7 Step Checklist for Secure and Reliable Laptop Imaging

Your company’s laptops are a valuable business tool that enables the success of your workforce. It contains important information and files that are necessary for your work. That’s why it’s important to have a setup and a backup plan for your laptop imaging. In this blog post, we will discuss the best practices for laptop imaging so that you can keep your company data private and secure. When onboarding an employee, it is essential to set up their device and make sure to securely delete everything if a previous employee had that device. Laptop imaging can vary from business to business, so it is important to include specific instructions when onboarding a new user. 

1. Start with a Fresh Image

It can be tempting for companies to try to skip the imaging process when deploying new or re-used laptops. By starting with a newly imaged device, companies can document updates and changes more effectively, and avoid accidentally duplicating bad software or private data. In addition, starting fresh provides an opportunity to review and improve upon existing processes. It may take some extra time up front, but the long-term benefits of starting from scratch are typically worth the investment.

2. Identify User Profiles

When it comes to information management, one size does not fit all. That’s why it’s important for companies to tailor their systems to the specific needs of each team or department. Accounting departments, for example, have very different needs than design centers. As such, it is often useful to create different master PC images for each department. This helps to optimize workflow and ensure that employees have the programs, permissions, and privileges they need to do their jobs effectively. While it takes a bit of effort to set up separate images for each department, the benefits can be well worth the investment.

3. Verify Device Compatibility

Not every PC Image will work for every workstation. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider things like computer type, hard drive capacity, RAM, graphics processing power, operating system, and compatible software before beginning. This is because something as simple as a system update can render some programs obsolete. By taking all of these factors into account, you can ensure that your Master Image will be compatible with all of the systems it needs to be used on. In doing so, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and headache in the long run.

4. Create a Master Image

With deployment criteria validated, IT technicians can initiate a Master Image. There are many programs available to facilitate the creation of a computer image, and IT professionals should determine which one is best suited for a company’s needs. Before deploying a PC image, technicians should patch the Operating System (OS) to ensure images are as up to date as possible. Next, technicians should install and update applications relevant to the target user’s system and configure appropriate permissions and privileges.

5. Maintain Drivers

Device drivers are programs that control devices connected to a computer. In most cases, devices are connected directly to the computer via cables, but they can also be connected wirelessly. Drivers allow the computer to communicate with the device and to use its features. For example, a printer driver allows the computer to send data to the printer so that it can print it. Drivers are generally specific to a particular make and model of device, and they need to be kept up to date to work correctly. When technicians update a computer’s operating system, they typically also update the device drivers. This ensures that all the devices will continue to work correctly with the new operating system. Technicians should double-check that all drivers are up-to-date and functioning correctly before updating any computer image. 

6. Audit Master Image Regularly

Companies should develop a process for keeping the master image optimized. A best practice is to schedule a monthly audit of master images to ensure programs, permissions, and privileges are functional and current. This practice helps minimize the number of system updates and configuration changes needed each time imaging is applied.

7. Document Changes

Companies should remain diligent about documenting changes or updates to any Master Image. Proper documentation can save IT departments hours of headaches by simply noting the date of image, base configuration, and changes since the last version. 

While this laptop imaging checklist only features the high-level steps for internal IT departments to consider, it should give you a general framework for simplifying the deployment of multiple devices. Organizations should reference this imaging checklist throughout their planning and strategy phases to develop realistic timelines and budgets. 

Laptop imaging is a vital part of keeping your company’s data private and secure. By following the best practices for laptop imaging, you can ensure that your data is protected in the event of an employee departure, hardware return, or other change of control incident. If you need help with setting up laptop imaging for your business, contact our experts today at sales@montra.io 

TAG Announces the Top 40 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia

Media Contact:

Russ Davis – russ@tagonline.org

(404) 920-2023

TAG Announces the Top 40

Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia

ATLANTA (April 13, 2022) – Each year, the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) unveils the Top 40 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia. This year, there are actually 41, as two companies tied for a spot on this prestigious list.

TAG’S Top 40 Awards, sponsored by Amazon Web Services, Best Buy and Comcast Business, recognize Georgia-based technology companies for their contribution to innovation and economic growth within the state of Georgia’s technology sector.

“TAG is pleased to recognize these top technology companies that help positively impact Georgia’s innovation economy,” said Larry K. Williams, President and CEO of TAG. “By Elevating, Innovating and Activating strategies that support the vast technology ecosystem, these companies help advance our state’s position on the global technology stage.”

