Most Businesses Won’t Survive a Disaster. Could Yours?

October 2, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

With the crazy weather we’re seeing, natural disasters on the rise and cyber terrorism echoing for years, it’s not a case of ‘if’ a disaster will strike your business, but ‘when’. Surprisingly, it’s not the scope and scale of the event that influences how deeply your business is impacted, it’s your business continuity plan.

Put simply, this is the all-important set of precautions and pre-planned responses to an event, laid out in bullet-proof detail and implemented with one driving focus: keeping your business running with little or no downtime. Think about what would happen if your business was hit by a natural disaster tomorrow. Would it survive? How much downtime would it take to push you into dangerous territory?

According to an IBM study of all the companies that had a major loss of data, 43% never reopen, 51% close within two years and just 6% will survive long-term. For a fraction of those survivors, business even continued as usual thanks to their ‘failsafe’ business continuity plan. It’s more than disaster recovery, it’s full preparedness that bypasses the need for 2+ weeks of downtime, financial ruin, wasted salaries and reputation loss – but it does require a higher level of planning...in advance.

Recommendations to Put You in the Surviving 6%

Prioritize: You’ll need to plan exactly what you’ll recover first and know who’s in charge of making it happen. It goes beyond jotting down a checklist of things to do, it’s taking an analytical, process-based approach to recovery for each unique business perspective. But it’s also realistic: there’s no point dedicating precious time to reviving the email system if your customer data is leaking onto the internet, even if email did rank as your top communication priority!

Backup: Of course, the most critical part of your business continuity is having full backups in three places. Why three? One copy locally which you use each day, a backup on another (disconnected) device in the same location, and one in the cloud. That local backup is your life-saver for system crashes, cyber-attacks and the like; the cloud backup comes into play when your business has taken a major physical hit, perhaps from fire or flood. Some businesses can run entirely location-independent when using cloud systems like Microsoft 365, which can be enough to put them in that 6% of disaster survivors.

Test: Make sure all employees know what the plan is if something goes wrong, and their specific roles in these scenarios. You can test, prepare and rehearse your continuity plan under simulated disaster conditions, which will uncover new obstacles, priorities and additional threats.

As your IT environment becomes more complex, carrying more responsibility and risk, so does the importance of a robust business continuity plan. The best BC plans look beyond disaster recovery, taking into account scalability of your system and scope of your individual business, to create strong battle lines that will keep your business operational, both now and for the long term.

Does your business need a continuity plan?

Feeling the Budget Pinch? Here’s How We Can Help Save You and Your Business

September 27, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

When it comes to running a modern business, technology is always a growing line item in the budget. Costs seem to creep up every quarter, along with a new learning curve for simply keeping everything running along smoothly. It’s no wonder then that budget restrictions for tech were recently found to be a universal concern for small and medium businesses.

You’re balancing the outlay of maintenance with replacement, plus securing against a steady stream of threats – all while making sure every dollar gives maximum return on investment. It even sounds exhausting! What typically happens is the tech budget gets stripped to a bare minimum, hoping nothing unexpected pops up and everything keeps moving along nicely. After all, everything is working just fine and that money could make a real difference elsewhere… except as soon as an IT emergency strikes, that tiny budget is obliterated and you’re left to either limp along with insufficient tech or dip into another budget area.

Now imagine if budget wasn’t an issue. Imagine if all your tech expenses were predicted and capped, and you got everything you needed without resorting to financial magic tricks. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Put simply, that’s how our IT services works. It’s a service designed for businesses with a limited budget who don’t have time for tech issues. For a fixed price each month (which is no doubt less than you’re thinking), you get a team of IT technicians actively monitoring your systems in order to catch issues before they occur, repairing problems on the fly, and ensuring your business is always as secure as possible. Included as part of your IT service, you also get expert business consulting around the solutions you need now, which solutions will help you rapidly scale, and which technology you don’t need.

All for one predictable, fixed price each month. It gets better:

You'll reduce downtime and associated revenue loss

Forget scrambling while systems are down, with Blue Lightning IT Services you’ll know which tech is failing and can proactively repair or replace before it impacts your business. Downtime is planned/minimized and your staff are working uninterrupted by tech drama.

