The debate on whether IT should be an internal function, outsourced or a hybrid combination of the two has been going on for a while. There are strong arguments in favour of and against each one of them. So logically speaking, it would depend on a variety of factors, like business requirements, company size, whom one asks, blah blah blah..... right?

WRONG!!

In fact, in the light of my arguments below, I might even boldly describe the entire debate as ‘Rubbish’. But before I launch into another one of my inescapable arguments, let’s have a quick look at some of the pros and cons of IT as an outsourced service and as an internal function. Since this blog is primarily dedicated to small business IT, we won’t even talk about the hybrid combination model. The very idea of hiring an IT staff and then outsourcing that function can only make sense (I guess) in a large organisation.

Now let’s analyse these pros and cons for a small business that uses services such as;

• Google Apps for Work or Office365 for emails
  
• Salesforce or Insightly for CRM
  
• Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or a NAS drive for files
  
• Cloud-based services for other applications and 
  
• Has BYOD or COPE framework deployed
  

Pros of External (Outsourced) IT

• With no expensive and eternally outdated hardware such as servers to maintain, the cost of outsourced IT function can become an unjustified expense
  
• Small business IT requirements are generally uncomplicated. Cloud-based services come with plenty of technical support and can work independently of other services. This eliminates the need to retain specialised expertise.
  
• SLAs for outsourced IT support are complicated and often come with lock-in contracts that can be very expensive to get out of. Cloud-based services do offer SLAs but usually don’t have long term contracts.
  

Cons of Internal IT

• The simplicity and ease-of-use of cloud-based systems do not always require a dedicated technical staff maintaining them. Moderate technical acumen within operations staff will more than suffice.
  
• With cloud services you have access to the expertise of wide range of IT specialists providing cutting edge technology at extremely affordable prices.
  
• Although far less frequent, cloud systems do have outages but the good thing about those times is the knowledge that there is nothing your staff can do and that some of the best engineers would be working tirelessly to get it back up and running without any excuses and overtime pay.
  

As far as the IT needs of any business is concerned, internal IT function has always been the first choice. Cost is the only primary reason why it is outsourced. Emerging cloud and mobile technologies are, however, radically changing this. You now, not just get better for less but amazing for a fraction and still don’t need an IT whiz-kid to manage it all.

This article was written by Austin D'Mello, Managing Partner of Vocatys, an emerging technology consulting company. If you liked this article please share it with your network. You can also subscribe to the monthly Vocatys newsletter by emailing us at [email protected].

There is a lot of talk about BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and COPE (Corporate Owner Personally Enabled). Both broadly refer to scenarios where employees are allowed to use essentially personal devices for work. Quite a few large organisations have adopted one of the 2 or a combination thereby reaping their benefits.

Most small and medium sized business tend to avoid BYOD or COPE even though they are likely to benefit from them the most. One of the main reasons for that is security. The idea of employees carrying with company data out of the office where it cannot be controlled or monitored can be very unsettling.

Mobile Device Management (MDM)
It does what it says. MDM is essentially a software solution that can either be installed on-premise or delivered as a service through cloud. Generally using a simple browser based interface, it controls and protects data and settings on all mobile devices connected to the network. So in case any device is stolen or compromised, MDMs can wipe out all important data from that device within minutes. They also perform a number administrative tasks such security updates, configurations and settings remotely with minimal disruption to end users.

With meteoric growth of mobile devices within workplaces, MDM solutions are in high demand and therefore quite a few companies now offer MDMs to suit the needs of virtually any kind of business operation. We have listed 21 MDMs below that are well regarded and would suit small businesses with 10 employees to a medium sized company with up to 250 employees.

Absolute Manage MDM
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“The features available with Absolute Manage MDM allow you to remotely manage the iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices in your deployment. You can wirelessly (over cellular or Wi-Fi) configure, query, and even wipe or lock managed devices. Absolute Manage MDM is available as an on-premise installation or as a cloud-based solution.”

