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MARCH 2018
Empowering Small Practices To Deliver The Best Care THE GREATEST THREAT TO YOUR NETWORK Might Be Your Staff
IT
BE WARY OF DIGITAL IMPOSTORS Many hackers gain access to networks by pretending to be a legitimate user. Imagine that a nefarious user stumbles upon an employee’s Facebook password. All of a sudden, it’s impossible for you to tell that your employee isn’t actually who they say they are. They ask you for a password. You give it to them. What seemed like a simple interaction was actually a hack taking place. The best way to avoid this fate is to ask a question that you’re certain an impostor couldn’t answer or to make the person show up in person to get the password. You never know who’s hiding behind that account. If you have even the slightest doubt, it’s better to be safe than sorry. KEEP YOUR TEAM IN THE KNOW What these strategies demonstrate is that your network is only as strong as its least-informed user. When you don’t teach your team about the latest cybercrime strategies, you put your entire organization at risk. Just as important as teaching them about attacks is teaching them about defense. Make security patch updates mandatory and give your staff a crash course in password strategies. You wouldn’t believe how many businesses have lost money because one staff member makes their password “password.” You should also create a system that makes it easy for anyone to raise the alarm. Should somebody in one department receive a suspicious email, you need to report the danger to the entire team. At AZCOMP, we are technology consultants who offer services to maintain and monitor your entire system. Additionally, we are happy to train you and your team on how to avoid data breaches and security vulnerabilities. Call us to learn more about our unlimited monitoring, maintenance, and support plans. –Byron Adams
Close your eyes and picture a hacker. Odds are the figure in your mind is wearing a hoodie (and maybe a Guy Fawkes mask), typing furiously as they attempt to breach a major corporation or government agency. They operate in the shadows, either alone or as part of an organization. Their goal is to cause chaos and destabilize major economic and political powers. To be fair, this type of hacker does exist, but they are few and far between. Your garden-variety hacker is much less skilled than the stereotype. They are petty criminals trying to squeeze a few thousand bucks from an unsuspecting small business. These hackers aren’t even close to capable of breaking into a ‘mainframe’ or even a well- secured database. In fact, they might not know how to code at all. Instead, they rely on the mistakes made by innocent users to gain access to your company’s network. According to IBM’s 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index, 60 percent of the time, all it takes is an unwitting insider to provide information that hackers use to break in. HUMAN ERROR IS A HACKER’S TOOL Your average hacker may not be able to break into a database, but they rarely need to do that. Often, a cybercriminal’s greatest skill is exploiting human vulnerability. They’re not unlike people who hang out around public ATMs in hopes that someone will forget their card. Except in these cases, the ATM is on the internet. Every day, internal emails are mistakenly addressed to the wrong people, sensitive info is inadvertently made public, and employees unknowingly click on malicious links. These tactics don’t require an advanced knowledge of computer science. They prey on human weakness and faulty training. If your people don’t know to be vigilant against these attacks, they may end up accidentally compromising your network. Making things even easier for criminals is the fact that we all have dozens of online accounts tied to our name. All they need to do is gain access to one to begin wreaking havoc. Which brings us to our next point.
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STAY SECURE NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE Follow These Tips to Avoid a Vacation Disaster
TURN ON YOUR ‘FIND MY PHONE’ FEATURE
Losing a phone or computer is never fun, but it’s even worse when it happens while you’re traveling. If you don’t locate the item before you head back home, it’s probably gone forever. But losing a device is nothing compared to losing all the data stored in it. Here are a few ways to ensure that a lost item won’t turn into a lost cause.
This feature, which allows you to view the location of your phone from a secondary device, is a lifesaver. You won’t have to retrace your steps wondering if you left your phone at a restaurant. Even better, if the phone does fall into the wrong hands, you can remotely disable it. The thieves may walk away with an expensive piece of glass and metal, but they won’t get any of your private information.
ENCRYPT YOUR HARD DRIVE
This method of protection requires a few more steps, but it’s a great idea for people who often travel with their laptop. You can opt to either selectively encrypt files and folders or encrypt your entire hard drive. Additionally, you can add pre-boot authentication for further protection. At AZCOMP, we give businesses and their team members the tools and service to stay secure no matter where they are. Before your next trip, give us a call to get the peace of mind that comes from knowing a lost device won’t be the end of the world.
