Top Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Requirements

Top Five Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Requirements

When running a growing business, it can feel like you’re a bit of a one-man band trying to balance various aspects of the businesses needs. In some areas of your business, it can be beneficial to keep the workload in-house, and even employ a specific team to handle it, but it just isn’t always practical to try and manage everything yourselves.

Outsourcing, or hiring an external company to manage specific areas of your business, is a familiar and popular option for many businesses, and thousands choose to outsource their IT requirements to seasoned professionals. There are a wide range of benefits to outsourcing your IT requirements.

Experienced and Certified Professionals

Information Technology is a complicated and challenging area to tackle, and without appropriate training and experience, it is impossible to get right. When it comes to hiring an in-house IT team, if you’re not IT trained yourself then how do you assure a potential employee is qualified? Certifications are great, but previous experience of managing a business’s IT requirements is invaluable.

By choosing to outsource your IT requirements to a professional company, you are guaranteed to get knowledge that an individual IT employee doesn’t have. IT service companies have a heap of experience in managing IT requirements for a business, and they often see related problems multiple times and will already know the best solutions and prevention techniques.

Controlled Costs

By outsourcing IT requirements, you are converting fixed IT costs into a variable cost that is much better for budgeting. You will only be paying for the services you use as and when you use them, as opposed to a fixed cost to the business every single month, even if no major IT changes have been made.

As well as reducing and controlling IT running costs, outsourcing can also result in considerable savings in labour costs. Recruiting and training IT staff can be costly, and with no guarantee as to how long an employee will stay with the business, it is a cost that you may have to pay every few years. Outsourcing allows you to focus your human resources efforts in other areas of the business where you need it the most.

Stay Ahead of the Game

When a business tries to manage all of their IT requirements in-house, it often takes a lot longer to get projects and developments completed. This is because there is a higher level of research, development and implementation time required compared with using an outsourced IT provider.

All of these things also increase the cost of new developments and slow down the whole process meaning your competitors might be making game-changing developments while you are still in the researching phase. A fully managed outsourced IT service will have the resources and knowledge to begin new projects immediately, compared with in-house where you may need to hire new staff, train them and provide the necessary support.

Increase Security and Reduce Risks

IT service providers will constantly be keeping up to date with specific industry knowledge, especially when it comes to security and compliance, that an in-house team simply might not be aware of. Outsourcing provides you with a reduced risk of coming across any issues, and an IT company will often have better expertise when deciding how to avoid certain risks to your business.

With the huge rises in cybercrime to businesses recently and the added pressure of GDPR, it is essential to keep your IT systems security as tight and secure as possible. Your in-house team may struggle to know the best practices and methods to keep your company and customers safe, but an outsourced IT team will be well aware of all PCI compliance standards and the best way to keep everything up to date and safe from attackers.

Strategic Planning

IT service providers have years of experience working with different clients and industries and will focus on keeping up to date with the latest technologies, making them the perfect team to help your business grow and expand. Many outsourced IT companies will be able to advise you on your business’s future IT requirements by evaluating your growth and planning how your IT infrastructure needs to support this.

At Cyan Solutions we work in partnership with our customers to support their technology ambitions. This allows us to deliver innovative solutions that meets your business’s specific needs now and in the future. With technology constantly changing, it is difficult to know yourself what IT requirements you will need in the future. But, by choosing to outsource to professionals, you will be getting expert guidance and support to help your business grow.

Switching over to Cyan is a simple, easy, seamless transition. It can seem overwhelming to make such a significant change to the way your business operates, but the benefits are clear, and successful growth often requires change. Call us today to see how we can help transform your business.

Using The Cloud For Your Disaster Recovery Strategy

One of the priorities for every IT department is to ensure there is a sufficient recovery strategy in place should a disaster happen. Small businesses can lose thousands of pounds for every hour that their IT system is down. The best way to limit the costs and the damage of IT failure is to prepare for the eventuality and ensure there is a backup plan ready.

With over 60% of businesses using cloud technology in some form or other for their infrastructure, it is clear that a cloud solution can significantly help with the day to day. However, the cloud can also help with secondary workflows that include backup and archiving to help with your disaster recovery strategy.

