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As a business owner, it’s up to you to make sure that the information and data collected by your company are secure and protected against the many different types of cyber threats lurking within the dark web. Many people believe it is the responsibility of their IT company to handle this type of situation. While that may be true to an extent, they can only do so much. It is up to the company’s management team to understand what threats are out there and take proactive measures to prevent their clients’ information from falling into the wrong hands.

Social Responsibility Starts With You!

As a company, you are responsible for your client’s information. If they provide it to you, it’s up to you to make sure it remains secure. Enlisting an IT company to create a strong, security network is ideal. If you don’t take matters into your own hands and include a few measures of your own, however, your system will still have gaps. Multi-factor authentication, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems are just the beginning. Your clients depend on you to give them quality products and services, not internet liability risks. It’s up to you to be socially responsible when it comes to maintaining security protocols and protecting the sensitive information that you use during your business.

Owning Your Risk

Hardening your own environment by implementing cybersecurity protocols over and above what your IT management offers is essential if you want to truly protect your client base. Owning your risk is more than just taking control of your internet security. It involves working with your IT company to create a multi-level security network. You can start by working within the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) framework which includes features that:

• Identify potential risks and issues
• Protect against cyber attacks
• Detect possible intruders
• Respond to possible breach or risks
• Recover after an attack

By using this framework and adding your own security measures, it will be more difficult outsiders to access your system and steal your client’s or company’s confidential information. The key is using the tools and resources provided by your IT company and then expanding your efforts to achieve a level of automated security that doesn’t rely solely on human interaction.

Competitive Advantage

Companies that take the initiative and work to harden their cybersecurity often gain a competitive advantage over those who are lax and at a higher risk of cyber attack. Small to mid-size businesses can’t afford the danger of being breached. The fact is that once a small business experiences a breach, the majority of them end up going out of business after just a few months. As a business owner, if you want to maintain that competitive edge, you need to be proactive regarding cybersecurity. It means working hand in hand with your IT company on a regular basis to ensure you are doing everything possible to protect all of the data your company uses.

Perform cybersecurity audits. Beef up your firewalls. When it comes to internal data and information like financial reports and a client’s confidential information, use multi-factor authentication. This limits who has access to the data within the company, preventing those who don’t need the information from accidentally (or intentionally) tapping into it. Your IT company can help you find the right protection features so that there is little risk of any type of breach.

Regarding social responsibility, it’s up to you to ensure your company’s information is protected. If you aren’t socially responsible, then you’re overall liability dramatically increases and your business can find itself in jeopardy if a breach occurs. As a business owner or member of a management team, It is your responsibility to hire the right IT company and to also ensure that you are doing your part. It’s your responsibility to maintain accountability for your company’s assets. Separately, risks can tear your business apart. When you work with your IT company, you are better able to manage your company’s information and dramatically reduce your risk of a cyber attack.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a critical alert Dec. 3, warning users about SamSam ransomware and providing details on what system vulnerabilities permit the pernicious product to be deployed.

According to the alert, which came from the DHS’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) along with the FBI, the SamSam actors targeted multiple industries—some within critical infrastructure—with the ransomware, which also is known as MSIL/Samas. The attacks mostly affected victims within the United States, but there was also an international impact.

As pointed out in the alert, organizations are more at risk to be attacked by network-wide infections than individuals because they are typically in a position where they have no option but making ransom payments.

“Organizations that provide essential functions have a critical need to resume operations quickly and are more likely to pay larger ransoms,” the alert states.

That does not mean individual systems cannot or are not attacked, but they are targeted significantly less by this particular type of malware.

How do SamSam actors operate?

Through FBI analysis of victims’ access logs and victim-reporting over the past couple of years, the agencies have discovered that the SamSam actors exploit Windows servers and vulnerable JBoss applications. Hackers use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to gain access to their victims’ networks through an approved access point and infect reachable hosts. From there, the cyber actors “escalate privileges for administrator rights, drop malware onto the server, and run an executable file, all without victims’ action or authorization,” the report states.

RDP ransomware campaigns are typically accomplished through stolen login credentials—sometimes purchased from darknet marketplaces—or brute force attacks. Since they do not rely on victims completing a specific action, detecting RDP intrusions is challenging, according to the alert.

