It’s a fact—99% of y’all will read the first few lines of this article and then delete it. Please do not! Take a few minutes to read this…

As I walked into my doctor’s building today (a four-story building over by Medical City in Springfield) I saw box fans in every office – all throughout the building. I asked the receptionist what had happened. Apparently, a patient from the hospital’s psych ward had escaped and decided to sleep in the stairwell overnight. At some point, he must have turned on the fire hose and flooded the entire four floors!

Well, my doctor’s office had all of their PC’s and their sole server sitting on the floor…YEP! You guessed it…DONE. These devices are no longer working. And the data…well, let’s just say when you put a hard drive under water, the outcome isn’t good. This true story serves as a reminder that the unimaginable is also quite tangible. Are you prepared for the unexpected?

Here are my top 7 disaster preparedness tips to help ensure your priceless data stays safe

• Make a Checklist
  When it comes to disaster recovery (fire, flood, weather, thief, etc.), there is no time to just “wing it”, so making a checklist is your first key to success. Don’t have one? Right now is the time to make one. Make sure to include your Energy, Internet and IT service provider’s phone & account number on the list.
• Conduct a Risk Assessment
  What is the risk of X? It’s up to you to define “X”, but some examples are – loss of power, loss of servers, loss of the building. What risk does it pose to the health of the business?
• Identify the Top Causes of IT Outages
  If you’re not sure about this, please ask your IT professional. Have them create a list for you. The loss of data is 99% of the reason companies go out of business. Do you only have one server? If it dies without good, tested backups, what happens to the business? How long would you be able to keep the doors open and customers happy without backups?
• Establish Communication Protocol
  If you do not have a building because of a fire, flood or damage, where is your go-to spot? Can your phones be transferred in the blink of an eye to keep the business going? If they are VoIP phones, they most likely will. Again, it’s important to ask your phone administrator before disaster occurs.
• BDR Education
  Maybe you don’t know it, but Springfield I.T. Department offers our customers an amazing BDR (Backup Disaster Recovery) Solution. Do you have a comprehensive BDR Solution Plan? If not, GET ONE… It’s easy to justify the cost – If you lost your servers and data, the $400‒$500 is well beyond worth it!
• Discuss Various Storage Options
  Is your data stored correctly? Is it set up in a redundant fashion (meaning you have 2 copies of it)? If not, DO IT! Trust me, this is a big one and you’ll thank me later.
• Test Your BDR Processes
  Don’t just trust that your BDR plan is solid—do a test restore and request the data from your BDR solution provider to make sure it’s REALLY going to work in the event of an emergency.

Although these are all important details to consider, they’re just some of the tips and tricks that will aid in a smooth disaster recovery. For more details, please call Jeff Wheeler @ 972-331-3311 or email me: jwheeler@intelinetsystems.com

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

Jeff Wheeler
Managing Partner, VCIO

At Springfield I.T. Department our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.

The post The Naughty & Nice (IT) List: You Better Be Checking It Twice! appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

Think about it… We change the oil in our cars every so often. We get our teeth cleaned every so often. We balance our checkbook every so often… OK, I’m not good about this one, but my point is… Have you done a telecom audit this year?

Did you know, the average Intelinet customer could save between $200 and $500 (or possibly more) each month in telecom services?

That is an average of $5,400 a year in saving!

With Springfield I.T. Department, you have full access to specialists, engineers and all the pricing discounts from over 70 providers! As a trusted provider, we have been serving the globe for Voice, Internet, IT and Cloud solutions, while saving companies just like yours, tons of money.

What’s the Process?
After we perform a comprehensive analysis of your business and technology direction, we audit your current expenses and provide you with proposals from all providers that offer services that would best meet your needs.

How Much Money Can You Save?
For the past 15 years, our consulting team has saved our clients an average of 30% on their telecommunications and bandwidth expenses. We ensure you are getting the lowest price from all providers with our comprehensive analysis. The best part— There’s no cost or obligation to our clients!

What’s the Next Step?
If you thinking about changing, please get a copy of your current phone bill and any agreements you have over to Springfield I.T. Department for a FREE No Obligation Audit.

What Are You Waiting For?
Email me directly and start saving money today! Just send it to jwheeler@intelinetsystems.com We’re looking forward to saving you money and increasing your Internet speeds!

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

Jeff Wheeler
Managing Partner, VCIO

At Springfield I.T. Department our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.

