Two people working on their laptops

Securing Your Company’s Email to Prevent a Data Breach

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Email is a platform that hackers commonly use to access an organization’s data and sensitive information, and companies of all sizes can be vulnerable to security threats. In the past decade, even large companies like AOL, Sony, and Yahoo!—all of which have the resources for multiple layers of security—have faced security breaches due to email hacks. If those companies are vulnerable to attack, many small businesses worry their company might also be. But there are several important steps companies of all sizes can take to decrease the risk of an email security breach.

Get Back to Basics

Good encryption solutions are critical to a company’s email security. Email encryption permits only certain users to read and access emails. There are a number of methods of encryption, ranging from plug-in software to third-party email services like Office 365, which is the easiest option and includes built-in encryption. Another solution is a policy-based system that detects keywords, attachments, or numbers that indicate sensitive information, automatically removing that confidential data from the email. Most email security solutions have basic requirements that must be met before the system can be implemented, including updated operating systems and applications or TLS implementation on the email server.

Prevention Is Key

In addition to having basic encryption and email security, there are a few other ways to prevent security vulnerabilities, including affordable cloud-based security solutions from McAfee and similar companies. But additional layers of security should also be considered on top of that for maximum protection. Every device that accesses the company network must be secured, including those of employees working remotely. This means setting up a secure VPN to eliminate security vulnerabilities for employees working from home. It’s also a good idea to set stronger email password requirements.

Don’t Overlook Internal Threats

Security threats aren’t always on the outside; sometimes, breaches come from within the organization. Unfortunately, all the encryption and anti-malware solutions in the world won’t help that situation. This isn’t always on purpose—unfortunately, many businesses don’t train their employees on the importance of email security. As a result, confidential data can be unintentionally sent outside the company, causing serious financial damage. Training is an effective way to prevent accidental negligence by employees who aren’t aware of the potential for outside threats.

Mobile Security Is Important, Too

Mobile security should never be overlooked! Every employee probably carries a smartphone—whether it’s their own or one issued by the company—and many of them have access to their work email on their phone. If their phone gets lost or compromised, confidential information could be available to the world. A business IT firm can help implement solutions for better mobile security.

KyndL Corporation knows the importance of email security, and we help companies of all sizes implement affordable solutions that address their vulnerabilities and protect their sensitive information. Call us today at 978-564-1990 to find out how we can help with your security and IT needs.

A woman working on her computer

Working Remotely: How to Keep Your Employee’s Information Secure

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Cybersecurity is a primary concern for all organizations today. At the same time, however, offering employees the ability to telecommute—to work from any remote location via Wi-Fi connection—is increasingly important to many offices as they morph to match the modern world. How can companies keep their telecommuters remotely connected and their information protected all at the same time?

Protect Employee Devices

Because by definition telecommuters are not inside an office, neither are the devices they use for work. Those devices and the data they contain aren’t protected by the robust firewalls, interdictions against personal web browsing, and other cybersecurity measures the home office has in place. But, since the beauty of telecommuting is the ability to work from anywhere, restricting the range of access of employee devices (even those owned by the employer) may actually be counterproductive for both parties.

The optimal approach is to protect employee devices such that company data is safe wherever they’re being used. Activating automatic updates from software vendors, and installing patches and fixes as soon as they’re released helps shield employees’ personal devices from a cyber attack outside the office. Providing email and spam protection for all employees is essential. In the almost inevitable event that a device is lost, whole-disk encryption can impede unauthorized access to its data, and remote-wipe software can remove it permanently from an irrecoverable machine.

Tap the Cloud

Cloud applications are web-based platforms, accessible from anywhere and at any time, as long as a reliably strong internet connection is available. Using the cloud is perfect for working telecommuters, especially if they’re using tablets or phones that can’t store software locally. It’s also potentially more secure since cloud service providers can perform real-time data security monitoring. Their dedicated teams of server-side experts can address security issues better and faster than most local office IT staff can. That work and the data involved in it are however the property of the provider, not the company, and potentially subject to release under subpoena during litigation.

Regardless of provider, though, the cloud lives on the web and is therefore vulnerable to hackers. To help guard against personal or corporate cyber attacks, on-site and remote employees should be vigilant when it comes to using strong passwords that are unique to work, protecting them, and regularly changing them. Also, telecommuters should beware of using unsecured, public Wi-Fi for work whenever possible, or even casually using USB drives that haven’t been scanned.