Ransom notes instructing victims to establish contact through a Tor hidden service are left on encrypted computers by the SamSam attackers. Victims are assured that once they pay the ransom in Bitcoin, they will receive links to download cryptographic keys and tools for decrypting their network.

Where did SamSam originate?

The Department of Justice recently indicted two Iranian men who allegedly were behind the creation of SamSam and deployed the ransomware, causing approximately $30 million of damage and collecting about $6 million in ransom payments from victims. The crippling ransomware affected about 200 municipalities, hospital, universities and other targets during the past three years, according to an article from Wired.

Keith Jarvis, a senior security researcher at SecureWorks, reiterated the sophistication of the SamSam ransomware and how it gains access to systems through weak authentication or vulnerabilities in web applications, methods that don’t require the victim to engage in a particular action. Hackers also go out of their way to target specific victims whose critical operations rely on getting systems up and running as quickly as possible, making them more likely to simply pay up.

What technical details about SamSam are important?

In the joint DHS and FBI report, the federal agencies provided a list, though not exhaustive, of SamSam Malware Analysis Reports that outline four variants of the ransomware. Organizations or their IT services administrators can review the following reports:

MAR-10219351.r1.v2 – SamSam1

MAR-10166283.r1.v1 – SamSam2

MAR-10158513.r1.v1 – SamSam3

MAR-10164494.r1.v1 – SamSam4

What mitigation and prevents practices are best?

In general, organizations are encouraged to not pay ransoms, since there is no guarantee they will receive decryption keys from the criminals. However, relying on a contingency plan or waiting out an attack, as advised by the FBI, is difficult when an entire operation has been compromised.

The best course of action is for organizations to strengthen their security posture in a way that prevents or at least mitigates the worst impacts of ransomware attacks. The FBI and DHS provided several best practices for system owners, users and administrators to consider to protect their systems.

For instance, network administrators are encouraged to review their systems to detect those that use RDP remote communication and place any system with an open RDP port behind a firewall. Users can be required to use a virtual private network (VPN) to access the system. Other best practices, according to the report, include:

• Applying two-factor authentication
• Disabling file and printer sharing services when possible, or using Active Directory authentication or strong passwords for required services
• Regularly applying software and system updates
• Reviewing logs regularly to detect intrusion attempts.
• Ensuring third parties follow internal policies on remote access
• Disabling RDP on critical devices where possible
• Regulating and limiting external-to-internal RDP connections
• Restricting the ability of users to install and run the unwanted software application

This just scratches the surface of actions that administrators and users can take to protect their networks against SamSam or other cyber-attacks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides more thorough recommendations in its Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling for Desktops and Laptops, or Special Publication 800-83.

Information technology specialists can also provide insight and advice for how organizations can detect gaps or vulnerabilities in their cyber-security that leave them susceptible to SamSam or other malware infections.

If you own or run a healthcare organization, you probably have someone on staff who acts as your security compliance officer. However, is it their primary job or area of expertise? Having a knowledgeable and experienced security compliance officer or resource is very important since the consequences of violating privacy regulations can be quite serious.

For example, did you know that federal regulators can fine an organization up to $50,000 per HIPAA violation and as much as $1.5 million per year in fines for releasing a patient’s protected health information (PHI)?

That’s why you need to know what a security compliance officer does and if it makes sense for you to work with an external company to help your organization comply with security regulations to avoid hefty fines.

What are a security compliance officer’s responsibilities?

According to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), a healthcare security compliance officer oversees activities for developing, implementing, maintaining, and following an organization’s privacy policies and procedures. This is to ensure a patient’s PHI is kept secure and you’re complying with federal and state privacy laws.

Some of the compliance officer’s responsibilities include:

• Understanding government privacy regulations, especially HIPAA rules, to make sure your organization is complying with them.
• Assessing your organization’s risks and what steps are necessary to prevent and minimize exposure of your patients’ PHI.
• Creating, testing, and reviewing an organization’s information security systems to protect PHI.
• Setting up a security awareness program to meet HIPAA reporting requirements.
• Overseeing a reporting and management system to record and investigate a data breach, and prevent future violations.
• Maintaining a budget to fund information security management programs and processes.
• Managing a training program for employees to help prevent a privacy breach.

Who should be your security compliance officer?

