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Cybersecurity Infographic Layers for Businesses in 2021

Cybersecurity Layers in 2021

Cybersecurity is evolving at a rapid pace. When most business owners think about Cybersecurity (if they’re thinking about it), they usually think of something overly complex. They either ignore it completely, or they may overpay for some cybersecurity firm to give them a sheet of paper once a year so they can check a box on a compliance report.

The reality is that cybersecurity is pretty simple. Most breaches in the small and medium-size business space happen because common sense security measures were not in place.

Cybersecurity is all about layers. If you have enough of the important layers in place, you’ll be fine.

To visualize just how simple Cybersecurity can be, we created this 15 point cybersecurity infographic checklist. Feel free to take this checklist and ask your IT team if they have each of them covered.

cyber security infographic

If you prefer PDF, here is a link to download the checklist: 15 Critical Cybersecurity Layers for Businesses in 2021

How much does Cybersecurity Cost in 2021?

Many of the layers in this checklist, such as Multi-Factor Authentication, computer updates, and strong passwords, should be very little to no cost. Nearly every other item on this checklist does have a monthly cost associated. Some are dependent on the number of users; others are per server or amount of data. However, you can implement all of these layers at a very reasonable investment in 2021.

The reality is that the price will vary greatly depending on the IT provider you use and the vendors they set up and manage. However, Cybersecurity is a buzz word that is getting a lot of attention and some inflated prices. So be wary of extensive per number quotes for cybersecurity. Have the provider check each of these boxes and outline the cost of each of these line items. That will prevent them from “bundling” everything into an overly expensive security package.

$50 per month per user should be more than enough time to get the premium version of all of the items on this checklist. Use this as a guide rather than a direct quote. If the provider is way below or above this, something is off. Of course, there will also be a support cause for computers and servers that are usually separate from the quote’s security layers.

How to Get Started with Cybersecurity

There are a few options to get started right away:

  1. Give your IT provider this checklist and make sure they are checking all the boxes.
  2. If you do not have a provider, reach out to Data Magic Inc. We will provide transparent guidance to get you where you need to secure your business data.
  3. Get a Free Network Security Assessment. This is not just some sales tools. Our free assessment gives you tons of actionable data to get you started on your cybersecurity journey!

Have a question? Reach out anytime at 469-635-5500.

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Data Magic Delivers Small Business-Focused IT Expertise For This Home Furnishing Business

Data Magic Delivers Small Business-Focused IT Expertise For This Home Furnishing Business

Culp Associates is a small business in the home furnishings industry, operating a to-the-trade showroom, with offices in Dallas and Houston. Their 30 employees work with interior designers, architects, and retail home furnishing companies, acting as an agent on behalf of 30 different manufacturers for textiles, fixtures, and accessories.

As a small business, Culp Associates prefers to work with other small businesses, especially when it comes to their IT support. They pride themselves on the personal and attentive service they deliver to their clients, and expect the same from their IT support provider — that’s why they work with Data Magic.

“We were not happy with the former company we were with, they were not as active as we felt we needed to be,” says Cammie Marrs, President, of Culp Associates. “We’re a small company, and when it comes to IT, we don’t want to deal with a big corporate entity, we like small companies like ourselves that understand the mind of a small business. That’s what I really like about Data Magic, I’m on a first-name basis with many of their guys.”

Data Magic Keeps Culp Associates Secure

Before working with Data Magic, Culp Associates had ongoing problems with their previous IT company. They weren’t always available when needed, and, even worse, Culp Associates experienced a number of data breaches while they were in charge of their IT.

“There were some security breaches that happened on their watch that we weren’t very happy with,” says Cammie.

By switching to Data Magic, Culp Associates gained access to a range of vital cybersecurity technologies and best practices. Data Magic protects Culp Associates by managing firewalls, antivirus, and other cybersecurity technology, as well as by training their staff to spot cybercrime scams.

“We get a lot of incoming emails, and so many of those things are dangerous and Data Magic has been great in helping educate me so I can educate our staff. I feel very confident in the way they guide me,” says Cammie. “It’s nice to have that guidance with something that I’m not an expert on. With Data Magic we have so much more security all around.”

