacker can make unauthorized credit card charges quickly and move on before anyone realizes what happened. Ruined credit can take years to mend.
  • Your email: Email is another venue that hackers use to infect computers with malicious software.They send viruses that replicate themselves in the host computers, performing various tasks such as denial of service to the users of your systems, spamming your contacts, and accessing data without authorization.

To handle all of these possible gateways, you need a comprehensive approach to data security. I can’t be done piecemeal. Plus the potential damage to your business and brand if you don’t address every possibility cannot be overstated. The best solution is to solicit the help of a managed service provider, who can design a complete security blueprint to address all of these areas.

Learn more about how our company can help. Contact us at or [email protected] .

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Anti-virus programs aren’t enough

Today many business owners install an antivirus program as their Maginot Line and call it a day. However, there are many ways to get into a network that circumvents anti-virus.

Hackers are creating viruses faster than anti-virus programs can recognize them (about 100,000 new virus types are released daily), and professional cybercriminals will often test their creations against all commercially available platforms before releasing them onto the net.

Even if you had a perfect anti-virus program that could detect and stop every single threat, there are many attacks that circumvent anti-virus programs entirely. For example, if a hacker can get an employee to click on a compromised email or website, or “brute force guess” a weak password, all the anti-virus software in the world won’t help you.

There are several vulnerabilities a hacker can target: the physical layer, the human layer, the network layer, and the mobile layer. You need a defense plan that will allow you to quickly notice and respond to breaches at each level.

The physical layer refers to the computers and devices that you have in your office. This is the easiest to defend, yet it is exploited surprisingly often.

Here are a few examples:

  • In 2015, 60% of California businesses reported a stolen smartphone and 43% reported losing a tablet with sensitive information.
  • The breaches perpetrated by Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden occurred because they were able to access devices with sensitive information.
  • As an experiment, Comptia left 200 USB devices in front of various public spaces across the country to see if people would pick a strange device and insert into their work or personal computers. 17% of consumers fell for it.

For the physical layer, you need to:

  • Keep all computers and devices under the supervision of an employee or locked away at all times.
  • Only let authorized employees use your devices.
  • Do not plug-in any unknown USB devices.
  • Destroy obsolete hard drives before throwing them out.

In short, taking responsibility for data security involves a lot more than just a software program.

Learn more about how our company can help. Contact us at or [email protected] .

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Finding the Right IT Support Company for Your Business

It can be a daunting task trying to find the best IT support a company has to offer and the right IT support services for your needs. There are so many factors to take into account, and it can often feel like navigating a minefield.

The truth is that if you want your business to operate at its peak potential, it’s a minefield you must conquer. One of the key factors in running a successful business, and optimising your activities and processes, is finding the right IT support company.

Here’s a rundown of the process of choosing, and the essential steps to getting it right.

Step 1: Assess your requirements in terms of IT infrastructure

This can be quite an involved process, but it’s pivotal that you get it right! Assess your current IT requirements and identify what you need right now, and what you’re going to need moving forward.

Step 2: Do some research

Make a list of prospective IT support companies and do some research. Be sure to get several references and, if you can, speak to someone at a company they’re currently servicing. Check out their customer reviews and client testimonials -They should have dedicated sections on their website where you can freely view these. Google the company and see if they have a Google business account – this includes reviews!

Step 3: Get in touch

Once you are crystal clear on what you need (now and looking ahead) and you have your list of possible companies, get in touch with them and tell them your requirements. Ask for an obligation-free estimate. Gather responses, and see what they come back to you with. Don’t be afraid to meet them in person and discuss your needs. Think of it like any other interview – if you were hiring a new assistant or manager, you wouldn’t rely on email or even phone calls, you’d interview the candidates in person. You need to see how you get on, personally, and whether or not you’re compatible enough to form a good business relationship. Get them into your office. While they’re there, assess their attitude and perspectives, bring up a specific issue or two that you’re having, or have had in the past, and see how they react.

