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5 Ways To Prevent Data Loss In Your Company

August 20, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events citrix endpoint management, microsoft intune, ways to prevent data loss company

What are the ways to prevent data loss in your company?

Securing endpoint devices
Utilizing Rights Management Solutions
Implementing Zero-Trust Security
Investing in Backup and Disaster Recovery
Using Next-Generation Firewalls

From disturbing operations, losing sales, and causing downtimes—data loss affects organizations in multiple ways. That’s why one of your priorities is to protect and back up your data. This can be done by securing endpoint devices, using firewalls, investing in disaster recovery plans, and more. Read on to learn more about the ways to prevent data loss in your company.

Securing Endpoint Devices

Whether it’s an office desktop or a remote laptop — work devices used by your employees are indispensable tools for their job. But they also serve as potential sources of data theft and loss. These devices could be accidentally lost, stolen, or compromised by malware. One click on an illegitimate URL or the presence of a malicious insider can jeopardize your data.

This is why securing endpoint devices is vital. One way to do this is by using Citrix Endpoint Management. It helps keep sensitive data away from unauthorized devices. It also has security controls based on device, location, role, and context. With endpoint management, multi-factor authentication can also be enabled before accessing different applications. In this way, user identity is verified in multiple ways to add another layer of security to your data.

Other than that, your IT team can also stay ahead of high-risk activities by taking advantage of Citrix Analytics. This can provide user behavior analytics that can detect suspicious activities and stop malicious insiders.

Another option is Microsoft Intune, which focuses on mobile device and mobile application management. This is applicable to bring-your-own devices (BYOD) and organization-owned devices. You can control how the devices are used, or how your company’s data is protected in personal devices. With this solution, you can see which devices are accessing your company data, remove all the data if the device is stolen, and see reports on users that are not compliant with your policies. Intune can be used with Microsoft 365 products and can be integrated with Azure Information Protection.

Utilizing Rights Management Solutions

Another effective way to protect your data is to utilize rights management solutions. These can control who has access to your company data, so only authorized individuals will be able to view it.

One example is Azure Rights Management (RMS), which is used by Azure Information Protection — a data protection solution. This provides encryption, identity, and authorization policies so company data can be protected across devices. This protection still remains even if the data is sent to a third-party. Additionally, it also allows sensitive files to be shared, viewed, and accessed by others safely.

With Azure RMS, you can also monitor what happens to the protected files after sending them. You will be provided with information on when it was opened by authorized persons or if an unauthorized individual tries to open the files.

Implementing Zero-Trust Security

Weak credentials have a higher risk of being stolen by criminals to infiltrate a network and steal data. Remember that it can only take one hacked account to enter your network — especially if it has higher levels of access privilege. This is why zero-trust security should be a part of your strategies to prevent data breaches.

By implementing zero-trust security, you can minimize the chances of an insider compromising your data. This is done through multi-factor authentication so you can verify every user, service, and machine that is requesting access to your company information. This is adapted to the risk context so a request coming from a potentially risky location will need to go through a higher level of verification before being granted access.

In addition to that, not everyone will be allowed to go to certain areas in your network unless they’re approved. You only need to grant the least privilege needed for the task or the role, so you can reduce the cyber attack surface and stop the spread of malware from the area of attack if it occurs. If you need Zero Trust Security as a service, CT Link can help you integrate, monitor, and maintain it.

Investing In Backup And Disaster Recovery

From accidental deletions, hardware failure, or a natural disaster — data can be lost in a variety of ways. Without a dedicated recovery plan, your organization might experience downtime, financial losses, and a negative effect on your reputation.

To protect your data, it is beneficial to have a backup and disaster recovery system in place. This allows you to bounce back quickly so you can regain your losses and continue your business operations.

One of the most convenient ways you can protect your data is by subscribing to a backup as a service (BaaS). Through this, you will have access to manpower and resources to keep your backup system up-to-date and effective. It also allows you to recover quickly from data loss so you can keep your business up and running in no time.

If you’re looking for backup managed services, CT Link can help you. They will assist your team from start to finish so you can better protect your data. They will help you identify the data you need to protect, establish a strategy for recovery, deploy the backup infrastructure, monitor the backup solution, manage and resolve any issues found, and document all actions that are taken.

Using Next-Generation Firewalls

Data loss can occur due to malware. That’s why one of the most important steps to protect your sensitive data from these viruses is through Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW).

Just like a traditional firewall, an NGFW helps secure connections between the network and the internet. It provides administrators the ability to allow or block traffic based on a set of rules. But compared to the former, it offers additional layers of protection — such as application-level inspection, advanced intrusion protection, and cloud-delivered intelligence.

An NGFW can help prevent breaches so you can keep your company data safe. But aside from prevention, it also helps to quickly detect the presence of advanced malware if it penetrates your defenses. An NGFW is part of the Zero Trust Network design, which is a strategy that companies use to prevent data breaches through the concept “never trust, always verify”.

Key Takeaway

Data loss can lead to financial damages, low productivity, expensive downtime, and a loss of reputation. With threats from cyberattacks and insiders ever-present, you need to strategize so you can prevent the loss of critical data. This can be done by securing endpoint devices, utilizing rights management solutions, using NGFWs, implementing zero-trust security, investing in backup and disaster recovery, and more.

If you’re interested in more ways to prevent data loss in your company, you can send a message here! CT Link can help you find and implement the solution that your organization needs to protect your data.

