Email Best Practices to Keep Your Office Secure

Businesses are constantly targeted by cyber attackers using malicious emails to gain access to their systems. Ransomware in particular poses an enormous threat to organizations, becoming by far the most common form of malware today. Cyber attackers use it to lock down an unsuspecting recipient’s files and deny access to infected data until the victim pays a ransom. As an added bonus, ransomware has evolved to enable criminals to steal personal or financial information from the victim’s system as well, increasing the impact of an infection.

So, how can you ensure email security to protect yourself?

As humans are the weakest link in any company’s security, the first step to protecting itself is through education. Keep up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity trends and inform staff members of the various types of threats out there today. Stress how serious these threats are to your team, that they can and will likely be exposed to them, and how they can avoid falling prey to them.

The best way for users to protect themselves is by exercising caution in their email inbox. Never, ever, open an attachment or click on a link in an email from someone you don’t know, especially if it seems out of context. If you’re suspicious, contact your IT department before proceeding.

In addition, hackers are adept at spoofing who an email is coming from, making them appear to be sent by someone you know. If someone asks you to provide sensitive information via email, do not trust them. Verify their request by telephone or another form of communication before providing this information.

Perhaps the most effective defense against threats such as ransomware is to frequently back up your data. Even if a business does pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that the hackers will release the files being held hostage. By consistently backing up your data, you can avoid paying the ransom by simply restoring your files.

Hackers are skilled and shrewd enough to bypass SPAM filters and email security. Don’t let them lull you into a false sense of security that leaves you and your business vulnerable. Contact Infomax today to learn more about email best practices and our dedicated security solutions.

Innovative Uses of Color Printing

With all of the competition vying for the attention of your clients and prospects, it’s imperative for businesses to stand out and be noticed. And among the glut of competitors companies face in the majority of industries today, capturing your target audience’s attention can prove to be quite a challenge. One of the tools at your disposal that often flies beneath the radar is color printing, the impact of which is vastly understated.

Utilizing color in your marketing strategy is a great way to capture attention, improve retention, and invoke a response. According to a study by The University of Loyola, Maryland, color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent. And a survey by Harris Interactive revealed 54 percent of respondents are more likely to read marketing pieces when they’re printed in color. There is no questioning the value color printing brings to your marketing efforts, and printing in color is more affordable than you think.

Using color printing to gain a competitive advantage.

Use a color to influence mood: Cool colors such as blue, green, silver, and purple tend to have a calming effect on recipients. Warm colors such as red, yellow, orange, and pink tend to stimulate recipients. It’s key to understand your target audience, and use the colors that will produce the response you want to invoke.

Mix color text into the body of your message: Even a small amount of color text in any of your literature or marketing materials will significantly improve impact and response by helping readers easily locate the information you want them to find.

Be consistent with the colors you use for your professional identity: Create guidelines for your brand that establish the colors you will use when communicating with your audience to create your own look and feel, and cultivate recognition.

Color is a powerful tool enabling businesses to stand out among the competition. Utilize it in your company’s communications to capture attention and create a long-lasting impression. Infomax Office Systems has a color printer to meet your Iowa-area business’s needs.

Maximize MPS Success with These Simple Tips

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape, companies are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition. One solution that many small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) find instrumental to boosting productivity and lowering their overhead is Managed Print Services (MPS). Through MPS, a company outsources the management of their printing fleet and document output to an external managed services provider. MPS enables businesses to gain control of their printing environments, which provides them with a number of benefits, including reduced hardware and consumable costs, enhanced security, lightened load for their IT staff, and improved workflows, just to name a few.

An MPS engagement is a partnership, and there are things companies can do on their end to help ensure the success of this initiative. In this blog post, we highlight ways to help you maximize your return on your MPS investment.

Take stock of your print environment. Before your MPS provider does their own initial assessment of your print fleet, utilize introspection to take a good look at your current environment. Beyond just lowering costs, which areas of your operation need addressing? Which business processes would you like improved?

Make your objectives clear. When first meeting with your MPS provider, it’s essential that you clearly outline your goals; what do you specifically seek to realize from your partnership. Whether it’s slashing your printing costs, increasing security and compliance, or reducing your IT staff’s burden, be sure to make your goals clear to your MPS provider, supplying them with any benchmarks you may have as well.

Review your progress. Throughout your MPS engagement, monitor your company’s progress toward your stated goals. Is your provider reaching them? If not, make sure you address these shortcomings with them, and ask them to have them implement changes to help ensure they meet your expectations.

A company’s print environment plays a huge, but often unassuming, role in their success, or lack thereof. While an MPS solution can help increase a business’ chance of the former, the odds will be greater when owners and presidents do their part. Contact Infomax Office Systems today to learn more about why some of Iowa’s most respected companies rely on our Managed Print Services.