In today’s decentralized, mobile world, managing security and compliance has become an increasingly difficult task for IT. Palo Alto Networks, a global cybersecurity leader and DataVizion partner, knows these challenges all too well.

The solution? Prisma Cloud. It's a security platform that addresses three of the leading causes of IT headaches: security risks, compliance, and incident response time – all from an easy-to-use and comprehensive dashboard.

Security Risks

 For businesses, the scope of data, devices and more that need to be secured can be daunting. Prisma Cloud continuously discovers new resources as they are deployed into your cloud environment and alerts you to any suspicious activities or any configurations that violate your policies.

Compliance

 The dynamic nature of cloud environments can prove challenging and time-consuming to manage compliance, let alone prove it during an audit. Prisma Cloud continuously monitors all cloud resources for everything from misconfigurations and vulnerabilities to compliance violations. You can monitor your compliance posture in real time and easily generate audit-ready reports. Compliance validation goes from a multi-week headache to a few simple clicks.

Incident Response Time

 Prism Cloud uses machine learning to correlate and contextualize data from multiple sources – a task that would be overwhelming and time-consuming for even the best IT professionals. Every risk is then automatically ranked by level of severity so your teams can easily prioritize which vulnerabilities need attention first.

Ready to get started or want to learn more? JOIN US July 15^th at 11:30am CST. The experts at DataVizion and Palo Alto Networks are breaking down the power of Cloud Services and Next-Generation Firewall platform to protect your critical data regardless of location.

Register Today! Seats are limited to this in-demand webinar.

The number of network-connected devices per person is expected to be nearly seven by the year 2020*. Seem like a lot? Not when you consider smart phones, tablets, laptops, fitness trackers, iPods and more.

Nowhere is this more evident than on college campuses, which can put a huge strain on existing networks. For colleges that want to keep up, it’s time to move to a mobile-first campus with Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company’s, Mobile First Architecture.

The Aruba Mobile First Architecture will allow your campus to seamlessly transition your existing network to a software-defined enterprise, with new features and functionality all while supporting your legacy systems.

Features include:

Mobile First:  It allows users and devices to connect to the network and receive the same policy and permissions regardless of how they connect, wired or wireless, making them truly mobile.

Open: No business wants to be locked-in and limited by a single vendor’s architecture. This solution supports open standards, but also provides rich API support for a seamless integration.

Secure: This solution provides security for both the wired and wireless infrastructure with signed code, secure boot, and cryptographic hardware protection. Rest assured, user data is protected with strong encryption and per-user level policy.

Autonomous: Machine learning uses massive amounts of analytics data in order to understand the operational and security state of the network. Automated systems optimize performance and will alert administrators of changes or highlight potential changes that require acceptance via on-premise and cloud-managed network operations.

If you want to learn more about what Aruba Mobile First Architecture can do for your campus, give us a call at 402-327-1880. DataVizion’s certified mobile-first engineers are ready to get started!

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/678739/forecast-on-connected-devices-per-person/

Recently, a group of our DataVizion team members, made their way to Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for Aruba Atmosphere 2018. Hosted by Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, it’s the largest mobility conference in the world, that brings together networking experts from across the globe.

During the action-packed week, our DataVizion team members, along with several of our customers, attended keynotes from top-performing industry professionals, and hands-on sessions and demonstrations. Along with our customers, we learned about the importance and implementation of intelligent edge, and how to enable its capabilities throughout businesses with Aruba Mobile First Architecture.

We also had the opportunity to hear from Partha Narasimhan, CTO at Aruba. During his presentation, he spoke about the need of Al-powered analytics and assurance. Al-powered analytics and assurance solutions provide connectivity insights that let you measure and manage application responsiveness, so that you can see how your network is performing for your users, in real time.

“Not only does this event enable us to learn more about Aruba and where they are headed, from a partners perspective, is also enables DataVizion to bring customers together to learn more about what can be achieved with the solutions they are considering implementing,” said Tom Burke, Channel Sales Director.

