Weekly Tech Update
We produce a weekly technical update video. I have left the TechTip videos here for reference. If you see anything that you want more information about, or help in implementing anything then call us on 01752 546867.
What about the bad bots!
This week we look at the Bad bots out there.
Mobile Phone Security
Is your phone secure?
Chat AI Brief
We have all heard about Chat GPT, but what is the hype about?
Is your Cyber Security Enough?
The days, of anti-virus protection being enough are long gone! Check out this weeks video to see why.
Phishing by chatbot
Phishing emails are getting better thanks to AI Bots. we explorer this in the video
Latest phishing scam
This week we give some details of the one of the latest phishing scams
Technology Health Check
This week we look at why an annual technology health check is a good idea.
Tech Worries
Some younger people entering the work force, may actually be struggling with the technology used, this week’s video explores this.
Is that the right Download?
In this week’s video we explore the risks of downloading software.
Browser Plugins.
Whilst browser plugins can be really useful, they do sometimes contain malware, we explore this in this weeks video.
Passkeys
Passwords are so 2021, coming soon to most platforms will be passkeys. We explore this further in this weeks video.
Coming Soon to Windows 10
There are a couple of features released in Windows 11, that will soon be making there way to Windows 10, watch this for more info.
Latest Phishing Scam
The latest phishing scam, really piles on the pressure of time to respond. Please share with everyone, and if in doubt give us a call.
Remote Working, and looking after your staff
If your staff are working from home, have you considered all of their needs?
This video will help you make sure you have considered the requirements.
Global Chip Shortage?
Yes at the end of July 2022 there is still a global chip shortage, we explore this in the video.
Are you securing your remote workers?
With most businesses having some people still working from home, this week we look at their security needs.
What Apps are your staff using?
This week we look at the apps that your staff maybe using, and are the possibly causing an issue with your cyber security
Notification Spam, is Google about to help us all!
Google are working on a new feature to help block Notification Spam. For details watch this.
3 Top Cyber Security Tips
In an ever changing security landscape we bring you 3 everlasting top tips.
Ransomware Protection
Ransomware is an horrific crime, If you don’t want to be a victim watch this
Online meeting set up
Online meetings are here to stay, so is your set up giving you the best experience?
Introducing The Passkey
The password has so many issues, perhaps this development will give us all more cyber security
3 new Teams features
There are 3 new teams features coming soon here is a brief video explaining them.
Password manager
The edge browser is getting an upgrade to it’s password manager, but we recomeend you don’t use this. Contact us to find out which password manager we recommend,
IT Buying is on the Increase.
Businesses are forecast to spend more on IT this year! this is our view on it.
Work Life Balance
Work life balance seems to be a bit wrong at the momemnt, view this video for some details.
Browser tab groups
If at the end of the day your browser is full of tabs, then tab groups maybe the feature for you.
Updated Guidance on Cyber Resilience
This week we look at updated guidance in the wake of the continuing threat.
Hardware Problems!
We are seeing a rise of hardware being accidentally damaged. THis could cause your business some problems when staff are using these devices and working from home. More details are in this video.
New Phishing Methods
The scammers are getting more sophisticated more details in this video.
Financial Phishing
One of the most popular hacks is the phishing emails for financial gain.
Ukraine Cyber Security Warning
We all know what is happening in Ukraine, and although there is currently no direct cyber security risk! There are measures that are recommended to be put into place now to prevent it being an issue.
Windows 11 Efficency Mode
Windows 11 has an efficency mode, so hopefully we can say goodbye to the resource hocks.
Teams & LinkedIn
Microsoft has made it easier to get linkedin info in teams.
Microsoft Email Blocking
Microsoft blocked more than 35.7 billion malicious emails last year. It also blocked 25.6 billion attempts to compromise accounts. The best way to prevent this is Multi Factor Authentication.
Windows Update Issues
Microsoft recently announced exactly how long your device needs to be online to receive the latest updates. Full details are in this video.
Working From Home
A recent survey showed that most employees wanted to continue to work from home. This video explains what is needed to make this happen.
Walkie Talkie comes to teams
Teams now have a walkie talkie feature, we are going to be using this. Are you?
Microsoft 365 Price Increase
Although much more than a price increase this weeks video focuses on the price increase, talk to us to find out more.
Data Breaches will lose you clients
Trust is important in business, but building this trust can take some time. But you can lose it all in the blink of an eye. Specially after a cyber security breach?
