While business is driven by technology and the internet, many companies today will deal with their computer network problems and frustrations instead of considering a needed upgrade to a wireless internet network, or WiFi.
If your business is facing network challenges, such as network glitches and breakdowns, or accessing your network from home or on-the-go, it may be time to consider implementing a wireless internet network. Here a few advantages of installing a wireless network for your business:
Convenience Wireless internet allow users to access network resources from nearly any convenient location within their primary networking environments, such as a home or office. With the increasing saturation of laptops and smart phones, this is particularly relevant.
Mobility
Wireless internet networks allow users to access the web even outside of their normal work environment. Most coffee shops or restaurants offer their customers a wireless connection to the internet at little or no cost.
Productivity
When users can connect to a wireless network, they are able to maintain connectivity to their desired network as they move from place to place. For a business, employees can become more productive because work can be completed from nearly any location.
Expandability
Wireless networks can serve a suddenly-increased number of users with the existing equipment. On the other hand, in a wired network, additional clients would require additional wiring.
Cost
Although cost is difficult to quantify, there is a cost to constant computer glitches. Also, failure to access a wireless network on-the-go can keep projects from meeting their deadlines, ultimately causing company downtime.
If your business is ready to make the switch to wireless internet networking, call the experts at WesTec today, or read more about our network installation services.
We place our information online every day. We’re more than happy to hand over our email, phone number, address and credit card information to purchase a product on the internet. In a world where ecommerce is becoming the standard, businesses must do what they can to protect customer data.
Follow Current Encryption Practices
Encryption practices change regularly to evolve and combat cybercriminals. Often, organizations who failed to stay up-to-date with the latest data protection trends fall victim to cyberattacks. To help protect customer data, create a recurring reminder to analyze your company’s security practices and make updates as necessary.
Limit Access to Customer Information
For additional protection, limit who within your business can view customer data. Not every employee needs access to customers’ personal information. When only necessary employees have access to customer information, hackers have a harder time finding a weak point to break into company databases.
Don’t Ask for Unnecessary Information
As a company, it is important to only collect the information you need to complete a transaction or service to your customer. Customers get weary when a business asks for unnecessary information. By only collecting necessary information, there is less for a hacker to steal. This protects customers and their livelihoods.
Educate All Employees on Security Policy
While you may limit who can view customer data, make sure every employee knows and understands the company security policy. Even though an employee may not have access to the customer database, their actions could affect the privacy of customers. For example, if someone were to take a company laptop to a coffee shop and used the open wifi, a nearby hacker could potentially break into the company’s database through the network and steal personal information.
Let Consumers Know Their Information is Protected
The best way to build consumer trust is transparency. Let customers know you value their privacy. Take it one step further by detailing how you work to keep customer information stored safely in a privacy policy.If you’re unsure of how your business should protect customer data, or if your company wants information on the latest encryption practices, contact the experts at WesTec Services. We can help you create strong security protocols and install encryption software for data security.
Have you ever been the victim of a cyber attack? Do you use the same password for all of your accounts? Follow our guide to outsmart the hackers with increased password security.
How Hackers Get Your Passwords
Before you can better protect your accounts, you must understand how cybercriminals access steal your information. Typically, a hacker will compromise your account in one of three ways.
Personal attack: Hackers target your account specifically. They will typically guess your email password and use password recovery options to access other accounts.
Brute-Force attack: Hackers systematically check all possible passwords until the correct one is found.
Data Breach: Hackers attack large companies, resulting in millions of compromised accounts.
What Makes a Good Password?
Ideally, your password should be at least 16 letters and contain a combination of numbers, symbols, uppercase and lowercase letters. Passwords should not include any repetition, dictionary words, usernames, pronouns or IDs. Make a strong password by thinking of a phrase and then use the initials of each word, as well as the numbers and symbols, to combat potential attacks. For example, if your phrase is “Do you think a hacker will guess my 16 character password for Facebook?!”, your password might be: Dytahwgm16cp4F?!
