Today, headlines about IT security breaches read very differently than just worms and viruses of early days. Nation states actors, organized crime syndicates and idealistic “hacktivists” have catapulted cybersecurity onto the global stage.

Complex attack methodologies coupled with sophisticated social engineering has resulted in the grim reality that vulnerabilities exist in every organization, regardless of size. Even worse, is that the average amount of time between a breach and discovery is eight months.

This rising trend of cyber attacks has led us to offer a new managed security service solution, VizionCare Secure. This solution can dramatically reduce your chance of suffering a severe breach and reduce the amount of time between a breach and discovery to minutes.

Our solution provides advanced threat intelligence and the same level of security as the largest companies in the world, all at a low monthly cost. Your data is protected in real-time and meets your regulatory audit and reporting requirements. This includes providing specific compliance reports you’ll need to pass HIPAA, PCI, FISMA and other audits.

To show business just how valuable it is, we offer a free, 30-Day Security Health Assessment for your business. During that time, we will assess your security posture, risk profile and identify potential gaps.

Contact us today at (402) 327-1880 for more information or to enroll in the free assessment.

Small businesses are a big market for cyber attacks.

Hackers have realized that smaller businesses are easier targets for cyber attacks. According to the Verizon 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), 61% of cyber attack victims are business with less than 1,000 employees.

So why are small business the target for these invasions? The answer is simple. Small businesses generally have weaker security. What weaknesses does your business have? Here are five of the most common:

1. Phishing still works. This year’s DBIR found that about 1 in 14 users were tricked into following a link or opening an attachment.
2. Weak passwords. Maybe it’s the amount of passwords we all have to remember or lack of creativty. Whatever it is, people are still failing to set strong enough passwords. Stats show 80% of hacking-related breaches leveraged either stolen passwords and/or weak or guessable passwords.
3. Old defenses aren’t working against new threats. Many companies are relaying on outdated cyber security defenses. You need a cyber security plan that keeps pace wit the ever-envolving hacker techniques.
4. Employees. Unfortunaly, many breaches are a result of employees or former employees who have access toinformation and use it to their benefit, which can often harm your business.
5. Physical theft. Whether deliberate or accidental, cyber security threats can start with hard copies or sensitive information landing in the wrong hands.

Though these statistics may be alarming, there are affordable solutions to insuring your business doesn’t become a victim to cyber attacks. DataVizion is now offering a new managed security service solution, VizionCare Secure. Our solution provides advanced threat intelligence and the same level of security as the largest companies in the world, all at a low monthly cost. 

To show businesses just how valuable it is, we offer a free 30-Day Security Health Assessment for your business. During that time, we will assess your security posture, risk profile and identify potential gaps.

You may think your small business is immune to a cyber attack, but in reality small businesses are becoming larger targets. Contact us today for more information or to enroll in the free assessment (402) 327-1880.

Our team at DataVizion would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who attended our Second Annual Charity Golf Tournament Aug. 31, 2017.

Together, with our partners and customers, we were able to raise $6,500 for Child Saving Institute. That’s $1,000 more than last year! The donation helps this nonprofit provides services including counseling, therapy, education and support for children and families in the community.

A special thanks to Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, who sponsored the event, and and to all of our generous hole sponsors who helped make this event possible.

“We had such a great time with all our partners and clients coming together for a great cause,” Kelly Schrad, DataVizion President and CEO, said. “We appreciate everyone’s generosity and hope to see you all again next year.”

For more information about Child Saving Institute or to learn about volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.childsaving.org.

Click here to view photos of the event.

If you don’t have an answer to that question, you’re not alone. A study¹ conducted by Robert Half Technology revealed 1 in 4 CIOs say their organization has no mobile technology strategy.

However, it’s predicted that by the year 2020 mobile workers will make up more than 70 percent of the total U.S. workforce². This is largely due to the quick rise in usage of smartphones, tablets, cloud-based applications and the Internet of Things and it’s not slowing down. So, if you don’t have a mobile strategy, it’s time to put one into place. Here are three main reasons why:

1. Boost productivity and efficiency

Mobility allows us to streamline procedures and increase collaboration, which ultimately leads to a more efficient and productive workforce. The published VMware State of Business Mobility Report³, which examined the transition from the client-server to the mobile-cloud era revealed some interesting statistics. Among them:

• Organizations that had achieved their business mobility goals were able to bring new revenue streams online 35 percent faster.
• Leaders in mobility see an average return on investment of 150 percent due to the increased agility that allows them to quickly capitalize on new revenue opportunities.

2. Increase employee availability

Having a mobile workforce allows your team to stay in touch and collaborate regardless of where they physically are. This makes your team more responsive, more effective and ultimately more valuable to your clients.

3. Enhance the customer experience

In everywhere from restaurants to hospitals, customers are quickly coming to expect a seamless Wi-Fi experience. A study conducted by the consumer intelligence agency Walker⁴ revealed that by the year 2020 customer experience is expected to overtake price and product as a key brand differentiator.

Hopefully now, you understand the “why.” That’s the easy part right? It's putting a mobile strategy into place that can seem overwhelming.