While obtaining an Aruba Mobile First Expert Certification, our DataVizion team members gained insight on:

• How to turn IT resources into assets for businesses
• Closing security gaps while supporting workplace flexibility
• Providing the right collaboration tools for organizational creativity
• Helping organization’s gain an innovative edge;
• Embracing the flexibility and scale of cloud and on-premises solutions.

If you are interested to learn about how mobile-first implementations can benefit your business network,  give us a call at 402-327-1880.

Here are 6 statistics you need to know.

Flexibility, scalability, mobility – the benefits of moving to a cloud-first network go on and on. If you’ve even been considering a cloud-first strategy, you’re probably already aware of at least some of these advantages. But these six key findings revealed in the RightScale 2016 State of the Cloud Report* may surprise you.

1. Security concerns are decreasing.

In past RightScale reports, security has always been the top concern among respondents. However, from 2014 to 2016, security concerns for Enterprise central IT teams, who typically have the most responsibility for security, declined from 47 percent to 37 percent. Is seems as cloud providers and best practices mature, security concerns will continue to decline.

2. Top cloud challenge cited is lack of resources/expertise.

Nearly 32 percent of respondents indicated lack of resources/expertise as their No. 1 cloud challenge, an increase from 27 percent last year. As companies continue to place higher demand on the cloud, the need for technical expertise has grown.

3. Cloud cost management is a significant challenge.

Cloud cost management as a challenge has steadily increased each year from 18 percent in 2013 to 26 percent in 2016. From reducing or eliminating data centers to utilizing flexible capacity, companies have significant opportunities for savings if they know what actions to take.

4. Cloud adoption is on the rise.

This year’s survey findings revealed that private cloud adoption increased from 63 percent to 77 percent, and hybrid cloud adoption increased from 58 percent to 71 percent since 2015. More enterprise workloads are also moving to the cloud – mainly the private cloud – from 22 percent to 31 percent since last year. Overall, 95 percent of respondents are using cloud, up from 93 percent last year.

5. Cloud users see increase in speed.

The survey findings show the two benefits that had the largest increase were faster access to infrastructure, which grew from 57 to 62 percent, and faster time-to market, which grew from 48 to 52 percent. 

6. Cloud initiatives differ based on company size.

The study showed that 2016 cloud priorities differed among Enterprises and SMBs. Enterprises, who generally have a larger number of applications, are more focused on moving more of those workloads to the cloud (57 percent). Small and Medium-sized Business (SMBs) indicated optimizing existing cloud use to achieve cost savings (43 percent) as their No.1 initiative.

Whether you’ve just starting to think about moving some applications to the cloud, have a robust cloud-first strategy in place, or you’re somewhere in-between – we can help. From cost savings to workplace efficiency, our experienced team of technical engineers will help you fully take advantage of all the benefits a cloud-first network can offer. 

* Source: RightScale 2016 State of the Cloud Report reveals results from a survey of 1,060 technical professionals across a broad cross-section of organizations about their adoption of cloud computing.

School districts, government agencies and utility companies are just some of the businesses making the headlines as the latest victims of ransomware, a malware that encrypts your files and limits or eliminates access. Victims are then forced to pay a ransom to regain access.

The inability to access important data and the loss of confidential or proprietary information can have a crippling effect on companies. But it’s not just businesses that are being targeted – home computers are also at risk. The loss of personal information, family photos, video and other information can be devastating.

What to look for:

Email attachments containing malware are often the culprit, but not always. Your computer could become infected simply by clicking on a compromised website, often being lured there by a phishing attempt.

How to protect yourself:

• Keep regular backups of your data, because without a backup, there is nothing to recover if your files become encrypted.
• Do not open suspect email attachments, even if you know the sender. Email accounts can get spoofed and attachments will look odd with references to attached resumes, tracking numbers, payroll information, photos, etc.
• Ensure your anti-virus software is enabled and up-to-date.
• Only download software from official sites you know and trust.
• Use the same precautions on your mobile phone as you would on your computer when using the Internet.