Enable Two-Step Authentication When Possible
If any sites or accounts offer two-factor authentication, take advantage of it. This system works to limit hacking attempts by making a user authenticate their identity with a second method of verification. Check out our recent blog post about two-factor authentication for more information.
Use a Password Manager
The best thing you can do for your accounts is have a different password for each one. However, if you follow this one cardinal rule of password security, keeping up with all passwords can be difficult. Using a password manager allows you to save all of your passwords in a secure spot with a strong master password. WesTec offers consulting for any individuals or businesses wanting more information about password security, network installation, or managed IT services. Contact us for more information.
Places of business who have frequent visitors can benefit from having an additional WiFi network for guests. With a guest Wifi network, temporary visitors enjoy full internet connectivity without being able to access sensitive internal network information. Continue reading to find out how both your business and customers can benefit from a guest wifi account.
Security and Privacy
By reserving a section of your WiFi for guests, you protect your company’s data. This allows you to control who has access to the network of computers, servers and printers. Giving guests their own WiFi account also limits the ability of viruses and malware to infect your server.
Changeable Passwords
Offering a guest network allows you to keep your primary password a secret. Guest passwords are also cached differently, meaning guests do not have permanent access to your network.
Access and Parental Controls
A guest WiFi account allows you to set different levels of access. With a guest network, you can also implement parental controls to limit the types of sites your customers can visit, providing added security to your business.
Network Usage Controls
Guest networks can limit the amount of data your customers can use. By regulating the bandwidth of your guests’ WiFi network, you can limit the speed of customer internet access. This means their network usage will not affect the business network and employee efficiency.The experts at WesTec are ready to answer any questions you may have about installing a guest WiFi network at your place of business. Contact us today for more information.
Small businesses can benefit from outsourcing their IT to a qualified business technology company. With managed IT service, WesTec can monitor and improve your company’s IT practices to ensure your employees can focus on their daily duties.
What is Managed IT Service?
Managed IT service allows a company to pay a fixed monthly rate for IT services and equipment. With a fixed monthly rate, customers benefit from automatic software updates, regular equipment upgrades and relief from the day-to-day IT frustrations. Partnering with WesTec gives a company flexibility to set clear goals and objectives.
What’s Included?
WesTec Services offers two plans with fixed fees for network management solutions. With WesTec Guardian Professional, companies receive network management and basic IT needs based on their current network infrastructure. With this program, businesses also benefit from discounted on-site support rates. WesTec Guardian All Covered provides our clients with maintenance, network management and technical support needs all in one fixed monthly rate. This ensures a company’s network is running efficiently without hourly rates.
Why Your Business Needs to Outsource IT
In today’s society, technology is crucial for a company to thrive in a competitive market. Because of this, businesses can not wait until something is broken to fix it. Managed IT service changes the way companies are looking at technology. Instead of embracing the old fix-it mentality, IT companies can manage a company’s IT and prevent any issues that might disrupt employees or clients. Let WesTec Services manage your IT and keep your company on its toes. Our managed IT services reduce the cost of replacing new equipment and keep you from paying hourly rates when your network fails by offering all-inclusive, fixed rates. Contact us to learn more about managed IT today.
Computer networking allows the sharing of information across computers linked together by a common network. Businesses rely on networking to transfer messages and information with others.
Easier Sharing
Computer networks give individuals access to useful material such as facts, news or industry-specific information. With computer networking, employees can easily share with others. For example, resources can quickly be shared with an entire company and saved for employees to reference at a later time. Networking also saves individuals time by providing them with a way to share files efficiently.
Cost Efficiency
Installing a computer network is affordable. It requires minimal updates that are often completed in the background, allowing employees to keep working. Networks also save money by keeping a company from purchasing additional hardware. For example, without a network each computer would need it’s own printer. By installing a network, multiple computers can share the same printer, saving a company money and helping employees by simplifying their tasks.