Don’t worry. We can help. First, check out this helpful and easy to understand eBook from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company. It shows how you can implement a high performing, secure network for today’s business environment. And how simple— and profitable—setting up such a network really is.

Want to discuss your company’s mobile strategy? Give us a call at 402.327.1880.

1 Robert Half Technology

2 IDC Research Services

3 VMware State of Business Mobility Report 2015

4 https://www.walkerinfo.com/customers2020/

At work and at home, you probably deal with technology issues more often than you would like. Sometimes, it’s the simplest of problems that cause the biggest headaches. Here are answers to some of the most common technology pain points.

Is there a way to make my laptop’s battery last longer?

In the past, it was commonly advised to drain your battery completely before recharging it. This rule mostly applies to older, nickel-based batteries. Most newer laptops and other devices use lithium ion batteries, which are easier to take care of. The best thing you can do to preserve your battery is keep it cool.

Overheating will shorten the long-term life of the battery. Take precaution not to leave your laptop in a hot car, obstruct the ventilation ports or allow dust build up – all of which can cause overheating to occur. And realize no battery last forever. After several years, sometimes it’s best to replace it.

Is it really necessary to “eject” USB drives?

It’s easy to get in a hurry and forgot to eject a USB drive before removing the device. When you plug in a USB drive, you give your computer the ability to read and write data to it, some of which is cached. When caching occurs, not all information is written to the USB device immediately. Some of it is stored in your computer’s memory (RAM). If you remove the USB drive before the information is completely written, you could end up with a corrupted file. So it may seem unnecessary, but better safe than sorry. 

Why do I need to reset my router?

If you’re having trouble with your Internet, one of the first trouble-shooting options is to unplug your router and plug it back in.  Most often, it solves the problem. Why? Think of your router as a small computer. It’s constantly sending data. As you continue to push more data through, the router can become overloaded, run out of memory or even overheat. When you restart your router, you are allowing it to start fresh. Keep in mind, if you feel you are restarting your router too often, there could be a larger connectivity issue.

What are the differences between malware, viruses and trojans?

Chances are, you’ve probably heard these terms by now. If you’re not exactly sure of the definitions, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Here’s the simple breakdown (thanks Wikipedia!):

• Malware is short for “malicious software” and is a term used to describe pretty much anything that is specifically designed to harm your computer or steal your information.
• Viruses are programs that infect computers and copy themselves to spread from one computer system to another.
• Trojans are applications that look normal, but are used to hack into a computer by misleading users of its true intent. This can allow an attacker to access users' personal information such as banking information, passwords, or personal identity (IP address)

How often do I need to restart my computer? 

When you’re having computer problems hearing  “Have you tried restarting?” from your go-to technology guru might not be what you want to hear.  While this may seem like a dismissive response, rebooting a computer can actually solve many problems. When you reboot your computer you stop unused programs from running and clear your RAM. Computers also run diagnostics and install updates when you reboot, which can help solve minor issues. You don’t have to do restart your computer every day, but it doesn’t hurt.

If only every computer problem was that easy! With our managed services it can be. Our help desk is staffed 24/7. Contact us to learn more.

Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting private companies in hopes of easy access. Even basic oversights, such as leaving a laptop unattended or opening a spam email, could lead to a cyber attack and ultimately cause a financial loss for your company.

Having the right technology in place to prevent such attacks is a must. However, you should also provide basic training to employees, as they are a critical line of defense against cyber attacks. Here are five topics to cover.

1. Phishing and Spam

Hackers are coming up with increasingly clever scams using fake emails to try and gain access to your company’s network or employee information. Train your employees to spot these phishing attempts and to alert IT to any suspicious emails. You can even purchase phishing simulator training tools to test your employees’ awareness. The results will show what additional training and education may be needed.

2. Strong Passwords

Between work and personal use, it seems like we all have a million passwords to remember. To combat this, employees may be tempted to create an easy password used for multiple purposes. Train employees on the importance of using strong passwords and ways to secure where they store that information.

3. Reporting Problems

Employees may be hesitant to notify IT if they accidently clicked on something they shouldn't have. Or, they may not realize the risks involved with losing a flash drive with sensitive information. Take the time to educate employees and make sure they are comfortable reporting any, and all, security threats.

4. Public Wi-Fi

With the increase in workplace mobility comes an increase in usage of public Wi-Fi. While convenient, Wi-Fi in coffee shops, airports, hotels and elsewhere may not be secure. Educate employees on how to identify secure website and how to connect through a virtual private network (VPN).

5. Social Media

For starters, if you don’t have a social media policy in place, it’s time to implement one. Social media is ripe with hackers looking to elicit information from individuals. Just one click on a post that appears harmless could inadvertently spread malware. Educate employees on acceptable use of social media and have monitoring practices in place to minimize the risks.

It’s a good idea to continue to provide employees with ongoing training and information updates to keep IT security top of mind.

Do you have questions about your IT security? Give us a call to see how we can help.

Staying current with the latest in technology and information security can be challenging and costly for businesses of any size. Yet, not enough businesses understand the benefits of outsourcing their IT support and managed services.