Our latest video explores this topic.
Microsoft 365 Sway: A niche app with a real purpose
So you need to design a document for work… but you’re not a designer. And apps like Publisher are too confusing?
Enter Sway. It’s inside Microsoft 365, and makes designing easy for non-designers. Here’s our take on it.
How to spot the early signs of a data breach. And limit the fallout
A data breach is one of the most terrifying things that can happen to your business. The financial and reputational impact can be enormous.
Here’s how to spot the early signs of a breach… and what to do if you suspect a cyber-criminal is in your network.
Planner helps your team to get things done
If your team is based in lots of different locations, managing projects effectively can be a headache.
Not if you’re using Microsoft Planner. It’s a powerful tool, and integrates perfectly with the Microsoft 365 apps you already love.
Let’s explore many of the benefits.
Do you need a Password Manager
Have a guess how many passwords the average person needs to remember…
It’s an astonishing EIGHTY passwords! It’s just not realistic asking someone to remember that many, is it?
That’s why we recommend you use a password manager. Our new video explains what that is, and what the risks are.
Do you know what do to limit the damage by Hackers?
Every business will be hacked at some point, but what do you need to do to prevent this?
Talk to us today to help you try and prevent any attacks.
Microsoft Bookings
We’re all busy, with packed calendars. Which sometimes makes it difficult to find a good time to talk to each other.
Enter Microsoft Bookings. It’s designed to find gaps that suit you and the person you want to meet with. And make sure everyone gets reminders about the call or meeting.
Plus it’s fully integrated with your Outlook. Here’s how it works.
Do you know what Whaling is??
Imagine if your staff got an email they genuinely thought was from you. Asking them to pay an urgent bill for a new supplier they’d not heard of before.
Is there any risk they could pay it?
Because actually that email wasn’t sent by you. It’s a specific kind of cyber-crime called whaling, where criminals impersonate the boss.
Here’s what you need to know about it
Make project management easy with Microsoft Project
If a lot of your work involves managing projects, there’s lots of software you can use to help you.
In today’s video, we recommend some software that integrates well with the other 365 applications you already use.
What’s the biggest risk to your business?
As the leader of your business, you have lots of responsibilities. Driving growth, ensuring you staff are fulfilled and enjoying their work etc.
But can you say for certain that your business is protected from the threat of a cyber-attack?
Our new video explores the biggest cyber security risk to every business.
Why you need a business continuity plan
Today’s technology is pretty much critical to all businesses…….
But it is continually under attack!
How long could you survive without your Data, or even internet access? A Day? A Week? longer??
In our new video we explore how easily “Business as Usual” canbe disrupted, and why we all need to plan for this.
SharePoint – The lowdown on the business benefits.
Do you need to collaborate and share information in your business? Is SharePoint the answer. Our new video explains what it can do.
Microsoft ToDo makes your life easier
Half the challenge of being productive is knowing what you need to do, by when.
There’s a very powerful task manager that works with other Microsoft 365 applications. Here’s the lowdown on it.
MicroSoft Access, the powerful database tool.
There’s a tool inside Microsoft 365 which allows you to get a lot more out of data sitting within your business.
It’s not Excel – it’s more powerful than that. But it’s still user friendly. We reveal all in our brand new video.
Your business can get hacked no matter what the size!
Cyber Attacks are huge problem for businesses of all size, even when they don’t make the news.
Because hackers use clever automated tools that hunt out any opportunity for them, anywhere, every small business is at risk
In our new video, we tell you about one of the biggest causes of data security breaches… and how to protect your business.
MyAnalytics something else to help you be more efficient
If you had a dashboard of information about your team’s work patterns, would that be a massive benefit? You could make sure they were disconnecting from work to take proper time off and see how much they were collaborating with others! This tool is already in Microsoft 365.
How are your team handling security breaches?
It’s very easy to be scammed online these days. What would happen if a member of your team clicked a dodgy link by accident?
Our new video explores some options.
The modern Whiteboard
In our new hybrid world, getting everyone in the same place to brainstorm ideas is difficult. But with the Microsoft Whiteboard App, you can now achieve the same benefits.
Should your business be cloud based?
What is the Cloud, and should your business be using it, our latest video has the answers.
Teams: Immersive and inclusive
You’re using Teams in your business, right? In our view it’s one of the best applications Microsoft has ever released. And in this new video, we explore an inclusivity feature that makes it even more useful.
Can you delete data from your devices remotely?