Increased Storage Capacity
Computer networking increases storage capacity. Networks allow data and content to be properly shared within the system. A company’s files are also protected from malware, theft or natural disasters by being saved in different manners. For example, information can be stored on-site on tape drives to provide an extra layer of safety.
Enhanced Communication
Networks make it easier for employees to communicate with one another. Files can be shared with the click of a button. Instant messaging also allows for quick, useful communication with others. Instead of drafting an entire email, an employee can send a message to the recipient for a rapid response. This works well for questions, clarification and updates.WesTec employees are experts at computer networking. Contact us to see how we can install a computer network for your business.
Threats to a company’s data come in many forms. Cyber-attacks like malware, spyware and viruses attack valuable data from companies each day. While anti-malware and anti-virus can help prevent breaches, these softwares can’t protect data from physical disasters. Data backup is imperative for a company’s continued success.
Local and Network Backups
Storing information on-site is one of the easiest ways to backup data. It can be stored on hard drives, tape drives, or other storage systems connected to a company’s network. Copying files to USB drives or external drives also provide an easily accessible copy of files. However, this should not be the sole method of data backup. Physical disaster, theft and ransomware all pose threats to local backups.
Cloud Backups
Cloud backups are quickly being integrated into businesses looking for added protection. This method of data backup allows copies of data to be stored on remote servers and accessed by internet connection. Unlike other methods, the cloud allows for automated backup of data to provide up-to-date copies of files.
Online File Storage
Similar to cloud backup, online file storage stores files on the internet. Sites like Dropbox and Google Drive allow businesses to store and share files off-site. While online file storage works well as an additional backup method, it also comes with limitations. Depending on the files, backup can cost time and bandwidth.The experts at WesTec Services recommend a business keep at least three copies of data in different places and on two different formats for proper data backup. Our team can help protect your data from threats. Contact us to get started.
A slow or outdated computer network can be detrimental for your company. It can compromise worker efficiency, limit what you can do on your business’s network, and can even cost you money. Here are three tell-tale signs that you should upgrade your network.
Does your computer network consistently give you problems?
If you feel like your employees are spending more time resolving problems or waiting for files to load then they are actually working, you’re losing money. Don’t let your problematic network be the source of frustration in the office. A few simple upgrades or a new installation can make the difference between a struggling business and an efficient one.
Do you have issues accessing your computer network remotely?
An efficient computer network in your office space is crucial, but being able to access from home or on the move is important, too. Your network shouldn’t be inaccessible or slow just because you aren’t in the office. Make sure whatever upgrades you decide on let you work just as efficiently from home.
Do you have more problems with your computer network than your IT support company can handle?
If you answered “yes” to this last question, then not only should you update your network, but you should also consider letting WesTec Communications handle your next network installation. Whether it is sharing media, connecting to other devices on your network, or sharing files, we can make sure your computer network is running at top-speed for your company. WesTec experts can recommend a high-speed computer network and handle all of the installation so you and your business can work efficiently. Our skilled professionals can update your network and take the headache out of installation. Contact us today!
Mission: WesTec will be a “turn-key” solution for all of its clients’ business connectivity needs. It will offer efficient and effective solutions, directly and with strategic partners, that create tangible value for its clients at every point of contact. Westec will serve all people and entities with a servant’s heart.
Get in touch
2916 West TC Jester Blvd.,
Suite 104
Houston, TX 77018
Wireless internet allow users to access network resources from nearly any convenient location within their primary networking environments, such as a home or office. With the increasing saturation of laptops and smart phones, this is particularly relevant.
Educate All Employees on Security Policy
Have you ever been the victim of a cyber attack? Do you use the same password for all of your accounts? Follow our guide to outsmart the hackers with increased password security.
Access and Parental Controls
Why Your Business Needs to Outsource IT
Local and Network Backups
Online File Storage 
2916 West TC Jester Blvd.,
Suite 104
sales@westecservices.net