Element It HQ

18/11/2024

Cloud Telephony vs. VoIP – which is best for your business?
You know it’s time to upgrade your business phone system when you start to hear your staff complaining about it.

Dropped calls, long wait times, and difficulty reaching the right person is frustrating for you… and worse for your customers.

But there is a better solution.

Our latest video explains what Cloud Telephony and VoIP phone systems are, how they can benefit your business, and helps you decide which one is the right choice.

You know it’s time to upgrade your business phone system when you start to hear your staff complaining about it. Dropped calls, long wait times, and difficul...

01/11/2024

Spyware is a growing threat, and even companies like Google are raising alarms about the “real-world harm” it can cause.

But what exactly is spyware, and how can you protect your business from it?

Simply put, spyware is a type of malicious software that installs itself secretly on your device. It then gathers sensitive information like passwords and bank details – and it could even grab data from your camera and microphone too.

Spyware is sneaky, because it’s easy to end up with but hard to detect. Sometimes, you don’t even need to click a link to put yourself at risk.

Spyware like Pegasus and Predator can target anyone, including small businesses. It’s important to be aware of the risks and take action to safeguard your devices.

Keep your systems updated and make sure you use the latest security software. Don’t click suspicious links or download files that you don’t 100% trust.

While security software does help, it can't catch everything. Make sure your whole team is aware of the risks, knows how to stay protected, and receives regular security awareness training.

If you notice your device acting strangely or becoming unusually slow, it’s worth taking a closer look. My team can help you with this, get in touch.

The spyware market keeps growing, both in scale and danger

31/10/2024

You’ve heard of passkeys, right? They’re quickly becoming the go-to solution for online security, because they’re a safer alternative to traditional passwords.

Passkeys use something called cryptography to keep your details secure. This makes them much harder to hack than old-fashioned passwords.

More businesses are using passkeys now – and companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft are already fully onboard. Amazon already has more than 175 million customers using passkeys to secure their accounts.

But it’s always been a hassle to transfer passkeys between different platforms. This is where the FIDO Alliance comes in. The group, which develops passkey technology, is working to make sure you can move your passkeys between different password managers easily.

The FIDO Alliance is introducing two new standards – the Credential Exchange Protocol (CXP) and Credential Exchange Format (CXF) – to make this process smoother and more secure for businesses everywhere.

This is great news, because soon you’ll be able to switch password managers without worrying about compromising on security.

Ready to use passkeys in your business? We can help, get in touch.

The FIDO Alliance is working on a new set of standards for transferring credentials.

31/10/2024

Tech Update - Microsoft's browser takes back the Edge with streamlined settings

Trying to find your way through the Settings menu in Microsoft Edge might leave you overwhelmed. A new update is about to make it easier, with smaller sections and quick access shortcuts – so you can quickly find the settings you need.

Trying to find your way through the Settings menu in Microsoft Edge might leave you overwhelmed. A new update is about to make it easier, with smaller sectio...

30/10/2024

Just in time for Halloween, a piece of tech history has been brought back from the dead!

A 1986 Macintosh Plus has risen from the grave, thanks to the tinkering of developer Hunter Irving.

The developer set out on a mission to get the old machine connected to the internet and – thanks to some tech wizardry involving a Raspberry Pi Pico W and BlueSCSI – he managed to achieve it (although it’s not exactly surfing the web at lightning speed…)

While it's fun to see old hardware being brought back to life, this isn’t a call to cling to outdated tech in your business. Instead, it's a reminder of how far we've come.

This vintage Mac might be great as a fun experiment, but sticking with up-to-date technology is key to keeping your business competitive. Modern systems are so much faster, more secure, and better suited to today's needs.

Is any of your old tech ready to be laid to rest? My team and I can help you replace it, get in touch.

17 hours for a "Rickroll"!

30/10/2024

How many people in your business use an email signature?

Most of them, right?

Email signatures are a great way to make sure others know how to contact you. They add authenticity to your communications.

But what would happen if a cyber criminal copied your email signature? It would make it easy for them to trick people into giving away data. Or money.

Here are the facts to help you make sure your email signature is as secure as possible…

29/10/2024

This didn’t come as a shock to me, but OpenAI has confirmed that cyber criminals are now using ChatGPT to help create malware and carry out cyber attacks.

Malware is a type of software designed to harm your devices and steal data, track your activity, or disrupt operations. And with AI tools, it could be possible to create sneakier malware that could easily slip past security systems.

Scary stuff, for sure. But the good news is you can protect your business if you know what steps to take.

