Stay safe while video conferencing

If you are one of the millions of people that has been video conferencing during the COVID19 social distancing efforts it’s important for you to use some basic safety rules as you continue. I know it’s nice to see your team and/or family as if everyone was in the same room but we want to make sure it’s friendly faces and not strangers in our meetings.  Let’s review some basic video conferencing safety tips:

Use passwords and/or unique ID numbers for each meeting. If the conferencing service gives you these features, enable them for each meeting you host. If you’re not the host, ask whoever it is to do it. Other tools may be available to limit access to your video conference, like the ability to approve each participant before joining. Consider enabling those, too.

Keep your video conferencing software up to date. Many video conferencing companies are updating their software as they learn about vulnerabilities, so it’s important to have those patches and fixes. But, you should only accept updates directly from the service’s website. This is true, too, if you need to download a video conferencing app. You should only download it directly from the service’s website or a platform’s app store. Other basic security precautions should also be considered while working from home. Ensure your systems are up-to-date and protected at minimum with a reputable Antivirus.

Don’t open unexpected video conference invitations. Hackers are sending emails mimicking video conferencing invitations. Those emails may have links that download malware on your computer or device. If you’re not expecting a video conference invitation, check first with the host separately. If you’re the host, tell the participants in advance that you’ll be sending the link. Keep your eyes open and learn how to spot a phishy email.

Protect your privacy. Your camera and microphone may be on by default when you join a video conference, so check the settings in advance to learn how to mute yourself or turn off your camera if you need to. Also, keep in mind that your video conference may be recorded, so it’s best to avoid sharing private information via video conference. It’s also a good idea to review the service’s privacy policies to understand how your information will be handled.

Are you using telehealth conferencing? If you’re conferencing remotely with a health care provider, ask about dedicated telehealth conferencing services that can include more safeguards to keep information private.  If you are a healthcare provider and have questions on setting up a secure compliant option, we can help.

Do you need help using video conferencing services as part of your business operations? Call us today. (561) 404-9251

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Reduce the Coronavirus Impact On Your Team

In this time of uncertainty many businesses are still struggling to successfully adapt to working remotely.  The good news is there are tools available that many of you already have in place as part of your Office 365 subscriptions.  Microsoft Teams and Bookings are two often overlooked Microsoft applications included with Office 365.  These applications can help manage communications and operations while maintaining safe distances via Video Conferencing, Chat and scheduling.  OneDrive and SharePoint can be used for file sharing and collaboration.  These tools are not only great for the issues we’re dealing with today but are great productivity tools when we come out on the other side.

Microsoft Teams
Chat, Phone/Video Calls & Screensharing on your computer and mobile devices.  Microsoft Teams is the hub for team collaboration in Office 365 that integrates the people, content, and tools your team needs to be more engaged and effective. 

More Info: https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software

Microsoft Bookings
Microsoft Bookings is an online and mobile app for small businesses who provide services to customers on an appointment basis. Examples of businesses include hair salons, dental offices, spas, law firms, financial services providers, realtors, consultants, and auto shops. 

More: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/scheduling-and-booking-app

Sharepoint/OneDrive
Share files, data, news, and resources. Customize your site to streamline your team’s work. Collaborate effortlessly and securely with team members inside and outside your organization, across PCs, Macs, and mobile devices.

More Info: https://products.office.com/en-us/sharepoint/collaboration

Remote PC Access & Support
If you have a monthly managed plan we can quickly facilitate remote access for your employees allowing access to their office desktops securely from home.  If you don’t have a monthly plan now is a great time to consider adding one.  It is the quickest way to secure your business and ensure smooth operations both in and out of the office. Additionally we are offering discounted options to add employees personal computers to the managed plans you currently have to ensure they have adequate support and security protections in place.

If you or anyone you know would like to discuss any of the options TMD Technology Services is here to help.  

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3 Child Safety Apps to Download for Halloween

Halloween is on the way and kids everywhere are already bracing for the impending sugar rush and halloween parties.  This halloween take some early precautions and checkout these 3 Child Safety Apps that will help the kiddies stay safe.