Outside of cybersecurity, Cammie’s top priority for Culp Associate’s IT support is availability. They can’t afford to wait for their IT support to call them back when they have a problem — they need help right away.

“Some of these bigger firms can be hard to get a hold of or, or they can be nonresponsive, so when we have an issue, it can put us out of business,” says Cammie. “To have our IT company be available when we need them is very important, and that’s what we get with Data Magic.

Data Magic Helped Culp Associates Transition To Remote Work

IT resources have never been as important as they are now during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for organizations to stay connected and productive while working remotely, they need the right technologies and processes in place.

Unfortunately, due to how quickly the pandemic developed, many businesses were unable to prepare for the shift to a remote work setting. Doing so would have required careful planning, methodical execution of new processes and expert implementation of new technologies. Fortunately, Culp Associates had Data Magic on their side and were able to plan ahead for their switch to remote work.

“One thing that was important to us was that when we need someone, we need that availability, and I’ve learned that more than ever during this pandemic,” says Cammie. “When Texas was on lockdown when we made that transition to having staff work at home, it was very streamlined. Data Magic was fantastic, they always got back to me immediately, and we had anything we needed resolved very quickly.”

When they first heard that the pandemic could shut down public spaces, Culp Associates worked with Data Magic to make sure their staff could work from home when needed. This began with work in their offices to ensure that vital work data was accessible through the cloud.

“As the pandemic began, I worked with Data Magic to make sure we got everything ready to go from a remote standpoint,” says Cammie. “So, they came in and spent a few days going through each employee’s machine in the office to make sure that the proper channels were set for them to work remotely.”

Next, the Data Magic team worked with their employees on configuring their work-from-home setup, so that they could securely and effectively do their work once the lockdown was in place.

“Outside of business hours, Data Magic contacted our employees to make sure that whatever they were working on had all the proper software,” says Cammie. “It was a smooth transition, and when I had to pull the trigger and lock the showroom down, we were ready to go.”

With Data Magic’s support, Culp Associates are confident in their security and productivity — whenever an issue occurs, all they have to do is call Data Magic to get immediate help.

“I know if I ever have an issue, I can pick up the phone and talk to Data Magic and they would take care of it.”
Cammie Marrs, President, Culp Associates

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Microsoft Teams Training In Dallas

Microsoft Teams Training

Teams are Microsoft 365’s inbuilt collaboration app. It’s a business-oriented communication platform that blends workplace chats, video conferencing, app integration, and file storage.

If there is one takeaway from COVID-19, organizations must invest in advanced collaboration tools. The global pandemic caught everybody unawares—no more handshakes to seal deals or hugs to celebrate them. In a bid to decongest office spaces and observe social distancing regulations, businesses were forced to adopt the mobile workforce.

The biggest challenge with this model has been how to sustain meaningful collaboration among workers. Your staff need to continually communicate and share notes; it’s the only way to ensure they’re working toward a common goal. In an office environment, collaboration can be as simple as summoning a boardroom meeting or walking from one desk to another.

When your workers are miles apart, however, this becomes almost impossible. Well, not unless you have discovered the progressive Microsoft Teams. If you haven’t, don’t worry. At the end of this read, you’ll have known the ins and outs of Teams and how Data Magic Computer Services can help you leverage it for your business.

What Is Microsoft Teams & How Does It Work?

Teams are a communication center and collaboration space for colleagues. It’s a one-stop platform for all your collaboration needs.

Which tasks can you perform with Teams?

  • You can co-create and share files in real-time.
  • You can host internal video conferences and hold virtual meetings with anybody across the globe.
  • You can also have a group or private chat with colleagues.

The platform facilitates your staff to get more work done together while also allowing them to work on individual projects. What’s more — it has a vast and secure enterprise-level storage space.

To better understand how Teams works, let’s have a look at its interphase.

How Can You Get Started On Microsoft Teams? Microsoft Teams has a user-friendly interface with four main toolbars:

  1. Teams: These are distinct workgroups based on roles and responsibilities. Different users create a Team if they’re working on similar projects/programs/ initiatives or are from the same department.
  2. Channels: They are subgroups within Teams. Each Team can have several channels depending on departmental functions or project phases.
  3. Activity: It’s like a notification bar for all your unattended messages, replies, and mentions.
  4. Calendar: This is where you find an inventory of all your daily or weekly schedules. It syncs with the MS Outlook Calendar.