AirWatch (by VMware)
Pricing
Starting from USD $50 per device per year
Environment
Android, Blackberry, iOS, Windows Mobile
Company Spiel
“AirWatch® Mobile Device Management enables businesses to address challenges associated with mobility by providing a simplified, efficient way to view and manage all devices from the central admin console. Our solution enables you to enroll devices in your enterprise environment quickly, configure and update device settings over-the-air, and secure mobile devices. With AirWatch, you can manage a diverse fleet of Android, Apple iOS, BlackBerry, Mac OS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Windows PC/RT and Windows Phone devices from a single management console.”

Amtel
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Amtel simplifies field services mobility management with a complete set of integrated, cloud-based solutions for secure communications, mobile device security, apps and expense management. Our award-winning enterprise class mobile lifecycle management solution is used by organizations worldwide for: securing mobile devices; protecting mobile access to enterprise data; providing a secure corporate communications channel for field employees on mobile phones and tablets; and taking control of apps and expenses for corporate and BYOD devices.”

BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (by BlackBerry)
Pricing
Starting from USD $19 per device per year
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10 (BES10) is the only solution you need for secure device, application and content management, with integrated security and connectivity, for BlackBerry®, iOS and Android™. Deploy, manage and control both corporate and BYOD device users through a simple unified console. Perfectly balance end user and enterprise mobility needs without compromise.”

XenMobile (by Citrix)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Citrix XenMobile is a comprehensive solution to manage mobile devices, apps, and data. Users have single-click access to all of their mobile, SaaS and Windows apps from a unified corporate app store, including seamlessly-integrated email, browser, data sharing and support apps. IT gains control over mobile devices with full configuration, security, provisioning and support capabilities. Flexible deployment options give IT the choice to manage XenMobile in the cloud or on-premise.”

Dell Mobile Management
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Dell Mobile Management enables you to manage and provision access to smartphones and tablets from any device with a browser and internet connection. It also manages applications and content on the devices. With Mobile Management, employees can self-enroll their devices for instant provisioning of corporate access and automated policy enforcement.”

Excitor MobiControl
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Excitor MobiControl is a comprehensive enterprise mobility solution for managing your entire fleet of mobile assets across all operating systems. The centralized, web-based management console provides visibility and control of your corporate, shared and personally owned mobile devices.”

MaaS360 (by Fiberlink, an IBM company)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“MaaS360 lets you provision, secure and manage your mobile devices, apps and content—all from a single portal—while minimizing risk to your organization. We make the complex world of mobility simple by giving you a global mobile infrastructure without the burden of a large financial investment.”

GO! Enterprise MDM (by Globo)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“GO!Enterprise MDM  provides organizations of any size, real-time visibility and control over a variety of mobile devices regardless of operating system, liability, carrier, or email platform. Whether On-Premise or On-Demand (hosted), GO!Enterprise MDM provides a number of features including policy creation, compliance management, device statistics, audit tracking, app management, file distribution, and report generation, all from a single administrative console.”

Good MDM
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Good provides mobile device management (MDM) to support the complete device lifecycle. IT can easily control device settings on any managed device – corporate liable, BYO or COPE – , and ensure safe access to proprietary business information. MDM is a basic capability for enabling enterprise mobility, and is included in Good for Enterprise, the Good Collaboration Suite, and the Good Dynamics Secure Mobility Platform."

Kaseya
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Kaseya’s VSA solution provides MDM capability that extends robust IT policies and automated configuration settings to mobile devices by treating them as computers rather than souped-up cellular phones.”

LANDESK Mobility Manager (by Landesk)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“LANDESK Mobility Manager helps IT administrators provide mobile workers access to the content and applications they need, while safeguarding corporate information. Mobile access must be easy for the professional outside the office, but IT teams must be able to control that access to information successfully.”

Desktop Central (by ManageEngine)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Desktop Central is an integrated desktop & mobile device management software that helps in managing the servers, laptops, desktops, smartphones and tablets from a central point. It automates your regular desktop management routines like installing patches, distributing software, managing your IT Assets, managing software licenses, monitoring software usage statistics, managing USB device usage, taking control of remote desktops, and more. It supports managing both Windows and Mac operating systems. It enables you to manage your mobile devices to deploy profiles and policies, configure devices for Wifi, VPN, Email accounts, etc., apply restrictions on using camera, browser, etc., and to secure your devices like enabling passcode, remote lock/wipe, etc. You can manage all your iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.”

