BSSi2 July 2014 newsletter · 2015-06-16 · July 2014 35 Aztec Court South Barrington, IL 60010 (847) 551-4626 “We make all of your computer problems go away without the cost of
Post on 13-Jun-2020
0 Views
Preview:
Transcript
Review twice, Implement once. Doing IT right the first time.
July 2014
Innovations
Do you have mountains of information stored on your server that you’ll
never use, but feel like you should keep? You are not alone. Given
expanding regulatory rules, some businesses save every bit of data they
have, just to be safe.
You may be thinking, “What’s the big deal in keeping everything?” While
it is true off-site data storage costs have gone down by about 25% every
year, the fact is that keeping your data forever can create big
management challenges and lead to retrieval headaches. Most often
companies that save everything don’t do so because they think it’s the
best way, but because they aren’t sure what needs to be saved.
Every organization needs to save data for its own purposes, such as
transactions, accounting records and so on. Not only that, but industry
regulations require companies to save certain kinds of content for a
prescribed period.
So what should you be doing? Here are 3 data-retention strategies you
must consider:
1. Start with the storage analysis, not the storage technology or
procedures.
Know what data has to be kept and for how long. Many times
requirements are dictated by industry or legal requirements.
2. Segment user populations.
Use categories such as executives, back-of4ice employees, sales and
people who deal with the company’s intellectual property and treat
their data differently.
3. Be precise and consistent with data-retention policies.
Don’t confuse backup with archiving.
Since backup systems don’t generally have the granular control
needed to save some types of information for a short time and others
for longer, using them as archival systems can be costly and risky.
Declare Freedom From High Costs & Risks
By Throwing Out Data Now
The Lighter Side… You are not so stupid
"Smoking kills. If you're
killed, you've lost a very
important part of your life,"
-- Brooke Shields, during an
interview to become
spokesperson for federal an
-smoking campaign.
———————————
"I've never had major knee
surgery on any other part of
my body,"
--Winston Benne#,
University of Kentucky
basketball forward.
———————————
"Half this game is ninety
percent mental."
--Philadelphia Phillies
manager, Danny Ozar
———————————
"It isn't pollu on that's
harming the environment.
It's the impuri es in our air
and water that are doing it.."
--Al Gore, Vice President
———————————
"I love California . I prac cal-
ly grew up in Phoenix "
-- Dan Quayle
———————————
"We've got to pause and ask
ourselves: How much clean
air do we need?"
BSSi2, www.bssi2.com, 847-551-4626, sbernstein@bssi2.com
Page 2
Innovations
BSSi2, www.bssi2.com, 847-551-4626, sbernstein@bssi2.com
3 Microsoft Excel Functions Certain To
Make Your Company More Productive
Microsoft Excel is such a powerful tool. We all
know it, but most of what we use the program
for are simple calculations and data collections
while we know there is so much more there. The
problem for most is that there are TOO MANY
functions and tools to use, so we get lost, don’t
know what we could or should use and don’t
even try.
To help you out, we’ve picked 3 of our favorites
to share with you. Using any one of these
functions is certain to improve your company
and make you more productive.
1. Conditional Formatting. Did you know that
you can apply this simple tool to a collection
of data and Excel will automatically format
your data via color coding so it will “pop out”
based on any criteria you choose? If you have
any size data set that you need to analyze,
this function greatly simpli0ies your job.
2. CountIF, SumIF and AverageIF. These rarely
used functions are amazing when you apply
them. If you have a spreadsheet full of data
with common classi0ications or labels, you
can easily count, sum or average each label
using these 3 formulas. And the supercool
part is that if you update any data, your
functions will automatically update based on
your changes. If you’ve never used any of
these 3 IF functions, give them a whirl on
your next spreadsheet.
3. Paste Special. I’m sure you may have used this
function before, but you probably never
realized the power it contains that we hardly
use. Use the paste special function to convert
your spreadsheet data from rows to columns
(and vice versa), divide (or multiply) a whole
series of numbers and more!
Identity Theft, like Cybercrime,
Will Not Go Away
Did you hear the story about the 0ive year old that was
arrested for not making payments on his yacht and
home in Florida? No, this is not the start of a joke. It is
a real-life example of what can happen to anyone who
has been a victim of Identity Theft. It is not uncommon
for identity thieves to steal the social security number
of an infant or deceased person.
If you become a victim, your life can be turned upside
down. It is more than just a loss of money. The time it
takes to resolve this can be astronomical. Hours and
days sitting on the phone with multiple companies,
agencies, collection agents. Think your boss will be
happy to see you so productive during the work day
taking care of your personal business?
There are many services out there that claim to
protect you against Identity Theft. It is my opinion you
cannot be guaranteed against such a crime. You have
to always be vigilante. But I also recommend
subscribing to a service that will help you in the event
you are such a victim. They key to this service is in
helping you remediate the damage that has taken
place, one that will make those phone calls for you; let
them wait on hold on your behalf. An Identity Theft
subscription that does not offer this as part of their
service is not worth having. I use a service called
LegalShield and that is a key part of their offering. The
person I work with is Allen Katz,
allenkatz@legalshieldassociate.com,
847-612-4676. He is a rock star when it comes to
understanding and protection for Identity Theft. Don’t
leave home without it.
