Our Learning Center Video Library is designed to provide answers to questions that we are most frequently asked. Since we have so many videos, we have separated them out into categories to help you navigate to the video that will best answer your questions. We also have a search feature on each page.
Think of the browser cache as a temporary memory storage system. When you visit a website for the first time, your browser downloads all the necessary files needed to display the webpage properly. These files can include HTML documents, images, CSS stylesheets, JavaScript files, and more.
Welcome to our Phin Admin Introduction tutorial! In this brief video, we'll guide you through the Phin Admin portal, the hub for managing your cybersecurity training and simulated phishing attacks.
In this step-by-step guide, we'll walk you through the process of assigning courses in Bigger Brains. Whether you're an admin or a new user, this video will provide all the insights you need to effectively assign courses to your learners.
Welcome to our step-by-step tutorial on creating learning paths in Bigger Brains! 🎓 In this video, we’ll guide you through the process of setting up customized learning paths to enhance your training programs.
A smart city is a city that uses technology and data to improve the lives of its residents and make urban living more efficient, sustainable, and enjoyable. But what makes the city "smart?" and while technology improvements offer many benefits, what are the potential issues if safety measures aren't in place?
QR codes are everywhere nowadays, right? You see them on menus, posters, flyers—pretty much everywhere. They're super handy too! Just whip out your phone, snap a pic, and bam! You're directed to a link, a discount, or even a video. But hold up, there's a sneaky side to these little squares.
Cybersecurity Training. Simulated Phishing. It's included with your Model '23 and '24 agreement. Learn how to track your employees and see if they're clicking where they shouldn't. This isn't just another training tool. It's a dynamic solution designed to engage and empower your team members with concise, entertaining videos packed with actionable insights.
Ransomware is a type of malware that hackers use to encrypt your files or lock you out of your own computer or device. Once your files are encrypted or your device is locked, the cybercriminals demand a ransom payment from you, usually in cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, in exchange for the key or code to unlock your files or device.
Innovation debt, also known as technical debt, is a term used to describe the costs that companies and organizations incur when they delay investing in new technologies or ideas that can help them remain competitive.
Submitting a service ticket is an important part of working with your IT provider, but it shouldn’t be complicated! Here at Simplex-IT we have an easy process for you! So how do you submit a service ticket? There are three options.
What is the difference between 3G, 4G, 5G? Let's break down the differences between 3G, 4G, and 5G in a simple way, without getting too technical. 3G was the third generation of mobile networks, providing faster data transfer speeds compared to its predecessor, 2G.
Bob explains the power of Bigger Brains' extensive library of over 200 eLearning courses, focusing on essential business productivity tools such as Microsoft 365, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and is tailored for professionals at all levels. Take you and your team’s skills to the next level
A Single Point of Failure is a potential risk caused by a flaw in the design, implementation, or configuration of a system. It’s the one fault that can shut down an entire system. This could be in your cybersecurity, networking, and similar aspects.
Wondering what to do with your eclipse glasses now that the eclipse is over?
Check out the website: astronomerswithoutborders.org
So you have a computer, and you want to do various tasks like writing documents, browsing the internet, or playing games. To make these tasks possible, your computer needs something to manage and coordinate all the different parts inside it. This is where the operating system (OS) comes in.
Missed out on the incredible evening at Missing Falls Brewery? Don't worry! We've got you covered with an exclusive recap of the event that brought together cybersecurity experts, beer enthusiasts, and eclipse enthusiasts! A heartfelt thank you to all who joined us for this incredible event!
Ever received a "Firmware update available" notification and wondered what you're actually updating? In this video, we break down the concept of firmware, the unsung hero embedded in our devices. Firmware is a specialized type of software embedded in hardware devices, dictating how they function.
Network monitoring is the process of observing and analyzing the traffic and behavior of computer networks to ensure they are performing optimally and securely. They make sure everything is in order and there are no suspicious activities or potential threats.
Announcing Simplex-IT’s new AI service. AI has been all the buzz lately so we figured we would jump on the bandwagon and add on a new service for all of our clients. Don’t worry if you’re not already a client, for today only you can add this once in a lifetime service on to any agreement at no additional cost, just use the code APRIL FOOLS.