McAfee EMM (an Intel company)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“McAfee Enterprise Mobility Management (McAfee EMM) manages and secures the mobile workforce. McAfee EMM delivers a simplified, streamlined way to enable productivity with confidence in a world where users, and their devices, go everywhere and anywhere.”

Microsoft MDM
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“By delivering unified application and device management, both on-premises and in the cloud, you can support BYOD (bring your own device) initiatives by empowering people to work from the devices they choose while providing consistent access to, and protection of, corporate applications and data.”

MobileIron
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“MobileIron’s MDM capabilities enable IT to secure and manage mobile devices across multiple operating systems, providing secure corporate email, automatic device configuration, certificate-based security, and selective wipe of enterprise data for both corporate and user-owned devices. The MobileIron Client, Mobile@Work, works with MobileIron Core to apply policies and configure email, Wi-Fi, VPN, and security certificates. It creates a clear separation between personal and business data. Should the end-user leave the company or if the device is lost, IT can selectively wipe all corporate data on the device. The MobileIron Platform allows IT administrators to apply granular controls based on a variety of parameters such as device-type, device-ownership and employee role. With this granular policy framework, the IT administrator can both alleviate end-user privacy concerns and lessen the organization's burden of complying with a wide range of privacy laws.”

Mobile Control (by Sophos)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Mobile Control provides an easy way to manage all your smartphones and tablets. Whether you deploy corporate devices, or your employees bring their own (BYOD). Our EMM solution handles them from the initial setup and enrolment, right through to device decommissioning. And our fully web-based console allows administration from any location on any device.”

SOTI MobiControl
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“With the explosive adoption of consumer smartphones and tablets into the enterprise, enforcing corporate policies and best practices while supporting diverse user requirements can be a tough balancing act. Revolutionize your mobility strategy by managing corporate and employee-owned devices with SOTI MobiControl.”

Symantec Mobile Management
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“Symantec Mobile Management (SMM) is an MDM platform that enables enterprise-wide mobile email and application rollouts, safeguards mobile data and devices and provides visibility and control of the mobile environment. The suite delivers integrated single sign-on functionality across in-house and third-party apps, leveraging popular authentication methods including LDAP, SAML, and Kerberos.”

MatrixMobile MDM (by Tangoe)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“MatrixMobile MDM is a comprehensive monitoring, management, and support software and service suite for mobile devices and applications in the enterprise offering complete control of the device lifecycle—from device setup to decommissioning. Mobile device management provides organizations with unmatched visibility and control of any managed device, whether corporate or individual liable, ensuring safe and secure access to invaluable corporate resources.”

SAP Afaria (by Sybase, a SAP company)
Pricing
Contact sales
Environment
Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone
Company Spiel
“SAP Afaria's software platform delivers centralized control of all mobile devices and tablets including iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry, as well as the apps that run on them. With keeping technology in mind, SAP Afaria offers Enterprises the flexibility to deploy on premise or partner hosted.”

Read more:

• http://www.computerworld.com/article/2497055/mobile-device-management/mdm-tools-features-and-functions-compared.html
  
• http://technologyadvice.com/mdm-byod/smart-advisor/?tmp_opt_hme_var=rst_at_end
  

We have already spoken a lot about how decentralising IT operations in a small business will have a significant impact on IT costs and internal business processes. For those who have missed those articles, you’ll find the links to them below. You can even download the free whitepaper on The DeCent-IT Framework, if you wish to learn more.

Right! Now that the pitch is out of the way, let’s explore how decentralising IT operation can have a serendipitous outcome for your user experience, or as it’s referred to by cool people, UX.

It’s about the experience, man..
UX as a buzz word, generally pertains to the design of your website or mobile app. In essence it is the next step up from customer service. Unlike the latter, it’s about how your clients, customers and/or users experience their entire interaction with your business. It’s about how they discover, acquire and experience your offering, it’s about how it makes them feel.

