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Ferrum Technology Services Blog

Ferrum Technology Services has been serving the Elgin area since 2007, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

The Basics of a Secure Network

The Basics of a Secure Network

Unfortunately, some businesses have had to learn the hard way in order to pay attention to their business’ cybersecurity efforts. These cautionary tales aren’t lost on many business owners, but in some cases, they are still ignored. That’s where we come in. Today, we thought we would go through some basic things that any organization needs to know to keep their business safe. 

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Tip of the Week: 3 Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Computer Clean

Tip of the Week: 3 Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Computer Clean

Any machine needs regular maintenance which includes periodic cleaning. This includes any computer you use. We have put together three actions you can take to ensure that your machines aren’t going to break down from a lack of physical maintenance. 

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How to Properly Test Your Data Migration Processes

How to Properly Test Your Data Migration Processes

Regardless of the business attempting it, data migration (or the process of moving data and systems to a new piece of infrastructure) is critical to get right. One way to improve your chances of success is to create and follow a migration strategy, evaluating it as you go. Let’s walk through some practices involved in doing so.

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Who is Handling These Critical IT Tasks In Your Organization?

Who is Handling These Critical IT Tasks In Your Organization?

Your business might have a full-time IT person, but it also might not have one, and in cases like this, you might find yourself waiting to call your go-to person until you are experiencing a full-blown problem. The reality is that your internal, non-IT staff should not be responsible for the job of your IT department, and if you are relying on someone externally to handle your technology help, then you’ll want to make sure they tick all of the following boxes.

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Tip of the Week: Five Simple Steps Towards a More Productive Business

Tip of the Week: Five Simple Steps Towards a More Productive Business

If asked, most business owners would likely rank “improving productivity” as one of their overall business goals—and for obvious reasons. Often less obvious, however, is how to go about accomplishing this particular goal. Here, we’ve put together five different but equally effective ways to do so.

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What You Should Do if You Think You’ve Lost Your Phone

What You Should Do if You Think You’ve Lost Your Phone

Even the most dedicated smartphone user will lose it from time to time, which is particularly inconvenient if you are away from the safety of your home or office. To help address this issue, we’ve put together some ideas for what you should do if you ever do lose your device.

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You’ve Been the Victim of a Cyberattack: What Do You Do Now?

You’ve Been the Victim of a Cyberattack: What Do You Do Now?

If you find yourself in a position where your business has been hacked, it can be devastating for productivity and efficiency, not to mention the security of your company’s assets—personnel or otherwise. It’s quite easy for even seasoned professionals to expose themselves to these attacks, so how should you respond if you’re the one who has been hacked? That’s what we’re going to discuss today.

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Tip of the Week: Protect Your Business with Strong Passwords

Tip of the Week: Protect Your Business with Strong Passwords

The prevalence of technology in even mundane, everyday tasks means that more scams are out there to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. Hackers will do everything they can to take advantage of vulnerabilities in your systems, as well as cracks in your employees’ technological know-how. One way you can take the fight to them is by reinforcing appropriate password security measures.

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4 Security Topics to Keep In Mind During the Onboarding Process for New Hires

4 Security Topics to Keep In Mind During the Onboarding Process for New Hires

All companies have policies in place which govern how their employees use their technology, so it makes sense that any new employees should be onboarded in accordance with these expectations. Let’s go over how you can make sure your new employees know and understand your organization’s policies as they relate to business technology.

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While Crucial to Your Business, Cybersecurity Can Be Tiresome for Some

While Crucial to Your Business, Cybersecurity Can Be Tiresome for Some

Cybersecurity definitely needs to be a point of emphasis for any business who relies on technology, after all if you suffer a data breach, it can have a direct impact on the way your business is viewed by potential customers or it can even have an effect on the way that you are able to operate. In order to keep your business secure online you need to depend on your staff. Like it or not, they are a major part of your business’ cybersecurity system and if they aren’t trained properly and understand their role, your business is low-hanging fruit for hackers. 

