The IT Experts

Productivity Suites

A productivity suite is basically just a fancy term used to describe the most commonly used productivity software applications, like a word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation software, email and calendar management platforms, and others. We are prepared to say that a productivity suite is practically a necessity for any business. Some of the common productivity suites used in business include Microsoft 365 Apps for Business and Google Workspace, but there are others that are more focused tools used for specific tasks, like Adobe Creative Cloud.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Most businesses already have a traditional landline in place for making and receiving phone calls, but there are more modern solutions available that can help to reduce costs and setup time, like Voice over IP. VoIP uses a desktop or mobile device to make the phone call utilizing a software application that can be downloaded to the device. The ease of implementation means fewer up-front costs and operation costs, and it helps you to slim down your infrastructure through implementing less new hardware.

Password Management

Passwords are usually the first line of defense that businesses have against many threats, and while they can and should be made complex, this process also makes them much more difficult to remember. Password management solutions store each of your passwords in a secure vault, only pulling them out when they are needed, making your entire password remembrance policy much easier. Effective use of a password management tool means that you can leverage the security of complex passwords without compromising in any way.

Antivirus and Other Security Solutions

Your business absolutely needs to be secured. This includes keeping your network and endpoints safe and locked down from prying eyes, and it doesn’t matter whether you are a small business or a large enterprise. Hackers can and will find value in your business’ data, and even if they have no ulterior agenda for your data, they will certainly try to inject a little chaos into your life with viruses, malware, and other threats. You need to do all you can to protect your organization from any and all cyberthreats.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Encryption is vital to keeping your data and privacy intact, especially while out of the office. A virtual private network encrypts data that is sent to and from your device, massively improving security while on unsecured networks. In particular, these are effective for keeping your data secure while on unsecured public Wi-Fi connections while traveling.

Does your business need help with implementing new software solutions? KB Technologies Managed IT can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (954) 834-2800.

Windows 8.1 Was a Big Jump from Windows 8

When Windows 8 was released in 2012, it was created with the intention of being “metro,” with a specific intention of being used across desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Unfortunately, this created a bit of backlash due to a confusing user interface that had many users who were still stuck on Windows 7 yearning for a return to old times. Microsoft eventually relented and released an update to Windows 8, titled Windows 8.1, in 2013; this update brought back many features that users expected from Windows operating systems, including the Start menu.

This update effectively replaced Windows 8 and put the nail in the coffin of its predecessor, as Microsoft prematurely cut the cord on its OS in 2016. Windows 8.1 on the other hand continues to be supported by Microsoft… for now. Windows 10 released two years after the 8.1 update, so most people took advantage of the free upgrade, leaving only a small portion of the user base left with Windows 8.1--a paltry 3.5 percent. Compared to the massive campaigns utilized to get people to upgrade away from Windows 7, there has been little-to-no urgency to upgrade away from 8.1. But for those who do need to upgrade away, this end-of-life event is remarkably important.

What You Need to Know

If you are a current user of Windows 8.1, you should at least upgrade to Windows 10 as soon as possible. If you think you can wait it out, however, Windows 11 should be available sometime over the next few months or early next year. It depends on whether or not you think your hardware is up to snuff; either way, you will need to prepare for the upgrade away from Windows 8.1 sooner rather than later, as failing to do so could result in unnecessary security risks.

Why Is It Important to Only Use Supported Software?

With each new version of the Windows operating systems comes additional security features, and these features are designed to tackle challenges that are associated with modern threats. If you don’t regularly update your software, you are bound to eventually fall behind, and if you’re not careful, you could wind up putting your business at risk. Therefore, you should make it a priority to upgrade away from Windows 8.1 as soon as you can, as if you wait until the end-of-life event, your software will no longer be supported or updated by the software developer.

If you need assistance with upgrading your software or hardware to accommodate new technologies for your business, KB Technologies Managed IT can help. With our trusted and dedicated IT resources at your disposal, you’ll be one step ahead of the game. To learn more, reach out to us at (954) 834-2800.

A report from Fastly and Enterprise Strategy Group found that a whopping 75% of businesses spend just as much time, if not more, on false-positive security concerns compared to real, actual threats. That’s a huge number and one that has severe ramifications. The same report found that 46% of all downtime for companies utilizing the cloud and API-driven technology was caused by false-positive security concerns, costing a business in this sector close to $3 million a year. You don’t need us to tell you that this is an unacceptable loss, especially when it’s caused by the aforementioned abundance in caution.

Another interesting trend here is that this increase in false positives reduces confidence in security applications, leading many organizations to disable certain features. For example, TechRepublic cites that 91% of surveyed organizations either disabled or reduced the capabilities of their security software in response to the many false positives they experienced. You can imagine that this does not help matters, as disabling these features only makes it more difficult to detect the real threats.

The report does suggest that there is one solution to this issue that can help organizations overcome these false positives: implementing a unified solution that can take into account the cloud and its various APIs. Many of the challenges that come from false-positive security concerns stem from the fact that many organizations use what the report calls “a patchwork of security tools,” so replacing them with one unified solution rather than hoping for compatibility between your various solutions is vastly preferable.

At KB Technologies Managed IT, rather than creating the “patchwork” network security discussed in the report, we work with our clients to ensure that all security tools play nice with each other and develop a security strategy that takes into account all possibilities.

Ultimately, false positive security alerts can be troublesome, but they are better than the real deal. If you want to shore up your defenses and ensure that real security concerns don’t break your business, we can help you implement a powerful unified security tool that can help you discern the true issues from the false ones. We can even do all the heavy lifting for you by monitoring your network for security discrepancies and the like. To learn more, reach out to us at (954) 834-2800.