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Smart Services has been providing independent agents with proactive, fast, and expert technology services since 1991.

Tip of the Week: 5 Best Security Practices Hackers Hate

Tip of the Week: 5 Best Security Practices Hackers Hate

Hackers are always attempting new ways to steal or corrupt sensitive data. If you don’t take the opportunity to protect your systems, you could face a major data loss incident or security discrepancy. Here are five ways you can protect your business’s infrastructure from hackers waiting to steal your data.

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Let’s Clear Up Some Major Misconceptions About Data Backup

Let’s Clear Up Some Major Misconceptions About Data Backup

Data backup is a critical component of a business continuity plan, but many businesses fail to understand why data backup is important, as well as what it entails. Here is why data backup is important, and why you need it for your business. An understanding of how your data backup saves your infrastructure will allow you to effectively use it for business continuity.

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eBay Revamps Security Protocols. Should Your Business Follow Suit?

eBay Revamps Security Protocols. Should Your Business Follow Suit?

Internet companies are always seeking ways to improve and ease the experience of their customers and clients. Take, for example, eBay. The famous reselling site has been taking steps to install an assortment of new features to improve its customers’ experience.

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Follow These 3 Rules for a Smoother Cloud Migration

Follow These 3 Rules for a Smoother Cloud Migration

So, you’re convinced that cloud computing is the way to go for your agency. That’s great, and it’s an easy choice to make, seeing the cloud affords your business benefits such as increased productivity, improved collaboration, anytime/anywhere access, and much more. Now that you’ve decided to go with the cloud, what’s your next move to make it a reality?

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Tip of the Week: Successful Remote Workers Swear By These 4 Rules

Tip of the Week: Successful Remote Workers Swear By These 4 Rules

With today’s great technology solutions, working remotely is no longer just a dream. Many businesses have either a partial or a complete remote staff, and it’s all held together by modern technology solutions. However, even with the latest tech, remote workers still have to be diligent and invest in their own success.

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Be on the Lookout Executives, Hackers are Targeting You!

Be on the Lookout Executives, Hackers are Targeting You!

You may have heard about CEO fraud, which is commonly referred to as “whaling.” It’s like a phishing scheme, but on a much more intricate scale. Instead of faking the identity of another employee, or someone from a financial institution or government agency, the hacker will try to use the identity of a business owner or CEO instead. The idea is to use an employee’s fear of confrontation and eagerness to comply with requests to the hacker’s advantage--and you’d be surprised by how often it works.

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Study Shows Way Too Many Businesses Ignore Insider Threats

Study Shows Way Too Many Businesses Ignore Insider Threats

Insider threats are defined as internal threats that could come in the form of either malicious or negligent users. Perhaps an employee recently quit and left the office in a flurry of madness, or maybe you have employees who just don’t care to follow security best practices. Either way, insider threats are major problems that need to be addressed.

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4 Ways Outsourced IT Lets You Do Much More for Much Less

4 Ways Outsourced IT Lets You Do Much More for Much Less

Cloud Management
The cloud continues to increase in popularity, in part due to the overwhelming convenience that it provides for small businesses. When your workforce needs to be agile, they need access to data and applications on the move. This means that they can be productive anytime, anywhere. However, managing a cloud server can be a daunting task for a business that doesn’t have a full-time internal IT department. Outsourcing this responsibility to a managed service provider lets your business focus on productivity, rather than managing your technology.

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Physical File Storage vs. Digital File Management, Which is Better?

Physical File Storage vs. Digital File Management, Which is Better?

Since its invention in 1898 by Edwin G. Seibels, the storage solution of choice in many office environments has been the filing cabinet. However, there is a better option available with far greater utility in the modern office: the document management solution.

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3 Common Threats You Need to Know About: Malware, Rootkits, and Trojans

3 Common Threats You Need to Know About: Malware, Rootkits, and Trojans

Security is increasingly becoming one of the most important parts of running a business, especially today when organizations rely heavily on their technology solutions. Some of the most dangerous threats lurk on a business’s network, waiting for an opportunity to do some real damage. With the right preventative measures, however, your business can catch these threats in the act before they can accomplish their goals.

