Tag: technology

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Prey or Empowered? Small Businesses and IT Security

Now more than ever, small businesses need to be vigilant with their information technology security. Small businesses may not be the big fish in the sea, but there are plenty of them out there to catch. Small businesses tend to make the best targets because they often fail to perform security audits, they may not be willing to invest in the resources needed to protect themselves, and they frequently don’t even carry the right insurance coverages. To hackers, small businesses are easy prey.

“Don’t think you are too small to be affected,” says Erik Knight, the founder and CEO of SimpleWAN. “Every place you have an employee or office is a potential entry point. Take it seriously; if you have something worth taking, a hacker will try to take it.”

https://www.forbes.com/…

There are a few things every business can do to improve the security and privacy of their data. It isn’t an option any longer; these are essential elements in an overall security strategy that can make the difference between staying in business and not.

Use strong passwords, not easy-to-guess words, phrases or sequences (1234 is not a strong password). Passwords should be unique, more than 8 characters in length, and have a mix of numbers, letters, and special characters.

Keep software updated. Whether it is the operating system on your computer or the software you use to write letters, having up-to-date software matters. Developers don’t just upgrade software to fix bugs or introduce new features; software often gets updated because of security issues or vulnerabilities.

Keep networks and connected devices secure to make sure that the computers and connections aren’t introducing weaknesses into your system. Not only are password controls and software updates needed, but firewall security and good anti-virus/anti-malware solutions are also a must. Keeping an eye on the server matters, but the connecting points and end points are where many vulnerabilities exist.

Set up two-factor or multi-factor authentication to further secure logins. 2FA and MFA is like having ID besides just your driver’s license to prove you are who you say you are. Your password, like your DL, is just one factor; you need one more thing to prove your identity for 2FA, like a code from your phone or maybe your fingerprint. The point is that there should be more than just a username and password to access important data.

Restrict use of personal email or social media on work devices. This gets a little trickier with smaller businesses, as many don’t or can’t support providing users with all company-owned devices. There are tradeoffs to allowing users to bring their own devices (byod) versus using company-owned devices. When mobile devices are part of the mix along with desktop and portable computers, it becomes even more complicated and the risk potential increases.

Use encryption for data in transit and data at rest. Encryption is like scrambling the data and then unscrambling it when you access it. In transit, data may be encrypted by a VPN so that it is protected over the wire (in motion) as it is sent and received on the network. RDP is also encrypted, but this remote access method’s main purpose is to keep the data from leaving the server in the first place. At rest, like when it is sitting on a hard drive or other storage location, data can also be encrypted. To open the file or file system, you need a key to decrypt it.

Keep all data backed up and create a way to rapidly recover your server and systems in the event of failure or compromise. Backups are great right up until you find they are as damaged or unrecoverable as your main system, so make sure to have a policy of testing your backups periodically. There are many ways to back up and protect your data, including external drives and cloud storage. If data gets lost or corrupted, you want to be able to restore it from a backup. Regularly audit your backup and data security practices to help identify weaknesses that make the business vulnerable.

Educating employees on the importance of cyber security is among the most important steps a business can take to protect itself. Keeping passwords secure and secret, knowing how to spot a phishing email and what to do and not do with it, not clicking on suspicious links in emails, not sharing personal or confidential information online, and what to do in the event of a breach are all things that should be regularly discussed with workers and supported by written policies.

Managed Azure cloud servers from Noobeh help you keep your business information more secure. Our services demand high levels of security and privacy, and we help our customers keep their data and systems safer and more secure by handling some of the requirements for them.

  1. Strong password policies and MFA is our standard setup, and software updates and patching are part of the service.
  2. Working on the cloud server keeps data on the server and not traversing the network or downloading to individual PCs, so information stays secure and separate from whatever a user runs on their local devices.
  3. Data on the Azure virtual machines is encrypted at rest, and additional encryption is available to add more layers of protection. Data in motion is encrypted, but very little data actually traverses the wire.
  4. Servers and data are backed up regularly with snapshots and file level backups, allowing for simple file restores as well as comprehensive system recovery.