How To Protect Your Data From Insider Threats

August 13, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events how to prevent data breach, how to protect data from insider threats, how to secure data

How can your organization protect data from insider threats?

Provide anti-phishing training
Manage who has access to your data
Implement User and Entity Behavior Analytics

Whether it’s malicious or unintentional, insiders can put your data at risk, disrupt operations, and damage company reputation. But with the right strategies and IT solutions, this problem can be prevented. Keep on reading to learn more about how to protect your data from insider threats.

What are Insider Threats?

The first thing you should know about insider threats is how they happen. Breaches can occur due to financial motivation, retaliation, or plain carelessness. These types of threats are difficult to detect because a user is given access to the system and data of an organization as part of their job.

Depending on the position and task of an employee, they might be given the privilege to view sensitive information on a daily basis. They may potentially abuse this right to steal information for money, compromise the organization, and the like.

Insider threat detection is made even more complicated because they take place within your network. In order to reduce the risk, here are some things you can implement in your organization.

Provide Anti-Phishing Training

Not all insider threats are motivated by ill intent. Some employees become compromised insiders simply because they don’t have enough knowledge of the risk they pose to the organization.

For instance, they could be targeted by a phishing attack without knowing it. This happens when they’re contacted by a cybercriminal posing as a legitimate institution through email or text message. Employees are lured to provide sensitive data or to open links that trigger a malware download.

This incident could also happen through a phone call. Your employees might receive an unwanted call from an IT helpdesk, in which the caller asks them for credentials before the call can proceed. When this happens, outsiders can gain access to your system and steal information.

This is why regular anti-phishing training is important for all organizations. Managers can simulate personal training programs with each employee, in order to determine who are vulnerable to attacks. To supplement this, employees can also be taught how to spot phishing attacks through collaboration with other employees as well as timely reporting of incidents.

Manage Who Has Access To Your Data

One of the ways insiders can become dangerous is when individuals are provided access to all data in the organization. In this situation, employees can abuse their credentials knowingly or unknowingly. But by managing who has access to your data, you can better secure it. This can be done through the principle of least privilege (POLP).

POLP works by only allowing users the bare minimum privileges that are needed to perform their roles. For example, an employee who needs to enter information into a database only requires the ability to input information. They don’t need to be provided with anything else—such as administrator rights. By implementing POLP, the spread of malware and cyberattacks can be minimized. Instead, any potential breach is contained in a limited area where it first took place.

Some organizations also implement just-in-time (JIT) access, by limiting a user’s access to applications or systems to a predetermined period of time. By allowing access on an as-needed basis, you can minimize the privileges that insiders can take advantage of.

Implement User and Entity Behavior Analytics

Lastly, organizations can also implement User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to protect data from insider threats. It involves analyzing user and machine data so that threats could be detected in an organization. By collecting data over a period of time, normal and anomalous behavior could be differentiated. This can help spot security activities that can’t be detected by traditional tools.

For example, when an insider with privileged access is planning a cyberattack, it could be hard to detect. But with UEBA, a baseline, or the typical behavior of a user is established—so it could detect abnormal activity.

Exabeam offers UEBA solutions to help you detect and solve insider threats. It can provide timeline analysis and session stitching so you can tie together unrelated activities to form a complete story. This allows you to get the whole picture of the security events. Other than that, it also provides lateral movement detection, to view the attacker’s journey through the network. All of these features can be automated, so your staff can do more with less time.

Key Takeaway

Detecting insider threats through normal techniques can be a challenge. This is why if you have staff that can compromise your data because of a lack of knowledge, it is important to educate them on how they can prevent an attack. Ensure that you’re only giving the least privileged access required for them to perform their role. Finally, with the help of UEBA, you can track abnormal activity in your network so you can address it promptly.

If you want to know how to protect data from insider threats, you can contact CT Link! We can help you choose the IT solutions that allow you to minimize and prevent this problem in your organization.

4 Information Technology Problems In The Healthcare Industry

August 6, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events Citrix virtual apps, information technology problems healthcare industry, Trend Micro, Unitrends

What are some information technology problems in the healthcare industry?

Increasing need for data storage
Vulnerabilities to ransomware
Risk of data loss
Telemedicine and BYOD

With the advancement of technology, the medical field has grown by leaps and bounds. But despite that, there are still information technology problems that the healthcare industry continues to face. Medical devices are still exposed to vulnerabilities, there is a growing need for long-term retention of patient records, and many others. This article discusses these problems and the best ways to mitigate them. Read on.

Increasing Need For Data Storage

Over time, healthcare facilities accumulate an increasing amount of files in their system. With higher-quality laboratory imaging files, data from medical devices, and a growing collection of patient records, the need for larger storage capacities is vital.

But the main challenge for most healthcare facilities is how to quickly scale up without exorbitant price requirements. Most hospitals utilize on-premise data storage but the cost of getting physical servers can be overwhelming. Add to this the cost of maintaining power supply, cooling mechanisms, and more.

That’s why numerous healthcare institutions move towards a more cost-efficient option—cloud storage. This requires less capital investment because organizations can scale up and expand depending on their needs. They can start with a smaller space and gradually increase it as the need for storage grows. Cloud storage solutions also lessen management costs through simplified monitoring and reduce the need for on-premise hardware.

Vulnerabilities To Ransomware

Healthcare data and applications are necessary so healthcare employees can provide proper patient care. Cybercriminals know this, which is why they target these in exchange for ransom. Ransomware is a type of malware that blocks users from accessing data and applications until payment is sent to the criminal. For instance, you might encounter encrypted files and will only be given a decryption key upon settling the ransom.