DKIM, DomainKeys Identified Mail, is used to authenticate an email. It uses a digital signature to let the email recipient know the message and content of the email was authorized by the domain owner. How does DKIM work? Actually it's fairly complicated in terms of generating public and private keys in order to verify the content of your email.
In this webinar, we will show you the basics of Keeper, a security vault that allows you to securely access and manage your passwords across devices. Kurt and Bob will tell you how to use this tool to increase security on your accounts without having to memorize dozens of complicated passwords. Keeper is included for your management team in our new Model Year ’24 agreement!
Sophos MDR expert, Christopher Glick, gives an eye-opening session on Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Picture this: a fully managed 24/7 service delivered by top-notch experts who constantly detect and respond to cyberattacks targeting every facet of your digital infrastructure.
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication protocol designed to prevent email spoofing and spam. It restricts who can use an organization's domain as the sender of the email. In most phishing attacks, threat actors usually spoof the sender's email address to look official. SPF prevents that from being received.
Today is one of our favorite holidays – it's Pi Day! For those of you who don't know, March 14th is Pi Day and celebrates the famous never-ending number. And since we're a bunch of IT nerds, we take this day very seriously. Every year on Pi Day, we take the time to thank our clients and some other local businesses by delivering a pie to their offices.
DMARC, Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, is an email security protocol that verifies email senders by building on the DNS services and the SPF, and DKIM protocols. It was created to block the threat of email spoofing, domain spoofing, email phishing, business email compromise, and other email-based attacks.
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. It’s actually a 4 letter acronym that really takes advantage of a 3 letter and a 4 letter acronym, SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). So together we have an 11 letter acronym. And if you want emails from your company to be safely delivered, better pay attention.
RAM, or Random Access Memory, is a dynamic player in the world of computer memory. Unlike storage devices, RAM is volatile and acts as the computer's short-term memory, storing actively used and processed data. Imagine your computer's RAM as a desk – the larger it is, the more tasks and processes it can handle simultaneously.
An insider threat refers to the risk or potential harm posed to an organization's data, systems, or security by individuals who have authorized access to the organization's resources. These individuals could be current/ former employees, contractors, or business partners…
A CIO (Chief Information Officer) is a high-level executive responsible for overseeing a company's information technology (IT) strategy and operations. On the other hand, a vCIO (virtual Chief Information Officer) is a consultant or an outsourced service provider who provides similar services as a CIO, but on a part-time or project basis.
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In recent years, technology has rapidly changed the way we interact with the digital world. There are two terms that have been used over the past few years that may sound familiar. VR, Virtual Reality, and AR, or Augmented Reality. One you probably haven’t heard of as much is MR, or Mixed Reality.
What is a cookie? Besides being a wonderful little dessert, a cookie is also a tech term. Imagine you're at a party, and the host gives you a sticker with your name on it. This sticker helps the host remember your name throughout the party, so they can greet you by name and offer you things you might like.
A BCDR device stands for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery device. It's a specialized tool that helps businesses protect their data and IT infrastructure in case of unexpected events like natural disasters, power outages, cyber attacks, and hardware failures.
CMMC Proposed Rule Published with Bob Coppedge, CEO @simplex-it and Tim Golden CEO @compliancescorecard . What's Impacted? What to do? Need to Know More?
A server, in the IT world, is a specialized, powerful computer that serves a specific purpose. A server is a super-smart, super-organized computer that does important jobs for other devices, like your regular home computer or phone. It's not meant for browsing the internet, playing games, or watching videos.
When talking about cybersecurity solutions, there’s a ton of different acronyms and abbreviations. You’ve probably heard about EDR, MDR, MTR, and XDR. But what do all of these mean? Let’s dive in.
Think of your home or office as a city, and the internet as a vast network of roads connecting different cities. Now, think of a router as the traffic cop for your city. A router is a device that helps your computer or other devices connect to the internet. Here's how it works:
“Bring Your Own Device” - or BYOD – is a policy where employees use their personal devices (phones, laptops, tablets, etc.) for work, rather than company-provided devices. It has become more popular recently for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the desire for reduction in device maintenance for companies – and the associated cost.
