Phones

The Biggest Cyber Threat To Your Business Is In Your Pocket

November 24, 2021

According to a Verizon study, one in three businesses has admitted to suffering a breach as a result of a mobile device. The same study found that 80% of businesses were aware that they had a big gap in their network security as a result of mobile device usage.

Banning the use of mobile devices for work is not an option, however. The productivity benefits of these mobile devices are too big to give up, and chances are, employees will still use them.

So how can you make sure that your data is safe as it travels around in your (and your employee’s) pockets?

Basic protection for all operating systems

Regardless of your operating system and device model, the following security protocols can easily be implemented.

Fingerprint and/or face recognition and secure passcode – this feature not only protects you, but your employee as well. Highlight and encourage employees to set this security feature up on their devices.

Offer internal support to help less tech-inclined employees to set this up and troubleshoot common challenges with unlocking the device with these features.

Not only will this help keep your information secure if the device is lost, but it will also help prevent other unauthorized individuals from accessing your device if it is left unattended.

Use a VPN – A VPN provides a secure phone connection to a private server between your devices and your data and bypasses using public networks to access your information. This helps secure the data and encrypts it as it travels from point to point.

Enable data encryption – Both Android and iPhone devices can be encrypted through the device and it is highly recommended that you encourage your employees to activate this feature. Spreadprivacy.com has detailed instructions on how to do this for both Android and iPhone devices.

Set up remote wipe capabilities – Depending on the device, there is a function along the lines of Find My Phone that you can have implemented that will allow you to remotely lock and erase the device in the event it is lost or stolen.

Apple devices have the function built into the operating system and Android devices can enable this feature with app downloads.

Mobile protection for Android users

One of the great things about Android devices is that you have a variety of manufacturers, features, and price points to choose from.

While they might differ slightly in features and functionality, here are some basic tips for protecting your Android device:

Only buy Androids from vendors who are proactive in issuing security patches
Use 2FA (Two-factor authentication)
Take advantage of built-in security features
Do not save all passwords
Only buy apps from Google Play
Always, always back up the device’s data
Encrypt your device (See instructions above)
Be careful about connecting to public WiFi, and be diligent about securing your own WiFi networks.
Use the Android security app
Install a VPN

Mobile protection for iPhone users

Regardless of the model, all Apple iPhone devices will have the following security features. Keep in mind, however, that older models of the phone will not be able to take advantage of the newest iOS and may require an upgrade.

Here are 10 tips for keeping your iPhone safe:

Update the iOS frequently. You can opt into automatic software updates through your phone as well so you don’t have to keep an eye out for new updates
Enable 2FA (Two-factor Authentication)
Set the phone to “self-destruct” or wipe the entire phone after someone fails to access the phone 10 times.
Activate “Find my iPhone.”
Avoid public WiFi
Only use trusted iPhone charging stations
Change your iTunes and iCloud passwords regularly.
Revoke permissions to your camera, microphone, etc
Use a passcode longer than 4 numbers
Disable Siri access from the lock screen.

Take the next step

These tips will get you started on keeping your business, and personal, information safe as you roam. But this is just the first step. Take the next step and set up a full security audit to see where there may be a crack in your armor that leaves you vulnerable.

VoIP Poised To Replace Traditional Phone Lines

February 27, 2020

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is not a new technology, although many of us are just learning of this internet-based communications protocol.

First used in 1970, VoIP uses your local area network (LAN) to send small digital packets over the internet to the recipient. Advances in the reliability and sound quality have encouraged end-users and businesses alike to cut the cord on the traditional phone-line and adopt the more versatile, and yes, less expensive telecom solution.

As we see it, there are nine reasons VoIP outperforms traditional phone lines aside from the cost. They are:

Scalability
Your business is not static. It is cyclical. Guessing each upgrade cycle how many lines you will need is frustrating and can be expensive. If you guess too high, you pay much more than you need to.

If you guess too low, you can stagnate your business growth. Additionally, legacy solutions have a limit as to how many phones can be connected – but VoIP does not. The possibilities are limitless when it comes to VoIP.

Agility
The key to gaining a competitive edge is moving faster than your competition. VoIP solutions can manage changes in volume and users within minutes and removes any ceiling that might affect your communications solution as you grow.

Mobility
In this modern work environment, employees are demanding more flexible work arrangements, including the ability to take and make calls from anywhere.

Statistics even show how flexible work arrangements also increase employee productivity, allowing workers to still connect even during a sick day or outside appointment. VoIP enables this type of mobility through a simple dashboard that allows you to choose which line will get the call.

Advanced features
VoIP is evergreen. Meaning it will always deploy the most advanced features on the market with no additional cost to you as the end-user.

Updates are automatically filtered and deployed to your location through the same lines the device uses to communicate.

