Your technology resources are likely deployed across your business and while all that IT can really help speed up your business and make it more effective, you also have to watch your technology spending so it doesn’t become a problem as you move your business forward. This month, we are going to get into how to deploy certain resources to help you save some money and at the same time get the technology you need to be more productive.
k_Street Consulting, LLC Blog
Let me ask you a question… if you were a hacker, how quickly would you take advantage of newly disclosed bugs and other vulnerabilities? I’d bet it would be pretty quick, and industry experts agree. According to these experts, there’s less and less time for security professionals to react to vulnerabilities and zero-day threats… and it continues to shrink.
So, the question remains, how prepared is your business to respond when these kinds of vulnerabilities are taken advantage of?
With more businesses than ever relying on their inventory to get through difficult times, it’s important to know just what resources you have at your disposal. Even if your business doesn’t produce goods or materials, it can be helpful to know what assets you have readily available at any given time. This is where inventory management comes in. Today, we want to give you a brief overview of inventory management and how technology can make it easier.
For the business owner, when deciding what type of technology to invest in, one of the major considerations has to be when you are going to recoup the expense of that investment. No two technology investments are the same, and if you can’t get your money out of it (and then some), why even bother making the investment in the first place?
After this prolonged pandemic, remote work has established itself as a key component of many organizations’ operational policies and infrastructures. However, it has added new levels of complexity that make managing a workforce more important than ever. Let’s discuss some ways management can improve the work experience for remote employees.
Most things in your office depend on technology in some way. That’s just the simple fact of life these days. Let’s examine just how much of your business depends on the technology that powers it and how companies increasingly depend on IT to manage the countless devices that have permeated the office environment.
By now you’ve probably heard the term Internet of Things (IoT). You may not completely understand what it is, but you know it has something to do with all those “smart” devices that you see popping up everywhere. Today, we’d thought we’d get into what types of things are on the IoT and how they can have an impact on your business.
Social engineering is a dangerous threat that could derail even the most prepared business. Even if you implement the best security solutions on the market, they mean nothing if a cybercriminal tricks you into acting impulsively. Let’s go over specific methods of social engineering that hackers might use to trick you.
Looking back at the past few years, it’s little wonder that many people have become more concerned about their health—particularly when it comes to the workplace and spending extended amounts of time in the vicinity of other people. This makes it important that you do everything you can to make your workplace a healthier and safer-feeling place to work… but how?
With so many workers constantly connected to screens and other technology, it is a good idea to disconnect every so often by taking a vacation somewhere. However, it’s not always this easy, especially for a business owner who is still minimally connected to the office even while technically on vacation. We’ve got a couple of tips for how you can make the most of your technology while on your vacation without putting your company at risk in the process.
Many businesses make their profits from selling products, goods, or services to their consumer base, requiring that they have a way to process these transactions in place. The point of sale system is a business’ preferred method of handling these transactions, especially in retail. How can you know which features you might need for a point of sale system?
The pandemic has brought about a change in the way that businesses operate. While companies may have once been limited to getting work done in the workplace, there has been a shift in the opposite direction with many companies retaining remote employees or keeping certain remote workplace policies in place even now. What is the difference between remote and hybrid options, and how do you determine which is best for your company?
In the post Prime Day space, you might realize that you have purchased quite a few consumer electronics from the web retailer, and if you did, we hope you found some great deals that you can write home about. But before you throw out your old devices in favor of the new, we urge you to think about the approach you are going to take, as improper recycling and disposal of devices could have negative effects on both the environment and your personal data.
How do you look at your organization’s data? The answer will likely be the same as how you look at your organization. The businesses that do more to use their data to improve their business’ process, policies, and strategies, are the businesses that, by-in-large, are the ones that grow more rapidly and see more operational efficiency. This month, we thought we would look at four ways your business can use their data to actively improve its operations.
