The cloud has had a dramatic impact on the way we do business, impacting everything from infrastructure to user access. Applications have broken free from onsite hardware giving users the ability to work anywhere at any time. And it’s just getting started.
Susan Sison on Jun 21, 2017 8:25:00 AM
IT security threats are growing by the day, and enterprises of all sizes need firewall management services they can rely on. Selecting a trusted security partner to lead your firewall is the fastest way to get peace of mind so you can focus on what your business does best.
From a technical perspective, your firewall is the first line of defense. NCA provides powerful, effective firewall management services using the latest in perimeter defense and active intrusion detection.
Posted by Susan Sison on Jun 14, 2017 8:17:00 AM
Phishing attacks are among the most dangerous threats on the Web today.
They can happen any time, targeting businesses and individuals alike. A phishing attack disguises malware as an attachment to an “official-looking” email or instant message, infiltrating the network by convincing a user to download or run an infected file. From there, the malware spreads on its own.
If you’re r
esponsible for security at your company, September’s enormous Equifax breach is a double whammy. Personally, you may be one of the 143 million Americans – over half of all US adults – whose social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers were exposed. Professionally, knowing that CIO and CSO of Equifax were retiring “effective immediately,” you wonder if your system is ready for the next attack, or if you will be next on the chopping block.
Information security is now a key concern for all enterprise technology decisions. It’s no surprise that, when considering options for outsourced support, security is one of the main roadblocks to implementation. NCA’s outsourced support offerings address security and performance issues in a single package, hardening your data resources against all kinds of threats.
Susan Sison on Oct 18, 2017 10:34:36 AM
A protocol that secures Wi-Fi networks has a security flaw (called “KRACK”) that exposes most wireless networks to eavesdropping. KRACK is a flaw in the wireless protocol called WPA-2 which is in wide use. If this flaw is exploited, it would give an attacker free access to hijack connections, inject malicious content, and read data.
Posted by Thomas Gobeille on Nov 14, 2017 2:16:23 PM
To our community of interested parties and clients,
I am delighted to present another update with the intention to keep you informed as Mitel and ShoreTel’s combined integration continues to march forward. The senior management team finds little overlap between the two companies and still considers it accretive in growth for the value to both clients and shareholders.
If you’re considering outsourcing your desktop and laptop support, your company has a lot to gain and nothing to lose – if you choose the right partner. Through a custom support outsourcing strategy, you can make your enterprise more lean and efficient than ever.
You’ve read about the benefits in morale and technology performance that end users can enjoy through outsourcing. Now, consider this: It can make your enterprise more agile and cost-effective, simplifying personnel matters in myriad ways.
Posted by David Smith on Nov 2, 2017 8:18:00 AM
As enterprises grow, it’s natural to take a look at outsourcing services, especially in IT and technology support. Fast-growing enterprises benefit from the security and stability they can capture by leaving complex technical services to proven experts.
Scalability is your power to extend your operations, services, and support structure to meet the evolving needs of your business. With NCA desktop and laptop support, you can rest assured you will always be fully prepared to extend your reach – across the city or around the world.
Posted by Susan Sison, Written by RSA Security Dec 7, 2017
Today, a disconnect exists between management and IT departments that exacerbate the multi-billion dollar losses and cybersecurity expenses in which businesses incur every year. This misalignment stems from a traditional siloed approach to cybersecurity: Management orchestrates the daily operations of the company while the security team focuses on cyberthreats. This results in what RSA calls a "gap of grief," which impairs an organization's ability to mitigate and defend from threats. RSA outlines several key steps to bridge this gap by transforming a disconnected approach into a business-driven security™ strategy.
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Cybersecurity should be a priority for any organization. With a new cyberattack launched every 39 seconds, there is little hope for any organization to fly under the radar, no matter how small it is.
That's why detection and awareness of changing and evolving threats is so important. First, let's look at why basic protocols are helpful but not enough in thwarting attacks.
If you approach cybersecurity like most businesses, you probably use security logs as your primary line of defense. Security logs are crucial for any good cybersecurity system, but alone they are not sufficient.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s never been more important to be proactive in protecting your information assets. Criminals and shadowy international actors have shown an unprecedented ability to attack and potentially compromise sensitive information.