Step 4: Read the fine print

A tedious but completely necessary step is to look at the fine print that comes with each of the companies you’ve met with. How good is their confidentiality agreement? What are their terms? How long would you need to give notice if you needed to change to a new company? Are there any ‘hidden’ charges that might apply to you? There are a myriad of small details like this that can sway your final decision. Make a pros and cons list for each company based on their estimates, your experience while meeting them, and the benefits and downsides of working with them.

Step 5: Make a decision

It’s time to be decisive! Making the final decision really comes down to a combination of price comparison, the benefits on offer, and gut instinct. When all else is equal, go with your gut!

Step 6: Choose a person

The work doesn’t stop when you choose a company to work with. It’s your responsibility to keep on top of things, take care of all the basics and liaise with your new support company to ensure you are getting exactly what you need. You should appoint a single person to act as the point of contact between your business and your IT support. One person who always deals with them and knows the workings of your relationship backwards. Any problems, on either side, they deal with them – it will make everything run a lot more smoothly!

Step 7: Start a fault log

This is a simple but often overlooked process. Start a log of all faults in your system. It ensures you have a record if you need it and will aid your new support company in looking after you as best they possibly can.

Contact Compuville Systems today to learn about our Managed Support plans. 1-866-300-5151

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5 Reasons Why You Need a Disaster Recovery Plan

For many years, a large percentage of businesses have operated day-in and day-out without giving a second thought to their data backup plan. As long as someone in the IT department was periodically performing tape backup then all was considered fine. The challenge today however is that businesses are dealing with unprecedented amounts of data – both from their own internal staff and that of their customers.

Planning for the unknown and spending money on something that you aren’t sure is going to happen can be a hard pill to swallow for many companies, but taking care of your business often means formulating strategies for ‘what if’ scenarios. Recent research by the University of Texas has shown that only 6 percent of companies suffering from a catastrophic data loss survive, 43 percent never reopen and 51 percent close within 2 years. So clearly being prepared is your best defense.

Still not convinced? Here are five reasons why a disaster recovery (DR) plan should be among your company’s top IT priority.

1. You may have compliance requirements
Many businesses today that deal with sensitive client data are required by law to ensure they have an adequate DR plan in place. For legal firms, their client data is the lifeblood of the organization. For healthcare companies, the thought of losing client medical records can not only compromise your business but as well create unwanted legal and public attention. The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) Act of 1996 was devised primarily to protect the confidentiality and security of client healthcare information. As a result, HIPAA compliance requires businesses to have a DR plan that significantly reduces the risk of patient data loss.

2. This is one way to create competitive differentiation
In a recent business poll over 50% of businesses currently using a cloud-based DR plan feel that their DR strategy brings them a competitive advantage. Why? In a fast-paced competitive market with greater commoditization of products and services, getting back on your feet faster than your competitor after any natural disaster certainly gives you an advantage.

3. Stuff happens
Let’s face it. We have all heard or have experienced the horror of having our PC crash. Now exponentially grow that likelihood and the outcome of that catastrophe is unimaginable. On average, 15,000 hard drives fail every day somewhere around the world. Think about your finance or sales primes losing their hard drive and it’s not hard to understand how impacting that can be on your business performance.

4. Nature is unpredictable and so are humans
You don’t need to look farther then New Jersey to see the effects that a hurricane can have on businesses. Hurricane Sandy made it difficult for many of the businesses located in the 19-county impact zone in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to recover. All told, more than 1 million businesses (representing 1,000 different industries) that fell inside that zone experienced significant difficulty in recovering. Add in human error or deliberate sabotage and the negative implications rise exponentially. In airports, train stations, buses, restaurants and other public places, an average of 15,000 laptops go missing every week. Think about the intellectual property that disappears when that data is not backed up.

5. Customer re-acquisition is extremely expensive
With more competition and a shrinking global market, customers become savvier and less forgiving. Interrupt their service level once and they could disappear forever because your competitor is waiting around the corner to offer them a deal they can’t refuse.

Nobody is invincible from a disaster of small or large magnitude, so the key is to ensure that you not only have a plan in place to prepare your business in the event of a disaster, but that you also have a solid plan for recovery when you need it. You can bet that your customers and your business partners would agree.