Traditional disaster recovery strategies for businesses are expensive and inefficient; they often require multiple solutions as well as labour and maintenance which can increase the costs dramatically. Cloud-based solutions already offer increased security for businesses, and with a cloud-based disaster recovery strategy, you have a secure, scalable disaster recovery strategy.

If you want greater agility and protection for your business, should the worst happen, then a cloud-based disaster recovery could be a cost-saving solution that will help your business to feel prepared for every eventuality.

The benefits of using the cloud for your disaster recovery strategy

Reduced manual backup

A cloud-based disaster recovery strategy will automate the backup process for you. This helps to free up time and resources needs for manual backup. This is particularly helpful for businesses with a small IT team who need to dedicate their time to strategic aspects of IT and the company as a whole.

Taking time to manually backup data means time is taken away from troubleshooting, improving systems and creating efficiencies. Instead, the manual backup will require reviewing archives, monitoring progress and ensuring there is sufficient space and storage for backup. All of these processes could be significantly reduced with an automated cloud solution.

Predictability

Using a cloud-based system for your backup helps to ensure predictability not only for automated backup but also for knowing your costs. Having a cloud system for your disaster recovery strategy typically comes with a set monthly fee which can help you when it comes to budgeting and ensures you know your costs beforehand.

Utilising another provider for your backup and disaster recovery strategy also frees up IT staff, as well as the cost of time and resources, to give you better reliability and assurance that backup is always taken care of through immediate automation.

Immediate backup

When it comes to internal backups, companies rarely check their systems to see if they can recover and restore all data should the worst happen. Many businesses will only complete a backup process at night which means retrieving all data in a situation is almost impossible.

Cloud-based solutions use a continuous backup method which means you’ll lose minimal data should a disaster strike. As the cloud automatically detects and transmits changes to files, there is no manual process involved, and you do not need to worry about when the backup takes place. All of the data restoration is taken care of for complete peace of mind.

Off-site

Even if your business has a robust data recovery and disaster management plan, if your equipment for backup is on the same site as the business then it may not help you at all. Should the workplace suffer from an unforeseen accident such as a flood, storm, burst pipe or fire, then your servers and backup systems are likely to suffer, and you will lose all of your data.

With a cloud-based solution, you have backup data in an external location. This means that should there be a problem in the workplace, your data will remain safe. As cloud backup occurs within minutes, you know that data is safely stored offsite from your organisation which gives peace of mind and can help to relieve any backup issues such as loss of revenue, lower productivity or negative customer feedback.

Security

As many customers who already take advantage of the cloud for their day to day running will know, a cloud-based system can give an organisation additional security. A cloud-based solution keeps data secure by being offsite and using data encryption; this means that only authorised users can access and decrypt the data.

Data encryption in the cloud is also applicable to backup and archived data which can significantly add to the security of the organisation which can help to reduce the risk of security breaches for organisations as well as providing peace of mind to customers.

Plan your disaster recovery strategy

When it comes to planning your disaster recovery strategy, it is essential to not only prepare for the worst but make sure there is always a robust system in place that works for your business. At Cyan, we can help to make sure you have a secure and effective disaster recovery plan in place using the cloud. If you want to protect your business and prepare for every eventuality, get in touch with our team of expert advisors.

Managing Security With Remote Workers

Remote working is increasing rapidly. Staff who are travelling for business, working at home or commuting still want access to the same information they can receive while in their workplace. The increase of remote working undeniably helps organisations as well as assisting remote workers to stay in the loop and be efficient.

With remote working, staff can be more productive, there is a contingency plan in place and data can be shared with ease. However, with the increase in remote working comes an increased risk of security breaches. Those who are accessing work data inappropriately could be breaching the security and confidentiality of the business. For the organisation, particularly with GDPR in place, it is essential to manage and bolster security systems, so that remote working does not leave your business vulnerable.

Why is managing remote working important?

With employees that are keen to access work information outside of the workplace shows a commitment and conscientiousness to your organisation. However, many employees do not realise the risk they pose to the security of your business.

Recent studies have shown that almost a quarter of employees would use free WiFi hotspots to access their work emails. As well as this, 28% of employees will email work documents to and from their personal email address. Many employees do not realise that unsecured connections such as WiFi hotspots can pose a significant threat to cybersecurity, with cybercriminals being able to access information on low-security connections.

Fortunately, there are several ways that organisations can reduce the risk and help to manage security with remote workers.