Don’t worry; we’ll make it easy. Here are the top three questions decision-makers considering outsourcing their IT support should ask themselves.

1. Can we handle our IT support ourselves?

To really answer this question you have to consider everything from your budget and size of company to your availability of personnel and level of information technology expertise. If everything is running smoothly, this may not seem overwhelming. But in the event of a security breach or loss of data, chances are an outsourced managed service provider has the capability and availability to offer a much larger array of solutions that may not be available to an in-house IT department.

2. How can we benefit from the expertise of outsourcing our managed services?

Like many fields, IT and managed services is constantly changing. If you partner with an experience managed service provider, they will be on top of the latest technology advancements so you don’t have to be. And chances are, they will have the latest in tools and monitoring systems that would prove too costly for your business to have to maintain. Since managed service providers have multiple clients with various needs, you will also benefit from their experiences and lessons learned.

3. What level of support do I need?

At DataVizion, we know there is no one-size-fits all approach to IT support and managed services. Each of our clients’ needs vary. We create custom solutions that best fit your needs. So whether you need help with implementing a unified communication system or someone to fully monitor and manage your IT infrastructure, we can help.

Outsourcing your IT support can help you stay focused on your core business and give you piece of mind knowing that should you run into an issue, you have a dedicated partner to provide the support you need.

Contact us for more information or to discuss managed services.

Aruba ClearPass Helps You Embrace BYOD

Regardless if you run a bank, hospital or retail organization, one thing’s for certain: your employees and customers have come to expect Wi-Fi access. But if the thought of letting anyone and everyone onto your network scares you, you’re not alone.

With the Aruba ClearPass Access Management System you can embrace the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture allowing guest and employee-owned devices like smart phones, tablets and laptops onto your network without losing control and visibility.

Here’s five other key benefits ClearPass offers:

1. Customized Guest Access Portal

Use your company logo and branding or create unique data-entry fields that users have to fill out to log on. You can even post customized advertisements and offers or other targeted content to create a unique user experience.

2. Seamless Integration

ClearPass is available as both a hardware-based or virtual appliance and can be deployed with any existing network infrastructure from any major vendor, which means you don’t have to replace existing infrastructure.

3. Real-time Analytics

With ClearPass, you have the ability to see which devices have connected to your network in real-time, which can be helpful when it comes to reporting, planning, auditing and compliance.

4. Comprehensive Security

ClearPass has an abundance of security procedures in place to protect your network. You can ensure devices are compliant with your policies before they connect, set a policy according to device type, block applications that don’t meet company policy, provide different service levels based on the user and more.

5. Easy Troubleshooting

ClearPass provides advanced troubleshooting and the forensics needed to easily pinpoint the root cause of a user’s network access or authentication issue. Your IT department will thank you.

So whether you have 10 users or 10,000 on your network, ClearPass will help create a better user experience while keeping your network secure. Curious if ClearPass would work for your business? Contact your account manager today.

We recently hosted our First Annual Charity Golf Tournament.  On Aug. 29, more than 100 participants including our partners and customers all came together for a fun day of golf, food and drinks.  

More importantly, we all came together to raise $5,500 for Child Saving Institute. This nonprofit provides services including counseling, therapy, education and support for children and families in the community.  

A special thanks to Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, who sponsored the event and to all our other generous hole sponsors who helped make this event possible. We certainly hope to do it again next year!

View the photos from the event here. 

Southwest Airlines was one of the latest companies to fall victim to what’s been referred to as a “computer glitch” resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations, delays, lots of unhappy customers and a negative impact to the company’s bottom line.

A router breakdown that led to a series of failures in critical technology systems has been blamed. The backup systems in place also failed to work as expected.

Even if you aren’t operating one of the nation’s largest airline carriers, if your company relies on technology (which, let’s face it, is most) a disaster recovery plan is a critical business need. Here are three reasons why:

1. Machines and Hardware Fail

Even the best hardware is not completely immune to failing. That’s where Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) comes in. In the event of a failure, your physical or virtual servers should be backed up by a third party so you can quickly and cost-effectively recover your data with as little down time as possible. In addition, you should be conducting regular network assessments and testing to avoid unreliable redundancy.

2. Human Error is Common

Ever had your computer crash or lost an important document? It happens to everyone. Having a disaster recovery plan in place can ensure you have online data backups that allow you to easily restore your data. In addition, having redundant firewalls, anti-virus, and anti-spyware software can help prevent security breaches that are often the result of human error.

3. Customers Have Little Patience

With the Internet, and especially social media, customers are quicker than ever to voice their frustrations and concerns to anyone and everyone. Those affected by the recent Southwest Airlines flight interruptions are a prime example. It’s not easy to earn a customers’ trust, and any downtime or inconvenience they experience, even if due to an IT disaster is a quick way to send your customers to your competition.

At any time, something unwelcomed can happen and affect your organization's overall IT infrastructure and your company’s bottom line. Call us to learn more about how VizionVault, our disaster recovery service, can help you prepare for the unexpected.