You'll skyrocket efficiency

You’ve probably been responding to your IT events in ‘firefighter mode’, essentially dealing with problems as they arise and switching to new, improved tech only when you must. With Blue Lightning IT Services, problems are automatically reported and optimal solutions designed in advance. Even the small issues that have been slowing your business down and limiting progress come to light, ready to be solved for greater efficiency.

You'll secure against data loss

Whether you’ve been following the news and worrying about the next cyberattack, or you’re working with confidential customer or proprietary data, Blue Lightning IT Services has you covered. We will secure your business against attacks using the latest technology, full backups, software updates and leverage every drop of their know-how to keep your valuable data safe.

Interested in managing your technology within your budget?

6 Simple Steps to Protect Your Customer’s Data

September 14, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

As cyber-attacks continue to make headlines, hackers are exposing or selling customer data files in record numbers. But just like with any threat, there are actions you can take to minimize risk and ensure your business retains a positive reputation among customers.

Stop using the same password on repeat - Set a mandate for all staff that passwords must be unique for each user and for your workplace. That means it can’t be remotely like the one on their home PC, tablet or online banking. Passwords are hacked more than ever, so when you’re prompted for a password change, dig deep and really think about what goes into a hacker-proof password. If remembering them is a problem, consider one of the latest password management tools.
Go on a shredding spree -How much sensitive data is being dumped into the recycling bin? Valuable customer data is often taken from the bins of small businesses and quickly sold or published. It’s not just good practice to shred sensitive documents, it’s the law. Take 5 seconds to run documents through the shredder or book in the services of a secure shredding company.
Ditch the accounting spreadsheets - Still using an Excel doc for all your number-crunching? Besides making your accountant’s job harder (and more expensive), you’re opening your business to a massive range of vulnerabilities. Even with password-protection, spreadsheets aren’t designed to safeguard your financials or those of your clients. Upgrade to a proper accounting solution with built-in customer data protections and security guarantees.
Train staff explicitly - You can’t rely on common sense because what you think is a given might be news to someone else. It can be extremely beneficial to hold special data-safety training sessions once or twice a year as a reminder, as well as take the time to induct new staff into the way things are done.
Limit access to data - Just like the bank manager who guards the keys to the vault, you can limit who accesses your data. Revoke employee access as soon as they leave your business for good, and set rules around who can access what – and when. Do they need access to sensitive information while working from home? Should they be able to change the files, or only view them?
Keep your software updated - Possibly the most preventable hack, having outdated software can be an open invitation for cyber-criminals. They look for known weaknesses in business software and waltz right in. While the nagging pop-ups and reminders to update can feel like a selling ploy, they’re actually helping your business to stay in the safe zone. Updated software gives you protection against new viruses and hacking techniques, plus closes off those nasty weaknesses.

Are you and your business secure from data breaches?

5 Ways to Extend Your Phone’s Battery

September 7, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Today’s phones can help us do more than ever before. In addition to making phone calls, we use them to send messages, post photos on our favorite apps, watch videos, play games, and endless other activities. Since our phones can accomplish so much, we’re on them often. That means we’re draining a lot of phone battery. In our busy lives, we aren’t always near an outlet and don’t always have a phone charger ready. If our phones die, we risk missing out on important notifications and being unable to easily communicate with others. So what strategies can we use to extend our battery life?

Check App's Battery Usage

When it comes to battery usage, not all apps are created equal. While checking your email uses a small amount of power, any apps that use GPS drain a significant amount of your phone’s battery. This is because they are constantly talking to the GPS satellites. Check to see which of your apps are draining your battery most and limit usage.

Turn Off WiFi & Bluetooth

It’s a good to turn both WiFi and Bluetooth off when you aren’t using them and want to preserve battery life. While they may not be connected to anything, they are still constantly searching for your home’s WiFi and car’s Bluetooth. That’s how they auto connect when you are back within their range.