It’s within the Channels that you will have most team conversations, meet colleagues, and share files:

  • How Do You Start a Channel Meeting? Click on the Meet Now tab at the bottom of Teams’ interphase. You can share and co-author files during the meeting. Teams also allows you to record the whole session or just a few sections of interest.
  • How Do You Initiate a Private or Group Chat? Click on the New Chat tab at the top and add the users you want to chat with. Name the Chat for easy tracing in the future. You can easily switch between chats and calls (both audio and video). Depending on your payment plan, you can also call people outside your organization–even if they don’t have Teams.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Using Microsoft Teams?

  • It Enhances Communication and Collaboration Between Your Employees: From real-time chats to video/audio calls, Teams is a one-stop solution for all your collaboration needs. You can use it from anywhere, anytime, since it’s based in the cloud.
  • Teams Is Compatible With All the Other Productive Microsoft Tools: This gives you access to all the tools needed to get work done. Its enterprise-level storage space allows members to access all the previous project-related conversations and files.

Teams is the ideal solution to modern-day corporate communication and collaboration needs. Let Data Magic Computer Services help you get the most from this progressive platform.

Get In Touch With Us!

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Are You Happy With IDEXX Software, But Not Happy With IDEXX Support?

Are You Happy With IDEXX Software, But Not Happy With IDEXX Support?

If you’re like other vets, you probably enjoy the IDEXX user experience, but are frustrated with the support that’s available for it. Do you need help managing IDEXX for your practice?

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably having trouble with IDEXX, right?

You’re not alone — we’ve spoken with a lot of veterinarians lately that are conflicted about the IDEXX user experience. On one hand, IDEXX’s Cornerstone is a great application that helps you manage your practice, streamline processes, reduce errors, and more.

However, it’s only good so long as it’s working, right? As soon as you encounter a server issue, you’re stuck trying to get help from IDEXX, which, according to the other vets we work with, isn’t always as responsive as you need it to be.

Every minute you or your staff can’t work because of an IDEXX-based problem is a direct waste of your time and money. If your support isn’t responsive and prompt, then it’s not effective, simple as that.

If you can’t work as quickly or as effectively as you should be, it’s only a matter of time before that affects your clients’ experience. And there’s nothing worse than having to face an angry client and tell them that it’s because your computers aren’t working right.

Then there’s your staff – IT user experience is a big part of business culture these days. If your staff feels that they’re fighting against their computers in order to get their work done, morale will plummet. Staff members will get the impression that you don’t really care about them getting their work done.

The bottom line is that you can’t afford to let issues with the IDEXX support process affect your productivity or quality of care. You need to find a team that can help you solve IDEXX problems once and for all…

Are You Happy With IDEXX Software, But Not Happy With IDEXX Support_

Data Magic Can Help You Fix Your IDEXX Software Problems

As an experienced IT support provider in the veterinary field, Data Magic has the knowledge and skills to address your IDEXX issues. We’ve helped a number of our clients to determine the source of their IDEXX problems and apply lasting solutions. In the event that another issue does come up, we don’t make them wait for a response — we’re available to help right away.

Stop waiting on IDEXX to get back to you — have the Data Magic team address your IDEXX software problems:

  1. Contact our team and schedule a consultation at a time that works for you.
  2. Let us assess your IDEXX software and any problems you’re struggling with.
  3. Allow us to fix your IDEXX problems, so that you and your veterinary staff can get back to work.
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A Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Teams

Getting Started With Microsoft Teams

Are you considering using Microsoft Teams to streamline operational efficiency for your remote workforce? Here’s a useful guide.

Never before needs to find ways of getting work done remotely been greater. Over the past few months, most of us have been forced to work from our homes’ safety due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The emphasis on limiting physical interaction means businesses now have to find new ways to collaborate and communicate internally and externally. As a leading IT services company in Coppell, TX, we have witnessed many businesses struggle with linking their remote teams.

So what’s the solution? One tool that will help is Microsoft Teams.

Enough talk. Let’s begin!