This type of malware can spread in a system in a variety of ways. Employees could accidentally download it when accessing compromised websites or when clicking on phishing email attachments. These messages try to duplicate legitimate organizations, so users might click on them without checking or verifying their authenticity.

To combat this problem, it is vital to train healthcare employees on how to avoid malicious sites and files. Other than that, IT security measures are also critical in order to detect and isolate suspicious files.

For example, anti-ransomware solutions like Deep Discovery Email Inspector from Trend Micro help detect ransomware from malicious email. Detection is done at the entry point so that the attacks can be blocked before they can even begin. This is made possible through custom sandboxing and other techniques to facilitate the blocking or isolation of such emails.

Another challenge in the healthcare industry is the vulnerability of operational technology (OT) systems and devices — such as CT scans and ultrasound machines — to threats. Since patient outcomes heavily depend on these devices, a disruption could be problematic. Malware could enter the devices and compromise the facility’s computer systems. Fortunately, Trend Micro’s OT solution, the TXOne, can help protect these machine’s entry points from any such threats that can hamper their functionality without downtimes.

Risk Of Data Loss

Because data is crucial to healthcare facilities, many take steps to prevent data loss. But this could still happen due to human error, computer viruses, and hardware destruction. This could affect patient care and lead to downtime. Data loss could also affect the reputation of an organization and trigger legal action from patients.

This is why aside from having additional storage, having backups of important files and data is necessary. Recovering lost data can be expensive, time-consuming, and impossible to completely do. But with a backup, files and applications can be restored faster for smooth continuation of operations.

In some cases, however, criminals also target backups. Fortunately, solutions like Unitrends doesn’t just offer backups, but also ransomware detection and recovery. Backup data is stored in an immutable format, which means that it can’t be accessed by ransomware. This way, it remains safe and ready for recovery. Aside from that, Unitrends also utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze ransomware infections during every backup.

Telemedicine And BYOD

Gone are the days when pagers were the main communication device for healthcare workers. Today, smartphones are the gadget of choice to interact with team members, streamline workflows, and access patient information. By allowing medical workers to use their own devices, healthcare facilities can enjoy huge savings while benefiting from increased work efficiency.

With the pandemic not ending anytime soon, outpatients and physicians can have virtual consultations too. This means that health workers need to have access to their facilities’ electronic health records remotely. This way, they can document e-visits properly and provide continuous care for their patients.

One of the best ways to make telemedicine possible is through the power of cloud computing. This allows health workers to access applications and files that can make work from remote locations possible. With cloud security solutions available, healthcare organizations could secure endpoint devices so physicians can work efficiently whether they’re at the hospital or at home.

A reliable way of accessing the cloud is by using Citrix Virtual Apps. With this, doctors can do work on their tablets while on their rounds and access work from their computers at home. From getting patient information, collaborating with other doctors and patients, and providing patient care anytime — health care workers can do all of these remotely, on the field, or at the hospital. These can all be achieved with regulatory compliance and meeting all HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act) standards.

Key Takeaway

With an increase in data, ever-present cyber threats, risk of data loss, BYOD protocols, and telemedicine on the rise, the need for advanced IT solutions is vital for the healthcare industry. These can help organizations reduce the risk of downtime and provide high-quality care for their patients.

If you want to solve these information technology problems in the healthcare industry, CT Link can help you! You can send a message here today so we can assist you in choosing an IT solution that is fit for your needs.

5 Industries That Will Benefit From Microsoft Azure

July 30, 2021October 17, 2023 blog-manager News and Events benefits of microsoft azure, Hybrid Cloud, Microsoft Azure

What are the industries that will benefit from Microsoft Azure?

Manufacturing
Healthcare
Financial Services
Retail and E-commerce
Government

Some companies look for minimal hardware onsite while others look for hybrid cloud solutions. From additional storage, data security, and more — different industries have varying needs and challenges that need to be solved. The good news is, Microsoft Azure is a cloud platform that provides numerous services for different requirements. Keep on reading to learn more about the industries that will benefit from Microsoft Azure.

Manufacturing

When it comes to the fast-paced manufacturing industry, some companies that haven’t improved their IT processes have been manually tracking productivity, machine condition, and more. But with so much data in play, organizations need efficient tools to classify and make sense of a breadth of information.

With Microsoft Azure, however, companies can get access to business intelligence (BI) tools so that data can be converted to easy-to-understand visualizations beneficial in decision making. For instance, data on the machines can be turned into useful information about when to replace parts—which can help in optimizing equipment operation and maintenance. This way, companies can focus on making fact-based decisions instead of guessing.

Healthcare

From patient records, CT Scans, X-ray reports, human resource information, and more — one of the challenges of the healthcare industry is data storage. Most healthcare facilities depend largely on on-premise data storage to keep and manage these data. But as the amount of information increases over time, this means that hospitals are required to add more physical storage. With limited space on the site, the cost of having additional servers and buying hardware is high.

But with Microsoft Azure, healthcare facilities can get access to additional and cost-effective cloud storage solutions. It is easily scalable, so organizations can meet their increasing need for storage over time. Organizations can start with a smaller space and eventually add more cloud space as the amount of data grows.

Financial Services

Banking and financing institutions need to protect their customer’s sensitive data. But security remains one of the leading industry challenges for financial services. If credit card numbers, addresses, and other important information are accessed by the wrong people, this could lead to irreparable consequences.