How you can manage security with remote workers

Strong passwords

Having a secure password can give protection from hackers and more peace of mind if a device is lost or stolen. Organisations can implement password requirements such as having a minimum number of characters as well as asking for multi-characters. Organisations can also ask employees to have different passwords for different systems as well as imposing a two-step log-in process.

Create public WiFi guidelines

It is not always feasible for remote workers to connect to trusted networks, particularly when travelling or staying in a hotel. However, you can create a cybersecurity policy which explains how to use public WiFi with the most care. It is wise to define what systems they can access and which they need to refrain from when using a potentially unsecured network.

Mobile device management

As well as securing mobile devices with passwords, it is also essential to help boost your security if laptops or mobiles are lost or stolen. Utilising mobile device management software or applications can help your business to track lost or stolen devices as well as implementing additional security to protect business assets on the device.

Use the cloud

Hosted cloud desktop providers will use data encryption technology to transport data throughout the company intranet. If employees log in to your system using a cloud-based virtual desktop, there will be added encryption for confidential information between the remote worker and the business. Providers of cloud-based hosted desktops will typically have a range of security certification for additional peace of mind.

Monitoring

Your business can take advantage of 24/7 monitoring of your security systems which can help to quickly identify a threat and help you to prevent or reduce the issue rapidly. 24/7 monitoring will also help your business with future security planning as you can start to uncover common problems that your business faces. Using monitoring to protect your network will include analysing all remote workers as well as all of the mobile devices in your organisation.

Training

Many employees do not receive robust cybersecurity training that includes remote working. Staff should regularly receive cybersecurity training that helps them to understand the risk and how specific actions such as using public WiFi and public computers can threaten security. Using monitoring alongside training can help you to enforce your cybersecurity policies and make it easier to focus the training on specific issues that threaten your business.

Email encryption

As emails are one of the most popular technologies for remote workers, one of easiest ways to improve your organisation’s security is by using email encryption applications. Investing in the management of corporate email and using the safest technologies for email is essential for many businesses who use email without even thinking about its vulnerabilities.

If you need help securing your IT for remote workers, call us today so we can help you plan and implement a robust cybersecurity strategy.

Our Guide To IT Budgeting

Budgeting for your business is never easy. One of the hardest aspects to budget for is your IT strategy and requirements. Whether you base it on projects, annually or quarterly, it can seem impossible to know how to budget when you must manage costs and prepare for unexpected situations.

However, when IT budgeting is crafted correctly, it can serve as a useful and influential roadmap for the future of the business and the strategy you are taking. Your budget can not only be the plan of finances but can be how you communicate where you want your technology strategy to be and how it can help the organisation as a whole.

A good IT budget will not only help you to prepare for the costs of the project or year but will also help you to set your priorities, so you know what to aim for and what is vital for your business. Not only does the budget help the IT department, but it also helps line managers in other departments. They can see and input the activities that lie ahead and help your IT plans to be supported across the company.

So, how do you start to prepare your IT budget?

How to prepare your IT budget

Firstly, the organisation needs to decide how best to allocate the IT budget. Some organisations want to assign an IT budget to each department and use a chargeback system. For some businesses, this can work, for others, it can be too complicated and challenging to instigate and work effectively. Either way, the IT department itself will need its own budget for day-to-day maintenance.

It is essential to begin your budget so that it provides a level of detail that builds a substantial case for approval but also doesn’t require micro-management. It needs to be flexible but still be a driving force behind your technology plan.

Secondly, you need to include the vital aspects of your IT budget.

Eight essentials to include in your IT budget

1. Upgrades

It is likely that you will need to upgrade outdated software and hardware and it is best to be prepared for the cost of this.

2. Staffing

While some IT staff costs may be covered through the HR budget, you may need to incorporate staff into your IT budget whether you are expanding the team, promoting, increasing training or purchasing new equipment for the team to use.

3. Software

Software can sometimes seem like an unnecessary expense, but software can help to make staff more efficient and productive, which can, therefore, cut costs and boosts profits for the overall organisation. Regarding software budgeting, always run a cost/benefit analysis. Remember, you don’t have to spend your entire budget just because you have allocated a cost.

4. Cloud

The use of cloud technology continues to increase, and your business needs to prepare for it. Whether you expand into more cloud-based solutions, require more storage or need to strengthen your cloud security systems, this will take a chunk of your budget.