What Is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a tool designed for businesses, learning institutions, and organizations to facilitate efficient remote work. Teams allow you to:

  • Form virtual teams and add users to them
  • Exchange instant messages with other team members individually or as a group
  • Place video or audio calls with users either individually or as a group.
  • Create individual channels for a team to organize chats and calls better
  • Share, edit, and collaborate on files collectively.
  • Integrate data from a range of other Microsoft and third-party applications into your meetings or chats

Teams are available on various platforms, including the web, macOS, iOS, iPad OS, Windows, and Android. Teams’ features vary depending on the platform you are using. If you wish to use most or all the features, we recommend installing the desktop app specific to your operating system.

How Can You Access Microsoft Teams?

If your organization has a Microsoft 365 (previously known as Microsoft Office 365) educational or business subscription, Teams are part of the package. That means you can access it free of charge.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Microsoft has been offering a free six month Teams trial from March 2020. This is due to the greater number of people now having to work from home.

However, if your organization doesn’t use Teams officially, you can still access it for free by creating teams on your own. That’s because the free version of Teams doesn’t require you to have an MS 365 subscription. A Gmail address or any other third-party email address can serve as a Microsoft account.

What’s the Difference Between Using an Account and Your Own Created Team?

A Microsoft 365 account allows you to:

  • Add as many users as you want.
  • Access services such as SharePoint and OneDrive for cloud storage and synchronization or Exchange for custom email domains and email hosting.
  • Schedule and record meetings.
  • Hold audio conferences.
  • Manage users, applications, and features.

On the other hand, the free version you can set up by yourself restricts your organization to 300 users. Also, you would not be able to schedule or record meetings. And it does not integrate with OneDrive for Businesses, SharePoint, or any other Microsoft 365 services.

How Do You Create Teams and Invite People?

  1. Click the link in the lower part of the left sidebar to invite people.
  2. Choose among: Copy Link, Invite Your Contacts, or Invite by Email.
  3. If you choose, Invite by Email, input the email addresses, and names of the users you want to invite to your organization.
  4. For larger organizations, we recommend setting up several teams for various projects rather than having a company-wide team.

If you are using a Microsoft 365 account, you can create teams from scratch or existing groups. You can choose from among three privacy options:

  • Public: Anyone can join the group any time
  • Private: You need permission to join
  • Org-Wide: All employees automatically become members

How Do You Create Channels?

It may be convenient to further divide your team’s work into individual channels (sections). Let’s say you are handling a multi-staged project; you need to keep track of the individual stages. To create channels:

  1. Click the More Options icon beside your team name.
  2. Select Add Channel.
  3. Create and add channel details.
  4. Follow the same steps for any other channels.
  5. Click a channel name and use the Teams interface to speak, chat, or share files to a channel.

Ready to Leverage Microsoft Teams for Your Dallas/Fort Worth Remote Team?

Our experienced IT experts at Data Magic Computer Services are eager to help you exploit Microsoft Teams to connect and optimize your remote workforce.

Contact us now to schedule an initial consultation.

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What is CMMC & Why Prompt Compliance Matters to DoD Supply Chain Organizations?

Obtain CMMC Compliance To Get Contracts With DoD Supply Chain Organizations

The U.S. Department of Defense rolled out its latest cybersecurity policy beginning in January and companies that generate profits in its supply chain may be at risk. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requires all organizations that access or store DoD-related information to be in full compliance before taking on new contracts.

If you enjoy lucrative federal work or participate at some level in the supply chain, you could be sidelined until a third-party audit proves your company has the cyber hygiene necessary to store or access “controlled unclassified information” (CUI). There has been considerable confusion about how to go about how to achieve CMMC compliance. At Data Magic, our team of experienced managed IT cybersecurity experts are prepared to act quickly and help you get into compliance before losing profit-generating government work.

What Businesses Need to Know About CMMC

In essence, the CMMC is the federal government’s effort to bring wide-reaching cybersecurity standards under one umbrella. With more than 300,000 businesses participating in the defense industrial base (DIB), it makes perfect sense to apply a singular cybersecurity model.