With cyber threats ever so present, organizations need to implement security measures to protect their data and applications. Fortunately, Microsoft Azure also offers security features that can be beneficial to financial institutions. This is made possible through their yearly investment in cybersecurity research and development.

For instance, Azure Information Protection can help clients to classify and protect their documents by applying labels. This enables organizations to limit access to sensitive information and protect it using encryption. Other features like the Azure Security Center also use AI to quickly identify threats to help you automate remediation.

Retail And E-commerce

One of the challenges faced by retail companies nowadays is reaching more customers online. Almost everyone is making their purchases through smartphones and other mobile devices due to the fast shipping and overall convenience. This is why retail institutions need to provide both offline and online experiences to customers.

Microsoft Azure can help you connect with Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) so you can provide a better mobile experience to customers. You can build applications in the cloud, have them tested on real devices, and monitor for real-world usage all in one place. This gives companies the ability to release better apps and high-quality shopping experiences to customers faster. In an industry where customers can quickly shift to competitors, the ability to move quickly and easily is of peak importance.

Government

Government institutions are required to keep track and manage a colossal amount of data. This will only continue to grow, so data management is becoming a challenge. Aside from storage, loss of files is also a problem. Due to human error, disasters, and more, important information can be erased permanently. This can pose problems for citizens and government organizations when it occurs.

Fortunately, Microsoft Azure also offers a backup solution and disaster recovery service. This is scalable according to the present and future needs of government institutions. Data is also protected against ransomware through multi-factor authentication and other security features. In case of data loss due to accidental deletion, retrieval is easy by enabling the soft delete function. A faster disaster recovery strategy can also be executed in order to reduce downtimes.

Key Takeaway

With business intelligence tools, additional storage capabilities, security features, MBaaS, backup, disaster recovery solutions, and many more — a wide range of industries will benefit from Microsoft Azure. Aside from manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, retail, and government, Azure can provide IT solutions that can fit different industry requirements.

If you need Microsoft Azure services in your organization, don’t hesitate to send a message to CT Link! We also provide managed services so you can focus on other IT Tasks while we take care of adjusting system parameters, monitoring the health of the service, and many more.

Why Do You Need A Data Backup And Disaster Recovery Plan?

July 23, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events Data Backup, Datto, Disaster Recovery, Unitrends Backup

Why do you need a data backup and disaster and recovery plan?

Human error
Cyber threats
Natural disasters
Hardware failure
Lost or stolen devices
Business continuity

Aside from losing important files and information, data loss can lead to downtime and lost revenue. Unexpected situations such as natural disasters, cyber threats, hardware failure, and employee errors can lead to the loss of important data. Recovering these without a backup plan can be difficult if not impossible, so having one is a must. If you want to learn why you need a data backup and disaster recovery plan, keep on reading.

Human Error

One of the most common causes of data loss for organizations is human error. Employees might accidentally delete an important file and cause major problems for the entire business. While this problem is significantly reduced by training your workers, even the most careful person could make mistakes.

Fortunately, data backup solutions are dependable whether you lose a single file or a whole file folder. For instance, with Unitrends EndPoint Backup solutions, you can benefit from continuous file and folder backup over an internet connection. It provides point-in-time rollback so you can restore files and entire sites after an accidental delete. You can choose from several file versions that are saved on the cloud.

Cyber Threats

In the event that your security is bypassed and your files are affected by ransomware, a backup solution can help mitigate the damage. This is a type of malware that can prevent users from accessing your system. It can also lock computer screens or encrypt specific files. Ransomware can affect all industries—from healthcare, automobile, financial services, technology, education, oil & gas, and more.

Solutions like Datto Workplace offer a Threat Detection and Management feature to help detect ransomware infections, quarantine them and revert the affected files to the previous clean state. In addition, any security incidents are also reported to team administrators for easier cybersecurity management.

Natural Disasters

From storms, fires, and floods—you can only do so much to stop natural disasters from causing permanent damage to your IT infrastructure. In most cases, businesses shut down because of the costly downtime. Other than typhoons, a power outage can also lead to data loss because your employees may potentially lose their work in progress.

It is vital to have multiple backup solutions—such as on-site, off-site, and cloud backups—so you can retrieve your data in worst-case scenarios. If you encounter a natural calamity, Unitrends offers a business continuity and disaster recovery solution that can help you rapidly recover data so you can resume your critical operations immediately and keep downtime to a minimum.

Hardware Failure

If you don’t have your data backed up to your cloud, you are more vulnerable to data loss caused by hardware failure. Hard drives can malfunction due to overheating, water damage, power surges, impact when dropped, and exposure to magnetic fields. The files can also become corrupted and affect your business operations.

With Unitrends EndPoint Backup, however, you can protect all your organization’s files and retrieve them from the cloud when needed. Other than that, it is beneficial to have a high availability clustering solution in your organization to minimize downtime. This way, you will have two servers instead of one. In case your active server fails, a clone or the passive server will take over so you can meet your uptime goals.

Lost Or Stolen Devices

With remote work in place, you have limited visibility where your employees take their computing devices during work. Working at home is one thing, but the risk of lost or stolen devices is high in public areas. For instance, laptops can be stolen when left unattended in cars, airports, or restaurants. This can affect your employees’ work in progress or lead to a permanent data loss without a proper retrieval plan.

For this situation, Datto allows you to disable a lost device or wipe the data so you can prevent outsiders from accessing your business information. With files backed up to the cloud, you will also have no problem retrieving them from another device in the future.