A significant data breach could happen in minutes, costing you millions of dollars – and your hard-earned reputation.
Posted by Susan Sison on Dec 6, 2016 2:22:14 PM
Old security paradigms don't work well anymore. The Internet has changed too much. Threats have grown more sophisticated. New approaches are needed to keep up with new threats.
Business phone systems traditionally haven’t been considered much beyond their ability to connect callers. For most businesses, telecom is a line item on an expense budget—no thought is given to how the technology actually can help improve your company’s bottom line.
The truth is, your business phone system should be considered one of the most important assets in your company. It’s not just a tool for connecting calls; it’s a tool for creating and building relationships and for improving productivity.
Posted by Susan Sison on Sep 21, 2016 10:30:00 AM
Your new marketing campaign was a huge success and your office is receiving the highest level of calls you’ve ever experienced in your growing business. Your staff is taking live calls, checking voicemail and returning customer inquiries as fast as they can.
Can you imagine the impact if your phone system goes down mid-morning – at the peak of the call volume?
As you read this, enterprises around the world are benefiting from the power of cloud computing. With the cloud, your business can access applications and resources far beyond what was possible before. When the cloud is leveraged correctly, it allows small startups to even the playing field against multinational rivals. Mid-sized firms unlock their full potential.
The benefits of moving to the cloud are undeniable – but the process can be unwieldy.
Communications today means so much more than dial tone—it spans a breadth of methods and tools including email, messaging, conferencing and more. Voice communications is merging with other forms of communications to create a converged environment that enables users to communicate how they want, when they want and with whatever device they want.
Collaboration tools have helped companies expand well beyond the four walls of their office, giving employees free rein to work anywhere and promoting the idea of a virtual workforce. But what companies gain in expanded reach and productivity increases they can sometimes lose in personal relationships with their employees.
Smart businesses everywhere have embraced the cloud as a cost-effective alternative to capex spending with on-premises hardware and software. For SMBs in particular, the cloud enables enterprise-level functionality without the associated price tag.
Virtually all businesses have a disaster recovery plan. When the worst happens, however, a plan is only part of the solution – you must have the right technologies and processes in place. Only the right tools, deployed the right way, create full disaster recovery.
Your company prides itself on its stellar customer service. Whether its onboarding new customers or addressing an issue a current customer may be having, your employees understand the importance of making—and keeping—customers satisfied.
Posted by Susan Sison on Aug 17, 2016 10:30:00 AM
Every business, regardless of size or focus, relies on its communications system. Without a reliable phone system, the critical interaction between employee and customer can’t happen, which means your business won’t grow and thrive.
We all know disaster can strike anytime—a broken water pipe, fire, weather event … all can do damage and wreak havoc on your business. And when time is money, getting your business up and running after a disaster is paramount.
You’ve realized that your current phone system is no longer working for your growing business. So you do what any savvy business person does – you research your options. And you quickly comprehend that what you need is a phone system that will minimize disruptions to your business and integrate with your current custom applications, all at a reasonable cost. Most importantly, you want to be able to control how you use, manage and pay for the phone system over the long term. It might be time to consider a telephony platform that gives you total control in three critical manners.
Today’s business environment is fast-paced and competitive. Technology makes it possible for you to know your customers and your customers to know your business within moments. A customer can give feedback about your business then let others know about their own experience within a few easy clicks.
Most likely, you’re investing in ways to make sure you’re harnessing the power of all of your technological business resources. But what about your phone system?
Business competition in today’s economy is fierce. Your customers expect the highest level of customer care, and you and your staff need to be reachable, professional and customer focused at all times – no matter where you’re located.
If that’s your business model, is your phone system serving you like you serve your customers?
Use this checklist to evaluate if your phone system gives your customers the experience they now expect from their chosen providers. Any items you can’t check off may signal that you could be getting more out of your phone system.
Posted by Susan Sison on Jul 13, 2016 10:37:00 AM
Have you noticed network security costs on the rise in your company?
If so, you’re not alone. Many businesses face increasing security costs, even in industries that don’t handle sensitive financial or health data. Why? The threat of a serious data breach is rising: Experts have estimated cybercrime costs the average U.S. company $15 million a year – twice as much as the average for enterprises worldwide.