TAG accepted nominations for Top 40 earlier this year. Nominations came from individuals in their respective companies or from external public relations agencies. The TAG Top 40 committee, comprised of esteemed technology and investment leaders, presided over the judging of applications. Judges reviewed applications based on the company’s innovation; the market need that their innovation addresses; and how the innovation benefits the Georgia technology economy.

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The 2022 Top 41 Innovative Technology Companies are:

• Atomic-6, LLC.

• Automation Intelligence

• Azalea Health

• Banyan Hills Technologies

• Carpool Logistics

• Clean Hands – Safe Hands

• ClickDimensions

• Cooleaf

• Curricula

• DataSeers

• FI Navigator Corporation

• FlowPath

• GoFan

• Inclusivv

• Intradiem

• Kobiton Inc.

• MacStadium

• Managr

• MapHabit, Inc.

• MaxRewards

• Montra

• NuGen Systems

• OneVizion

• Optimal Technology Corporation

• OXOS Medical

• QGenda

• RightData, Inc.

• RoadSync

• Safely

• SemiCab Inc.

• Sonar

• Southern Company

• eStreamly

• Synovus Financial Corp.

• TechSera, Inc.

• Verusen

• Vital4

• Vouch.io

• Voxie

• Ware2Go

• WasteWizer Technologies

Companies selected to the Top 40 will have the opportunity to showcase their company’s work at the Georgia Technology Summit’s exhibition April 26-27, 2022 at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta.

“This year’s Top 40 companies represent a wide range of technology industries that power Georgia’s innovation economy,” said Dennis Zakas, Georgia’s Top 40 Innovative Company Awards Chair. “Based on the quality of the winners and the history of the award, it’s likely that some of today’s Top 40 companies will be the unicorns of tomorrow.”

For more information about the 2022 Georgia Technology Summit and to register for the event, visit https://GeorgiaTechnologySummit.com. Follow the conversation on Twitter through #GTS2022.

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About the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

TAG’s mission is to Connect, Promote, Influence and Educate Georgia’s technology ecosystem to advance the innovation economy. Through those four foundational strategies TAG serves the technology community, helping to support, grow and ignite tech leaders, companies and the overall Georgia economy.

TAG serves more than 30,000 members statewide through regional chapters in Metro Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon/Middle Georgia, and Savannah. TAG hosts more than 150 events each year and serves as an umbrella organization for 26 professional societies.

TAG provides networking and educational programs; celebrates Georgia’s technology leaders and companies, and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology.

Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive.

For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit www.tagedonline.org.

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12 Cyber Readiness Strategies #7 and #8

In our last blog post, we discussed cyber readiness strategies: #5 Back-Up Everything and #6 Don’t Neglect Compliance. Continuing our series this week are discussing strategies #7 and #8, Continuous Network Intelligence and Security Awareness Training. In 2021 businesses suffered 50% More Cyberattack Attempts per Week in 2021 and as a business owner, it is not only important to continuously monitor your networks for any suspicious activity, but also to prepare employees for any type of cyber attack.  

7. Continuous Network Intelligence

Technology is always changing and advancing, which can mean new vulnerabilities for your organization. Staying on top of these changes is critical to reducing the risk of a cyberattack. This is where continuous network intelligence comes in. By monitoring your network and systems continuously, you can quickly identify and patch any vulnerabilities. In fact, continuous monitoring is one of the best ways to detect a cyber-attack early. One of the strategies attackers will use is ransomware attacks. What is a ransomware attack? A ransomware attack is when an attacker encrypts your data and demands a ransom to decrypt it. These attacks can be devastating to businesses, as they can lose critical data and be forced to pay a ransom. To prevent these attacks, it is important to set up your network to detect access from outside sources. As soon as anyone outside your network enters, you will be able to kick them out before they can cause harm. If you don’t have monitoring tools in place already there are a few ways to start implementing continuous network monitoring: 

  • Use a network security solution that provides real-time visibility into your network traffic and activity. 
  • Keep systems up-to-date by continually watching for OS and application security updates and patching the systems as soon as reasonable. 
  • Conduct regular penetration testing to identify any weaknesses in your system. 

By continuously monitoring your network, you can quickly identify and patch any vulnerabilities. This will help reduce the risk of a cyber-attack and keep your business running smoothly. 

8. Security Awareness Training 

In addition to continuously monitoring your networks, it is also important to prepare employees for any type of cyber attack. This is where security awareness training comes in. Around 91% of breaches started with a phishing attack and 81% of cyber-attacks are related to stolen or weak passwords. By educating employees on the latest cybersecurity threats and how to prevent them, you can reduce the risk of a successful attack. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating a security awareness training program. 