Business Continuity

In the event of a data loss, your business could suffer multiple consequences. Without your critical files, your productivity can be disrupted. It might take time to recover, so you can experience downtime which can lead to lost sales. In most cases, you might never retrieve data that was lost.

This incident can also negatively affect your reputation in the industry. Losing data also means a loss in customer confidence – they may think that you’re unable to protect their sensitive information properly. With a prolonged downtime and service interruption, loyal customers have a higher chance of switching to a competitor. That’s why the quicker you can recover data, the better you could protect your business, retain customers, and provide more value to your industry.

Key Takeaway

There are multiple reasons why you need a data backup and disaster recovery plan. In the event of a data loss due to human error, natural disaster, cyberthreat, hardware failure, or lost or stolen devices, these can help you bounce back immediately and continue your operations with minimal interruptions.

If you’re interested in implementing a data backup and disaster recovery plan, you can contact CT Link! We offer backup as a service so you can perform quick recoveries if needed.

5 Benefits Of Moving To Microsoft Office 365

July 16, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events benefits of moving to microsoft office 365, Microsoft Cloud, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Security

5 Benefits Of Moving To Microsoft Office 365

What are the benefits of moving to Microsoft Office 365?

Provides additional storage
Supports remote productivity
Offers security features
Cost-effective solution
Designed for every organization

Microsoft 365 provides office applications, cloud services, and security. It is used by individuals, families, small businesses, and enterprises. This article will talk about the advantages it gives to organizations that decide to use it for business purposes. It enables employees to work remotely, provides security features for the cloud, offers additional storage, and more. Keep reading for the benefits of moving to Microsoft Office 365!

Provides Additional Storage

File storage is one of the most important components you need to think of when running a business. Data will pile up over time as you continue to process your financial reports, update your written policies, and more. Your on-premise storage might seem enough for now, but someday you will need more. This is where cloud storage from Microsoft Office 365 comes in.

With Microsoft 365, you will get access to OneDrive, which is a cloud storage and file-sharing solution used by numerous businesses. You can view, edit, and share files using your laptop or mobile phone so working on the go is possible. Your files are backed up and protected so you can recover them in the event of accidental deletion.

Supports Remote Productivity

With Microsoft 365, you can share and work on files together with your team, which makes collaboration much more convenient. These files can be accessed from any device and location as long as you have an internet connection. You can also edit the files offline and they will be automatically synced when you’re online. Only those with the right permissions can access the file so you can securely share documents.

With these features, gone are the days where you have to manually send word files back and forth with a coworker. You can also share mailboxes, calendars, and more! But aside from file collaboration, Microsoft 365 also allows you to communicate with your team seamlessly. With Microsoft Teams, you can have a meeting with numerous users, host a webinar, and chat with your team on the go!

Offers Security Features

Now that you know how Microsoft 365 improves productivity, you might be wondering how secure your files and data are on the cloud. The good news is, your files are encrypted during storage and transit. You can control the users that can access your data with security groups and custom permissions. You can also set up multi-factor authentication to require your team to comply with extra verification requirements before logging in to their account.

Other than that, Microsoft 365 also gives you access to privacy and security controls to protect your employees and customers from phishing and malware. For instance, when you receive files and attachments, the Safe Attachments feature checks for threats before the email is even delivered to the recipients. In addition to that, you can also set up custom anti-phishing policies to protect specific users, groups, and domains.

Cost-Effective Solution

Every organization needs to consider its expenses in order to make a profit. Fortunately, Microsoft 365 is a cost-effective solution from a business standpoint. Because it runs on a subscription basis, you only need to spend money on features that will be useful for your business. Fortunately, there are a variety of plans you can choose from depending on your needs. This way, you will get the best value for your money even if you’re on a budget. This helps you plan your IT expenses for the year ahead.

As a bonus, upgrades are done automatically, so you won’t have to purchase additional software and have unexpected expenses. These are done at predetermined intervals so your IT team can have more time for more important tasks.

Designed For Every Organization

Microsoft 365 is used at home, businesses, enterprises, and different types of industries. With all the productivity and security features available, you will surely find a plan that can fit your needs.

For the business plans, up to 300 users can have an account. But if you manage a large organization, Enterprise Plans is your best option. With this, an unlimited number of users can take advantage of the services you avail of. Aside from these, Microsoft 365 education solutions are also available for teachers and students.

With these options, your organization — whether your business is on the startup or scaling up phase — can benefit from improved productivity and security, while reducing costs.

Key Takeaway

From additional storage, team collaboration, security, reduction of expenses, and more—these are just some of the benefits of moving to Microsoft Office 365. With so many useful features to avail of, you will find the right ones for your organization.

If you’re interested, CT Link can help you implement the services you need when moving to Office 365! Send a message here so we can help you out today!

4 Benefits Of Cisco Meraki

July 12, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events benefits of cisco meraki, Cisco Meraki, features of cisco meraki

What are the benefits of Cisco Meraki?

Simplified management
Scalability
Workforce support
Safe and secure environments

The changing demands for businesses have increased the need for more advanced IT solutions. In addition to that, cyber threats are becoming more deadly and problematic. How can you effectively manage and secure your business network without too much complexity? Simplicity, scalability, reliability, and security—these are some of the things that Cisco Meraki cloud-managed IT solutions can offer. Read on for the benefits of Cisco Meraki!

What is Cisco Meraki?

Cisco Meraki offers centralized cloud solutions and other products so users can manage all network devices through one safe and easy-to-use platform. Their products have been implemented in a wide variety of industries such as education, manufacturing, healthcare, government, retail, hospitality, financial services, and even small businesses.