Flexibility
Digital communications technologies like VoIP and Unified-Communications-as-a-Service have one huge distinctive advantage over copper lines: flexibility.

The phone number associated with the device is not tied to one particular device in one specific situation. Instead, several devices can be tied to the same extension, and you can decide which device should ring at which time.

Or, if you forgot to change your call flow and need your calls to reach you only on your cell phone and you have left the office, internet-based dashboards enable you to make those changes on the fly and from any internet-connected device.

Reduced complexity
In the golden days of business telephony, the effort and expense to install a PBX was costly – between paying for the certified individual to set up, install all devices, and do adds, moves, and changes throughout the span of the technology’s lifetime, to the simple cost of buying the equipment, paying for the electrical needs to run it and the space to house it.

Every interaction with the system required certified engineers. A new employee’s ability to communicate was dependent on the schedule of the technician to be able to add the user. But VoIP removes all of these complexities. The solution is mostly software-driven, instead of specialized hardware, and accessed with a simple graphical user interface (GUI).

Day to day management of the solution can be handled by administrative personnel, reserving your IT staff for the more complex needs of your business.

Security
A myth has surrounded VoIP and cloud solutions almost since inception. There has been a perceived security risk to a corporation’s data that has persisted, even though the myth has frequently been debunked. Recent studies have found that on-premise solutions are at the same amount of risk of a breach as cloud solutions, and sometimes even greater risk.

A survey by Alert Logic back in 2012 actually found that on-premise solutions were at a greater risk of compromise and data loss, with on-premise solutions being attacked 61.4% and cloud solutions only 27.8%. The fact is, as your service provider, we put your security at the top of our mind when devising and offering solutions such as VoIP and other cloud offerings. Our staff is certified and participates in frequent educational opportunities to learn about the latest cyber-security risks and protection strategies.

Quality
VoIP is not new and has been used in some form since the 1970s. It has recently gained popularity as the technology has grown and proven itself to be a serious competitor to the traditional telephone.

Because VoIP has been in use for almost 50 years, many of the original sound quality issues have been resolved. Thanks to innovations in sound compression and advancements in IP connections, VoIP actually provides superior sound quality as long as there is a high bandwidth and robust internet connection.

Business continuity
You may have heard horror stories about VoIP connections and outages. And while in those early years, these stories were warranted. Internet connections were wildly unreliable, and since VoIP ran over these connections, if they went down, so did your phone.

But now, internet providers have made considerable strides in the reliability and strength of their IP connections, making outages rare.

Add in cellular technologies as a failover, VoIP solutions can actually failback on the cellular 4G or 5G network and continue services in the event of an internet outage, meaning you remain connected regardless of the status of your internet connection.

It is no longer a matter of if, but when the copper lines that have serviced our telephones for generations will be phased out. Major carriers, such as AT&T and Verizon, have listed a sunset date for the maintenance of these copper wires to occur next year. Yes, in 2020, if a copper line goes down, the operator will not need to replace the line, but instead, transfer your service over to the digital solutions.

Start your migration today, and avoid the headache of a forced migration when you are least expecting it. Talk with one of our staff today to see how we can help you manage the transition and keep your business connected.

Why You Should Consider VoIP For Your Business

March 18, 2019

A growing number of small businesses are switching from traditional landlines to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems. While it can be an uphill task to overhaul the entire telecommunications system of any small business, it is definitely worth considering in light of the ever-increasing costs of traditional services. In fact, according to In-Stat, almost 79 percent of American businesses use VoIP phones, a 37 percent increase since 2009.

VoIP is a method of making phone calls using the internet as opposed to using typical landlines. VoIP services integrate IP phones, which look pretty much like traditional office phones, except they plug into an internet connection with an Ethernet cable.

Cost effectiveness
The biggest VoIP attraction is low cost. Since it is internet-based, hosted systems usually require little to no hardware investment apart from routers, Ethernet cables and the phones themselves, which are offered at reduced prices. According to estimates, the monthly service fees can run up to 40 percent less than traditional phone lines, and many providers offer monthly services with no long-term contracts.

VoIP is particularly cost-effective, if you have employees working from satellite offices or telecommuters. A telecommuter can take a VoIP phone home and make calls by plugging it into his home internet connection to make and receive calls on the company lines at no additional cost.

Other benefits
Certain VoIP service providers have introduced mobile apps that allow workers to make and receive phone calls on their mobile devices using the company phone numbers. Their privacy is therefore protected since they do not give their personal phone number. In addition, the company owns the line so if an employee leaves, calls are routed to the company rather than the employee’s cell phone.

Drawbacks
While the mobility and scalability of VoIP systems are attractive features, there are some drawbacks to consider. For instance, since phones depend on an internet connection, if the connection fails, the phones would be dysfunctional. You can still as a precaution measure automatically drive incoming calls to voicemail or redirect them to the user’s cell phone.

