Can’t Connect to the Internet? Here’s How to Troubleshoot

by Jacob Acker | Aug 4, 2021 | Internet

In this era when home offices and hybrid workplaces have become the norm, things aren’t the same anymore. In the recent past, when working in-office mainly was the case, you could easily rely upon that tech-savvy colleague or even one of the company’s IT team members to fix your internet problems. But not any longer. Even so, your internet might go down when you’re in the middle of a vital video call or working on a critical business project. What do you do?

Well, studies reveal that a few minutes of internet downtime can cost businesses thousands of dollars, with Garner estimating this at $5,600 per minute. That’s a significant amount to throw over the bus just because of fixable problems. Clearly, you don’t need to be kind of a superhuman or a seasoned IT guy to fix some of these common issues with the internet. Therefore, we compiled these DIY tips to help you troubleshoot them stress-free, whether in the office or at home and connect to the internet.

1. CHECK YOUR WI-FI RANGE OR INTERNET CABLES?

The possibility is either you’re on a wireless or physical network. How each works is something you’d want to check first to be sure the connection protocols are correct. For instance, if you’re on Wi-Fi, be sure your site is within the coverage range. If you’re out of range or in a weakly covered area, that might be the culprit. Besides, you’d appreciate the importance of first checking that the Wi-Fi is ON by clicking the “internet icon” on the left side of the desktop taskbar or going to Settings >Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.

On the other hand, for physical connections, the LAN cable might be loose or damaged. Simple steps like tightening the cable on the port or swapping with a new one can get the job done.

2. CHECK THE FIREWALL SECURITY SETTINGS

In addition to the default windows defender firewall, most third-party antivirus programs also come with a firewall. If you have installed any of these 3rd party programs, the tug of war between it and the default one can cause the internet not to work. We recommend switching OFF firewall protection and observing whether the connection gets restored.

ICS Data - Can't Connect to the Internet

3. KNOWLEDGEABLE

When last time did your router get switched off or restarted? Most of us can’t trace. Just as computers caches data, the routers also do. Over time, this becomes a hindrance to smooth connectivity and network communication. Reboot your router and watch as the magic happens. However, if this trick fails you a couple of times or needs to be done more often than usual, contacting IT support is a great path to take.

4. RESTART YOUR MACHINE

This rule never grows old. And in this case, it may come in handy. The computer’s OS might be overwhelmed by processes, causing the internet to slow or not connect. Rebooting ends these operations and ensures all cached data is deleted to start things afresh. To restart, press Alt+F4 > choose restart in the dropdown menu or simply go to Start >Power >Restart.

5. CHECK WITH YOUR ISP (INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER)

The internet service provider (ISP) determines quite a lot when it comes to internet connectivity. Check that your subscription is up to date and/or you’re not violating any of the provider’s ToS like downloading illegal materials or mail spamming. In addition, you might also be using more than the allocated bandwidth. This all may be qualifying you for blocking by the ISP. Get in touch with yours if you suspect such or when you can’t precisely pinpoint where the problem is.

NOTHING IS WORKING? GET AN IT EXPERT.

When all the above seems like punching a concrete wall, seeking expert advice/services can save you money, time, and stress. Experienced IT experts at ICS Data are ready to help avoid the negative impacts of internet downtime by responding swiftly and attending to the issue with the professionalism and seriousness it deserves. Get in touch with this helpful team today or book a free onsite consultation.

Apple Security Recommendations: Pay Close Attention to Your Passwords

by Jacob Acker | Jul 12, 2021 | Passwords

WHY THE BIG SHIFT IN PRIVACY?

Ever so recently, Apple decided to one up its counterparts and become the secure technology company that its users know and trust.

It’s not just a corporate ideal or a marketing point anymore, it’s now a big initiative across Apple distinguishing its products from competition, specifically it’s user passwords.

But how can they make such drastic changes without hearing uproar?

They take a consumer first approach, as they always have.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has mentioned that, “privacy is one of the top issues of the century” and that it’s important to put “deep thinking” into that to figure out how to “leave something for the next generation that is a lot better than the current situation.”