Think about Apple and its products. Their ads don’t talk about the amazing technology that’s crammed into gorgeous looking iPhones, iPods and iPads but more about how they will make you feel. In the non-technical world Lexus stands as a great example. They go to great lengths to ensure a flawless experience from acquisition to ownership of their cars.

The Unusual Suspect
Companies put a great deal of effort into developing UX strategies. They even hire specialists and teams who focus on nothing but user experience. There are currently over 300,000 UX professionals listed on LinkedIn. Small and medium sized businesses, however, don’t always have the luxury of hiring specialist staff for activities that are not a must-have but more like, would be good to have.

But just like glycerol is a by-product of biodiesel, a decentralised IT operation can substantially influence user experience of a small business. While it’s not a core UX strategy in itself, it will act as a catalyst to boost overall user experience in the following ways.

Better Design
One of biggest benefits of a decentralised IT operation is seamless collaboration throughout the business. Improved and well documented internal communications is a goldmine for great ideas. It’s not to say that the product or service design needs to be democratised but input from an engaged staff will always result in a brilliant design.

Better Delivery
The delivery of your services or products is just as important as their design. For the best user experience, every touch point of your business needs to be identified and optimised. When staff are well connected and informed, they can provide information, support and customer service to prospects and customers effortlessly. Thereby making interaction with the business a great experience.

UX via Social Media
Decentralising IT results in higher employee engagement. This in turn makes your staff your primary brand ambassadors. With the power of social media, your brand ambassadors could not only help spread the word but actually engage with your customers creating an all-round user experience at a personal level.

Refocus Resources
The significant cost savings brought about by a decentralised IT operation. This could allow even small businesses to channel those savings towards product design and delivery initiatives that adds to the user experience.

Experience Comes from within
A happy exterior is a natural extension of a happy interior. True user experience begins within the business. The experience you provide your staff with, is the experience they will provide your customers. Decentralised IT operation creates an environment of trust, authority and responsibility. It will heighten employee experience and therefore user experience.

Was this article helpful?

Would you invest time and money on user experience?

Have you involved your staff as brand ambassadors? How did that workout?

We would love to hear from you. Feel free to leave us a message below.

This article was written by Austin D'Mello, Managing Partner of Vocatys, an emerging technology consulting company. If you liked this article please share it with your network. You can also subscribe to the monthly Vocatys newsletter by emailing us at [email protected].

Read more:

• http://www.vocatys.com/blog/the-worst-kept-secret-to-amazing-small-business-it
  
• http://www.vocatys.com/blog/3-small-steps-for-smbs-one-giant-leap-for-remote-working
  
• http://www.vocatys.com/decent-it.html
  
• http://www.smallbusinessmiracles.com/our-blog/user-experience-ux-matters-small-business/
  
• https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/ux-beyond-design-emotional-connection-163048931.html
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience
  
• http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/ux-beyond-design-emotional-connection-0898245#!bKUbtp
  

In our last Bitcoin post “Bitcoins (Part 1): What’s All the Fuss About?” we spoke about how they worked. We explored some advantages and disadvantages of using digital currencies such as Bitcoin. In this post we will explain why we think the biggest winners in the adoption of Bitcoins will be small businesses.

Before we dive into it, it is worth reiterating that Bitcoin is only one of many digital currencies out there. It is often referred to as a cryptocurrency, which is a form of digital currency that relies on principles of cryptography for secure exchange of information. Since its creation in 2009, there have been quite a few that have cropped up. As of May 2014, there were more than 275 cryptocurrencies being traded in online markets. Bitcoin certainly leads by a long way in terms of popularity and adoption.

Irrespective of which cryptocurrency eventually wins the race or if they all end up existing concurrently like our physical currencies, Bitcoins and the like are here to stay. Hence for simplicity, small businesses adopting Bitcoin will experience some extraordinary results. While not exhaustive, the following should cover most bases.

Low Operating Cost
Normally with Bitcoin there are no fees, except when payment needs to be urgently processed. These fees again are negligible, often less than one percent. This would allow small businesses to receive payment without high friction rules like minimum EFTPOS limits and credit card surcharges.

