Not all data loss is created equal. An accidentally deleted file is much easier to recover than files on a fire-damaged computer. But, no matter how they’re lost, once a file’s gone, you truly realize how much you needed it.

Whether it’s cherished family vacation photos or all of last year’s accounting records, losing computer data is the same as losing a physical filing cabinet that holds thousands of important files, records, and memories.

According to Dell, the average cost to companies for a data loss episode is $2,450, and that’s if the data is retrievable. A per record lost file estimate from Ponemon Institute is $154 per file. If a company is in the healthcare industry and subject to HIPAA regulations, each lost or stolen record containing sensitive information can cost them an average of $363 per record.

Costs for lost data add up fast, and if the data isn’t retrievable, they can skyrocket even higher.

At Connect2Geek.com, data recovery is a specialty of ours. We offer risk-free data recovery services… You don’t pay unless we get your data back. We know how important it is to have files restored, and we’re able to do most of the work in house, and we partner with severe case recovery experts when needed. [Read more…]

We often get asked about Office 365 and how it differs from the well-known suite of Microsoft Office products – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. The simple answer is that it’s a high-octane version of those old favorites, updated for an internet connected world.

Our Office Productivity Team at Connect2Geek.com spends their days and nights working on ways to help our clients boost their productivity and get the most out of their technology. Office 365 is a big part of their playbook and one that can make a huge difference for your day-to-day business.

In this blog, we’re going to give you the lowdown on all the burning questions about this Microsoft product…

• What is it?
• How does it work?
• Why do I want it?
• Do I still get Word, Excel, and the other Microsoft programs?

By the end you should know enough, that you could probably give your own talk about why it’s a great tool for boosting office productivity. [Read more…]

The clock’s ticking on a client deadline and your main computer just went down. Not only is it costing you money every minute of downtime, it could also cost you your reputation.

An average of 80% of mission-critical downtime is directly caused by people or process failures, many of which could be stopped before impacting a business. Investing in managed services that monitor and maintain your technology greatly reduces the risk of outages, unhappy customers, and missed sales opportunities.

What are managed services, exactly? We’ll go into more detail on what Connect2Geek.com offers in our managed service packages below, but first, let’s look at a big picture overview.

Think of managed services for your technology as you do maintenance & monitoring systems for your car. You have a gauge that tells you when the oil needs to be changed, if you didn’t have that gauge to alert you when the oil level was low then you could end up with a car that stops running because you didn’t know it needed that oil.

Of course, the cost for an oil change and regular maintenance on your car is nothing compared to the cost of not being able to drive to work or having to fix or replace your car, so it’s a “no brainer” to keep it maintained and monitored.

It’s the same way for your computers, devices, and network. If there is a critical security patch that comes out for your operating system, if you’re not monitoring that, how can you know? And not applying the patch could result in a virus infiltration or ransomware attack.

Investing in managed services helps you stay proactive instead of reactive when it comes to maintaining your technology, just like you do for your automobile. And you come out saving big time in the end. [Read more…]

You may feel secure if your team stays on a local virtual private network (VPN) while connecting to the web at your office, but what happens when someone is on the road connecting to your Slack or Office 365 platform? Do they have that same safety net? And are you positive they’re not bypassing it with their mobile devices even while in the office?

According to a study by Gartner, 82% of corporate laptop users admitted to sometimes connecting directly to the internet instead of through the company’s VPN. It’s estimated that in 2018, 25% of corporate data traffic will flow directly from mobile devices, by passing perimeter security put in place at offices.

This means that if you don’t have a solution that can capture all that “renegade” traffic and keep it safe, you’re exposed to hackers, viruses, and security breaches.

You may think it sounds impossible to keep your staff’s web connections safe anywhere they are and no matter what type of device they’re using. Or even in unsecure places like a hotel or airport Wi-Fi. But there is a new super security tool you can use, and Connect2Geek.com is here to tell you all about it.

Cisco Umbrella is just that, a magical umbrella that reaches your entire organization no matter where they are to keep them safe from cyber threats. It’s the first Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) that exists… in the cloud. [Read more…]

Your network has just been hit by a ransomware attack, your data encrypted, and held hostage for thousands of dollars. You were planning to put in a backup and data recovery plan, but had been putting it off until you had more time.

Your laptop gets lost on a cross-country flight and you have some, but not all, the files backed up. You’ve just lost months of work and don’t know if you’ll ever get it back.

An unfortunate fire breaks out in the office next to yours overnight. The next morning, your computers are charred and unusable. Now you see why that IT firm was recommending a cloud backup system.

These and other data disasters are all too common and could easily be avoided by having a reliable backup in place that allows you to recover and restore your data in minutes to any device. [Read more…]