  1. Location Apps | There are some great apps out there where you can track the movement and location of a wireless device. Most mobile carriers – definitely Verizon and AT&T – have their own family locator app, which is usually available with a monthly charge. Most of these apps will typically run incognito so that the person using the phone doesn’t know their location is being tracked. This is a perfect option if you want to give your kid a sense of independence while also keeping tabs on their safety. One highly-rated, free location app called Follow You, Follow Me allows users to track and view each other’s location, and is available for download from the Apple iTunes store. Similarly, GPS Phone Tracker can be used to find a user’s phone and track their whereabouts at any given time, and is available for download from the Google Play Store. If you really want to take the extra step here, consider installing a panic button app that can be used whenever you or your loved one is in trouble.
  2. Set or Automate Check-In Times | You can set an alarm using the pre-installed alarm app on your child’s mobile device to alert them when it’s time to check-in with you. If you’re worried that they’ll just hit the snooze button, you can use apps like SchedCall (Android) and CallBot (Apple) to automate calls to a designated phone number. Some of these apps allow you to schedule calls to multiple people at the same time, while others work their way down a hierarchy of people if the call is missed. The app can alert any parent or guardian first, and if they’re busy, you can arrange for another close friend or relative to be next in line.
  3. ICE and Education | Most of us neglect the ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact lists in our phones, or don’t even know how to add an ICE contact in the first place. In the event of a true emergency, having an ICE contact can help emergency personnel find the right person to immediately get in touch with. These numbers should be one of the FIRST places they check to notify you or another close relative. Most phones have this feature built in, but yes, there are apps for that. For easy access and visibility, most apps allow you to place a widget on the home screen of the device, or you can always ask Siri to help out.

Lastly, these tips and tools are no good if your child doesn’t know why they’re important and how to use them. Most kids seem to have smartphone skills ingrained in their DNA nowadays, so it shouldn’t be an issue to educate them. Furthermore, you can reinforce this education in your local community. If you’re a member of a neighborhood watch or a similar group, spread the knowledge and share these tools with them.

Hurricane Season 2018 is Almost Here, Are You Ready?

Hurricane Office Protection

The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, and this year includes the names: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie, and William.

As we in South Florida look towards the horizon of another above average storm season, (according to forecasters from the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project.) We should pause for a moment and reflect on last year’s disastrous hurricane season that included storms like Harvey, Irma and Maria.  These storms absolutely devastated so many of our neighbors in the caribbean and throughout the keys.  We were extremely lucky here in Palm Beach and Broward County and still many businesses suffered from extended periods of downtime due to power and internet outages.  If you own a business you should be putting some safeguards in place NOW while there is still time to prepare.

Consider the following items ahead of this hurricane season.

  • Prepare. Update your Hurricane and Disaster Plans. Being prepared is half the battle.
  • Redundancy.  Consider adding backup systems and alternatives to get back in operation quicker.  Generators, Wireless Internet Hotspots & Routers are great and relatively inexpensive options you can put in place and have ready year round.
  • Backup.  It goes without saying that having reliable data backup is crucial at anytime not just during a storm.  If you don’t have nightly backups and/or cloud back services you are putting your business at jeopardy.  Viruses, Malware,  Ransomware and mechanical failure are all almost inevitable at some point.  Reduce your risk and backup at a minimum daily.
  • Cloud. There are lots of cloud services out there that will help facilitate continued operations from remote locations.  We can quickly help migrate your email and even file storage to safe online storage using Office 365.
  • Support. Consider a monthly support agreement as this provides the best way to document your systems and recover after a disaster.  You will also receive the best support and proactive management all year long!
  • Don’t Wait! Most computer support and technology companies will be overrun addressing their current customers needs both ahead of and after a storm passes with little time available for new customers.

Call TMD Technology Services today to discuss how you can better prepare your business ahead of hurricane season. (561) 404-9251

Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus

Editors' Choice

Many antivirus companies have dropped the idea of version updates, or yearly updates, opting instead to continually hone the product’s skills and slipstream in new features. Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus has hardly changed visibly since my last review, but as an Editors’ Choice it merits a new review, comparing it with all the latest products. It’s still a winner.

 

 

 

  • PROS | Perfect score in malware protection test. Light on system resources. Good scores in malicious and fraudulent URL tests. Ransomware protection. Fastest scan. Advanced features.
  • CONS | No lab test results.
  • BOTTOM LINE | Small, speedy Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus hardly uses any of your system’s resources. It aces our hands-on malware protection test, and it can even roll back ransomware activity.

Ultimate protection through machine learning

The Webroot® Threat Intelligence Platform is a cloud-based architecture that classifies and scores 95% of the internet 3x per day. With over 10 years’ experience innovating in the field of cutting-edge machine learning technology, Webroot Threat Intelligence provides the accuracy and context organizations and vendors need to protect themselves and their customers.

To learn more about this webroot PCMag review click here