  • Make it mandatory for all employees. 
  • Keep it up-to-date with the latest threats. 
  • Test employees regularly to ensure they are understanding the material. Examples of this include: 
  • Computer-based awareness training 
  • Phishing simulation exercises 
  • Awareness campaigns 
  • In-person security awareness training 
  • Monthly notifications or newsletters 

By following these tips, you can create a security awareness training program that will help keep your business safe. And by educating employees on the latest cybersecurity threats and how to prevent them, you can reduce the risk of a successful attack.  

These are just a few of the many precautions that should be taken to protect your business from a cyberattack. If you would like more information or have any questions, contact Montra at sales@montra.io. 

 

Building a Multi-Layer Security Strategy Infographic

Building a Multi-Layer Security Strategy

Is your business ready to handle a targeted cyber-attack? Maybe you have been attacked and don’t even know it. According to the 2020 Thales Data Threat Report, 49% of US companies have already experienced a data breach. To help you become more proactive and effective at defending against cyber threats, we have created an infographic to provide you with the basis for compliance for 12 privacy and cyber security frameworks 

Download Infographic

Six Steps to Successful Employee Offboarding

When an employee leaves a company, offboarding is the process of ensuring that they have a smooth and secure transition from their current role to their next one. This includes tasks such as ensuring that all their accounts are closed and transferred, returning all devices and that the former employee can proceed easily to their new job.  

Employee off-boarding is critical not just for securing company data, but also for maintaining a safe workplace. A recent study has shown that about 89% of employees still had access to their company’s network and data after termination and around 83% continued to access their old employer’s accounts. With insider cyber-attacks rising by 44% over the past two years, it is more critical than ever to properly off-board employees after they leave your company. 

Here are some of the key steps involved in successfully offboarding an employee along with some of the best practices for making the process smoother.  

1. Disable all accounts and change passwords

One of the first steps in offboarding an employee is to disable their user accounts and change any passwords they may have had access to. This helps to ensure that the former employee does not have any access to company data or systems. Additionally, it is important to update any additional identity security measures such as multi-factor authentication that the employee may have been using. 

2. Collect company-owned devices

The next step is to collect any company property that the employee may have, such as phones, laptops, keys, or ID badges. It is important to do this as soon as possible so that the employee does not have access to company resources. Additionally, you should check with the employee to make sure that they have not taken any confidential information with them. If an employee is working remotely, you will need to arrange for someone to collect their devices from them or have the employee ship their devices back. 

3. Securely erase company devices

Either remotely or when the company devices are returned, securely erase the information on those devices. This will ensure that any company data on the devices cannot be accessed by the former employee. Once this is done you can prepare the devices for use by a new employee.

4. Contact Third-Parties

You should also notify any customers, partners or vendors, with whom the employee worked and provide them with the new contact information for your company. This will ensure that there are no potential information issues and that third-parties are able to continue working with your company without interruption.

5. Update your company’s HR records

Finally, you will need to update your company’s HR records to reflect the employee’s departure. This includes removing them from any health insurance or other benefits they may have been receiving. You will also need to update their contact information and emergency contact information. Once this is done, you can send out a farewell message to current employees. Additionally, by keeping open communication with the departing employee, you can help to make the transition as easy as possible for them. 

6. Follow cyber-compliance policies

When offboarding an employee, it is important to make certain you are operating within compliance of any relevant cyber-security regulations. For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework (NIST CSF) requires companies to take specific measures when deleting employee data. Additionally, ISO 27001 is a standard for information security management and requires companies to have a plan for terminating employees. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires companies to protect the privacy of employee health information. By following all applicable regulations, you can help to ensure that your company complies when offboarding employees. 

You can make sure that your company’s offboarding procedure is effective and safe by following these procedures. Whether an employee leaves your company by their choice or yours, offboarding them as quickly and efficiently as possible is key to limiting any exposure of your business to a disgruntled former employee. By following these tips, you can minimize the amount of time they have access to your IT systems and ensure that they depart on good terms. If you have any questions about how to execute these tips or would like help with offboarding your employees, feel free to reach out to us at sales@montra.io. 

Microsoft OneDrive – Eight Ways to Get the Most from It

When it comes to file storage and sharing, there are a lot of different options out there. Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud-based storage and synchronization service offered by Microsoft. It allows users to store files in the cloud, share files with others, and sync files across devices. With its many features, it can be difficult to know how to get the most out of the service. In this post, we will cover topics such as best practices, how to share and sync across devices, restore files, and collaborate with others. 

Some of the best features of Microsoft OneDrive are: 

1. You can store up to 5GB of data for free: This is a great option for those who don’t want to pay for storage or who are just starting out and don’t have a lot of files to store. 

