Talk to GDK about your secure mail environment

You may have read recently in the press about the change that is happening with those still using Eir email addresses.   Eir has announced that they are planning to charge those using @eircom.net addresses €5.99 per month.   This has come as a bit of a surprise for users.

Email Accounts Deleted

This service has been free for users for almost 20 years and the news will come as a shock to many.  After their deadline of March 31st account holders who do not pay will not be able to open their email messages.  Also, if they do not decide to pay, their email account will be deleted and potentially all past email content will not be accessible.

Impact on Users

Many individuals, associations, schools, committees and even small business owners are currently using eircom email addresses and this will have a significant impact on them.  We rely on our email to keep us connected and a change such as this can have a significant impact.

Why are Eir making such a move?  In the UK many telecommunication organisations have introduced similar charges.  We assume that the email service Eir are currently providing is costing them money and they need to monetise it to make it viable.

How will this affect you?

Will this change by Eir affect you?  If you are currently using an @eircom.net address you need to decide if you want to pay the monthly charge.  However, before you do so, this may be the ideal time to talk to an expert about a secure email environment. There are options you may not have considered that are robust, secure and could give you many advantages.  Why not speak to the GDK Network Systems expert team today to explore your options.  Call us today to find out more.

What Makes a Great IT Professional?

As a business, you will certainly benefit from having a reliable IT professional as a partner. You will come across challenges, issues and the need to find the best solutions, so you will need someone you can count on.

IT Expert

While there will be no need to employ a full-time IT expert, outsourcing tasks and projects to one when your business requires them is more than recommended.  How to recognise a great IT professional? Here are a couple of important traits you need to keep an eye for.

Loves the job and does it with enthusiasm every day

A person that enjoys what he or she is doing will always deliver superior results because there are passionate about being involved in the process. If you manage to find an IT expert that is actually enthusiastic about his or her work, you know they will show dedication as your IT partner.

Is capable of explaining things in simpler terms as well

The IT domain can be rather tricky to understand, especially when your own knowledge is rather restricted. Because of this, it is useful to find an IT professional that can explain things to you in a manner that you can also understand what is happening. After all, you are spending money out of your company’s budget, you will want to know how it is spent and what the advantages of adopting various strategies are.

Knows how the sector is evolving

It is very important for a person operating in the sector to know how things are evolving in the background and what the latest breakthroughs are. Bearing in mind that the IT sector is developing very fast and current solutions may soon be outdated, it’s even more important to find an expert that is up to date with everything that is new in this area.

Knows their area of expertise well

The IT sector is a very broad one and covers a high number of elements. This is why you will find professionals that are specialists in certain areas. But, regardless what type of IT expert you need, make sure that they know their area of expertise in depth so they can help you achieve the desired results.

Does not hesitate to share their knowledge with others

You may always learn a thing or two from such an expert, details that will help you manage your business better than before. It’s great to work with a person that is keen on sharing their knowledge. This will prove you are spending your budget well and you will value learning from them.

At GDK network systems we have a team of IT Professionals that are passionate about what they do.  Our collective experience will cover all areas for your business IT.  Talk to us today – your trusted technology partner. 

GDK - Taking Care of IT

Technology must surely be the most important enabler when it comes to growing a business.  All businesses regardless of size or industry are in some way reliant on their IT systems to operate. 

Business IT Care Plan

As a business owner you need somebody to take care of the technology while you take care of your business.   That is why it is vital to ensure you have a robust IT care plan in place for your business.  The GDK Business IT Care Plan not only takes care of your computer systems, it provides a secure environment where your business can thrive. 

Your IT Support

When selecting a partner, you want to ensure they have the knowledge and capability to look after your needs.   With a good managed IT solution provider, you will have the support of an experienced and expert team.  It will feel like having your own IT department but without the high costs associated with that. 

Your IT care plan will provide you with a team that will monitor and manage your network.  They will provide remote support and will organise on-site escalation when required.  Being proactive is key, catching the threat before any damage is done is priceless. That is why it is important to perform regular health checks on your systems to ensure your operations continue without disruption. 

Easy to Manage IT

Getting all your support from one point of contact will make things easier.  Our Business IT Care Plan is designed with one simple monthly fee that gives you peace of mind.  There are no hidden costs just an expert team in your corner helping your business to thrive.  One team dealing with all third-party suppliers of software and more, one invoice and one point of contact. 

