9 Tips for Outsourcing IT

We hope you found the Outlook training useful and informative. Here are a few additional "helpful hints" to help implement some of the items discussed in the Outlook presentation. If you'd like to schedule a FREE Outlook Productivity for your organization, email ycagen@xvand.com

In a study conducted by analyst firm Freeform Dynamics, more than 40% of small and medium-sized businesses that use hosted or cloud technology reported revenue rises of 30 % or more while 90 % of respondents not using hosted ...[Read more]

According to independent telecom consultant, Simon Telecom (www.simontele.com), the following are crucial elements when considering an IT partner that you can trust to manage your IT requirements: ...[Read more]

Here's another warning sign to firms involved in legal disputes to beware of malicious cyber-attacks. According to a recent article in Network World, the law firm representing a U.S. company involved in a legal dispute over China's Green Dam censorship software says it was targeted with a sophisticated online attack this week, similar to the one reported by Google Tuesday. ...[Read more]

Aggressive phishing campaign spoofing Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access Be aware of an phishing email campaign that invites you to "apply a new set of settings" to your mailboxes because of a recent "security upgrade" of their mailing service. Do NOT click on this email! If you receive an email similar to the one pictured, please do NOT click on it. This is a phishing scam aimed at executing a virus similar to the recent H1N1 and Facebook phishing attacks. For more information on the phishing scheme, see this article. ...[Read more]

This month, thousands of Americans will scramble to find last-minute bargains online - on company time. While some eleventh-hour holiday shopping seems fairly innocuous, the IsUtility® Helpdesk warns frequenters of bargain sites of a growing hacking threat: Phishing. Phishers frequently use low-cost shopping sites to embed malicious software Phishing is an attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. ...[Read more]

I hate to beat a dead horse with the data security topic, but it's become increasingly clear that many small business executives feel that they're too "small" or "insignificant" to be a target of cybercrime. As a result they don't take the proper steps to secure their organization's most critical asset. Back in September, we published a report on the "Five Most Expensive Expensive Mistakes in Having Onsite Servers". (You can request a copy here.) The belief that you are not a 'valuable target' for cybercrimes was Costly Mistake #3 on our list. Here's an excerpt: ...[Read more]

2010 is just around the corner. The turn of a new year tends to spark optimism and hope. Yet the first quarter of 2009 in Houston kicked off with a nasty computer virus that shut down the Municipal Court system for several days. Computer network consultants around town received calls from clients who wondered if their organization might become the next victim. ...[Read more]