Sometimes it can be easy to take cybersecurity for granted, especially when you consider that built-in security features are more powerful than they have ever been. Unfortunately, if you think that cybersecurity is something that ends with the built-in security of your desktops and laptops, then you’re in for a rude awakening.
With cryptocurrency having its heyday over the past few years and the increased attention it has brought the blockchain, it should be no surprise that another trend has arisen. NFTs. or non-fungible tokens, have been all the rage as of late… but is this trend something that might apply to businesses?
Whether you are in the office or working remotely, there are many distractions that can derail your productivity. To set yourself up for success, we recommend that you follow the tips outlined in this blog. You might be surprised by how just a few simple adjustments can make a world of difference for your productivity.
Your servers run the technology that fuels your business. That’s why they are the most important (and expensive) pieces of hardware that you house. When it comes time to refresh one (or all) of your servers, you need to make a choice: Do you purchase a new server to host in-house or do you move your central computing to the cloud?
When it comes to business technology, there are sure to be a lot of electrical plugs, so you’ll naturally want plenty of outlets to plug them into. A power trip likely won’t cut it, though. For your needs, you’ll want to invest in a surge protector. Why is the surge protector so much better, you ask? Well, let’s explore this question.
Hacking attacks can be stressful to manage, but when you add in that they can strike when you least expect them to, it gets a lot worse. You’ll never know how you respond to such an event unless you simulate it and replicate it somehow. This is what the penetration test is used for; it provides your business with a way to prepare for cyberattacks.
The difference between productivity and innovation is not always clear-cut, but the biggest one is that higher productivity naturally creates innovation… assuming it is supported by the right tools and mindset. How can technology help your business be more creative and innovative in the way it goes about its day-to-day operations?
There were a few years there about a decade ago when everyone had to have the latest tablet and tech experts were predicting that most of the world’s productivity would be done using touchscreen devices. On one hand, they weren’t that far off. On the other hand, tablet sales fell off about as rapidly as they had spiked, leaving some question over the future of the form factor. Of course, tablets settled in as great personal computers, but their use in business has seemingly plateaued. Let’s take a look at how businesses use tablets and answer if they are right for your business.
If you work with technology, then you are likely to have a good idea of what innovation is and isn’t. Innovation is born from creativity, and while it’s not often associated with business IT, there is something to be said for how technology professionals solve problems in a creative fashion, solving problems with solutions available either in-house or on the market. Today, we are focusing on how this creativity can be an asset and how you can foster creative thought in your office.
Despite their best efforts, cybersecurity can be a major cause for concern for all kinds of businesses and organizations. Even with a full team of cybersecurity professionals, data breaches can occur, and many of the worst data breaches of 2022 have been quite devastating. Let’s take a look at some of the worst ones so far.
Botnets are nefarious entities consisting of countless connected devices, all of which have been infected by hackers to perform malicious deeds. One such botnet, a Russian botnet consisting of millions of infected Internet of Things devices, has been dismantled and taken down by the United States Department of Justice and various law enforcement agencies throughout Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
The modern cyberthreat landscape is nothing to be trifled with, so it makes sense that as threats grow more powerful, so too do the solutions used to address them. Nowadays, there is a practice that is designed to address just how serious the threat of cybersecurity is: zero-trust IT. Let’s discuss these policies and how you might put them in place.
It’s fair to say that, across the board, times have been particularly tough as of late for businesses. On top of businesses having to fight through the socioeconomic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain issues, they also have to juggle more data than ever.
In short, businesses need reliable and cost-effective ways to manage their critical technologies.
Cybersecurity is not easy to manage, and even professionals have their work cut out for them against modern threats like ransomware and other high-profile security threats. Today, we want to educate you on some of the terminology used in cybersecurity, namely the relationship between a vulnerability and an exploit, as well as what you can do to keep the risks associated with both relatively low.
How much do you know about Microsoft Excel? There are loads of features that most users aren’t aware of, one of which is the ability to remove duplicate values in columns. Let’s walk you through this process so you can more easily compare data sets between two or more columns within your spreadsheets.