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Don’t Make These Cybersecurity Mistakes Before Going on Vacation

Don’t Make These Cybersecurity Mistakes Before Going on Vacation

Whether you are sitting on a warm beach, taking a scenic train ride out into the countryside, or camping at the foot of a mountain, a vacation can be a great way to disconnect from the everyday buzz of work and screens. Although, if you are like me, you probably bring a few screens with you… let’s assume you keep it to a minimum. Either way, it’s important to not set yourself up for failure when you get back.

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What’s the Difference Between a Power Strip and a Surge Protector?

What’s the Difference Between a Power Strip and a Surge Protector?

We’ve all been in the position where we need to plug something in, but the outlet is completely full. Fortunately, there are devices that can help resolve this problem—but as is the case with most things, one option is notably better for business purposes. Let’s go over what makes a power strip different from a surge protector, and why the latter is a far better option for businesses.

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In-House Networking: Cabling Considerations

In-House Networking: Cabling Considerations

Depending on the technology, you might find that a wired connection will serve you better than a wireless one. Therefore, it becomes critical to know how to connect various cables to endpoints around your office. Today, we wanted to give you three practices that will help you ensure that cables are laid effectively and efficiently in your office. By sticking to these, you’ll be able to connect components to your network with ease.

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How to Apply a Security Policy that Works

How to Apply a Security Policy that Works

The modern business is faced with countless challenges that threaten its existence, many of which stem from the problems associated with network security. If a business doesn’t have policies, procedures, and solutions in place that protect its data and network, it is making a fatal mistake. Here are five suggestions we have for how you can ensure your network is best protected from security threats.

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Why You Shouldn’t Use Your Work Email for Personal Accounts

Why You Shouldn’t Use Your Work Email for Personal Accounts

Efficiency is great, but it should never come at the cost of boundaries. A perfect example of this is your work email address. It might be easy to use it to subscribe to an online service, like Netflix, but this is far from the best idea. Let’s take a look at why it might be a bad idea to breach these boundaries between your personal life and your work life, and why it might have lasting consequences.

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How to Keep Your Workstations Working Reliably

How to Keep Your Workstations Working Reliably

Taking care of your business technology can be exhausting, especially if you don’t have dedicated IT staff to ensure that it happens on a regular basis. Thankfully, with managed services, it’s easier than ever to make sure that your desktop solutions are kept up-to-date and ready for whatever comes their way. Here are three tips you can use to stay on top of desktop maintenance and management for your business.

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Tip of the Week: How to Shape Your Disaster Recovery Plans

Tip of the Week: How to Shape Your Disaster Recovery Plans

You need to be sure that your business is prepared for disaster, which will necessitate a disaster recovery plan. While there are many steps that go into creating one, we wanted to highlight a few in particular and outline a few best practices to follow for each. Here are three of the most vital elements of a successful business continuity strategy, with a few tips to help you fulfill them most effectively.

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E-Waste is a Major Problem. What Can You Do About It?

E-Waste is a Major Problem. What Can You Do About It?

E-waste is a considerable problem, and not just for businesses; it’s also terrible for the environment. Let’s go over some of the biggest reasons why discarded electronics, including some of the hardware that you invest so much money into, can be problematic, as well as some ways your organization can reduce its e-waste footprint.

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5 Things You Can Do to Be Ready when Technology Falters

5 Things You Can Do to Be Ready when Technology Falters

While we might like to think that all computer problems are an easy fix, there is only so much you can do in certain circumstances. That being said, having a couple of computer maintenance “hacks” under your belt can make things loads easier for you when you do have to get your computer repaired. Here are some tips to consider before it’s time to get your computer repaired.

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Use These Five Tips to Be More Productive from Home

Use These Five Tips to Be More Productive from Home

Many workplaces have taken to fighting the pandemic by adjusting their workplace strategies to enable both in-person and remote work. This change occurs as many companies realize that remote work is indeed a viable option, even in industries that have traditionally been opposed to the concept. With remote work so commonplace, it’s only prudent to include it in the onboarding process. Let’s go over some ways you can encourage your employees to build a more productive home office situation.

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