Since this is such an essential role in your organization, it’s critical to have the right person for this job. It shouldn’t be just a part-time or extra job for one of your employees, such as an office manager or human resources director. As mentioned, the consequences of a data breach can be very serious and expensive.

While having IT experience can be helpful, this position also includes auditing, training, handling an incident, and managing business associate agreements with external partners and vendors. Other responsibilities may consist of making and updating a disaster recovery plan and overseeing facility security.

An ideal candidate is someone with the ability to organize, understands HIPAA and other privacy rules, and is knowledgeable about IT and computer systems.

In addition to picking the right person for the job with the relevant experience, the position should have the authority and power to implement needed changes to ensure compliance with HIPAA and privacy rules.

What if you use a cloud-based IT service?

You might assume if you use a cloud-based service for your IT systems, then you don’t need to worry about HIPAA compliance. However, an organization must ensure such services are secure and perform a risk analysis before using a cloud service for storing or transmitting electronic protected health information (ePHI).

In 2015, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, MA had to pay $218,400 in penalties for violating the HIPAA Security Rule when they uploaded data without doing a risk analysis of the cloud service. An organization needs to set up risk management policies to lower the chances of a data breach as much as possible, even if they use a cloud-based service.

If you manage a healthcare organization, a cloud service provider is considered as a “HIPAA business associate.” This means they must sign a business associate agreement (BAA) before patient data is uploaded to the cloud service. You must have a signed BAA even if the information you upload is encrypted and the cloud service doesn’t have a decryption key.

What can happen if you don’t have a signed BAA from a cloud-based service provider? In one case, Oregon Health & Science University was fined $2.7 million by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights because they didn’t get a signed BAA from a cloud-based IT vendor.

The business associate agreement should outline how ePHI is used and disclosed and that both parties have security procedures to prevent the unauthorized release of PHI. This includes verifying that the cloud service vendor:

• Has reliable systems so information is readily available to a healthcare organization.
• Maintains a back-up and data recovery system in case of a natural disaster, ransomware attack, or other emergencies.
• Allows you to obtain data from their systems if you stop using their cloud services.
• Keeps information as secure as possible.
• Limits the use, retention and disclosure of PHI.

Should you work with a consultant or IT provider?

In some cases, you may decide that you need to work with an IT professional or consultant to assess your IT systems and infrastructure for potential weaknesses that can lead to a privacy breach.

Also, it may not be ideal for your internal staff to perform a risk assessment since it can be a challenge to objectively evaluate their practices and identify weaknesses. If you decide to contract with a third party for a risk assessment, make sure they’re experienced and knowledgeable about HIPAA and privacy rules.

Another option is using compliance software that’s customized for your organization’s needs and structure to help perform a risk assessment, train employees, and handle other functions.

ECommerce platforms are one of the fastest growing trends in business. They allow you to create an online presence where you can display your products, interact with the consumer, handle transactions, and finalize sales all on one convenient platform. You don’t have to maintain a storefront or purchase a building. You simply set up your virtual store and go to work.

Shopify

Shopify combines social media and online shopping giving you access to a broader audience with much less effort. For $9 a month, you can easily integrate your Shopify store with your FaceBook page giving you the best of both worlds and allowing you to attract customers who prefer social shopping on a secure platform. Shopify means customers can view your shop without disrupting their connection to social media.

YoKart

YoKart allows for multiple vendors to be used within one system. Designed to benefit small and medium-sized businesses, YoKart offers several payment options and even has a multi-lingual platform. This makes it easy to communicate with buyers and even more accessible for buyers to pay for their purchases.

Big Commerce

Big Commerce allows you the option to integrate many different storefronts into one, easy to use online shopping experience. You can include eBay, Amazon, and Facebook shops in one convenient location and also include multiple options for managing how customers pay for their items, how the products are shipped, and creating an automated inventory that updates itself as items are sold.

Magento

Magento is designed to grow as your business grows. It offers flexible features that are designed to adapt right along with your company’s continued growth. This includes automated inventory, payment platforms, and cloud solutions that encourage growth instead of restricting it. The company gives you access to a network of professionals who have experience in many areas including, IT gurus, marketing professionals, and seasoned business owners.

Squarespace

Squarespace functions in much the same way as WordPress and allows you to create the type of website that will best suit your needs. The focus rests primarily on building your brand and helps you to sell yourself. There are not a lot of filters or other bells and whistles that can cause frustration and confusion. It is easy to use and doesn’t require an excessive amount of tech savvy to produce a quality website.

