Monthly Archives: March 2018

Why you should have a SSL Certificate for your Website

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Secure SSL URLWeb browsers are starting to come out which detect whether a website is secured by a SSL certificate or not. On websites which don’t have a SSL certificate, browsers will start to label them ‘Not Secure’. But what is a SSL certificate and how will it benefit my website?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Basically, SSL establishes an encrypted link between your web server and your visitor’s web browser. This ensures that all data passed between the two remains private and secure. We turn to the internet for everything from information to buying and selling and much more. With this trend, security has become an important factor.

Google tries to protect its users and is always trying to make us feel secure whilst on the internet. Not only does having a SSL Certificate improve your Google rankings but any sites with logins and contact forms are now displayed as non secure on some leading browsers. With Google’s push on this it is now becoming industry standard to have these Certificates.

This means if your website has an SSL certificate, it will display ‘Secure’ otherwise it may display ‘Not Secure’ in the URL bar on some browsers.

SSL URL

Encrypting your site entails purchasing an SSL Certificate and then configuring your website to run the certificate. This can be done by your website designer or if you would like us to assist or have any questions regarding this give our partner Brad a call from Company Hub on 8387 5559, 0477 779 978 or visit their website at http://www.companyhub.com.au

3 Internet Habits To Keep Kids Smart and Safe

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How can you make the internet a safer place for your children? It is a common concern for all parents as they want their kids to be protected and happy whenever they go online. It’s relatively easy to supervise and monitor the very young ones but the risks increase greatly as the kids get older and more independent.

You have probably heard the term ‘cyber safety’ before, but safe internet usage goes beyond reminding children to not to talk to strangers. With the evolution of the internet and the way it is now woven seamlessly into all aspects of our lives, the focus needs to be on ingrained habits. This means ensuring that your children have the tools and predefined responses to online events so that no matter what happens, they are not placing themselves (or your family) at risk. Setting up these habits is straight forward and begins with three basic understandings:

Downloads are a no-go

Most kids can not tell the difference between a legitimate download and a scam or malicious link. It is not their fault, the online world is full of things that even trick the most savvy adult. The difference is that children tend not to take that extra moment to check exactly where that link is pointing, question whether it’s too good to be true, or even read what they’re agreeing to. They just want to get back to what they were doing, and if something pops up, their first instinct is to click ‘yes’ – so it goes away. Unfortunately, that single click may have just opened the doors to malware and viruses that will ruin their computer and your network. Start a family rule that everyone needs to ask permission for all downloads (and an adult will check it first), and to never ever click on a popup. When you are called over to give download permission or check a popup, talk through with them exactly what and why you are checking. As your child matures, get them involved in this process so their safe habits can extend outside the home.

Critical thinking is a must

Most youngsters think the internet is a must have and can not imagine life without it. With that thinking, comes unwavering trust that the internet would never lie, trick or hurt them. While we adults know better, it’s only because we already view the internet with a certain level of distrust. The best way to keep kids safe is to teach them to approach every aspect of the internet with critical thinking. That includes teaching them to question the motives of other people online. Is that person really a kid? What do they really want? Unfortunately, all kids do need to be aware that predators use the internet to target and lure children. Ensure your children tell you immediately if a stranger makes contact. Along with this stranger danger, teach them to identify what marks something as suspicious, and what they should avoid. If they come across anything inappropriate, they should shut down the computer and immediately come and see you.

The internet is forever

Kids don’t think twice about recording a video, jumping into a chat room or onto social media. The internet really is their playground! But what they don’t understand is that anything they upload, write or say, stays on the internet forever. Even if they delete it or use a platform where content self-erases, someone can still screenshot, send it right back out or save it for some future occasion. Many cyber-bullying cases are based around this exact type of event. Once your kids know that everything they post is permanent, they’ll be more likely to pause and think.

If you need further help – give us a call at 08 8326 4634.

3 Essential Steps Before You Fire an Employee

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Before you fire an employeeYour employees need access to your IT resources and accounts so that they can do their job, but what happens to that access and those passwords when you fire them? Nobody likes to think of firing their employees, or why you’d need to, but nonetheless, it is a responsibility of every business owner and they will face it at some point in time. While your book keeper or accounts team will stop their paychecks it is important to take the same proactive stance to stop their system access.

Most of the time, former employees leaves under good terms and you’ll wish them well. If you are lucky they may even manage the hand-over to their replacement (so your productivity losses are minimal). Other employees may leave your business reluctantly and / or angrily. While you will have very different feelings about the two scenarios, the risk to your business remains high until action is taken. Here are 3 steps you can take to protect your business from an angry ex employee:

Step 1: Limit access to a need-to-know basis

You might be surprised how often a new employee is presented with access to every ones account and has access to all the company data. Accounts, staff & customer details, strategy, marketing etc etc…all those sensitive parts of your business that have made it a success are exposed. A better policy is to limit access to only what the employee needs for their job. Rather than view it as a lack of trust, your employees will appreciate the care you’ve taken to protect your business (and their job). It also helps keeps them from becoming overwhelmed, confused or tempted if the situation ever turns sour. Likewise, take a few moments to delete old or temporary accounts that are no longer required – you never know when a hacker or disgruntled employee will squeeze through those gaps.