2. It integrates well with Microsoft Office programs: If you are a Microsoft Office user, OneDrive will integrate well with your programs and make it easy to save files to the cloud. You can also access your files from any device, including phones, tablets, and computers. 

3. You can share files and folders with others and set permissions: This is a great way to collaborate with others. You can give others access to specific files and folders, or you can share your entire OneDrive account with them. 

While there are many great features, there are also some potential downsides. The primary pain points customers have with OneDrive are: 

1. The Interface Can be Confusing 

This is especially true for those who are not familiar with Microsoft Office programs. Whether you’re migrating from another cloud-sharing service or starting from scratch, there are a number of onboarding tutorials your employees can use to become well-versed with OneDrive’s features. 

2. Syncing files between devices Can be Difficult to Setup 

This can be a problem if you have different devices, such as a phone and a computer, and you want to keep the files on both devices. The OneDrive app is the best way to sync all your files, but it can be confusing to setup and often requires a power user or IT administrator to get it going properly.

3. File and Folder Names are different between Mac and
Windows users 

This can be confusing for users who are used to the naming conventions of one OS or the other. OneDrive follows the naming rules for Windows devices and will stop a user who names a file incorrectly. 

  • Disallowed characters include: \, /, :, *, ?, “, ‘, <, >, | 

Assuming you are making the jump to OneDrive, here are eight helpful tips to get the most from it:

1. Use OneDrive on a Mobile Device 

If you are using Microsoft OneDrive on a mobile device, there are a few things you should keep in mind to get the most out of it. First, make sure you have the latest version of the OneDrive app installed on your device – either from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Second, if you are going to be accessing your files offline, make sure you have enough storage space on your device to accommodate them. And finally, remember that you can always access your OneDrive files from any web browser by going to onedrive.live.com.

2. Use OneDrive on a Mac or PC 

If you’re using a Mac or PC, you can access your OneDrive files by going to onedrive.live.com. Simply sign in with your Microsoft account and you’ll be able to view, download, or upload your files. You can also access your OneDrive files from the OneDrive app for Mac or PC, which you can download from either the Apple App Store or the Microsoft website.

3. Save Files to OneDrive 

To save a file to your Microsoft OneDrive, simply open the file in its respective application (Word, Excel, etc.), and then choose OneDrive as the location to save it. That’s it! Now you can access your file from any device with an internet connection by going to onedrive.live.com from your browser.

4. Upload Files 

Uploading files to Microsoft OneDrive is easy! Simply open the OneDrive app and click on the “Upload Files” button in the sidebar. From there, you can select the files you want to upload from your computer. Once the upload is complete, you’ll be able to access your files from any device with an internet connection by going to onedrive.live.com

5. Sync Files Across Devices 

If you are using Microsoft OneDrive, you can easily sync your files across multiple devices. To do this, simply sign into your OneDrive account on each device. Once you are signed in, your OneDrive files will automatically sync across all your devices.

6. Collaborate with Others 

Share Files 

Sharing files with others is a breeze with Microsoft OneDrive. Simply select the file or folder you wish to share, and then click the “Share” button. From there, you can enter the email addresses of the people you want to share with and decide whether they can view or edit the file. You can also add a message to include with the invitation. 

Share Folders 

If you’re collaborating with others on a project, Microsoft OneDrive is a great way to keep everyone on the same page. To do this, simply share your OneDrive file or folder with the people you’re working with. Once they have access to the folder, they’ll be able to view or edit them from any device with an internet connection.

7. Restore Older Versions of a File 

If you make accidental changes to a file or want to look at an older version of a file, this is a great feature of Microsoft OneDrive! You can easily go back to up to 10 prior versions of your file. To do this on a Mac or PC, simply right-click on the filename and choose “Browse Version History”. Once drive will provide you with a list of the dates and time of prior versions of the file. Select one and it will be opened in the appropriate application to view and save.

8. Access Your OneDrive Files Offline 

If you need to access your OneDrive files while you’re offline, there’s no need to worry! Microsoft OneDrive App on your device automatically makes a local copy of your files on your device, so you can always access them even if you don’t have an internet connection. To access your offline files, simply go to the OneDrive app and look for the “Available offline” section. 

Microsoft OneDrive is a great way to sync and share your files across multiple devices. It’s easy to use and has a variety of features that make it a valuable tool for both personal and professional use. We listed just a few of the potential benefits of using Microsoft OneDrive. If you have any questions about how to use OneDrive or would like help implementing it in your business, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at sales@montra.io.