Are you looking for a seamless way to connect your networking infrastructure? Here are 5 benefits of wireless networking that prove It’s a perfect fit for you.
When wireless networking was first introduced to the world, it seemed like a luxury that only a small niche of people would require. Some designated it as just another way for the Internet to take over our lives. Others were skeptical of connectivity speeds.
A few saw potential in the technology and understood how it would become a necessity in the future, which it has today.
Today, wireless networking has become one of those technologies that you cannot live without, whether you are a student or a stay-at-home parent, a wealthy entrepreneur or a starting level executive. You need your Wi-Fi and your network support to perform your daily functions.
That is why cities such as Peoria, IL have their own credible service providers such as Facet Tech that setup these wireless networks for those who need them.
What are Wireless Networks?
As mentioned above, when you ask people about some of the things they cannot live without, one of the answers seems to be “Wi-Fi.”And that Wi-Fi needs wireless networking infrastructure to be set up properly. Whether you are using Wi-Fi at home or at your workplace, it is all powered through wireless networks.
When a wireless network is set up in an optimal manner, it can provide you with more benefits than just connecting you to the internet without any cables. This is especially true in the case of a workplace.
As such, it is important to reach out to credible professionals like Facet Tech that would take care of this process for you. Optimal work environments help enhance productivity and this is now a staple of the modern-day work environment.
What are the Benefits of Wireless Networking?
Apart from the obvious benefit of connecting to the internet wirelessly, here are the top 5 benefits of wireless networking. Knowing about them helps you understand the advantages of wireless networks that we usually take for granted.
1. You Can Connect Multiple Devices to the Internet
In today’s day and age, it is important that all of your devices are internet friendly. That is why Wi-Fi is no longer a luxury feature for mobile devices–it is a necessity.
Having a proper wireless network at your premises helps you connect multiple devices at once. That is all without the burden of paying mobile data charges.
2. You Don’t Have to Be Constrained at a Single Location
Gone are the days when you had to open IT tickets for network support just to set up an internet connection in your conference room. With wireless networking, you could simply take your laptop or your tablets wherever you want and still stay connected to the world.
3. You Can Make Use of Wireless Printing
Just like Wi-Fi, wireless printing is not a new technology. But the benefits that it brings to the table are still as advantageous as the day of its launch.
Instead of having a printer installed over every other desk, you could simply connect a central printer to multiple employees at once. This helps you save costs on your equipment spend.
4. You Can Benefit from Cloud Storage
With cloud storage, you can store virtually unlimited data over the Internet. And instead of flash drives, you always have that accessible at all times as long as you have an internet connection.
If your wireless networking is set up with your central data storage or a cloud drive, you can easily take advantage of this innovation.
5. You Can Provide Internet Connectivity to Guests
When you have a wireless network that is properly set up, any professionals that you host over meetings could have internet connectivity as well.
This saves you and them the time and the awkward internet cable installations that were once attributed to guest visits. Instead of having your network support take care of your guest devices, they could focus on internal infrastructure and ensure that you always have connectivity.
Consult with partners like Facet Tech to provide you with the support you need to enhance your work environment today.
If you’re experiencing computer issues that require more than a quick fix, don’t panic! A reputable computer repair shop will likely be able to give your computer the TLC it needs to get back to its original condition in as little time as possible. Before you bring your computer in for repair, however, it’s important to make sure you have taken the necessary precautions to ensure that all of the data you store on it is safe and protected. Here are three steps to take prior to bringing your computer to a repair technician.
Be Choosy
Let’s face it- your computer is one of the most important things you own. After all, it not only helps you work and communicate, but provides storage for important documents, photos, and other valuable files that you can’t risk losing. A simple online search will give you the names of dozens of computer repair shops in your area, but not all of them are created equal. For something as important as your computer, it’s worth your while to do your homework to make sure you’re selecting a reputable, trustworthy repair center. Read online reviews, get recommendations from friends and colleagues, and don’t be shy about asking questions prior to getting your computer repair work done. It pays to be selective!
Back It Up
Before bringing your computer in for repair, make sure to back up all the important files, photos, and other data that is stored on your hard drive. This helps ensure that you are protected against any data loss that may be impossible for your computer repair technician to avoid. In general, it’s a good practice to back your data up often so that you don’t risk losing anything you need. You can either back up data on an external hard drive or thumb drive, or you can look into cloud storage options.