Hardwire Remote Workers

Companies can also functionally extend the firewalls of their offices to safely envelope their remote workers by establishing secure connections to the office networks for them. A secure VPN, or virtual private network, using properly monitored and protected devices can effectively encrypt internet traffic and make telecommuting much safer for worker and data. Windows-based Office 365 combines remote access tools and cybersecurity measures for an affordable monthly fee, plus the savings on hardware and maintenance costs.

KindL Corporation specializes in complete Office 365 installation and 24/7 support, remote IT help desk, as well as other cloud-based IT solutions for businesses in the Boston, MI area. Find out how we can help you.

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How to Build a Backup Strategy for Your Small Business

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There’s nothing as painful as working on an important file only to lose it when a computer crashes. But what would happen if this occurred to an entire business? That’s why it’s vital to build a backup strategy for a small business to prevent major losses in the future.

Common Storage Solutions

There are many common storage solutions for backing up business data, each with different properties. Many businesses opt for online storage in the Cloud by hiring an outside company for “space” in their online backup system. Other forms of storage include direct attached storage systems that connect directly to a PC or server; network attached storage which connects directly to a network, or even opting for DVD or Blu-ray discs to backup data.

What to Backup

Any data, information, or intellectual property that is vital to keeping the business running should be regularly backed up. In addition to current projects, this includes financial records, customer records, tax forms, etc. Many experts also recommend this data be encrypted to increase security for your business and prevent data theft or fraud. Once backed up, these files should be regularly updated as well.

How Often to Backup

At the very minimum, backups should happen whenever the backed up data changes. For some businesses, this may be a weekly or monthly routine, but for others, it could be daily. Luckily, many backup systems can automatically update and change new information on a regular basis.

Doubling Up

Most experts recommend that backups be performed twice for all important data. Businesses should make two full copies of every backup, and these copies should be stored on separate physical devices. This way, if something ever happens to one backup, there is another that will be unaffected. In this case, these backups should be routinely rotated to make sure that they are both kept up to date and receive the same amount of attention.

Tripling Up

Businesses can “triple up” by keeping one local copy for primary, day-to-day access, one local backup, and one backup that is stored securely offsite, preventing a loss should something occur onsite. An offsite backup can also make office moves and cabling more efficient since the company can run with the offsite backup during the interim. Ultimately, any hardware can wear down and break over time, so if the backups are kept on external hardware, the hardware itself should be updated and replaced regularly to prevent any data loss.

At KyndL Corporation, we understand the importance of making sure data is safe, secure, and backed up. To find out how we can help you, give us a call at 978-564-1990 or browse our IT services.

Customer Spotlight: Environmental company turns to Boston-area IT firm, KyndL

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One of our clients – a Waltham, Massachusetts company provides real solutions to unique environmental challenges. Their team of scientists and engineers combine technical expertise with a comprehensive understanding of environmental regulations, technologies, and strategies. As with any organization, their dedicated IT and system software is essential to keep their business up and running, so that they can focus on addressing environment issues, like air-quality-related concerns: ensuring that their clients enjoy safety, comfort, and peace of mind.

Prior to KyndL, this organizaiton had worked with another local Information Technology and services company to help with their online security, monitoring, and IT maintenance. Initially the IT services were fine. However, once the IT vendor was acquired by a large IT company, they started to have concerns. The main issue: the new company wouldn’t honor their previous IT contract. At this point, the environmental company decided to look for another Boston-area IT firm: they turned to KyndL.

KyndL was able to provide a free IT assessment where they discovered that the company was not only greatly overpaying for services they didn’t need, but also they were not being properly serviced. KyndL then identified exactly what IT services the company needed, tailored a customized IT plan for the business, and agreed on a services agreement that would adequately service their company’s needs at the right price.

Are you a Boston-area company in a similar situation, frustrated with the level of service your IT company is providing you? Want to know if your existing IT support contract fits the needs of your business? Please contact us to receive a complimentary IT assessment. (It’s a $1,000 value.)

You may find that the service you have is exactly what you need. Or, you may find that you have a more complex IT system than your company requires. Either way the assessment is free, so there is no downside to learning more.

Is Office 365 right for you?

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We often get asked “Is Office 365 right for me?” It’s a great question, and the answer is: “It depends.” Office 365 is a wonderful “cloud”-based Microsoft system. (What exactly is “the cloud”? It’s a cluster of computers in multiple datacenters that are connected to the Internet.) Office 365 integrates email, contacts, and calendars. It provides a very robust back-end infrastructure to its users which enables small businesses to have a similar caliber IT infrastructure to that of a Fortune 500 company. The back end of the Office 365 environment is maintained by Microsoft so that server upgrades are transparent to the user, and everything is backed up automatically in the cloud.