VTEX

VTEX is a platform best suited to larger businesses that have outgrown or expanded farther than the limitations of a smaller platform will allow. It uses an on-demand pricing platform that uses revenue sharing as a base. Its overall design is best suited for large chain or retail outlets due to its higher than average cost. It works exceptionally well for franchise operations that generate over a million in sales each year.

The size of your business and its potential for growth will determine which of the eCommerce trends for 2019 is the best option for you. There are several platforms available to choose from once you understand your business’s overall potential for growth during the coming year.

In late 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a stark warning about a massive data breach at a Marriott chain that exposed the records of 500 million people.

The latest major corporate breach reinforces the need for companies to invest in multilayered security protocols that protect networks, devices and users.

What Happened at Marriott?

Marriott International reported that a breach of its Starwood guest reservation system exposed personal information on millions of people, Hackers gained access to highly sensitive data, including names, physical addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, gender, and loyalty program data. Among the most potentially damaging information taken were passport numbers, dates of birth and payment card numbers and expiration dates. While the payment card data was encrypted, the company did not know if the hackers had also stolen the technology needed to decrypt that information.

The breach began in 2014 and could affect anyone who made a reservation on or before September 10, 2018, at any of the Starwood brands, which comprise Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, St. Regis, W Hotels and Westin Hotels and Resorts.

How Did Marriott and the FTC Respond?

Marriott sent an email to warn those who may have been affected by the breach. However, the company ran into some criticism in its response, too.

The emails came from a third party and not the chain itself. The domain, email-marriott.com, doesn’t load or have an HTTPS identifying the certificate. That could lead other hackers to spoof the email and pretend they’re Marriott, duping consumers out of more personal information.

The company has offered a year’s worth of free internet site monitoring that generates an alert if evidence of a consumer’s personal information is found. However, the service is not available in all countries. U.S. consumers also can obtain free fraud consulting and reimbursement coverage.

The FTC encouraged consumers to check their credit reports and credit card statements for accounts or activity that’s not recognized. The agency also suggested placing a fraud alert or freeze on their credit reports.

What Can Companies Do To Prevent These Issues?

To ensure that your systems and networks are protected adequately from such intrusions, it’s wise to invest in a comprehensive assessment of your existing security defenses. An experienced IT services provider can assist with this assessment and recommend improvements to shore up areas that are lacking.

Today’s companies need a blanket of protections on several levels, including:

• Network Perimeters. Advanced firewalls block your network’s perimeter and issue alerts when suspicious activity is detected. With 24/7 automated monitoring in place, companies can be confident that unusual behavior is identified, contained and addressed before significant harm can be done.
• Devices. Every device on your network needs to be protected with advanced anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-phishing detection systems. These applications should run continuously in the background and be updated automatically to address emergent threats. By quarantining suspicious emails, these tools help prevent users from unwittingly providing access to bad actors.
• Authentication. Companies are increasingly using multi-factor authentication protocols to safeguard access. Multi-factor authentication, for example, may involve completing additional steps after entering a password, such as typing in a code texted to a registered mobile device or clicking on an email link. While these protections may be a minor annoyance to some users, if a device is stolen or lost, the procedures can keep access protected.
• Cloud Backups. Storing data and applications in the cloud helps keep your critical information protected. Cloud providers and managed IT services companies use both digital and physical safeguards to make sure that data is encrypted and accessible in a moment of need.
• Business Continuity. When a natural disaster or hack occurs, your operations can be offline for days or weeks unless you’ve planned ahead. Business continuity planning allows your company to develop the protocols and procedures that will be deployed during and after a disaster. This planning involves identifying the people and responsibilities to manage these events, developing risk assessments, testing the responses and making adjustments as necessary.

This broad approach to security helps minimize the likelihood of a Marriott-level incident damaging your company’s business and reputation.

SamSam Ransomware is becoming a massive problem for multiple industries across the United States. In fact, the problem is so big that The Department of Homeland Security, (DHS), National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, (NCCIC), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), have all recently issued a US-CERT alert due to the SamSam ransomware. Like other types of ransomware, files and networks are infected. In exchange for uninfected the system, hackers want a ransom, that typically costs thousands upon thousands of dollars. Every company that runs a network needs to be aware of SamSam ransomware. Here is what you need to know about this topic.