Lower your Phone's Brightness

One of the easiest ways to save battery is to reduce how bright your phone’s screen is. The brighter your screen is, the more phone life it is using up. Most phones adjust the brightness levels based on how light your surroundings are. You can override this and turn the level down to save battery. The more you dim it, the longer your battery will last.

Go on Power Saving Mode

When you put your phone in Power Saving Mode, it stops it from automatically checking to see if there are new emails, powers off your display faster, and reduces screen brightness. It also turns off certain visual effects and some other features take a lot of battery. On some phones, it also makes your apps run a little slower.

Buy a Built-in Battery Case

Some people need to use power-draining features often and have phone-heavy lifestyles. If this is you, it may still be a struggle to keep your battery lasting throughout the day. If all of the other options aren’t sufficient, you can buy a phone case with a built-in battery. This extra battery charges your phone while using it making it last longer throughout the day.

While any of these methods will help you extend your phone’s battery, it’s best to combine a few options. Our phones make our lives much easier, but they can’t do anything for us if they’re dead because we let the battery run out. Even more importantly, we want our phones usable in case of an emergency. Luckily, using these methods will help keep our batteries alive throughout the day. Just remember to charge them again at home.

Need more tips?

Shopping for a New Computer?

June 25, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

It’s a decision that comes with equal doses of excitement and overwhelm: getting a new computer! Unlike popping out to the shops for a new toaster, choosing the right computer comes with so many questions, most of which are usually asked in some sort of alien language. Helpful sales people offering RAM as it were a side of fries, measuring CPU speeds in ‘cores’, and listing specs that mean nothing around what you actually want to do.

That’s where we start. Not with tricky language that only makes sense to other computer geeks, we simply find out what you plan to use your computer for, then help you do it. Depending on your needs, we may even be able to provide the computer right there and then. Other times, we’ll offer guidance on what’s in the stores and make sure you’re equipped with all the magic words that get you walking out with what you need, and only what you need (at the perfect price!).

Then comes the real fun.

Once you’ve got that new machine home and out of the box, you’ve inhaled that new tech smell and taken plenty of selfies to remember the moment forever, the overwhelm can come flying back in. Which cord goes where? It doesn’t work like your old one! Why is it doing that?! How to put programs back on? Does it come with security already loaded? If you’ve had your old computer for a few years, you know you’re in for a bit of inconvenience, no matter how shiny the replacement is. We can assist you through this transition period and make it all so much easier by helping to:

Move your old files for you.

One thing most people forget during their new computer bliss-phase is how to get information off your old computer and onto your new one. If your old computer is too broken to boot, this can be a real problem. Our technicians can either turn the old hard drive into an external drive for you or copy the data onto a USB stick. You’ll be able to pick out the files you need and continue what you were doing. If you’d prefer, we can often install the old hard drive inside your new desktop so it’s always there and you have extra storage as a bonus.

Set up your email.

It’s no secret, setting up email can cause headaches even for a tech person. Getting the settings perfect can sometimes be more error than success. The most common problem we see is email that can receive, but not send. It’s a frustrating problem, especially when you’re sending important emails. We can set your email up successfully and ensure it both sends and receives, as well as add in any additional accounts you’d like to manage from the same app.

Save your favorites.

All those bookmarks you’ve made and carefully sorted (or not) are important. You may even have different collections of favorites in different browsers and the last thing you want to do is go find those pages again. We can retrieve your old favorites and put them onto your new computer, making your browser experience look and feel exactly as it did before, only faster.

Set up your software.

Quite often these days, software doesn’t come on a CD. While that’s forward thinking and reducing waste, don’t you miss having a disk you could install from and the license key taped to the back? We sure do! Even so, we can help you re-download your programs and set up the licenses good as new. As technicians, we also tend to go one step beyond and make sure the new software is optimized, updated and working well. While we’re doing that, we make sure your anti-virus is up-to-date and you’re as secure as possible against threats.

Connect extra devices

Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing what cord goes where or getting the right adapter, but sometimes new devices can present software problems. Printers, webcams, game controllers, etc all have unique drivers that need to be installed before they can work properly. Windows 10 is great at picking most of these up automatically, but if they’re not playing nice or your new computer is suddenly missing the correct plug, we can help get you moving again.