Covering everything from cyber security, disaster recovery planning, updates, backups and cloud this is an extensive solution that will cover all major IT areas.  Let your business grow with the support and expertise of GDK Network Systems – your trusted technology partner. 

CyberSecurity: Why your organisation needs to Get Wise to the New Threat Landscape

The CyberSecurity landscape changes every day, with new actors, new threats, new schemes, and new ways to infiltrate websites, emails, devices, and almost anything that is connected to the internet. We’re constantly reading about the rise of spear phishing, DDoS attacks, global malware threats, ransomware, CEO fraud, and more.

Despite all of the attention that CyberSecurity is receiving, there is still a widely held belief in the small- to medium-sized business or organization (SMB) that cyberattacks happen to someone else - the “Ostrich Effect”

Apparently, this is something that is prevalent in humans; it is our natural instinct to avoid unpleasant or difficult news or situations. Unfortunately, hiding from a problem doesn’t make it go away. It just continues without you, delaying the inevitable.

This is the state of CyberSecurity in the SMB market today. The threat exists. It’s real. It’s growing. It is not going away, and if we continue to bury our heads in the sand, it is going to get much worse. 

Ransomware as a Service or RaaS is a direct threat to SMBs

SMBs should be aware that Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) can be used by anyone with the desire to commit cyberextortion and this has changed the threat landscape. SMB's are now at more risk than ever before.
Consider these statistics:

1. Cybercrime is expected to cost the world over $6 trillion USD by 2021.
2. SMBs are under attack as cybercriminals understand SMBs have fewer resources and far less protection than larger entities.
3. Half of all cyberattacks are against SMBs.
4. Ostrich Effect statistics: 77% of SMBs say their companies are safe from cyberattacks, yet 83% of them have no formal cybersecurity plan.
5. 6 out of 10 SMBs do not have a contingency plan should they undergo a cyberattack.
6. 66% of SMBs say they are not worried about a cyberattack.
7. Most SMBs do not have policies in place to provide procedures for employees in the case of an attack.
8. While most small businesses feel that they have adequate protection for themselves and their customers, Visa, Inc. reports that SMBs represent over 90% of payment data breaches.  
9. Most small businesses do not have any cybersecurity training in place for their employees, while 83% of breaches are caused by untrained employees being duped by phishing and spear phishing activities.

Being Proactive is the Way to Defend against Cyberattacks

While the news on the CyberSecurity front is daunting, SMBs with a proactive plan of protection are far less likely to suffer a breach. When considering a plan for protection, these four areas should be reviewed:

1. Risk Assessment—it is critical to know what data is at risk, where it is, and how to protect it.
2. Risk Remediation—have a process to remove/back up/encrypt data to bring to “clean state.”
3. Protection—utilize advanced technologies to secure a safe environment for your business and your customers.
4. Education—instigate employee CyberSecurity awareness training.

A proactive approach to protection is the key to being safe for most businesses and organisations, whatever their size.

Remember,
if you are connected to the Internet,
you must be protected!

If you would like us to assist, please Ring us now 01-2166 970 or click here to send us a form.

Benefits of adding additional Memory to your Servers

Memory is what feeds processing cores, it’s one of the most effective and affordable ways to improve CPU utilisation and efficiency.
There are huge benefits of adding additional Memory(RAM) to your Servers that include:

• It’s the fastest, easiest, most dependable way to increase Server performance
• When CPUs are fully utilised, you will be able to use fewer Servers to accomplish more
• Fewer Servers keeps power, cooling, and software licensing costs lower
• It’s one of the best ways to cut costs and overcome workload constraints.

Additional Memory helps overcome 5 top server workload constraints:

1. Limited budget: More memory helps increase CPU efficiency and utilisation, which in turn decreases a server’s cost of ownership because users are getting more performance out of it and are able to use fewer servers to accomplish more.
2. Unexpected or unpredictable workload demands: More RAM helps eliminate quality of service variance because it provides extra resources for virtualised applications to store and use active data, which lives in memory.
3. Limited floor space: Scaling up and using less servers optimises limited floor space and cuts power, cooling and software license costs.
4. Rapid growth in user base: Hosting more users requires more RAM to maintain quality of service levels and gain system flexibility.
5. High power and cooling costs: More RAM helps servers use power in the most efficient manner plus using fewer servers lowers total energy costs.

The bottom line:
Improve workload performance with more Memory, not necessarily more Servers

For more information, please contact us to discuss how we can help.