Meet a new generation of Acer Chromebook laptops that are built for business

While Chromebooks only entered the global market in 2011, their Chrome operating system has quickly risen to become the second most popular operating system today.

The Chrome OS market share grew from 6.4% in 2019 to 10.8% in 2020, and today many businesses are beginning to choose Chromebooks for their enterprise-class speed, simplicity, and security.

And, compared to most other laptops on the market, they’re also a lot more affordable.

• Click here for more information on Acer

So, what is it exactly about these features that makes Chromebooks so good for business?

Unprecedented speed

Business operations are often slowed down by traditional operating systems that suffer from long start-up times, disruptive updates, and the inevitable slow-down that comes from prolonged use.

Chrome OS, on the other hand, is one of the lightest operating systems out there and has a fast boot time of 5-10 seconds.

Chromebooks exhibit virtually no lag or stuttering when being used, and because of their cloud-oriented nature, your employees will always have instant access to all their data, applications, settings, and web extensions whenever they log into any Chromebook device.

Intuitive and simple

Anyone familiar with Google’s suite of applications will be familiar with Chrome OS.

The interface is fast and intuitive, and making the switch to the Chrome operating system is as simple as signing into your Google account and uploading your files to Google Drive.

Provisioning and deploying a network of Chromebook devices for employees is also made simpler than ever for enterprises, which has become especially important with today’s increasingly remote workforce.

A study showed that IT departments have benefitted from time savings with the help of Chromebook’s Zero-Touch Enrolment, which allows authorised pre-provisioning partners like Acer to send instructions to Google and enrol a Chrome device automatically once it is turned on and connected to the internet.

Similarly, managing a fleet of Chrome devices is easy and simple, as Chromebook Enterprise provides IT teams with access to oversight capabilities and device policies from the easy-to-use, cloud-based Google Admin console or other third-party Unified End Management solutions.

Enterprise-class security

The rapid pace of digitalisation as well as the remote migration of workforces has given cybercriminals a much larger attack surface, and businesses that lack sufficient security measures are becoming prime targets.

Chromebooks were built with this in mind, using the principle of ‘defence in depth’, and Chrome OS is one of the most secure operating systems on the market.

Chromebooks come standard with multiple layers of built-in protection, which means that businesses do not need to allocate additional spending to antivirus software.

Google rolls out automatic updates with the latest security patches in a way that is completely non-disruptive.

Chromebooks are unique because of a security feature called ‘sandboxing’, which runs every program, website, or web application as a separate process in a restricted environment.

If an employee accidentally opens a harmful website, for example, any threat will be contained and would not be able to access any other part of the computer.

When a Chromebook boots up, it also completes a ‘verified boot’ to ensure that the computer has not been corrupted or tampered with, and if it has, it will restore itself automatically to a known and trusted backup.

If a backup isn’t available, employees can simply download one from the cloud and their device will be up and running again – with all their documents readily available on the cloud.

If an employee misplaces their Chromebook, IT can easily disable the device remotely, preventing potential bad actors from accessing sensitive corporate data.

Chromebooks can be set as ‘ephemeral’ so that any user’s data is removed at the end of their session.

All the support businesses need

With the support of Google certified partners like Acer, businesses can have access to support via phone, email, or directly from Google when they need it.

IT managers have the ability to manage all devices remotely, allowing employees to continue working securely and effectively from anywhere.

Along with Google’s extensive ecosystem of cloud and web-based applications, Chromebooks give employees everything they need to be more productive and protected in today’s digital work environment.

Tips to Secure Your Small Business Network

Just because your business is small, doesn't mean that hackers won't target you. The reality is that automated scanning techniques and botnets don't care whether your company is big or small, they're only looking for holes in your network security to exploit.

Maintaining a secure small business or home network isn't easy, and even for an old hand in IT, it still takes time and energy to keep things locked down. Here are 10 of the most critical steps you can take to keep your data from ending up elsewhere, and none of them take much time or effort to accomplish.

