Data Security

Top Cloud Trends 2017

There is no doubt that cloud computing has helped many enterprises transform themselves over the last half a decade. But according to experts, this technology is preparing to enter its second wave, beginning around 2017.

Both private and public cloud services hosted and built in corporate data centers will drastically change, and so will the experience of users in the wake of these VoIP trends of 2017. The market of cloud voip will accelerate even faster in the upcoming year as businesses are now seeking more efficiency to scale their resources better in order to serve customers.

As companies with big data centers, huge budgets, and complex applications look into the cloud as a viable platform to run core business applications, the future seems more than just bright.
Top cloud trends to look for in 2017
Forrester released some cloud computing predictions for the upcoming year that will dramatically change this technology and how businesses are affected by it. Keep reading this article to know more.

1. Buyers will save money in many ways

Forget pay-per-use; the New Year is expected to be a revolutionary time period for cloud computing that would make this technology reach out to a greater audience. More businesses will be able to afford cloud voip as the services become more cost-efficient and more diverse to suit specific business models.

2. Expensive private cloud suites will go on a decline

It is expected that more and more enterprises will eventually shun large and costly private cloud software suites …

Understanding the Facts: Is the Cloud Safe?

We are living in a technological era where we are constantly gaining access to some of the most advanced and innovative technologies that make our lives better and easier.

While these advancements do bring us a lot of benefits, there’s one question that always surrounds these developments: are they really safe? And included in those concerns is the popular and growing trend of Cloud technology use.

This incredible technology allows us to store our data remotely rather than storing them on our personal computers. This substantially cuts IT costs while speeding up operations dramatically. And while Cloud technologies do bring a ton of benefits, do they also come at the expense of privacy?
Take Precautions to Protect Your Business
The Co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, recently expressed his concern over “everything going to the cloud.” He also said that we might face a lot of privacy issues and troubles in the next five years due to this trend. One of the most real and persistent fears regarding Cloud computing is the possibility of data loss and theft. But when you understand the risks and prepare a disaster recovery plan, you can still experience the benefits of the cloud with protection in place.

Let’s take a look into some of the most common risks associated with Cloud computing:

Data Breach: One of the most common risks of working in a cloud-based environment is the possibility of a data breach. Many of the poorly-designed and associated applications can actually …

What the Rise of Hybrid Cloud Computing Means for Business

The increasing popularity and growth of cloud computing is marked by the expanding number of businesses that have decided to make the transition to a cloud environment. However, a growing number of small businesses today are also discovering the many benefits of a hybrid version of cloud computing.

Based on in-depth research reports that involved two hundred plus CIOs, each of whom manages annual IT budgets in the range of $550 plus million, we see many positive and exciting developments taking place in the IT landscape.
Research From Markets
Additionally, based on complex research data from one of the finest global industry researchers, MarketsandMarkets, the hybrid cloud model shows a high demand that is growing at a compound rate of 27% per year. This rise in the demand for hybrid cloud far surpasses the growth increase of the overall IT market. This trend not only applies to the present, but to future growth as well.
Hybrid Cloud Computing and Data Security
The reasons for this increased interest in the hybrid cloud option are easy to understand from an ROI, convenience, and security perspective, especially for SMBs.

With the rise of hybrid cloud computing, SMBs will be able to rely on the increased stability, flexibility, performance, and improved security. The hybrid cloud is of particular importance when it comes to managing sensitive data security concerns, including governance and compliance issues.

HIPPA is another vertical that mandates a high level of safety requirements adopted by the Secretary of Health and …

Creating a Secured Unified Communications Strategy

The task of creating a secured unified communications (UC) strategy might seem overwhelming. But with VOIP the convenience of email, instant messaging, web collaboration apps, voicemail, and video means that businesses today are taking on the challenge. In doing so, however, leading businesses are realizing the importance of making the change with security as their top priority.
Valid Concerns
Here are the common security concerns businesses today face with UC:

IP-based security concerns
Mobile usage and password security
Data access and usage
The risks of data loss on public access points
Software and application usage and storage

While your small business may not have the means to implement the sophisticated and costly communications security measures that large organizations can afford, this doesn’t mean you’ll be left to face the threats unarmed. There are many simple and effective solutions you can implement.
Securing Individual Mobile Devices
Authentication

Investigate ways to authenticate each device your employees will be using. Once you’ve found the tool that suits your organization, implement it and only allow access to authenticated devices.