For small businesses, Noobeh has the solution for creating a more secure and better protected IT environment where applications and data can be available to those who need them without compromising the investments already made in training and process development. Moving software and data to a private cloud server allows companies to continue using the software they rely on, just in a better way. Instead of being easy prey to hackers, our customers benefit from higher levels of IT administration, management and protection that empowers them to work the way they need to – any time, anywhere.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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ZERO TRUST – Every Email is Suspect

Electronic mail has become a standard for communications around the globe. Email can contain not just text, but can deliver documents, photos and videos and other media. Email allows people to contact others at any time and respond on their own schedule. Where previous methods of communicating with someone far away were expensive and time-consuming, email allows people to stay in touch no matter where they are as long as they can connect to the internet.

Yet email is not a fully secure communication medium, and a lot of people are just now figuring out just how vulnerable they may be. What was once considered a trusted means of communication has now become something to be suspicious of. For most users today, it is best to approach emails with a high degree of suspicion (zero trust), especially if they ask for personal information or contain links or attachments.

With email, someone could intercept the messages or even store messages without your knowledge or control. The smallest human error can have ripple effects that turn into waves of trouble because messages cannot usually be taken back. And then there are the threat actors, of which there are too many and they are far too clever.

Phishing has become a highly popular method of cyber-attack, probably because it works so well. It involves tricking people into giving away sensitive information like credit card numbers, social security numbers, and passwords. Phishing is fueling (phueling?) opportunities for malware infections and identity theft which can lead to financial loss, reputation damage and more. Any information an attacker can gain helps them get even more information and go deeper into the organization.

Protecting against phishing attacks requires vigilance and following best practices such as using strong and complex passwords, and two-factor or multi-factor authentication (MFA). Also, it is crucial that users avoid clicking on links in emails, and everyone should verify the email authenticity before responding, especially if sensitive information is involved.

To check the identity of the sender, mouse over (put your cursor over) the email address and it may show you the actual sender address. While the email may say the message came from somebody you know, you may find that the actual sender address is an obscure email address you don’t recognize.

Mouse over links in the email but don’t click on them. When you hover your cursor over the link, it may show you the actual url the link goes to. Like with email addresses, links can be named something other than the actual url. If it is a url or website name you recognize and trust, then type the url into your browser instead of clicking on the link, just in case.

Use multiple channels for communication. This means you should not just communicate with co-workers and others using email. It is always a good idea to have some other form of trusted means of communicating with someone, such as via telephone or a messaging application. When you receive an email requesting sensitive information or an email with file attachments, you should communicate with the sender on one of your other communication channels to verify the authenticity of the email or attachment.

Never ask the sender to verify their identity over the same channel as the original communication. If it is a hacker, you’ve just verified to them that they reached their target.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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Controlling SaaS Inflation

The cost of everything is going up, and that is as true for businesses as it is anywhere else. From office space and salaries to vendors and suppliers, everything is hitting the bottom line harder than before. For businesses invested in online application services and Software-as-a-Service solutions, the rising cost of usage is outpacing other expense categories at a fairly high rate.

Consider that many small businesses start with whatever is cheapest and easiest to use, which usually means a web-based solution. From there, the business cobbles together it’s IT by using a variety of applications and services and eventually ends up with a tangled web that can be difficult to straighten out.

Even larger enterprises find that shadow IT implementations and web-based application services make their way into the mix, costing companies greatly through unmanaged subscriptions, lack of vendor management, and missed opportunities for consolidation of resources.

Covid and remote work requirements fueled a lot of the growth in SaaS adoption as businesses implemented solutions and services to support a distributed workforce. Leaving millions of square feet of office space unused while at the same time investing in remote and mobile work, businesses have had a hard time of it.

