IT Support Insider: How Can ITIL Benefit My IT Services?

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of guidance books developed by the United Kingdom’s Office of Government Commerce (OGC). The guidance, as documented in the set of books, describes an integrated, process-based, best practice framework for managing IT services.

ITIL was created by experts who incorporated the learning experiences and practices of leading organizations, ‘best-in class’ practitioners and IT service providers Read more »

Most Common IT Support Requests

IT departments are busy everyday taking requests and resolving users’ issues in a timely manner. We all, at one point or another, have called a Service Desk or Help Desk even for minor reasons, but in reality every question is important and recorded for that purpose.  A Service Desk’s purpose is defined as acting as the single point of contact for not only incidents, but also change requests, the forward schedule of changes, problem management and configuration changes. This distinction illuminates the difference between a Help Desk and a Service Desk. Read more »

IT Support Insider: Help Desk vs. Service Desk

Since the inception of the PC and its ancillary Service Desk operation in the early 1980’s, corporate users have been able to utilize the capabilities of computers that were previously only available to their organizations in large data centers. PC capabilities grew as the technology evolved, thus allowing users to utilize client/server applications that were leveraged Read more »

Retiring Microsoft Exchange 2003: Is the End of Support Near?

As of August 2014 Microsoft will be ending its support for Microsoft Exchange 2003. It is inevitable that IT Service providers will recommend an upgrade.  The question remains what does this mean for you as an organization and what moves should your IT department make?

eFax Email Phishing Scam

If you receive an email from eFax and think that there is something strange with its content, you are probably right.  I recently received a Fax Message and at first glance, everything seemed legitimate. However my curiosity got the better of me and after further review,

I noticed that there were problems with the email. I do own an eFax account but the number shown below along with the highlighted link looked a bit odd to me. I read a lot about IT security matters and I write blogs about a variety of IT support and network security topics. I can say that without reservation, it’s common to see fake phishing emails like these from reputable establishments like Bank of America, UPS, and even eFax. Read more »

Google Apps to Microsoft Office 365: Your Move

The chess game between Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 continues with the latest move going to Google. Earlier today, they announced a decision to pull the plug on Postini, their popular email archiving and spam filtering service. Read more »

Lookout iPhone SMS Users

Apple is getting exposed with a jailbreaker claiming an SMS vulnerability.  Apple’s  iOS reads key SMS data which allows scammers to break in and access sensitive information from iPhone users. This breach allows the hacker to change the reply to a number in an SMS text, so the user could be easily duped into thinking they are receiving a text from a trusted source, when it is actually someone on the other end trying to gain your sensitive information. Read more »

You Need a Mechanical Keyboard!

Some things in life are so common and mundane that they barely, if ever, receive notice.  For years, my keyboard was one of those things.

I sit at a desk for hours at a time, working with objects that range from mundane to functional and it is uncommon, even rare, to find exceptional equipment that not only makes work easier, but enjoyable.  I swapped out my boring, ordinary keyboard for a mechanical one and it changed my attitude toward a large aspect of my work.  Typing has turned from a chore into something I actually enjoy. Read more »

Webroot Heads For The Clouds

Webroot has recently been successful with its tool for PC’s, smartphones and tablets. Secure Anywhere Complete 2012- 3 is a faster and less-intrusive software that doesn’t take-up large amounts of space and allows your devices to run smooth and quickly. Read more »

Security: An Algorithm Every Company Needs

Malware and viruses are no longer a conversation of the past; in fact, it has become a national security issue for the U.S. government in fighting daily cyber-attacks. This issue is not just a local IT department issue — it affects the entire world — and hackers are showing us just how vulnerable security is for enterprises and small businesses alike. Think of it this way, it is not a simple Norton Anti-virus solution we spend a little extra on when you buy a PC.  Read more »