NOTE: BSSi2 is not selling LegalShield nor do we get
any commission or referral fees.
July 2014
1. Don’t leave it lying around
Although this is common sense, you’ve probably
violated this rule more than once. Tablets are easy
targets for thieves, so don’t let it out of your sight
when in a public place – and don’t leave it in plain
view in your car or you might end of up with a
broken window in addition to a stolen tablet.
2. Use a passcode
Although it’s not 100% hacker-proof, it will block
unauthorized users from accessing your information.
3. Consider enabling automatic data erasing
You can con)igure your iPad to erase your data after
10 failed pass-code attempts. Clearly this is not a
good solution for anyone who constantly forgets a
password or for those who have kids trying to log in
repeatedly. However, if you have a Microsoft
Exchange account connected to your mobile device,
your IT guy can remotely wipe your mobile device as
soon as you report that it has been lost.
4. Encrypt your hard drive
On your iPad, simply enabling the password will turn
on encryption. All iOS devices also come with a
second layer of encryption (called data protection)
that protects your e-mails and attachments. This
protection can’t be broken, even if the passcode is
stripped. On Android tablets, you need to enable
hard-drive encryption in the security settings.
5. Enable iCloud Find My Phone or
Android Device Manager
These are valuable tools to use when you misplace
your tablet. Both of these services allow you to log in
and )ind your tablet or even wipe it if you have
sensitive data on it.
6. Install software updates
As with all software, make sure you have the latest
security updates and patches installed to protect
against hackers and viruses.
7. Only connect to trusted WiFi networks
Public WiFis are open territory for hackers and
identity thieves. Whenever you connect, make sure
it’s a legitimate, secure connection.
7 Ways To Keep Your Tablet Secure
Have You Installed Microsoft Of)ice On Your iPad Yet?
Page 3
BSSi2, www.bssi2.com, 847-551-4626, sbernstein@bssi2.com
After years of rumors, Microsoft )inally unveiled Of)ice for iPad in late March. This is a huge addition to the iPad, as demonstrated by the more than 12 million downloads of the product in the )irst week it was released.
The iPad Just Got More Business-Friendly One of the biggest business complaints about the iPad has been that it’s great as a personal device and for catching up on e-mail, but you really couldn’t do real work on it. You can now use the core 3 of Word, Excel and PowerPoint on your iPad fairly seamlessly. Microsoft has integrated Of)ice for iPad into their Of)ice 365 suite of products with an annual fee of only $100, which includes online )ile storage (or you can simply view )iles in Of)ice for iPad, but not work on them, for free).
A Familiar Interface And Functionality
Just about everything you’re used to within the Of)ice Suite is here on the iPad, optimized for touch screens. These three apps are feature-rich, powerful business tools. And while a menu item or two might be out of place, you’ll soon quickly adapt to the user interface. If you’ve used an iPad and you’ve used Of)ice on your desktop, you’ll be just )ine.
Advanced features such as change tracking, )ind and replace are all there, and while there still may be a few things you need to do on your desktop, we’re hard-pressed to )ind many of them.
July 2014
35 Aztec Court
South Barrington, IL 60010
(847) 551-4626
www.bssi2.com
“We make all of your
computer problems go
away without the cost of
a full-time I.T. staff”
Review twice, Implement once. Doing IT right the first time.
Inquiring Minds...
Shiny New Gadget
Of The Month
This 120-inch-diagonal air blown In�latable Movie Screen is perfect for family movie nights and block parties, because everyone can see it all on this big screen in your backyard! The giant outdoor movie screen can be set up and
in�lated in minutes, ready to show movies, TV shows, cartoons, sporting events or even video presentations. This in�latable movie screen is also great to use indoors or out for fund-raising events, festivals or prom parties, providing a drive-in movie experience everyone will enjoy. You can even hook up your game console to your projector (not included) to play video games for “tremendous” fun! And since this outdoor movie screen is portable, you can take it along to your summer cottage or company picnic! This awesome addition to your family life AND your business can be found at www.skymall.com for about $250. BSSi2 (847) 551-4626 www.bssi2.com
Feel like your computer is out of gas? Having network issues
that are delaying your daily operations? Give our IT professionals
a call today for your FREE Network Assessment. We will
inventory your current technology, check network security,
review your back-up solution and deliver a report including
outstanding issues and possible solutions. It’s amazing how a
simple review of your current operations can reveal cost and
time saving opportunities.
Claim your
FREE Network Assessment today!
Inflatable Movie Screen
Not only is BSSi2 growing in terms of employees, but also within the family. I am proud to announce two of our star consultants are getting married this year (but not to each other), John DeVicaris and Nicole Wright.
John and Amanda (8/17) Nicole and Chad (9/20)
top related