According to an article on CFODive, “Software inflation has remained “stubbornly high” this year at a rate of 8.7% — more than double the inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index in the U.S., according to research conducted by London-based Vertice, a software-as-a-service and cloud spending management company.”

In 2023, SaaS inflation increased by 8.7%, meaning the same unchanged set of SaaS products will cost businesses significantly more than it did a year ago.

Vertice.one SaaS Inflation Index report


The Vertice report indicates that sales software, finance software and productivity tools represent categories of software that saw inflation rates of over 10% as compared with 2022. Another uncomfortable reveal from the report is that most software companies simply hiked their prices, and in some cases, they hiked them up a lot (23% increases, for example). The rising cost of Software-as-a-Service, referred to as SaaS Inflation, is a lot higher than with other products.

Part of the problem may be the global nature of online application services and SaaS companies. Costs of operations and the pricing of the product may be consistent across geographies, yet different regions will experience inflation in costs of other goods and services based more on regional factors. The result is a SaaS inflation rate higher than the consumer inflation rate. Yet even in areas where the SaaS inflation rate seems to be more in line with consumer inflation, it’s still a lot higher than many other categories of products and services. Only food and beverages compete at similar levels of price inflation.

Another part of the equation is the value for the dollar. Everyone knows that a dollar today buys less than it did last year. At the grocery store, this shrinkflation is obvious when an item is now more expensive, and you get less for the same price. With SaaS, the shrinkflation may not be quite as obvious. License packages change, features are introduced (or removed), and the value to the customer can change dramatically over time while the rates simply increase.

There are some important steps a business can take to minimize the impact of SaaS inflation, and it all starts with knowing what you have and how you use it. Reducing or eliminating shadow IT and implementations outside of general governance, consolidating vendors and licensing, and reducing redundancy in functionality and process support are key areas to focus on to control the spend.

Mendelson Consulting has experienced consultants that can work with your business to understand your needs and evaluate your options, helping to find the right solution for the problem while minimizing sprawl and spending.

Whether you rely on Software as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, or any other -as a service solution, the Mendelson Consulting and Noobeh cloud services teams can help you do more with your investment.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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When a Business Outgrows QuickBooks Enterprise

Small and midsized businesses use QuickBooks software to manage finance and operations. Since growing past 90% market share in 2008, Intuit QuickBooks proved over the years that businesses adopt accounting and finance software if it is affordable and easy to use. While Intuit’s focus today may be on gaining market share with the web-browser-based QuickBooks Online edition, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise continues to serve the needs of companies requiring more robust functionality than QuickBooks Desktop Pro/Premier or QuickBooks Online editions offer.

Over the years the QuickBooks product line has grown to support larger businesses, with the Enterprise edition scaling to 40 users and boasting a load of features that fully support operational processes. Inventory management, order processing workflows, construction management, and other features give encouragement to businesses needing support for more complex processes. QuickBooks Enterprise allows the flow-through of product use knowledge, stored data and integration with other business solutions to be seamless and consistent when moving up from QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier editions.

When a business finds that it may be outgrowing the capabilities of QuickBooks, it does not necessarily have to abandon the product line in lieu of a larger framework such as with alternative ERP systems. While the larger web-based systems may boast greater capabilities, they often come with much greater cost of service and implementation.

For businesses invested in QuickBooks Enterprise, it makes sense to look at alternative technical or platform solutions to address certain operational needs rather than shifting to different finance and operations software. The cost and complexity of an entirely new ERP software implementation is often more burdensome and costly than is needed to meet the real business demand. Also, the value found in business data can be lost when converting from one solution to another, and the cost of change is often so burdensome that many businesses simply abandon their projects if they even get started.

When using QuickBooks, at times it is the platform — the local network, computers and server — that is not geared to handle more users, processes and applications working with QuickBooks and a more robust and agile situation is required. Businesses should also explore integrations or extensions that can address the functional requirements, supporting advanced and complex workflows with greater agility while retaining the full value of the historic data.

