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Past Flagship Phones If you are looking to pay a fraction of what you would pay for a new smartphone, you have to first look at flagships from a year or two ago. They will probably provide the best value as they typically have comparable or superior specs to the devices released in the mid-range this year while they have better cameras, better processors, and better displays. A few options to consider are the Samsung Galaxy s9 and s9+, the LG V50 thinQ, the iPhone X, or Google?s Pixel 3+. Users can expect enough software support to make buying an older flagship a solid move.  Samsung Galaxy A51 The A51 is one of the better phones in the A-series Samsung?s lineup, and users can see value as it is priced at the edge of the budget price point. It features a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display, 4 or 8 gigs of RAM, and several features that flagships don?t support, like a 3.5mm headphone jack and expandable storage. Available in Prism Crush Black, Prism Crush White, Prism Crush Blue, or Prism Crush Pink, the Galaxy A51 can be found on most major carriers and unlocked online. Samsung Galaxy A51Body: Plastic with Gorilla Glass 3 front, plastic backDisplay: 6.5-inch Super AMOLED (~405 ppi)OS: Android 10Chipset: Octa-core Exynos 9611Memory: 4-8 GB RAMExpandable Memory: microSDXCCameras: Rear – 48 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultrawide, 5 MP (macro, 5 MP (depth); Front – 32 MP (wide)Sounds: Loudspeaker, 3.5mm headphone jackBattery (endurance rating): 4,000 mAh (86 hours)Security: In-display fingerprint readerMiscellaneous: Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Proximity, Barometer, Compass, Bixby assistantOther versions: Samsung Galaxy A-series Google Pixel 4a 5G Google may have backed off the flagship smartphone race in 2020, but for years they have been delivering solid smartphones with one of the best software experiences on the market. The Google Pixel 4a 5G, is 5G capable, if that is applicable to you, but the real value is the passable specs and the price point, found hundreds of dollars below devices with comparable specs. Available in Just Black and Clearly White, the Pixel 4a 5G is available in the Google store or from many major service carriers. Google Pixel 4A 5GBody: Plastic with Gorilla Glass 3 front and plastic backDisplay: 6.2-inch OLED, HDR (~413 ppi)OS: Android 11Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765GMemory: 6 GB RAMExpandable Memory: NoCameras: Rear – 12.2 MP (wide), 16 MP (ultra wide); Front – 8 MP (wide).Sounds: Stereo Speakers, 3.5mm Headphone JackBattery: 3,885 mAhSecurity: Fingerprint readerMiscellaneous: Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Proximity, Barometer, Compass, Google AssistantOther versions: 4G LTE version Apple iPhone SE Apple?s 2020 version of their SE device looks the same as their last one. It actually looks just like an iPhone 8, which was one of Apple?s most popular devices. The new SE runs iOS on Apple?s A13 Bionic chip, and while significantly smaller than many devices you see, delivers a solid user experience for fans of the operating system Apple iPhone SE (2020)Body: Aluminum with Gorilla Glass front and backDisplay: 4.7-inch Retina IPS LCD (~326 ppi)OS: iOS 13Chipset: Apple A13 Bionic Memory: 3 GB RAMExpandable Memory: NoCameras: Rear – 12 MP (wide); Front – 7 MPSounds: Stereo Speakers, No Headphone JackBattery (endurance rating): 4,500 mAh (87 hours)Security: Fingerprint readerMiscellaneous: Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Proximity, Compass, Siri assistant There are many other budget devices on the market, but to get the biggest bang […]

To keep your IT working for you, you need control over it.  You need to know when a piece of hardware was purchased, who set it up, and when it was last maintenanced. You need a strategy to protect the hardware and the data. You need these because you have made huge investments into this technology and it is easier to have all the answers on record rather than having to do a full-scale inquiry every time you need to know something about your technology.  Today, IT professionals deploy the technology you use and keep it maintained and managed; and, can also keep a very detailed inventory of every wire, every piece of hardware and software, and every action taken to maintain those systems. Managed IT services providers also use state-of-the-art technology to ensure that your systems are patched, updated, and running proficiently.  In the course of accomplishing this, a lot of documentation is created. Some of the records that need to be kept include: All network-attached devices you have, from your networking devices to every company-owned endpoint and peripheral that attaches to it. The proper configuration for each of these devices. The date that each of these devices was installed. The licenses that your business needs to maintain, and the status of the ones you have. A comprehensive history of all service that each of these devices has received. This record of events provides the MSP (or your onsite IT administrator) with a guide to effectively manage a business? technology while understanding how your business functions through it.  Your IT administrator can refer to this record to explain any issue that has happened with any piece of your existing technology. Managed IT Works for You If you have questions about how to get a thorough record of your IT systems and maintenance–and would like to learn more about how White Mountain IT Services can provide you with more effective technology–call our IT professionals today at (603) 889-0800.

