Confused about cybersecurity? You’re not alone
At one point or another, nearly everyone has had a moment of cybersecurity gone wrong. Whether it’s a bit of spyware downloaded from your personal email or a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack launched against your company’s network, experiences with security threats are not especially rare these days.
But understanding the odds and ends of cyberthreats is something that still eludes the casual computer user. Terms like malware, spyware, DDoS, botnet, advanced persistent threats, we know they’re bad news, but beyond that they’re just jargon used by IT guys and technology pundits. Even those who do claim to understand the nuances of cybersecurity have a tendency to confuse the details or explain them unclearly.
Developing Acceptable Use Policies and Mobile Security Policies
The rapid deployment and adoption of mobile devices has led to a very real need for Acceptable Use Policies and Mobile Security Policies. In my first blog post in this series, I will be discussing key points in developing policies around mobile devices and will give specific examples of language that I have seen used in employee communication of these policies.
Consider the enforcement
Any policy written isn’t fully useful if it isn’t enforced and reiterated. All users should know the policies upon hire. Also, keeping the policies relevant by communicating them on a regular basis is important. These policies should be treated the same way that HR policies are developed and referenced.
Virtela’s Follow-the-Sun Customer Support
My American and Indian colleagues have been blogging away here. I think it’s time for Virtela Philippines to be represented on Virtela ViewPoint.
The Philippines Global Operations Center (GOC) works in full tandem with counterparts in Denver, Colorado and Mumbai, India to provide 24x7x365 customer support.
Sunrise in Manila prompts the Philippine team to get in full gear, ready to perform a smooth handoff from the Denver GOC team. Shortly before Manila’s famed sunset, we pass on support functions to our Mumbai counterparts. As an integral part of Virtela’s global service delivery, the Virtela Philippines team is committed to a seamless transition in the never-ending follow-the-sun customer service support cycle.
How is IT impacting your business?
A recent article by InformationWeek explored the top 10 CIO priorities. Topping the list was IT’s ability to “implement fast enough to meet business goals”, followed by “making IT one with the business”. And with cloud computing, the consumerization of IT, and security and compliance issues, today’s IT leaders have a lot on their plate.
Which brings us to the question: How is IT impacting your business?
As technology constantly evolves it’s becoming harder and harder for businesses to maintain an in-house IT staff that can provide the necessary expertise and service 24x7x365. Not to mention the ability to get new technology up and running in a matter of days versus months.
How many organizations today have the luxury – or patience – to wait months for a new technology or initiative to go live? Or how many would find an outage acceptable, especially if it affects the company’s ability to communicate with its customers (impact on service) or process orders (impact on revenue)? I’m guessing not too many.
Can you trust your Managed Service Provider (MSP)?
In order for a business partnership to be successful, there must be several levels of trust. This is true in any industry, for any business transaction.
In the managed services industry, the issue of trust is paramount. Customers must trust that the services provided – whether network, security, cloud, IT infrastructure management or otherwise – will be reliable and high-performing. Companies also need to trust that the MSP implements the best solution to meet their unique needs. Additionally, if problems occur, the customer must be confident that the MSP will do what it takes to resolve problems quickly; better yet, predict potential problems and fix them before they severely impact the health of the network.
Bye-bye $200K Cell Phone Bill
OMG was my first reaction when I read an article about a man ringing up a $200K cell phone bill. The man is deaf and mute. He uses his cell phone as his primary way of communicating. He didn’t know about roaming charges and got hit for roaming on 2000 text messages and countless video downloads. Here is the article for your reference.
So think about the liabilities companies face today with employees using their corporate or employee-owned mobile devices for both work and personal use. Many companies pay for their employees’ mobile phone usage charges, how do they protect themselves from misuse or abuse and ultimately limit their financial exposure?
Avoiding network strain when moving to the cloud
When it comes to cloud computing, we’re as enthusiastic as the next guy. But, for all the good the cloud brings, the technology is not without its challenges. As more businesses turn to the cloud to take advantage of potential cost savings, improved IT efficiency and greater productivity (the list goes on), there are issues of which a company must be mindful.
One such issue is the cloud’s effect on a company’s infrastructure. It’s understandable that businesses may be inclined to ignore their networks when moving to the cloud. After all, one of the major points about the technology is that it lets a third party deal with the nitty gritty.
Achieving customer service with a personal touch
When I was asked to write a piece for the Virtela Viewpoint, I knew I wanted to talk about what sets Virtela apart from other companies in our field. There were a number of possible (and great) topics for me to cover. As a senior network engineer here, my expertise obviously lies on the technical side of our business. But rather than regale you with stories about the cloud, VPNs and the like, I thought I’d focus on what I believe truly stands out about Virtela.
Cloud computing can be traced to 3000 B.C.?
As humans evolved, they started earning income. And with regular income, a secure way to store currency became important. That’s when people began using safes at home, and many were happy with this approach.
However, they eventually realized that moving safes from their home to the cloud was more effective in safeguarding their wealth rather than keeping it in-house. Records suggest the earliest “cloud safes” started around 3000 B.C. And the oldest cloud safe – dating back to 1472! - is still in operation today.
The cloud and MDM: Helping businesses help themselves
For businesses, mobility is the gold rush of today, with many looking to get smartphones into the hands of their employees as quickly as possible. By now, we’ve all heard about the inevitable risks of consumerization of IT, and the importance of mobile device management to get the most value out of enterprise mobility.
So now, businesses are preparing for the technology, putting most of their efforts toward weighing their options on smartphones. Sure, mobile device management is a consideration, and many believe that as long as they have any MDM solution in place, they’ve covered all the bases.