Data Backups & Recovery; What to Look For

Local, On-site, Off-site, Cloud-based, Business Continuity.... These are all terms for various types of data backups. And if you search online for data backups, the list becomes long and arduous. So how do you determine what is best for your business? Local & On-site Data Backups This is exactly what it sounds like.  Your data is being backed up at your location, possibly on your server as a Windows backup, on a magnetic tape, or on an...

The 2015 Annual List of the Worst Passwords

Sorry Star Wars Fans, But You Just May Need to Change your Password. It’s that time of the year again. SplashData releases its 5th annual report of the most commonly used passwords in order to highlight the insecure password habits of Internet users. The purpose of this list is to encourage users to become more conscience of Internet security and the threat of stolen passwords. Using weak passwords puts the user at risk for hacking and identity...

Protecting Your Network from Ransomware

What is Ransomware? Ransomware is malware that holds the victim’s data ransom by preventing access to the computer by locking the desktop or by encrypting the user’s files where they cannot be read. The malware then displays a ransom note, possibly pretending to be from federal or local law enforcement of some sort. The ransom note may even claim that the computer was used to look at illegal websites, videos, or images and will try to frighten...

Cloud Applications VS Installed Software

In the past when a person needed new software such as Microsoft Office, they would simply travel to their nearest retailer and purchase a brightly-colored box with a CD and a license key inside. The next transition from this became visiting a website, purchasing online, and downloading a file directly from the website. And now it seems that we have hit the next phase. Applications now are going a step further by not requiring a download or installation...

Who's Looking Out for Your Network?

Today I want to talk about the importance of using a consistent IT services provider.  Every business out there relies on some type of technology to make their business run, whether it is your phone system or your computer network. At CMS, we work with a variety of customers both large and small.  Some customers employ their own IT personnel and simply rely on us as a provider of equipment and backup support, while others depend on us...