One of the best things about technology is that it does quite a bit to level the playing field. Smaller businesses can effectively do the work of larger enterprises because they have access to similar technologies. Additionally, technology goes a long way toward helping businesses manage their customer relationships, a key component to any revenue-seeking endeavor. This month we thought we would put together a list of four technologies every small business can use to manage their business and compete in their market.
Innovation is a driving force behind business, and it has been for essentially the entirety of human existence. The pandemic has brought about an era where businesses are producing solutions that have many new features, but these features don’t necessarily enhance or add anything to the customer experience. Let’s examine how this desire to stay profitable flies in the face of true innovation and doesn’t provide useful or practical products to consumers.
In order to produce the results that your business’ customers demand, it is essential that your team work together. This collaboration comes in several forms, but if one person struggles, it can be a dire development for any project or service delivery. This month we thought it would be useful to outline what effective collaboration looks like and give you some insights into how technology fuels most of your business’ collaborative efforts.
How seriously does your business take data backup and disaster recovery? You might not be able to predict the future or what might occur, but you can at least prepare for it to mitigate the damage it could potentially bring about. Today, we want to share some of the best practices you can implement to combat even the worst disaster scenarios your organization might encounter.
One of the more overlooked parts of cybersecurity attacks involves social media and social engineering tactics targeting it. If you’re not careful, you could be putting yourself at risk of attacks through social media. How can you ensure that your staff members are keeping security at top of mind even when using social media? Let’s find out.
Businesses are rarely successful without the ones steering the ship having the ability to make great decisions. Whether it’s managing your workforce, supporting your customers, or procuring the right equipment to best facilitate productivity, good decision making will be at the heart of any organization’s success. Let’s examine how you can make better decisions as they pertain to your technology solutions.
Businesses must often store documents for the purposes of compliance, but anyone who has managed a document storage system that uses physical documents, like filing cabinets or otherwise, knows that it can get a little complicated and messy. Technology offers better alternatives that make things easier, efficient, and most important of all, more secure.
Productivity is at the heart of running a successful business, but it’s not always apparent to employees how their effort translates into value for the company. Is there a way to use technology to help fuel productivity and ensure employees understand the value that their productivity provides to your organization? The right tools can eliminate barriers to productivity and allow your employees to reach their full potential.
Businesses that utilize technology often try to make it last as long as possible to avoid the costs of overhauling their entire infrastructure. This can cause a lot of damage in the long term, though, especially if this practice leads to keeping technology longer than necessary. Let’s examine some of the variables that go into technology refreshes and how you can know when it’s time to do so.
Cyberattacks have caused many millions of dollars worth of damage to businesses over the past several years, so it makes sense that your business should invest in its cybersecurity to mitigate these damages. That said, there is only so much you can invest into your cybersecurity budget, as you have to factor in other parts of your business, too. Today, we want to share with you three ways you can invest in cybersecurity initiatives that won’t completely break your bank.
How many devices or points of access do you have for your business’ data infrastructure? Chances are it’s more than you think, at least at first glance. If you count up all the mobile devices, server units, workstations, laptops, and so on that have access to your network, you might suddenly realize how important it is to secure all of these endpoints, as any unsecured device could be a path forward for hackers.
Cybersecurity is something that must be reinforced both in the office and out of the office for your remote employees, and it’s unfortunately quite difficult to maintain. Let’s take a look at the unique circumstances surrounding the remote worker and how you should reinforce security best practices for them, even if they are not physically present in the workplace.
Your relationships with your customers and clients are reliant on one thing more than any other: communication. In order to optimize this communication, many businesses are leveraging technology solutions, and are enjoying a variety of operational benefits as a result. The question is: Is your business one of them?
