Monthly Archives: October 2021

Deliver High-Quality Support To End Users With A Live Answer Help Desk

Manage Service, , , , ,
Employee working for a company's live answer help desk, wearing a headset to answer calls and solve client's IT issues.

Delivering better customer service with secure and smooth running live answer help desk.

Technology has become an integral part of every business today, and decision-makers have learned that investing in IT will pay off. Just as technology is critical to ensuring effective business operations and processes, IT support services play a critical role in that efficiency as well. Reliable IT support helps you deal with the daily challenges that arise, particularly the challenges surrounding IT solutions and digital hardware.

Poor IT support can cost businesses thousands of dollars each year. Do you have issues with your service provider’s inability to respond quickly to service requests? Does your business interact with an IT support partner whose staff does not have the skillet and experience to utilize help desk applications that can accurately and effectively track support requests?

Your business needs a secure and smooth running system that will allow your teams to focus on the key tasks at hand. So what should you look for in an IT support provider?

Deliver Better Customer Service to End Users With A Live Answer Help Desk

When your end-users are having IT issues, they are immediately going to be stressed by the time they seek assistance from a member of the help desk, and the last thing they want to do is listen to a series of automated voices just to be placed on hold or have the call disconnected. Once your end users have finally connected with someone, the stress level and frustration rise when they are instructed to access a website and navigate through a series of steps, and then wait for a technician to connect to the site.

However, end users can have an entirely different experience when it comes to a Live Answer Help Desk. Key benefits of using a Live Answer Help Desk include the following:

  • Enhanced customer service
  • Faster response times
  • Quicker resolutions
  • Authenticated sense of urgency
  • Minimal disruption and reduced downtime

Customers appreciate being able to call a Live Answer Help Desk and have an available technician who understands how urgent the technical issue is.

Your First Line of IT Support

Instead of getting rid of the idea of providing telephone support and possibly damaging relationships, a Live Answer Help Desk will provide an effective solution that will manage these calls. Built to fulfill the needs of your end users and your business’s current landscape, a Live Answer Help Desk can be utilized to fulfill the needs of your end users.

A help desk needs to be a multi-dimensional resource. The primary function of the help desk is to provide the end user with information and support for a business’s processes, products, and services. A help desk consists of a group of specialized individuals who are capable of resolving issues. The responsibilities of the help desk is to solve all of the possible issues an end user may have and address all questions immediately.

How Can A Live Answer Help Desk Address Security?

Cyberattacks and data breaches continue to be a major challenge for IT support providers. In 2021, hundreds of thousands of businesses were victims of cyberattacks, and billions of confidential and sensitive data were breached. Therefore, it has become critical that providers understand how IT support plays a pivotal role in ensuring that a business’s data and other digital assets are protected.

This means that any sensitive or confidential information that is shared throughout the conversation with a Live Answer Help Desk representative must be kept safe from cybercriminals. An IT support provider should be aware of the necessary steps that are needed to ensure that none of the help desk features and components can be used as a way for malicious actors to infiltrate the system.

When end users call, we answer immediately or users will experience less than 2 minutes to answer hold times. End users will get the best service possible, from experts in the industry. Your tech solutions and systems are critical to your business. Protect your IT investments by choosing an IT services provider that can offer you the help desk support services that your business needs.

Windows Server 2012 End of Life Is On The Horizon

Security, , ,
iPad showing Microsoft Windows interface screenshot, lying on a PC running on Windows Server 2012.

Now is the time to start preparing and budgeting for end-of-life for Windows Server 2012.

Microsoft support. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ve never had to call them or email them. When businesses reach out to the Microsoft support team, it is usually viewed as the last resort. The Microsoft support team is who you lean all after your previous attempts to repair your problem did not pan out.  However, what could be worse than talking to a member of the support team and hearing the words, “Your device is currently unsupported”. After you hear these words, you are left to determine what you have to do next.

Windows Server is the driving force behind Microsoft’s operating system line-up. While Windows gets recognition and praise, Windows Server works extremely hard in the background, especially for businesses. If you have an on-site network based on a Windows network, there’s a good chance that the network is running a Windows Server.

End-of-Life Nearing for Windows Server 2012

Typically, server operating systems have long lifecycles, but businesses can easily miss the key dates indicating the end of mainstream support. With this in mind, let’s consider one particular version of Microsoft’s server OS, Windows Server 2012 R2, and its upcoming “true” end-of-life status. If you do not already know, Microsoft has announced a major change that will be affecting their Windows 2012 Servers. Businesses trust Windows Server to run their business-critical and mission-critical workloads.

