3 Ways to Resolve Your IT Issues Faster

1. Explain the Issue

Whenever you submit or call in a ticket, in order to receive the best IT support, your best strategy is to provide our team with as much background information as you can. More description is better than less. For instance, if you can't get online, providing details like how long you've been offline, what you were doing prior to encountering the issue and whether anyone else in the office is experiencing the same issue can help us paint a full picture and deliver support as efficiently as possible. 

2. Replicate the Issue

It is also in your best interest to replicate the issue you're calling in before contacting our IT support team. What will really help is showing us the specific error message that pops up while you are attempting a computer task, for example. Sharing that error message and what prompted it will help us get to the root of the problem and help you faster. While we understand that not all issues, like slow computer speed, can be recreated, and the error that you are encountering may not happen every time, knowing how exactly you generated that error will definitely help us resolve your issue with minimum pain.

3. Take Screenshots

Taking a screen capture of the issue is one of the best things that you can do, especially when emailing in a problem to your support representative. If you use a PC, open the START menu and search for “Snipping Tool.” After opening this up, your screen will freeze, letting you take a quick snippet of the issue or error that is happening. If you use a Mac, take a screenshot by holding down Command+Shift+3. In the same way that the other two steps speed up issue resolution, taking screenshots will help us get a head start on troubleshooting, restoring your network and allowing you to resume normal business operations.

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

3 Ways to Stay Secure When Using the Cloud

1. Don’t Be Silly with Passwords

Passwords like your birthday, “12345”, or “Password1” are no good. The Wall Street Journal recently published a list of the most used passwords – and it is scary. If you have a password that is on this list, change it. The hackers and bad guys are going to try this first. And, I mean, think about it – this list of passwords is out there for everyone to see! Kind of scary that this kind of data is published. Don’t be silly, and adhere to the following best practices in password creation:

Recycle your cans and bottles for sure, but not passwords. Do not use the same one if you can help it. When asked to change your password, do not use the same password, and just add a “1” or another letter or symbol at the end. Be strong. Not with your bench press, but with your password creation. Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. And don’t be mad about it. Do you want your information safe and secure, or do you want it in the hands of unauthorized people? Microsoft has a helpful set of password creation standards you can check out for extended reading. Lastly, apply the K.I.S.S. Method. This is something I learned back when my grandpa was still around. It stands for “Keep It Simple Stupid.” Just don’t be too simple with passwords. For example, the password “ourhouse” is awful. But the password “0uRH0u$3” might be acceptable. 

2. Watch Your Network

It is so convenient to link up nowadays. Just pull up to the nearest Starbucks, order a Green Matcha Tea Latte (steamed, with coconut milk – you won’t be disappointed), break out the laptop, hook up to the Wi-Fi and get some work done. But first, run a background check on the others who are on the Wi-Fi. You may want to collect three references and their credit scores as well. In all seriousness, how much do you know about the people you are sharing that PUBLIC network with. Jumping to their Wi-Fi to Google for “what the heck is Matcha green tea” from your phone is probably not a big deal. But hooking up to the Wi-Fi on your work laptop and accessing company records? Think twice.

3. Keep in Touch with IT

Consult your IT provider to talk about when and where to securely access company files while working outside the office. Ask how your data is being backed up, and if and how it will be encrypted. If none of these solutions are in place, then you and your IT person should have a talk about implementing them into your business model. Working from anywhere on the planet is pretty awesome, just be sure that you do it the right way.

Trust and do not be afraid of cloud technology. By implementing cloud solutions, businesses like yours have moved CAPEX costs (computer hardware) to OPEX costs (just paying a subscription for cloud services, and not for hardware). Over time, the decrease in CAPEX coupled with the ability to work from anywhere will hopefully pay for itself – and help grow your business.

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

4 Ways to Prepare for a Data Disaster

1. Talk to Your IT Provider.

This is your go-to, and where to begin the conversation. An IT provider can provide a risk assessment, and then offer solutions to save you from data loss. Think of the spreadsheet you have been working with for months. It would be a shame if it were gone forever. How about that project you and the team have been assigned with a rapidly approaching deadline? It would be a waste of time and a hassle to recreate if the file became corrupt or were lost. In any case, a BDR solution can help alleviate these stressors.