Go to Market…Fast
As compared, it is extremely easy to set up an account and start accepting Bitcoins. New businesses starting up and old businesses changing direction, often struggle when it comes to setting up transaction accounts and merchant facilities, resulting in delays in ‘go to market’ strategies. Adopting Bitcoins will dramatically streamline that process.

Lower Risks
According to a LexisNexis report in 2013, merchants pay up to US$2.79 for every $1 lost in fraudulent transaction. Chargeback frauds can have a devastating effect on a small business. With all onus on the merchants to verify the transaction, a chargeback will still result in the merchant being held solely accountable. Bitcoin transactions, however, are irreversible thus significantly reducing such fraud risks.

International Business
Rampantly growing ecommerce is forcing even the most traditional businesses to have an online presence. But buying and selling online, especially if trading internationally, results in businesses having to navigate the multi-currency conundrum, not to mention the incessant international transaction fees. International transactions with Bitcoin happen within 10 mins and attract none or very little fees. Bitcoin allows small businesses immediate pathway to international trade with almost no hassle.

Free Publicity
Given the popularity and the publicity that goes with everything Bitcoin, a lot of small businesses are advertising they accept Bitcoins just for the press. Accepting Bitcoin does not cost much, if anything at all, to setup but it will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the brand image.

Attract Cool
At the moment, the decentralised nature of Bitcoin makes it cool. We are talking sub-zero! Small businesses accepting Bitcoins are automatically cool. This will attract an entire subculture of customers that would not normally shop with them. It’s simply cool to buy with Bitcoins. Likewise it will widen the scope of suppliers to select from as well.

Challenge the Big Dogs
One of the key areas where larger competitors often hold a distinct advantage is operations. Emerging mobile and cloud technologies are already closing that gap. Bitcoins with its ability to attract new markets, reduced risks and low operational expenses like bank and merchant fees, will see marked improvement in operations, therefore allowing them to effectively compete with the big dogs.

Flexible Finances
Businesses where finance is controlled by multiple people and need multiple authorisations for even small spends, can often be caught short if one of the authorising individual is not physically available. Bitcoins can be set up for multiple authorisations and with easy access through various mobile wallet apps, everything becomes location independent and easy.

Taxation
Governments are generally approaching Bitcoins in two forms viz. as Currency or as Property. Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service in the US ruled Bitcoin as a ‘Property’ for tax purposes. The Australian Taxation Office is still in the process of making the call on that. If declared as Property, Bitcoins will be subjected to capital gains tax which should not affect businesses that do not intend to hold on to them for extended period of time and/or intend to use an exchange to swap them for equivalent cash immediately. If declared as Currency, however, Bitcoins will be considered as foreign currency and will come with certain tax breaks.

With the right strategy small and medium sized businesses can make Bitcoin their silver bullet. Bitcoin adoption is still in its growth phase. Early adopters will yield the biggest reward.

This article was written by Austin D'Mello, Managing Partner of Vocatys, an emerging technology consulting company. If you liked this article please share it with your network. You can also subscribe to the monthly Vocatys newsletter by emailing us at [email protected].

References:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/How_to_accept_Bitcoin,_for_small_businesses
http://www.coindesk.com/small-businesses-enjoy-success-accepting-bitcoin/
http://www.coindesk.com/survey-results-59-merchants-accept-bitcoin-boost-ecosystem/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/bitcoin-presents-promising-but-risky-payment-alternative-for-small-businesses/2014/04/02/6637aad8-ba7b-11e3-9a05-c739f29ccb08_story.html
http://readwrite.com/2013/11/06/why-small-businesses-have-the-most-to-gain-from-bitcoin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_digital_currencies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_currency
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency
https://coinmarketcap.com/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-30/tax-office-delays-ruling-on-bitcoin/5559816
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chargeback_fraud

No matter what they say, no matter how well encrypted your network is, no matter how many firewalls and anti-virus software you have, there is no such thing as truly secure network.

On a regular basis we hear a number of organisations being ‘hacked’. Think of NASA, Pentagon, Target, Adobe, Facebook, Forbes.com, US Navy and the list goes on. They are all large and high-profile organisations with seemingly unlimited resources at their disposal to protect themselves against these attacks. Yet they find themselves among many that suffer ongoing security breaches.