5. Mobile technology

Handsets quickly become outdated, and data plans increase rapidly. You need to account for increasing spend whether this is for new employees, upgrades for all staff or incidents when devices are lost, stolen or broken. As well the devices and data, you may need to also account for applications that enhance security such as mobile device management.

6. Training

The IT department has considerable responsibility for maintaining cybersecurity across the whole organisation. As well as strengthening systems internally, the IT department will need to deliver regular training to ensure staff remain complaint with IT policies and do all they can to support cybersecurity for the business.

7. Backup

Your budget will need to account for a backup solution, whether you need data back-up to a variety of locations or upgrading your own backup hardware. Within this you may also need a back-up for internet connection should your chosen solution fail, and you need to get everyone back online quickly.

8. Disaster

Every IT budget should declare a proportion of the budget for disaster planning. There could be many aspects that go wrong, from broken hardware to data compromises or server issues. Whatever aspects that you manage within the IT department make sure to dedicate a proportion to covering any disasters that may occur.

Flexible planning

While it can be stressful to make sure every pound is allocated correctly, it is important to remember that fluctuations will happen, and you need to prepare to be flexible. Always consider your budget as a work in progress and try to tweak it where you need to so that your strategy remains on track.

If you need advice on IT budgeting or are looking to upgrade your technology solutions for cost-saving, security and efficiency, then get in touch with Cyan Solutions to find out how we can help.

How to Make Sure Your Staff Don’t Breach Your Data Security

It may be the cyber attacks which make the headlines, but the most common breaches are the ones that occur internally in your organisation. In fact, around 90% of data breaches are caused by human error. Staff are often responsible for data breaches, from losing a memory stick to sending the wrong file or even emailing the wrong person.

With GDPR coming to effect very soon, many companies are focusing on the technical aspects of data encryption and systems analysis to ensure compliance. However, staff training and awareness is also essential to maintain data protection compliance and reduce the risk of a breach which could cause a hefty fine under the GDPR.

So, how can your organisation manage the biggest risk of data breaches?

Five top tips to ensure staff do not breach your data security

1. Have a GDPR staff meeting

It is vital that every member of staff understand what GDPR is and how they are directly affected as a result. Explaining the risks of a €20 million or 4% of your global annual turnover fine can help staff to understand how critical data compliance is. In this meeting, you can also explain your own policies and procedures regarding data compliance. If staff understand that data breaches can lead to dismissal and disciplinary action, it can help to highlight the importance of being data aware.

2. Create a personal information training checklist

A simple checklist that can be signed by the trainer and staff member can help to make sure that staff understand data from a personal point of view. It is also an easy addition to induction training to make sure every member of the team understands your data policy. The checklist can include aspects such as;

  • Knowledge of secure passwords
  • How to lock/logoff computers when away from their desk
  • Secure shredding policy
  • Visitor area restrictions and clearance policy
  • Personal information encryption
  • Back-up and storage of data
  • Clear desk policy
  • Not opening links, downloading unknown files or opening foreign USB sticks

3. Make training relatable

Instead of an off the shelf training course, a relevant training course that covers the activities of your business will be much more interesting and engage your employees. GDPR and data protection can affect organisations in different ways. By understanding your specific risks and activities, you can make sure the training applies to the situations that your staff face.

As well as making the training bespoke to your business, it is well worth opening discussion after training to make sure employees have the chance to ask questions for any aspects they do not understand and raise ideas that can help your business from their perspective. After all, there may have been a vital process that could have been missed.

4. Create an information request policy

Frontline staff may come into contact with customers requesting knowledge of the personal information that you hold about them. As part of GDPR, individuals have the right to know what personal information that your business owns. Your staff will need to be aware how to handle an access request and ensure that no data breaches take place by fraud.

Staff will need to know that there is a maximum £10 fee for requesting information and that your team needs to respond within 40 days to any customer information request. This means that communication must be checked regularly and processed with appropriate urgency.

An essential aspect of the information request policy is when other people’s information is contained within the response given to a customer. This is a common area where a data breach can occur.

5. Keep staff aware

Data compliance is not a one-off training event; your organisation will always need to keep data compliance at the forefront of their work actions. Using incentive, games and rewards, you can help to keep GDPR and data protection relevant and prominent in the workplace.