2. Be a Part of the Conversation.

You know better than anyone what files you need access to for a successful day at work. Be involved in the process of backing up your data. Then, should your company fall victim to ransomware or data loss, you will know how to respond. Your IT provider will ultimately be responsible for recovering your data and maintaining your backups, of course, but knowing how to access your files while they get you back up and running may require an extra step. When the disaster recovery solution is put into place, there may also be some training available to you from your IT provider that should prove helpful.

3. Know That You Are Protected.

Call your IT provider or walk into your manager’s office and ask, “If we fall victim to ransomware, or our company files are lost, what do we do?” With this simple question, you can prevent costly downtime and data loss. With one question, you can protect your office and coworkers from being locked out of your files indefinitely. Asking this question can help you establish if you actually do have an effective disaster recovery plan. Gently remind your manager that when it comes to a data disruption, it’s not a question of if but when.

3. Save Your Work.

This sounds easy and like a no-brainer, but with my years in IT, you have no idea how saving work sometimes falls by the wayside. Even if your machine is being backed up, and your files are being protected, you still need to save often. Should disaster hit and files are in need of being recovered, your progress will be lost if you haven’t saved your work. There is always a risk of losing some work in the event of a disaster, but if you save often, the risk decreases ten-fold.

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

5 Awesome Windows® Features You Never Knew Existed

1. Window Shake and Shrink

If you’ve ever worked within multiple Microsoft® windows, you know that bouncing back and forth between them can be a pain. To fix this, click on and hold the title bar of a program and give it a little shake with your mouse. All other windows will minimize, and the one that you tossed around like an old polaroid photo will remain in the foreground. Go on and try it!

2. Problem Steps Recorder

This tool can be used to record your screens and document the steps taken for a specific task. With this feature, you can create how-to videos or document the process taken toward something for you or someone else to refer to later. From the Start Menu, click in the search bar and type “psr,” then press Enter. You will see this program open, and all you have to do is click record. From there, you can go ahead and work through your task, and this application will record all of the steps taken. It’s for sure a true hidden gem for Windows!

3. Calculator

Many people underestimate the functionality of the calculator tool. Sure, you can use it for simple operations, but what about easily finding out how much your mortgage payment will be? Or how much your vehicle will cost you after interest? Open up the Calculator, click “View,” then hover your mouse over "Worksheets". You’re welcome! 

4. Pin to Taskbar

This is a simple one, but it really comes in handy. At the bottom part of your screen, to the right of the Start Menu, is called the taskbar. You can place or pin commonly used programs to it to easily launch when needed. If the program is already open, simply right click on the logo in the taskbar and choose “Pin to Taskbar.” You can also do this from the Start Menu by right clicking on the program name and choosing the same option.

5. The Windows+T

Now that you have your taskbar customized, hold down the Windows button on your keyboard and press T. This will navigate you through all open and unopened programs on the taskbar. Once the one that you want is highlighted, open or display it by simply pressing Enter.

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

5 Ways to Stay Secure Online

1. Hook up to a network that you know.

Free Wi-Fi is tempting, but be sure that you consider who is providing the connection. Public connections at the local coffee shop are usually unsecured and leave your machine open to outsiders. While these networks provide a convenience, there are risks to be aware of.

2. Bank and shop with caution.

Shopping from familiar websites is a good place to start. Stick with the reputable sites that are tried and true – like Amazon or eBay. Also, when checking out and finalizing the purchase, look for the ‘padlock’ symbol or the abbreviation ‘https’ in the address bar at the top of your browser. This will ensure that you are on a secure, encrypted part of this webpage. Keeping an eye on your bank statements for suspicious activity is always a good idea, among these other best practices for shopping online.

3. Use secure passwords.

Passwords for logging into any website should contain a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters – as well as be different for each website that you log into. It can definitely be a pain to remember all of these passwords, but ask yourself which is more of a pain – remembering these, or recovering stolen personal information.