Posted by Susan Sison on Jul 11, 2016 8:30:00 AM
Conventional phone systems are built around aging, traditional infrastructure – including miles of old-fashioned copper wiring, for example. Although your old phone system can adapt to new technology to some extent, there are limits to just how much you can build onto it.
When your phone system was developed, odds are nobody was thinking about the robust and powerful collaboration features today’s enterprises can obtain through voice over IP. A VoIP phone system is more efficient, reliable, and effective than any analog phone system.
Most employees today eschew the traditional 9-to-5 workday in favor of work-life balance and the ability to work when they want (and often where they want). The result often is an increase in productivity and a more satisfied workforce—a win-win for companies and their employees alike.
Is your enterprise looking for an alternative to a dedicated network security staff?
At first, it might seem obvious that a dedicated network security staff maintained in-house is the right move. After all, information security breaches cost the average U.S. enterprise more than $14 million a year. In just a few years, experts have predicted that the annual cost of attacks on information resources will top $2 trillion worldwide. That simply eclipses most other common business risks.
Are you looking for a new, more effective approach to network security infrastructure management?
Network security is becoming more sophisticated – but that means it’s growing more complex. Even fundamental tools such as firewalls and antivirus software are more powerful and versatile than ever, but structuring your security approach demands greater expertise.
Take a look at how your employees are working—chances are, a good number of them are mobile, working from anywhere but the office and at times beyond the 9-to-5 workday. But no matter where they are and when they’re working, they need to have the necessary tools to do their jobs and collaborate with each other and their clients. You need to give them that functionality, and at a price that won’t break your budget.
Consider the benefits of cloud communications.
The world of IT security is getting more complex. Experts estimate cybercrime costs U.S. enterprises an average of $15 million annually. The total global cost of cybercrime is expected to reach more than $2 trillion by 2019. Businesses of any size and industry can be targeted – in the vast majority of cases, monetary gain is the only motivating factor. With that in mind, any and every business needs to have a robust data security plan in place.
Posted by Susan Sison on Jun 29, 2016 10:30:00 AM
These days, companies are demanding more from their technology. At the same time, IT budgets are decreasing, widening the gap between what employees want—and need to be more productive—and what IT can offer. The trick is to find technologies that make the most of the budget.
Posted by Susan Sison on Jun 9, 2016 9:32:28 AM
With every day that passes by, your old phone system falls behind. It doesn’t have any of the latest features. It lacks the call quality and reliability your growing business needs. Plus, as time goes on, fewer and fewer vendors want to help you keep it up to date.
But there’s an even bigger problem: Your entire team relies on your phone system.
Today's future performing stars of high tech in Marin County are getting their head starts from a place not yet known by many as a geek haven, Marin City. That's thanks to its innovative Youth Digital Literacy Program run by the Community Services District there.
Posted by Jeff Hussey on Jul 14, 2015 9:14:59 AM
When we work with clients to determine the right mix of communication services for their business, we're always struck by how much some companies still rely on traditional voice services and PBX's. It's not too hard to understand why - after all, traditional voice systems, once they're in place, tend to stay running for a long time, and they can also be pretty cost-effective, especially when those companies keep that traditional infrastructure in place for a really long time.
Posted by Susan Sison on Jun 3, 2015 10:03:17 AM
Attacks come fast and furious these days. Last year alone, over 317 million new pieces of malware were produced, and the sophistication of hackers has increased exponentially.
In a recent interview on 60 minutes, the Director of the FBI stated that Chinese government-sponsored hackers had already compromised virtually every major U.S. corporation, and that there were essentially two types of companies - those that had been hacked, and those that had been hacked and didn't realize it yet.
Posted by Susan Sison on Jun 30, 2015 8:33:00 AM
It can be one of the trickier, touchiest subjects that any IT security team has to deal with - namely, that one of the most vulnerable parts of any company are the actual users and employees of that company. That's right - the employees of a company, the ones tasked with the growing, managing and protecting the company and its assets, are the biggest security risk to the company.
How can that be? Is this to say that all employees are disgruntled, apathetic, even dangerous? Who does the hiring in this place, anyway?
