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3 New Reasons Why ECS is the Right IT Company for You

april@amediamarketing.com (April Monroe) — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 16:05:38 GMT

Uh oh, what happened? Are you experiencing a technology problem right now? Most of us tend to not look for help until something bad happens. We hope you aren’t experiencing any trouble at the moment but if you are, ECS is here to help. Here are 3 reasons why we are the right IT Company for you:

Reason #1

With email scams always evolving, and scammers continuously learning and getting smarter and slicker, it is essential to make sure your inbox knows how to shield and combat these nasty bugs from making their way into the rest of your system. Our Email Spam and Virus Protection will do just that.

Xcitium’s Secure Email Gateway TRUSTS NO ONE with unknown files and will always verify content. This allows uninterrupted use and bulletproof security.

Reason #2

ECS uses an Advanced Endpoint protection. Once there has been a breach, it can spread like a disease. Unless it’s found and contained immediately. Advanced Endpoint protection will automatically contain ALL UNTRUSTED applications and processes in a secure environment. Applications that are deemed safe can continue to run as usual, while the malware is denied the entry needed to be successful.

And lastly, Reason #3 is ECS’s Endpoint Manager.

This proactive service monitors servers and PC’s performance, security statuses and provides an automated windows patch management service, keeping machines running their best. You’ll be able to View patches needed on devices, applications, and operating systems communicating with Endpoint Manager. You’ll be up to date with Protection against zero-day web threats, without hindering employee productivity, while keeping healthy endpoints. And you’ll have a dashboard of real-time data about the operating system, connection status and security posture of all devices enrolled to Endpoint Manager, allowing you to manage your entire network.

With these new services, ECS is staying ahead of the game and keeping your business and its assets protected. It’s the smartest decision you will make in 2023. Give us a call today and let’s talk about your small business needs.

A Chat With the Owner

april@amediamarketing.com (April Monroe) — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 16:16:34 GMT

Ever wondered if your small business needed an IT Company’s services?

While they all have access to the same information, not all IT companies are equal. Knowledge coupled with lots of experience make the difference. A difference you will find with Efficient Computer Service. With more than 25 years of accumulated knowledge and experience, we thought it would be a great time to ask John Potts, owner of ECS some important questions that we knew any business owner looking for an IT service, or just wondering if they need one, would ask. Here’s how it went…

What do you believe makes ECS unique to other IT companies?

We pride ourselves on personalized prompt service, and we are always concise of costs when providing valued services needed.

If I call with a problem, what are your typical response times?

Usually we will respond within 1 hour or less to every support request.

Can you explain the cloud? What is it, where is it, and how do we access it?

The “Cloud” is a generic term, referring to any service that is hosted on the internet as opposed to onsite. Our Virtual Cloud Servers and Desktops are physically hosted on multiple enterprise class servers in a Tier III Secure Data Center in Boston.

The Virtual Cloud Desktops are accessed using a Secure internet connection

managed by a Citrix software application on a local PC or laptop.

What’s the difference, other than the obvious, between cloud-based solutions versus on-site?

An on-site, sometimes referred to as on-premises entails a costly capitol expenditure for Server(s), battery backup devices, software licensing, data backup and regular maintenance. Many companies also pay for a server monitoring service. For Cloud based solutions, there is a huge savings because there is no hardware to purchase, maintain, backup and replace. There are no software licenses to purchase. Everything needed is included on a flat rate cost.

Also, with the Cloud Servers and desktops enhanced security is and reliability is unmatched. Finally, it is easy to support a remote work force and multiple office locations.

If a business asks you which solutions would be the best fit for them, how do you come to your decision or recommendation?

Great question. We do an extensive evaluation of all hardware, software, and business practices to learn the state of the current IT platform and the IT needs for each company. We learn what works well and what areas need to be improved. The we make our recommendations based on the findings and the deployment plan of needed changes based on budgets and availability to ensure the least impact to downtime if any. Our goals for every business customer are to ensure their data is secure and their systems are efficient, reliable & affordable, and finally that they are a good fit to meet the individual company technology needs.

Can I just train one of my employees to be our IT person?