4. Lock Your Computer.

When you walk away from your machine, lock it. In Windows, it is as easy as pressing the Windows key + L. On an Apple Mac, pressing “Control+Shift+Eject” will do the trick (unless you do not have an optical drive, then you can hit the “Power” key instead of “Eject”). This practice would be the equivalent to deadbolting the front door of your home. It acts as a deterrent to the bad guys as well as a line of defense. It may even be worth setting up a password lock on your Apple or Windows machine as well.

5. Do not click on anything unfamiliar.

If an offer is too good to be true, it probably is. If you get an email from an unknown source, do not click any of the links within it – and immediately report it to your IT department. If a window pops up while browsing a website, immediately close it. Familiarity is always your friend. Using your judgment and trusting your gut is the ultimate defense when online. Always play it safe!

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

4 Tools for Employees Who Spend Too Much Time in Front of a Screen

1. f.lux®

Research shows that that blue light emitted from screens and monitors can interrupt sleep patterns. If you are on your phone or computer well into the evening, or close to bedtime, you may have experienced this firsthand! f.lux is a browser extension that adjusts the color of your computer's display to adapt to the time of day – "warm at night and like sunlight during the day.” Long story short, by reducing the harsh blue glow, f.lux may help you power down and fall asleep more easily, especially if you find you're staying up too late working or checking Facebook.

2. StayFocusd

How much time have you or your employees lost to time-wasting websites? Maybe your team has a procrastination problem and accidentally loses hours of productivity to entertainment and leisure websites and apps. It's so easy to say you'll only spend five minutes setting your Fantasy Football lineup or taking a Buzzfeed quiz. Encourage staff to add the StayFocusd Chrome extension! With it, users can block any and all distracting sites for custom time periods. I also recommend an extension called TaskTimer, where you can set your own schedule and view analytics that measure Internet activity and time spent browsing the Web.

3. Pocket

We've all been there. Someone shares a compelling article, and then all of a sudden you find yourself consuming a never-ending string of suggested readings. Then, you look at the clock only to wonder where the time went! Sign up for a Pocket account to save Web pages, videos or articles you wish to visit at a later time! This app integrates with most browsers and will sync your saved content across all devices. And the best part is that you don't even need an Internet connection! You can access everything you add all in one convenient place.

4. eyeCare

This vision protection extension notifies you regularly when it's time to stop staring at your computer or smartphone screen so that you may rest your eyes. It even provides suggestions for what to do during your breaks to minimize discomfort! Use eyeCare in conjunction with Screen Shader to reduce eye strain and headaches. 

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

3 Ways to Increase Laptop Security While On-The-Go

1. Physical Security

There are ways to lock your laptop down from outside of the machine. First, be sure that your laptop bag is always on your person, or that you use a padlock to keep the zipper securely closed. Most work benches at the airport have legs that you can easily secure the carry strap to. Or you can utilize a cable lock to secure it to something like a chair fastened to the ground or a building pillar.

Second, always keep a Kensington lock in your bag, and break it out every single time that you use your laptop in a public area. These are inexpensive, and you can always ask your IT provider if they have any spares. Trust us, if you’re showing initiative to protect company assets, your company will listen.

If you are in a hotel, a good way to keep your belongings safe is to put the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door. If that is posted, then the only foot traffic that should be in your room is your own. If something turns up missing and you and the Hotel are the only people with keys to your room, then this helps narrow down the search for the thief.

2. Software Security

We’re not talking about McAfee or Norton here, but something more along the lines of location software. Some examples of this may be Lojack for Laptops if you have a Windows machine, or Find My Mac if you are an Apple user. To help protect your information, these applications will setup passcodes that the thief will have to hack to bypass. Also, they can provide the location of your device if it’s missing or stolen.

