Think back to the last time you bought a new PC or laptop for your business. Did you approach the purchase the same way you would for a personal device? And if you had a problem, were you satisfied with the level of service you received?

Many small and medium-sized businesses purchase consumer-grade PCs and notebooks by default, not realizing the amount of difference a business-class model can make. Consumer-grade devices can work fine for many organizations, but businesses with more stringent performance, reliability, and support needs can save time and frustration by moving up to business-class devices.

Think of it this way: when you purchase an economy-class plane ticket you know there’s going to be a marked difference between your experience and the experience of someone flying first class. More legroom, better menu options, more responsive service—the benefits are clear, and for many business travelers it makes sense to upgrade, especially if the flight is long.

When it comes to technology, the difference between consumer-grade and business-class PCs is just as marked as for flights—and for many businesses, the upgrade is just as worthwhile. Here’s the difference a business-class device can make for you:

• Performance: Many modern consumer-grade processors and mobile operating systems prioritize battery life over processing power. Business-class PCs often offer both better performance and longer battery life, allowing users to work faster and longer while on the road.

• Reliability: HP Elite PCs are designed to pass MIL STD testing and are tested for 115,000 hours to HP’s own testing standards to help ensure durability. New HP EliteBook 700 series notebooks are also made with Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass and a magnesium alloy chassis that’s 18 times stronger than plastic.

• Support: Every HP Elite PC comes with HP Elite Premium Support, providing 24/7/365 dedicated service from U.S.-based specialists who are dedicated solely to supporting HP Elite products.

• Software and security: Business-class devices help their users take advantage of their advanced features with free, bundled software that is not available (or requires an additional purchase) on consumer-grade PCs. For example, HP Elite family products come with security software and features that protect at the data, identity, and device levels to help keep proprietary data safe.

On average, small businesses hold on to their PCs for five to seven years. Your next device purchase will likely be with you for years to come. So when you consider that many of us are quick to upgrade our airline tickets—even though flights don’t last more than a day—upgrading to a business-class device can make a lot of sense. Weigh the benefits, and choose the device with the level of support and reliability that meets your business needs.

Have questions?

Get help from IT Experts/Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner
Call us at: 856-745-9990 or visit: https://southjerseytechies.net/

South Jersey Techies, LLC is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design Services, Server Support, Network Consulting, Internet Phones, Cloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.

To read this article in its entirety click here.

To achieve its goal of getting one billion people onto Windows 10, Microsoft is getting more forceful in how it pushes Windows 7 and 8.1 users towards its new OS.

Microsoft wants Windows 10 on one billion devices by 2018 – and its tactics for hitting that ambitious goal are about to get more aggressive.

From next year, Microsoft will be more direct in pushing Windows 7 and 8.1 users to upgrade to its latest OS, in an attempt to bolster the 110 million-strong Windows 10 userbase.

Here’s how Microsoft is about to crank up the pressure to make the switch.

1. Windows 10 will automatically begin installing itself

From “early next year”, Microsoft will change the status of the free Windows 10 upgrade so it is classified as a Recommended Update.

Given that most home machines are set up to install Recommended Updates automatically, the change to Windows 10’s update status will lead to most Windows 7 and 8.1 machines beginning the upgrade.

However, Microsoft says that before Windows 10 is installed users will need to manually confirm the installation, giving them a chance to pull out.

Business users should be able to prevent the upgrade from automatically starting using tools such as Windows Server Update Services.

For those on metered connections, Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s executive VP of the Windows and Devices Group, said people “have the option of turning off automatic updates” before going on to say that such a move is unwise because of “the constant risk of internet threats”.

Those who don’t like the new OS will have 31 days to roll back to their previous version of Windows. To go back, select “Start Button->Settings->Update and Security->Recovery and Uninstall Windows 10”.

2. Upgrade notifications will be made more obvious

Despite Microsoft sticking a ‘Get Windows 10’ icon on the taskbar of most Windows 7 desktops, many customers apparently still can’t figure out how to initiate the upgrade.