Step 2: Quickly change passwords

On average, it will take at least a week before passwords are changed after an employee is fired – if at all! Unfortunately, this type of delay is one your business can’t afford. In 2017, an ex-employee from the American College of Education held their entire email system to ransom for $200,000 after an unhappy exit. Stories of others stealing client databases are also common – especially if they leave to start their own business or work for a competitor. It is not just full-time employees either, contract and part-time employees such as social media managers and customer support email specialists often have access to more of your business than you might imagine. Yes you may be able to get the person involved prosecuted but it only takes seconds to login and wreak absolute havoc on your network. Knowing you can force those bad eggs into a lengthy court case is poor comfort considering the extent of damage you’ll likely endure. The best option is to change their access credentials fast – even before your employee knows they are fired. This lessens the chance of revenge attacks and opportunistic access.

Use a password manager

If you have good password manager like KeePass or LastPass, reducing your risk becomes mostly automated. You will be able to keep your passwords in a central vault and only share passwords to those who need that access – plus you can section off the passwords to different sections or job roles. If an employee leaves or moves to a new internal position you can change or revoke access.

We can help you secure your network and use a password management tool. Contact us at

su*****@dp*********.au











 or 08 8326 4364.

4 Smart Reasons You Shouldn’t Have In-House IT

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In house IT.It can be tempting to hire an in-house IT technician to take care of your network and set them up with a cozy office just down the hall, but is it the right decision for your business? If you are like most businesses, you’re always on the lookout for ways to save money while improving results. Sometimes this means expanding your staff to include a team of tech specialists to be at your beck and call, but this can often be an unnecessary expense that leaves you with highly paid employees twiddling their thumbs when not needed. For SMEs who are looking for the best of both worlds, we recommend Managed IT services.

Put simply, Managed IT is our solution which gives you that team of specialist technicians and network experts, without the ‘quick, look busy’ element – and at a fraction of the cost. Naturally, you’d rather see your IT budget working to support your growth and be kept as low as possible. That is our focus too, and why we don’t simply maintain and repair your systems, we proactively monitor to avoid downtime and work with you to ensure your IT increases productivity and efficiency. Whether you already have in-house IT staff and are auditing the value or are curious about what having external IT support might be like for you, we have put together a few factors to consider before making your choice:

Availability: Most employees work 9-5, but what happens if something goes wrong with your systems outside these hours? Your in-house technician won’t appreciate being woken at 1AM and being called in for an emergency. It is more likely that they simply won’t answer the call (or “hear” it), or if they do, expect some hefty contract renegotiation come the next business day. Managed IT is very different as we are ready for after hours issues and have support technicians ready. We know that every minute of downtime is affecting your revenue, plus your business reputation, so we prioritize getting your systems up and running ASAP. As a bonus, with our Managed IT these types of disasters are rare as we are constantly monitoring and correct and problems before they become an issue.

Total cost: One of the things that may have attracted you to having an in-house technician is the cost. Yes, you may be able to pay them a lower hourly rate but there are extra costs like hiring, training, sick leave, holidays, ongoing training and superannuation. Once you start adding up the cost of an in-house technician, you may find it is eating up your IT budget and leaving you scrambling to fill gaps you didn’t expect. Upgrades get delayed, opportunities missed, and IT expenses become a sore point. In comparison, Managed IT is one fixed monthly rate delivering enormous value, including access to specialists with a wide range of knowledge and experience.

Ongoing Training: Putting aside the fact your technician will often spend entire weeks away upgrading their skills and leaving you scrambling for support while they’re gone, those training costs quickly add up. With a salaried technician, you will have to pay all their ongoing training and certification costs (including travel and accommodation costs for industry conferences). We know how important it is to remain current, certified and skilled in new technologies, so we spend the money to invest in our technicians so that we can serve you better. We are also part of industry related associations and attend multiple conferences each year, all at our own expense (saving the end clients money).

Different goals: For most employees, a higher wage is the goal and many move jobs to achieve that. You may spend time and money training a salaried tech only to see him move on to a better paying job. In these modern times, switching jobs regularly is expected, with an average of only 3 years in each position. Considering how much it cost your business to acquire, train and upskill your technician, 3 years is an unreasonable ROI. Unlike an internal staff member our goals couldn’t be more different – we only aim to keep you a happy customer for as long as we can!

In the end, your business needs to find the right balance between profit and expertise. When you partner with our Managed IT, you’re securing availability, ever-increasing expertise and a commitment to your success. We work closely with you to provide the very best support and protect you against costly disasters by taking preemptive action to keep you safe and operational. There’s no doubt Managed IT is a better decision than hiring an in-house technician, and we’d be delighted to prove it to you.

Talk to us about Managed IT for your business. Contact us at

su*****@dp*********.au











 or at 08 8326 4364.

eBook: Is Your Old Tech Dragging You Down?

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For most people, technology is both a blessing and a curse. It makes life easier, we can now do and see things that even a generation ago would have been unthinkable. But keeping up with technology can be time-consuming, frustrating and expensive as new features are coming out all the time.

So how do you know when your tech has crossed the line into old-age and it is time to upgrade? On the other hand, how do you know when to stick with your current tech and ride it out for a little while longer? Discover the clear signs your equipment is ready to retire and the hidden costs you might not have considered.

We have written a free eBook that explains these factors and shows you when you should retire your old system to improve productivity around your office.

Click here to subscribe to our monthly newsletter and access your copy of this book – don’t worry we won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at anytime. If you are already a subscriber and would like a copy please email

da***@dp*********.au











.

You will also get a free copy of our other eBooks including the following so sign up now!

  • Digital Transformation – What’s In It For You?
  • Spectre and Meltdown: How you’ll be affected.
  • 10 Tips to Stay Safe Online
  • 6 Business Problems You Can Solve With A Single Phone Call