Need assistance setting up a new computer?

What’s Best for Your Computer: Shut Down or Sleep?

June 22, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Most homes are trying to reduce power costs by turning off lights and appliances, but do the same rules apply to computers? After all, it requires more than flicking a switch on your way out the door. Some people believe you should shut down after every use to save wear and tear, others believe you should never shut down your computer - ever. Others simply want to make sure the pages and apps they left open are still there waiting for them. So, who’s right and what are they really doing?

Back when computers were clunky behemoths that took a long time to start, you’d go nuts at the person who shut it down when it was your turn. If you have an older computer, maybe you still do. Modern computers actually have two options for their downtime: Shut down or sleep.

When it shuts down, the system goes through and closes any open programs (often prompting you to save first), then gradually cuts power to all components. It’s a methodical process that seems quite fast to us but is actually made of 100+ intentionally ordered steps. If there’s a sudden blackout or you hold the power button until it turns off, it means the steps aren’t followed and damage is possible. The second option is to put your computer to sleep. This can be triggered by an automated timeout or a user click. Your system uses a special type of memory called RAM to hold all your running programs exactly as you left them but use minimal power. The hard drive stops spinning, the graphics card lets the screen go black, and even the system fan slows to become almost silent. When you wake it by moving the mouse or pressing a key, it ‘wakes’ again almost instantly.

Reasons to Shut Down

A switched off computer isn’t drawing power which is a tick for the environment. But shutting down is about more than saving power. It can sometimes give improved stability over a machine that’s been running for days/weeks. This is because every time you shut down, you give your computer a chance to clear out all temporary junk files it’s been carrying in memory. It also triggers various health checks on startup that may otherwise be missed, important routines like checking for updates or scanning for viruses. It’s certainly more convenient to spend an extra minute booting up than lose everything to a cyber-attack. For older computers or those under heavy strain like gaming or video editing, shutting down also provides a necessary chance for the components to cool down.

Reasons to Sleep

Speed is the big selling point here. You can literally sit down and start working where you left off without the delays of bootup, finding your program, opening your saved files, scrolling down... it’s all right there and ready. You can even tell it how long to wait before putting itself into sleep mode, just in case you get called away and forget. Windows updates still run in the background, so that’s okay, but it’s important to note that your computer might get stuck waiting for a reboot that never comes. Those pending updates may stack up, ineffective until it either forces a reboot or becomes unstable enough that you give in to a restart.

The best method is….

Since the whole point of having a computer is that it’s ready to work when you are, we recommend shutting down at night when it’s definitely not in use but using sleep mode during the day. Updates will get all the rebooting they need, memory is refreshed for the new day, and you’ll get the best of both worlds - speed and stability.

Ready to find out more?

How to Stay Safe While on Social Media

June 16, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Whether its children accidentally straying into the dark parts o the internet or adults willingly giving away their information online, it is all about staying safe online.

People happily share their private information online, building robust libraries that can easily become a one-stop goldmine for fraudsters.

It's not exactly the intention everyone has when they sign up, as the whole point of Facebook is to share your life with your friends. It hooks us into a global community and the experience does depend on us making certain privacy sacrifices.

So how do you balance being social with staying safe?

On Facebook alone, the average person shares 13 pieces of personal information ranging from a fairly innocent name/email combo, all the way to mother's maiden name and home address.

It doesn't sound like a lot, but those 13 pieces have the power to unravel your life within minutes.

Even checking in at home has become the norm, helping to create a multi-dimensional online identity. The details are available to anyone who cares to look, whether they're a friend keeping in the loop, or a someone with a much darker agenda.

The problem is, you just don't know who's looking at your profile or why.

For example, someone could try accessing your email account by clicking the "Forgot password" link. The email service follows it's security rules and asks identifying questions like "Which high school did you go to?", "What is your pet's name?" Unfortunately, the most common identifying checks and answers are probably on Facebook.