Interestingly, at least 4 of the organisations mentioned, have verified the cause of the breach was a form of ‘Social Engineering’ technique. According to Wikipedia, in the context of information security, it refers to psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. So metaphorically speaking, one does not need to disarm the alarm or break through doors or windows to get into your home if one can simply talk you into opening the door for them. The techniques employed are only limited by one’s own imagination.

The good news though is that you don’t need to spend big bucks to avoid such attacks. The following tips may not eliminate the threat but it will greatly minimise your company’s susceptibility to it.

You and your team are the weakest link
It all starts with awareness. Social engineers are relentless and often quite talented at their art. Knowing you and your team are the biggest threats to your IT, unintentional of course, is the first step. We humans are surprisingly easy to manipulate.

Rewrite your IT policy
If your current IT policy is more than 6 months old, it is time to re-write. Do not amend, just re-write. Technology and its usage is changing rapidly. Having an updated, all-encompassing policy is not just to scare employees into compliance but it is to educate them.

Control all mobile phones that access the business network
If you and/or your team use personal mobile phones for anything related to the business viz. phone calls, SMS, emails, apps and documents, you need to control it. Mobile phones connecting to multiple Wi-Fi access points, especially free public ones, are most vulnerable. There are free Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools that are easy to manage, are low cost cloud based solutions and can be easily deployed to manage these mobile devices.

Ban all external storage devices
The fastest way to break into a network would be to have a USB drive seemingly empty but loaded with a rootkit that unleashes itself the moment the drive is plugged in. Files can be transferred over your network’s storage or simply use services such as Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive etc.

Emails are for correspondence not collaboration
This cannot be emphasised enough. Forbes.com was hacked and defaced by Syrian Electronic Army using a simple email phishing attack. Cultivate a culture and policy where basic text emails are only used to correspond and to collaborate you can use anyone of these free collaboration tools. Most importantly, seriously consider before opening email attachments or clicking on links in an email.

Reconfigure Router and Wi-Fi
Your router is the gateway to your network and if there is a Wi-Fi access point attached, it becomes very visible and hence very vulnerable. With the help of your IT support provider reconfigure your router to best practice standards.

Passwords and 2-Step Verifications
Google, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook and a host of other service providers offer 2-Step Verification/Authentication, which once set up, you will need to enter your password and the 4-8 digit code sent to your mobile via SMS to access your account. This may sound painful but it would be nothing as compared to pain highlighted in Mat Honan’s case. So wherever possible, set-up this 2-step verification and change all passwords at least once every 1-2 months.

Trust NOBODY
Even seemingly unimportant information such as IT hosted in-house or cloud-based is valuable information to anyone interested. While sharing Wi-Fi passwords and other such security information can obviously be detrimental, create a culture of zero trust when it comes IT. Include a broad IT policy compliance clause in every contract and agreement with external suppliers.

Designate specific IT people
This one applies to businesses using external IT support providers. Designate no more than 2 staff, one primary and the other secondary, to act as liaisons to your service provider. No one else is to have any conversation or perform any actions pertaining to IT. Thus reducing potential information leaks and improving the effectiveness of the service.

Cultivate a culture
Doing a full circle we come back to you and your team. We are, after all, humans, creatures of habit. If habits are not cultivated to be good, they will form anyways, and in most cases, they will be bad. So proactively help create good habits and culture. Regular formal and informal meetings and training sessions will yield a long term sustainable IT aware culture.

So there you have it. The best things in life are indeed free. You do not need to be an IT guru nor would you need an addition to your IT budget to implement these basic yet effective tips to secure your IT. These will not eliminate the threats but will significantly reduce your chances of being ‘hacked’.