The post More Internet Speed For Less $$$ appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

It’s likely your old phone system has the following features:

• Making and receiving calls
• Internet office intercom
• Voice mail
• Call hold
• Call waiting

So, do you know the key signs of when you need to replace your phone? If your phone only has the basic functions, it’s time for a new phone system.

Today’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones are amazing. They have so many features that you most likely never even knew you needed. However, once you have these conveniences, you get spoiled.

Features of VoIP

• Call routing by DID (direct inward dial)
• PC app to dial from your PC
• Smartphone app to dial from your office phone via the app
• Screen sharing
• MS Exchange integration
• CRM integration (Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, SugarCRM, Sage)
• Voicemail/music-on-hold
• Call following (rings multiple phones at the same time)

VoIP is not an expensive system. In fact, it’s so affordable, you’ll be shocked! Contact me at the office to get all the details (1-877-990-9397). Or send me a quick email, jwheeler@intelinetsystems.com. You’ll be glad you did!

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

Jeff Wheeler
Managing Partner, VCIO

At Springfield I.T. Department our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.

The post When is it Time for a New Office Phone System? appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

IntelinetSystems.com is here to answer any concerns you may have about securing your data. Contact us 972.331.3300 and we will answer any questions, or show you what we can do to address your needs.

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

At Springfield I.T. Department our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.

The post Security Alert: Rombertik Could Compromise Your Entire Computer appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

Answer these questions to find out where your business ranks in network security:

Q: What is your current backup solution: File-Folder / Image Based
Q: What is the name of the backup solution: _______________________
Q: When was the last time you did a test restore? This Year / Last Year / Never
Q: Was the test restore successful? Yes / No
Q: How long did it take? ______________ Minutes/Hours/Days

Give yourself an honest grade on how well you either know the answers, or what the answers were. Did you get an “A” “B” “C” “D” or did you fail “F”?
Do not feel bad, 95% of you got a true “F”. Here is a video outlining what you should be looking for and how easy it is for Springfield I.T. Department to manage this for you!

We provide a technology that images (takes a photograph of the server) as quick as every 15 minutes. If that server dies, we can bring it back online in minutes, not hours or days! The image includes your data, settings, program files, databases, everything! We can restore the images to dissimilar or base metal hardware. The best way is to be confident that you have the most reliable backup and recovery solution in place BEFORE you need it. This is what we do!

Call or email and ask for an onsite demonstration!

jwheeler@intelinetsystems.com or (877) 990-9397

We at Springfield I.T. Department understand the needs of small businesses, as well as large corporations, and have built our business on being flexible, and adapting to any environment. We provide services that range from simple cloud-based backups through the use of StorageCraft (watch video) backup and replication, or duplicating your entire systems through our SSAE 16 SOC-1 Type II audited and PCI compliant data center, among other options of your choice.

Allow Springfield I.T. Department the opportunity to consult with you, and win your confidence in our ability to protect you as you continue your success. Contact us as soon as possible – you have a lot to lose, and we can help!

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

At Springfield I.T. Department our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.

The post Technology Spotlight: Can You Restore Your Completely DEAD Servers in 15 to 20 Minutes? WE CAN! appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

Uber users have taken to Twitter to reveal that their accounts have been used by unknown, unauthorized people to book and pay for rides. And this could be what’s happening…

• It started with a thread written in December 2014—a configuration file that, when combined with an account cracking program, helps hackers break into accounts on websites.
• The configuration file tells the cracking program how exactly to interact with a specific website, so different login attempts can be made as quickly as possible.
• Computer criminals can get their hands on data dumps of email and password combinations fairly easily.
• Hackers then run the dump list by individual websites and wait for a match.

The easiest thing you can do to protect your account right now is actually to follow Uber’s advice and change your password to something unique, so hackers who have stolen credentials from other services can’t reuse them on Uber.

Keep in mind that using the same email/password combo for your accounts, especially when they’re connected to your bank, credit card or PayPal account is like having a single key to open everything—impractical and unsafe. Treat your email addresses and passwords as you do with your home security. Multiple locks (doorknob, deadbolt, etc.), each requiring their own key, helps keep your valuables protected.

For more information on how to protect yourself and your company from current threats make sure to read this month’s article – IT Lessons From Grandma, A Stitch In Time Saves Nine

The post Security Alert: Are you giving someone a “free ride”?? appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

O.k., maybe Grandma doesn’t have a lot of knowledge when it comes to today’s information technology, but that sage advice, a stitch in time saves nine could be the opening line for an IT manifesto.