What is SamSam Ransomware?

SamSam ransomware is a type of ransomware that is designed to exploit Windows servers to gain access to your network. Once it is in the network, it uses the JexBoss Exploit Kit to access your JBoss applications. This type of ransomware is also able to use Remote Desktop Protocol to access your network. The virus is difficult to detect, due to the path it takes to access your system. Once the virus has made its way inside, hackers are able to get administrators rights, putting their malware on your server and basically hijacking your network. They do not release their hold on their network until you pay them the ransom they are asking.

What Can You Do to Decrease Your Chances of Getting SamSam Ransomware?

It is extremely important that you take the correct precautions to decrease your chances of getting infected with SamSam ransomware.

One of the steps you can take is to enable strong passwords and an account lockout policy. If you have strong passwords and a good lockout policy in place, it makes it much harder for the software to hack into your system and infect it. Enabling multi-factor authentication can also help. Before any new software can be installed, before software can be wiped or before changes can be made to your network, authentication is needed. The more authentication levels you have, the harder it will be for any ransomware to infect your system.

Unfortunately, while you can decrease your chances of getting infected with SamSam ransomware, there is no way to prevent infection altogether. As such, it is essential that you regularly install system and software updates and maintain a great backup system for all of your data and systems. This way, if you do get infected, you have a recent back-up for all of your system and data. You can wipe your current, infected system and start fresh from your backup point, without losing much at all.

How Can You Learn More About SamSam Ransomware?

If you are looking to learn more about SamSam ransomware, including the technical details surrounding it. It is highly recommended that you read through the SamSam Malware Analysis Reports that have been released by the US-CERT. A list of the reports, including links, are included here:

• MAR-10219351.r1.v2 – SamSam1
• MAR-10166283.r1.v1 – SamSam2
• MAR-10158513.r1.v1 – SamSam3
• MAR-10164494.r1.v1 – SamSam4

SamSam Ransomware is infecting computer systems and networks in multiple industries all across America. It is important that you learn what this ransomware is and how to protect yourself against it. Taking the right action can help to minimize the chances of your network being held ransom by SamSam ransomware.

As technology continues to evolve, a growing number of healthcare organizations are deciding to go paperless. There are several important reasons why the healthcare industry is increasingly turning to digital record keeping.

1. Improve Accessibility

Continually keeping paper records filed and organized so they are easily accessible can be an overwhelming task. When a staff member needs a file it is important that it can be found quickly and easily. Going through potentially dozens of filing cabinets to look for records is unacceptable in a healthcare facility. Once an organization has gone digital, the problem of accessibility will be virtually eliminated. With a few keystrokes, information for thousands of patients can quickly be found and brought up. When files are digital employees, have the option of accessing them through the cloud or a remote desktop system.

2. Cut Costs

Containing costs is a critical issue for almost every healthcare organization. Several specific ways going paperless can save money for a healthcare facility.

• Employee Costs – The amount of manpower it takes to file and keep paper documents organized can be staggering.
• Office Space – Cabinets and shelves to store paper documents are often expensive and require more space in a building.
• Supply and Machine Expenses – Everything from paper and ink to copy machine maintenance can be avoided when going paperless.

3. Improve Security

Paperwork in a healthcare facility may go through several hands from the time the patient finishes it to the time it’s filed. Many employees in a hospital or healthcare facility sometimes have access to records they shouldn’t see. When an organization goes digital, only those who have previously been given access will have the passwords to access the information. Digital records can be encrypted, making them unreadable to anyone who doesn’t have clearance. When going digital, a healthcare organization may want to consider working with a managed IT service to keep their data organized as well as safe. An IT service can implement a variety of safety mechanisms including malware protection, improved firewalls, and offsite storage.

4. Save Time

Easy accessibility is only one way that going paperless will save time. Going paperless reduces redundant systems that are often time-consuming. With document management software, not only is paper eliminated but information can be downloaded into just one or two databases instead of several. There are several items in a healthcare facility that can be converted to digital files to save time.

• Patient Records – Most facilities will accumulate thousands of patient records. Digital records are much easier to find than searching cabinets and files.
• Human Resource Files – Employee files and records can be digitized as easily as patient records.
• Medical Billing – Electronic invoices can save an organization an incredible amount of time while making billing easier for their patients. Making it easier for patients to pay their bills may also reduce delinquency.
• X-Rays and EKGs – Digital radiography can provide numerous benefits. A few advantages include improved image quality and fewer files to store.