Myerson says since launching Windows 10 the number one complaint has been ‘How do I get my upgrade?’.

To address the difficulty some users are having, Myerson said Microsoft will change “our notifications to be more approachable and hopefully clear, and sometimes fun”.

3. Upgrades will happen immediately

The process of initiating the upgrade to Windows 10 has also been streamlined.

In the weeks after Windows 10’s launch earlier this year, Microsoft required users to first reserve a Windows 10 upgrade, which would then be installed at a later date.

Microsoft has now replaced that two-step process with an immediate upgrade. Users clicking on the ‘Get Windows 10’ icon will now be given the option to ‘Upgrade Now’ to begin the upgrade process straightaway.

4. Simpler upgrade from unsanctioned copies of Windows

Myerson admits surprise at how many people running copies of Windows 7 and 8.1 that have not been authenticated then go on to buy Genuine copies of Windows 10.

Based on this experience, Microsoft plans to make it a “one-click” process for people running unsanctioned copies of the OS to “get Genuine” via the Windows Store or by entering an activation code bought elsewhere. The offer will be trialled in the US and, if successful, may be extended to other countries.

5. Upgrading multiple machines to Windows 10 will be easier

Those looking to upgrade several Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 machines to Windows 10 will soon find the process gets more straightforward.

Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool is used to create an image that can be run off a DVD or USB stick to upgrade qualifying machines to Windows 10.

According to Myerson, you will soon be able to use the tool to create a single image that will allow any number of 32-bit or 64-bit, Home or Pro machines to be upgraded and which will also allow for clean installs “wherever you have a Windows license”.

Have questions?

Get help from IT Experts/Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner
Call us at: 856-745-9990 or visit: https://southjerseytechies.net/

South Jersey Techies, LLC is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design Services, Server Support, Network Consulting, Internet Phones, Cloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.

To read this article in its entirety click here.

Ashley Madison (2015)

All data breaches are scary, but some just have that extra scream factor.

In arguably the most embarrassing data breach of the bunch, a group calling itself “The Impact Team” stole 37 million records from adultery website Ashley Madison, including many records that customers had paid to have deleted.

Virtually all of the company’s data was stolen in the hack, including records that suggest most female accounts on the site are fake, and that the company used female chat bots to trick men into spending money.

LivingSocial (2013)

Daily deals company LivingSocial had its network compromised in 2013, with hackers stealing roughly 50 million names, email addresses, birthdays, and encrypted passwords from its SQL database.

Sony PlayStation Network (2011)

Game over, man. In April 2011, hackers raided Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN) service, stealing personally identifiable information from more than 77 million gamers.

Sony was further criticized for delaying the release of public information about the theft and for storing customer data in an unencrypted form.

The attack took Sony’s PSN out of service for 23 days.

Internal Revenue Service (2015)

Nigerian scammers pilfered more than $50 million from the U.S. Treasury via an embarrassingly simple 2015 hack of the Internal Revenue Service website.

Information scraped from previous data hacks was used to steal Americans’ identities and request copies of past tax returns on the IRS website. The crooks then filed new tax returns with falsified data, requesting big refunds.

The hack caused massive nightmares for the estimated 334,000 people whose records were stolen before the IRS shut down the transcript request service.

Target (2013)

Hackers installed point-of-sale malware on Target’s computer network sometime in 2013, resulting in the theft of more than 70 million customer records. Stolen data included payment card numbers, expiration dates, and CVV codes.

The retailer reached out to affected customers by offering free data monitoring (standard practice) and a 10% off discount on a future shopping trip. But it was too little, too late; same-store sales slid in the quarter following the hack.

Anthem (2015)

Anthem, the United States’ second largest for-profit health insurer, disclosed in February 2015 that it had lost 78.8 million unencrypted customer records to criminals. Names, social security numbers, email addresses, and income data was stolen.

The rare piece of good news: Financial and medical records were not affected.

Adobe (2013)

Adobe revealed in October 2013 that hackers had stolen 38 million active customer IDs and passwords, forcing the company to send out a wave of password reset warnings.