Get a Firewall

The first step for any attacker is to find network vulnerabilities by scanning for open ports. Ports are the mechanisms by which your small business network opens up and connects to the wider world of the Internet. A hacker sees an open port to as an irresistible invitation for access and exploitation. A network firewall locks down ports that don't need to be open.

A properly configured firewall acts as the first line of defense on any network. The network firewall sets the rules for which ports should be open and which ones should be closed. The only ports that should be open are ports for services that you need to run.

Typically, most small business routers include some kind of firewall functionality, so chances are if you have a router sitting behind your service provider or DSL/cable modem, you likely have a firewall already. To check to see if you already have firewall capabilities at the router level in your network, log into your router and see if there are any settings for Firewall or Security. If you don't know how to log into your router on a Windows PC, find your Network Connection information. The item identified as Default Gateway is likely the IP address for your router.

There are many desktop firewall applications available today as well, but don't mistake those for a substitute for firewall that sits at the primary entry point to your small business network. You should have a firewall sitting right behind where your network connectivity comes into your business to filter out bad traffic before it can reach any desktop or any other network assets.

Password Protect your Firewall

Great you've got a firewall, but it's never enough to simply drop it into your network and turn it on. One of the most common mistakes in configuring network equipment is keeping the default password.

It's a trivial matter in many cases for an attacker to identify the brand and model number of a device on a network. It's equally trivial to simply use Google to obtain the user manual to find the default username and password.

Take the time to make this easy fix. Log into your router/firewall, and you'll get the option to set a password; typically, you'll find it under the Administration menu item.

Update Router Firmware

Outdated router or firewall firmware is another common issue. Small business network equipment, just like applications and operating systems, needs to be updated for security and bug fixes. The firmware that your small business router and/or firewall shipped with is likely out-of-date within a year, so it's critical to make sure you update it.

Some router vendors have a simple dialogue box that lets you check for new firmware versions from within the router's administration menu. For routers that don't have automated firmware version checking, find the version number in your router admin screen, and then go to the vendor's support site to see if you have the latest version.

Block Pings

Most router and firewalls include multiple settings that help to determine how visible your router and/or firewall will be to the outside world. One of the simplest methods that a hacker uses to find a network is by sending a ping request, which is just a network request to see if something will respond. The idea being if a network device responds, there is something there that the hacker can then explore further and potentially exploit. You can make it harder for attackers by simply setting your network router or firewall so that it won't respond to network pings. Typically, the option to block network pings can be found on the administration menu for a firewall and/or router as a configuration option.

Scan Yourself

One of the best ways to see if you have open ports or visible network vulnerabilities is to do the same thing that an attacker would do - scan your network. By scanning your network with the same tools that security researchers (and attackers) use, you'll see what they see. Among the most popular network scanning tools is the open source nmap tool). For Windows users, the Nmap download now includes a graphical user interface, so it's now easier than ever to scan your network with industry standard tools, for free. Scan your network to see what ports are open (that shouldn't be), and then go back to your firewall to make the necessary changes.

Lock Down IP Addresses

By default, most small business routers use something called DHCP, which automatically allocates IP addresses to computers that connect to the network. DHCP makes it easy for you to let users connect to you network, but if your network is exploited it also makes it easy for attackers to connect to your network. If your small business only has a set number of users, and you don't routinely have guest users plugging into your network, you might want to consider locking down IP addresses.

The benefit of assigning an IP is that when you check your router logs, you'll know which IP is associated with a specific PC and/or user. With DHCP, the same PC could potentially have different IPs over a period of time as machines are turned on or off. By knowing what's on your network, you'll know where problems are coming from when they do arise.

Use VLANs

Not everyone in your small business necessarily needs access to the same network assets. While you can determine and set access with passwords and permissions on applications, you can also segment your network with VLAN or virtual LANs. VLANs are almost always part of any business class router and let you segment a network based on needs and risks as well as quality of service requirements. For example, with a VLAN setup you could have the finance department on one VLAN, while sales is on another. In another scenario, you could have a VLAN for your employees and then setup another one for contract or guest workers. Mitigating risk is all about providing access to network resources to the people who are authorized and restricting access to those who aren't.