Once your email address has been breached, hackers can use that to break into other services and go through, clicking "Reset Password" onsite, after site, account after account - they have full access to your email, so there's nothing stopping them from emptying your bank accounts - or worse.

7 Ways To Secure Your Facebook Without Missing Out on the Fun

Begin by previewing your profile as others see it
Review what should and should not be visible to strangers
Consider only sharing partial details, like birth day and month, but no the year
Only every "Friend" people you know and trust
Be wary of duplicate or "odd" friend activity - hackers will often clone or hack a friend's profile and initiate an urgent and uncharacteristic request for money
Update your past privacy settings too
Set default future sharing to "friends only"

Ready for more tips?

How To Spot A Tech Scam Before You Get Stung

June 13, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

In this edition, I'm calling out tech scammers and the tricks they're using to con millions out of computer owners each year.

If your computer had a virus, you'd want to know about it ASAP, right?

Your important files become corrupted. You lose your photos and your digital life is essentially destroyed. Even thinking about it is terrifying.

Tech scammers know we'd be lost without our computers, and that we don't always know what's going on behind the screen - which is why they've been able to swindle millions from every day people across the world.

The scam goes like this:

You receive a random phone call from someone with a heavy accent saying they're from Microsoft, or an alarming pop-up appears on the screen, saying it looks like your system has been infected with a virus.

To fix the problem, they need you to download some support software, which they'll give you a special link for.

A technician then uses that software to gain access to your system and make it appear your system is riddled with viruses. Flashing screens, mysterious diagnostics whizzing by, fabricated errors...they'll do or say anything to make you panic. They'll even go as far as claiming your system has been infected with illegal content and if not corrected, you'll face criminal charges.

Demands for credit card information follow immediately after. Once paid, they simply stop fiddling with your system to make it seem the problem is fixed. To continue the scam, they'll soon access your system to recreate the problem, this time offering a subscription for ongoing protection.

What to do if you're targeted by a tech scam

Don't taunt them. Just hang up. Right now you're only a phone number in their system and they'll move onto the next - if you give them cause to target your personally, you may find yourself in a dangerous situation. The real Microsoft will never randomly call people like this. Ever.
If a pop-up appears, immediately run an antivirus scan. Don't click the pop-up or call the number.

What to do if you've already been scammed

It's okay. If feels horrible, but you're not alone and the situation can be corrected.

Call your financial institution and have the charges reversed and your card reissued. It's easier than you might think and helps the authorities locate the scammers.

Need assistance with protecting from cyber attacks?

3 Internet Habits To Keep Kids Smart and Safe

April 13, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

How can you make the internet a safer place for your children? It's a common concern as all parents want their kids to be protected and happy whenever they go online. It's relatively easy to supervise and monitor the very young ones as they stare delightedly at the Disney Jr site, but the risks increase greatly as kids get older and more independent.

You've probably heard the term "cyber safety" before, but safe internet usage goes beyond reminding them no to talk to strangers. With the evolution of the internet and the way it's now woven seamlessly into our lives, the focus needs to be on ingrained habits. That means ensuring your children have the tools and predefined responses to online events so that no matter what happens, they're not placing themselves (or your family) at risk.

Setting up these habits is easy, and begins with three basic understandings:

Downloads are a no-go

Most kids can't tell the difference between a legitimate download and a scam/malicious link. It's not their fault, the online world is full of things that will trick even the most savvy adult. The difference is that kids tend not to take that extra moment to check exactly where that link is pointing, question whether it's too good to be true, or even read what they're agreeing too. They want to get back to what they were doing, and if something pops up, their first instinct is to click "yes" - purely so it goes away. Unfortunately, that single "yes" may have just opened the doors to malware and viruses that will ruin their computer. Set a family rule that they need to ask permission for all downloads (and an adult will check it first), and to never click a popup. When you're called over to give download permissions or check a popup, talk through exactly what you're checking and why. As your child matures, get them involved in this process so their safe habits extend outside the home.