UNDERSTAND YOUR RISK OF COMPROMISED PASSWORDS

Apple iOS Keychain stores your saved passwords on your [Apple] devices. It has more of your personal information than maybe any other device that you own.

Coming into 2021, one of the most interesting and innovative ideas Apple has had put out is a way to monitor whether or not your current passwords (for any software tool, bank account, favorite store, etc.) have been involved in a data breach (which could lead to any type of cyberattack), if you use the same passwords over and over again on different sites, they warn you that it increases the risk to the current account if one of those other accounts is compromised, and if your password can be easily guessed.

We’ve had to find solutions for our clients who have had their passwords stolen and/or data leaked. It’s not something you want to be involved with. It can mean paying a ransom, or even going into dark and scary places.

The risk involved is the loss of money, assets, or even personal identity. As a leader of your business, it’s important for you to understand this risk.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

Just as Apple is a people-first technology company, we take same exact approach for your business. We know that you or your company’s privacy is extremely important – and we have options that keep you protected from any outside danger, no matter the circumstance.

Cyber threats become more intelligent every day, and our main approach is to understand:

How you work
Your most critical applications
What data is most sensitive
Plans you have for your organization

Once we have a larger picture view, we’ll take a look inside your company to see how we can take next steps that lead to a more secure business. Contact us today!

ICS Data - Apple Security Recommendations

Top Cyberattacks in 2021

by Jacob Acker | Jun 24, 2021 | Cyberattacks, Security Services

EMAIL THREATS

SPOOFING

One of the top cyberattacks right now comes from bad actors attempting to impersonate your co-workers and employers. If you’re suspicious of a scammer, don’t reply! They’ll do anything they can to trick you into believing that you’re talking to someone you know and trust, through email and web threats.

Emails contain information that a lot of people don’t pay close attention to. One specific item is the “From” email address. Anther is the email address communicating with your email server where to send your “Reply” to. Both of these can be entirely different, and can alter the state of the “From” field to fool you.

Fortunately, MailShield and The Email Laundry protect you from impersonation attempts where the scammer actually uses the email address they are impersonating in the From field. An example of what that might look like is My Boss<myboss@mycompany.com></myboss@mycompany.com>. When you click Reply, it gets sent to the hidden Reply-To item.

Tip! If you create a new email and type in the To field myboss@mycompany.com, it will go to your boss!

Slightly less dangerous is when they don’t hide their sending address, such as My Boss<scammer@iamafake.com></scammer@iamafake.com>. If you receive an email from a coworker that just doesn’t seem right, look for that give away!

SECURE YOUR BUSINESS

PHISHING

Phishing is a very wide spread threat today. There are many types including spear phishing and whaling. Phishing attacks take many forms, but most of them involve posing as someone you know and trust. This can be a person or a company.

A common form of this is an email that claims to be from your server administrator stating that you have emails being held and to click a link and log in to claim them. When you click the link, you may be taken to a site that is made to look like the one you expect and be prompted to log in. You will have just given away your email password.

There are a number of account types that are targeted in this way. Imagine if your bank sends you an email saying click here to handle this urgent matter! You might think, “Uh Oh! I better do it right away!”. This is how your accounts can become compromised. Don’t trust the link, and don’t trust the button!

SPEAR PHISHING

Spear phishing is targeted phishing. This is when a specific individual, or a whole company, is targeted by phishing emails. Generally, the bad actors will start by obtaining as much information from the company’s website as they can. This includes any email addresses listed, as well as the names of any contacts that arelisted on the site. Once this is done, they often implement spoofing techniques.

WHALING

Whaling is the term used when the phishing methods are targeting the senior executives and other high profile targets. It is a specialized form of spear phishing. Generally, once the scammers have obtained enough information about a company, they will pose as the CEO and request a purchase, or a funds transfer. Usually, the purchase will be some kind of gift card and they will ask for the numbers once the purchase has been made.

WHAN YOU CAN DO!