Get an IPS

A firewall isn't always enough to protect a small business network. Today's reality is that the bulk of all network traffic goes over Port 80 for HTTP or Web traffic. So if you leave that port open, you're still at risk from attacks that target port 80. In addition to the firewall, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) technology can play a key network security role. An IPS does more than simply monitor ports; it monitors the traffic flow for anomalies that could indicate malicious activity. IPS technology can sometimes be bundled in on a router as part of a Unified Threat Management (UTM) device. Depending on the size of your small business network, you might want to consider a separate physical box.

Another option is to leverage open source technologies running on your own servers (or as virtual instances if you are virtualized). On the IPS side, one of the leading open source technologies is called SNORT (which is backed by commercial vendor Sourcefire.

Get a WAF

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is specifically tasked with helping to protect against attacks that are specifically targeted against applications. If you're not hosting applications within your small business network, the risks that a WAF helps to mitigate are not as pronounced. If you are hosting applications, WAF in front of (or as part of) your Web server is a key technology that you need to look at. Multiple vendors including Barracuda have network WAF boxes. Another option is the open source ModSecurity project, which is backed by security vendor Trustwave.

Use VPN

If you've gone through all the trouble of protecting your small business network, it makes sense to extend that protection to your mobile and remotely connected employees as well. A VPN or Virtual Private Network lets your remote workers log into your network with an encrypted tunnel. That tunnel can then be used to effectively shield your remote employees with the same firewall, IPS and WAF technologies that local users benefit from. A VPN also protects your network by not letting users who may be coming in from risky mobile environments connect in an insecure fashion.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Saumya_Sinha/2370732

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Expert Reveals the 9 Biggest Backup Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Is everything on your systems being backed up?

You know, backing up your computers is a bit like home insurance. It's easy to ignore it while everything is going just fine, and even easier to get complacent. But when something goes WRONG, you find yourself scrambling for your policy! And if you're not covered in the "fine print", you could lose the lot!

With your computer networks, the risks are just as great. You could lose the lot, jeopardise your business, and find it almost impossible to recover from. But happily this needn't be the case. This report is intended to alert you to the main risks, and to give you some insights into how to protect your computers, your business... AND yourself.

A comparison of backup devices and their approximate costs, is available via our website.

First, some sobering Statistics which will SHOCK you!

* 93% of companies that lost their data centre for ten days or more as a result of a disaster filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster. 50% of businesses that found themselves without data management for this same time period filed for bankruptcy immediately.

* 30% of companies report that they still do not have a disaster recovery program in place and two in three companies feel that their data backup and disaster recovery plans have significant vulnerabilities. Furthermore, only 59% of companies polled test their data backup and storage systems at least once a quarter. Conducting a regular external audit of backup and restore systems is far from a common practice - only 32% report conducting an external audit.

* At what point is the survival of our company at risk? 40% said 72 hours, 21% said 48 hours, 15% said 24 hours, 8% said 8 hours, 9% said 4 hours, 3% said 1 hour, 4% said within the hour.

* 30% of all businesses that have a major fire go out of business within a year. 70% fail within five years. * Gartner estimates that only 35 percent of (Small & Medium Businesses) SMBs have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place.

* According to a recent NFIB National Small Business Poll (USA), man-made disasters affect 10% of small businesses, whereas natural disasters have impacted more than 30% of all small businesses in the USA. Hurricanes are by far the most destructive force causing power failure, flooding, customer loss, and the closure of many businesses.

* According to a recent Touche Ross study, the survival rate for companies without a disaster recovery plan is less than 10%!

Symantec® survey reveals:

Despite Warnings, SMBs Still Not Prepared

* 52 percent of SMBs do not have a disaster preparedness plan.

* 65 percent of SMBs were in regions prone to natural disasters.

* SMB's went through an average of five outages last year. SMB's Don't Act Until After A Disaster

* 49 percent of SMBs implemented a disaster preparedness plan due to a previous outage or data loss.