Contact Compuville Systems today to learn about our disaster recovery and data backup plans. 1-866-300-5151

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Why Vulnerabilities Bad for Business

Lately it seems almost impossible to read the news without being bombarded with reports about yet another security breach which has affected a large organization or business. And yet, with all of these warning signs, many SMBs are taking a “it doesn’t affect me” approach to their own business’ security. Unfortunately what many SMBs don’t realize is that their security vulnerabilities are often the welcome mat these hackers need to infiltrate the larger organizations that they partner with as vendors, suppliers or service providers. They may be unaware that this makes them a prime target for hackers. Worse yet, this may be costing them new business opportunities.

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What is a Network or Technology Assessment?

“Smaller businesses have become bigger targets for cybercriminals because the bad guys know that they have fewer defense resources than large enterprises.”

Have you noticed that your computers or network have been sluggish? Maybe you are concerned about security of the data on your system? Perhaps you are thinking about upgrading to new software, but don’t know if your hardware will meet the requirements? These questions all get answered in an assessment.

When it comes to your network, you want to know exactly what’s “under the hood.” Compuville Systems Network Assessment Service provides companies with a customized operational, tactical, and strategic review of their current network environment. But that’s not all. We also provide recommendations across the entire network infrastructure that ensures network availability, reduces total cost of ownership, meets existing business needs, and allows for future growth opportunities.

Compuville Systems Network Assessment is a comprehensive report that describes network infrastructure, applications, and network security as well as an overall evaluation of performance—everything you want to know in black and white. The key customer value lies in the personalized recommendations we provide that can significantly affect your network and business performance.

Why do you need a Network Assessment?
Good question! Networks are constantly changing for various reasons: organic company growth, spin-offs, new offices, technology innovations, changing business needs, etc.

Here are some of the questions answered by a comprehensive assessment of your network:

  • Can your network maintain its performance & stability through all these changes?
  • Do you have documentation for all your computer and software inventories?
  • Do you know how efficient your network is performing?
  • Do you know if you are utilizing all the bandwidth you purchased or maybe need more?
  • Do you know if your most critical applications are prioritized on your network?
  • Would you like to know where the “hot spots” or “looming problems” are?
  • Do you feel the increasing need to open your network to partners, customers, and remote users?
  • Are you aware of your security vulnerabilities?

Compuville Systems can help provide answers to these questions and give you peace of mind in a complicated and often frustrating environment.

The following areas will be analyzed:

  • Active directory/file replication service configuration
  • DNS configuration
  • Email configuration including Internet domain configuration
  • Microsoft Office versions and compatibility issues
  • Server hardware capacity, utilization and performance
  • Backup system configuration and functionality
  • Networking infrastructure configuration/equipment
  • Server and workstation patch and service pack status
  • Terminal Services/Citrix configuration
  • Inter-office network connectivity
  • Internet and remote access configuration
  • Firewall configuration
  • Firewall firmware status
  • Mission critical application availability and data security requirements
  • Review company security policies including:
  • Password administration
  • E-mail usage and archiving
  • Storage of company confidential information
  • Network administration

Physical environment review of:

  • Network connections
  • Server storage and location
  • Environmental considerations for servers, routers, firewalls and switches

Following the assessment, we will provide a report to include:

  • Estimate for correcting any existing configuration/hardware issues required for the managedCare™ Service engagement
  • Detailed inventory report of current server and workstation hardware and software
  • Any optional network recommendations
  • Wireless networking configuration (if applicable)
  • Virus software status and configuration
  • Identification of software products which may cause network support or performance issues

Need more info?
Compuville Systems delivers value by aligning your network infrastructure to your business needs. We can help you demonstrate ROI on your network investments. Ask us for proven customer testimonials about our ability to save money and deliver high customer satisfaction. Contact us today about virtually any aspect of IT services.

1-866-300-5151 or [email protected] to schedule your assessment today!

Subscribe to one of our Managed Service plans by March 31, 2015 and receive %50 off your first 12 month contract.