References

• http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/security/240165003/top-10-security-breaches-of-2013.htm
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_engineering_(security)
  
• http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304526204579101602356751772
  
• http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/02/iranians-hacked-navy-network-for-4-months-not-a-surprise/
  
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisversace/2014/01/22/2014s-hacking-pain-is-cyber-securitys-gain-for-symc-feye-pawn-keyw-csco-cuda-ftnt-impv/
  
• http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119423
  
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2014/02/20/how-the-syrian-electronic-army-hacked-us-a-detailed-timeline/
  
• http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/feature/2320371/2013-was-a-very-hacked-year
  
• http://aneuron.com/stay-secure-friend-hackers-targeting-smbs/
  
• http://blog.quatrashield.com/2013/12/17/357/
  
• http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/25357/pwc-and-infosecurity-europe-release-the-latest-information-security-breaches-survey/
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing
  
• http://www.emc.com/collateral/fraud-report/rsa-online-fraud-report-012014.pdf
  
• http://www.scmagazine.com/february-2014-threat-stats/slideshow/1809/#1
  
• http://www.cio.com/article/598122/15_Free_Enterprise_Collaboration_Tools
  
• http://www.androidcentral.com/no-excuses-its-time-turn-two-step-authentication
  
• http://www.wired.com/2012/08/apple-amazon-mat-honan-hacking/
  
• http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9181939/Infected_USB_drive_blamed_for_08_military_cyber_breach
  

Forget Big Data or the 2.5 billion gigabytes data being created by us each day based on IBM research back in 2012.

Let’s just focus on the data your business generates every day. Each one of your departments, your employees, your suppliers and your customers create large amounts of data every day. It may be in the form emails, phone calls, social media and company website interactions.

Now what if every business decision you made was not just driven by your innate intuition and vast experience but now also armed with an accurately analysed version of all your data? They call it Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM). Simply put, it is what is says. Imagine KNOWING what your customers, clients or employees truly need and being able to fulfil that need exactly when they need it. It’s one of many advantages DDDM brings to a business. To learn more, have a look at some of the research articles listed below.

The good news here is that you are closer to being data driven than you think. These 5 steps will put your business on the path to becoming a data-driven powerhouse.

1. Collect
To start with, carefully and comprehensively collect data from every source available. At this stage the scope needs to be as wide as possible. Think everything from employee banter, customer service, sales, marketing (websites, social media) and operations to global economy. At this stage it’s all about quantity. It can be recorded on excel sheets or word documents. Keep it simple.

2. Assess
You’ll be surprised how much information there is when you really start to look for it. So instead of trying to tackle everything all at once, start by identifying small chunks of information directly relevant to your business, employees, customers and suppliers.

3. Organise
Once identified move this data into a Business Intelligence or Data Analytics service. There are a host of apps and cloud based services that are free or have free trials that allow you to try before you buy. Most of them are priced per user per month with no contracts. See the reference section below for some options.

4. Analyse
Analytics services and tools provide visual and numerical representations of data being analysed. They convert raw data into usable information and provide comparative analysis in various combinations.

5. Act
This is where you deliberately put into action strategies driven by the precise information at hand.

Repeat
This one’s a bonus step and also the most important. New data is created every second. To truly realise the full potential of DDDM, the fundamental steps above need to be an ongoing process.

In this Digital age information is gold. The truly rich are not the ones that have the most but are the ones that do the most with what they have. So stop worrying about fancy terms like Big Data and use what you have to transform your small business into a Data-Driven Powerhouse!


References
Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM)

• http://www.a51.nl/storage/pdf/SSRN_id1819486.pdf
• http://www.clrn.org/elar/dddm.cfm
• http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/online/top-benefits-of-data-driven-decision-making-35749/
• http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1819486

Small Business Data Analytics Solutions

• http://www.predictiveanalyticstoday.com/top-10-data-analysis-software/
  
• http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224888
  
• http://www.getapp.com/software-customer/Small%20Business/data-analytics-software
  
• http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/The-best-software-for-small-businesses-SMEs-Essential-Guide
  

Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) is fast becoming a jargon like ‘Big Data’ but unlike the ambiguity the latter carries, it is what is says. Quite simply put it’s a business strategy where employees get to bring and use their own laptops, smartphones or tablets to access company emails, applications and data.

The advantages of such a move for any organisation are in most cases undisputed. Increased productivity, greater employee engagement, employee satisfaction and significant cost savings for companies are merely the tip of the iceberg. Yet there is hesitation and often complete refusal to adopt BYOD. Broadly speaking there are three main reasons for that.

