Why you need a Battery

Call 10D Tech at 541-243-4103 for local advice and assistance in Salem, Keizer, Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon, and Eugene. We provide Avaya Business Phones, Managed IT, Internet Services and Cyber Security through out Oregon.

The following article is copied and pasted from the Tech Advisory - June, 2017 blog. They could not have said it better.

https://www.techadvisory.org/2017/06/why-businesses-need-a-ups/

"Why businesses need a UPS

By EDITOR | Published: JUNE 21, 2017

Power outages caused by utility failure, accidents, and natural disasters such as storms, flooding, or earthquakes are inevitable. There’s very little you can do to prevent any of these from happening, but you can avoid the consequences to your business by using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

What is an uninterruptible power supply?

An uninterruptible power supply is an essential piece of hardware that protects both your computer and your data. It provides a backup power source in case of main power failures caused by electrical current problems such as blackouts, brownouts, and power spikes.

Smaller UPS units can protect individual computers while larger models can power multiple devices or an entire office. Small businesses can opt for individual UPS units, which should be enough to back up critical computers and other devices that are key to business continuity.

Benefits of having UPS

It’s a known fact that power outages can damage or completely destroy electronic equipment, especially computers. Unexpected computer shutdown can cause great damage to your computer hardware and make you lose unsaved data. A UPS ensures you never experience such a scenario.

Here are other ways that a UPS benefits your systems:

• Uninterrupted power flow during power surges

When you have UPS, the voltage that passes from the main electrical lines to your devices is consistently stabilized. This protects your computers from power surges, which happen when the voltage in other equipment suddenly rises.

• Refined and filtered power supply

It normalizes power levels so that your computers are protected against dips and spikes caused by lightning or an abnormal power supply that usually comes from restored power after a blackout.

• Instant power during brownouts

An uninterruptible power supply guarantees your operations’ continuity. In the event of short-term interruptions, it gives you enough time to switch to a larger, more stable power supply such as a generator. But unlike a generator, it provides instant power to your equipment at the exact moment the power goes out.

Does your business need a UPS?

If you’re purchasing new computers for your small business, a UPS is an invaluable add-on. Businesses that require constant power to function such as hospitals, banks, academic institutions, manufacturing companies, and any business for which storing and processing data are critical tasks can benefit from uninterrupted power.

Determining the type of UPS for your business as well as installing and maintaining it may require the expertise of professionals. We have experts who could provide you with information on properly operating a UPS, replacing its battery, identifying devices that should never be connected to it, and other safety tips. Call us today for advice."

Simplify your life

#1 Priority: Passwords!  

Password Manager: This is the most important of all priorities in securing your network. When we do security talks to groups, nearly everybody raises their hand when asked if they use the same password or a similar password for more than 1 account or website. By using a password manager, you only need to remember a single Master password. We can show you how to make a password that is very difficult to break but easy to remember. A password manager remembers and encrypts the other 587 passwords to your accounts, websites and portals and inputs them securely when you log in. We use LastPass www.lastpass.com  

We don’t sell it but we use #LastPass because it works and it does simplify our lives.  If you are already using a password manager, Thank you. The basic #LastPass version is free, but you can upgrade to Premium #LastPass for a couple dollars a month. The free versions work great, we have upgraded to premium for some convenience features.

Reminder: Never use the same password for multiple sites.

From #Sophos here is a 30 second smile, who can relate?

It's hard to think up passwords that you can remember.

Who are the Bad Guys?

Who are the bad guys?

Globally the primary bad guys are in 1 of 4 nations, - China, Iran, Russia, North Korea. They are supporting the worst of the bad guys trying to wreak havoc on the rest of the world.  They are on an industrial espionage mission to gather secrets and harm other nations.

Conventional Cybercriminals are very active as well but, for them, monetary gain is their primary motivation. Unfortunately, the lines between cybercriminals and the transgressing nations are blurring as many of the nationally supported bad guys are moonlighting to fatten their own bank accounts. In short, the threats are wide-ranging and are coming from many sources. They are not picky, they’ll crash through any unlocked door. You have information to share that will further their efforts. We here at 10D encourage you to protect yourself, which in turn protects us … your neighbor.

If you don’t have a plan, call us, we can help. 541.243.4103

Launched Today - Business grade firewall 2.0 for your home.

Priority: FIREWALLS! – Launched today, the new version of Sophos Home brings business-grade cybersecurity to your home. REALLY important! Your internet service provider can only generically protect you. For your home here is a FREE Sophos software based firewall for each of your computers. For your business, contact 10D Tech for information on our chosen Next-Gen active firewall. The Sophos website with some fun, entertaining videos and serious information. See the future of cybersecurity with the new version of Sophos Home. hashtag#business hashtag#networking hashtag#software hashtag#protection hashtag#networksecurity hashtag#sophos hashtag#firewalls

Is it time to make a change?

PHONE SYSTEM REFRESH

If you ever wanted to make the jump to a hosted phone system, this is the time to do it. 