Posted by Jeff Hussey on Jun 16, 2015 8:35:00 AM
It is pretty easy to get caught up in the hype around moving to cloud - and if you don't get caught up in it, it's likely that your senior management will. With all of the articles and blog posts out there, it would seem that everyone is feverishly moving their entire infrastructure into the cloud as quickly as possible.
Posted by Susan Sison on Sep 21, 2015 8:59:00 AM
It’s the first day of a new quarter, you’ve just wrapped up a series of planning meetings with your team, and you notice an email from the CEO of your company. He wants to sync up with you on his vision for growth over the next 12 months, a plan that he says will involve the addition of several new management roles. Easy enough, you think. The company’s phone systems are already set up in each of its regional offices, which means adding new employees should be relatively simple.
But then the CEO hits you with this caveat: The new managers won’t likely be working in those offices.
Posted by Jeff Hussey on Jul 28, 2015 3:46:00 PM
Desktop as a Service/Virtual Desktop Infrastructure: The Cloud Comes to the Desktop
Virtualization and cloud services have made major inroads into the enterprise server market over the last few years, and the impact has been significant. According to estimates, approximately 92% of enterprises use virtualization and cloud services to some degree, mostly in the areas of server infrastructure and applications. To be sure, there's still quite a bit of room growth even now - while it's true that many organizations have implemented virtualization to some degree, that doesn't mean they've moved more than a small fraction of their environment to the cloud. That said, the enterprise shift to the cloud is clearly underway.
It's no secret that IT security is a hot career field these days, and IT security professionals are in high demand. In general, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, IT professionals earn significantly more than the national average, and experience a significantly lower unemployment rate than the national average.
But while IT security professionals are enjoying a remarkable job market, the reality is that, like any IT organization, IT security teams are under pressure to do more with less, and IT security professionals must often wear many hats.
Posted by Susan Sison on Sep 16, 2015 8:41:02 AM
In most businesses, employees don’t think too much about the phone system they use. It’s an important tool, but as long as it works — allowing them to make calls, manage messages, and troubleshoot issues — the majority of users are reasonably satisfied.
But CIOs and IT directors know better.
Posted by Susan Sison on Sep 18, 2015 8:42:00 AM
For all of the benefits of cloud phone solutions (and there are many, including scalability, flexibility, and mobility), there’s no avoiding the fact that many people remain somewhat skeptical of the cloud. Typically, those business leaders’ concerns revolve around a handful of key issues: reliability, security, control, and risk.
The truth, however, is world-class cloud phone solutions have largely eliminated those concerns, turning them into myth more than reality. Below, we’ll cover each fear and explain why the very best phone solutions give their customers a clear advantage rather than expose them to risk.
Posted by Susan Sison on Feb 16, 2016 11:20:04 AM
Cisco is one of the largest and most respected brands in the world of enterprise connectivity. Its data center platform alone has attracted 75% of the Fortune 500. Naturally, when its hardware has a vulnerability, the implications can be serious.
The Cisco ASA IKEv1 & IKEv2 Buffer Overflow Vulnerability is Critical
Posted by Jeff Hussey on Oct 9, 2015 8:01:37 AM
With Bigleaf Network's services, companies are now able to have tighter control on their internal networks. Big Leaf offers a data aggregation package that allows your company to use a single IP address while maintaining multiple device connections. Imagine a single internet pipe that is broad enough to allow many individual smaller circuits to function within it. This means that your company's IT department will better be able to maintain individual devices and connections, as well as monitoring the traffic flowing along those smaller circuits.
Posted by Susan Sison on Oct 18, 2015 7:30:00 AM
In the 21st century, work is no longer a place you go, but a thing you do. That’s the nature of the changing work place. And your phone system needs to work with you – in multiple locations, with a mobile and growing staff, and a customer that demands high quality communications. You do more. Your phone system needs to support you, not hinder you.
Posted by Jeff Hussey on Nov 3, 2015 4:50:00 PM
With just a few ISP providers and some old coax cable your organization supports multiple VoIP deployments. Using smart cloud applications and Bigleaf Networks Internet optimization service featuring data failover, you're finally competing as equals with the big boys. And you intend to keep it that way.
