Professional IT Services that Andromeda Provides for Elk Grove Village, IL Businesses:

Managed IT Services
Elk Grove Village,IL

Andromeda offers a range of IT support plans—anything from month-to-month "time & materials"-based assistance to fixed IT service contracts that permit "no-brainer" conformance to an annual budget. Beyond the functions you would expect from a full-service MSP, you'll have a dedicated C‑CATs team that includes an Account Coordinator directing the same field and remote technicians day-to-day, month-to-month, and even year-to-year to manage your IT network needs.
This isn't simply a glorified Virtual CIO offering. Imagine the cost of hiring your own CIO AND tech team for this same level of customized service and knowledge of your particular (and evolving) network setup!

Cloud Services & Migrations

Typically, the biggest issue you'll face when initiating Cloud IT services is not the services themselves, but rather the proper migration of your existing IT services to the Cloud without loss of functionality, downtime, and scores of other details that could undermine the whole process. Andromeda has a long history of expertise in physical on-premises systems. Don't make the mistake of turning all your current systems over to a "Cloud expert"; we'll save you from a lot of heartache and pain with a virtually seamless Cloud migration from your current setup— whatever it is.

Data Backup & Recovery
Elk Grove Village,IL

It's a crazy world. Literally thousands of people you don't even know attempt to break or steal from systems like yours every day. Good 24/7 monitoring is a first line of defense, of course. But no matter how great and state-of-the-art your defenses are, you'll almost certainly succomb to a successful attack in time. That's why advanced data backup and data recovery need to be tools that you and your IT partner have at the ready from Day 1. Don't be tempted to "shortcut" this element of your network in the name of expediency or to save a few dollars. Ultimately, you'll lose out on both counts with that thinking. You need a complete and integrated solution that addresses every contingency as well as IT professionals who know how to make that happen.

Cyber Security

Not only do we provide multi-tier approaches to your network security, but Andromeda also provides built-for-you solutions for disaster recovery and business continuity devices. We provide, manage and monitor a variety of devices including physical hardware, Cloud-based and hybrid options. Our team actively monitors over 403 servers and 101 physical backup devices in the field. All with 100% local engineers and technicians.

Onsite/Remote Support
Elk Grove Village,IL

Andromeda's team is completely staffed by local technicians near Elk Grove Village,IL. No matter the hour, your issue is resolved quickly and professionally. In fact, 68% of incoming calls are connected to a live technician for immediate response. When a technician isn't available, our average response time is less than 30 minutes. And if that isn't impressive enough, emergency after-hours support response times average less than 10 minutes!

IT Network Management

IT networks are our bread-and-butter. We have provided these services to clients since 1994. Some have continued to rely on us for their evolving network needs since the very beginning. We stand behind our work day to day and year to year because we foster relationships with our client-partners that absolutely demand that of us. It's in our DNA and how we prefer to do business.

AndroPedia Tech Library

As part of our service, it is important to keep our client-partners well informed on IT developments, news, and best practices. Here is just a sampling of typical items from our AndroPedia^SM library archive:

Celebrating Earth Day serves as a reminder of how fragile our planet is and how important it is to protect it. With a few simple changes to the way we use technology solutions at work, we can help make a big impact. 

Did you know that just switching to cloud computing can help the environment? It’s true! 

3 ways cloud computing helps the environment… 

1. Energy Conservation.

No onsite servers can save businesses on energy usage. This is important because when you consume less power, you reduce the number of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth’s natural resources, and protect ecosystems from destruction. 

Ask your technology providers about their cloud environments to learn more about different techniques these businesses take to ensure green practices in cloud computing.

2. Work Anywhere, Anytime. 

When you place your work, projects, and data on the cloud it allows you and your staff to be able to work from anywhere at anytime* without driving back to the office. This saves on travel to and from the office which decreases emissions, and increases productivity. 
 

3. Allows For A Paperless Workspace. 

The cloud empowers your team to print fewer documents and collaborate using SaaS (Software as a Service) tools – meaning less paper wasted by staff. Additionally, less printing means you will use less ink and most offices won’t be upset about double cost savings here!  

Have a great Earth Day and smile because you just helped save the environment. 