If Office 365 can do all of this, why would anyone NOT use it?

It comes down to the following two main considerations:

  1. cost
  2. the data and system requirements of your company

Office 365 is offered on a monthly licensing basis, with per user prices ranging from $5 to over $20, per month, based on the services needed. Some companies require additional compliance add-ons which can further drive up that monthly cost. So, for some companies, it may be more cost efficient to maintain the email systems and data in house, for others it may be more cost efficient to utilize the Office 365 offerings.

There are other considerations to keep in mind. Having a “hybrid” IT infrastructure comprised of an Office 365 system plus storing data on an internal server makes the most sense for some companies. In short, it really depends on your particular business, your needs, and the type of data that you have.

Interested in finding out if Office 365 makes sense for your business? Sign up for a FREE IT Evaluation or call us directly (978-564-1990), and we will provide the analysis needed for you to make an informed decision.

3 Best Practices All Insurance Agencies Should Follow

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Insurance agencies are charged with the important task of making sure their clients’ lives and worldly possessions are covered. From life, car, to home insurance, small insurance agencies throughout Massachusetts often have a lot to juggle and using technology is just one aspect of the business.

One such technology is the software that an insurance agency uses to manage their client information. A popular software tool used by many agencies in the Greater Boston area is a product named Special Agent, from Special Agent Inc. However, improper management of great tools like this could be disastrous from an IT infrastructure standpoint. So here are a few best practices insurance agents should follow in order to avoid catastrophes of their own:

3 IT Best Practices for Small Insurance Agency Offices:

1) Host data on a file server — NOT on a personal workstation. One of our clients recently came to us because they installed the special agent software on someone’s personal workstation within their office, so all the agents were able to use it. But because this was on a personal machine connected to the internet and not on a dedicated file server, the individual’s machine got infected with a computer virus which impacted the “special agent” software resulting in the loss of several weeks worth of client information.

Individual PCs are not designed to behave as storage devices — so treating them as file servers not only exposes them to viruses, but doing so will also significantly slow machine performance as well. So invest in a file server to ensure that client information is protected regardless of individual workstation computer infections.

2) Backup all data. Speaking of losing data, make sure to backup all agency data on a regular basis, regardless of where it is hosted. There are maintenance options that can be part of your IT routine — you can opt for manual backups or automatically send backed-up data to a secured location on a regularly scheduled, recurring time.

The cost of lost data is very high. The cost of backing up data regularly can be very minimal. Backing up data is well worth the investment. Doing so can help your business easily recover lost data should an infected program make its way to your most important files.

3) Find a local IT company that understands your needs. Lastly, if you are small office has been “making do” in the last few months (or even years!) without the help of an IT guru, it may be time to make the jump to an IT professional services company. If you do have an IT firm, it’s good to have a review of their services.

For example, another insurance agency client came to us because they were overpaying for their IT services and not getting the support that they needed. Their previous IT company was a large firm and didn’t specialize in working with smaller insurance agencies. This vendor had a standard offering that did not fit this particular company’s requirements. As a result, there were gaps in the IT infrastructure that caused a loss of critical data loss for the firm and at a very high cost.

The Bottom Line:

You are insurance experts, not IT experts. Running your business gives you enough to worry about: don’t add a loss of data or IT management to your long list of things to do. Making sure you have a dedicated file server that’s backed up on a regular basis is your best chance for success. And, double check that the IT services that you are getting are in fact what your company requires.

KyndL has years of experience putting the right IT systems in place in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible. If you work in an insurance agency with offices in Massachusetts, and would like to get an evaluation on your existing IT support, or are in need of an experienced and reliable IT firm to set up, monitor, backup, and provide support to your systems, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

How to Tell if Your Law Firm is Overpaying for IT Support

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Did you know that many Massachusetts law firms are potentially overpaying for IT support and systems that are more complex and expensive than necessary?

Yes, it’s true. In fact, it happens more often than not. Many times, an IT firm has standardized its service offerings on a certain platform and have arrangements with specific hardware and software vendors. So, instead of providing customers with exactly what they need, the IT firm sells what they have to offer.

While this might work for some, we find that many firms are being oversold IT services/systems and placed into contracts that don’t fit their requirements. The customers end up with more complex hardware and are bound by costly contracts. In the end, this complexity drives up costs and potential issues for the office administrator.