In addition, bandwidth problems could affect the quality of the calls made. If other office activities are consuming the greatest portion of bandwidth, calls will be filled with pauses and clicks, and dropped calls may also occur. There might also be extra charges for connecting to mobile phones or conference calling, and many VoIP providers don’t offer 911 services or charge extra for it.

The future
The increase in VoIP adoption is undeniable, and analysts predict that it will become the predominant business phone service over the next decade.

Protect Yourself Against The Phone “Port-Out” Scam

April 26, 2018

Chances are that you probably haven’t heard of the port-out scam. However, just because it is something that has yet to attract widespread attention doesn’t mean it’s not a threat you should take seriously. Let’s take a look at why.

What Is a Port-Out Scam?
It’s very common for people to take their existing phone numbers with them when they switch mobile provider. Recently, unscrupulous individuals have been taking advantage of the ease with which this can be done by porting other people’s numbers and essentially taking control of them.

Here’s how it works: Someone calls your carrier or visits the store and pretends to be you. They then instruct the provider to port your number to a new carrier. Without warning, you find your cellphone service has been cut off, and some stranger has complete control of your number. A variation of this is SIM hijacking, which operates in a similar way but the attacker orders a new SIM.

Why Should You Care?
Losing the ability to use your phone is the least of your worries. Once the attacker has control of your phone, they will receive all your messages. If you have set up banking security measures that involve SMS authentication, the hijacker can potentially access your bank account and many other sources of highly sensitive information.

How To Protect Yourself
Fortunately, it’s really easy to avoid the port-out scam. All you need to do is add a security PIN to your account. From that point onward, people will not be able to make any type of change to your account without citing the PIN. As such, you are protected against both the port-out and SIM hijacking scams. Most carriers will let you set a PIN quickly and easily online or via the phone.

Why Your Company Should Make The Switch To VoIP

April 29, 2014

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

We made the switch to a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system a few weeks ago. I opted for an in-house telephone server, but could have easily chosen a hosted option that didn’t require any hardware in the office except for phones.

A growing number of small businesses are making the same switch. While it can be a lot of work to overhaul the entire telecommunications system of your small business, it is definitely worth considering in light of the ever-increasing costs of traditional services.

What is VoIP?
VoIP is a method of making phone calls using the Internet as opposed to using typical landlines. VoIP services integrate Internet connected IP phones, which look pretty much like traditional office phones, except they plug into an Internet connection with an Ethernet cable.

Cost effectiveness
The biggest VoIP attraction is low cost. Since they’re Internet-based, hosted systems usually require little to no hardware investment. You might need to upgrade your firewall or Ethernet switches to accomodate the increased traffic.

An in-house system requires an investment in a mid-grade voice server, the phone system software, new phones, and possible network upgrades. The equipment cost is around half of what a traditional phone system would cost.

We’ve seen our monthly phone bill drop from over $300 per month to less than $60 using VoIP carriers instead of a traditional phone company.

Hosted fees run from $20 to $30 per extension, which includes all of your local and long distance calling, and the rental of the cloud based phone system.

VoIP is particularly cost-effective, if you have employees working from satellite offices or telecommuters.

A telecommuter can take a VoIP phone home and make calls by plugging it into his home Internet connection to make and receive calls on the company lines at no additional cost.

In addition, the company owns the line so if an employee leaves, calls are routed to the company rather than the employee’s cell phone.

Things to consider
While the mobility and scalability of VoIP systems are attractive, there are a few things to keep in mind. Since VoIP services depend on an Internet connection, if the connection fails, the phones would be dysfunctional.

In a business such as ours, where phones are integral to daily operations and client service, we would strongly recommend a backup Internet connection.

Almost all VoIP systems also have a fail over function, where the system will automatically route incoming calls to another number, such as a cell phone, if the Internet goes down.

The future
The increase in VoIP adoption is undeniable, and analysts predict that it will become the predominant business phone service over the next decade. Our system works great, and I’m glad we made the switch!

(Image Source: iCLIPART)

The Benefits Of VoIP Over Traditional Phone Service

September 25, 2013

by Jeremy Miller, Technician
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the general term used for transmitting two-way voice communication over a network.

This can work on any network, whether it be at home or work, connected to the Internet. VoIP can also be used for internal communications and do not necessarily need to be transmitted out to the Internet.

Plain old telephone system (POTS) is the traditional phone service that everyone is used to, and it is commonly known as a home phone.

This system is designed to run on dedicated electronic circuits and is transmitted using analog signals where VoIP uses digital.

There are many reasons that you should use VoIP over POTS many of which include cost and expansion. Where ever you have a network connection, VoIP can be implemented. POTS often are much more costly.