It is recommended to start converting the previous files one group at a time. Once all the files are converted and stored accurately, everything from patient files to x-ray records will be easy to find. This is perhaps one of the biggest time-savers of going digital. Staff can waste an enormous amount of time searching for paper files.

5. Reduce Errors

Human error is one of the primary reasons for mistakes in nearly every industry and organization. Patients filling out paperwork in a healthcare setting are often sick or in a hurry. It is not only patients that can make mistakes when filling out forms. Misplaced or lost files are a huge problem for medical facilities. Keeping stacks of papers and files on a desk is a recipe for confusion and lost items. Inability to read handwriting by both health professionals and patients is another way errors can be made. Finally, when there is only one access point for patient records, there is less chance that mistakes will be made. When a variety of administrative staff, nurses, and physicians each keep copies of their own records, each will likely end up with records that aren’t updated and complete.

6. Remain Patient Focused

The time it takes to fill out, file, and maintain paperwork takes an enormous amount of time from other tasks. From employees who check in and register patients to nurses and doctors, the staff in a healthcare facility will have more time to focus on each individual patient. There are several specific ways a paperless healthcare organization benefits patients.

• Quicker Access to Files – Digital files can easily be transmitted between various departments. This means there is less time wasted when a patient is transferred from one department to another. Physicians will be able to bring up patient files with mobile devices from virtually any location.
• Integrated Healthcare – Many patients will see several doctors and specialists during treatment. A paperless system will make it easier for each healthcare professional to instantly access a patient’s file.
• Safer Radiology – Digital x-rays can dramatically reduce exposure to radiation and works without chemical developers. Physicians can also enhance images on demand. This means there is a greater ability to detect diseases and changes in a patient’s condition.
• Improve Insurance Process – What insurance companies will and will not cover plays a part in what course of treatment a patient will take. Having quick access to this information will help both patients and physicians make informed decisions quickly.

7. Environmentally Friendly

Going paperless is an obvious and effective way to become an environmentally friendly organization. Several direct and indirect ways going paperless can help the environment. Not only does going digital save paper, but it also reduces the number of folders and binders that would be needed to keep all the necessary paper files. The need to dispose of ink cartridges can almost entirely be eliminated. Entire buildings can be designed with smaller offices because of the need for less overall space.

To stay competitive while providing the highest quality of patient care, it is necessary for every healthcare organization to consider going paperless. Even going semi-paperless can provide numerous benefits. Reducing or completely eliminating paper is not just a popular trend. Maintaining a paperless organization, whether it is in the healthcare field or any number of industries, is the future of doing business.

Disk cloning involves copying the contents of a hard drive to a replacement hard drive. It includes the file structure and system files and is used for a backup to upgrade, restore or move the drive data. The contents are typically written to one image file, which allows you to do the upgrade or restoration without reloading the operating system and applications. Cloning is different from imaging, which involves copying one or more partitions to an imaging file instead of an entire hard drive (HD) or solid state drive (SSD).

What are the Risks Involved in Cloning Your HD or SSD?

Cloning, by design, wipes out the contents of your computer and reloads them onto a replacement device. Doing the process incorrectly has catastrophic risks, so proceed with caution.

What Type of Cloning Software Is Available?

The manufacturer of the replacement SSD may have free cloning software. For example, Samsung has cloning software available to support its SSDs at https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/. The Samsung product only works with Samsung hardware and Windows operating systems, so be sure the drive you buy is compatible with your laptop or PC.

Other free software is more universal. Here are two of the most widely used and reliable ones.

Macrium Reflect 7 Free Edition: https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

The above URL is the free version that works for personal or business computers. It’s menu driven easy to use. Because of this, it’s highly recommended for those who aren’t extremely tech savvy.

Clonezilla: http://www.clonezilla.org/
This powerful, free software is downloaded onto a USB and when it boots up proceeds with the cloning. It’s a bit daunting for anyone below the expert level but is decent software if you’re comfortable with the more complicated user interface.

How Is the Replacement Drive Prepared?