Cheers to unforgettable moments and festive celebrations! Wishing you all a joyous holiday season filled with warmth and happiness from all of us at Simplex-IT!
TSP stands for Technology Success Partner. Some will argue that this is necessary. That a TSP encompasses support for all of your IT. Including your Cloud, security, and…umm…IT. I think the concept is that an MSP has a more sophisticated view of IT than an MSP. Somehow. By some arbitrary measure. An All-in-one IT solution.
Working with an IT Managed Service Provider, MSP, can sound like a daunting task if you don't have any prior knowledge about IT. Instead of trying to go in blind, here are some tips to help you get started.
At Simplex-IT, we have the privilege of meeting with numerous businesses in Northeast Ohio each year to discuss their IT outsourcing needs. With our extensive experience and expertise in the IT industry, as well as our willingness to share our honest thoughts and feelings….
Here at Simplex-IT, we understand looking for a new IT provider isn't fun. Pushy salespeople. Condescending IT jerks. We take a consultative approach, because we’re genuinely interested in supporting the success of your business through IT.
Microsoft Teams Exploratory is essentially a 12 month free license for your organization to use Teams. 12 months later Microsoft is going to tell you how it's expiring and you should do something about it. What they don't do is they don't bother to take a look and see whether or not the organization is already using Teams.
Managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security services providers (MSSPs) are two terms that are often used interchangeably in the IT industry, but they are not the same thing. While there may be some overlap in the services they provide, there are significant differences between the two.
A tabletop exercise is an opportunity for your organization to practice what happens in the event of an incident. The most common tabletop exercises are incident response and disaster recovery. This is where people within your organization can work in a simulated environment to resolve a problem using the process and procedures that you should have in place.
In today's digital age, data security has become a top priority for organizations across industries. With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber attacks, it's critical for businesses to have a dedicated professional responsible for their overall information security. This is where the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) comes in.
Business impact analysis (BIA) is an essential component of a company's risk management process. It involves assessing and analyzing potential risks that could disrupt the organization's operations and result in financial or reputational losses.
Windows end of life is a critical aspect that every individual and organization should be aware of to ensure the safety and security of their systems and sensitive data. In simple terms, Windows end of life refers to the point when Microsoft stops supporting a version of Windows.
We’ve all been there, going about our day and then we receive the notification ‘An update is available for your software, install now?’ This can be annoying, but it’s actually a critical item to maintain the security of your applications.
In today’s connected world we often have dozens of online accounts – whether it be for banking, shopping, work, or entertainment. But it often seems like every time we turn around another service was compromised or there’s an attempt to hack into accounts. So what can you do to keep your accounts safe and secure?
At its core, EDR is an evolution of antivirus software. Whereas traditional antivirus tools rely on signature-based scanning to detect known malicious files, EDR takes a more comprehensive approach.
It’s easy to just say “inflation” when someone asks why there’s a price increase for what seems to be the same service from one year to the next. And boy, there's truth there. But it can be more complicated than that.
Short answer, it depends. Some common policies that are important for all companies to have are: - An acceptable use policy that defines what employees are allowed to do and not to do in the organization – especially around how they use technology.
When you’re shopping for IT services, It’s important to understand the different pricing models that MSPs and IT providers use. Not only do you want your provider to be transparent in their pricing and their model in general, but you need to know when you’re comparing providers as well.
Not really. There's always going to be some inherent risk in everything we do. But there are different responses that you can take to reduce that risk. For instance, you can mitigate the risk by putting appropriate controls and safeguards in place to decrease the impact of that risk.
You can submit a support ticket in a number of different ways, give a call, send an email, use our portal. However you decide to submit it, we handle them all with the same process. As soon as our service desk receives your ticket, it’s assigned a tracking number and triaged for impact and severity.
Have you ever wondered how we make our videos? Well Hayley is here to explain just how we do it and even share some tips on how you can get started making videos for your business.
Security awareness training is a critical component of any organization's security strategy. It involves training employees on common security risks and how to recognize and avoid them. This includes identifying phishing emails, scam calls, and text messages, as well as learning how to follow electronic funds transfer and more.