Encryption

Unlike communication exchanged within your brick and mortar location, messages and data sent over the internet aren’t going just to the intended recipient, they are traveling through many servers. Implementing end-to-end message and data encryption ensures your messages and data remain encrypted from the time they are sent to the time they are received, minimizing the chances of sensitive information falling into hostile hands lurking on the internet.

Lock and Kill

Require that every device to be used has a remote lock in place …

2016 Predictions for the Telecommunications Industry

Believe it or not, we are about to embark on the last month of 2015. It’s the time when we begin to look ahead and determine the changes and shifts we will need to make within our businesses for the next year. In the world of telecommunications, the changes that take place within our industry are vast and fast-moving. At Millennia Technologies, we enjoy keeping up-to-date on the latest in wireless solutions within the telecommunications industry, so we know how to shift and adapt our business to them.  Because of this, we thought we’d share some of the trends and predictions our industry will likely begin to see in 2016:
More Mobile Than Ever
As if we thought the telecommunications industry couldn’t get any more mobile, it appears there is still some room for improvement. It’s predicted that into 2016, we will see continued expansion of applications and tools that allow us to interact with each other even more effectively through our mobile devices, home-based electronics, and even with our automotive tools. Many are calling this idea “the digital mesh.” And although many wireless solutions are now ultimately connected to the back-end applications through a variety of networks, as 2016 goes on we should begin to see more connectivity models as well as enhanced cooperation between devices.
Smart Machines
Machines will be made more intelligent because they will be programmed to understand current concepts as well as how to learn new ones.  With …

Smart Data Solutions: Combating Common Data Security Threats

Data security continues to be a growing concern among businesses today – both large and small.  Rightfully so, with 43% of businesses reporting they have experienced some form of security or data breach within the last year. However, despite the risks involved, a majority of organizations still don’t have a data solution system in place to protect their sensitive company information and systems.

So what can you do to start the process of ensuring that you aren’t becoming one of those impacted businesses? It begins with understanding what causes these attacks and preparing your business accordingly.
Risk #1: Former Employees
One of the biggest security threats against business security today is its employees. Disgruntled former staff (especially those with IT controls) pose a tremendous risk against the security and confidentiality of company information. In order to prevent malicious attacks from those with access to data centers and administrational information, there must be a policy in place that monitors and controls all privileged accounts. Additionally, this process should ensure all former employees are immediately terminated from company systems and data access points. Make this one of the first courses of action after an employee leaves the organization.
Risk #2: Current Employees
Beyond former employees, there are also employees who may be uninformed or careless about how to protect the organization from a security breach. More specifically, they may use weak passwords or keep their devices unlocked frequently – putting the company at significant risk if lost or …

5 Tips for More Secured Unified Communications

Implementing a unified communications (UC) solution comes with some unique security concerns because it combines voice services (VoIP), chat services, email and video conferencing into one system. Because of this combination of elements and their dependence on the internet, the potential for security threats against the business increases. Today’s companies must be taking steps to ensure their communication tools are protected from these more advanced security threats.

Small businesses have a unique challenge because they are often limited by cost and available resources to dedicate to securing their systems. However, there are some effective and simple ways to manage security for small businesses that can help to protect the system from an outside attack.