There are some basics things that will help keep you safe from many, if not all, email threats. The first is to utilize an anti-spam service. There are some habits that you should get into that will also help keep you safe.

AS AN INDIVIDUAL…

Remember the From field of an email doesn’t always show who actually sent it or who will get the Reply!
Remember the Reply-To hidden item? Click New or Compose instead of Reply if you are suspicious. Then you know who you are sending to!
If anything about an email seems out of place, be suspicious!
If a known and trusted contact sends an attachment or shares a document that seems unusual, DON’T OPEN IT! Find an alternative method to confirm they sent it. Phone or face to face is best.
Only use the method of logging in to online accounts that you normally use. If there is an issue, there should be a notification waiting for you. If you get an email saying there is an issue with your account, don’t click the link.
Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) when possible! MFA makes logging a little more of a hassle but the security benefit is enormous!

AS A COMPANY…

Establish policies! Set and follow rules on fund transfer and purchase requests via email. Phone or face to face confirmation is best, but even clicking New can help here. Except if the requesting email address was compromised…
Establish protocols. When you begin doing business with another company ask them if, and how, they send documents via email. Include
- Is it an attachment? Or a shared online document?
- What type of document?
- What email address will it arrive from?
- Are they sent on a schedule?

WEB THREATS

PHONE SCAMS

There are two ways you might be targeted by a phone scam. You might get a call from someone claiming to be a Tech working for Microsoft, or perhaps another well known maker of software. The Tech will then tell you they have detected that there is a problem with your computer and that you need to give them remote access to fix it. Hang up!

You may also suddenly receive a pop up while browsing the internet. The pop up will claim that a virus, or other “Urgent” problem has been detected and you will be urged to call a number provided so that you can be assisted.

The results of allowing a remote connection are usually, but not limited to:

Installation of malicious software that can steal sensitive data. This includes passwords, credit card information, email information, and any other confidential information stored on your device.
Permanent lock out from your device making future data access impossible without reinstalling the operating system. Worse yet, they may encrypt the data.
Inevitably, they will charge exorbitant amounts to “fix” the problems that they just caused.

The pop up may sometimes lock up your browser and prevent you from closing the page. In this case, you can:

1. Press CTRL , ALT , and the DELETE keys on your keyboard.

2. Select ‘Task Manager’

3. You will see a list of running applications. Select the browser you are using and press the DELETE key, or click the ‘End Task’ button.

(Case Study) West Michigan Dental Company Leverages Technology

by Jacob Acker | Jun 16, 2021 | Cloud Services, IT Services, Testimonial, VoIP

“[ICS Data], and working with Blake and the whole team has allowed us to hit the easy button. We needed a company that allowed us to do everything comprehensively, and leverage technology, from A to Z, and also make it very simple.”

– Jared Van Ittersum, Infinity Dental Co-Owner

SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU

Dr. Jared Van Ittersum & Dr. Elias Achey are business partners at Infinity Dental, a privately-held, West Michigan-based Dental company with four locations.

Being innovative, they’ve known that their goal has always been to provide the ultimate patient experience, and they wanted to innovate in a new way for their latest location, Spring Lake.

They needed a way to leverage technology, and also needed a company to help bring these ideas to life. Queue in, ICS Data.

WHY THEY REACHED OUT

We take pride in our 30+ years of experience, knowledge, and quality service to deliver solutions that tailor to our client’s needs. We understand that IT can be difficult, but we strive to make it as easy as possible so that conversations are smooth.

Whether we’re running cable, setting up networks, or managing your businesses IT, we’re in it because we value the relationships we have with our clients, and we believe that’s most important.

When Infinity reached out about mounting TVs on the ceiling so that their patients could have a better experience, we put on our thinking caps and got the job done.

HOW WE SOLVED THEIR ISSUE

By understanding that individuals aren’t naturally excited to go to the dentist, we [ICS] were able to quickly find technological solutions that worked to help meet Infinity’s patients needs.

So, what’d we do?