From e-learning, customised training and checklists, you have a wealth of tools to help highlight the importance of data compliance at regular intervals. Make sure training and catch up sessions are routine and if you make any modifications to your data policy, keep the team informed and use techniques to ensure your new processes are fully understood.

It may be worth conducting mystery shopping and random testing to make sure all your staff are fully compliant, while incentives can ensure they remain enthusiastic and keen to comply.

Discover more top tips from Cyan Solutions

If you need any help in securing your company and reducing the threat of data breaches, then Cyan Solutions can help. At Cyan Solutions, our IT experts can help to assess all the internal threats that your business faces. Furthermore, we can use our experience and expertise to give you our top tips to ensure your staff are ready and prepared for data compliance changes and GDPR.

 

Driving Business Growth Through IT Infrastructure

IT infrastructure is often a practice that is avoided or stepped around, with many companies simply going with the flow when it comes to their IT management. Many businesses will only make changes and upgrades when it becomes necessary due to equipment failures. Operating your IT planning in this reactive, fire-fighting way is not going to support and help your business grow. A good and well thought out IT infrastructure should be aligned with the businesses goals and growth plans.

While an efficient IT plan does take time and careful planning to create, they are worthwhile and will help your business reach its goals and prevent issues and faults. Having a decent IT infrastructure in place can help a company to optimise its resources, save costs, reduce dependencies and improve productivity. On the other end of the spectrum, having a poor or non-existent IT plan can result in outdated systems, digital skills gaps and lack of productivity all of which can affect your bottom line.

It can all be a bit overwhelming with where to start when creating an IT infrastructure for your business, which often puts organisations off. However, if it is done properly, it will pay off in the long run. Architecture and Governance Magazine revealed that some Fortune 500 companies and government agencies had validated returns on investment as high as 700% thanks to their investment in IT planning.

Here at Cyan Solutions, we have the expertise and knowledge to assist you in creating an effective and powerful IT infrastructure that supports your business and its long-term goals with a proactive approach. We do not believe in one-size-fits-all, and so our approach to all projects is considered and structured; we highly tailor every detail to fit seamlessly with your business model. Following a plan, create, maintain model, we work carefully at every stage to ensure we develop a service that truly addresses your individual needs – both now and in the future.

Plan: How to prepare for creating an effective IT infrastructure

A thorough audit of everything your business currently has by way of IT and everything it will need in the future is the best place to start when creating an IT plan. On the surface, it may seem that an IT plan only concerns hardware and software, but there is so much more to consider. It is important to think about the human resources of the business, the cost management involved, and also the risk management.

At Cyan Solutions, we work closely with our customers to undergo comprehensive reviews that will give us a detailed insight into the businesses IT needs and assets. This process provides us with the opportunity to integrate our strategic thinking as part of your team.

Once we have completed a comprehensive audit and got a full understanding of your business needs, we can then help to create an actionable IT framework strategy and plan that covers all aspects of the company. At this stage, we will also ensure that your IT infrastructure is fully GDPR compliant.

Create: Designing and implementing the IT framework

Once the plan has been finalised and agreed upon, we will get started on designing and implementing the infrastructure, while ensuring minimal disruption to the day to day running of your business. We will develop your new IT capabilities through the previously planned and agreed software and hardware. Working closely with all vendors and software providers, we will unlock the potential of your IT.

At this stage we also ensure everyone within the business is happy and fully trained on any new platforms or applications that have been implemented. We use technical architecture to tailor the IT infrastructure to be specific to your business needs while ensuring the highest levels of security, flexibility and accessibility. It is the advantage of proven technology, tailored to your individual needs and goals.

Maintain: Proactive maintenance and performance monitoring

We guarantee a long-term solution and offer the highest level of service with a robust set of agreements. Once your new IT infrastructure is up and running, we continue to work hard to troubleshoot for any potential issues and provide proactive maintenance to help keep your systems up to date and running in the best possible way for your business.

We will implement any relevant patches, monitor overall performance, and keep on top of industry issues. Our expert teams will guarantee your new system is upgraded and adapted where necessary and ensure that your infrastructure is properly protecting your customer’s data and is always fully GDPR compliant.