If your business is trying to limit costs, then printing should be one of the first things you look at. Paper documents have historically been important for businesses, but they take up a ton of space in the office and are incredibly difficult to regulate effectively. Let’s go over how you can decrease the resources you spend on printing and maximize efficiency elsewhere in your paper practices.
It’s important that attorneys have access to the important information and tools needed to enable them to do their jobs. When they can do so easily, they are able to bring in more revenue, take on more clients, and provide better services to their clientele. What kinds of technology do lawyers need to improve their practices?
Every organization depends on their information systems to be up and available when they need them. Some businesses simply can’t function at all without them. When a business inevitably needs to patch their software or perform other maintenance, it can cause problems when employees need these systems to be available. This month, we’ll talk about the strategy behind proactive IT maintenance and how it helps businesses avoid downtime in multiple ways.
No business can be successful without collaboration. As such, businesses invest heavily in tools which facilitate effective collaboration for their employees. Let’s take a look at some of the variables that can contribute to an effective collaboration strategy, as well as how you can promote collaboration in the workplace.
Google Chat, a worthy successor to Google Hangouts, is a great tool for users that can help them be more productive throughout the day, but did you know that you might be missing out on a ton of functionality by forgoing some of these keyboard shortcuts? Let’s go over some of the most helpful ones and how you can use them to get more out of this tool.
Remote work has only grown more popular with time, to the point where it is now common for employers to offer it in some capacity. While the pandemic may have expedited this shift, it is clear that remote work has become a new normal in some industries. Today, we thought we would address one of the hot-button issues about remote work: keeping your staff engaged and productive.
If you aren’t making cybersecurity a priority for your business, then we urge you to review the following statistics to ensure that you understand the gravity of the consequences. Let’s take a look at some of the ways scammers and hackers are making their way around the carefully-laid defenses placed by businesses and how you can protect your own organization.
These days you’d be hard-pressed to find a company that is not equipped to handle video conferencing in some way. The pandemic led many organizations to adopt these platforms, and as a result, these platforms have seen a dramatic increase in functionality and capability. We’d like to discuss some of the best features that your organization can take advantage of with video conferencing solutions.
In business, you need to be ready for anything, including potential disaster scenarios. Therefore, it stands to reason that you have a solid disaster recovery plan in place to help you address them should the need arise. We’ve outlined three disaster recovery best practices you should consider for your business continuity strategy, as well as some tips to help you implement them seamlessly into your own operations.
There is no denying the versatility that technology like the cloud can provide, but it often comes with hidden costs that might affect its cost-to-benefit ratio for your organization. Here are some of these hidden costs, as well as what you can do to minimize the impact they have on your bottom line.
Ransomware is an incredibly disruptive threat that can put your business at risk, but it is increasingly becoming not just a fiscal risk to organizations, but also to the physical health and wellbeing of communities and individuals. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning that should have everyone concerned about the future of ransomware attacks, not just in business, but in everyday life.
When it comes to innovative new technologies, look no further for inspiration than good-old classic science-fiction and pop culture. You might be surprised by how many concepts first seen in works of fiction have made their way into our day-to-day lives. Let’s take a look at some of the more noteworthy examples.
The pandemic forced businesses to reexamine the way that they operate, but even though the pandemic is, unfortunately, still ongoing, many have returned to conducting business as usual like they did before it began. One part of business that will not return to normal anytime soon is the supply chain, as these issues will likely persist into the future.
With many people choosing to work remotely, and businesses more or less embracing the idea of employing mobile teams, the tools and strategies needed to keep your business’ data and infrastructure safe could be new to your business, but for the most part many of them are actions that any organization looking to secure their IT would take. Let’s take a look at some of the strategies used to secure remote endpoints.
Business communications, which is the succinct way to say the sharing of information between people both internal and external to a company, is a key player in that company’s success. Here, we’ll analyze the different types of communication that a business could leverage, and the solutions that best enable them.