How to protect your company network:

• Raise awareness of ransomware and safe practices to protect the organization’s data.
• Provide corporate training for employees to help identify potential phishing attempts.
• Back up data and verify the integrity of your backups regularly.
• Patch operating system, software and firmware on digital devices.
• Ensure antivirus and anti-malware solutions are set to automatically update and conduct regular scans.
• Set access controls and network share permissions appropriately.
• Implement controls or software restriction policies to prevent programs from executing from common ransomware locations.

DataVizion provides a VizionVault Cloud Backup Service. This service provides daily backups of your files, which can be restored to safe versions if files have been encrypted. We also provide managed cloud-based antivirus, and robust firewall solutions for threat prevention. Questions or want to learn more? Give us a call.

Wireless mobility – what used to be a convenient feature – is now an expectation that’s changing the way we live and work. From restaurants and airplanes to college campuses and sporting events, today’s 24/7 connected world expects anytime, anywhere mobile access.

To increase their competitive advantage, businesses of all sizes need a reliable and secure wireless network infrastructure. Here are five must-have components:

1. Future proofing

All signs point to a steep upward trend in wireless usage. Your network needs to be scalable enough to allow for proper coverage and density requirements as needed. And trust us – you’ll need it.

2. Indoor and Outdoor Coverage

Business doesn’t stop at the door and neither should your wireless network coverage. Even if you don’t start with it, make sure to leave open the possibility of adding outdoor coverage from the same platform.

3. Centralized Management

Regardless of how many access points you have, you’ll need a way to effectively manage updates and configuration changes from one central location.

 4. Access Management

Help solve wireless security concerns with access management systems such as Aruba ClearPass, which allows you to assign a role to the wireless device based on how it’s authenticated.

5. Mobile Device Management (MDM)

With a network full of mobile devices each running their own applications and programs, you need a MDM system to monitor and manage access.

We’ve designed and installed wireless network systems for companies of all sizes across the U.S. So whether you’re starting fresh or your wireless network needs an upgrade, we can help.

For our clients, who already have a lot of on their plate, it can be overwhelming to keep pace with emerging trends in the Information Technology world. Don't worry. We’ve got you covered.

At DataVizion, we stay on top of the latest IT offerings from our partners to provide a level of service unachievable by many of our competitors. Here are just some of the recent certifications achieved.

David Andersen, Project Engineer, and Ken Cousino, Field Services Engineer, recently passed the Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE6) exam. From design and installation to configuration and troubleshooting, David and Ken possess a deep understanding of Palo Alto Networks technologies and can implement the best solutions to fit your needs.

DataVizion has been an Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, platinum partner since 2014, differentiating ourselves from our peers with the highest level of engineering and commitment to Aruba products.

Ethan Shold, Engineer, became our newest member of the DataVizion team to pass the Aruba Certified Mobility Professional (ACMP) exam. And Mat Lehn, Engineer, passed the Aruba Certified ClearPass Expert (ACCX) exam. We’re now more ready than ever to provide the expert support for any Aruba solution you decide to implement.

So whether you’re looking to increase mobility or implement an entirely new network infrastructure, we have the skills and expertise to help make it happen.

DataVizion team attends Atmosphere 2016 in Las Vegas.

Our DataVizion team is back from an action-packed week in Las Vegas where we attended Atmosphere 2016. Hosted by Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, it’s the largest mobility conference on earth and brings together networking experts from across the globe.

A special thank you to our clients: Boys Town, Immanuel, Kiewit Corporation, Lincoln Public Schools, The Buckle, UniGroup and University of Nebraska at Kearney for joining us.

We heard from top-performing industry professionals, attended breakout sessions and technology demonstrations on a variety of topics including creating a digital workplace, securing the #GenMobile experience with adaptive trust, boosting mobile engagement and making the most of agile data centers.

While we were blown away with all of the new features and third party integration with Aruba products, one of our favorites was Aruba Clarity. Many of our clients face increasing connectivity demands. This newly introduced network management tool enables us to better anticipate and resolve connectivity problems– before they happen. Amazing right?

We also had the opportunity to hear from Meg Whitman, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, who spoke about the success of HPE’s acquisition of Aruba last year. Everyone was incredibly proud of the progress that has been made in the past year and excited for the continued growth that lies ahead.