Simplified Management

One of the perks of using Cisco Meraki products is the simple and easy management they can provide users. You can control and monitor routers, switches, and security devices from a single pane—which is the Meraki dashboard. But aside from managing devices, they can also be used by your IT team to oversee network permissions, users, network analytics, and more.

The centralized management feature can significantly reduce the management burden for your IT Team. Cloud management is possible from any location, so your team can work remotely—which makes the number of on-site visits low. Cisco Meraki also provides automatic firmware updates, patches, and the like, on a regular basis. With these benefits, your team can focus on other tasks while benefiting from an up-to-date cloud platform.

Other than that, Cisco Meraki allows administrators to view the entire WiFi network and restrict sites and applications as needed. One platform will allow you to control and manage operations from anywhere.

Scalability

Scalability is one of the factors why more and more businesses are moving their workloads to the cloud. From a business standpoint, this allows an organization to quickly grow and adapt to meet changing demands. This enables them to maintain a competitive edge in their industry.

Cisco Meraki gives your business the opportunity to scale up in order to respond to changing needs. The good thing is their products can be conveniently added, removed, and moved according to your situation. For a growing company, their solutions can be implemented in order to speedily add capacity and comply with demands.

This is one of the reasons why Cisco Meraki products are perfect for all types of organizations. They can solve a number of IT-related issues through cloud controllers, enterprise management, cloud security, and many more. These solutions are adaptable and configurable to your business’ needs for better efficiency and productivity.

Workforce Support

With the recent pandemic, social distancing and remote work have become the norm for most companies. With employees working in the office and at home, you need an IT solution that can provide centralized visibility and widespread access.

Cisco Meraki can be utilized for both remote or a hybrid workforce. It helps employees have a secure and consistent work experience, whether they’re in the office or at home. They can collaborate and access business applications no matter where they are.

Cisco Meraki can also provide a better IT cloud platform for workers. They offer next-generation WiFi, SD-WAN, and switching technologies. This gives 100% connectivity and a seamless experience for users.

Aside from these features, applications and devices can also be secured whether your employees are in the office or at home. You can allow the use of personal devices because Cisco Meraki enables device monitoring and location tagging to receive important information on device health and security.

Safe And Secure Environments

When migrating to the cloud, one of the main concerns for organizations is security. To prevent data loss, Cisco Meraki offers state-of-the-art solutions. These security capabilities are analyzed and developed by the world-renowned security research team—Cisco Talos.

From basic firewalls, VPN connectivity, or advanced security solutions—Cisco Meraki’s security options can match an organization’s specific needs. Both on-premises and cloud data will benefit from world-class security.

To help your IT team oversee security events, they can use the Meraki dashboard for monitoring threats. This allows them to secure people, devices, and assets from one platform.

Features like the Cisco Meraki Air Marshal can provide real-time wireless intrusion prevention and forensics for users. This scans the environment for real-time threats and implements preemptive actions according to configured preferences. The built-in forensics tools can provide thorough analysis after the initial threat assessments. You will be notified of any potential threats via email and SMS and you can also customize real-time alerts depending on your situation.

Key Takeaway

Cisco Meraki has numerous features to offer your organization. From security, reliability, simplified management, scalability, and more—the benefits of Cisco Meraki are many. If you want an easy and secure way to manage your workloads in a hybrid or remote work environment, their technologies can help you do so.

Are you interested in Cisco Meraki? You can send a message here at CT Link so we can help you find the solution that matches, scales, and adapts to your organization’s ever-changing requirements.

3 Cloud Security Issues You Can Encounter

July 1, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events Cloud Backup, Cloud Security, cloud security issues, Cloud Technology

What are some cloud security issues you can encounter?

Misconfiguration of settings
Endpoint user error
Cyber threats

Due to the flexibility, scalability, and mobility that cloud platforms give, numerous companies are migrating their workloads from on-premises data centers. Cloud providers invest a huge amount of money in research and development to implement better security than what a business can do on its own. But if your organization is migrating to the cloud for the first time, there might be some cloud security issues you might encounter. Read on to learn more.

Misconfiguration Of Settings

The most common cause of cloud data breaches is misconfiguration of the security settings on the user’s part. No matter how secure the cloud platform is, the risk of cyber attacks will be there if it is not utilized correctly.

If your cloud security settings are not configured properly, you’re exposing data to the internet without the use of sophisticated techniques and tools. Any stored information like email addresses or sensitive information may potentially be used for social engineering cyber attacks. In the worst case, your important applications can also be modified or deleted. But fortunately, this security issue is preventable as long as you take the time and effort to secure the platform.

For example, one of the common mistakes for first-time users is using weak passwords. These can easily be guessed or stolen by attackers. To prevent sensitive information from leaking, you might want to take a zero-trust approach to cloud security by using best cybersecurity practices. This means that you will treat all access requests, even ones coming from your employees, as malicious.

Your organization can set up multi-factor authentication processes to put an extra layer of security. Aside from a username and a password, people who need to access your data need to provide other factors to prove their identity.

Other than that, they can also use Trend Micro Cloud One, which continuously monitors and alerts you for misconfigurations so you can remove vulnerabilities and have a better-secured cloud platform.

Endpoint User Error

Your staff might make careless mistakes because they don’t have the training on how to protect company information. This can put your data or systems at risk. For example, if you’re implementing Bring-Your-Own-Device policies so your employees can use their own gadgets for work, there might be some security risks you need to know.