Posted by Susan Sison on Oct 25, 2015 11:40:00 AM
Remember the days when the only way you could empower your team to collaborate was in face-to-face meetings that required time and travel that were planned far in advance? That brings up not-so-fond memories of securing landlines, delayed flights, flip charts, windowless meeting rooms and maybe even slide projectors!
Posted by Susan Sison on Jun 13, 2016 7:51:00 AM
When a business moves from one place to another, there are countless things to plan and orchestrate. One of the biggest challenges has to do with your fixed infrastructure – especially your communication infrastructure. All your teams may be used to the features you have ... and no matter what approach you take, your business depends on flawless conversion to a new system as soon as the move is complete.
Posted by Susan Sison on Apr 6, 2016 7:00:00 AM
Have you heard the latest on Chromebooks in K-12 schools?
Expert analysis has shown that with $2.25 billion in E-RATE funding available yearly, applications for that funding work out to almost triple the money available. When schools get through the rigorous application process and benefit from the funding, they have a duty to make sure it is well-invested – but there are many options, and they have unclear results.
Posted by Susan Sison on Mar 7, 2016 1:37:35 PM
Unified communications can make your enterprise more efficient and effective. With NCA, you can gain immediate benefits from ShoreTel technology. ShoreTel is a world leader in business-class VoIP, meetings, and telepresence. NCA experts can plan, implement, and support your systems while providing valuable training. You’ll save money, improve productivity, and make collaboration easier than ever. Plus, we have a wide range of other telephony and video conferencing services for you to choose from.
Every year, business professionals log thousands upon thousands of hours of international travel. In many cases, they are supporting multi-phase strategic projects that could define the direction of their enterprise for years to come. Wherever their journeys take them, however, it’s crucial to have full access to all the data and tools that come with their corporate network back at home.
Posted by Susan Sison on Feb 3, 2016 5:15:24 PM
Is your business “locked in” to your closed-architecture CPE telecom vendor's rising support costs? If your costs have started to outpace your ROI, it's time to consider alternatives. Companies like yours are realizing TCO benefits when migrating to NCA UCFlex – the unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform that grows with your business.
Posted by Susan Sison on Mar 4, 2016 7:54:00 AM
Video conferencing is fast becoming a powerful tool for keeping your company’s strategy on track. No matter where your key stakeholders are around the world, conferencing ensures you can communicate quickly and clearly. To do it right, however, you need a video conferencing solution aligned with the changing needs of your business.
Other vendors provide “one size fits all” video conferencing solutions that can bog you down in unexpected resource demands, leading to performance degradation across your network. Not so with robust video conferencing solutions from NCA. We understand how to strategize, architect, and deliver video conferencing that empowers you.
More enterprises are integrating telework into their operations and talent development processes. Forget the stereotypical scene of a harried worker juggling television, phone calls, and the cat’s disruptive antics while they try to be “productive” from off-site: As companies embrace telework, they’re discovering the tremendous value it has to offer.
Posted by Susan Sison on Mar 10, 2016 4:05:30 PM
Endpoint security is the core of day-to-day protection for your sensitive information resources. Endpoint-driven threats come in many forms, all of them evolving quickly. With NCA, you can benefit from comprehensive endpoint security, hardening your data against both active intrusion and simple user error from inside your enterprise network. Plus, automation of endpoint security factors means your technical experts can focus on generating revenue, not fighting the never-ending battle against security breaches.
Recent research has shown the price of unplanned data center downtime is rising: It stood at $7,908 in 2013, up 41% from its 2010 figure. There are many different root causes of unplanned downtime, and it pays to be prepared for multiple types of risk.
Here’s how you can reduce your downtime risk:
1) Pair Redundant Systems and Appropriate Backups
IT equipment failure is ranked the most costly cause of unplanned downtime – but it’s also the one enterprises have most control over. RAID data redundancy technology has been in use for decades and is still a strong, cost-effective option. As the cloud matures, offsite backup of critical data is easier than ever, but should be supported with a continuity strategy to restore services fast.
2) Have a Comprehensive Cyber Security Plan in Place
In 2013, cybercrime was ranked #2 most costly source of downtime. Since then, hacker activity has grown explosively: The average U.S. firm absorbs $15 million in costs from cybercrime annually, double the average for the rest of the globe. A good IT security plan has many aspects, but 24-hour endpoint monitoring and policy enforcement is crucial in the new BYOD world.
