Understanding MSPs: The Big Picture

a woman sitting in front of a laptop computer

Managed services are about more than fixed-fee contracts and 24×7 support, and if your current MSP (Managed Services Provider) doesn’t agree, you need to move on. The fact is: You need to partner with a quality provider who will offer first-in-class tech support and help you take a proactive approach to save time and money while maximizing results. Read on…

Howdy Partner

Your IT infrastructure is a valuable asset that keeps your business afloat while providing employees with the tools they need to succeed. Often, technology management providers will try to sell you managed service plans that pay little attention to your most important needs. If an MSP is going to succeed in becoming an extension of your staff, they first need to take the time to understand how your business uses technology in the first place.

Becoming a valued partner is the most important piece of success when it comes to effectively managing a company’s technology assets. Building trust requires dedication and steadfastness, with a focus on providing quantifiable results. Clear communication with an organization’s managers and employees, along with proactive attention to potential computer-related issues needs to serve as the backbone of creating an honest partnership between the managed services provider and client.

In the MSP Know

The better we know each other, the better we can become important in each other’s lives. Managed services are about providing relevant tech support that matters. We understand that many organizations do not have the resources to hire in-house IT staff, and that is why it is important for us to take the time to build trust and provide results.

We need our clients to know our worth and want them to see us as an extension of their business. 

Ready?

Taking the first step to improve your IT is as easy as contacting us for a conversation. 

The Deep Internet: More Than Meets the Eye

a map of the world is shown with blue lights

The Internet as we know it today has revolutionized the way people interact with one another and how society gets along. Most people by this point cannot imagine life without having some form of internet access. Whether it be recreational, social interactions, or business/work-related activity, the internet is an integral part of most persons’ lives. However, there’s more than meets the eye to this vast database of information that we call the internet. Some may or may not have heard of the “deep internet” or “dark internet”. 

Whatever the case, there are three primary parts of the internet. The “clear internet”, which is comprised of websites and data that can be found via search engines such as Yahoo, Google, or Bing, is the most common part of the internet. The “deep internet” is composed of all data and websites not residing on the clear internet. The last and third part of the internet is called the “dark internet”, which is a subset of the deep internet.

How do people access it?

Outside of the internet as a whole, this third domain is where most of the illegal activity of the entire internet takes place. Although not all activity done through the dark internet is illegal. Use of special software is required for accessing this third part of the internet. 

Within the clear internet, for the average internet user, most tasks required to have an internet connection can be done. Since the early days of the internet, moving into the advent of search engines such as Google, internet users have grown to be more dependent on the internet in general. The internet has also proven to be extremely effective for getting day-to-day tasks done.

The deep internet does not require special software to use all of it. However, it can be advantageous to know the differences between the three primary parts of the internet. Additionally, how to use them.

Please contact us if consulting is needed in the use of the internet. 

Computer Tip of the Day: Security

the word security is displayed on a computer screen

Do you frequently find yourself wondering how a hacker could launch a devious assault on your computer? Do you know what warning signs to look for? If you don’t, isn’t that OK? Isn’t it normal to not know? Yes, it is normal…however, in today’s world of ever-evolving threats to the security of your computer, your data, and your personal security, you need to know what the signals of a potential attack could be.

Email

Now, you might think of your email as your friend, after all, isn’t it how you communicate with your family, friends, and coworkers? How could something you use as a medium of communication with the most important people in your leaf be used against you? Unfortunately, email is a favored weapon in a hacker’s arsenal. An attacker can obtain your email address in many ways, but ultimately how your cyber assailant obtained your email doesn’t matter, what matters is that attackers can and do learn your address, and can send you malicious emails.

Never open an attachment or respond to an email from someone you don’t know, some of these emails can be outrageously easy to detect as a potential attack, but some may seem quite legitimate, and can even appear to be from people you know, ranging from Grandma to a coworker. Just open the attachment if you are expecting to receive it, or can confirm it is from the person it claims to be from.

Programs

So, now that you have learned about the dangers that emails can bring, it is time to learn about the dangers associated with programs that claim to be one thing…but are often another. One of the most common are programs that claim to clean up your computer or make it run faster. While these programs may claim to be beneficial, and can even do what they claim, they are quite nefarious and are a trojan horse that a cunning attacker can use to gain access to your computer.