With BYOD, your employees can use their computers to do tasks related to business. But at the same time, they can also access URLs or use applications for personal use. Aside from these, some employees may also skip software and device updates because they can take too long to install. This can increase the chances of introducing malware to their device, leading to breaches and loss of data.

Aside from staff training, you need to use the right IT tools to protect your company data from vulnerabilities. For example, Citrix has the Endpoint Management solution which allows you to protect corporate data regardless of where it is accessed. It also provides automatic updates so your workers will have access to new features and bugs will be fixed promptly. Citrix also offers a URL filtering feature so you can restrict and allow access to specific web pages.

Cyberthreats

Concerning endpoint user error, untrained employees are also more vulnerable to social engineering attacks that can put your cloud data at risk and affect your ability to perform business processes. Some examples include phishing and a DDoS attack, which are threats that could also occur not just on the cloud but also on-premise. The advantage of using a public cloud is you will have access to resources that could prevent these problems—which can be expensive when implemented on-premise.

One of the ways you can lose data is through phishing attacks. A hacker will create fake emails and websites to get your employees to click on malicious links, or solicit sensitive company information. Fortunately, you can prevent this problem with Trend Micro’s Email Security Solution. This software examines the authenticity of the email sender and analyzes email content to protect against phishing attacks.

Another security concern that an organization can face when moving to a cloud is a Distributed Denial Of Service (DDoS) attack. This occurs when an attacker overloads or exhausts an application’s resources, making it unavailable to users. This can cause downtime for your business, lead to productivity losses, and make your data more vulnerable to hackers.

Solutions like Microsoft Azure offer infrastructure DDoS protection to their users. It has a traffic monitoring feature to look for indicators of an attack 24/7 and mitigate it if it happens. You will also get detailed reports and summaries after the attack to help your team analyze the incident.

Key Takeaway

If your organization is migrating to the cloud for the first time, there might be some cloud security issues you might encounter. But with the right security solutions, you can prevent these problems.

Make sure that your IT team configures the settings properly to maximize the security features your cloud provider offers. To improve access control, you can also implement a zero-trust approach to security and multi-factor authentication. Other than that, staff training is also a must.

If you need help choosing the right cloud solutions for your organization, you can contact CT Link!

5 Benefits Of Using Microsoft Azure For Your Business

June 24, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events hybrid cloud computing, Microsoft Azure, what is hybrid cloud computing

What are the benefits of Microsoft Azure for your business?

Hybrid cloud computing support
Secure and reliable data storage
Opportunity to scale on demand
Cost-effectiveness
Designed for different types of businesses

Microsoft Azure is one of the leading cloud infrastructure platforms available today. It has numerous benefits for organizations such as the ability to scale on-demand, hybrid cloud support, reliable data storage, cost-effectiveness, and more. It is also perfect for both large companies and small businesses because it can be customized according to varying needs and budget requirements. Read on to learn more about the many Microsoft Azure benefits for your organization.

Hybrid Cloud Computing Support

From flexibility, increased productivity, mobility, and more—cloud computing provides numerous benefits for businesses. But if you’re hesitant to move all your workloads on a public cloud, you can take advantage of Microsoft Azure’s hybrid cloud computing capability. It allows you to extend your on-premises data center to the cloud and give you the option to choose where you put your workloads.

Microsoft Azure offers tools and services that can help you integrate and manage your hybrid cloud environment seamlessly from a single place. Aside from that, the cloud-based desktop and app virtualization will allow you and your people to work remotely from any device anywhere. This provides an opportunity for faster collaboration and increases the productivity of your employees.

Secure And Reliable Data Storage

From files, unstructured data, and more—Microsoft Azure offers storage solution services for every type of scenario. The data is accessible over HTTP or HTTPS for easier team collaboration. For ease of use, Azure will also manage the maintenance, updates, and issues in the storage platform for you.

When it comes to data safety and privacy, you can also rely on Microsoft Azure’s storage services. They invest more than 1 billion US dollars each year to hire security experts, researchers, and developers to protect your data from threats.

Other than that, you can also rely on Microsoft Azure’s data privacy and protection principle so you can feel assured that your data is protected at rest and in transit. They implement encryption, security protocols, and algorithms to do this.

Opportunity To Scale On-Demand

Whether you have a small business or run a large corporation, you need to adapt to changing demands in the market. For example, during the peak season, you might need to scale up your operations to comply with the bullish market.

With Azure Autoscale, you have the ability to scale apps depending on your needs. It is a feature that allows you to anticipate load with different schedules, maximize app responsiveness, and scale by any metric. This way, you can be as flexible as possible when running your business.

For instance, if your website or application receives heavy traffic during sale days, you can schedule autoscaling targets in advance to handle the load. This way, you can prevent the site or app from crashing due to a traffic spike.

Cost-Effectiveness

If you run a business, you have a budget that you need to stick to when you’re shopping around for cloud services. The good news is, you can take advantage of the features you need from Microsoft Azure without breaking the bank.

Due to Microsoft Azure’s elasticity—which makes it easy to scale up or down—you only need to pay for services and resources that you need for your business. You can remove or add storage, virtual servers, or network services seamlessly.

This gives you the choice to experiment and select services as needs change. Because of that, this pay-as-you-go pricing will give you significant cost savings in the long run.

Designed For Different Types Of Businesses

The majority of the Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft Azure’s cloud services. From pharmaceuticals, education, retail, telecommunications, travel, media, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, and more—businesses from different industries have experienced a digital transformation with Azure.