We took a holistic approach, like we would with any of our clients. First, we knew that they needed a number of computers and systems with a great network so that we were able to support their idea of patients experiencing the dentist in the utmost positive way.

WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT

The Top 5 Benefits of Hiring a Managed IT Service Provider

by Jacob Acker | Jun 7, 2021 | IT Services

1. YOU CONTROL COSTS

Looking for way to control your IT costs? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered…

Many small-to-medium sized businesses in West Michigan haven’t lived their best life in the past year, but we’re here to help make that change. We exist to show and prove to you how managing your IT costs is actually A LOT EASIER than you think: hire an IT Managed Service Provider.

Here’s our point — we offer customized IT solutions based on your perceived value. You may ask yourself, “what does that mean?!” It’s not as subjective as you think – it’s purely based on crafting a plan that suits your needs. Managed IT Service Providers have an extreme impact on ROI for your business!

The best part? A Managed IT Service Provider allows your company to have a low cost solution for a dedicated virtual IT department. We are with you every step of the way and are on call 24/7. By customizing an IT solution that fits your needs, we expand the definition of IT costs. Rolling IT needs into an ongoing predictable monthly payment allows IT to become an operational expense versus have unpredictable capital expenditures. Put simply, Managed Services allows for much easier budgeting and predicted expenses. You get enterprise-level knowledge and service for small-to-medium-sized business costs.

2. YOU GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO EXPERIENCED, CERTIFIED IT PROFESSIONALS

There’s one common mistake we see when business owners request their internal teams to solve larger IT issues. They lose a ton of time.

We know how technology works, and we’ve created solutions to ensure that you (and our clients) have no delays during business hours.

This allows your team to work on things that’ll keep you moving forward each and every day – not worrying about larger issues that may be out of your control.

With a Managed IT Service Provider, you have access to a trained group of IT experts with qualifications, certifications, and experience. You are guaranteed high level IT admins with specific skillsets for whatever needs you have. Technology has become more demanding and it’s hard to keep pace. Let us help you pave your path forward.

See what our clients are saying:

“ICS has been invaluable to our business. Anytime we have an issue, they are always there to help us resolve it in a timely manner. Carol is knowledgeable and so very easy to work with.“

– Brandon Baker

ICS Data - Top 5 Benefits of Hiring a Managed IT Service Provider

3. YOU’RE ABLE TO FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS

IT is definitely interesting, but if you can’t show ROI by ensuring that your systems and processes consistently work, then it’s more of a hassle and less of a strategic plan to be profitable.

As mentioned above, freeing up your staffs time is huge – it’s the purpose of focusing on your business. We allow you to do just that. We also allow you to free up your in-house employees and let them focus on the core of your business, not the IT problems. Being a business owner, you already feel the stress and weight of the day-to-day responsibilities, so why let another department add to that?

We take care of the ongoing management and day-to-day maintenance and free-up your in-house experts time to work on processes and more demanding projects.

4. WE OFFER PROACTIVE SOLUTIONS AND HELP YOU KEEP PACE

Successful businesses do a lot of things right, but in the end, it comes down to a couple things that they do well: they’re proactive and communicate.

How do we help you keep pace?

We provide you with proactive solutions that keep you up-to-date and continue your path forward to profitability. These solutions monitor and manage your IT to catch problems before they escalate into serious issues.

Proactive monitoring and management combined with our professional service will minimize your IT downtime and risk.

Downtime can be catastrophic to a company financially. In serious situations, a company can be down for days if not weeks if no plan is in place. We can help you keep pace with the ongoing demands of technology and help you implement new technology more quickly.

5. WE HELP YOU REDUCE RISK

All in all, managed security services can help fill your organization’s security gaps.

For example, they help improve your endpoint security and implement tools to detect threats outside of and within your network. Managed services, with cybersecurity rolled in, means your infrastructure has constant monitoring, management, and updates that are critical to reducing your risk of attacks, breaches, etc.

IN CONCLUSION

Technology is unpredictable. We’re the helper, role keeper, and guide. Shoot us a message today – we’d love to help YOU. Contact us!

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