Weeks after, the news got worse for the company: The thieves also made off with the source code for its popular Adobe Photoshop software.

eBay (2014)

Talk about an inside job: In 2004, online auction house eBay suffered the largest hack in U.S. history, losing 145 million login credentials to a hacker using an internal eBay corporate account.

Names, email and street addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates were compromised, but thankfully, passwords were stored in encrypted form.

Home Depot (2014)

In September 2014, Home Depot admitted that it fell prey to hackers who installed antivirus-evading malware on its self-checkout registers. An estimated 56 million sets of customer payment card data were stolen in the attack.

The company’s losses related to the event are expected to top $1 billion when all of the lawsuits are finally settled. Only $100 million of that will be covered by insurance.

JP Morgan Chase (2014)

The September 2014 breach of JP Morgan Chase proved that even the largest U.S. banks are vulnerable to data theft. Online banking login details were not stolen, but crooks did get their hands on 76 million sets of names, emails, addresses, and phone numbers of bank customers, creating serious phishing concerns.

A group of Russian hackers is believed to be responsible for the attack.

PNI Digital Media (2015)

PNI Digital Media, the company that handles online photo printing for CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Costco, and many more national chains, lost an unknown number of customer records to hackers in 2015.

Given that the company boasted more than 18 million transactions in 2014, it’s likely that this breach affected tens of millions of Americans.

Heartland (2008)

Credit and debit card processing firm Heartland Payment Systems became one of the largest data breach victims in U.S. history when hackers compromised more than 130 million accounts in 2008.

The criminal ring involved in the Heartland data theft was also found to be responsible for the 2005 hack of TJX Companies involving 94 million records.

TJX Companies (2005)

In a 2005 scheme dubbed “Operation Get Rich or Die Tryin,” a group of hackers used an unsecured Wi-Fi network at a Marshalls store to break into parent TJX Companies’ computer system and steal 94 million customer records, including payment card data.

Albert Gonzalez, the ringleader of the hack, is serving a 20-year sentence in Leavenworth.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (2015)

Earlier this year, the United States Office of Personnel Management admitted that hackers had taken 21.5 million records belonging to those who had undergone government background checks or otherwise applied for federal employment. The hackers stole a wealth of sensitive data, including security clearance information and fingerprint data belonging to secret agents.

The Washington Post reported that the attack is believed to have originated in China.

Zappos (2012)

In January 2012, online shoe retailer Zappos stated that cybercriminals had stolen data of 24 million customers, including names, addresses, and the last four digits of their payment cards.

After the announcement, Zappos had to disconnect its phone lines to keep upset customers from calling in and overloading its phone system.

Have questions?

Get help from IT Experts/Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner
Call us at: 856-745-9990 or visit: https://southjerseytechies.net/

South Jersey Techies, LLC is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design Services, Server Support, Network Consulting, Internet Phones, Cloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.

To read this article in its entirety click here.

BYOD means you must make a few extra preparations to protect your organization in cases of litigation and eDiscovery.

It’s a fact that we live in a litigious world. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and even corporate-owned mobile devices often are caught up in legal cases. Chris Gallagher, national director for Adecco eQ, a nationwide eDiscovery firm gives an overview of how businesses can navigate eDiscovery when a business has BYOD devices seized as part of a court case.

eDiscovery and mobile devices

BYOD and corporate-owned devices can be put a litigation hold (sometimes called a “preservation order”) when an organization must preserve all forms of relevant information when there’s the anticipation of litigation.

Gallagher’s firm helps legal counsel with data forensic collection, acquisition on mobile devices and PCs. His company processes the data on these devices and uses advanced analytics to locate information pertinent to the litigation

eDiscovery and BYOD: The blurred line

BYOD is still, from a legal perspective, in its infancy, Gallagher said. He said every time his firm does a customer survey, they still hear about strong BYOD activity in the market.