These days, when a member of your team loses their mobile phone, it isn’t just an inconvenience… it can also leave your business’s data vulnerable to thieves. Our new video shows you a safety check you should do now; to help protect your data in the future.
Microsoft Editor, did you know you had this app.
Does or spelling or grammar leave you feeling embarrassed? There’s help for that and it’s from an app you probably already have.
Microsoft Editor is part of 365. It will check your text in real time and make suggestions. And it even works on non-Microsoft products. Here are all the details.
Collaboration made easy with Microsoft Lists
If you use Microsoft 365, then you will have access to lists. It is powerful as it integrates with other apps you already use.
Here’s our take on Lists.
Brute force Attack? What does this mean for your business?
Do you know what a brute force attack is?
It’s how cyber criminals break into accounts protected by weak passwords.
These attacks are usually automated, making them efficient and scarily successful.
Our new video explains what can happen, and how to defend your business.
OneNote: How to Translate
Have you ever needed to translate your notes? You can do this from within OneNote.
Here’s how to do it.
Are your staff working from home? How to train your team on software.
A lot of businesses are either moving to completely work from home, or mixing this with being in the office. This means there are new long-term training needs your business needs to consider.
Such as how you will train members of your team on new software.
Microsoft 365: Your mobile apps and business without the office
There are loads of different applications contained within your subscription, are you getting the most out of your subscription.
And it’s surprising just how many devices you can use your apps on.
Password managers improve security and efficiency.
This single tool, can add a huge cyber-security layer to your business.
It will also help everyone to develop good security habits.
Here are 3 ways it will help you and your business.
PowerPoint: Raising the game with audio
PowerPoint is the most useful way to influence colleagues during a meeting or video call.
Here is one of PowerPoints hidden tricks to give your presentations greater communication powers.
Have your emails been compromised?
Most businesses rely heavily on email, and that’s why it’s so popular with hackers. A large majority of cyber-attacks start in your email.
Here are some ways to protect your business from your own inbox.
MileIQ: An automatic mileage tracker
Does your team track mileage whilst driving for business?
If your team is like ours this can be painful. Luckily there’s an app that can track mileage automatically for you.
And you probably already have it, as it’s part of Microsoft 365.
Excel smart look up feature
Excel isn’t just for crunching numbers. This week we look at a productivity feature.
Here’s one you might not know about. It’s where Excel can look up the contents of a spreadsheet cell for you.
Could I crack your staff’s passwords?
The safest passwords are long random ones, generated by a computer.
However as human we tend to hate those, as they are difficult to remember and to use.
The problem is – a weak password leaves your business open to hackers.
So a long secure password is a must, to help us use them you need a password manager, this means you can have long and complex passwords which make it difficult for hackers to crack short obvious passwords using brute force, where software tries every combination until it gets it right.
This video is looks at the risks of weak passwords.
And why not run your passwords through our new password checker, to see how safe they really are.
https://www.limbtec.com/password-checker/
Real time collaborating in Word
We have used Word for many years.
But have you unleashed the many more things word can do as part of Office 365 .
Such as collaborating on a document in real time. Here’s how…
Keep a look out for these malware traps
For years now, We’ve been warning businesses that the most likely source that a cyber-criminal will use to hack their IT systems, is their email.
But scammers use other methods. Here are some other malware scams to look out for.
There is one thing which prevents 99% of hack attempts
Hackers use clever automated tools to hack into any business.
There is good news. One simple security method has been shown to be 99% effective. Find out what it is in this week’s video.
One bad email. That’s all it takes…
It now appears we are in recovery mode against Covid, so what is the biggest threat to to UK businesses in 2021? – it’s cyber-crime.
This week we explain the one one one rule.
This protects your data in your staff’s homes
When working from home your team need access to company data.
Are you concerned it is a major data security risk. Here’s how to make it safer.
Is Dave on Facebook again?
Social media can be a good thing sometimes. But it can also be an unwelcome distraction.
You could just ban social media on your business’s network, here’s something else you can do instead.
Old tech isn’t just slowing you down
Computers gradually slow down over time. You don’t tend to notice it. Side by side, a 3 year old computer will be so much slower than the latest version.
But there’s another big downside of older computers that scares most IT professionals…
Boss, I’ve lost my laptop!
What is the cost of a member of staff losing a laptop or other device?
Don’t just think about the cost.
You’ve also got to consider the data security of the lost device. Here are a few key questions you must ask yourself…