When you choose Cyan Solutions, you can expect fast and responsive help from a knowledgeable team that is always on hand to help. As a result, you will get exceptional service whenever you need it, as well as total transparency on our performance. With your IT infrastructure taken care of, you can reap the rewards and focus your attention on your business growth strategy.

Start your growth strategy today

If you want to find out more about how Cyan Solutions can help you to plan, create and maintain an IT infrastructure that will support your business growth, get in touch with our expert team today.

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Plan. Create. Maintain for GDPR compliance 

With the deadline for GDPR compliance drawing ever closer, it is becoming critical for businesses to not only plan for compliance but evaluate their strategy for effective GDPR-compliant maintenance for the future. As enforcement begins on the 25th May 2018, the firms who are not compliant will soon become apparent when fines up to 4% of global turnover or €20 million start being issued.  

With failure for compliance coming with significant risk for businesses, now is the time to implement a strategy for effective GDPR compliance. From employing Data Protection Officers or enlisting the support of a virtual CIO, organisations need to plan for compliance, create a strategy and ensure ongoing maintenance with effective results.  

So, how does your business prepare for GDPR? 

Plan: How to prepare for GDPR compliance 

Conduct a data audit 

An audit can help you to determine all of the points where data is collected and held. From there, you can map where data is collected, how it is processed and the channels that information is shared. It is important to analyse all data relationships to make sure you cover every single process.  

At Cyan Solutions, we work closely with all our customers to conduct comprehensive reviews to help create a detailed insight. Through this process, we can integrate our strategic thinking as part of your team. With auditing and our expertise in GDPR compliance, we can help to create an actionable plan to cover all of the points that you need to review and can improve. 

Questions in an audit include; 

  • How long do you keep personal data? 
  • What mechanisms are in place to safeguard data? 
  • Who do we transfer data to and is this process safe? 
  • Who has access to sensitive data? 
  • Do third parties share the data we provide? 

Become familiar with legal basis 

With individual control being at the heart of GDPR, it is essential to ascertain the legal basis for each of the data processing activities. By understanding the legal requirements, you can start to plan to refine your data collection and processing technique. For example, businesses must demonstrate that they do not collect any personal data beyond the minimum necessary for each specific processing activity.  

An activity to complete at this planning stage is a Privacy Impact Assessment. This describes the data processing activity, an assessment of its necessity and use in processing purposes and how a data protection officer is involved. Through conducting this type of review, you can understand the areas you need to streamline and refine to be compliant.  

Create: Implement a GDPR solution 

Tailor a platform 

To ensure the business is fully compliant across all teams and departments, there needs to be a cohesive system in place. With a familiar interface that helps people to carry out their normal work activities while remaining GDPR compliant and having specific access controls, staff can have an efficient platform that ensures GDPR is taken care of.  

At Cyan Solutions, we use technical architecture to tailor a platform that is specific to your business needs. We not only design a compliant and easy to use solution but also implement the strategy to make it easy for your business to migrate to a familiar system but with added flexibility, accessibility and security.  

Maintain: Track changes with analytics 

Using technical software, it is possible to monitor all changes to data throughout its lifecycle. With this, you can highlight any areas of concern for GDPR compliance. Furthermore, you can compare data to highlight any potential threats and data breaches to ensure your system remains robust and your organisation retains its GDPR compliance.  

Systems can also help you to catalogue and search for personal data across data stores. Applications such as this can help you to delete and remove data after its specific use or required time period. At Cyan Solutions, we remove the burden of maintenance by monitoring your GDPR compliance through proactive managed IT services.  

Our helpdesk is available to answer any queries and concerns while you can trust our team to safely manage your IT systems with the necessary security and back-up to maximise productivity and reduce downtime. Working with your business, we can help your IT do the hard work for you by maintaining your GDPR compliance with a proactive response and reducing the time spent reviewing compliance activities and implementing new strategies.  

Plan, create and maintain with Cyan Solutions 

If you want to find out more about how Cyan Solutions can help you to plan, create and maintain an IT system that is ready for GDPR compliance, get in touch by calling our friendly IT experts on 02392 333 365.  