ECS has many decades of technology knowledge & experience we offer. This level of knowledge & experience takes years to learn. However, we can train an employee to do some tasks and to leverage our experience as needed.

How often should my employees really be changing their passwords?

In today’s world of threats, we recommend passwords be changed at least every 90 days as a general rule.

I work from my phone a lot. If I answer emails from my phone’s email app, will they be as safe as using my desktop or laptop?

A phone app is just as secure a desktop or laptop. However, this depends on the type of email being used. For example, if a company uses GMAIL or HOTMAIL or any free email service, the mail is not secure on any device. If they use a hosted MS Exchange email the connection to the mail server is always secure.

What is a realistic budget a small business should have per year for IT Services?

This varies greatly and is driven by business industry that has compliance requirements (i.e.: Medical or Financial) and the complexity of the technology needed. Some small businesses require larger IT budgets than their larger counterparts. Our experience in general industry shows a company with 10

computers would require an annual budget of at least $7,000 to $10,000.

And there we have it. Small businesses should have, at the very minimum, a designated person to learn and be trained in IT related components to the business, but that will not guarantee the safety and longevity of your investments and data. Doing nothing is much more costly than the above-mentioned budget. Repairing, replacing, and then adding IT Services and security will run your business twice those numbers, easily. In this case, it is definitely better safe than sorry. With the costs of literally everything continuing to climb, you can’t afford NOT to protect your business. We understand the expense is not cheap, and there are ways to spread things out. ECS is experienced and personable and would love to help you figure out the best route for your small business.

Give us a call and let’s create a gameplan.

How To Grow Your Business With a Virtual Cloud

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 17:44:21 GMT

At Efficient Computer Service, our team of experts will help you design a customized cloud-based

solution that meets your small to medium sized business's unique requirements.

We offer flexible pricing and deployment options, as well as 24/7 support for all of our products.

Virtual Cloud Servers & Desktops

Virtual cloud servers and desktops provide a secure way to access your data, and can be a good

option for companies that need to scale up or down quickly. All maintenance related tasks for the

Virtual Servers & Desktops are included in the price including Daily Image Backups.

Cloud Service & Security

Efficient Computer Service is a leading provider of virtual cloud servers and desktops. We are

able to provide our clients with the security and reliability they need, as well as give them the

freedom and flexibility that comes with using the cloud. It can easily scale from any number of

servers or users as well as adding additional resources such as RAM Memory or Hard Drive

Space. Our platform and service is fully compliant for any industry, including HIPAA & FINRA.

Our Platform Design allows for nearly any customization to fit a company's needs (no box type products), and provides the most secure option for an organizations entire IT Platform,

regardless of which Windows version you are using, hardware, applications, data or other services hosted by a third party provider. It is also an excellent Disaster Recovery Solution for your business.

The technology behind our Virtual Cloud Servers and Desktops Platform is unlike anything else on

the market. Citrix software is what makes the service flexible and secure. Its what makes the

cloud desktop work like a local desktop.

As a small business ourselves, we understand the cost factor of any new investment. Our line

item pricing is straight forward, easy to understand and provides a predictable cost.

ECS's Cloud Service is confident that you will realize the benefits of having your Cloud PC right

away by actually using the service.

For more informations about this service, simply complete the

short form to submit your request. One of ECS's Cloud Service specialists will be in touch with

you quickly.

How to Prepare Your Business Before a Hurricane

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 16:00:23 GMT

It's hurricane season, and although it may seem like bad news for business owners, you can make the most of this time by preparing your business for disaster. Being ready to weather a storm could mean the difference between being out of commission for weeks or months and getting back up and running in a day or two.

So if you want to be ready when the next hurricane hits, here are some things you can do to prepare:

Check your insurance coverage

If your business is located in an area that's at risk of severe weather, it's important to make sure you're covered. Check with your insurance agent or broker about the following:

• Coverage for damage to your property, equipment and inventory

• What is the deductible?