Protect Yourself
Make sure to encrypt or simply remove any files that contain sensitive personal information, including account numbers, passwords, or your Social Security number. Regardless of how trustworthy your computer repair center is, it’s always best to make sure that no confidential information falls into the wrong hands.
The experts at Facet Tech are here to provide comprehensive computer repair for virtually any issue you may be experiencing. We pride ourselves on quality repair with outstanding results! We proudly serve clients in and around the Pekin and Peoria, IL areas, and are dedicated to helping you solve even the most complex computer issues! Call us today at 309-353-4727 to speak with one of our computer repair professionals.
Securing the delivery of precious data is one of the most crucial requirements that organizations have to meet in today’s day and age.
Why wouldn’t it be?
Whether it is financial information or business plans, proprietary software or customer details, safeguarding data is the core of any business’ foundation. Any unauthorized delivery of information to undesignated entities could threaten the very operation of a business – and the safety of all its stakeholders.
That’s Where Data Loss Prevention Tools Come In
Keeping the threats in mind, firms all around the world make it a point to safeguard their data any way that they could. They make use of data loss prevention (DLP) tools. DLPs ensure that data is heavily protected while being transferred between end users. This makes sure that no malicious entity can get their hands on the information being exchanged between authorized entities. If you want to make sure that you are not exposing your data to unauthorized users during delivery, utilizing the following data loss prevention tools could be quite helpful. Tried and tested for efficiency, these DLP tools would help you steer clear of unwanted data exposition incidents. Without further ado, here are the top 5 DLP tools to help you with your day to day data handling tasks.
1. Symantec Data Loss Prevention
Considered by many as the industry’s leading DLP solution, Symantec DLP comprises of multiple processes that ensure data protection during the delivery process. It is compatible with the cloud, which adds to its adaptability to a host of storage solutions. With it, it also remains highly functional for large scale enterprises with its management features. With a great support staff behind the solution, it remains the top choice for many.
2. McAfee Data Loss Prevention
This is yet another DLP that has been adopted by large scale enterprises for their day to day processes. Carrying the assurance of a big brand name and the efficiency of a highly secure solution, McAfee DLP does what it is supposed to do for data loss prevention with quite aplomb. With cloud compatibility and several data management capabilities, McAfee DLP could prove to be the solution you are looking for.
3. Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention
While it comes from a relatively unknown name when compared to the giant brands mentioned above, Forcepoint DLP has been garnering attention among the business and enterprise sector. Much of it is well deserved. The solution works with exceptional data management systems across multiple devices. It also assesses the riskiest delivery channels, so you could identify them before it gets too late. And to sweeten the deal, it comes with cloud compatibility to boot.
4. Digital Guardian DLP
Another obscure yet highly functional solution, the Digital Guardian DLP is another solution that helps against data loss to a large extent. It comes purpose-built for cloud delivery, and has impressive features in place for ensuring data security from point A to point B. It comes with multiple data management and assessment features and sets in comfortably with enterprise solutions.
5. GTB Technologies DLP
Another underrated star in the DLP sector, the GTB Technologies DLP is being used by several corporations as their go to solution. That comes due to the software’s capabilities of being able to work with cloud technology, being adaptable to enterprise functions, and being able to assess and manage data with a host of functions. It is considered as one of the fastest growing DLP solutions in the market and is being adopted by companies from different sectors. The best way to choose a DLP is by speaking with an expert. This ensures that no data loss is being occurred through your firm while assessing its specific requirements, current capabilities and shortcomings. If you have a proficient data management team, then they would be the best people to suggest which solutions to go with. Otherwise, you could reach out to a reputable IT consulting firm who would be able to guide you through the process. But if you are one to make decisions on your own, then one of these DLPs would provide to be the perfect solution for your firm.
It’s a bit cliché as a plot: A company hires burglars to break into their business to test security. Well, it isn’t just fiction, real companies do it all the time, it’s called penetration testing or pen test, for short. Sounds strange, yes, but only by attacking it can you know that your website security is working and to see vulnerabilities so you can protect against future attacks.
Types of Pen Tests
External testing targets the web assets that are visible to the world, including your website, email and domain name servers (DNS), with a simulated hack that attempts to extract data or shut you down.
Internal testing simulates the “inside job”, where an employee or someone else with access (say, someone who stole credentials) assists a malicious outsider to get past your firewalls and other security features.