3. Backup Solution

If, in fact, your device does go missing, you know as well as we do that your work can’t be put on hold. It will continue to pile up – causing a mess of inconveniences – but the world doesn’t stop, even if your laptop is stolen. You need to be able to back up your most valuable data and recover it at a moment’s notice with a legitimate backup solution. And we’re not just talking about a file backup like Dropbox or Google Drive. A truly reliable backup solution allows for virtualizations of your laptop, so you can login to this virtual copy of your machine and it’s just like you’re sitting in front of it again.

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

3 Browser Extensions for Safe and Secure Browsing

 

1. AdBlock Plus

While you surf the world wide web, there are certain things that track your information and compile it into a database. These “things” are better known as scripts. Scripts are invisible to the visitor's eye, but their availability within the code of a website defines how the website behaves in response to certain click requests sent by the user.

Sometimes, scripts give you unwanted ads and annoying pop-ups while you are trying to navigate a web page. This is where an extension such as AdBlock Plus comes in handy. This extension blocks banner ads, pop-up ads, rollover ads, and more. It stops you from visiting known malware-hosting domains, can prevent data being sent to advertisers, and it can disable third-party tracking cookies and scripts. Essentially, ad blocker extensions like this one give you more control over your browsing experience.

2. Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger keeps an eye out for suspicious third parties tracking you while you browse different websites, then jumps to your defense by blocking their tracking cookies. Cookies keep tabs on your browsing history and internet behavior, and if an advertiser is tracking your cookies, this extension will automatically block that advertiser from loading any more content in your browser. All in all, this little badger’s job is to blocks spying ads and invisible trackers – making it a good buddy to have by your side while you surf the internet.

3. HTTPS Everywhere

Generally speaking, there are two types of web URLs – HTTP and HTTPS. The difference here is the ‘S’ at the end of HTTPS, which stands for ‘Secure’. However, many web pages do not route you to the secure versions of their webpages automatically.

The HTTPS Everywhere extension takes care of that by rewriting requests to direct you to HTTPS-secured sites. So, if your browsing takes you to unsecured areas of a website, HTTPS Everywhere will redirect you to the encrypted HTTPS site and keep your sensitive data from leaking and third parties from snooping.

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535

3 Microsoft Office Hacks You Never Knew You Needed

With Microsoft Office You Can…

 

1. Edit PDFs

Your PDF files open by default in Adobe. But, what if you want to edit them? You cannot do that within Adobe Reader, and the Adobe software that does let you make changes to PDFs is not cheap. Microsoft Word to the rescue!

Launch Microsoft Word. Attempt to open a document like you normally would by selecting "File" and then "Open." On the bottom right of the window that pops up, click the drop-down menu. Choose “PDF,” and then browse to the file that you wish to edit. Once you open it, you can make your edits. You may lose some of the formatting in the process, but it's nothing that you cannot overcome.

 

2. Collaborate in Real Time

With Microsoft Office, you and a colleague can edit the same document or spreadsheet at the same time. This feature is actually built into Office 2013. No magic needed. It’s a little bit of a process, but will pay off once configured.

First, save your document, spreadsheet, or presentation – whatever it may be within the Microsoft Office suite – to OneDrive. Once the document is saved, select "File," "Share" (on the left side of the screen), and then send out your invites.

If all goes accordingly, your colleague on the other end will now be able to review and edit your work in real time. You may need to adjust your Microsoft Office settings in order to do this, but you can always request help from your IT department or an IT services company, if you have any trouble.

 

3. Ignore Reply-All Email Annoyances

Have you ever been included on one of those spam email threads that have absolutely nothing to do with you, but someone (or multiple people) keep on hitting the reply-all button? Ignore these frequent annoyances with Outlook! 

Select the chain of messages. Then, in the top of the Outlook window, to the left of the “Delete” button, you will see “Ignore.” By choosing this command, any future messages will now be sent straight to the Deleted Items folder, helping you cut down on inbox clutter.

If you use Microsoft Office at home and at work every day, these time-saver tips may be just what you need to kick productivity into high gear!

If you use Microsoft Office at home and at work every day, these time-saver tips may be just what you need to kick productivity into high gear!

www.SimpleSky.net

Email: mail@simplesky.net

Phone: 712-746-7535