BI stands for “Business Intelligence”. Like all acronyms in IT, the definition varies. But I like this definition: BI is a collection of software that allows organizations to analyze existing data and receive meaningful results. Think for a minute about your organization. How it collects data as part of its business.
On July 19th, 2023, we hosted our 16th annual anniversary party with an astonishing turnout of around 70 people. Thank you to everyone who made it out to celebrate 16 years of Simplex-IT! If you couldn’t make it this year, check out next year, that'll be the 17th annual because that's how things work around here.
This question is tougher than it sounds. The simple answer is “try running your organization without IT”. But that’s lazy. Here are several types of improvements that IT can bring to most organizations. Of course, your mileage may vary.
In today's digital age, businesses and individuals face a growing threat of cyber-attacks, data breaches, and other types of cyber incidents. These incidents can cause significant financial and reputational harm to those affected. Cyber insurance is a type of insurance designed to protect against these risks.
As technology continues to advance, businesses of all sizes rely on their IT to support their success. With this growing reliance on technology comes the need for expert IT support, leading many businesses to turn to IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs). However, not all MSPs are created equal, and choosing the wrong one can be a costly mistake.
CMMC stands for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. CMMC is a program that the Department of Defense is implementing to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information.
If you're a business owner looking to partner with an IT provider, there are a few important questions you need to ask before signing up. In this video, we'll explore five crucial questions that will help you find the right IT partner.
Ok, first of all, got a cyber response plan? Use it. If you don't? Then if you have cyber insurance, contact your insurance people. If you're not sure, contact your IT support folks. But don't start "fixing the problem. You actually could make it worse.
Are you a business owner or manager looking to select a reputable IT provider but not sure where to start? In this video, we will discuss some key factors you should consider when selecting a reputable IT provider.
Backing up data is a critical process for any business to ensure the continuity of its operations in the event of a disaster. The frequency of backups, however, depends on several factors that are unique to each organization.
While MSPs are excellent for ongoing IT support and management, they may not always be the best fit for your organization. We discuss various alternatives such as Staff Augmentation/Temp Agencies, Project-Based Services, Cloud Service Providers, Freelance IT Consultants, and IT Outsourcing/Break-Fix Companies.
Last month, the hardware company MSI was compromised by a malicious entity. These bad guys were able to steal source code, development code, and private keys. The big concern comes from the theft of those private keys. What do private keys do?
So, you just got an email. We get so many every day, but how can we be sure they’re legitimate? Let’s talk about how to identify a malicious email. The first thing that you need to know is that malicious actors often rely on urgency. No matter what the situation is take your time…
If you log into any of your devices and apps with just a username and a password, then you’re using one piece of ID – or one ‘authentication factor’. And that’s just not enough. We recommend using MFA.
Does your organization have an unsupported version of Exchange (2013 or older), or you’re not keeping up with patching? If so, you might be looking at some problems delivering emails to MS 365 in the near future.
There are a couple of different ways. The most common is via the web. It can be from a malicious ad that you click on, a redirect that takes you to somewhere you didn’t expect to be, or even just from clicking on the wrong link in your search results.
Hackers are using AI the same way businesses are starting to use AI. They're looking at those repeatable tasks that that are being done and seeing if there's more effective ways to do it. But we're also seeing it lowering that barrier to entry.
Thank you to everyone who attended our recent IT Self-Assessment Workshop. Your presence and participation made it a great success! We hope it provided you with new insights and ideas for improving your organization's IT capabilities.
These are just a few examples of how AI can be used in manufacturing. By leveraging the power of AI, manufacturers can gain insights into their operations that might otherwise go unnoticed, and make more informed decisions to improve their processes and products.
DNS, or “Domain Naming Services or System or Server”, is why stuff works on the internet. When you go to our website, “Simplex-IT.com”, how does your browser know what server actually hosts that web site? DNS..
To tackle this topic, we're going to break the managed service providers (MSP for short) into three tiers. On the low end are MSP's that almost exclusively compete on price. How can they be so inexpensive? Simple. They don't include a lot of services that either protect you or increase your productivity.