Blind testing gives a simulated intruder the name of business being targeted, allowing electronic security personnel to watch a real application assault as it happens.
Double-blind testing takes it a step farther; by not telling the security staff that an attack is imminent, they’ll react as if under actual attack, with no notice that might let them reinforce their defenses.
Targeted testing is very valuable; by allowing the simulated hacker and security personnel to operate together and communicate about the attack, the security team not only sees the attack, they see it from a hacker’s point of view, receiving real-time feedback on how they’re responding.
Ongoing Threats
Of course, nothing in technology is static. As hackers get more sophisticated, the security community responds with new defenses. The bad guys need to develop new weapons to beat new defenses, and they do. Facet Web Tech offers on-going monitoring services to make sure your defenses stay ahead of their weapons.
Vulnerability Consulting Services
It sounds so much nicer than, “We break into your website,” but that’s what we do, if we can. Contact Facet Web Tech today to schedule a security consultation. If the bad guys already got to you, Facet has a cleanup team that can put you back together again while we work to prevent future attacks. We have all the tools to determine your vulnerability level and to provide a course of action to ensure that your website remains as safe as possible.
New threats arise almost daily, as hackers try to break in where they don’t belong. Some do it for profit, some just get their jollies by hurting others. Either way, the damage can be costly, if you fail to have the right website security. Online sources have identified several current threats — some new, some repeats. Here are our top 10:
1. Emotet — an advanced banking Trojan that helps other malware download. It usually arrives through malspam (email spam) like fake PayPal receipts, false shipping notifications or bogus past-due invoices.
2. Dridex — another Trojan, capable of stealing specific information, it usually targets your banking credentials — the identifiers your bank uses to be sure you’re the real account holder — usernames, passwords, smart card numbers and PINS.
3. Gh0st — a remote access tool (RAT), used in conjunction with other malware, it creates a backdoor that allows a hacker into your device so he or she can control it remotely.
4. IcedID — still another banking Trojan, it targets payment card providers and payroll websites, observing online activity, infecting and copying point-of-sale (POS) data and ransomware attacks.
5. Kovter — bad guys used this fileless (meaning it never gets written to the hard drive) software to generate fake click-thru ads. Essentially, they raked in millions by simply making computers talk to each other.
6. Mirai — when several devices are connected via the Internet, they are called an “Internet of Things” (IoT), which (when security is penetrated) allows hackers to launch a DOS or “denial of service” attack, in effect, cutting that IoT off from Internet access.
7. NanoCore — another RAT spread via malspam, it appears as an Excel XLS spreadsheet and can accept commands to download and execute files from outside.
8. Pushdo — a botnet which delivers payloads (of malware) to victims; it opens your computer to malware that can delete files, download and execute files, log keystrokes, modify system settings, run or terminate applications, steal sensitive data and spread to other computers.
9. WannaCry — ransomware that blocks access to your software, or, may threaten to publish your data, unless a ransom is paid.
10. ZeuS, also called Zbot — a Trojan horse package that runs on Windows, stealing your bank information by reading your keystrokes and “grabbing” (copying) forms you fill out online.
Increasing Your Website Security
Increasing your Web security doesn’t require massive amounts of time, effort and money. It just needs to be done right, by people who stay at the forefront of the fight — knowing the enemy and the weapons available to beat them. Contact Facet Web Tech, the malware defense experts of Central Illinois.
Having a mobile friendly design is one of the most important factors for increasing site traffic. Not having a mobile friendly design is probably hurting your business.
How to Make Sites Mobile Friendly
Make Your Webpage Fit. — Computer screens are wider, phones are taller.
Make Info Easy to Find. — If they are on mobile, assume they’re in a hurry.
Turn Off Auto correct. — If you’re asking for personal info (like an address) auto correct can change customer input; your customers don’t need that headache.
Make Your Buttons Big Enough. — Compared to a smartphone screen, your fingers are not small; give users the space they need.
Use Larger Fonts. — Users don’t want to break out their reading glasses to view your content; by the way, standard fonts download faster.
Compression. — High-resolution images and other content load slower, so don’t bore your customers by making them wait, they can always go elsewhere.
Test, Revise, Test Again. — You’re the expert, you know your site, but how does the average consumer feel? What makes an effective mobile device? Satisfied customers.
