Professional IT Services that Andromeda Provides for Berwyn, IL Businesses:

Managed IT Services
Berwyn,IL

Andromeda offers a range of IT support plans—anything from month-to-month "time & materials"-based assistance to fixed IT service contracts that permit "no-brainer" conformance to an annual budget. Beyond the functions you would expect from a full-service MSP, you'll have a dedicated C‑CATs team that includes an Account Coordinator directing the same field and remote technicians day-to-day, month-to-month, and even year-to-year to manage your IT network needs.
This isn't simply a glorified Virtual CIO offering. Imagine the cost of hiring your own CIO AND tech team for this same level of customized service and knowledge of your particular (and evolving) network setup!

Cloud Services & Migrations

Typically, the biggest issue you'll face when initiating Cloud IT services is not the services themselves, but rather the proper migration of your existing IT services to the Cloud without loss of functionality, downtime, and scores of other details that could undermine the whole process. Andromeda has a long history of expertise in physical on-premises systems. Don't make the mistake of turning all your current systems over to a "Cloud expert"; we'll save you from a lot of heartache and pain with a virtually seamless Cloud migration from your current setup— whatever it is.

Data Backup & Recovery
Berwyn,IL

It's a crazy world. Literally thousands of people you don't even know attempt to break or steal from systems like yours every day. Good 24/7 monitoring is a first line of defense, of course. But no matter how great and state-of-the-art your defenses are, you'll almost certainly succomb to a successful attack in time. That's why advanced data backup and data recovery need to be tools that you and your IT partner have at the ready from Day 1. Don't be tempted to "shortcut" this element of your network in the name of expediency or to save a few dollars. Ultimately, you'll lose out on both counts with that thinking. You need a complete and integrated solution that addresses every contingency as well as IT professionals who know how to make that happen.

Cyber Security

Not only do we provide multi-tier approaches to your network security, but Andromeda also provides built-for-you solutions for disaster recovery and business continuity devices. We provide, manage and monitor a variety of devices including physical hardware, Cloud-based and hybrid options. Our team actively monitors over 403 servers and 101 physical backup devices in the field. All with 100% local engineers and technicians.

Onsite/Remote Support
Berwyn,IL

Andromeda's team is completely staffed by local technicians near Berwyn,IL. No matter the hour, your issue is resolved quickly and professionally. In fact, 68% of incoming calls are connected to a live technician for immediate response. When a technician isn't available, our average response time is less than 30 minutes. And if that isn't impressive enough, emergency after-hours support response times average less than 10 minutes!

IT Network Management

IT networks are our bread-and-butter. We have provided these services to clients since 1994. Some have continued to rely on us for their evolving network needs since the very beginning. We stand behind our work day to day and year to year because we foster relationships with our client-partners that absolutely demand that of us. It's in our DNA and how we prefer to do business.

AndroPedia Tech Library

As part of our service, it is important to keep our client-partners well informed on IT developments, news, and best practices. Here is just a sampling of typical items from our AndroPedia^SM library archive:

Of course, cyber security and ransomware are hot topics, but many of you mentioned that you are interested in quick tips you can follow or use yourself.

You ask – we deliver.

Without further ado – check out these 6 quick tips for best password security practices

1. Create passwords with multiple cases, symbols and numbers. Just be sure to avoid passwords such as “123456”, “qwerty”, “football”, “princess” or “password” – some of the most common passwords according to SplashData.
   
2. Don’t create a password based on personal details such as your birth date, an anniversary, phone number, social security number etc. While not everyone may know these details about you, they are among the first a cybercriminal or evildoer will attempt when trying to hack your account. Even worse, if your password data is compromised, imagine what a cybercriminal could do with that social security information if it was exposed.
3. Avoid using the same password on multiple sites. We get it, remembering different passwords for all of your different sites and needs is difficult. It is important to create something unique for every login you maintain. Remember, if a hacker gets ahold of your password for one account, the first thing they will do is try that bad boy on bank accounts, social media, emails and anywhere else they can to grab sensitive information or even your hard earned money. (Don’t worry about remembering all the different passwords, we cover that below.)
4. Change your passwords regularly. We suggest changing passwords every 90 days. This can be a pain but if you maintain this practice you make getting into your accounts that much harder.
5. Do Not keep a list of your passwords on your computer. Keeping a list of passwords is dangerous in any format. You open yourself up to great risk in doing so. The worst method for this is keeping a list of your passwords in a file on your computer. Instead, keep a list of each site and next to it write a specific clue that will only make sense to you. This can help jog your memory without spilling the beans if someone stumbles upon the file. (Or let a password manager create passwords for you and store them so you have them all in one place – see below.)
6. Use Dual Authentication. Many apps and sites now offer dual authentication as an added security measure. Once you login to your account, you will be prompted for a code (either one you create or a randomly generated code). You put this code into the site as a second proof of your identity. This feature greatly reduces if not eliminates the likelihood of someone breaking into your accounts.