BACKUP BEFORE YOU DEPART
If all of your data is kept in one place, whether it’s a phone or laptop, you’ll be in for a world of trouble if it gets misplaced or stolen. Creating backup locations for your valuable information is the best defense. You can back up to the cloud, an external hard drive, or a device you won’t bring on the trip. Password-protect these backups to ensure that even if you lose a device, your information won’t be compromised.
SPOTLIGHT ON BYRON ADAMS
NEED NETWORKING OR COMPUTER HELP?
In April, Byron Adams will celebrate his 15-year anniversary at AZCOMP, making him one of
Call our direct support line: (480) 730-3055 Create a support ticket via email: ithelp@azcomp.com
our most senior employees. What has kept Byron here for well over a decade? “Firstly, it’s the relationships I’ve built with my co-workers,” he answers. “We have great people here, and it’s a fun environment. Secondly, I love the work we do and the way we approach it. We pride ourselves on providing great service to our customers.”
Learn more about how to get unlimited computer and networking support at azcomp.com/managed-services
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE REPORT “What Every Small-Business Owner Must Know About PROTECTING & PRESERVING Their Company’s Critical Data and Computer Systems” covers the essential information you need to know to keep your network safe. If you aren’t up to date on the latest in security, your network will be at risk.
Byron is currently our technology director, so he spends a lot of time leading his team. He also enjoys heading out with our sales teams. When a customer has a nitty-gritty tech question, everyone knows Byron has the answer. When he’s not busy here at work, Byron loves playing golf, snowboarding, doing service for his church, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Krystal, have four wonderful children. Jake is the oldest, followed by the twins, Austin and Avery, and then Madison is the youngest. Byron and Krystal are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in May. Congrats, you two!
This report is available for free at azcomp.com/protectyourdatareport . Download it today to ensure that your computer systems are as secure as possible. With this report, you can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that none of your spring flowers contain a nasty virus.
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SMARTSLEEP Any doctor worth their salt will tell you the importance of a good night’s sleep. If you’re only getting 5-7 hours of sleep per night, your daily productivity drops and it’s hard to maintain energy levels throughout the day. SmartSleep, a revolutionary new product from Phillips, can help. SmartSleep is programed to enhance the slow waves in your brain while you’re sleeping. While asleep, your body experiences different cycles of rest, namely rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. During non-REM sleep, also referred to as “slow-wave sleep,” both your heartbeat and breathing decrease while your muscles become relaxed. It’s in this deepest stage of sleep that your body benefits the most from sleep’s rejuvenating benefits. SmartSleep is programmed to boost your slow waves, increasing the rejuvenating effect of slow-wave sleep and increasing your daily energy levels. However, the device is not meant to help you fall or stay asleep, prolong your deep-sleep cycles, serve as an alarm clock, or help with existing sleep conditions such as insomnia, restless legs, or sleep apnea. It is meant to simply increase the productivity of your slow-wave sleep so you feel more refreshed and rejuvenated after a night of rest. If you want to see how the different stages of sleep affect you, you can even download the SmartSleep mobile app. The app is able to track your sleep patterns over time, measuring the slow-wave boosts you receive throughout the night. By syncing the app to your headband each morning, you’ll be able to see and compare each night’s rest. With SmartSleep by your side (or around your head), you’ll be able to wake up feeling more rested and refreshed without having to sleep longer. Improving the Quality of Your Sleep by Enhancing Slow Waves
WHY LEGO KEEPS GROWING WHILE OTHER TOY MANUFACTURERS STRUGGLE Kids are notoriously fickle. One day they are obsessed with a toy, and then the next day it’s at the bottom of a pile, never to be played with again. If you think the ever-evolving tastes of children are a struggle for parents, just imagine how toy companies feel. If they don’t stay on the cutting-edge of trends, they are in danger of going broke. Toys R Us is the latest example, but it’s far from the only one. Despite the volatility inherent in the industry, Lego has managed to stay at the top of the game for over 50 years. They’ve achieved this feat through expanding their product line to change with the times while staying consistent to the values that have existed since the company’s founding. For most of their history, Lego had little need to innovate. Sure, they added more sets and pieces, but the appeal of the product was largely static. After all, nearly every kid has a bucket of Legos somewhere in their room. However, Lego registered its first loss in 1998. With video games growing ever more popular, they knew they needed to adapt to stay relevant. Lego pinpointed a few strategies that allowed them to regain their footing. First, they created new, digitally integrated product lines, including video games of their own. Their second tactic was to scoop up popular licenses. If you’ve been to a movie theater recently, you understand the value of existing intellectual property. By maintaining deals with major brands like Star Wars, Lego kept its finger on the pulse of youth culture. The company has also seen great successes through social media. Communities of builders share their creations across platforms like YouTube and Instagram. The devotion to Legos is so strong that Brand Finance named Lego the “World’s Most Powerful Brand” in 2017. Lego strikes the perfect balance between moving forward with the times and staying true to their identity. It’s a lesson that resonates across companies of all sizes and industries.