Common Types of Ransomware As with most cyberthreats, ransomware keeps mutating, flooding the market with all types of dangerous malware. It can often be difficult to keep track of the threats. One thing is for certain, ransomware often relies on similar tactics to ultimately hold the data hostage. Let?s quickly take a look at five of the most common types of ransomware right now: Cerber – Cerber targets Microsoft 365 users through the use of an elaborate phishing campaign.  CryptoLocker – One of the most famous ransomware strains that is now just a copy of the original that was shut down back in 2014.  CryLocker – CryLocker uses a personalized ransom note using the encrypted files on a person?s computer or server. This ransomware locks a person out of their computer entirely.  Locky – Spread through phishing, this ransomware instructs users to enable macros to read the message. Once that?s complete, the malware will start encrypting files, and demanding a ransom.  Jigsaw – One of the worst of a bad lot. When triggered, Jigsaw will delete one or more files every hour for 72 hours. If the ransom hasn?t been paid when the 72-hour window is up, all the files are deleted.  Steps You Should Take No business can afford to have their data encrypted, deleted, or worse. Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid it. Let?s take a look at 10 steps that users can take to avoid dealing with any of the above threats. Never click on unverified links Do not open email attachments unless they are from a trusted source Don?t download files from websites you don?t trust Do your best to avoid giving out personal data Don?t use USB or SD Card drives that you didn?t purchase yourself Keep your software patched and updated, including security software Utilize antivirus, firewall, and other security software Use a virtual private network on public Wi-Fi Backup your data onsite and in the cloud Use a mail server with spam protection and content filtering software But, If You Do Get It? The ten tips above will help you avoid getting ransomware, but all it takes is one time for the nightmare to happen. In the past 12 months, $380 million has been spent trying to buy back access to ransomware-infected files, computing systems, and servers. At White Mountain IT Services, we are of the belief that there are no good reasons to buy back your data. In your haste to get control over your data, you may consider paying the extortion fee, but here are a few reasons why you shouldn?t: The attack might be fake You may not get all your data back The hackers could leave malware behind  You set a precedent that you will pay if attacked You are reinforcing the notion that hacking and scamming is profitable.  In fact, there are some legislatures in the US that are looking to make paying scammers? ransom illegal. Since multiple municipalities have already gotten ransomware and paid the fine, more hackers are targeting them. The U.S. Treasury has already stated that they are firmly against payments to any ongoing extortion, including ransomware; and, in some cases, doing so may be breaking the law. If you would like more information about ransomware, or if you are looking to get a comprehensive […]

This month we wanted to cite a few ways that support costs can inflate, and how recruiting an MSP can provide boosts to both efficiency and productivity. How Support Costs Can Grow Out of Control There are many different types of reasons that your technology support can be extremely expensive. Here are a few: Your technology may be inherently expensive to repair or replace. Repair fees factor in additional fees and travel costs, on top of the charge for the actual service. Repair services tend to only focus on solving the immediate problem, with no consideration for the future. This leaves the possibility of the issue recurring almost immediately. It can also result in creating other interoperability problems, which again, would often require another billable visit from the provider. The responsibility ultimately falls to you to call in a technician to fix any issues that do happen and coordinate a time to get them fixed. It often results in significant downtime and the lost revenue that comes with it.  