For the cloning process, you need to have two drives. The source drive is the one that’s in your computer now, and the destination drive is the new drive you want to install. If you’re using a laptop with a single bay for the HD or SSD, you’ll need to purchase an external SATA-to-USB adapter, enclosure or dock that allows you to connect the new drive to the computer. Next, you complete the cloning process and disconnect the new drive so that you can install it.

How Does the Cloning Process Work?

Before you start the cloning process, you should turn off Wi-Fi so that you don’t copy any incoming emails or other content. Using Macrium as an example, the next step is to open the software and set up the appropriate parameters, such as cloning the local disc to the SSD you connected for the cloning. You also have the option to optimize the space needed for the existing drive (the new one is likely bigger).

Cloning may take an hour or more, and you get updates when it starts and completes successfully. The final step is swapping out the old drive for the cloned one.

How Do You Swap the Drives?

Close down the PC and disconnect adapter from new SSD. Replacing the hard drive often means using a bracket or adapter because the new drive is likely to be smaller. This process varies depending on if you’re using a laptop or PC so it may take some research to figure out the correct procedure to replace the old hard drive with the SSD clone. Reboot the PC and check that the drives are still available.

Many organizations are turning to Microsoft Teams as a messaging app for the workplace, and for good reason. Microsoft Teams is a tool that emphasizes communication, real-time collaboration, app and file sharing, and meetings. This tool is a great way to keep everyone in the workplace on the same page at all times. If you don’t know much about Microsoft Teams, here is some information about this tool.

 

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a product created by Microsoft for business chat-based communication. This platform is comparable to Slack, HipChat, and other competitors. The essence of Microsoft Teams is that it allows users to set up Teams. Each Team serves as a hub for chat rooms, which are referred to as channels.

It is possible to house numerous channels in the same Team. Typically, each channel is dedicated to a different topic to ensure chats remain easy to follow. Conversations in a Team are threaded and flow from the top to the bottom. If there are updates to a conversation, the users who are a part of the channel are notified. If a face-to-face conversation is necessary, a user can jump into a Skype video or voice chat with other users in the channel at the click of a button.

Microsoft is advertising Microsoft Teams as more than just a platform for chatting. A major advantage of this product is that it is integrated with Office 365, which is Microsoft’s online office suite. Therefore, Microsoft Teams is integrated with not just Word and Excel, but also SharePoint and other cloud storage and sharing services. Delve, PowerPoint, OneNote, Power BI, and Planner are just a few other examples of the services integrated with Teams.

The reason this is so advantageous is that any documents, presentations, and spreadsheets that are shared within a Team are automatically synced and stored in OneDrive, which is Microsoft’s cloud storage. This makes sure that every user in a Team has access to the latest copy of the document. Collaborative editing on the content shared is also possible. Every time a user makes a change, this automatically reflected in real time for the other users.

Even if some of your employees don’t like to use Microsoft Teams, they can still be kept in the loop due to the integration with Office 365. Any important content or updates made within Microsoft Teams will be accessible outside of the platform.

If necessary, you can use Connectors so that team channels can communicate and interact with services outside of Microsoft Office 365. There are currently Connectors for services like SAP Success Factors, Salesforce, GitHub, Zendesk, MailChimp, and Evernote. If there is not a Connector available for the outside service you want to connect to, you can use the API framework to build one. This API framework is particularly helpful if you want to link Microsoft Teams to your own internal apps.

When Microsoft Teams launched, there were more than 70 Connectors and 85 Bots. Bots are able to participate in the conversations within a channel. Every channel in a Team has access to a T-Bot, which is a bot that will answer users’ questions about Microsoft Team. The virtual assistant Cortana is also being integrated into Microsoft Teams. This integration will allow your employees to use IP phones and conference room microphones to issue commands to Cortana.

Office 365 Groups and SharePoint controls access to the dashboard, files, and internal sites. Users are able to make new Groups. It is also possible to connect a Team to a Group that already exists when making the Team.

In terms of security and data protection, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to Microsoft Teams. This platform meets the same standards as Office 365 and is Tier C compliant. This platform uses two-factor authentication. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit.

How Can I Get Microsoft Teams?

If you want to use Microsoft Teams, all you need to do is navigate to the Office 365 admin center and enable it.

As you can see, there are many reasons why organizations are jumping on the Microsoft Teams bandwagon. For more information about the advantages of Microsoft Teams for your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us.