Those who have already worked in the DIB may know that several sets of guidelines were published. Industry leaders sometimes had difficulty deciding which to policy and sections applied to them. Making matters worse in terms of protecting CUI, supply chain organizations sometimes failed to meet the guidelines until a problem prompted a government audit. Too often, CUI was not fully protected, and rival nations were able to steal American military and scientific data.

Pentagon officials such as Ellen M. Lord indicate that the “CMMC is a critical element of DOD’s overall cybersecurity implementation.” She also went on the record stating that rogue nations routinely steal billions every year due to cybersecurity deficiencies.

In terms of how the CMMC immediately impacts Texas-based organizations, all requests for information must reference your compliance. And as of October, all requests for proposals must specify CMMC compliance levels. If your organization has not yet met the appropriate standard and completed a third-party audit, expect to be left out in the cold.

What Supply Chain Businesses Need to Know CMMC Levels

The immediate concern is, of course, getting up to speed to avoid being sidelined. But it’s also essential for outfits to understand that the DoD expects this compliance threshold to evolve with emerging threats. The CMMC may be the latest advancement toward robust cybersecurity across the DIB, but it certainly won’t be the final update. That being said, the following provides some broad information about each level.

  • Level 1: A supply chain organization must demonstrate “basic cyber hygiene” that includes enterprise-level antivirus software, firewalls, and the ability to regularly update and deploy strong passwords.
  • Level 2: DIB organizations must demonstrate “intermediate cyber hygiene” by following standard operating procedures and policies that secure CUI. Level 2 compliance does not necessarily cover classified data.
  • Level 3: Demonstrating “good cyber hygiene,” a supply chain outfit meets the threshold by adhering to various NIST 800-171 r2 requirements and standards.
  • Level 4: A company must demonstrate “proactive cyber hygiene” by crafting and implementing a policy that detects and responds to “advanced persistent threats” (APTs). A bad actor with APT capabilities is typically well-funded and possesses high-level skills, sophistication, and hacking expertise.
  • Level 5: A DoD contractor must retain the ongoing ability to detect and repel APTs. This level of “advanced cyber hygiene” typically calls for 30 top-tier controls that allow organizations to respond to cyber-threats across the landscape.

Achieving the appropriate level of compliance requires putting numerous controls in place. The details are so far-reaching that operations with their own in-house IT tech people have outsourced this facet to firms with CMMC experience. The adage that the “devil is in the details” was never more true than when it comes to meeting government regulations.

How to Prepare for a CMMC Audit

Katie Arrington, a DoD information security officer, assures DIB outfits that the federal government isn’t “trying to make it hard for you to do work.” She has also made it abundantly clear that anyone who does not meet the standards will be left behind.

That being said, passing a required third-party CMMC audit is mission-critical. Given the number of competing companies in your sector and potential backlog for audit dates, it’s essential to get it right the first time. As a firm with experience, these are steps Data Magic can take to ensure your pass muster.

Understand Technical Requirements

The CMMC includes upwards of 17 sections that need to be addressed for compliance. These involve items such as access control, login authentication, and incident response, among others. The first step to meeting the standards is to identify the technical requirements necessary to fulfill your CMMC responsibilities.

Assign CMMC Oversight

Meeting your requirements under the cybersecurity policy calls for ongoing oversight. Once your network and security measures have been vetted and updated, someone needs to take ongoing ownership. Whether you prefer to outsource or hand the duty to a staffer is a decision best made at the earliest stages.

Assess Cyber Hygiene Readiness

An impartial third-party analysis of your cybersecurity policies, best practices, and follow-through unveils strengths and weaknesses. Decision-makers typically get a detailed report that highlights deficiencies and areas of concern with regards to passing a CMMC audit.

Develop A CMMC Compliance Policy

Having a determined policy in hand may prove invaluable during your audit. It provides a tangible roadmap for compliance inspectors to review and help base their decision. By drafting a policy that checks the boxes on your CMMC requirements, you can improve your chances of securing the next DoD contract.

As an experienced managed IT and cybersecurity firm based in Coppell, Texas, the team at Data Magic understands that time is of the essence with regards to CMMC compliance. If your company needs to prepare for a third-party audit or recently struggled to meet the standards, we stand ready. Contact us today for a time-sensitive consultation and earn certification.