• Exclusions from coverage such as flood damage or earthquakes

Gather important documents in one place

• Have a disaster plan. A good disaster plan should include three things:

• A backup plan for your business. If you have employees, make sure they have been trained on how to use the most important information in case of an emergency like a hurricane or fire. It's also important to have a backup plan for any equipment that might be needed to operate when the power is out, such as generators and computers with battery backups;

• A business continuity plan. This will allow your company to continue operating after disasters strike by having alternate work locations, employee training and more;

• An emergency plan that covers what you'll do if natural disasters threaten your area (such as evacuating), as well as man-made disasters like terrorist attacks or pandemics;

Consider storing documents in the cloud

To help ensure that you can recover your data in the event of a disaster, consider storing some or all of your documents with cloud storage services like ECS's Cloud Service, Citrix .

While these services are not as secure as using a networked server (or physical hard drive), they do provide additional benefits that make them well-suited for small businesses:

• They're easy to use and accessible from anywhere;

• They can be used to share files with co-workers and clients;

• The documents they store are automatically backed up by default, so if anything happens to your local computers or servers (e.g., catastrophic hardware failure), you'll still have access to all of your important information;

Backup files and servers

• If you have a business with multiple locations, you should use a cloud storage service that automatically backs up your data in real time and is accessible from anywhere.

• You should also use a file backup service for all of the files on your computer that aren’t part of the cloud—for example, if you want to access them from outside the office or print them at home.

• Backup servers are also useful because they provide an extra layer of protection against loss due to hardware failure. If one server fails, another can take over without losing any data or affecting your operations in any way.

• Network backups protect against problems with computers connecting to each other—such as when there's too much traffic on the network and it slows down everything else—or problems with individual computers accessing information from other computers on the network (like when someone deletes important files). Data backups keep track of where all your critical information resides so that if one piece is damaged or lost, it can be replaced easily with another copy stored somewhere else (e.g., at home). Hardware backups ensure that no matter what happens to any given piece of equipment like laptops or desktops (extreme heat), none of your valuable information will go missing since hardware failures aren't recoverable! Software backups allow for changes made by users over time without requiring constant reprogramming; this means employees don't need special training just because their software needs updating every now and then."

Have a communications plan

You need to have a plan for communicating with your customers and partners, as well as the people who work for you. Having an established communication plan will help everyone stay calm and work together during the storm.

Why is Cybersecurity Awareness & Training Important?

Mon, 30 May 2022 16:29:31 GMT

Cybersecurity is an important topic that many companies are still struggling to understand. However, your company may be at risk and it is important to be aware of how you can increase your security and train yourself and your co-workers on best practices.

How important is cyber security awareness?

Cybersecurity awareness is the most important thing a person can do to ensure their personal data and sensitive information remain secure. Awareness is about understanding what cybersecurity threats are and how to protect yourself, as well as knowing that there are people who will help you if something happens.

The more aware you are of cybersecurity issues and risks, the more likely you'll be able to avoid them. The best way to be aware of these things is by staying up-to-date on news stories related to cybercrime so that when someone tries something new, they'll know it's not normal behavior for an organization like yours.

What are the main computer security risks?

As a business owner, it’s important to know what cyber security risks you face, so you can take steps to prevent them from happening.

The three main computer security risks include:

Social engineering: A hacker’s attempt to convince someone with privileged access (like an IT specialist or employee) into doing something they shouldn’t. Examples include phishing emails, vishing calls(phone scams) and even physical trickery.
Phishing: An email or other communication that tries to get you to provide personal information like usernames, passwords and credit card numbers by posing as a trusted company or person.
Malware (malicious software): Software designed to disrupt computer operation without the user knowing it's there or installing it—usually through spam emails or illegal downloads of software from unverified websites otherwise known as torrent sites (including peer-to-peer networks).

Why are IT Policy Manuals Important

It’s important to have a clear set of guidelines in place so that your company can be protected from cyberthreats. IT Policy Manuals help you do this by outlining best practices for security, educating employees on how to keep the company safe from hackers, educating customers about how they should protect themselves when using your products or services, and educating vendors about how their software might affect your systems.

How can you improve your employees' risk awareness?