Conferences like Atmosphere 2016 definitely showcase how Information Technology, the ideas surrounding new technologies and the things we can do with them are constantly evolving. But, we love this stuff and are excited to be on the forefront of implementing these ever-advancing solutions.

If you are curious to know more about Aruba Clarity or the other state-of-the-art products showcased at Atmosphere 2016 and how they can benefit your company, give us a call.

Check out YouTube videos from the conference here.

As the need for technology in the workplace continues to rise, so do the attempts of would-be phishers. They’re constantly crafting ways to use fake emails and clever scams to try and gain access to your company’s network or your personal information.

A recent report published by Software Advice, who surveyed employees to explore their awareness of phishing attacks, reveals some startling statistics.

Here are some of the key findings and tips to ensure you and your coworkers don’t fall victim to these scams.

About 39 percent of employees still open emails that they suspect might be fraudulent or contain malware.

Understand the goals of phishing attempts. Fraudulent emails often seek to:

• Infect your computer with spyware that can record your Internet activities or allow hackers access to your computer.
• Obtain and access your personal information such as credit card numbers, passwords and account numbers.

Only 36 percent of employees said they are “very confident” that they could recognize and resist a phishing attack.

Learn to recognize suspicious email. Here are a few tips to start:

• Look for misspellings and bad grammar. Legitimate emails from professional organizations are usually well written.
• Be aware of threats or requests for urgency. Cybercriminals often use threats that your security has been compromised and try to scare you into taking urgent action.
• Don’t click on suspicious links. If you see a link in an email, hover your cursor over it first to reveal the web address. Often it’s a series of cryptic numbers that looks nothing like the company website.

Just 39 percent of employees said they receive ongoing security awareness training or advice at their work more than once per year.

Look for opportunities to learn more about cyber security and share your knowledge.

• Read the news. Sadly, it’s full of stories about phishing scam victims. Share these examples and discuss ways you and your colleagues can avoid similar mistakes.
• If you’re a tech-savvy person, share your knowledge of phishing and network security with those who may not be.

Phishing attempts will continue to evolve. While it’s important to keep up-to-date with the latest in cyber security awareness, it’s also best to have technical controls in place. For more information on how to protect your company’s network or to implement security solutions, give us a call! We’d be happy to help.

From tracking your workout to navigating through rush hour, smartphone technology can do some amazing things. Unfortunately, providing unlimited battery life is not one of them.

So it’s up to software, settings and you to stretch out the limited battery life for as long as possible. Here are some simple tips and tricks you can use:

1. Dim the screen brightness. The display rapidly consumes battery. Most phones include an auto-brightness feature that automatically adjusts the screen's brightness as needed. However, you can save even more power by adjusting to the lowest level yourself.

2. Shorten the screen timeout. This setting controls how long your phone's screen stays lit after receiving input, such as a tap. Save power by setting your timeout to the shortest available time.

3. Turn off Bluetooth when not in use. Bluetooth can do some amazing things, but even if you’re not using it, it’s a huge battery sucker.

4. Avoid extreme temperatures. Smart phones are designed to perform well in a range of temperatures, but exposing them to extremely high or low temperatures can damage battery capacity.

5. Choose location services wisely. Many apps have the ability to monitor your location. You can either disable this feature all together if it’s not needed, or some will allow you to use location services only while using the app.

6. Close Apps that you’re not using. Don't leave apps running in the background if you don’t plan to use them for a while.

7. Turn vibrate off. Your phones vibrate features use much more power than playing a ringtone.

8. Turn off non-essential notifications. Every time an app sends you an alert or other type of notification, it’s consuming energy.

9. Check for mail less often. Unless you need email messages instantly, change your phone settings to only push email every so often.

10. Power Saving Mode. Some phones have a power-saving feature, which a manages the phone's various power-sapping features for you. Doesn’t get any easier than that!

If you’re like most people these days, you rely on your smartphone throughout the day (and night!). Hopefully these power-saving tips will help you get in that much more time between charges.