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Are CEOs Ready To Answer These Cybersecurity Questions?

CEOs & Cybersecurity

There are board members who give CEOs cyber-headaches. Some buy into the media hype about data breaches and repeatedly question a decision-maker’s choices about critical next steps to secure digital assets. Others tend to second-guess a CEO’s strategy, believing they are well-versed in cybersecurity. But the biggest problem stems from an increased number of board members wanting detailed answers to questions because they base investment decisions based on cyber-risk. A recent Gartner survey uncovered these statistics.

  • Organizations generating $1 billion in revenue reported to the board at least once annually
  • Four out of five industry leader’s decisions were influenced by cyber-risk

While CEOs may be passionate people with their fingers on the pulse of an operation, board members typically need answers they wrap their heads around. These are common — sometimes exacerbating — questions CEOs are asked and suggestions on how to answer them.

CEOs and Cybersecurity

What Happened?

It’s not unusual for this question to be more an expression of frustration. From a board member’s perspective, the outfit makes sizeable investments into cybersecurity. The notion they expect a return on investment is not necessarily unreasonable. But the idea that throwing money at a problem solves it does not hold water either.

It may be in a CEO’s best interest to begin by outlining the incident, explaining the impact and mitigation steps that have been taken. Then, defer to your cybersecurity specialist to delve into the details about next-steps strategies that can minimize this type of breach and others going forward.

Is The Company 100 Percent Secure?

This ranks among the many questions from board members who generally do not understand how cybersecurity works. Given the complexities and wide-ranging threats, this could be a difficult question to answer. But a savvy CEO can turn the “100 percent” question into an opportunity by having your cybersecurity expert help field it. Given that you cannot educate a board member on the spot, consider providing an answer that speaks to something they might find tangible — investment.

Cybersecurity is comparable to a chess match. For every move a hacker makes, you come up with a solution. The more elaborate their schemes, the better your strategies. But because no one can know what the next threat will be, your organization budgets ahead to have the resources to pivot and defend. Current investment has been allocated to minimize known threats and keep a cybersecurity consultant in the fold to monitor emerging ones. No one is ever 100 percent secure, but this company does everything possible to keep our digital assets safe.

How Bad Is It Out There?

When board members buy into the media hype about cybercriminals upending nation-states, that question comes with an ominous tone. Yes, it’s bad out there because hackers relentlessly develop increasingly clever methods to work around even robust defenses.

It may be the case that your board needs some comfort. CEOs can brighten their outlook by offering the “low-hanging fruit” scenario. Explain that hackers troll the internet searching for outfits with subpar defenses. Many digital thieves simply want an easy score. They prefer organizations with weak defenses they can pluck like low-hanging fruit.

This organization enlists the help of a cybersecurity expert to ensure your defenses are tough to penetrate. In most cases, cybercriminals will move on and find a vulnerable company rather than waste their time and energy trying to breach your network.

How Dallas-Fort Worth CEOs Can Best Prepare To Answer Board Questions

As a managed IT firm that works with businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, we understand the enormous pressure boards bring to bear regarding cyber-risk. By working with Data Magic, CEOs can have a full review conducted, harden weaknesses, and implement a proactive strategy. As a leading cybersecurity firm, we monitor emerging threats and deliver real-time intelligence to industry leaders. Your board’s questions won’t keep you up at night knowing you have a determined cybersecurity firm on top of the situation.

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COVID 19 & Technology SolutionsInformation For Dallas/Fort Worth Companies

How Technology Can Help Win the War Against COVID-19

There are now more than 4 million confirmed (May 8, 2020) cases of COVID-19, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). More than a million of these cases are in the United States. As the incidence of COVID-19 infections rises, healthcare stakeholders call for new tools and treatments to monitor outbreaks, detect and diagnose new cases, reduce infection rates, stop the flow of accurate or even dangerous information, and even help people stay at home.

Tech has always answered the call to help the medical community track, prevent, and treat viruses. During the severe 2018 flu season, for example, Kinsa Smart Thermometers and Kinsa smartphone applications helped healthcare professionals track national illness spikes by recording and storing temperature measurements and monitoring fever patterns in real-time across the country. Research by the Scripps Research Translational Institute determined that certain information, such as resting heart rate and sleep duration, collected by Fitbit wearable devices could help scientists create timely and accurate models of influenza trends sweeping across the nation.