Investing in strong cyber security tools (such as firewalls and the latest security software) can help. It’s also a good idea to train your employees regularly on how to spot suspicious emails and links.

Keep a close eye on your systems and look out for any unusual activity. And work together with cyber security experts (like me and my team) to keep your business safe.

Need help making sure your business is protected from malware attacks? Get in touch.

OpenAI has disrupted over 20 malicious cyber operations abusing its AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, for debugging and developing malware, spreading misinformation, evading detection, and conducting spear-phishing attacks.

28/10/2024

Do you and your team love Microsoft’s Snipping Tool? Well, it just got even better, with its new “Copy as Table” feature.

The Snipping Tool has been able to recognise and extract text from screenshots (using its “Text Actions” feature) for about a year now. But the upcoming version will let you capture data tables from images and paste them straight into Excel.

If you’ve ever tried copying table data from images, you know how frustrating it can be. And most third-party tools don’t do a great job of it. But the latest version of Snipping Tool handles this task easily.

All you have to do is take a screenshot of the table, click the Copy as Table option under Text Actions, and paste it into Excel. Simple!

Here’s my pro tip for when the feature rolls out: Make sure you only screenshot the table and not the whole screen. Otherwise, the tool will pick up extra text from the menu bars.

This feature is still in testing but should roll out soon.

Will this make your work a little easier?

Hands-On: Snipping Tool’s Copy as Table feature works like a charm on table images. Ensure that you crop the image before scanning it.

27/10/2024

Microsoft’s been leading the way in AI with its Copilot assistant for a while now.

It’s already had a big impact on businesses by helping to automate tasks across popular apps like Word, Excel, and Teams.

Now it looks like it could get even smarter – with a feature that’s like something out of a futuristic movie!

A recent Microsoft patent reveals that the company might be building an update that lets Copilot create live images based on what you say during meetings and presentations.

Imagine talking about a project in Teams and as you speak, Copilot creates real-time visuals that change based on your conversation.

It could make it so much easier to explain complex ideas – and it could make meetings more engaging, especially if people on your team learn better with visual aids.

While this feature hasn’t been released yet (and it’s possible that it might never be rolled out), it’s clear that Microsoft is continuing to push the boundaries of how AI can be used to help business owners communicate and collaborate.

However you make use of AI in your business, it’s an exciting time to be using Copilot.

What would you and your team like Copilot to take care of next?

Microsoft filed a patent of an AI-powered system that generates images based on live audio. Could this be a new Copilot feature for Teams?

25/10/2024

You’re using Windows 11 in your business and loving it, right? But if you're anything like me, there’s one thing from Windows 10 you might be missing – those nice tidy little taskbar icons.

Well, an update rolling out later this year is going to grant that wish for you. Now you’ll be able to choose a smaller icon size on the taskbar. Hoorah!

If you and your team like a clean and organised desktop (especially on smaller screens, like your laptops), I think you’ll love this update as much as I do.

You can already shrink your taskbar icons in Windows but, at the moment, the taskbar itself stays the same size. Microsoft will be fixing this in a future update. Just one more thing to make your Windows 11 experience even better.

What else would you like to see in Windows 11?

You’ll be able to turn on a new feature called “small taskbar buttons” in a future release of Windows 11, which is expected to begin rolling out sometime in November or December. Windows 11 24H2 is here, and it’s a nice upgrade in many ways. From improved performance to new AI features, ther...

24/10/2024

Ever find yourself hunting around for ages, looking for a file in OneDrive? If so, you’ll love the new features Microsoft is bringing in.

First, you’ll be able to filter search results by file type (like document, spreadsheet, or presentation), helping you find what you need faster.

Also, you’ll now be able to set a date range when you search. So, for instance, if you want to find something you worked on last week, you can set the date in the search bar and quickly find what you’re looking for. Great, right?

Another useful feature is that search results will now show extra details, like where the file is saved (such as in your own folder or a shared one) and who last edited it. This is great if you often work on files together with your team.

These improvements make OneDrive an even more powerful tool for managing files.

Do you use OneDrive in your business? Do you like the sound of these updates?

Microsoft is improving the way users search for files on OneDrive with new filtering tools and metadata displays. Search results can now be filtered by file type, modified date range, and more.

24/10/2024

Tech Update: A third of all data loss is caused by problems with backups

Your business data is backed up and recovery tools are in place. So, your data is safe, right? Sadly… not always. We recommend backups are checked and verified regularly. Here’s why.

Your business data is backed up and recovery tools are in place. So, your data is safe, right? Sadly… not always. We recommend backups are checked and verifi...