There are many ways you can improve your employees' risk awareness. The first is to give them security awareness training. Efficient Computer Service can offer your business training that will bring all of your staff up to speed on the Do's & Don'ts of cybersecurity.

Security policies are another useful tool for increasing employee awareness of cyber threats and keeping them in line with company standards. A good policy should include information on how to report breaches—and what happens if they fail to do so—as well as how the policy will be enforced at work (e.g., a disciplinary process).

How should a company protect devices?

Companies need to take measures to secure their data on mobile devices. This includes encrypting sensitive data, only allowing trusted applications to run, securely wiping data when disposing of devices, using strong passwords and using a password manager. A VPN (virtual private network) can be used to encrypt traffic between your device and the VPN server so that it cannot be intercepted by a third party. A firewall will allow you control over what goes in and out of your network while antivirus software is installed on every device in order for them to remain protected from malware attacks that could target those devices.

How can employees help their company stay safe?

As the old adage goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The same can be said for cybersecurity awareness and training—the more you know about how to stay safe online, the less likely you are to become a victim.

Here are some simple ways employees can help their company stay protected:

Don't open suspicious emails or attachments unless they're sent directly from someone you trust. Even if it looks like an email from your boss or another employee in your company, don't click on any links included in an attachment or reply with sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers.
If something seems off about an email (for example, grammar errors), send it to spam@yourcompanynamehere rather than opening it yourself; this way if there's anything malicious inside, at least no one else will accidentally get infected by clicking on a link within the message.

Your company may be at risk and it is important to be aware of how you can increase your security and train yourself and your co-workers on best practices.

Cybersecurity is a constant battle. With the growing number of cyber-attacks, it’s important for companies to be aware of how they can increase their security and train themselves and their co-workers on best practices.

Cybersecurity is critical part of your company’s IT infrastructure. It not just about protecting your company's data, but also about protecting your company's reputation. It is important to understand what could happen if you do not have adequate cyber defense in place and how this might affect both your bottom line as well as your key stakeholders such as employees, partners, customers or shareholders.

It is important for everyone within an organization to understand how cybersecurity works because everyone can play a role in protecting themselves from potential threats by learning what they need to do when faced with such situations or incidents that occur within their own personal lives

In closing, it is important to understand that awareness and training is not just a single aspect of cyber security. In fact, it is one of the most important aspects because it can help reduce the risk of a breach, increase understanding amongst employees on how best to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR. If you'd like help in developing an effective program for your organization or need assistance with other aspects such as incident response plans then get in touch today!

I'm A Small Business. Do I Need An IT Company?

Mon, 23 May 2022 16:29:34 GMT

Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, having an IT company is essential for your business. Whether it's for cloud hosting, security, or disaster recovery, an IT company can help you keep your data secure and running smoothly.

You should work with Efficient Computer Service if you're experiencing any of the following issues:

You have outgrown your old server. If you are using outdated hardware, your servers may not be able to handle the amount of data they're being asked to store or process at any given moment. In this case, it may be time for a new server and upgrading your infrastructure.
Your hardware is outdated and no longer performing optimally. It's important that companies keep their hardware up-to-date so they can continue getting the most out of their investments in technology; this includes making sure that all software is compatible with current operating systems—and updating when necessary (more on this later).
Your network is exposed to malware or viruses. If hackers find a way into your system via security holes or weak passwords, they could wreak havoc on every aspect of your business operations—from logging into computers remotely as well as stealing sensitive information from them! This means frequent downtime and lost productivity for everyone involved...not great!

You have outgrown your old server.

What does this mean? It's time to update! Your old server is probably outdated and may be unable to handle the increasing demands of your business. You may have limited storage space, poor network performance, poor security and limited support options and functionality. If you choose to continue with your current IT setup, these issues will only get worse over time.

Your hardware is outdated and no longer performing optimally.

Hardware is a major part of the IT infrastructure. Hardware can be outdated and no longer performing optimally, or it may need to be replaced by new hardware. You can also upgrade the hardware in your office to meet the demands of your business and perform better than ever before!

Your network is exposed to malware or viruses.