As I said before POTS requires a dedicated circuit to transmit on. This means every time you add a new phone you would have to run a phone line and a network drop.

POTS can become quite expensive for an office building if you have to run phone lines to each person’s office.

In the event of expansion POTS will require costly hardware upgrades and provisioning of new lines. VoIP will only require more bandwidth and possibly software upgrades which are generally inexpensive and very easy to do.

There is much more competition in the VoIP market. Where POTS may have a few providers to choose from in your area, VoIP will have hundreds to choose from on the Internet.

When using VoIP you have control over the traffic of the phone calls as well. This makes it easy to manage, record, and maintain all phone calls.

Many of the features such as call waiting, conference calling, music on hold, multiple extensions and voice mailboxes are all free with VoIP. These features have always come at a premium when using POTS.

VoIP does not limit you to what you can transmit over its call. For instance you can make a video call or a voice call using VoIP. While in your call you can send over an attachment which is quite similar to email.

There are downsides to using VoIP as well, but most of them can be mitigated. The first is unpredictable quality of service. You may not always get great sound or video quality.

This is usually dictated by the available bandwidth. If you notice your quality is not as good as you like, then you may need to upgrade your Internet speed or you network equipment.

VoIP may not always get you to the correct 911 responder in the event of an emergency. They are not centralized like POTS. The traffic could be routed around the world.

Since VoIP relies on the Internet and the Internet relies on electricity, you will lose your VoIP service if either Internet or electricity goes down.

This can be avoided by having a redundant Internet connection and battery backups for your network equipment.

You can also install an IP based private automatic branch exchange (PABX) which will allow you to integrate your POTS with VoIP so you can take advantage of VoIP and not lose the benefits of POTS.

If you are looking into VoIP or have any questions we would be happy to help.

Tech Experts Now Authorized To Sell, Install And Service ESI’s IP-Enabled Telephone Systems

December 29, 2006

Tech Experts recently became a factory authorized dealer for the ESI line of advanced communications business telephone systems. The ESI product line fits very nicely with our IT and computer services.

ESI telephone systems offer many features small and medium sized companies will find useful, but our primary motivation in taking on this product line was ESI’s converged voice and data platform. This is the future of business communications, and we’re excited to work with a company that is in the forefront of that technology.

What does “converged voice and data” mean? Simply, it is the combining of your data services, such as e-mail and Internet access, with your voice services, like voice mail, remote telephones and branch offices.

Here are some examples of how this system would work with your data infrastructure:

Remote telephones: Through the ESI telephone system, you can “Internet-enable” your phone system through a very secure VPN. You would then take a system feature telephone (just like the one that sits on your desk at the office) home, plug it into your high speed cable or DSL Internet at home, and the phone will connect to the office telephone system.

You have 100% of the features, services and extension capabilities at home, just as if you were sitting at your desk. This is perfect for taking orders at home, or for spending time working from home.

ESI-Link branch offices: If your business has multiple locations, you can connect ESI telephone systems together through the Internet – eliminating long distance charges between offices, or expensive tie-lines.

The systems interoperate as one unified system.

Unified Messaging: Receive your voice mails through email. This lets you forward them to others, keep copies on your computer for future reference, reply through e-mail, etc. This is a very cool feature.

Of course, the system offers a ton of other features any business would find useful. Take a quick look through these built-in features. How many would help your business?

Live call recording: With the touch of a button, record a conversation, conference call or personal reminder memo for later playback, as well as moving or copying to others’ mailboxes.

Perfect for making sure orders are correct.

Scalability: ESI Phone systems grow with your business. Most systems use the same telephones. As your business grows, you add to – not replace – your ESI telephone system.

Auto Attendant: Perfect for over flow call situations, or for a busy office. Provides extensive call routing, including directories, automatic day/night operation, off-premises transfer, pager notification and more.

Automatic Call Distribution: If you have a busy service or sales department, this is the feature for you. ACD places sales or service personnel in departments and either (a.) routes a call to the longest-idle agent or (b.) places the call on hold if all agents are busy and then immediately connects when the first agent is available. Constantly updates Feature Phone display regarding queues and wait times.

Voice Mail Delivery: You can program the system to call your cell phone when you have a voice mail, saving you from having to call in and check your voice mail.

Enhanced Caller ID: Lets you see who’s calling, screen calls going to your voice mail, and return calls with a single key press.

Verbal Help and Verbal User Guide: This is the most unique feature of any telephone system we’ve seen. A full, spoken tutorial is available at any time, as well as feature by feature help. No more looking at programming books!

These are just some of the interesting highlights. The system supports most all features you’d find on a business telephone system, at an affordable price. If you’ve been considering a new business telephone system, we’d appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about the ESI systems and how they can help your business grow.