Here are 5 tips to help better secure your UC solution:
Tip #1: Use a firewall
As a responsible business owner, you need to be able to understand the infrastructure of the security elements you are implementing, that means selecting a firewall that offers a simple configuration and is specifically designed for a small business. When setting up the firewall, block all the unknown traffic and allow traffic only from known sources. The firewall will work to sort through your traffic to ensure it’s safe to utilize.
Tip #2: Require strong passwords
Businesses should require all passwords are used with Session Initiation Protocol or SIP passwords. SIP is defined as, “the protocol defines the messages that are sent between endpoints, which govern establishment, termination and other essential elements of a call. It can be used for …

The IT Director’s Role in BYOD Security

We used to think of IT Directors as an independent part of an organization, operating in their own little world and fixing problems as they arise. Today, they are a key component to the strategic development and decision-making of the business. In this more modern IT world, some of those strategic decisions include the company’s BYOD security policies.
Developing a Security Policy
Threats like viruses, unsecured devices and theft all put private corporate data at risk. In order to prevent the unauthorized access of this information, an IT Director should implement a security policy that is monitored and enforced throughout the organization. This policy should include:

Corporate Data Protection Policy: Employees should keep all company data separate from their personal data. Additionally, all business data should be encrypted so an unauthorized user cannot access the company data in a readable form.
Restrictions for the Use of Compromised Devices: Mobile devices that have been “jailbroken” or “rooted” should not be permitted for company use. Additionally, all approved devices should have a screen-locked password.
Mobile Security Management Best Practices: Using a security management suite like Mitel Sky prevents unauthorized users from gaining access your company data without enrolling first.
Offline Accessibility Controls: For companies with high levels of security, sensitive documents and applications should be blocked from mobile accessibility. These documents should only be available if the user is directly connected to the corporate network.

Generating Executive Buy-in for BYOD Systems
An IT Director looking for executive approval should identify the …

6 Tips to Improve WLAN Security

Businesses today are increasingly concerned about the security of their company data and information.  This concern continues to grow considering the demands of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the mobile workforce accessing company information from seemingly anywhere. However, with the right safety precautions in place within the wireless WLAN infrastructure, businesses can rest assured their private company information stays just that, private.

Here are some important steps you can take to ensure optimum security:
Tip #1: Set Administrator Controls
The router or access point on your network should require an administrator password to modify or change any settings. Changing to a custom password should be the first step after setting up a new WLAN infrastructure. Never leave the equipment on the default password setting.
Tip #2: Keep the SSID Private
A Service Set Identifier (SSID) is usually automatically broadcasted with the networks name for anyone trying to access area wireless networks. Although it may seem like a convenient way for everyone to identify your network to gain access, it puts your organization at risk for unauthorized guests to get on it. Turning off the SSID makes it invisible to neighboring businesses and guests.
Tip #3: Turn Off Remote Administration Abilities
Routers have remote administration controls that can be used with just an internet connection. Although a convenient way to gain access to the network offsite, it should be used only with specifically identified IP addresses to prevent unauthorized access. Another good tip is to keep …

Is Your Network as Secure as Fort Knox?

Optical LAN provides Military-grade security

More and more companies are realizing the many benefits of equipping their Local Area Network (LAN) with Passive Optical Networks (PON) technology.

With single mode fiber, distance limitations are reduced, making it no longer necessary for large corporations to have multiple devices staggered across plants/campuses along with electrical to run those devices. Additionally, optical LAN eliminates the need for engineers to have to “open PORTs” across multiple devices just to add a device or a user at a far end of a LAN. With PON, the customer can control what goes across that fiber all the way to the end user.

After all, if it’s good enough for the Department of Homeland Security, it must be a great option for business. These solutions offer low cost, high speed and enhanced protection through secure optical fiber connections. They also offer the capability to deliver data, voice and video at gigabit speeds.

Within the list of benefits of an optical LAN and PON solution, are the enhanced security features it offers. With inherent intrusion protection via optical fiber, it interlocks with alarm fiber. This can provide opportunity network managers to plan and identify multiple alarm features through a single conduit.

PON uses both SIPR and NIPR technology.

NIPR:  Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router, which is a private IP network that is used to exchange non-secure information among a private network of users.

SIPR: Secret Internet Protocol Router, is a system of interconnected networks used to transmit …

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Millennia Technologies is a full-service voice and data solutions company for midsize to enterprise customers. Specializing in UCaaS , CCaaS , Cybersecurity , IoT , Voice , Cloud , and more. Our passion is firmly rooted in showing clients how well-designed data solutions can significantly accelerate business operations, and then celebrating their goal-shattering successes.