There are times when you, as a business owner, might receive unsolicited emails from organizations asking you to try a product or asking for your input on something. More likely than not, the one responsible used data scraping to get your contact information. If it’s used appropriately, data scraping can be an effective marketing tool, but it can also be utilized by scammers to make your life miserable.
Businesses are different than ever before and that means that their employees have to do things differently. What do we mean by this? Well, as companies have been toying with the notion of removing the restraints of traditional work and allowing a larger percentage of their staff to work remotely, it changes the strategies somewhat. Today, we’ll identify a couple of ways remote teams need to lean on their technology and two steps you can take to get significant contributions from collaborative platforms.
Business is a collaborative effort, and no one individual putting in all the work will create the same results as a well-oiled group fueled by cooperative collaboration. To help your organization build this type of productive collaboration, we’ve put together three tips you can implement to maximize your team’s willingness and capabilities to work together.
We live in a world that is constantly connected, be it through a wireless connection or through your smartphone’s mobile data. This makes it especially important to practice appropriate cybersecurity practices while you’re connected to a wireless network. Let’s go over some wireless cybersecurity best practices you can keep in mind when using your wireless technology.
Automation as a concept is on the rise, and so too is its practice. Even before COVID-19 created considerable problems for several businesses, it was in use, and there is no reason for it to fall out of fashion now. There are plenty of ways your organization can implement automation to improve operations moving forward.
Businesses largely rely on their information systems and other technology tools, so you need to make sure they stay secure and far from the many threats out there. To this end, we recommend that you implement security systems that prioritize business continuity and data security. Let’s examine three ways you can keep your business’ IT safe and secure.
Cloud technology has changed the way we do business, and it has provided countless opportunities for companies to achieve their wildest dreams. Granted, different businesses will use the cloud in different ways, but one fact remains the same: it makes financial sense to implement the cloud, no matter what type of business you are. Let’s go over some of the benefits.
When your business experiences a significant disruption, a disaster recovery plan is critical to getting back to normal. Some disasters are the result of external threats, while others come about from internal problems with your company’s operations. Here are some things you should consider when looking into potential disaster recovery solutions to help you get through a data disaster.
Have you ever considered why the VoIP auto attendant feature is so valuable? When a person is greeted with directions that make their journey easier, it typically improves their general opinion of your business. The VoIP auto attendant feature helps guide you through their telephone system. Now, have you ever been to a place where you walk in and you are confused where to go and it takes a while to navigate because of the lack of predominant signage? Like the auto attendant, digital signage platforms can help guide your visitors and you may be surprised about how affordable they can be and the additional value these systems provide to a growing number of businesses.
With Google Chrome being one of the most popular web browsers out there, it’s no surprise that threats want to target it and take advantage of its users. However, up until recently, there have not been very many zero-day threats associated with Chrome. Zero-day threats are attacks that have never been seen before, affecting a new and previously unknown vulnerability. We want to remind you that it’s not always a bad thing when vulnerabilities are discovered in a browser or web application—in fact, it can actually be indicative of good monitoring practices.
For much of the past decade, data privacy has been a big issue. Ever since information was unveiled on how major tech companies (and other companies) use the information gleaned from their users, there has been a cross-section of people who have started to fight back against it. Unfortunately for Americans, this hasn’t resulted in an overarching data privacy law that protects people and their personal data. This month, we’ll take a look at the data privacy environment and discuss why there haven’t been any moves by U.S. lawmakers to protect data privacy.
Cybersecurity is incredibly important for any organization that requires IT to remain operational (basically all of them), so it’s time to start thinking about your own strategies and how you can keep threats out of your network. One viable solution your business can implement is a Security Operations Center (SOC). What is a SOC, and how can you use it to keep threats off your network?
The microprocessor shortage that is affecting businesses all over the world is about to get worse before it gets better. Ukraine currently produces between 45-to-54 percent of the world’s semiconductor-grade neon, a critical component for the lasers used to make microchips. With Russia invading the sovereign nation, two of the largest neon-refinement companies, Ingas and Cryoin have halted production, leaving an already massively short market in dire straits.