The end-of-life for Windows 2003 Server came into effect in July of 2015. The Windows 2008 Server ended its support in January of 2015 and all remaining support ended in January 2020. Windows 2012 Server also ended support in January 2020. Up next is Windows 2012 Server. Windows 2012 Server will be ending sales, support, monitoring, and updates in 2023. Microsoft’s obsolescence date has been set for October 10, 2023. Although this date may make you feel that you do not have to worry about this right now, we recommend that you take action rather than later. You do not want the end-of-life date to sneak up on you.

Preparing for End-of-Life for Windows Server 2012

Preparing for the end-of-life or end-of-support for Windows Server 2012 should be of immediate urgency to businesses. It has become evident that the end-of-life rollercoaster will continue to extend across a range of systems as we enter the coming years. Therefore, long-term preparation is needed at every stage. You do not want to wait until the end of support comes into effect. Making the transition is going to take some time, so it is better to make the transition at your own pace.

With the right resources and solutions in place, achievable objectives and goals can be met within a short timeframe. This move will require businesses to act immediately to ensure proper preparation. Urgency is the name of the game, and businesses that take proactive steps will be able to make a seamless transition into the next server.

After the end-of-life date has passed, it will become increasingly more dangerous to continue running your business on an outdated Windows Server. There will never again be an update or security patch released for Windows Server 2012 after October 10, 2023. This means your network will be vulnerable to attacks because it can easily be infiltrated by malicious actors.

Upgrading to Windows Server is a worthwhile investment for your business for the following reasons:

  • Enhanced security
  • Better productivity and less downtime
  • More reliability and flexibility
  • More applications and features

A more powerful and reliable server can offer your business better performance and scalability, allowing your business to have the resources and flexibility it needs in a server. As your business grows and excels into the future, you need to operate on a server that can meet your business’s current needs and future growth plans.

SystemsNet can put together a detailed plan to minimize disruption as much as possible and address all your Windows Server concerns. Contact us today for more information.

Business Continuity Tips for Solopreneurs

Data Backup, , , , , ,
Solopreneur using a laptop to research for her business' backup recovery plan

Researching for your business’ backup recovery plan.

Business continuity is what keeps your company running even when interruptions occur and disaster strikes. From holidays to natural disasters, your brand needs to remain available and functional at all times. Here in the digital era, customers expect 24/7 access and support. For larger businesses, this type of continuity is par for the course. But for solopreneurs and small businesses, it can be tough to keep your business online and rolling 100% of the time.

Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and services you can implement to automate your business process and protect yourself from business interruptions.

Conduct Business on the Cloud

The cloud is the single most useful development for small and solo-run businesses today. Cloud services and data storage make it much more difficult for information to be lost or for your online services to go offline. A website server on the cloud will serve itself more efficiently to customers across the globe and cloud-based services will be more consistently available to you and your customers.

The more you can do on the cloud, the better. Just be sure you are working with high-quality and cyber-secure cloud partners.

Customer Self-Service Technology

Online self-service has finally put the 24/7 into small business availability. While you may need to sleep and attend to personal matters, your customers can still attend to their own needs through online tools. A good search feature and information database (or just a well-written FAQ) page can minimize your customer’s need for direct live assistance, while a smooth e-commerce site can continue taking in orders even when you the business owner are offline.

Stay Flexible with Co-Working Spaces

Being a solo business owner can mean needing to check in on business no matter where you are – or if there’s an office available. When you’re traveling, your computer breaks, your internet is interrupted, or your home office is down for maintenance; remember that there are always co-working spaces available in every city. There you can find all the office equipment and high-speed internet connection you may need. With co-working spaces, you can continue to conduct business when your normal office access is interrupted.

Partner with Department Outsourcing

Solopreneurs and many small businesses don’t have the staff to provide full departmental services. You don’t have a customer service call center, an accounting and legal department, or a marketing team. Fortunately, the outsourcing industry was designed for entrepreneurs to hire on any department they need for however long the work is needed. While your business is growing from the ground up, you can achieve full-service business continuity by partnering with outsourced department services.

Always Have a Backup-Recovery Plan

Last but certainly not least is backup recovery. A backup recovery plan is a two-prong method to ensure your digital assets are never at risk of being lost or ransomed from you. Take regular (daily/weekly/monthly) backups of your work computer(s) and all your files. Archive these backups and develop a quick-engaging plan to deploy these backups as needed. Whether data is lost to encrypting ransomware, an error in your server, or an accidental tap of the ‘delete’ key, you can always ‘reload from save with a well-built backup and recovery plan.

