The Datamax Thinking Blog

Educating, collaborating, and sparking ideas for maximizing the technology that matters.


Datto Report: Ransomware Remains Major Cyber Menace in 2020

Top-to-bottom business awareness, employee education, multi-layered security protection, and proper business continuity planning continue to be a much needed prescription for avoiding the number one malware threat to SMBs.

As one menace to business livelihood (the COVID-19 pandemic) dominates headlines, another continues to lurk in the shadows as a significant threat to businesses of all sizes — ransomware.

Topics: Network Management Network Security Business Continuity Ransomware

How Businesses Can Securely Work From Home

When supporting a remote workforce, understand that security controls shift. Therefore, firewalls, DNS, and IDS/IPS could be ineffective when employees head home.

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, many businesses are assessing how they can prioritize their employee safety and still maintain regular business operations.

Topics: Network Management Managed Services IT Consulting Network Security Business Continuity Managed Services Provider Cybersecurity Coronavirus Remote Workforce Planning

7 Proactive Steps SMBs Can Take Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak

While the series of events surrounding COVID-19 may leave business owners seemingly with their hands tied, there are proactive steps that can alleviate concerns, ensure healthy practices, and sustain productivity for the days and weeks ahead.

As our nation and our world continue to deal with the coronavirus and its impact, small businesses find themselves on the front lines of this outbreak.

Topics: Office Equipment Business Continuity Disaster Recovery Coronavirus Remote Workforce Planning

Continuity Of Voice In Disaster (COVID-19): Prepared to Work Remotely?

While the impact of the virus is yet to be determined, the COVID-19 outbreak serves as one poignant example of the need for agility, flexibility and cohesion in the way organizations communicate (via voice or data) and conduct business.

What happens when working remotely ceases to be a luxury … and starts to become a necessity?

With the series of events unfolding surrounding the Coronavirus, employers are making operational adjustments to comply with a quickly-evolving public narrative — one that may soon include a work-from-home strategy.  Given these circumstances, how do businesses maintain effective communication with customers? With their team? How do they preserve standard business operations if employees aren't at the office? 

Topics: Network Management Business Continuity VoIP Phone Systems Unified Communications Coronavirus Remote Workforce Planning

Doomsday Defense: Develop A Business Continuity Game Plan to Sack any Business Disruption

As your business game plans for every scenario that could come your way with a Business Continuity and/or Disaster Recovery strategy, thorough planning is essential. Communication is essential. And testing your plan is of utmost importance.

Legendary Dallas Cowboys Coach (and also B-17 Pilot) Tom Landry, the author of the Doomsday Defense, was the consummate planner.

Unequivocally calm, cool and collected under even the most overwhelming of circumstances, Landry carried with him a philosophy that if his players executed the plans he laid out for them, if coaches stuck to a rigid, to-the-minute itinerary every week, the final outcome would be favorable.

Topics: Business Continuity Disaster Recovery

4 Business Continuity Essentials to Keep Your Technology from Treading on Thin Ice

One can only tip-toe over network and infrastructure insecurities for so long before the surface beneath you cracks.

For ice fishing enthusiasts embracing their favorite winter pastime, the warning from officials is abundantly clear: don’t tread on thin ice! In fact, Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources recommends ice at least 4 inches thick for foot travel.

A measurement any less than 4 inches could result in disaster.

The technology footpath that you tread across every day bears inherent risk. The cybersecurity climate is volatile, forcing organizations to be consistently mindful of the environment surrounding them. The solid technology foundation you create determines how confidently your organization can navigate with necessary tools to conduct business efficiently day to day.

Topics: Network Management Managed Services IT Consulting Network Security Security Business Continuity Managed Services Provider

4C Educators Should Seek a 4C Business Technology Partner

While the 4Cs in education help empower students to be think-tanks of tomorrow, the 4Cs of business technology should and can liberate your on-campus technology team to apply these classroom initiatives.

As educators further pursue the ideal 21st century learning environment, one won’t dig far without uncovering the 4Cs.

The 4Cs – critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication - have been adopted and implemented into the curriculum of school districts and professional development programs for years. Established by the National Education Association and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, these four components are a guide post for choosing specific tools, software and curriculum for the modern day, technologically advanced environment of today’s youth.

Your business technology partner should play a key role in helping bring those 4Cs to light. 

Topics: Office Equipment Partnering IT Consulting Production Print Technology Pain Business Continuity Technology Training Managed Services Provider Education Tips and Tools

6 Cybersecurity Tips That Will Help Keep Your Data Secure

Employees are a big weakness in any information security plan. These 6 tips will make your security stronger.

The biggest security hole in any business isn't the network or your computer assets or the various programs you operate on.

The biggest security threat to any business is the people that work there.

Because people do stupid things. And when they do stupid things with company information (like leaving a laptop in the backseat of a car with customer information), your company is at risk of a data breach.

That's why when it comes to cybersecurity, paying attention only to the IT side of things isn't good enough (though that's essential, of course).

You need to train your users.

Here are a few tips to help you get started on training employees on information security.

Topics: Network Management Managed Services IT Consulting Technology Pain Network Security Security Cloud Technology Business Continuity Data Back-Up

Why Running Your Copier Into the Ground May Not Be Such a Great Idea

There's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to using old office equipment – like copiers and printers – because they're still working.

Are you a “buy, don't lease, find a trusty mechanic because the car dealer will always rip you off” kind of a buyer? If so, I suspect you might also have a 10 year old copier sitting around that you have no plans to ever replace as long as it’s working. Why replace it until it breaks, right?

Maybe not.

The fact is that just because your trusty old office equipment might still be cranking out pages, you could be missing out on advancements in equipment technology that will not only make you say, “how did I ever live without this before,” but might also save you some money in the process!

Office equipment, like vehicles, can be an expensive investment to make. But the reality is that technology is moving at such a rapid pace that, just like your vehicle that immediately depreciates the second you drive it off the lot, office equipment has a point of diminishing returns.

Topics: Office Equipment Document Workflow Print Management Mobile Printing Did You Know? Technology Pain Network Security Productivity Tips and Tools Business Continuity

Don't Take a Recess From Business Continuity — Protect Your Law Firm

If a firm with 25 employees who bill at $200 per hour lose one hour of uptime, that’s $60,000 a month on lost opportunity. — Attorney at Law Magazine

As attorneys, you’re committed to providing your clients with the best legal advice and service possible. In order to do so, you recognize that in the world of law, time stops for no one. Court dates are appointed, not chosen. Contracts have deadlines. Client meetings are a must. Any type of power outage, therefore, is a huge threat to law firms. As a lawyer you have a finite amount of time to build your case, gather materials, research, etc. Should an outage strike your firm as a result of a natural (or most likely man made) disaster during your last few days before court, for example, it could be detrimental to the outcome of a case.

Topics: Network Management Network Security Cloud Technology Legal Tips and Tools Business Continuity Data Back-Up