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Are you getting enough IT support for what you’re paying?

Often we get calls from people who already have an individual or company providing IT support, but are looking for a second opinion on their IT infrastructure.
Here is a list of the top 5 problems that we hear about other IT providers:

  1. Slow Response
    You have a number to call but you can’t get in touch with your IT provider. You leave a message but don’t hear back in a timely manner. We see this happen often with independent IT consultants. They’ll run around just fixing computers, putting out fires. The problem is that you need help now and you have better things to do than wait. At Compuville Systems, we address this by having a team of engineers standing by, plus a dedicated Service Manager to route calls and ensure that your issue is dealt with in a timely manner.
  2. The Same Problems Keep Cropping Up Over and Over.
    There’s a difference between a band-aid fix and a solution that will eliminate the problem from happening over and over. Our job is to make your life easier, so we create solutions that resolve problems for good. Our Managed Services clients also benefit from 24×7 Monitoring systems that keep an eye on  your workstations, laptops, servers, network devices, and printers. This means that often we can fix the problem before you have to call us.
  3. Technicians That Don’t Speak Your Language
    We  firmly believe that just because we understand technology does not mean we have to speak over your head with techno-babble. We train our staff to speak to you in terms that you’ll understand and don’t over-explain details that you don’t need/want to hear about.
  4. Poor Customer Service
    We have all experienced calling a large company and being transferred from technician to technician like they don’t care about your business. Don’t they know that their customers should come first? Our Help Desk technicians are trained to handle your technical issues and put customer service first. We treat you like a person, not a number. It is our company culture to put the client you are working with at the moment as your top priority. We see issues through to resolution, no matter what it takes. We aim to resolve quickly and efficiently, but we’ll never rush you.
  5. Invoices are higher than expected
    Nickel-and-dimeing over services wastes everybody’s time. We offer monthly flat-rate pricing so that there are no surprises month to month. Regardless of the amount of service and support you use in a given month, you’re still paying the same monthly fee. This makes it easy for you to predict your budgets.

Here are some other benefits in taking advantage of our fixed-fee monthly Managed Services.

  • We manage multi-vendor, multi-technology environments effectively
  • We can hit the ground running in the deployment of new networks and systems
  • We help you reduce spending and focus your budget on the most strategic technology for your organization
  • We remain agile and meet strategic business priorities
  • We minimize risks by keeping track of your systems through 24×7 Monitoring & Maintenance on all of your systems in order to fix issues before they become big problems.

If you’d like a second opinion about the management of your IT, contact us today to find out if you’re eligible for a free IT Assessment worth $1000.

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How to Choose an IT Support Provider

Choosing Outsourced Tech Support is No Small Task

Making the decision to use a third-party IT provider is a major step, with just as many risks as rewards. Outsourced IT providers can potentially save companies time and money with their services, but a poor provider will do nothing but slow down your communications and impede your technical efficiency. It’s essential to do plenty of research—and answer some important questions—before settling on any one service provider.

What is Your Growth Capacity?

When searching for a third-party IT provider, it’s important to know how much volume, storage, and growth your company needs, and then compare it to how much the provider can handle. Don’t just settle for a provider that can handle your current volume. If outsourcing works the way it is supposed to, your company will experience growth. Make sure your IT provider will be able to make that transition with you.

Will There Be More Service Options in the Future?

It is important to consider how technologically forward-thinking your third-party IT provider is. With technology advancing about every six months, your chosen partner should be able to talk to you about their most recent service advancements, which IT trends they’ve been following, and what services they are looking to add to their repertoire as they become available.

How Available Are They When Issues Arise?

The most important factor to assess before signing any contracts is whether a prospective provider offers a personal representative for your business, available by phone or email anytime, and/or a 24/7 customer service line that is able to handle all major issues.

At Compuville Systems, we offer all of these advantages and more. With our help, you can expect efficient solutions to hardware issues, constant performance monitoring for your servers, and remote desktop assistance and repair. To learn more, contact us today at [email protected]

Compuville Systems provides managed IT & IT support, cloud computing and IT resourcing services to businesses throughout Toronto, as well as across Canada.