* 54 percent implemented their plans in the last six months. Lack Of Preparedness Impacts The Business

* Since downtime equates to a median loss of US$14,500 a day, prolonged downtime could shut down an SMB.

* SMB outages cost their customers US$45,000 a day with 24 percent saying they lost data due to disaster affecting their vendors.

So now you can see why it is CRITICAL to your business to independently evaluate your current backup solution. Potential consequences of getting it wrong, are that you lose Money, Customers, Your Job, or even Your Business if a disaster happened and you couldn't get the data back quickly. It could be DEVASTATING! But it doesn't need to be such a risk....

Mistake #1: Not backing up everything We recommend that your backup system be capable of, and configured to backup everything. Too often, we hear of clients who need to restore a piece of information from their backups, only to find that it is not contained on the backups. Some people only backup the data from their main accounting system for example, and not their other important data such as Word and Excel documents. Your backup device or service must be large enough to fit all of the data from your computer or servers. This means that when you are upgrading the hard disk capacity of your system, you need to confirm that your backup device or service is still appropriate! There are a range of solutions that can be used for this purpose - an outline of these is included at the end of this article. It's also best if you have backup software that automatically runs the backups at a time when nobody is using your system so that all of the data is available to be backed up. Many of these software packages include functions to provide confirmation that the backup has completed in the form of an email which is also highly recommended. If you have a server computer, then you may think that backing up the information on the server is enough. What you also need to consider is that there may be data stored on individual computers too and also on smartphones and tablet computers!

Mistake #2: Not backing up Email data With the greater reliance on email, we are receiving more requests to restore emails. In our experience most people do not backup emails at all. These are often the only record of communication where in the past there may have been a series of letters and or faxes. If you have your own email server in-house, you may need to install an additional backup program or agent in order to properly process the email information. Many clients use Microsoft Exchange, which often requires a backup agent for your backup software so that it can properly backup the email data. Even if you have the right agent for your mail server installed, there can also be limitations on how you can restore the mail data. This has to do with the design of the email and backup software. It may be the case that the entire mail database must be restored in order to get back a single email. Of course this can increase the time and inconvenience associated with performing a restore. Similarly, if emails have been archived by the auto-archive feature in Outlook then they are probably stored on your workstations hard disk instead of your server (and therefore are probably not being backed up!) If you don't have your own mail server, then your computer is probably storing the emails on your local hard disk drive rather than the hard disk of your server. Files on local hard disk drives are not usually backed up. Your email software should be configured to place these files on the server where they will be automatically backed up. Another issue with email backups is that emails which are received and deleted on the same day may not be able to be restored if your backups take place only in the evening, meaning that the email must have existed in your mailbox for at least one night to have had an opportunity to be backed up. This same limitation applies to all of the data on your system if you are only doing nightly backups.

Mistake #3: Insufficient "depth" of backups Most people don't have the resources to keep backups forever. If backing up locally to disk or tape, then you will need to overwrite older backups unless you are happy to keep buying more disks or tapes. If you are backing up to an online service, then there is usually a limit to the amount of storage that you can use too. This means that there will be a limit to how far back you will be able to restore. A common backup system is to keep 5 backups, one for each day of the week. This means that if a file were accidentally deleted or corrupted, and you didn't discover this for longer than a week, then you will not be able to restore it from backup, because all the backups that contained a "good" version of the file would have been overwritten. We suggest that you keep a number of weekly or monthly backups to provide protection against this. Free and entry level online backup services are often worse and may only keep 1 version of files. If using a backup service it's important to understand their depth of backups (often referred to as retention policy) when you start out rather than finding out too late that their system is unsuitable for you.

Mistake #4: Not backing up frequently enough How often you backup (along with the depth of backups you keep) determines the choices that you have when it comes time to restore and will vary depending on your requirements and your budget. It is possible to backup as often as every 15 minutes, or as little as daily or weekly. Why doesn't everyone backup every 15 minutes then?