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3 Major Pain Points Alleviated By a VoIP Phone System

3 Major Pain Points Alleviated By a VoIP Phone System

Software-based phone systems are increasingly popular in the workplace. Traditional phone systems, while helpful under certain situations, are becoming increasingly antiquated compared to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP can help you save money and improve efficiency. But is VoIP right for your business?

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Time for a Server Refresh? Consider Virtualization

Time for a Server Refresh? Consider Virtualization

Hardware refreshes often cause turmoil for businesses, particularly because of the cost of new servers and the time it takes to migrate data from one location to another. Thankfully, with the advent of virtualized servers, businesses have an alternative to the outright purchase of expensive, new hardware solutions. A virtual server hosted in the cloud offers not only a more immediate reprieve, but can also significantly reduce costs for your organization in the long run.

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Tip of the Week: Think Twice Before Connecting to Public Wi-Fi

Tip of the Week: Think Twice Before Connecting to Public Wi-Fi

Wireless Internet signals, referred to as Wi-Fi, are commonplace in the office. Even organizations that don’t need access to the Internet, like restaurants and coffee shops, have wireless connections available for customer use. However, just because you can connect to free Wi-Fi, doesn’t mean that you should.

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Alert: Even Chip-Based Cards Can’t Protect You From This New ATM Scam

Alert: Even Chip-Based Cards Can’t Protect You From This New ATM Scam

For years hackers have found ways to infiltrate and steal money from ATMs, but the latest tact is so dangerous that even the Secret Service has issued a warning about it.

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Here’s the Most Efficient Way to Back Up Your Data

Here’s the Most Efficient Way to Back Up Your Data

Is your business still using tape as its primary method of data backup? If so, you could be missing out on a more reliable, less time-consuming alternative. Image-based, or “snapshot” backup solutions are the optimal way to guarantee the continuity of your organization’s data infrastructure.

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New Company Seeks to Address Security Vulnerabilities of Connected Cars

New Company Seeks to Address Security Vulnerabilities of Connected Cars

Volkswagen has teamed up with three Israeli cybersecurity experts to form Cymotive, a company dedicated to creating solutions for preventing cyber attacks against computerized cars.

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Tip of the Week: Get More Battery Life Out of Your Android Device With Doze Feature

Tip of the Week: Get More Battery Life Out of Your Android Device With Doze Feature

The more you use your device, the more often you reach for your charger for an afternoon plug-in session. For business owners who are increasingly using their smartphones as their primary work device, a short battery lifespan can impact effectiveness and productivity. Enter Android Doze, a new feature that could improve your battery life.

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Credit Card Companies Turn to Selfies to Prevent $118 Billion Worth of False Declines

Credit Card Companies Turn to Selfies to Prevent $118 Billion Worth of False Declines

Payment via mobile device is gaining in popularity thanks to the latest smartphones making it easier than ever to pay bills or send money whenever needed. Yet, this trend also presents an interesting conundrum. What’s the best way to make mobile payments, and how can they be processed with minimal chance of being compromised?

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FBI Director Insists Government Can Access Any Private Record

FBI Director Insists Government Can Access Any Private Record

Does the U.S. Constitution allow the American government to access the electronic devices of its citizens? Based on comments by FBI Director James Comey during Symantec’s Annual Government Symposium, it certainly does.

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Tip of the Week: How Instant Messaging Can Be Used to Improve Workplace Collaboration

Tip of the Week: How Instant Messaging Can Be Used to Improve Workplace Collaboration

Instant messaging, once primarily used for social interaction, is finding a place in daily business communications. A survey from BetterCloud and reported by ITProPortal showed that over half of users believe instant messaging will become the new email in the office, which, when you think of how useful email is in the business environment, is an impressive statement. The problem lies in showing users how to leverage best practices for their instant messaging solution, and managing perhaps the biggest downside of all: how distracting it can be.

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