Some challenges with QuickBooks may indicate a business needs a more robust and scalable solution, but that does not necessarily indicate that the business has truly outgrown QuickBooks. Instead, it may be a situation best handled by extending QuickBooks through application integration with a more robust subsystem to address specific business needs, to add scalability, and to build on the existing history and business intelligence previously developed in the enterprise.

Large transaction volume, extensive inventory management, or performance issues can easily create the impression that a business has outgrown QuickBooks Enterprise. In most cases, these conditions are overcome by extending QuickBooks with solutions geared specifically to handle the complexities and volume of heavy inventory management processes. These solutions not only address the in-depth functionality required, but also tend to utilize more agile and robust database structures that can scale far beyond the capacity of any QuickBooks edition alone.

Some businesses wishing to provide more advanced reporting and analytics, along with delivering realtime insights, may initially consider QuickBooks reporting to be insufficient for their needs. Yet there are integrations available which make QuickBooks financial and operations data as accessible and usable as the most robust enterprise applications. Satisfying the need for highly customized reporting and analytics far beyond QuickBooks standard reporting, these solutions create visibility and give meaning to QuickBooks data in ways that cannot be accomplished within the application alone.

Mendelson Consulting understands how businesses can outgrow the core functionality of QuickBooks and provides the tools and solutions to address growth in practical ways that do not diminish the value of data, training and operational intelligence that has been so costly for the business to acquire. We help businesses expand their capabilities and improve efficiency without losing their investment in QuickBooks, addressing the needs of growing and complex businesses without forcing the change to more extensive and expensive solutions.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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Building Smarter Businesses

Achieving Growth, Efficiency and Sustainability Through Greater Business Intelligence

Every business needs to know how they’re doing so they can find ways to do better. This is what business intelligence is, and it’s the key to taking advantage of new opportunities and building success.

Consider the IBM commercials that were aired, about developing models for the prediction of traffic conditions in Singapore and “infusing intelligence into the systems and processes that make the world work”.   What they’re saying makes sense, but most business owners would likely say that it addresses bigger issues and doesn’t really speak to them. Yet those messages are for even the smallest of enterprises because you must really understand what’s happening in a business – and how it’s happening – to improve and excel.

The ability to leverage technology to collect data and analyze it in real time can make a huge difference, whether it is in a small business or a global system. With an intelligent approach to enabling the enterprise, we can build smarter and stronger businesses.

“Together, we have to consciously infuse intelligence into our decision-making and management systems, not just infuse our processes with more speed and capacity . . . We are moving into the age of the globally integrated and intelligent economy, society and planet. The question is, what will we do with that?”

former IBM chief executive Sam Palmisano

Business software and systems have reached the point where data collection and raw business intelligence is being gathered in real time by businesses small and large. This is where businesses must transform, replacing paper-based systems with digital workflows and enabling the collection of real-time information as data for analysis.

Forward-thinking accounting and finance professionals realize that accounting is not simply the final resting place for after-the-fact financial data. The finance department is where collected data is turned into actionable information, and information is power.

The competitive landscape for businesses of all kinds is changing along with the progress and adoption of technology.  Business owners and accountants should learn to use the tools which will help them find the patterns and trends in the system that help to forecast more accurately.

Working with NOOBEH cloud services and Mendelson Consulting, accounting professionals and business owners can implement the agile platforms and connected technologies to help achieve the benefits of growth, efficiency and sustainability envisioned by the Smarter Planet initiative.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J

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Love It or Leave It? QuickBooks Desktop Needs Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Uninstalls It.

