Use Virtual Desktops for Better Organization

Windows offers a virtual desktop feature that allows you to create multiple desktops, each with different sets of open applications. This is useful for separating work tasks from personal activities or organizing different projects. 

To create and switch between virtual desktops:

Press Windows + Tab to open Task View, then select New Desktop at the bottom of the screen. You can then switch between active desktops by pressing Windows + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow. This is a great feature that helps reduce clutter on your main desktop and keeps your workspaces focused and organized.

Customize Your Start Menu and Taskbar

Tailoring the Start Menu and Taskbar can make accessing frequently used programs and settings easier. You can pin your most-used apps to the Start Menu for quick access by right-clicking an app and selecting Pin to Start or customize the Taskbar by right-clicking it, choosing Taskbar settings, and adjusting options like icon size, visibility of the search bar, or auto-hiding the Taskbar when not in use. You can also drag and drop frequently used apps onto the Taskbar for instant access with one click.

Use Snap Assist to Manage Open Windows

Snap Assist helps you quickly arrange open windows to maximize screen space. You can drag a window to any edge of the screen to snap it into place. Some advanced Snap Assist tricks include:

• Press Windows + Left/Right Arrow to snap windows to the side of the screen.
• Snap up to four windows by using the corners or dragging them to different sides of the screen. 

Automate Tasks with Keyboard Shortcuts and Windows PowerToys

Keyboard shortcuts can dramatically speed up how you navigate Windows. Some common and useful shortcuts for this include:

• Windows + D - Show or hide the desktop.
• Alt + Tab - Quickly switch between open apps. 

For more customization, you can install Windows PowerToys, a free suite of tools that adds extra functionality, like advanced window management, keyboard remapping, and a powerful search tool. PowerToys can improve workflow efficiency by allowing for highly customized controls that suit your needs. Check with your business’ IT resource for help doing this.

By mastering these tips, you can create a more streamlined and personalized Windows desktop experience that aligns with your working style. If you would like to see more tips and tricks on how to navigate your way around Windows, stay tuned to this blog. 

Use Security Software

You’ll want to invest in security tools like firewalls, antivirus programs, and encryption. Keeping these updated can stop most threats before they reach your systems. With strong protection, you can feel confident your data is safe.

Backup Your Data 

Make sure you have a reliable data backup plan. Obviously, losing important information can disrupt your business, so do what you can to protect it from loss. Our Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution can automatically back up your data frequently and store it in the cloud, so you can recover it easily if needed.

Create a Security Plan 

Choose the right security options for your business to avoid wasting money. Don’t forget about physical security too—cameras, access control systems, and smart devices can protect both your office and your data.

Train Your Employees 

Make sure all staff are trained on security practices, including:

• Phishing - Teach them to recognize fake emails or scams.
• Password management - Encourage the creation and secure storage of strong,  unique passwords.
• Physical security - Show them how to keep the workplace safe using the security tools you’ve provided.

Regardless of how you go about it, well-trained employees will help reduce mistakes and keep your business safer.

Test Your Security 

One undeniably resourceful way to protect your whole business is to regularly test your security. After you set up security resources, you’ll always want to regularly test them to ensure they're working as expected, especially after any updates.

If you need help, Patriot Tech Services Inc. can assist with keeping your network secure. Call us today at 877-874-4629 to learn more.

Did You Know that Half of Small Businesses Experienced Some Form of Cyberattack in the Last Year?

While many may not want to admit it at full volume, these organizations and their hardships are quantifiable proof that small businesses are at risk of cybercrime and criminal activities… but why is this needed?

Simple: while small businesses once weren’t so often targeted as large companies were, a combination of these small businesses being just as reliant on IT and possessing equally valuable data can easily make them a sitting duck.

This combination makes it essential that businesses, regardless of their size, take the realities of modern cybercrime seriously.

A Lot of Cybercrime is Based on Scale

It may be tempting to view cybercrime similarly to more old-fashioned forms of theft. This is a mistake.

After all, in an old-fashioned holdup, the criminals responsible were limited in their scale. They generally could only target one business at a time, only able to steal from that one location and any poor saps unlucky enough to be present.

Nowadays, cybercriminals have no such restrictions. A single scam could potentially reach hundreds or even thousands of businesses, and since some will try to take what they see as the “easy” way out, a good portion of those impacted businesses will pay up.

Recently (as of this writing), strategic consultancy firm Dark Matter partnered with Dell Technologies and McAfee to produce a fictionalized but harshly realistic film called Butterfly: A True Cybercrime Story. We recommend you take the half-hour or so to watch it, as it is very well produced and does a pretty good job of depicting the impact that a cyberattack—in this case, ransomware—can have on just one business if that business isn’t totally prepared to deal with such an event.

As you watch it, I want you to keep something in mind:

This film depicts the experience of a relatively small business dealing with a cyberattack. In reality, dozens of organizations could have almost identical experiences simultaneously, depending on how effective the cybercriminal’s ruse was. So, as you watch the fictional JPX Construction struggle to deal with their situation, pay attention to all the wasted labor, the stress, and the funds that the situation forces upon them, and keep in mind that this is just what one business could feel. Today’s threats are designed to catch as many companies in their web (or, in keeping with the Butterly analogy, their net) as possible. In the world the filmmakers have created, JPX Construction is just the one example in focus, with dozens of others potentially experiencing the same thing or worse.

You Need to Do Everything You Can to Stay Out of the Statistics

Don’t get us wrong: today’s cyberattacks are more cunning and damaging than ever, but that doesn’t mean you’re helpless and can only hope you aren’t targeted. Many things can and should be done to prepare proactively for such an event, including the likes of:

• Keeping secure and isolated backups of all your data in case you lose your original copies in an attack.
• Making the critical investments proper cybersecurity requires to protect your business network, from servers to endpoints.
• Training your team members to recognize and appropriately respond to suspected cyberattack attempts and risk factors.
• Updating your technology and its protections so they are shielded from vulnerabilities, new and old.

We Can Help

While JPX Construction was depicted to have a very dedicated IT technician on staff, we know that isn’t the reality for many businesses nowadays… and those that do often have conflicting priorities their on-staff IT team is expected to honor. As a result, many companies, including some in TriState, just don’t have the resources to support the team required to keep them productive and secure.

That’s where we come in. At Patriot Tech Services Inc., we provide outsourced IT services and support designed to bring big business solutions to small and medium-sized organizations. Naturally, this includes a litany of cybersecurity services and protections. Find out how we can help keep your business safe by calling us at 877-874-4629.