* Because the more often you backup, the more space your backups consume (therefore you need to buy more disks, tapes, or offsite storage)

* Backing up can reduce the performance of your system while the backup is taking place

* Time taken to complete a backup. If your backups run for longer than 15 minutes (some can take several hours to complete) then this too will limit how frequently you can backup

* Some systems are unable to be backed up while they are being used. Depending on your backup software, it may not be able to backup data that you are working on or you may be "locked out" of some parts of your system while the backups take place.

Mistake #5: Not keeping some backups offsite One of the reasons for doing backups is to protect against disasters such as fire or theft. So it is important that some of the backups be kept offsite to ensure that all of your backups are not destroyed or stolen along with your system. This is one of the reasons why using offsite backups services is appealing as your data is kept offsite. Where this can be a problem is that the speed of backups can be too slow to enable you to backup everything (see point #1 above!) and in the event that you need to restore, it can take a long time to restore

Mistake #6: Files not backed up because they were open In general, your data can't be backed up while it is being used. For example if you have an important Microsoft Word document that you are working on and you leave this document open overnight, some backup software will not be able to back it up. This is more serious if someone remains inside your accounting system which can often mean that the entire accounting system is not backed up. This is becoming less of an issue as many current generation backup programs now have the ability to backup open files. You should check that yours is able to!

Mistake #7: Incorrect restores If you find yourself in a situation where you need to restore, proceed carefully! We have seen occasions where a client has set out to restore a small amount of data for a two week old backup but instead has restored their entire system. This can be disastrous. Usually your backup software will provide the option to restore files to a different location. This option should almost always be selected. Once restored, you then copy the files across to their original location. It's also important when restoring from physical media such as tape or disk to make sure that you write-protect the backup media (or to suspend online backups if you are restoring an old backup and it is likely to soon be overwritten) before you start. This is to protect against your system automatically doing a new backup over the top of the backup that you want to restore!

Mistake #8: Backups are not checked Successful backups depend on the correct operation of your backup software and hardware. Over time problems can develop that might stop your system from backing up. Unless you check your backups regularly you might not be aware of that there is a problem. For example, tape drives can develop a hardware fault which prevents them from backing up, but does not prevent them from loading and unloading tapes correctly. Windows updates or installation of new software, that you would think is unrelated to backups can also "break" your backup software as an unexpected side-effect. So it is important to be looking deeper at what it going on with your backups to be sure that you will be able to restore should you need to.

Mistake #9: Poor labelling/recording of backups When you find yourself in a situation where you need to restore a file to how it was last Wednesday, you don't want to waste a lot of time trying to figure out which backup is required. Investing a small amount of time to appropriately understand your backups and how they are rotated/overwritten can save a lot of time and anxiousness when you need to restore. Where media like removable disks or tapes are used labelling them clearly and keeping a manual log of which media was rotated on which day (and if the backup was successful) is recommended. For online backups, making sure that you understand how to review backup logs and to select an individual file from a particular backup (you will sometimes want to restore an older version of a file, not the most recent backup of it and this can be difficult or in some cases impossible to restore an earlier version of it.)

And a Bonus: Mistake #10: Bad folder structure Keeping your data in a logical, tree-like folder or directory structure will make it easier to find the information you are looking for. This is just as important when it comes time to restore information. Most times people want to restore just a few files, and you need to be able to locate these files in the backup software before you can select them for restore. Having a logical, and not overly complex directory structure makes this easier. Many servers also allow you to set permissions on folders and files. Without making this too complex, it is also be a good idea to set appropriate permissions at the folder level so that the number of people that can access and modify your data is just those that need to.

Considering these Mistakes, you now need to fix the problems and implement a Backup Solution which works best for your business. By selecting the right Backup Technology, you're ALMOST done.

What are the most important features when choosing the best Backup Software?

Automatic Scheduling of backups Advanced backup software is capable of automatically scheduling the backups. No doubt you have lots of other responsibilities and things to think about! So backups, a bit like insurance, are not going to be at the front of your mind until there is a problem! Save yourself the worry and make sure that you implement a solution that automatically launches the backups.