With the Internet of Things taking the world by storm, it’s no surprise that many businesses are attempting to leverage it to their advantage. However, implementing these devices into your operations comes with its fair share of risks and challenges. Let’s discuss some of the ways you should consider implementing the Internet of Things for your business, as well as what you must consider when building your IoT strategy.
When you run a business you have so many variables to balance and so little time to do so that technology inevitably becomes an essential cog in your ability to manage everything. Unfortunately, technology isn’t cheap and the technology that you think you need may not be a viable purchase this year. Today, we thought it would be good to identify three strategies that can help you save money, while also getting the benefits that technology brings.
It hasn’t been too long since connectivity required an actual physical connection between the connecting endpoints, making a wired connection the de-facto option for businesses. However, now that wireless connectivity is so widely available, businesses now have a choice… but which is the better option? Let’s compare some of the pros of each to make the answer a little clearer.
If you are someone who gets stressed out easily by people having access to resources they shouldn’t, then you probably have heard much about how to keep your data and internal resources safe from external threats. However, access control is much more than just cybersecurity; you also need to take into account the physical space when considering your access controls.
How often do you check social media only to find your news feed clogged with your friends and family sharing the results of quizzes like, “Which Star Wars character are you,” or “What’s your superhero name based on your birthday.” While these quizzes might seem harmless on the surface, they often hide a far more sinister agenda, one which uses the personally identifiable information provided to them for nefarious purposes.
Data security isn’t the easiest thing in the world to plan for, especially if your organization doesn’t have any dedicated security professionals on-hand. While protecting your data with traditional methods, like passwords, firewalls, and antivirus, is important, what measures are you taking to make sure a thief isn’t just walking into your office and making off with your technology?
It can be tough to get your staff to care about your business’ network security, especially if they don’t consider it part of their day-to-day tasks or responsibilities. However, network security is not just isolated to your IT department; it matters to everyone, and if you can convince your staff to adhere to best practices, your security will be that much more effective moving forward. Here are seven tips you can use to get your staff to care about network security.
Widespread remote work is a relatively new method of operations for most businesses, but even with the limited amount of time it has been in play, the benefits it contributes have been made abundantly clear. Working on the assumption that remote work won’t be abandoned as quickly as it was adopted and instead may see some growth, let’s hypothesize what impacts it could bring to society as a whole.
If you have tried to replace any hardware over the past couple years, chances are you were either met with significant disappointment or a hefty price tag. There is currently a hardware shortage—particularly for business electronics—and the entire business technology industry is reeling from it. If your organization depends on technology, as many do, you need to understand how this shortage could impact your day-to-day operations.
It can be difficult to stay focused in the workplace, especially with a litany of distractions at our fingertips at just about any point in the workday. What are some strategies you can use to keep your distractions to a minimum? We’ve outlined three great tips you can utilize to stay focused on the tasks at hand and be more productive with your time in the office.
During the first half of the Super Bowl last month, cryptocurrency exchange company Coinbase bought a minute of ad space to broadcast an ad that was just a QR code on the screen, meandering diagonally around the screen like the famous Windows screensaver. Millions of people took out their smartphones and scanned the code and now cybersecurity professionals are publicly decrying the tactic.
How effective is your cybersecurity? It seems like a simple question, but no less important to consider and determine as the answer could be the difference between a prevented breach and a successful one. In order to keep track of your business’ cybersecurity preparedness, it is important that you regularly evaluate it. Let’s go through the essential steps to performing such an evaluation.
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is one service that just about any business can use to their advantage. It’s a fact that the traditional telephone systems used by companies for years have not aged particularly well, and VoIP offers them an alternative solution that is both dynamic and more flexible. Let’s dig into some of the benefits your company can find from a well-timed and well-planned switch to a VoIP solution.