Running a business on your own is exhilarating, challenging, and also impossible for one person to do 24/7. Fortunately, there are business services available to expand your one-person team with outsourcing, cloud access, automation, and even co-working spaces if your normal business location is disrupted. Most importantly, know when to reach out and outsource at the right times. Here at SystemsNet, we are proud to offer IT services to small and medium businesses and would be proud to be your go-to source for IT support for your solo business. Contact us today to start talking about your company’s IT needs.

Benefits of Web Gateway Security

Security, , , ,
Team of employees using a computer while looking at statistics provided by their web gateway security

Protecting your company data from cyberattacks.

In the world we live in today, where cyber crimes are at an all-time high, businesses have all the reasons to beef up their online security. Besides, gone are the days when workers were bound to corporate headquarters. Today, employees access can data and applications at homes or other remote locations and sometimes use unsecured devices that put organizations at a higher risk of cyberattacks.

For these reasons, businesses are turning to web gateway security to prevent unsecured traffic from accessing the internal network of an organization.
This post explains the benefits of using a DNS-based web gateway and why is WebRoot DNS is an ideal choice for your business.

Benefits of using a DNS Filter

Cybercriminals will always seek ways to penetrate and execute harmful activities in your digital assets, networks, and websites. Therefore, companies should put in place stringent cybersecurity measures to protect their data and employees. A DNS-based web gateway or DNS filtering is a great solution to protect and report user behavior over your network.

Typically, DNS works like an internet phonebook where a user enters the site domain name while visiting a website, but there is a process behind the curtain to streamline the requests.  When a user enters a domain name, they are simply asking for the site’s IP address, and the DNS server translates their request and directs them to the site.

DNS filtering involves utilizing DNS to block inappropriate, harmful, and malicious sites. It ensures your organization’s network remains secure from cyber threats and gives you more control over how employees access the internet.

Using DNS filtering protects your business in different ways.

These include:

  • Protection from Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks such as ransomware, phishing, botnets, DDoS attacks, and botnets have costs businesses a lot of money and also, in some cases, damaged their reputation. When you enable DNS filtering on your network, it evaluates the incoming and outgoing web traffic to ensure only safe traffic can enter or leave the network, thus protect your company from cyberattacks.

  • Wi-Fi Protection

Many companies have no security measures or filters for their Wi-Fi networks, giving room for harmful viruses and online attacks. Installing anti-malware software can reduce the risk but cannot prevent it. Luckily, DNS filtering protects your internal Wi-Fi, public Wi-Fi hotspots, and wired networks.

  • Protecting your Off-site Employees

Remote working is increasingly becoming a norm in most companies, and this trend is here to stay. Unfortunately, most employees use unsafe networks, and their devices are more vulnerable to cyberattacks. This puts your organization’s network at risk of intrusion or malware infection. DNS filtering allows seamless authentication of roaming users and applies the same security policies to their devices as the case when working from the office.

Why choose WebRoot DNS

Businesses need to have private, secure, manageable, and visible control over internet traffic. Unfortunately, many DNS exploits and vulnerabilities exist as the current domain name system (DNS) design was not designed with security in mind. It only resolves internet requests via a global system of servers and translates the request into their unique IP addresses.

Enter WebRoot DNS.

You can use a protective DNS service like Webroot® DNS Protection to control your network. It also allows you to maintain the privacy, visibility, and security necessary to protect IT infrastructure and employees, even those working remotely. WebRoot DNS is an industry-leading network security software that helps create a highly private, resilient, secure, and manageable connection to the internet.

Through Webroot BrightCloud® Internet Threat Intelligence, the DNS automatically blocks malware and phishing domains, including encrypted DNS over HTTPS (DoH) requests. The automated filtering alone prevents most internet threats from infecting networks or endpoints.  With this protective DNS, your organization gets control over your DNS connection, as the joint NSA and CISA Guidance on Strengthening Cyber Defense Through Protective DNS recommends.

Protect your Business Today!

Many businesses are now enjoying the superior features of Webroot DNS in protecting their DNS networks and connections against cyberattacks, internet abuse, Internet-borne malware threats, and more. At System Net, we provide complete network solutions to companies and will help you integrate WebRoot DNS into your network. Contact us today to learn more.