A Virtual CIO (Chief Information Officer) is a third-party consultant who provides strategic IT guidance to organizations on a part-time or project basis. As the title suggests, a Virtual CIO performs many of the same functions as a traditional, in-house CIO, but without being a full-time employee.
At Simplex-IT, we believe that clarity is key to building strong relationships with our clients. Our monthly IT agreements cover everything that maintains the status quo of your business operations. That means you can rely on our services for ongoing maintenance and support without worrying about additional charges for every little thing.
Ok, you’ve hired a company to create and maintain your web site. Everything is going great. They’re creating a web site that represents your organization properly, there’s all sorts of graphics some videos, you’re getting close to public release! And suddenly…they reach out to you with a request.
A static IP address is a fixed address assigned to a computer or other device by an Internet service provider (ISP). It does not change and is used to provide the same address every time a device connects to the internet.
Are you always the victim of sarcastic people and never have a comeback? Well, fear not because your friends here at Simplex-IT have you covered! Introducing our latest service offering, SaaS - Sarcasm as a Service.
Ok, you may have heard something about the 3CX hack. Lets talk about this. First of all, this video was recorded less than 24 hours after the public disclosure of the compromise. So we might be out of date already. And a shout out to our Voip partner BVoip for keeping us up to date on things.
WiFi is a wireless technology that allows devices to connect to the internet or other networks without the need for physical cables. It uses radio waves to transmit data between devices, similar to how a radio station broadcasts music.
We’ve done a couple of videos about what an MSP (Managed Service Provider) is. Bottom line is it’s an organization that you outsource a majority (if not all) of your IT support to. And that’s what Simplex-IT is.
An IP address, short for Internet Protocol address, is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. This Protocol was created by the Internet Gods back around 1985.
We wrote the only two books on the topic, so we can definitely talk about this. Plus videos. Yup we got a bunch of videos on it. Keep in mind we’re going to talk about Co-Managed IT from the perspective of the client side, not the service providers.
Laptop encryption is an important security measure for businesses that want to ensure their data is safe and secure. It prevents unauthorized access to files in the event that a laptop is lost or stolen. It also allows business owners to easily recover any lost data.
There’s a reason that browsers like Edge have added breached password notifications. Data breaches are an unfortunate part of life and can have costly consequences for individuals. Hackers can steal things like identities and compromise bank accounts, to name a couple.
It’s at the core of our name. “Simplex-IT.” Face it. You want to succeed at something, so you need to understand it. But only to the appropriate level of detail. The rest you leave to trusted experts.
There are three flavors of CoMITs. We break it down based on what part of IT the Internal IT folks are responsible for versus what we handle. They are: Full CoMITs, Desktop CoMITs, and Server CoMITs.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure connection between two or more computers or devices that allows data to be transmitted and received over the internet without being exposed to malicious actors. It is commonly used to protect personal information, such as passwords and financial data.
Microsoft states that their “backup” goal is the availability of data. So it ensures that your 365 data is stored in at least two data centers located in geographically different places. Now if something happens to the servers in one data center (or the entire center or geographic region), there’s another copy.
Here is the list of 7 Ways to Increase Productivity Through IT. What you do with it is up to you. Need help? Email us at BobC@Simplex-IT.com to schedule a call. And feel free to share this with your internal IT department.
Conditional access is also known as contextual access. It is a method of controlling user access. You can think of it as several “if/then” statements, meaning “if” this thing is present, “then” do this. Conditional access allows you to add many conditions to the process of user access to a system. It is typically used with MFA.
Ok, this one is mostly an excuse to tell a true story that happened to me back in the mid-80’s. Because…well, I’m old.
What’s my point here? It’s great to create processes and procedures to use in an emergency. Documents that identify processes to be followed and resources to be involved.
Let’s start by saying that phishing is a way of contacting someone by posing to be someone else, usually in the form of an email, text message or even phone call. But what is "simulated" phishing? Organizations use simulated phishing attempts to identify employees that may require additional training.