JAY BAER’S ‘HUG YOUR HATERS’ A Customer Service Guide for the 21st Century Exceptional customer service is a defined goal for almost any business. Unless you have a truly exclusive product or service — which is unlikely
— you need to create an enjoyable experience for customers to keep them coming back. But you can’t satisfy everyone on first blush. You might think the customers who have complaints are lost forever, but Jay Baer begs to differ. In “Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers,” he passionately argues that customers who voice their issues are an opportunity rather than a threat. “Hug Your Haters” analyzes the changes in customer service patterns brought about by social media, review sites, and discussion boards. “Mobile and social technology, sociological and behavioral changes, and heightened customer expectation have radically shifted what it means to provide great customer service,” Baer writes. Conversations that used to be private between a business and a customer now unfold on the internet in front of the world. Your business needs to understand how this transformation affects customer service. After investigating the changing world of customer service, Baer provides tips on how to turn your haters into fans for life. If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate the contemporary world of customer service, “Hug Your Haters” will be a valuable addition to your library.
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How to Limit Data Breaches PAGE 1 Network Security Tips for Travelers PAGE 2 Meet Byron Adams PAGE 2 Lego’s Continued Success in a Changing Marketplace PAGE 3 Latest Sleeping Technology: SmartSleep PAGE 3 AZCOMP Leadership Library: ‘Hug Your Haters’ PAGE 3 Anthony Kelley on Chasing Mavericks PAGE 4
HOW TO MOVE A MOUNTAIN BY ANTHONY KELLEY
The amazing thing about our core values at AZCOMP is that they resonate outside of the walls of our office. I have a feeling everyone who works has been watching a movie, reading a book, or killing some time on YouTube when they’ve encountered something that echoes one of our values. That happened to me recently when I came across a pair of Chinese proverbs:
as opportunities. These proverbs provide a little wisdom on how you can tackle even the hardest of challenges.
A mentor or leader will give you the tools you need to conquer even the most arduous tasks. For surfer Jay Moriarity, the inspiration behind our core values, that mentor was his neighbor Frosty. Frosty taught Jay the right way to surf, enabling him to paddle out into massive swells. The first proverb above deals with the best way to train and educate. You have to involve your students in the learning process, otherwise it only lives in a book. Anyone who helps our customers in the field knows how important engagement is. The second proverb provides a model for achieving what seems impossible. It’s not all that different from the “one game at a time” mentality sports coaches instill in their players. When you break down a huge task into its component parts, suddenly it seems a lot more doable. Eventually, by moving one stone at a time, over and over again, you move a mountain. At AZCOMP, we’re always encouraged to view the toughest assignment as an opportunity for growth and success. It makes us an invigorated company. The next time you’re facing something that feels insurmountable, take it one step at a time. That’s how you end up chasing Mavericks.
“Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.”
“The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
As I read these words I immediately realized they contained some of the same wisdom that we put into our fifth core value, “We Chase
Mavericks.” That value is all about
seeing challenges
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