3) Test, Upgrade, and Replace UPS Systems Regularly
When the lights go out, a UPS can’t keep your hardware running indefinitely: It should only be relied on for the time-sensitive operations you have planned in the event of a crisis! A UPS can run low on charge or have mechanical issues during its long periods of downtime, so make sure systems are regularly checked to ensure they’ll function as you expect when disaster looms.
4) Minimize Odds of Water Incursion
Water incursion can take place for a wide variety of reasons, some of which have to do with your building’s plumbing system or even its outer envelope. That being the case, the best time to keep your equipment high and dry is in the earliest planning phases of your office and server closet. Also ensure your fire suppression system follows best practices and won’t go off over just anything.
5) Ensure Generators are Up to Code
Virtually everything that can happen to your UPS can also happen to your generator – and the results won’t be pretty. Generator maintenance should take place on a regular schedule and must include experts who can spot the early warning signs of a potential performance issue. Ideally, basic backup components should be kept on-site in case emergency “first aid” is needed.
6) Take Control of Human Risk
It should come as no surprise that human error can be devastating to your network. These days, countless “errors” will involve people clicking on shady emails or downloads, so make sure every member of the team knows their cybersecurity basics. And that pricey IT equipment? Consider good old-fashioned access control methods like locked doors to keep nosy staff away.
It's a World of Risk Out There: NCA Can Help You Navigate It More Effectively
Business leaders know you can't really eliminate risk, only mitigate it. Many methods of “eliminating” risk would all but eliminate the functionality of your equipment and the personnel who rely on it. But in a world where risk vectors seem to be multiplying by the day, it's still possible to use a proactive approach to take charge.
NCA can help you measure risk and control it through a comprehensive analysis of your internal and external threats. That helps you illuminate your situation, take effective action quickly, and do it at a minimal cost.
You could go it alone, but why take the risk? Call or email NCA today.
Network Computing Architects, Inc. is a premier provider of high quality sustainable and secure networking, information security solutions and unified communications. We partner with our clients to provide answers to business initiatives where leading technologies converge.
NCA achieved ISO 27001:2005 certification in December 2007 and is currently ISO 27001:2013 certified. The scope of NCA's ISMS is client confidential information within NCA Professional Services Practice.
Posted by Susan Sison on Sep 24, 2015 9:34:00 AM
Where’s the value when it comes to hosted voice? Of course, “value” is an unclear term. However, the value of hosted voice is concrete and very definable.
Hosted voice comes with a built-in value proposition that any business, large or small, should consider. Here’s what hosted voice promises you.
Endpoint security is one of the most important parts of your security mix – but it’s also the most difficult to verify. In a world where endpoint count grows exponentially, how do you know your security strategy is making a real difference?
Thanks to the demands of global distributed teamwork and business travel, endpoint security can be especially mysterious. Legitimate devices might connect for very brief periods, never to be seen again, and they might be difficult to identify in your system logs.
For most enterprises, wading through the massive array of vendors, solutions and outright fluff is a challenging and time-consuming task all by itself - not to mention the actual work of defining, designing and managing the technical solutions that your company uses to get business done.
How’s the weather looking at your data-focused enterprise?
Are you switching to ShoreTel or upgrading your existing system to make use of its unique features? No matter the case, NCA is on your side to help you get the greatest value from your technology investment. With NCA’s managed support services, you can leverage ShoreTel features faster and more effectively than ever – all while saving thousands of hours on routine maintenance and administration tasks. That’s true no matter whether you’re a global enterprise or local business.
Cloud computing empowers enterprises of all sizes to compete in a complex, evolving technology landscape. With cutting-edge cloud, small businesses can harness the power of IT services and software once available only to the Fortune 500. Thousands of companies across dozens of industries are moving to cloud-based unified communications every month.
Businesses depend on secure wireless access to ensure effectiveness in a fast-paced world. Unfortunately, wireless connectivity presents a whole world of new security challenges. You can’t afford to pass up the immense power and flexibility of the mobile Web, but it’s crucial to take every step possible to protect your business data.