We all know that software companies recommend running current versions of their frameworks and applications. Often for security reasons, software developers regularly update their products to make them more capable of avoiding or fending off attack of various kinds. New feature and integration delivery and updated compatibility requirements are also big drivers of software updates. Especially as online threats increase and attack potential skyrockets, businesses need to keep their systems updated and secure, and a regular cadence of updates and upgrades makes good sense… but only when the potential impacts of the upgrade have been thoroughly explored. With Windows 10 and 11 and the improved Edge browser (improved over IE), users are loving the enhancements and features. QuickBooks desktop users, on the other hand, might have preferred that Microsoft just leave Windows browsers alone.

The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022

Microsoft is removing Internet Explorer 11 on some Windows 10 computers, and it doesn’t come with Windows 11. According to Microsoft:

The future of Internet Explorer (“IE”) on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. What does this mean for commercial organizations, IT admins, developers, and end users? Microsoft Edge brings you a faster, more secure, and more modern web experience than Internet Explorer. Also, Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”), is the only browser with built-in compatibility for legacy IE-based sites and apps.

As announced today, Microsoft Edge with IE mode is officially replacing the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on Windows 10. As a result, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will go out of support and be retired on June 15, 2022 for certain versions of Windows 10.

Internet Explorer 11 has been an old technology browser for many years now, so it isn’t surprising that Microsoft is moving ahead with Edge. Browsers are used for far more than just viewing static web pages or bulletin-board chat rooms, so they have grown into frameworks that support a wide variety of processes and procedures. As browsers go, IE11 just doesn’t cut it any longer. But there is a hitch that can really mess up the (literally) millions of QuickBooks desktop users out there who innocently update their computers when Microsoft pushes it via Windows update.

IE11 gets removed from the machine, but QuickBooks desktop 2021 and earlier are dependent on IE11 to run

A little dependency is unavoidable in any good relationship where cooperation and compromise are involved. But being a little too dependent on another can be unhealthy and put a lot of stress on the relationship. Dependencies are among the things to consider any time a software update or upgrade is about to be installed. What relationship does the software about to be updated have to other applications or services installed? Is the new version going to get along with the other applications on the system, or will it even run on the current system? These are the things which should be closely looked at to avoid problems post-update.

Many users are already reporting problems opening their QuickBooks desktop software due to IE being removed from their Windows 10 computers. Microsoft has announced the retirement of IE11, but most users either don’t pay attention to those notices or they don’t really understand the implications. These are among the things that Mendelson Consulting and the NOOBEH cloud services teams pay attention to for you, so that we can help you avoid the things that keep your business from doing business.

If you find that your QuickBooks desktop software will no longer run due to IE having been disabled or removed on your computer, you can link here to find instructions on how to disable and enable Internet Explorer on Windows 10. This will get IE re-installed on your computer so that you can make your QuickBooks desktop software work again.

QuickBooks Desktop 2022 versions are compatible with Windows 11 and Edge browser

QuickBooks Desktop 2022 versions, including Pro, Premier and Enterprise editions, are certified as fully compatible with Windows 11 64-bit, but only if you have installed R3 or later. Other year versions of QuickBooks (and QB 2022 desktop running a prior update release level) may experience unexpected issues including problems with browser compatibility.

What’s the benefit of modernizing if it breaks your business?

Updating application software often means also updating your operating platforms. To keep your business running smoothly, you need to make sure to keep your computers and your application software up to date. It makes no sense to fix a vulnerability in one place but leave another open. Yet sometimes your software vendors don’t do things in an order that works for you, and you end up breaking something that the business depends on. This is where companies find additional value in what Mendelson Consulting and NOOBEH cloud services offer.

For customers running their QuickBooks desktop applications on the Microsoft cloud with NOOBEH, we got you covered. Among the many benefits of working with Mendelson Consulting and NOOBEH cloud services is that we help keep your business software and systems working for you, not against you. We stay up to date with the latest changes to platforms and software systems to ensure that compatibility and performance isn’t compromised. We help businesses leave their old systems and migrate to modern, agile cloud platforms that businesses love.

jm bunny feetMake Sense?

J