Flaw in Intel Chips Puts Millions of Computers At Risk

  • A flaw in computer chips, particularly those produced by Intel has been identified and could potentially put your pc or smart device at risk.
  • The bugs that could affect computers and smart devices, as well as cloud servers, are called Spectre and Meltdown.
  • All the major companies, including Windows, Linux and Apple, are now working hard to roll out the fixes and patches to solve this issue.
  • Everyone should update their systems as a matter of priority when patches become available, no matter how old or how new your computer is. That includes those devices you use for home and business.

The New Year has started badly for online security with news there is a serious flaw in the design of widely used Intel chips, something that could affect millions of computers bought over the last decade or so. While Microsoft, Linux and Apple are all working hard to update their operating systems in order to solve the problem, many computers still may be vulnerable and have been for some while.

Essentially, the flaw in the chip has gone unnoticed for the last decade and the problem has only just been uncovered by researchers. It puts many computers at risk from potential hacking because of a back door that gives access to the chip’s kernel. This means that hackers may well be able to get past any existing cybersecurity measures, including antivirus and firewall, no matter how robust they are.

Experts have pinpointed the disruption to speculative execution which is used to basically speed things up on your computer. Your data should be protect and, more importantly, isolated so that it can be kept secure. Researchers have found that this data can actually be exposed while your processor queues it up, giving hackers a chance to spy on your information.

What Cyan Solutions Are Doing?

Firstly, all operating systems that run on an intel chip, whether you have a new computer or an old one, will need to be updated. If you have automatic updates on your computer turned off for any reason, you should turn them on as a matter of priority.

For all Cyan Solutions managed Windows systems, patches will be applied as and when they become available and some already have. If you have any concerns at all, you can contact our support team for further information and help on 02392 333 365.

We will, of course, keep customers fully updated on progress as this story develops. If you have home computers or private devices, again, make sure you keep everything updated and download and install the latest patches as soon as they are available.

What The Intel Chip Flaw Means

Of course, we’re used to security issues and everyone, particularly businesses, understand there is a constant battle being fought to keep everyone safe online. Issues normally arise because of malware and other attacks but this is a flaw that affects one of the main hardware components of our digital devices.

The good news is that a fix is on the way for all Windows, Linux and Apple operating systems and should be available within the next few days and in many cases updates have already been issued.

The bad news, according to some experts, is that the patches could slow some computers down, particularly those over five years old. At the moment the information is that this performance hit could range from 5% to 30% depending on the processor and task, read here for further information.

This should not prevent you from updating your system, however, as it is imperative that patches are applied as soon as possible.

Is It Just Intel Chips?

There is also speculation that the flaw could reach beyond Intel chips to those made by ARM and AMD as well – you’ll be glad to know that these companies are working together to ensure they are covering all the bases.

What Is Being Done?

As you might expect, all the major operating platforms are working extremely hard to develop their patches to solve this particular issue. Microsoft have issued a statement saying:

“We are in the process of deploying mitigations to cloud services and are releasing security updates today to protect Windows customers against vulnerabilities affecting supported hardware chips from AMD, ARM, and Intel.”

Linux have already issued an update they say solves a large part of the problem. Apple have confirmed that all their devices accept their watches are affected by the chip flaw and have issued updates to mitigate many of the issues but will have further ones in the coming days.

Companies that offer cloud services are also potentially affected. Amazon have stated that all but a small percentage of their EC2 fleet is protected and they are providing updates to fill any slight cracks shortly. Google have also stated that they have updates and patches covered for their systems.

This is a serious problem but one which is being resolved as we speak. Cyan Solutions will update both our own and all our client’s software to ensure they have the latest patches and solutions in place to protect their systems.

If you have any queries at all, then contact our help team on 02392 333 365 or email us.

 

Does a lack of cloud computing standards compromise its use?

Cloud computing is now utilised by a large number of SMEs to the benefit of their respective organisations. We believe that every business should be benefiting from the cloud. However, many of the most common issues that new businesses have in utilising cloud-based technologies comes from misinformation.

In this article we look at one of the most commonly cited cloud computing myths.

Overcoming misconceptions about the cloud can be a big challenge when launching new projects. Understanding how cloud technologies work and what they can deliver can be difficult enough without the facts being distorted.

With misinformation comes false expectations. With false expectations comes false understanding. And false understanding can lead to projects being started with an incorrect direction. As with any new technology, it is of paramount importance to understand exactly what can be expected before you launch.

