#1 Monthly Client Issue - Remote Office Access - Top 9 list
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WARNING! Just in this morning.

Beware of emails with "You've received a postcard from a family member!" or "You've received a greeting ecard from a worshipper!" Please delete these immediately.

A hacker is impersonating E-Cards and has sent out millions of these fake emails.  DO NOT FOLLOW THE LINK!  As a general rule - never follow a link which is all numbers (i.e. http://66.152.11.1/).

Each month we highlight one example of how Swiftec IT has helped their clients.  This months issue deals with reliable web hosting and email distribution lists.

One of our clients distributes a daily subscription-based e-newsletter. This information is time sensitive and relied upon heavily by their customers to make significant financial decisions.  Needless to say, timely delivery of their newsletter is critical.

One day last week, customers were complaining that their newsletter had not arrived at 3am as normal - and it was already 10am. After our client spent HOURS on the phone with their old hosting company, the hosting company said "not our problem". Since precious time was being lost - we offered to have the newsletter go out through our server and then we could troubleshoot the issue.  We were able to set-up the solution and send out the newsletter within the hour.   In short - it was an issue with the mega-hosting company that they could not troubleshoot. Needless to say, we have a new hosting customer.

Food for thought:

• Relationships - Know your vendors well and have a strong relationship with them.  You never know when you will be in a tight predicament and need their help.
• Responsiveness and the ability to RESOLVE THE PROBLEM are key. With "Free" support you frequently get what you pay for.
• Reliability - How reliable are your vendors? Do they work "for you" or "with you"? Do they point fingers or solve problems?

We are here to help you with your business.  We act as if we are YOUR IT DEPARTMENT.  Solutions need to solve problems, not take valuable business time.

If there is a task you would like us to take an objective look at, please let us know.

Summer is here as are summer vacations.  Many of you need access to the office to check email, or to do a little work when everyone else is sleeping - or baking on the beach.

Case in point - This newsletter was produced from 70 miles away from our office.

Talk to us about the numerous methods available for you to access your email or your computer from anywhere in the world.

Technology is an enabler. It enables us to process more information faster, accommodate a larger customer base, service those customers better, improve communications with customers, track financial's and perform research.

In order for technology to perform correctly, it needs to be maintained. Think about your car. Cars need to have their oil changed and need a tune-up once a year. The typical car today has 3-4 computers in it. The computers in your office also need maintenance.

Here are 9 tips to help keep your computers and business healthy.

1. Antivirus and anti-spyware – Keep your software up to date. Our preferred software is Trend-Micro. Viruses and spyware are the biggest issues we see that effect clients’ ability to get their jobs done.

2. Microsoft Updates – Keep your machines ON overnight and enable Automatic Updates (or ask us to enable it for you). At 3am each day, your computer will check for the latest Microsoft Windows Service Packs and Critical Security Updates. These updates patch security holes, work out operating system bugs and improve basic PC functionality.

3. Acceptable Use Policy - Establish an Acceptable Use Policy for Internet Usage - Unauthorized internet use is the most common method of introducing viruses or spyware into your network. These problems are easily spread to others inside and outside your organization. An effective policy states approved Internet usage practices, such as “for business purposes only”.

4. Implement a strong firewall – A firewall can limit the types of web sites people go to, the types of file attachments allowed to your email, and can filter unwanted viruses, spam, phishing attacks as well as many other maladies you do not want.

5. Protect against data loss. In real estate the credo is “Location, Location, Location”. In the IT world it is “Backup, Backup, Backup”. We recommend both local and remote backups. The key to a successful backup strategy is automation. We all have a lot on our minds – make the computers do all the work. Do not rely on an individual to bring backup tapes to and from the office. There is too high a risk that the media can get damaged, lost, or corrupted. Can your business afford this level of risk?

6. Plan for the future – budget to replace 25-33% of your computers next year. Support for older systems can be 75% higher for systems that are 4+ years old. It takes more time and can be more difficult. By replacing 25% of your systems annually, you will reduce maintenance expenses, offsetting the cost of your investment.

By taking advantage of our Free Assessment Service we can help you with your budgeting process by making recommendations and sending annual reminders.

7. Educate employees - By teaching employees about “safe computing”, you can help them be more efficient in what they do, and reduce your exposure to the dark side of the internet.
Train them in the packages they use most often – Word, Excel and Outlook have many features to help you work more efficiently. Do you know what they are or how to use them? Training typically has a quick payback in efficiency.

8. Document support procedures – When there is a problem – who are you going to call? Contact information for your major support organizations should be compiled and made available to the people who may need the information. Create a contact sheet with your phone vendor, phone service vendor, IT vendor (us of course), Web contact (us again), etc.

9. Document all access to your systems – Too often we see customers who cannot access their own critical systems because their vendor has all the information.  What if you want to change vendors, what if the vendor goes out of business? There are many items that should be documented so that you could still function. Examples are: username and password to your fileserver, router, switch, web site, domain name – to name a few.

1 Energizer Bunny arrested -- charged with battery.
2 A pessimist's blood type is always b-negative.
3 Practice safe eating -- always use condiments.
4 A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.
5 Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.

Enjoy your summer!

Feel free to send us comments or requests for future topics.  You may also forward this email or link to someone else who may appreciate the information.  The link for our newsletters is: www.swiftecit.com/news