Advancing technology is again stepping up to help health organizations, companies, and individuals tackle the COVID-19 crisis.

COVID19 Technology Dallas Fort Worth

Emerging Technology in the Fight against COVID-19

Digital contact tracing

Emerging technologies can help healthcare professionals with communication, medical monitoring, and new strategies for contact tracing.

Contract tracing helps healthcare professionals identify and warn people who may have been exposed to an infectious disease. While time is of the essence when it comes to tracing infectious diseases, digital contact tracing is slow and tedious work. Protecting patient privacy also slows down the contact tracing process.

Digital contact tracing uses location data and other advanced technology to identify individuals in the community potentially exposed to coronavirus. Digital contact tracing also uses flexible data management systems that can facilitate real-time electronic transmission of case data and laboratory test results to speed public health action. Digital case management tools improve the overall efficiency of the contact tracing process by automating specific procedures. Data sharing agreements and robust security ensure safe, timely, and accurate data collection and sharing.

Online shopping, robot deliveries, and contactless payments

Stay-at-home orders and concerns over infection have sparked a boom in online shopping in the United States. In a survey by Statistica, 30 percent of respondents said they had deliberately ordered online from grocery stores and restaurant delivery/takeaway because of the pandemic; 20 percent or more said they ordered hygiene products, household products, and health products online. Because in-person delivery is not virus-proof, many companies are now offering robot deliveries. Digital payments in the form of cards and e-wallets make purchases and receiving funds easier and safer.

Improving the flow of accurate information

Inaccurate information began flooding the internet as the pandemic emerged. Misinformation about vaccines, cures, spread almost as quickly as the virus itself.

To address the spread of misinformation, Facebook, Amazon, and Google collaborated with the World Health Organization, according to a February 2020 CNBC report. The primary topic of discussion was how the tech giants could combat fake news about COVID-19 spreading across the internet. The group also talked about disaster preparedness and ways to disseminate accurate information to consumers.

Remote work

Virtual private networks (VPNs), voice over internet protocols (VoIP), virtual meetings, cloud technology, and work collaboration tools allow employees to work from home. Information security, privacy, and timely tech support are essential for a remote workforce.

Data Magic Computer Services: Staying On Top Of Tech Services During COVID 19

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed everyday life for most people. Fortunately, advances in technology help people continue to live and work as we win the war on coronavirus.

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Encourage Collaboration Among Remote Workers

Encouraging Collaboration For Remote Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Working from home amid the COVID-19 crisis is a challenge for many businesses. Discover tools that build communication and camaraderie among remote workers.  

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are scrambling to find practical solutions to meet the technology needs of employees who suddenly find themselves working full-time from home. This new routine can be isolating for employees who are used to congregating around the watercooler or each other’s offices to discuss projects and suggest creative ideas for their next assignment. If you’re not accustomed to having a distributed workforce, you may be wondering how you can best support collaboration and camaraderie when your team is spread out. Here are some tips to facilitate communication among team members.

Encourage Collaboration Among Remote Workers

Support Task-Management

When people are working from different locations, workflows can easily become fragmented. Apps such as Slack and Google Hangouts help teams connect virtually while collaborating on projects and managing other tasks. Employees can create digital to-do lists, delegate responsibilities, and check off completed items so there is no confusion about what has already been done. Task-management tools also make it possible for colleagues to share documents and provide feedback in real-time.

Virtual Workspaces

Setting up virtual workspaces enables employees to come together almost as if they were on-site. To bridge the distance over which your team is spread out, you can create a virtual workspace complete with offices, desks, and common areas. Employees can stop by each other’s offices for a chat, or gather in the digital “break room” for lunch, enjoying both structured and informal meetings.

Create a VPN

Security and accessibility become paramount when your team is working from home, where internet connections are sometimes unpredictable, especially when employees have to share bandwidth with other household members. Setting up a VPN allows you to create a private network that your team can sign into remotely, ensuring they have adequate access to company data and can perform their jobs just as effectively as they could on-site.

