Newsletter

Your Computer Network Is Being Haunted!

(And It’s Worse Than Ghosts And Goblins)

Here are 7 critical security measures your business must have in place to have any chance of fending off these cyber criminals tampering with your network:

1. Train Employees On Security Best Practices. The #1 vulnerability for business networks is the employees using them. If they don’t know how to spot infected e-mails or online scams, they could infect your entire network.
2. Create An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) And Enforce It! An AUP outlines how employees are permitted to use company-owned PCs, devices, software, Internet access and e-mail. Having this type of policy is critical if your employees are using their own devices to access company e-mail and data.
3. Require STRONG passwords throughout your company. Passwords should be at least 8 characters and contain lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols and at least one number.
4. Keep Your Network Up-To-Date. New vulnerabilities are found almost daily on common software programs you use all the time; therefore it’s critical you patch and update systems frequently.
5. Have An Excellent Backup. A quality backup can foil even the most aggressive ransomware attacks, where a hacker locks up your files and holds them ransom until you pay up. If your files are backed up, you don’t have to pay to get your data back.
6. Don’t Allow Employees To Download Unauthorized Software. One of the fastest ways to access your network is by embedding malicious code in seemingly harmless apps.
7. Don’t Scrimp On A Good Firewall. Your firewall is the frontline defense against hackers, so you need a really good one, with monitoring and

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Tech Tip: Task Manager

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Does the Thought of Creating a Mobile App Scare You?

Mobile apps are a huge investment, and not just in terms of money. Your app is a representation of your business and if customers are unsatisfied with it, your reputation will take a huge hit. A poorly implemented application will do more harm than good because bad user reviews and low engagement will hit your revenue hard. Avoid this disastrous outcome by working with the mobile app development team at MXOtech.

Our developers have years of experience creating mobile-optimized apps that are responsive and reliable. We’ll guide you through the entire mobile software development process and deliver an app that meets customer expectations with a beautiful yet intuitive user experience. Click here to learn more.

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MXO Blog Spotlight: A Short History of Microsoft Excel

If you’ve worked in an office or have been in school at any point in the last three decades, chances are you’re quite familiar with Microsoft Excel, but if you’ve been around a longer, you likely know that it wasn’t nearly as popular as its competitors at first.

Check out this short article on the history of the the "Killer App"

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Tech Tip: Ensuring your system is protected

We would recommend RESTARTING your computer ASAP as there is an update for Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware which needs to be installed.

Follow these steps to ensure a proper RESTART of your computer:

1. Go to the Start Menu on the bottom left hand side of your screen,
2. Click the Power symbol, and click Restart.

Windows does not do a full, clean restart every time you shut down your computer, so we strongly suggest RESTARTING it.

If there is a box that pops up in the bottom right hand side of your screen after logging in to install the Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware update, then please click Install and let the Anti-Ransomware update run. It should only take about a minute. After that is done, you can proceed with the Windows Update that is prompting you to do.

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Meet the MXOtech ‘Applications’ Team

Some clients tell us our ‘Applications’ team is MXOtech’s hidden gem. Turns out not everyone knows about this other important portion of our business and we would like to reveal this ‘secret’ to more of our colleagues.

The ‘Applications’ team specializes in developing new software solutions – either stand alone or integrated with other software products you have in house – and is comprised of highly experienced Project Managers, Senior Developers, Quality Assurance specialists, Business Analysts and Subject Matter Experts that can guide you on your journey of selecting the right technological solution and to help implement it, thus, bringing your vision to life.

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Customer Spotlight: Greater Chicago Food Depository

MXOtech was able to transform this manual, paper process into a user-friendly iPad app. In addition to capturing the information digitally, the mobile app gives auditors the ability to rate the compliance of the participating pantries/soup kitchens and produce other valuable data analytics and trend comparisons.

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Join Us! An exclusive MXOtech's Webinar will be held on this month on:

Competence Isn’t Enough: Customer Service Requires You to Go Deeper

Most people think they’re good at customer service. But they don’t go deep enough to serve the customer. Now more than ever, under the current conditions, it's imperative to put your customers first. Learn how to ensure that every customer feels satisfied, every time.