Critical thinking is a must

Most young people think the internet is a magical place and can't imagine their life without it. To them, the internet is on the same level as oxygen! With that acceptance though, comes unwavering trust that the internet would never lie to them, never trick them and never hurt them. While we adults know better, it's only because we already view the internet with a certain level of distrust. The best way to keep kids safe is to teach them to approach every aspect of the internet with critical thinking. That includes teaching them to question the motives of other people online. Is that person really a kid? What do they really want? Unfortunately, all kids do need to be aware that predators use the internet to target and lure children. Ensure your children tell you immediately if a stranger makes contact. Along with this stranger danger, teach them to identify what marks something as suspicious, and what they should avoid. If they come across anything inappropriate, they should shut down the computer and come straight to you.

The internet is forever

Kids have an overwhelming drive to contribute to the internet, they don't think twice about recording a video, jumping in a chat room or onto social media. The world really is their playground! But what they don't understand until they've been burned, is that anything they upload, write or say is on the internet forever. Even if they delete it or us a platform where content self-erases, someone can still screenshot and send it right back out. Many cyber-bullying cases are based around this exact type of blow-back. Once your kids know that everything they post is permanent, they'll be more likely to pause and think.

Need help keeping your computer secure?

Desktop vs Laptop: Which is Right for You?

April 10, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Laptops have become the go-to choice for most people in the market for a new computer. They're sleek, portable and heavily advertised. But are they the best choice for your needs? Before you buy your next computer, take a look at these considerations - you may discover you've been dreaming of a desktop all along!

How portable do you need it to be?

Hands down, laptops are easier to move around than a desktop. You can pick them up, pop them into a backpack and away you go. That doesn't mean desktops are bolted to the floor, just that they're not designed to take on holidays or go with you to the local cafe. With that portability though, comes a trade-off: thin and light means your computer performance takes a hit. The more powerful your laptop, the bigger and heavier it is, and you won't enjoy lugging that weight around all day. If that's got you leaning towards an ultra-portable, consider this: The smaller and lighter your laptop is, the weaker it is. In fact, some laptops struggle to run the most basic apps. Fortunately, when you do choose a desktop, cloud technology means your data is mobile, even if your main computer isn't.

What balance of power and price do you need?

The bottom line here is that a desktop will always give you more power for less money. Their larger cases allow for bigger and better components, with more effective systems to avoid overheating. Even the most powerful laptop is going to be hotter than its desktop equivalent, and much noise too. If you're using power-hungry software like games or video editing, we recommend choosing a desktop. The heat control alone is worth it as frequently overheated laptops don't survive long.

Desired screen size

As laptops are designed to be portable, screen sizes are usually small, around 11-15". Larger, more powerful laptops often go up to 17". Desktop monitors however, start at 17" and average at 22" or more. These larger sizes give you more space to work in, options to tile your applications and multi-task, and even sit back and watch an HD (or even 4K) movie. They also allow for nice big text and images, with better ability to choose the visual experience that suits your needs. If you're after a large screen size without the actual desktop computer, all-in-one PCs are a great option with many offering impressive screen quality.

Your working comfort

Many people buy a laptop only to get home and find it's a pain the neck - literally! The traditional laptop design means you're always looking down at the screen which can put a strain on your neck. You can try to raise the screen by placing the laptop on a stand, but then the keyboard is out of easy reach. The smaller keyboards and touchpad designs may also leave you more prone to repetitive strain injuries. Many people end up connecting their laptops to external monitors, keyboards and mice, simply so they can work in comfort. Desktop computers on the other hand, allow you to create the perfect working environment for your needs and even cater for other family members. Monitors are usually height adjustable, keyboards and mice are wireless, and you're able to place the desktop on the floor out of the way. If you're on your computer for more than short bursts, your body will appreciate you choosing a desktop.

Are you looking for flexibility?

When you choose a laptop computer, it's like ordering from a set menu. You get this brand, in this design, with these specifications. Changing out parts are extremely hard to get to, which can turn a simple swap into a deal breaker. The extra space inside a desktop gives infinite flexibility for upgrades over time and fast repairs. This means you're able to easily pop in more powerful components for a fraction of the price and extend the life of your computer by years.