Full System backups If your full system is not being backed up then chance are some important information is being missed. Modern computer systems create and use tens or hundreds of thousands of files and even to IT experts it's hard to be sure that you are selecting all of the important information. This is why we feel that it's important to backup all of the data on your system.

Backups of Open Files If you or somebody else is in your accounting system or editing a Word or Excel document you don't want it to not be backed up. Ironically this is probably what you most want to be backed up so make sure that your software is smart enough to deal with open files!

Backups of Databases Again, not all backup software handles databases like Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server correctly. Some software requires that you purchase additional modules and/or to configure backups in a certain way to be able to successfully restore them. Other databases, such as Oracle for example, are not supported at all by some of the major backup software packages and you may find that even a backup that you software labels "successful" will not get you all of your data back!

Monitoring & Alerting Probably the most important feature, yet one that is very often neglected. Even if your backup system is fully tested and working today something could change in the future such as a (and sadly we have seen all of these!)

* Backup hardware failure

* Backup software failure due to compatibility issue with a Windows or other software update

* Backup software failure due to changing a user or administrator password or other permissions

* Backup software failure due to a bug in the software that is not immediately triggered! Most or all of these problems will be detected early if you have the appropriate backup monitoring and alerts in place. You can monitor backups yourself, locally, or you can enlist professionals to monitor your backups remotely.

Disaster Recovery When the unthinkable happens, your choice of backup software and the selections that were made in setting up the software can have a huge impact on what happens in a disaster. Before disaster strikes you should be thinking about:

* How long you can get by without access to your IT systems?

* How long will it take to restore your whole system in the best case?

* Which systems features are most urgent?

* What hardware/software you need to recover your systems?

* Do you need to restore to identical hardware? (for MOST software and/or configurations you do!) This means you need to have spare, identical servers on standby.

Email Archiving Is really a separate topic, but one that is increasing in importance. Even if everything is setup correctly to do full backups of your email, restoring them can be complex and costly and yet may not recover all of the information that you need if the email was sent and deleted between backups, or was deleted some time ago. With many backup scenarios you can't see the individual emails contained in a backup until you restore it and so you may have to complete multiple costly and time consuming "restore cycles" to retrieve the emails you need. Or even worse you might not find them! A dedicated email archiving solution is the answer here. And of course you will still need to backup your email archive as well!

HOWEVER, that's not the end of the story. Great software TOOLS will only solve PART OF THE PROBLEM. You also need the right ADVICE, PLANNING, TESTING and SUPPORT to get the best results with any backup solution.

For many businesses, there is a real risk of a Disaster. An event which can be caused by Mother Nature (such as flooding and Cyclones or Hurricanes), or a Power problem, a Fire, a Virus or Malware, or any other unforseen potential problem which could render your computers inoperable.

Now I have shown you what the problems are and what to look for in a potential backup solution. The rest is up to you.

To help you evaluate your current backup solution, start by Answering these Questions. This 12-point checklist may help you to pinpoint problems with your backups!

Is everything on your system being backed up?

Who checks that the backups worked and how often do they check?

Do your backups run automatically?

Is there a WRITTEN backup log showing who checked the backups (and for backups to disk or tape also showing which disk or tape was used?)

When did you last restore from a backup?

Have you ever done a full restore of your system?

How many copies of your backups do you have?

Are some of these backups kept offsite?

Are the offsite backups stored securely?

How is the security of the offsite backups protected?

How far back can you restore your accounting system?

Can you recover an email that was deleted last month?

How did you go with Questions? Are you confident your business will be safe if an unforeseen event occurred?

If you couldn't answer all the questions above, or if your answers left you realizing that you are unprepared, or lack the required knowledge to protect your business data, don't despair. You fit into the same category as most businesses! Find yourself a professional partner with expertise in Backup and Disaster Recovery.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this report is general in nature and does not take into account your particular situation and requirements.

Steven Bakker is a recognized expert in IT Backup Solutions in Australia, specializing in Disaster Recover, Business Continuity Planning and Backup/Restore Software and solutions. For the full report, visit http://nas.com.au

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Steven_Bakker/1010046

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