He said, “Of course, from a discovery perspective, from a litigation hold perspective, it makes both the general counsel’s life that much more difficult as well as the law firm’s life more difficult because number one, there’s that blurred line, what is corporate data versus what is personal and individual data, where does that line cease?”

Gallagher points out that anytime you have devices entering and leaving a network there’s a control factor. Companies who master that control have a better (but still not perfect) time when they get called into discovery.

“When you have a device that is not a corporate-owned device that is accessing corporate information, the ownership of that information always comes into question,” Gallagher said.

“When dealing with eDiscovery, part of discovery requests are information that is under your direction and control,” he said. “It’s on a personal device, it’s not owned by the corporation, but it’s corporate-owned data, so is that under your control? Absolutely.”

Litigation holds on BYOD devices can be an added nuance and one more gray area that corporation have to deal with when it comes to BYOD in their enterprise.

Gallagher said you need to ask, ” How do you get that data back? How do you ensure that you’re not losing, not only from a litigation perspective, but the other major issue is corporate information, trademark secrets, corporate secrets, confidential information that you wouldn’t want to enhance?”

He further explained that a litigation hold over a BYOD devices means going beyond the normal things like a desk drawer, files, email, and shared devices. It means you have to ask “Okay, what else have you used to access the corporate network in the last year?

Wearables and eDiscovery

Wearable tech would have minimal impact on eDiscovery. Gallagher said, “Now, if you’re a corporate attorney, if you’re a defense counsel, one of the things you’re going to argue is “Well, the watch, everything that’s available on the watch, it’s just email, weather, that’s available on the server anyway, so you have another place to get it.”

The wearable is a highly discoverable type of device because most of that information is just replicating from somewhere else, Gallagher said. Usually, you are replicating wearable data from your phone so if you have the phone then everything’s replicated.

“For smaller cases, for cases at a location, for criminal cases, or matrimonial cases, where location is important, wearables could come into play,” he said.

Onboarding BYOD devices and eDiscovery

Much of what Gallagher said around BYOD policies is standard fare. I asked Gallagher how a company could protect themselves in the cases of salespeople (the “original BYOD”users) contracts and non-compete agreements. Competitors in highly competitive industries sue each over this kind of stuff all the time.

Career salespeople have their contacts (built from years of selling in an industry) that they keep on their phones. They may have sold to these customers over the years.

From a legal perspective in this scenario, Gallagher recommends that corporations have an addendum added to their standard employment agreement. The addendum should state, “I certify that I am not bringing anything from my former employee. We are hiring you for your knowledge of the industry in general and not any specific contacts that you may or may not have from former employees.

Gallagher said this sort of contract boilerplate puts the responsibility on their shoulders and that you aren’t hiring them for a particular contact.

He also advised that you want to make sure that they abide by their previous non-compete, but you don’t want them downloading or taking anything with them from their previous employer. Gallagher cautioned that you should not place any data from their previous employer on your corporate-owned system. Take, for example, syncing a personally owned smartphone to a corporate-owned laptop. Along with that sync can come corporate data from your competitor. eDiscovery can detect that data.

He further recommends that you have that new sales rep come to you with a clean slate of a cell phone.

Bringing contacts along on a personal device has become much easier legally speaking according to Gallagher. He said, “One of the recent things that’s come out of court cases is if you look at LinkedIn profiles, if you look at customer information but the sales rep proved that most of the information that he had from his ‘client’ was available publicly on their LinkedIn profiles.”

You don’t want them backing up their tablet to their new computer that could result in a breach of their non-compete, and now it’s backed up on your servers according to Gallagher.

Conclusion

Above and beyond the usual BYOD and challenges that enterprises face each day, you may also be navigating a blurred legal line so prepare yourself accordingly with BYOD policies and advice from your counsel to ensure that you are prepared if and when BYOD devices get put on a litigation hold.

Have questions?

Get help from IT Experts/Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner
Call us at: 856-745-9990 or visit: https://southjerseytechies.net/

South Jersey Techies, LLC is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design Services, Server Support, Network Consulting, Internet Phones, Cloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.

To read this article in its entirety click here.