Adobe Flash was an add-on to most web browsers back in the day. It really enabled web sites to do a lot. It especially makes it easier for bad guys to do bad things. In fact, both Microsoft and Adobe (and honestly everybody else in the industry strongly recommended removing Flash from all computers and web sites.
Everyone – and I mean everyone – can fall victim to a hack! Hacking attempts are an issue that should be taken seriously. Why? Well, 43% of cyber hacks are aimed at small businesses. And 60% of companies who fall prey to a hack experience a complete crash in the following six months.
Simplex-IT was created in 2007 as a managed service provider, to handle the IT services for our clients. Depending on the client needs that can mean we handle everything or partner with them to provide additional support with what we call Co-Managed IT.
So you want to learn a little more about how we come up with our pricing? That’s great! Our SiMS (Simplex-IT Managed Services) offering includes a compilation all of the products and services your organization needs to have the most effective IT for your clients.
Keyloggers are programs that capture everything you type. Passwords, credit card numbers, the webpages, answers to security questions – all by logging your keyboard strokes. The program is installed on your computer, usually through some form of spyware, and records what you type.
So we talked about the security vendor, basically a password vault, LastPass was breached. At that time, both LastPass and we said it was not that big of a deal because they didn't get much. Well, it turned out not entirely accurate.
A DDoS attack stands for “denial of service” attack, where the bad guys try to overwhelm a network or server with a ton of traffic. This will typically cause whatever they hit, like your website, online platform, or application, to crash.
What is a botnet? We talked recently about what a bot (short for robot) is (usually a computer that’s been compromised to do bad things quietly in the background). But what’s a botnet?
What is a bot? A bot is short for robot, but that part you probably knew. These days the term “bot” is used most often for cyber security.
Simplex-IT has had a busy year this year, from Tradeshows to our big office move, to our Annual Party at Quarter Up to our new Content Creation Team to our Awards, here are the Top 10 Moments of 2022.
Cloud9 is the name of a lot of things. Unfortunately, it is now the name of a new botnet. Oh, that’s a network of computers all running malware applications, usually without the knowledge or permission of the computer owner.
You’ve just discovered there are compromised employee credentials or other sensitive data of your company exposed and available on the Dark Web. Your company should immediately start taking appropriate steps and measures to correct or minimize the risks and potential damages associated with this exposed data.
OneDrive is a Microsoft cloud storage service that lets you store your personal files in one place, share them with others, and get to them from any device connected to the internet. There are personal and business versions of OneDrive.
Don’t you just wish you had an album to throw on and reminisce about the good ol’ days? Well, here at Simplex-IT we have curated a list of over 30 classic holiday songs we all know and love, Simplex-IT's Songs of the Season.
We’ve talked about both Break Fix and Managed Services in other videos. Now, let’s compare them against each other (with plusses and minuses). Of course we’re specifically talking as these concepts relate to IT resources for organizations.
Loads of fun! It's easy to get started with Simplex-IT. Once you've agreed to our proposal, the next 30-45 days will be spent transitioning your organization over to our services, or welcoming you into our family as I like to say.
I started Simplex-IT in 2007 and at that time the MSP industry was just getting started. I was then dealing with being a consultant and working with a lot of companies on primarily database, development and infrastructure work. But I wanted to have a company that was based on relationships.
Empowering Clients and Community with open Knowledge Sharing IT is hard. That's why in the first 8 months of '22 we created over 60 videos and held half a dozen webinars aimed at helping explain IT concepts, buzzwords, current happenings, and have some fun. All minimal (usually none) sales tactics.
IT changes. This is especially true with security. Simplex-IT has developed an annual process we call SiMS (for Simplex-IT Managed Services) that involve each year evaluating our Software, Tools, Methodologies and Processes (we call them "STMPs", pronounced "Stamps").
You may have heard the term "Tech Debt", aka "Technology Debt", "design debt" or "code debt". It's a term that is commonly used to describe a situation where an organization is using a technology solution that...well, isn't the best available. But what does it mean, and is it a specific definition?
Simplex-IT has spoken at nearly every MSP conference about Co-Managed Services. CEO Bob Coppedge has written the only two books on the topic (both best sellers on Amazon).