Password protection is difficult. The average Joe has anywhere from 20-200 passwords. We recognize that is a big gap but even memorizing 20 different passwords is a difficult task. With that said, we would like to provide you with a few useful tools that can free up your memory and manage your password security for you.

Password Managers

There are a variety of password managers on the market. We have used and enjoyed LastPass which comes with a free and premium subscription as well as an app for your phone. If you want to check out a variety of password managers and how they stack up – PC Magazine has rated them for you here.

Password Security Tests

Platforms and websites do exist that will check the security of your password. There are even some websites out there that will tell you how long a hacker would have to spend to crack your code. Check out our recommended tool here.

Email Alias Tools

We’ve found an interesting tool that can help you keep track of your passwords but also creates aliases for your email address. This is useful because without your email address, a password is essentially useless. Now, of course you don’t want someone to have your password at all but this also helps you keep your inbox clear of spam and unwanted mail.

Any of these tools can help you out. If you have any questions feel free to reach the Andromeda Team Today!

The post Password Quick Tips – 6 Do’s & Don’ts appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Andromeda Technology Solutions provides full IT support and IT managed services for phone systems, website and SEO development, access control, security cameras, and integrated office security for businesses. We believe technology should just work – simple as that. Our team works daily to help our clients get more out of their technology to increase productivity, get rid of constant break/fix issues, and to provide proactive guidance for technology in the office.

Clutch is a B2B market research firm that connects service providers and buyers through data and verified research. Central to this process is client reviews. In their unique process, analysts have spoken directly with many of our clients and learned more about the services we provided. With an overall 4.7 rating, we’ve seen strong results from Clutch’s extensive research process. We are thrilled to be ranked highly on Clutch as a top IT management service in 2020.

Our clients’ participation made this award possible, and we want to thank them for their time and honest feedback. Below are excerpts from recent reviews:

“They have done a great job of communicating with us about all aspects of the project.” –CMO, Clear Spring Healthcare

“They’ve been great to work with.” –Director of IT, Family Health Network

“We have never had a problem that they weren’t able to find a solution for.” –Head of Comms, Digital Marketing & Social Media Public PR Company

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our success as a company. We look forward to helping many more businesses in the Chicagoland area.

The post Andromeda Technology Solutions Awarded as Top IT Services Company in Illinois by Clutch appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Do you use the app "ShareIt?"

It's one of the most popular apps in the ecosystem, boasting more than a billion downloads from Google's Play Store and nearly 2 billion downloads overall (including the Windows, iOS and MacOS ecosystems). On top of that, its original creator, Lenovo, preinstalled it on all Lenovo phones, which may have been the means by which you first encountered the app.

All that to say, it's a hugely popular app and was in the top ten most frequently downloaded titles in 2019, so it has an enormous footprint.

Recently, Trend Micro conducted a security audit of the app, and their findings may make you rethink your use of it. According to the report the company published not long after their research was complete, they found several major security flaws that would allow for arbitrary code execution, which could result in the complete compromise of the target system.

Unfortunately, the security issues stem from a number of unfortunate design decisions that left the software incredibly vulnerable. One example of this is the fact that the app demands extensive permissions that gives it complete control over the entire storage system, access to all media files on the device, the ability to install or delete apps, create accounts, and more.

Adding to the problems with the app is the fact that its 'private storage' mechanism is anything but. An analysis of the code reveals that the 'android:exported' variable is set to False, but the AndroidGrantUriPermissions variable is set to True, which means that literally any third party entity can gain temporary read/write access to the user's data.

Trend shared their findings with ShareIt's development team more than three months ago, and to date, the developers have not patched any of them. So it's as vulnerable today as it was when Trend first published their report. If you are a current user, you may want to consider uninstalling it until the company tightens up their security.

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