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Discover What Your Business Can Do With 365

Access documents on the go

From wherever you have an internet connection you can have the latest versions of your documents and services such as email on your PC, Mac, tablet, smartphone or any compatible device with a web browser, and use SharePoint Online for easy file syncing, offline access and automatic backup.

Work together

Share documents using your SharePoint Online team sites, meet online with HD video conferencing, screen sharing and real-time notes and share mailboxes within sites.

Look professional

Make the right impression with business-grade email and calendars, HD video conferencing, up-to-date and integrated Office software plus easy-to-use templates for building a well-designed company website.

Easy IT

Manage all your Office 365 services through a single web-based admin centre, install Office on desktops with a click, and protect your business with security, automatic backups, and guaranteed 99.9% uptime.

Great value

Have true business-grade tools and always-up-to-date software for a predictable cost, with easy administration, no upfront licensing costs, and simplified licensing for up to 5 devices per user.

At Compuville Systems, we pride ourselves on getting to know your business before we offer solutions. If you are interested in learning about the business benefits of Microsoft Office 365 and how they will positively impact your business productivity, please request our FREE Network Assessment  today or give us a call to arrange a meeting! 1-866-300-5151

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OFFICE 365 VS GOOGLE: WHICH IS BETTER FOR BUSINESS?

When it comes to deciding on a cloud-based email provider, small-to-medium sized businesses have two primary choices – Google Apps or Microsoft Office 365. After talking with SMB owners or technology decision makers, we’ve found that many have pledged their allegiance to Google and don’t want to hear a pitch for Microsoft. Many are adamant that they have everything they need in the core offerings of Google Apps – Gmail, Docs/Drive, Hangouts and Sites.

While these are undoubtedly solid offerings, they are more than individual products. How about comparing Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 in regard to the collective experience as a whole? By looking at the sum of their respective parts, many may find that Google Apps is actually limiting them to a degree. Here are a few examples of why:

Pricing – Google has a one-size fits all approach to pricing. This approach is contradictory to the biggest selling point of Cloud technology, which is to pay for what you use, just like your electric or gas utility bills. By comparison, Microsoft lets users pay for only what they need. Sounds pretty good right?

Google Drive Lacks Efficiency with MS Office Files – While the Google Drive cloud storage app is fairly adept at handling native files, MS Office files are treated like the plague and must be downloaded, edited and re-uploaded into the Google Drive. From there, expect to see formatting inconsistencies such as missing text boxes, images, graphics, watermarks, charts and more. In comparison, Microsoft provides more uniformity from document to document whether it’s sourced from a desktop version of Office or any web browser via the cloud.

Google Hangout Is More for Friends than Business – Google Hangouts, Google’s video chat and group conferencing tool, is deeply rooted in their social network Google+. There is nothing inherently wrong with Google+ besides the fact that it’s still kind of new and lifeless in comparison to other social media sites. However, in order to participate in a Hangout, users must have a Google+ account. This means external users without any Google accounts are shut out of meetings. On top of that, Google Hangouts limits meetings to no more than ten participants. By comparison, Microsoft Lync is all-inclusive and is even available to those on Google and Apple platforms. With the ability to include 250 meeting participants, Lync can even replace GoToMeeting for online conferencing.

As you can see, choosing a cloud-based email provider involves a lot more than determining who can best solve your email problems today. SMBs must also factor in which provider will best address their business document storage and unified communications the best tomorrow. In this regard, Microsoft Office 365 may have more of an “It” factor than Google which seems to have adopted an “our way or the highway” mentality and is less supportive of anything outside of the Google bubble.

Interested in learning more about the business benefits of Microsoft Office 365?

At Compuville Systems, we pride ourselves on getting to know your business before we offer solutions. If you are interested in learning about the business benefits of Microsoft Office 365 and how they will positively impact your business productivity, please request our FREE Network Assessment  today or give us a call to arrange a meeting! 1-866-300-5151

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