Law firm IT requirements in particular also have very specific requirements for their IT systems. For example, some of our law clients’ IT needs vary from Time Slips, Turbo Law, Time Matters, Practice Master / TABS, Cocordance, PC Law, Quickbooks, Peachtree/Sage 50. We also understand that law offices are held to certain compliance standards, such as MA Data security laws, as well as bank and loan originators.

Want to know if your existing IT support contract fits the needs of your business? Please contact us to receive a complimentary IT assessment. (It’s a $1,000 value.)

You may find that the service you have is exactly what you need. Or, you may find that you have a more complex IT system than your company requires. Either way the assessment is free, so there is no downside to learning more.

KyndL to Attend Regional Legal Management Conference East

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KyndL is proud to be a bronze sponsor of this year’s Regional Legal Management Conference East, to be held this September 8-10 in Boston, MA. Because we service 40+ law firms in the Boston area, KyndL holds a silver-level sponsorship with ALA.
ALA’s Regional Legal Management Conferences provide identical education across three U.S. locations, and include networking opportunities and round tables based on region. The high-caliber educational content is geared toward the needs of legal management leaders and functional specialists.
September 8 – 10, 2016
Venue: The Westin Boston Waterfront

This Conference Will Feature:

  • Insight on hot topics in today’s legal industry
  • “Conference within a conference” with dedicated education blocks
  • Intensive networking opportunities
  • Experts on profitability, innovation, strategy, leadership, technology and more
  • The latest in legal management products, market intelligence, services and technology
  • Over 25 deep-dive sessions that cover creating a positive and professional law firm:
    • Dealing with billing, collection, internal controls and fraud
    • Developing new support staff structures
    • Elevating performance evaluations
    • Practicing cyber security and liability insurance needs
  • Continuing education credits

Read more at the full conference agenda here.

Are you attending this year? If you are looking for proactive support for your legal office, let’s schedule a meeting – we look forward to seeing you there!

Small Business? What You Need to Know About Windows 10

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Keep getting little popups asking you to upgrade your machine OS to Windows 10? You’re not alone – in fact, you may have noticed them increasing in frequency since the latest system launch back in July of 2015. And though it may be tempting to upgrade to stop the pop-ups, there are a few things you need to consider before taking the plunge – and if you don’t, you may have quite the IT headache on your hands.

What You Need to Know About Windows 10:

Q: Should I upgrade to Windows 10?

A: It really depends: it is a different interface, and if you have 3rd party applications installed on your machine, you need to find out if they are compatible before making the jump. Check with all of your software vendors to assure compatibility – (some examples include an old version of Quickbooks, Time Matters, POS systems, etc.)

Microsoft is pushing the update to people through that annoying pop-up, so users see icon to upgrade, and inadvertently install it on their own without knowing how to use it because the interface is different. If you are on a company domain, usually the company’s IT department will want to take care of that –  and can avoid it if they are aware of it.

Q: I accidentally upgraded to Windows 10 – how do I recover from windows 10 back to windows 7?

A: It’s pretty easy, just follow these steps:

  1. Click Start in bottom left corner
  2. Click on Settings
  3. Click on Updates & Security icon
  4. Click on Recovery, and on the right you will see option to Go back to Windows 7 and click start.

Need some help?

If any of the above info around Windows 10 has your head spinning, and you are the sole IT department, it can be a hassle to take time out of your schedule to get it fixed. In a small business, when one employee computer or application isn’t working right, it can slow down productivity for the whole team. If this sounds like you and you are a small to medium size business in the greater Boston area (such as a legal office) KyndL may be able to help. Our Remote Assistance can help you get back to business faster, and our support team can view your desktop remotely and solve the problem for you right away.

If this is something you are interested in, contact us today.

The link between big data and profit

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Big data. You may have heard of it; after all it’s been putting in an appearance at boardroom meetings across the globe for some time now. But what actually is big data? And what does it mean when applied in a business environment? More importantly, what can it do and how can it help your organization to succeed? And getting down to the nitty-gritty, does the term big data actually mean anything – or is it just another empty industry buzz word? The good news is that it’s not, and using big data can actually help drive profit. Read on to learn more.

So, we’ve established that big data is causing a stir and creating a buzz in companies that are in the know. In fact, it’s become hip to bandy about the phrase whenever one is trying to impress their boss, senior management or fellow co-workers. But like any lingo or jargon that is currently cool, it really doesn’t count for a whole lot if it doesn’t mean anything, particularly in the workplace.