As cloud computing is in it’s (relative) infancy, it’s understandable that we have seen a fair share of myths and misinformation. These can distort your planning stages and, as a result, jeopardise projects. In order for you to better make an informed decision about what cloud services are right for your organisation, we want to look at one of the biggest cloud computing myths…

“A lack of cloud computing standards compromises its use.”

We have heard the above statement made on multiple occasions by a variety of different professionals from different backgrounds. At its heart is a very understandable concern. What these professionals all want to be sure of is that standards are in place that won’t jeopardise the viability of their project further down the line. But a lack of centralised cloud computing standards is unlikely to be as much of an issue as thought.

While it is right so suggest that with new technologies comes a lack of standards across the board, this doesn’t necessarily correlate to a compromisation of usage. For the majority of SMEs, the lack of cloud computing standards shouldn’t be viewed as a barrier. The reason is simple – each cloud provider has their own specific tools that allows users to handle a portion of their platform.

At this point, when the user has access to a single cloud provider, adherence to standards doesn’t and shouldn’t matter.  What matters is that the user is able to use their cloud provider’s own management tools to handle, amongst other things, operating systems, hardware and application software.

Their may be some issues – but not so much that they can’t be overcome

It is important to note that a lack of cloud computing standards could become an issue for certain projects. In particular, if your project focuses on building applications that are tightly coordinated between your own personal data-centre and the cloud, or different cloud providers, you are going to need to tune your problem management practices for the cloud. But you’d need to do this if there were standards anyway.

Rather than dismiss the cloud on these grounds, it’s far better to weigh the potential pitfalls against the alternatives.

10 basic (but essential) business tech security tips

Being aware of basic IT security isn’t just the first step towards a safer network for your business, it is essential knowledge. Hacking is both lucrative and more common than we know.

For any professional serious about protecting their tech, we’ve put together 10 basic, but essential, security tips:

1. Leverage Cloud technologies

The cloud is an incredibly useful tool for small and medium sized enterprises as it allows easy-access to a secure data centre. By utilising cloud-based computing, you can rest easy in the knowledge that the protection of your important data has been outsourced to a larger company with heightened security capabilities. For this reason, be sure you know all the facts before signing up to any service, especially where their data centres are stored.

2. Use a good Firewall

Firewall’s may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but really they are the epitome of frontline protection against network intrusions. Rather than opting for free software, it is very much recommended that medium-sized businesses invest what they can into a good Firewall to ensure the best protection.

3. Keep it clean and tidy

Clean and tidy is the way! In order to ensure that your computer isn’t at risk of security breaches through old software exploits, keep all of your primary software updated and remove any unused applications. This has the added bonus of keeping your systems running at optimum speed for longer.

4. Have your webmaster enable HTTPs on your website

This sounds over-complicated but with a little Google search you’ll soon see that it’s really not. The benefit is that HTTPs websites have an SSL/TLS Certificate installed onto their servers. This encrypts all data transmitted from browser to server. They also have the added bonus of tying your brand identity to your web presence, which encourages visitors to engage with your site safe in the knowledge that it isn’t a phishing attempt.

5. Keep passwords strong and secure

Passwords are very valuable to hackers. To ensure they don’t get yours, create longer passwords with more variety of numbers and special characters, and never use the same one twice.

6. Create level-specific user accounts for your network

Whenever you create a new user account for your business network, bare in mind what that person will need access to and limit their privileges. Admin privileges should be reserved only for IT administrators and the like. Alongside this, create a limited account for guest access for those who don’t work with you.

7. Understand what data is most important – and lucrative

Perhaps one of the best ways to ensure tech security for your business is to get better and understanding what data of your is the most lucrative. Once you understand this, you can work on ensuring that it is well protected.

8. Create social media guidelines for employees

Social media sites can be something of a cornucopia of information. Using social media advocacy can be a great way to increase your brand’s marketing reach. Ensure you create social media guidelines for your employees to ensure that they know what they can – and can’t – share.

9. Hide your business Wi-Fi network

Hiding your Wi-Fi network is a simple way of reducing hacking attempts. This can be done by editing the SSID display options on your router settings.

10. Train your team on identifying phishing

Finally, nothing beats training to ensure the best practice by your team. Alongside password and basic cybersecurity training, ensure that they are able to identify and know how to report email and web phishing attempts.