It’s Not the Next Big Thing
It’s the here and the now! Company and industry associations are constantly researching marketing methods so they can spend their marketing dollars more effectively. Smartphone/mobile device marketing has changed, as reported by numerous industry sources. A few highlights include:
Consumers are averaging five-hours-plus per day on their smartphones. About 70 percent of web traffic happened on mobile devices in 2018, up from less than 60 percent one year earlier.
Mobile devices now host about half of all of online transactions. Mobile searches related to “same-day shipping” have more than doubled in just five years. About three-quarters of smartphone users who bought something in a store first got their first introduction to that product on their phone. Nine out of ten smartphone owners bought something or decided to buy something after seeing a “relevant” ad on their mobile.
Among mobile purchasers surveyed, nearly two-thirds say a bad experience will turn them off to that brand in the future. One-third of those who started their purchase with a mobile-device search reported spending more money than they planned to spend — three cheers for impulse buying!
If you don’t have a mobile-friendly site, you are losing traffic. If you don’t know how to make that change, you don’t have a problem. Just contact Facet Web Tech, we’ll make it happen for you.
Everybody’s on a budget and stock photos can be vastly less expensive than paying a photographer to shoot quality photos exclusively for your website. However, there’s always a trade-off and, with stock photos, that can be a big trade-ff.
SEO Rules
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a key to success in winning Internet-based business. The algorithms (the process by which search engines rank websites) are regularly revised so they highlight original, useful content to searchers and avoid spam or other low-value copy. Web design bloggers currently say using stock photos doesn’t hurt your search rankings, but that may come in the future. If it does, when it does, the search engines likely won’t announce the rule change, so develop good habits now and remember, just because it’s SEO-friendly doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
Worth Less than 1,000 Words
The ancient sage who devised this maxim didn’t live in an Internet-based world where anybody could post anything everywhere. To be blunt, some photographers are better than others. Viewers are more likely to skim text and focus on images when checking out a new web page and stock images can have multiple problems:
Realism. A supposed group of coworkers who look like they just came off a Fashion Week runway causes most people to react negatively. Where’s the variety you see in real places? Why do they look so stiff and posed? Authenticity is a positive.
Artistic Quality. Poor composition, bad color balance, improper framing, low resolution (“pixilated”) — people do notice this stuff. We are surrounded by imagery; we’ve all seen enough good and bad pictures to know the good ones instinctively and instantly.
Relevance. Does that photo advance the message? If not, it wastes time and you generally have less than a minute to grab the reader’s attention and hold it. Creating original photos with an on-point message costs more but, if viewers will remember the image, it is worth more than 1,000 space-fillers.
Last and definitely not least:
Copyright. All intellectual property is the property of the creator until the creator formally sells, licenses or gives it away. Just because a photo is on the Net doesn’t mean you can use it without permission and it is your responsibility to be sure you have it.
Get the Right Kind of Help
Doing it right means letting the experts do it. You succeed in your business because you do something very well and your customers trust your work. Facet Web Tech has been doing web design for 30 years, we are Central Illinois’ tech experts. Contact us and let us help you build a web presence that gets it done in style!
The statistics about project management in general are (or should be) terrifying —
97% of organizations believe project management is critical to success, but:
80% of PM executives don’t know how their projects align with the company strategy.
44% of PMs are not certified.
Less than 33% of all projects are completed on time and on budget.
Any business that wants custom software must choose a partner that has a track record of delivering as promised.
Why So Much Failure?
In the simplest form, any project comprises four parts: Concept, goal, process and validation.
Concept is the Vision: What, exactly, do you want this software to do? Who will use it? What resources can you expend to get what you want? Lots of questions need to be asked, very specific information needs answered and put in an organized format.
Goal is the Map: This is the delivery date. These are the skill sets we need. These are the benchmarks. These are the alternatives we may need. These are the obstacles we may face. This is required, that is desired, the other thing would be really nice to have. And, most important: This is the budget. (It’s the reality check, it drives everything else.)
Process is the Work: Here’s where project management makes it or breaks it. A good project manager is on top of things: Knowing the people and how to blend their skill sets and their personalities. Foreseeing problems and proactively dealing with them. Being involved — hands on — with what’s happening on a daily basis. Keeping every stakeholder informed and getting feed back.