*Some cloud solutions require an active internet connection to work

The post 3 ways cloud computing helps the environment appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Working remotely, whether short-term or permanent comes with many perks, but it also poses many new risks for the security of your organization’s data. For example, if an employee-owned device (laptop, PC, etc.) is infected, that could compromise your business network as well.  

We’ve developed a list of guidelines and tips to assist you as you prepare to work from home in a safe, functional work environment. Note, this list is intended for guidance and information purposes only. If you have any questions regarding these tips, please reach out to your supervisor or IT provider for additional information.   

Guidelines & Tips  

Secure workspace  

• Ensure that you have the ability to lock your devices (laptop, PC, etc.) and any business relevant information when not in use. Cable locks for laptops should be used when necessary. Laptops and devices should be locked out of sight and/or in the trunk if it must be left in a vehicle unattended  
• Avoid using your personal devices for work-related business   
• Safely perform conversations without visitors eavesdropping or shoulder surfing, especially while working in a mobile setting, such as a coffee shop  
• Protect the data you are accessing by using a VPN to log into the company network, and ensure you are protecting data visible on your screen with a screen protector. This is especially critical for employees who are required to be HIPAA compliant, PCI compliant, etc.   
• Restrict the use of devices containing business-relevant information. Do not let family members, friends, or anyone but yourself use company-owned devices or personal devices used for business purposes  
• Use strong unique passwords on all your devices and accounts to prevent unauthorized access  

Wireless Security  

• Change default Wi-Fi Router passwords 
• Enable WPA-2 or higher encryption    
• Ensure your local router firmware is up to date  
• Limit the use of public Wi-Fi. Always use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi. Never use public Wi-Fi to send sensitive information without a VPN  
• Ensure all personal devices are secure with company-provided or personally owned antivirus and anti-malware software company   
• Updated IoT device firmware (smart thermostats, surveillance cameras, etc.)   
• Ensure default passwords are changed   
• Ensure the software on all devices within your home network are kept up to date (corporate laptop, IOT devices such as cameras and smart thermostats, personal laptops/tablets, etc.) 
• Review and follow corporate Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and other relevant policies and procedures 
   

AWARENESS   

• Remote Work Employee Awareness   
• Be extremely cautious of email phishing scams  
• Limit social media use  
• Don’t reveal business itineraries, corporate info, daily routines, etc. 

We provide this list of guidelines to assist you as you work from home. These tips are meant to facilitate a safe, functional work environment.  

Note, this list is intended for guidance and information purposes only. If you have any questions regarding these tips, please reach out to your supervisor or IT provider for additional information. We are always here to assist in your transition in any way possible. Give us a call to pick up this conversation today (815) 836-0030 or email us.

The post Guidelines & Tips for Employees Working Remotely appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Do you sell goods and services directly from your company's website? Do you use X-Cart to do it?

If you answered yes to both of those questions, you may have had some issues with your sales platform.

Thankfully, the issues now seem to have been resolved, but according to the software vendor that makes X-Cart, the issue stemmed from a ransomware attack the company recently suffered. It brought down customer stores that were hosted on the company's platform.

While few details are known at this point, the issue seems to have arisen when attackers exploited a vulnerability in some third-party software that allowed them to gain access to X-Cart's store hosting system. Jeff Cohen is the VP of Marketing for Seller Labs, which is the company that produced X-Cart.

Cohen had this to say about the matter:

"We have identified what we believed to have been the vulnerability but do not wish to disclose the name until its confirmed by our security firm."

Reading between the lines of this statement, it appears that the investigation into the matter is still ongoing. However, apparently the attackers encrypted a small number of X-Cart's servers, which was enough to grind the system to a halt. Of interest, the hackers did not demand a ransom, nor provide any way for Seller Labs to communicate with them, so the company restored their servers from recent backups.

Not all stores were impacted evenly. Some went offline completely, while others simply reported issues with sending email alerts. In any case, Seller Labs moved quickly to restore service and the outage lasted only a few days. Unfortunately, a few days is a very long time, and some of X-Cart's customers are not happy, nor are they satisfied with the rather limited information the company has provided to this point. This prompted them to band together and serve Seller Labs with a Class Action lawsuit.

Everything seems to be back to normal at this point, but if your company was impacted, it pays to be aware of the pending lawsuit and consider how you might wish to proceed.

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