While antiviruses and programs that speed up your computers are most often found to be malicious, these types of programs can take any form, some even claim to be legitimate programs such as Microsoft Word, or a major browser. Always download your programs from an established source, and do some research on the program before your download!

Physical Security

Finally, we reach the most basic, but most commonly overlooked form of security, physical security. Have you ever walked away from your computer where someone else can have unauthorized access? Do you have a simple, easy-to-guess password? It only takes a minute for someone to quickly guess your password and access data on your computer, or for someone to simply walk away with your prized computer, and everything on it. Once an attacker has physical access to your computer, it becomes a walk in the park for him to cause damage.

The modern digital landscape is awash in pitfalls, traps, enemies, and dangers of all sorts. Ranging from email to trojan horse programs, to someone physically threatening your computer, there are innumerable methods attackers can use. However, if you take basic security measures to protect your security and privacy, you will make an attacker’s job much more challenging. Even if your computer becomes compromised, contact us here at Bluewater Technologies and we will set up our expert team to work on preventing and cleaning up any mess that your assailant has made! 

Computer Tip of the Day – The New USB Restricted Mode for iOS

a person using a tablet on a table

Many people use their iPhones or iPads to conduct business while on the go.  While these types of devices offer great convenience and flexibility, they are often more prone to theft and potential hacking outside of an employee’s place of work.  If you use an iPad or iPhone for job-related activities, read on to learn more about what Apple’s USB restricted mode feature entails and how to access it.

What is USB Restricted Mode?

Apple recently added a new security feature to their iOS. It prevents anyone from attempting to connect to one of their iPad or iPhone devices from a USB device. This feature can come into play when the device has been locked for more than an hour. Or an hour from the time the device was last disconnected from a trusted USB accessory.  Essentially this reduces an Apple device to a dumb battery pack. It also does not allow it to be recognized as a smart device.  No data communication is allowed while the device is in USB-restricted mode.

The Right iOS

For those who find this feature appealing, you’ll have to make sure you have the right iOS.  To check to see what iOS your device is currently using, go under Settings > General > Software Update. If you are currently using Apple’s iOS 11.4.1 then you can use the USB-restricted mode feature.  If not, then you’ll need to download the latest iOS to have access to it.

How Do I Engage Restricted Mode?

If you have the proper iOS and want to see whether or not the USB restricted mode is applied to your device, click on “Settings”, then “Passcode”.  Enter your password when instructed to do so.  On the right, you should see a section entitled, “Allow Access When Locked”.  The last option listed should be, “USB Accessories”.  If you don’t want to allow USB access when your device is locked, then you should disable or turn off this feature.

If you would like more computer tips on how to safely engage in work-related activities while on the go, please contact us.

Clean Your Cache!

a computer monitor sitting on top of a desk

Has your favorite browser been running slow lately? Not loading pages? Not updating the web-based application you use daily? Popping up errors when you try to input data in an online form?

All of these issues can be caused by a lack of maintenance of your cache files.

What are Cache Files?

Think of cache files as copies of your activity online. Every website you go to leaves information on your hard drive — the current version of the page or web-based application, data you share or enter, log-in information and more — to make any subsequent return visit faster and more user-friendly.

Why Should I Clean My Cache?

Imagine your internet connection is a tube. Every time you go to a website, a brick is laid inside that tube. At first, there’s no issue and your internet continues to perform optimally. However, the more places you go, the more cache collects, until your access to the internet slows down to a trickle, causing pages and/or photos not to load, search engines to fail, and more.

Cleaning out your cache files on a regular basis will prevent such issues.

Do I Need a Professional?

In most cases, absolutely not. This is something you can easily do yourself! Each browser has a different process to clean out cache, though, so check out the links below for your preferred browser:

Like most people, you probably have more than one browser on your computer. You just have to perform this clean up in one browser to eliminate unnecessary cache.

What If My System is Already Slow?

Cleaning out your cache is the ideal first step forward. Once you’ve cleared everything out, close your browser and restart your system, as some files can linger after they’re removed in the browser and will only permanently disappear once you’ve done a restart. Then your internet experience should be smooth sailing.

Performing this maintenance on a routine schedule will keep your internet access flowing, your data safe and save space on your computer, making for a happy user experience.

Need more help? Contact us.