Avaya 9608G IP Phone

10D Tech has a HOT deal on a hosted phone system that we probably won't see ever again.  

The 10D Cloud Phone System – Powered by Avaya IP Office has a special deal from the manufacturer offering free phones with all new hosted systems. Kick off the new year with a technology refresh.  It's been 20 years since the last great technology refresh and technology has advanced.  There is no limit to how many free phones. If the phone system you bought for Y2K has yellowed with age, time to refresh to the 21st Century. These are not “last years model” or “We can't sell these” or even the “We’re gonna try and upsell you” version of phones.  The Avaya 9608G is the exact same model that sits on all of our desks here at 10D Tech and we use them every day. Call 10D and tell us you want a "Technology Refresh" and we will get it started. Along with the refresh, your phone service is included in the deal. 

Details: 36-month service agreement, IP phones only, installed on an inspected IP Network.

Call us: 541.243.4103
email us: advisors@10dtech.com
Goto our website: www.10dtech.com 

10D Tech Tip - Passwords

10D Tech Tips and Tricks plus a little humor.

We are moving towards an age of complete digitization and everything is online. Hackers and intruders are also online, getting smarter and bolder.

 According to a recent Gemalto Breach Level Index report, 2.5 BILLION personal records were stolen or compromised in 2017.  Compare that to 265 million stolen or compromised in 2008.   This morning I have a news report that 150 million more were stolen because bad guys found an account with a weak password and broke in, stealing personal data.  The estimated cost to fix this breach is four million dollars. That doesn’t count the lost revenue or damaged reputation. I canceled my account and then changed all of my passwords...again.

Businesses need to take security measures to avoid exposing more records. The best way to make an immediate impact is to require all employees to use password managers. A password manager, like LastPass, is the easiest solution for difficult and unique passwords. 

Who can remember 193 different 16 character passwords?  Not Me!

LastPass remembers them all.

If you are notoriously reusing the same passwords, then you are exposing yourself and your business to a security breach. If the bad guys can get into your employee or personal accounts using stolen information, then they’ve opened the door and your network is about to get raided.  Don’t make it easy for them and they will move to the next unlocked door.

Why is Password protection important?

Passwords are the gateway to your confidential data whether the data is on campus servers or workstations. This data may include employees or student addresses, names, evaluations, payroll, etc. So, it is essential to secure it to keep the information confidential. The first easy task is to use a password manager. We like LastPass.  Generating unique passwords and then autofilling the login form next time you access that site.  The only password you have to remember is the password to open the password manager.  It's even easier when you use your fingerprint when you expand it to your smartphone.

Why can’t you use the same Pa55w0rd? 

Why does this matter? Well, imagine you are a member of websites A, B and C – and you cleverly use the same sneaky Pa$$W0rd! on each site. If A suffers from a data leak and their P@$$w0rd database is accessed, or if hackers manage to work out your P4$$w0rd for A, then the bad guys will not only have access to your A account, but B and C as well! It doesn’t take the smartest hacker to guess that most of your p4SSWord$ are similar.   

Call 10D for all things Tech, We know I.T.  

www.10dtech.com

541.243.4103

Is your phone system archaic?

The most common reason companies change phone systems these days is that their existing system has just gotten too old, and is outdated. When that happens, repairs and maintenance become expensive. Many of the systems that are in use today have reached “End of Life” which means the manufacturer is no longer supporting the system nor making new parts. The last time many business installed a new system was in preparation for Y2K … that was 14 years ago.  Phone system life spans range from 5 to 15 years after that they tend to be technically obsolete by either industry standards or by the manufacturer itself.  We recently serviced a system that was installed in 1986 … it is still working but finding parts was difficult and we had to find & study manuals … which take time.  Many of these business phone systems are working, which is a testament to the quality and durability of phone systems, however even if they still function these old systems are costing more and more to repair and service with every year that goes by. Worse yet, the replacement parts are all “refurbished” aka used and online marketers are usually the source.  When something breaks or the whole system fails, repair may not be possible. Today our technologists are installing a new system into a business that had their system fail last weekend.  They have gone the week with a patchwork single line phone.  The cost of the new system is small in comparison to the lost or missed calls during this work week. Missed calls means lost business which means lost revenue.  The new phone system we installed today is inexpensive when looking at this week of sales and service for them.

Additionally, the older systems are much more difficult to manage than modern ones, requiring more expertise by service professionals with ancient training, many of which have left the work force. It can be very expensive to repair that old system and will only get more expensive as those “experienced” technicians and replacement parts disappear.

Our advice, be proactive before your old dinosaur breaks with no options for repair. In most cases, the system has already “paid” for itself. And in general, it’s best to invest money when you have time to research. That way you won’t be caught without phones for days if the old system fails and has to be replaced.

Note: We thought about titling this "Is your phone system Obsolete" but after a series of service calls to systems that had been installed in the 80's "Archaic" seemed more appropriate.