Validation is the Endgame: Riddle me this, Batman, “Does my software do what I paid you to make it do?” If you can prove that it does, and you made that happen on time and under budget, you deserve a bonus. (And Bruce Wayne could certainly afford a generous one.)
The Bottom Line
Tired clichés and bad jokes aside, it’s about people — always. Facet Web Tech is a non-corporate, family-oriented culture. We focus on accuracy, capability and customer service. We support our client’s tech needs for the long term. We value their dollars. We employ IT real professionals — experts in technology who understand our client’s business needs. Contact Facet about your custom software development, let us make it work for you.
Information Technology (IT, for short) is a broad segment of the technology industry. From simple tech support to the most complex coding and database management, there are roles for people with many skills:
1. Communication
If you want to create some tech, you have an idea. The IT pro needs outstanding communication skills to help you translate that idea into a workable concept that will drive your tech design. During the design and creation process, tech pros may need to communicate (verbally and in writing) with the client, team members, management, outside contractors, government regulators and others, taking all their ideas and comments and blending them into a smooth activity.
2. Creativity, Knowledge & Research
If it was easy, anybody could do it. To take what people (sometimes many very different people) think or want then fuse those ideas into a practical product requires intellectual prowess. You may be doing something that’s been done many times before — how can you do it better? — or, you may be doing something completely new — how to you take what we know how to do and expand that into something we’ve never done?
3. Customer Service
Real IT pros understand that everybody is a customer and they must get the same level of service as the paying client must get. Every stakeholder in every project has individual needs and meeting those needs is customer service. In different circumstances, one could speak of the need for humility and suggest that a good sense of humor will also serve the project well. In its simplest form, it is simple, old fashioned, good manners.
4. Flexibility, Leadership & Teamwork
Back in the day, teachers often noted, “Doesn’t play well with others,” on report cards of our more rambunctious classmates. We’re no longer on the playground, we’re in the business world. We need to operate in many diverse teams and situations. IT pros must first control their personal situation, which is the most vital leadership possible — it allows us to enthuse and influence others and make things happen.
5. Project Management
The preceding skill sets can be called qualitative, they are personal and social. PM is quantitative, it coldly deals with budgets, deadlines, negotiating, organization, quality control, regulations, scheduling and more. It’s the “nitty gritty”, the “day-to-day”, the pesky details of getting the job done that many otherwise talented, creative, brilliant people simply can’t do.
Get All the Skill Sets You Need for Success
The IT technologists of Facet Web Tech have (and continually improve) their technical skills, like writing code or cyber security protocols. All across Central Illinois, companies are happily using websites, software, apps and other highly technical products created by us. Contact us today and see what kind of a smile we can bring to your face.
Simply put, it’s legal hacking. Penetration testing (pen testing, for short) involves all aspects of your computer system, subjecting it to every trick a hacker might try, discovering your vulnerabilities and removing those vulnerabilities or securing them so they can’t be exploited. Pen testing has two primary avenues of attack — an automated attack by software applications or a manual attack by human agents.
But, pen testing doesn’t refer exclusively to hardware:
1. Software, bought or licensed, is being pen tested by its manufacturer. Many of the updates you receive from software companies fix bugs and close vulnerabilities the company has detected.
2. Personnel are also part of the computer system, the most vulnerable part, because we can’t “fix” them, they must fix any attitude problems, such as forgetting to log off when away from their workstations. If retraining and job counseling doesn’t remove the problem behaviors, you may have to be ready to replace the personnel.
Why Do You Need Penetration Testing?
Because bad guys are out there, and they want in. If they decide they want into your website, we’re here to frustrate them so bad they cry themselves to sleep.
Your website might never get hacked in any substantial way, but do you want to roll dice loaded against you? You can lose data, sensitive information can be compromised, the list is long and should be frightening. Your reputation can be ruined, your clients may find another provider, you could be held legally responsible for publication of personal information or other damages — real or perceived.
You insure your health, home, business, cars, just about everything. Pen testing is just more insurance.
Who are you Going to Trust?
Facet Web Tech has served the technology needs of Central Illinois businesses and organizations since 1989. We know your needs and wants because we started as a small (basement-based) business. Hard work and quality services have propelled us to our current status as trusted technology experts.
Our culture is non-corporate and family-oriented with a focus on accuracy, capability and customer service, which have made our rapid growth possible. Contact us now, we will support all your technology needs economically and efficiently — those you have today and those that will come tomorrow.