Thursday, September 25th at 10:00 AM Click here to register

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"I love to study and learn new things. My passion is working with people and helping them with any kind of problem. I enjoy working on multiple projects at the same time while challenging myself with new technology as often as possible." - Andrii

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This award arrives at a special time for MXO, as we celebrate our 15 year anniversary!

“I feel so blessed to be celebrating 15 years in business and to be honored again this year among the country’s most successful IT companies. I never imagined when I started MXO out of my home back in 2005 that today we would be supporting so many essential Chicago organizations and making dreams come true for our employees. I am also extremely grateful to our partners like Datto, Webroot, ConnectWise, and Nextiva that help us to provide best in class solutions to our clients. MXO is proof that with perseverance and hard work, anything is possible!” - Joanna Sobran

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Cyber Crime Scare Tactics:

It may come as no surprise that cybercriminal activity is on the rise in 2020. With the onset of COVID-19, there were new uncertainties, fears, and knowledge gaps creating new ideas for hackers. Look out for false narratives on websites designed to spread malware.

How do you stay protected? Realize when you're getting comfortable online and providing your personal information too soon. It the message seems suspicious, please reach out to MXOtech and we can help take a look. Please reach out to MXOtech for offers of cyber-security training and ongoing prevention.

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Stay Healthy. Stay Connected. Return Stronger.

Beginning in March, we launched a few routine cultural activities to stay connected during the pandemic stay-at-home order:​

• #MXOfit for team members to share and complete a virtual "Keyboard to 5K Run"
• Daily optional activities like such as group Jack-box gaming, inspirational talks, and Teams meeting dedicated to 10-minute yoga.
• Sending out gift-cards for Amazon movie tickets
• Monthly after work happy hour to bring any kind of drink and chat
• Teams chat rooms dedicated to lunch topics and polls like "Naming my new dog."
• Competitions for team members to post their best at-home work area set-up.
• Posting results and links to "Name your personal theme song"

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"I just celebrated my 10th anniversary with the company! I enjoy working with our clients to execute vital project initiatives to positively impact their business. I often see opportunities before other people are able to identify them. I am not afraid to look through the window of opportunity and reach for the stars." - Toni

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Ergonomics of your workstation

Customizing your home or office set-up may have more benefits than you realize. Conscientious workstation ergonomics improves: focus, comfort, back health, and removes as many strains as possible to keep you on track.

• As your spine is naturally an "S" shape; a lower-back pillow or lower back support goes a long way.
• Both keyboard and mouse should be at elbow height when you are seated for typing.
• The monitor is best positioned an arm's length from your eyes.
• The top of the monitor is best aligned slightly below your eye level (to hold your neck straight.)
• If possible, have all monitors at the same height.

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Future Webinar: Cyber-insurance

Did you know by being a client of MXOtech you get access to discounted Cyber Liability & Cyber Crime Insurance?”

Keep an eye out for an invitation to the upcoming webinar we’re hosting on Cyber Insurance. We’ll uncover some surprising facts you may not realize about what's covered under your current policy. You won’t want to miss it!

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When you return to the office...

Look no further than MXOtech's 45 Point Checklist. This document provides: helpful checklists, tips, industry research, workplace policy templates, and an action plan for a healthy transition.

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• Help Desk Level 2 with two to three years of experience and a passion for customer service.
• Senior Network Engineer with five to seven years of experience performing server migrations, cloud implementations, and complex IT projects.
• Project Manager who knows SCRUM and has a passion for managing enterprise software development projects and leading people.
• UX/UI Designer that makes ideas come to life with beautiful prototypes.
• Application Analyst with a strong desire to manage various applications that run businesses for our SMB clients.

We are reaching out because there are many amazing people have lost their jobs and could use a referral from you. As always, we want candidates that embody the characteristics we value in our culture of customer service and ones that exhibit our five core values: walk with purpose; assume the best intentions; family spirit; let them feel your smile; and sense of urgency.

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