1. Complexity
The very notion of letting employees use their own devices to freely access company network and data without the ability to control their access can be very daunting. It will effect standard company policies, employee contracts and the overall company culture.

Solution
We recommend start by establishing a BYOD policy. Every department must be involved and it should encompass acceptable use, devices and support, risks and liabilities, security and responsibility. The policy must include a provision for managing change with an ongoing review system. Feel free to download our BYOD Policy Development Checklist.

2. Security
This is often the one sole reason for organisations to completely shun the idea of BYOD. Which is more than justified in some specific industries more than others. IT departments already have a tough time trying to protect their networks and data when every aspect of that network is controlled by them. The idea or having employees freely access these networks from unmonitored devices can potentially pose a serious threat.

Solution
Mobile Device Management (MDM) are low cost software solutions that can be deployed rapidly to manage, monitor, secure and support a wide range of mobile devices operating on networks of virtually any service provider. They containerise organisational data on any device thereby making the process of adding and removing devices from the network simple and secure. Blackberry’s BES10 and IBM’s MaaS360 are among the well acclaimed MDM solutions.

3. Cost
Cost of doing business is not always monetary. Introduction of new solutions and strategies almost always have some level of initial disruption of productivity which is often more expensive and hence harder to justify. With limited resources cost is always biggest deterrent.

Solution
There is no simple and straightforward solution to this. Every company is unique and needs to evaluate its position accordingly. We do, however, recommend triggering the process by initiating the BYOD policy formation. It will not just help build the scope of the project but also highlight its viability.

And finally, staggering the deployment is highly recommended. It would not only help alleviate the concerns but small doses of trial and error are often the foundations upon which robust polices are built.

“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” – Bill Gates

Right! Now that a disclaimer is in place, I’d like to highlight some amazing and shockingly easy to use mobile apps that small and medium sized businesses cannot afford to ignore. Below are, our most favourite apps that we find best suited to individual business functions. The apps are broadly recommended for specific parts of the business, having said that the benefits of some certainly overlap.

Operations/Production/Service Delivery
Asana – (Free for unlimited teams of up to 15. Prices apply for more than 15)
No matter what your product or service, flawless collaboration is and always will be key to great success. We find Asana one of the best tools for project management for individuals and teams alike. It has an easy to use interface and a long list of very useful features.

Sales/Marketing
Insightly – (Free for up to 3 users. Reasonable pricing, USD$99/month for up to 40 users)
This one we use ourselves. It’s a feature rich, cloud based CRM (Customer Resource Management) system. There are no lock-in contracts or service agreements and is very simple and easy to implement. An intuitive interface and abundant free support make it unquestionably the best CRM for SMBs. We extensively use it for our sales and marketing campaigns, it is one app we could not do without. I could write an entire blog dedicated to how awesome this app is but then I wouldn’t be the only one.

Finance
Xero – (Starting at AUD$25/month for unlimited users. Most popular plan at AUD$60)
They call it ‘Beautiful accounting software’ and we concur except we also think it’s a workhorse with wings when it comes to doing our least favourite activity. Apart from making general accounting easy, it generates and records invoices, receives bank feeds and also reconciles them. It does payroll, auto superannuation and is multi-currency capable. It will save you weeks worth of boring accounting work a year.

Administration
Google Apps of Business – (AUD$5/user/month)
If ever there ever were a king of all apps, this would be it. From emails, calendars and files, to documents and presentations it does everything. This single cloud based app allows you to control almost all your IT administration from a surprisingly simple browser based dashboard. This, ladies and gentlemen, is an IT support killer.

All the apps above are cloud-based, can be accessed from almost all smart mobile devices and any macs or pcs. We encourage you to at least give the free ones a try. You have nothing to lose except, going back to the wise words of Mr Gates, before you decide to fully implement any or all of the above, ensure a sound mobile strategy is in place.

Do you use apps for your business? Are there any favourite ones you cannot work without? Have we missed any good ones? Or you want to know more. Feel free to leave us a comment below or email us at hello @ vocatys . com