Video Conferencing

Your team can still reap most of the benefits of in-person communication, even when they can’t meet face-to-face. Video conferencing allows remote colleagues to communicate more effectively, as they can observe body language and other nuances that can’t be conveyed via texts and message boards. Likewise, collaboration is more authentic via video than over the phone. Some video conferencing tools come with helpful features you won’t find at the office. For instance, when using Zoom, you can change the background to eliminate visual distractions. If your at-home workspace doesn’t look like an office, you can obscure details such as a cluttered kitchen table or that pile of dirty clothes next to your desk in the bedroom. Additionally, screen-sharing enables you to make important documents visible to the entire group in real-time so everyone is on the same page about what’s being covered. Video conferencing also provides an effective means of bringing remote employees together for training and other professional development opportunities.

Partner with a Reliable IT Service Provider

With a reputable IT company on your team, you can leverage technology to optimize collaboration, productivity, and morale among your employees. Tech experts provide consulting to help you find practical, cost-effective solutions that best meet the needs of your business. They also provide round-the-clock network monitoring and other services so you can focus your energy on core tasks. Your staff will have access to resources and on-demand tech support so they’re not sidelined by technical difficulties. In short, IT services allow you to navigate the transition to remote work as seamlessly as possible.

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Top Questions to Ask Before Building a Strong Backup Strategy

What Are the Top Questions to Ask When Building a Strong Backup Strategy?

Does your Coppell, TX organization have a backup plan in place? Learn how to create a robust and comprehensive IT backup strategy for your Coppell business.

Strong Backup Strategies in Coppell Texas

How safe is your company’s data?

If you have no idea or know already that it’s not as safe as it should be, you’re living on the edge where your business’s safety and security are concerned. Too many Texas organizations have shirked their cybersecurity duties and paid heavily for it. Companies around the nation are going under left and right — all because they didn’t take the time to protect their businesses with proper backup strategies.

If you’re smart enough to realize that a business without a reliable backup strategy is no business at all, we want to help you. Creating a backup strategy doesn’t have to be hard. Below are the top questions you should consider before you begin — but first, let’s define exactly what having a backup strategy means.

What Is a Backup Strategy?

All businesses are at risk of being compromised by hackers and cybercriminals. Around the world, as well as right here in your own Coppell neighborhood, there are sinister computer experts who want your data or access to your networks. Alternatively, if they don’t want data or access for themselves, they want to sell these things and make a profit.

Essentially, there are a lot of bad actors out there who are searching day in and day out for ways to take advantage of you. And while, certainly, there are many preventive measures you can choose to stop these bad guys, there’s also only so much you can do. Even the most prominent, most influential organizations in the world — with the very best security on earth — have fallen prey to hackers.

The only way you can genuinely always protect yourself in the event of a data or network breach is to have a reliable backup of your company’s data and network settings.

Here are some tips for creating your backup.

Top Questions to Ask Before Creating Your Business’s Backup Strategy

1. What types of data need protection?

As you package up the data you need to be backed up, it’s essential to know precisely what you want to be included in your strategy. For some businesses, it might be the financial information of employees, for others, it might be personal information, medical data, or other sensitive material.

2. What time frame between backups is acceptable?

If the data you need protecting never changes, you won’t have to back up very often. If, however, you are receiving rapidly-changing information on a daily or hourly basis, remember that you’ll need to create a strategy that copies and stores this new data relatively often (for example every day or even every hour or so).

3. How much time can you afford to wait between a system compromise and when you need the restored data?

No company wants to have to wait more than even a few minutes to restore their business’s data fully. However, it’s essential to have a targeted time duration in mind (also known as a recovery time objective or an RTO). This will help dictate just how your backup will be stored.

Are You Looking for an IT Company Who Works With Businesses in Coppell, TX?

Data Magic Computer Services offers comprehensive and reliable IT support and computer services to businesses in Coppell and the surrounding areas. Not only will we help you create a resilient backup strategy, but also, as your partner in IT, we will go above and beyond to ensure your business benefits from a dedicated staff, state-of-the-art software and support, and ever-vigilant security.

Give us a call today at (469) 635-5500 to claim your free cybersecurity audit with Data Magic Computer Services in Coppell!

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