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The Shared CIO: Business & IT Leadership
ConsultingLeadershipSecurity

The Shared CIO Role: Evolving IT Leadership to Serve You Better

I hope it’s OK to write about something other than the newest cloud feature or the latest tech gadget, because I’m not going to talk about new technologies in this article. Rather, I would like to talk about the necessary leadership in today’s businesses. Not so long ago, the only IT goal of any business was to find someone who could do the work of implementing, upgrading, and maintaining technology. It was a hard-to-find skill set, and it was even difficult to find someone able to set up a basic network. That is not the case today. There are IT…
Ryan Pieken
July 8, 2019
Managed Services
Managed Services

Top 5 Benefits of Managed IT Services

There are many benefits to outsourcing your IT with managed services. Here are our picks for the top five – though certainly this isn’t a comprehensive list. #1: Operational Expenses and Controlling IT Costs If your environment is ready for managed services, then outsourcing your IT requires only a small initial investment. Then all your IT needs are rolled into an ongoing predictable monthly payment. This means managed services is primarily an operational expense, and far easier to predict and budget for. Controlled and predictable spending on your IT? Always a good idea. On top of making this switch away…
OXEN Technology
June 17, 2019
Spring Cleaning Your Spam Filter WhiteList
Security

Spring Cleaning Your Spam Filter Whitelist

It's time to add your spam filter whitelist to your spring cleaning routine. For some of us who have been using the same spam filter for years, we may have a long list of allowed addresses or domains. Because phishing email is involved in 91% of breaches, I can't stress enough how important it is to manage your whitelist. As security has evolved, I continually find things that I did months or years ago that I would do differently today. So, I am learning to go back and review the things that are on autopilot to make sure they meet…
Ryan Pieken
May 20, 2019
Security Awareness
Security

Security Awareness Training: Time to Jump on the Bandwagon

Human error. We talk about it all the time, but what exactly do we mean? Human error occurs when an individual does something with an unintended outcome. In cybersecurity, it’s easy to point the finger at employees as being an organization’s weakest link. An IBM study found that human error accounts for 95% of security incidents, yet security awareness training for employees often ends up on the back burner. But without appropriate security awareness training provided by the employer, how can employees truly know what to watch out for? Is security awareness training a priority? In a recent survey by…
OXEN Technology
May 13, 2019
Business-Grade Firewall | Next Generation Firewall
Security

What’s the difference between consumer and business-grade firewalls?

Why isn’t it a good idea to go out to your local Best Buy and get a consumer-grade firewall for your business? Can’t you save a few bucks this way, rather than getting a business-grade firewall? Well…you can. But there is a huge difference between a firewall meant for personal home use versus a business-grade firewall that’s equipped with the tools that a business needs for protection. A consumer-grade firewall won’t be the best solution for your business. Here’s why. What is a firewall? In networking, a firewall is a tool that “monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic”…
OXEN Technology
April 15, 2019
Backup Solution - 3 Reasons to Invest in a Backup Solution
Backup

3 Reasons to Invest in a Strong, Trusted Backup Solution

A backup solution is like an insurance policy for your business. Data loss is a serious – and often devastating – problem for organizations. A good backup solution in place means less worry and hassle for you and your business… and it is protection against costly threats in the future that might otherwise harm your reputation, impair your ability to function, or put you out of business altogether. Here are three reasons you should consider a backup solution. Backed up data is safe from ransomware threats Ransomware and other types of cyberattacks are increasingly common – and small to medium…
OXEN Technology
March 11, 2019
Is Internet Explorer a modern web browser?
Security

Moving away from Internet Explorer

Is Internet Explorer a “modern web browser”? Is it a web browser at all? Should you be using it? Due to a recent blog post from Microsoft on “the perils of using Internet Explorer as your default browser”, these puzzling questions have been getting a lot of attention. The gist is this: Microsoft is now on record as saying that Internet Explorer – Microsoft’s long-time web browser – is in fact not really a browser anymore. They don’t want you to use it like one. Microsoft’s Chris Jackson refers to it as a “compatibility solution”, implying that it is legacy…
OXEN Technology
February 18, 2019
Security

Why do you still need anti-spam and anti-virus protection?

It’s 2019. Do you really need to pay for anti-spam and anti-virus software for your company? Is there still a pressing need for these? And can you make do with free versions? We’ll cut to the chase with the answers: Yes, anti-spam and anti-virus solutions are still mandatory as basic security for any organization or business. And while you may go with free security products, you will get much better results with professional paid versions that receive timely updates to protect you from new and emerging threats. Professional, business-grade anti-spam and anti-virus software is still a worthy investment. It’s a…
OXEN Technology
February 11, 2019
Office 365 - Data Cloud in Hand
Office 365

Office 365: The Right Choice for Better Business

People today want to be productive wherever they go. They want to work faster and smarter across their favorite devices, while staying current and connected. Simply put, they want to have business tools that work as hard as they do. With Office 365, you can modernize your workforce. Microsoft Office 365 is the right choice for your business Office 365 fits the way you work today and tomorrow. Beginning with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, Office 365 provides all the familiar Office applications you know, along with a dynamic set of secure cloud connected tools that help you communicate, collaborate,…
OXEN Technology
January 14, 2019
Confessions of an IT Professional Series
Security

Confessions of an IT Professional – Part 2 – Data Backups

This week's article is the second in a series by OXEN's own Terry Allen, one of our technical engineers based in Joplin, MO. Part 1 is here. This post originally appeared on Bloggin' IT with Terry Allen and is reprinted with permission. I’ll admit that I bang the security drum a lot. Those of you that know me will admit that I avoid risk. I look for it and work to manage and reduce it as much as reasonably possible. I don’t like risk. Life has taught me that our world is full of it. Often risks are ignored until…
OXEN Technology
December 10, 2018
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