Bad guys are getting better at disguising phishing scams and malware, and your email account is a vulnerable (and favorite) place for hackers to break in. Threats come in many forms—messages can be intercepted as they bounce from server to server, a simple advertisement can link to dangerous malware, sensitive information can be accessed through your saved or backed up emails, and when using a shared network, anyone can easily capture your email login credentials and any messages you send or receive.

While many companies set up strict policies for their users browsers and invest in advanced network security, there is often minimal protection when it comes to this essential part of your daily communications. Look at what’s happening with the IRS right now—in all, hackers made about 200,000 attempts to access “Get Transcript” from questionable e-mail domains and 104,000 of these attempts were successful. Can’t you just imagine Grandma wagging her finger at Uncle Sam? And guess what she would be saying… Yep, that’s right!

One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel, but you don’t need to get your feathers all ruffled up about how to block spam, phishing scams, malware, and dangerous email content before it reaches your network. Grandma doesn’t need to put in her two-cents for you to understand that your business is only as strong as the people working for you. Don’t waste anymore time—make Springfield I.T. Department and our superior Email Protection part of your team and we will keep your network guarded against all the latest threats, so you can focus on securing your business.

The post IT Lessons From Grandma appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

After July 14, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates for any version of Windows Server 2003. If you are still running Windows Server 2003 your operating system will no longer be protected from outside intruders. This means:

• Compromised Security
• Non-Compliance
• Increased Maintenance
• Increased Costs

Even the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning regarding this expiration and advised that businesses should migrate off of Server 2003.

Avoiding or postponing migration to a new operating system will be putting your business at serious risk!

Don’t delay, call Intelinet at 417-942-5636 and we can develop a custom plan for a seamless migration that will have your organization running even better than before!

For more information on Windows Server 2003 end of support read our latest post.

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

At Springfield I.T. Department our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.

The post Security Alert: Windows 2003 Reaches The End of Support! appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

Big news and big moves. If you fail (or postpone) migrating to a new system, you are putting your business at risk!

Could your company use something like Windows Server 2012 R2? This new system brings Microsoft’s reliable experience—delivering global scale cloud services into your infrastructure with new features and enhancements in virtualization, management, storage, networking, virtual desktop infrastructure, access and information protection, the web and application platform, and more. Or maybe your organization will benefit more from Microsoft Azure and its open and flexible cloud platform that enables you to quickly build, deploy and manage applications and services.

Securing your business with a new operating system will bring both peace of mind and better efficiency into the workplace. Now is the time to make a move and Intelinet’s top-rated IT staff and first class customer service team are ready to support you. Call 417-942-5636 today.

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

At Springfield I.T. Department our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.

The post IT Highlight: No More Support for Windows Server 2003 appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.

Cryptolocker

There’s been a lot of news surrounding network security in the last month. Cryptolocker-variant ransomware is one of the biggest threats at the moment. If you aren’t familiar with this malware, it’s a type of software that once installed, begins digitally locking all of your files. It notifies you once it has completed encrypting all the data it can find – and then requests a ‘ransom’ sum of between $200-$600 to un-encrypt (unlock) your data!

The worst part about Cryptolocker is that as of today, there is no way to decrypt your data once the malware has run its course. The only current “fix” is to have good backups. Since the malware keeps changing variants every few weeks, it is incredibly difficult to prevent in advance, but fairly simply to recover from, if you have regular backups!

Superfish

Another headline in news lately has been the discovery of spyware shipping pre-installed on IBM/Lenovo systems. This particular spyware breaks secure HTTP/Web connections, and can potentially be used easily by hackers to spoof security certificates when visiting legitimate websites. You are most likely only at risk if you’ve purchased a Lenovo system recently. If you are at all concerned that you might be at risk, please contact us and we can evaluate your systems for threats.

Phishing

Phishing attacks are even more popular than usual lately. Phishing generally refers to an email or website impersonating another legitimate site, person or sender in an attempt to obtain some of your personal data. Generally, this includes asking for you to log in before obtaining a file, requesting you send your passwords to your “IT administrator”, or for credit card/social security information to “confirm your identity”.

If you ever receive a suspicious email, don’t open it! Please forward it to one of our techs at kjayne@intelinetsystems.com. Let us check it out and save you the potential risk and worry of exposure. *For more information on protecting your business from potential threats like these, read our latest post on disaster prevention.

The post Security Alert: The Newest Viruses Threatening Your Company! appeared first on Springfield I.T. Department.