Small businesses have also been able to take advantage of the features provided by Microsoft Azure. Depending on your needs—whether it’s to solve specific security requirements, simplify compliance, or need extra storage for data—you can find a service that will work for you.

Thanks to the pay-as-you-go feature and its ability to scale on-demand, Microsoft Azure is perfect for any business regardless of size. With applications hosted in the cloud, small businesses and large corporations alike can also save up on in-house IT costs.

Key Takeaway

Whether you’re running a small business or are responsible for decision-making in a large corporation, you can take advantage of Microsoft Azure’s numerous services options for your business. It can help you transfer workloads from your on-premise center, provide additional storage on the cloud, and give you the ability to scale on-demand, while only paying for what you need.

Aside from these Microsoft Azure benefits, you will find features and services from CT Link that will help you manage, grow, and bring your business to new heights. If you need assistance, you can contact us so we can help you learn more about available solutions and services for your company.

What Is Hybrid Cloud Computing?

June 18, 2021April 20, 2023 blog-manager News and Events Microsoft Azure, Trend Micro, what is hybrid cloud computing

What is hybrid cloud computing?

A combination of public and private cloud
Has multiple benefits for an organization
Offers enhanced security for companies
The go-to solution for many businesses

A public cloud provides plenty of benefits for organizations, but some companies still have apprehensions when moving all their workloads to this platform. The good news is, hybrid cloud computing provides you an option where you can choose to put your company’s workload either in the public cloud or your local data center. What is hybrid cloud computing? Keep on reading to learn more!

A Combination Of Public And Private Cloud

With cloud computing, you can access computing services such as storage, servers, databases, networking, and more, over the internet. These are typically implemented through the public or private cloud.

A public cloud is managed and offered by a cloud provider to multiple customers. This gives organizations the benefit of less server management and cost savings because a third-party provider manages the service itself. On the other hand, a private cloud is hosted in a company’s own data center, allowing companies to use and manage it themselves.

Hybrid cloud computing allows organizations to integrate their local data center with the public cloud. This acts as extensions of their own data centers, giving businesses flexibility and the ability to have greater control over their data.

A hybrid cloud is often confused with a multi-cloud strategy, where you have workloads on multiple public clouds such as Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform. In a hybrid cloud solution, both private and public clouds can be managed in a single platform.

Has Multiple Benefits For An Organization

With a hybrid cloud solution, you are given the flexibility to choose the applications and data you want to keep in your private and public clouds depending on your needs. For example, an organization can keep sensitive information on their private cloud while taking advantage of the large storage and computing capacity offered by a public cloud.

A hybrid cloud solution also provides rapid scalability to its users. When computing needs extend beyond the capabilities of your on-premises data center, you can use the public cloud for computing, storage, and other resources to scale up your capacity. This will help you save time and money on the purchase and maintenance of new servers.

Aside from these benefits, hybrid cloud computing also gives companies increased support for remote employees. It provides on-demand access to data wherever they are without having to be in one central location.

Offers Enhanced Security For Companies

Apart from the flexibility, scalability, and reduced costs, hybrid cloud computing also provides enhanced security for your data and applications.

Finance, banking, government, healthcare, and other organizations that are consistently scaling their processes might need a hybrid cloud computing solution. This is because the solution provides them greater control and better monitoring of data while complying with privacy protection regulations. Sensitive information can be kept in a hybrid cloud setup without compromising data safety and security.

Hybrid cloud setups make this possible because they provide more advanced and enhanced security compared to what businesses typically implement on their own. Even then, businesses must learn to properly configure the platform to prevent attacks. This is because attacks on hosted servers may be caused by platform misconfigurations such as using weak passwords or failing to secure the cloud container.

Fortunately, there are also features offered in hybrid cloud security solutions that allow you to keep your data and applications secure. For example, the Trend Micro Cloud One offers faster detection and protection from malware, vulnerabilities, and unauthorized change in your hybrid cloud setup. Some of its features include machine learning and virtual patching to protect from multiple cybersecurity threats. It provides continuous monitoring of misconfigurations and sends these alerts to the user for added protection.

The Go-To Solution For Many Businesses

Who uses hybrid cloud computing strategies? Aside from industries that need to fulfill regulatory compliance, more and more companies adopt this solution to become more flexible and agile. With the rapid scalability and other benefits that it offers, organizations can select and combine cloud setups according to their needs. Compared with a strictly public or private setup, a hybrid cloud provides the most flexibility.

Hybrid cloud computing is suitable for companies that need to handle large amounts of data and use various IT services. It is also recommended for organizations that have highly changeable workloads because of a significant increase in demand during peak seasons.

With the ability to respond quickly to changing needs and demands, organizations that utilize hybrid cloud computing have the competitive edge. Workloads can be expanded conveniently into the cloud so that testing and launching new products is quicker.

If you want a flexible, scalable, reliable, and cost-effective cloud computing solution, hybrid cloud computing is the best option for you.

Key Takeaway

Hybrid cloud computing combines the private and public cloud to give organizations flexibility, scalability, and reduce costs depending on their current and changing needs. With its numerous benefits, countless companies are migrating to this setup to keep up with dynamic workload demands.

Now that you know what hybrid cloud computing is, you can experience its benefits in your organization. If you’re interested in implementing this setup, you can contact CT Link! As a hybrid cloud solutions provider in the Philippines, we can help you choose the right product for your needs. Send a message here so we can help you today.