These expenses are effectively impossible to accurately plan for. As a result, it is very easy to not be able to truly plan your IT support costs effectively. Break/fix causes these problems. Now, let?s go over how the MSP is a much safer and more reliable IT support investment: How an MSP Prevents Cost Inflation There are various ways that the MSP eliminates the challenges that the traditional provider?s services present. In addition to remaining up-to-speed on industry best practices regarding repair and remediation, an MSP will have formed business relationships with a variety of vendors who offer them better prices for and quicker access to the technology your company will need. Rather than requiring a member of their staff to travel to your location, your MSP will utilize remote access tools to diagnose and mitigate everything that doesn?t require hands-on intervention, resolving issues more quickly. Any additional travel time and associated costs included in the agreement are also covered by the monthly fee. When needed, the MSP goes beyond fixing the symptoms of a problem. Instead, they?ll use their access and monitoring tools to identify the source of the issue and resolve that, helping reduce the likelihood of further action being needed. Using state-of-the-art monitoring and management tools, an MSP is also capable of monitoring your network and systems for errors, inconsistencies, and other signs of a problem. This means even identifying potential, not-yet-realized issues. As a result, they can proactively prevent obstacles from interrupting your workflows. As an MSP operates similarly to a subscription service, budgeting becomes particularly simple as your financial commitment is made much more predictable. This also makes it simple to adjust your agreement to meet your needs, as your fee is simply adjusted to match whatever your business requires. At White Mountain IT Services, we aim to provide the best IT services in New Hampshire. To learn more about how we can provide all types of value to your business, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

Use SaaS (Software as a Service) Let?s make one thing clear: software is a critical tool that your business will use each and every day, so you want to make sure that you are providing your team members with the best available tools possible. With the old-fashioned way of acquiring software, this wasn?t always easy, and certainly wasn?t cost effective as it required you to pay large sums of money up front. What?s more, what you got tended to be what you got. However, SaaS (short for Software-as-a-Service) changes that. As a cloud-based service, SaaS provides you with a set number of instances of a software title for your team to use, paid through an ongoing monthly subscription cost. Now, this helps you in multiple ways. First off, it changes what would once have been a single capital expense into a predictable operational expense, which greatly simplifies your budgeting. This can deliver significant benefits to businesses of all sizes, but particularly benefits those businesses that are smaller in size. Avoid Spending Sprees Just as most business owners will try to get the most return as possible out of their investments before making any new ones, it can often also be tempting for a business owner to want to dive right in and improve everything all at once when necessary. This strategy isn?t effective, as changes can be challenging to embrace individually?never mind en masse. A wiser strategy would be to fully embrace and implement each improvement separately, building one up upon the other. This will help you to see the full advantages of everything you adopt and avoid overinvesting in your technology. Train Your Team All the new solutions in the world won?t help your business if your team members don?t know how to properly put them to use. You need to prioritize teaching your team about how to use the tools you?ve provided them to do their jobs, including any new hardware and software solutions. Otherwise, you run the risk of your employees not seeing the benefits and internally rejecting the new in favor of the old. Of course, this kind of training will take more than one seminar. To maximize the impact you have, make sure that your training takes place periodically, following up with your employees and offering them with support. This will help improve your ROI, as your money is going that much further. Check Prices as Time Passes Markets fluctuate, which means that there are better times to invest in certain solutions over others. A lot of solutions tend to start off at high prices when they debut, but gradually decrease as time passes. Consider video conferencing: while it once required a significant investment into the infrastructure needed to support it, it is now far more accessible through its native support on most modern devices. So, rather than jumping on the bandwagon the instant a new technology is available, it sometimes makes sense to hang back until after the early adopters make their move and the faltering demand allows the price to ease. Invest Wisely Finally, let?s discuss perhaps the most important means of getting the most out of your investments: making sure that the technology that you adopt is directly supporting your operational needs. Weigh out the potential outcomes of each of your proposed […]