So, you’re a small business and have an IT guy on staff. Great! But what if he leaves? What happens if they take a vacation? Or decide they no longer want to support your company? You may be thinking that this doesn’t sound so bad, but let me tell you: it can get ugly very quickly. An infected network can be devastating for your business! Here are some examples of what could happen when your network is infected:

Your website goes down – Your website is one of the most important aspects of your business, so having it down means lost sales and money spent by frustrated customers trying to reach out to you through other channels (like phone or email). If the outage lasts for more than 12 hours, expect a loss in revenue equivalent to losing one full day of sales every week for two months (source).
Email stops working – We all rely heavily on email nowadays for communication with clients and vendors alike; if email stops working due to an infection then productivity will grind to a halt pretty quickly as people start scrambling around looking for ways around their problems rather than actually getting things done.

Your network goes down frequently and you have no clue why.

If your network goes down frequently, it is not just a minor inconvenience, it is a major problem. Network downtime can mean lost revenues and customers—it's as simple as that. If your network goes down, your business goes down.

If you're experiencing frequent network problems and don't know why, then chances are good that an IT company can help you identify the issue and address it quickly so that downtime becomes a thing of the past.

Working with an IT company is essential to keep your business running smoothly, reliably and securely.

Reliability: Your network’s ability to handle all of the tasks required to run your business every day is essential. Working with an IT company enables you to be confident that your network is reliable, so you can focus on other important aspects of running your business.
Security: Security breaches are costly in terms of time spent cleaning up after them and repairing the damage done by hackers or viruses; they can also cause irreparable damage to a customer’s faith in your brand or product. An IT company has experience dealing with these issues and knows how best to protect against them happening again in future.

Working with an IT company can be a scary proposition for many small businesses. But it doesn't have to be! If you're experiencing any of the issues listed above, we'd love to help you get started with our services. We provide remote support, onsite visits and more so that your business can keep running smoothly, reliably and securely. We ourselves are a small business, so we understand the pinpoints that you go through. Let us help you grow your business and earn your trust! You won’t be disappointed.

How Do I Get Rid Of SPAM Emails?

Mon, 16 May 2022 16:29:32 GMT

Spam has become an epidemic in today's society. It is estimated that at least 90% of all email traffic is Spam! This means that almost every email you receive will be SPAM. How do we get rid of this unwanted email?

What is Spam?

Spam is a form of electronic junk mail that is sent out en masse to millions of email addresses. It's usually soliciting some kind of service (usually something illegal), or advertising something that you don't want and didn't even ask for. Phishing is the most common form of spam. It's typically delivered through an email, chat, web ad or website that has been designed to impersonate a real person or organization. Phishing messages deliver a sense of urgency or fear to persuade the user to give up their data.

If you receive a phishing email, you should never click on any links in it. If you think your account may have been compromised by phishing, change your password immediately and contact us.

Is getting rid of Spam important?

Spam is a big problem. It's not just an annoyance, it's also an increasingly common threat to your privacy and security. Spam can be used by hackers as a way to gain access to your computer, or even worse—your company's servers. And if you're working with sensitive information like patient data, the last thing you want is for someone outside of your organization getting their hands on that confidential material.

We've all been there. We're trying to get our work done and suddenly we're distracted by an email from a stranger.

Or maybe it's not so much a distraction as it is a complete interruption in our productivity, causing us to waste precious time dealing with unwanted emails from people who have no business contacting us in the first place!

Whether you're at work or at home, it can be frustrating when you have to spend time dealing with spam emails instead of focusing on your main tasks.

How do we reduce the amount of Spam that our organization receives?

There are several ways to reduce the amount of spam that your group receives. First, you should make sure that you have a spam filter in place. You should strongly consider using one that is hosted by a third party. A good choice would be a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner as they will provide you with fast and reliable service at an affordable price.

Efficient Computer Service offers a Solution!

With a Hosted Spam & Virus Email filtering solution, Efficient Computer Service offers a cost-effective and reliable method for reducing unwanted emails. This solution is designed to block 99% of unwanted email before it reaches your organization’s Inbox.

Efficient Computer Service has found the CURE for Spam!