Charlie Waters
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Silver Bullet or Gatling Gun?

Often labeled as a “gun guy”, it was only a matter of time before a firearms analogy made it from pen to paper.  So, what better material to draw from (the puns write themselves) than the famed Silver Bullet or the iconic Gatling Gun?!  Using Wikipedia as our trusty reference, the silver bullet is described this way: “In folklore, a bullet cast from silver is often one of the few weapons that are effective against a werewolf or witch. The term is also a metaphor for a simple, seemingly magical, solution to a difficult problem.”  We will borrow from the latter part and avoid the complications of debating the efficacy on werewolves and witches for now.  I will excuse you if you thought we were going Lone Ranger and Tonto with the silver bullet reference.

As for the Gatling gun, the image that comes to mind is the scene in The Outlaw Josey Wales where the gun is used to great effect.  Admittedly, any connection to an Eastwood western is the path of least resistance for how my brain is wired.  Inside family joke – I refer to myself along with my brother and sister-in-law collectively (and proudly) as “The Outlaws”, so trust me when I say Clint’s classics run deep with me.  Borrowing from Wikipedia once again, “The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon.”  The modern implementation is best represented by the flying tank also known as the U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog” equipped with the 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger rotary cannon aka BRRRTTTTT (from the sound it makes when fired).

Personal note: As someone who grew up as an Air Force “brat”, I had an up close view of the sacrifices our military men and women (and their families) make to secure our freedoms. I have great respect for our armed forces and consider it a privilege to have planted my family’s roots alongside our military community at Robins Air Force Base. Another honor was to have my first paying (summer) job working for tips at my Dad’s squadron snack bar on Davis–Monthan AFB (He was in EC-130s at the time). It was there that I was able to watch the A-10s fly around the Tucson desert sky, hence my bias for these beasts of the air.

With our firearms references intact, let us consider how our analogy applies to Security.  Many in business wrongly assume there is some solitary “seemingly magical” solution to information security…the silver bullet.  The problem is the silver bullet in security is as imaginary as the ever-elusive werewolf.  It simply does not exist!  To start with, we cannot manage security in a vacuum.  There are three business constraints that must be managed together – Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (aka the CIA model).  I often tell clients that I can make their network 100% secure and of course they look at me with a healthy bit of skepticism – even they don’t REALLY believe in a silver bullet it seems.  I simply say, “Let me unplug everything from the network and shut your computers down.”  This is followed quickly by, “VERY SECURE, right?!  But not very available.”  And that is about as close as we can get to a true silver bullet.  With that extreme shot down, what can be done?  Now we can discuss degrees of security, risk tolerance, accessibility and, ultimately, cost.

Instead of thinking about security as a single magical thing, we need to embrace the idea that an effective security strategy incorporates a variety of tools and processes.  We need a Gatling gun approach.  The industry term for this is Defense in Depth.  We must deploy multiple security mechanisms and controls that create a layered defense against the endless barrage of external threats.  These layers may include firewalls, intrusion prevention, endpoint detection and response, network segmentation, least privilege access, encryption, strong passwords, patch management, data recovery, breach awareness, and end-user training.  Unlike the silver bullet, if one system fails, another is in place to potentially stop the threat.  Consider end-user training, an often-forgotten security measure – if a user is trained to properly identify phishing email attacks and avoids clicking on the malicious link, the endpoint security or firewall never have to defend against the threat.  Even better, if there is anti-phishing security around the email service, the user never receives the email in the first place.

Is your organization overconfident in a single security product?  Are the security best practices and product features like reading Greek?  Not quite sure how to balance the C-I-A equation for your business?  Partner with a technology vendor who understands the nuances of security and has the experience to build an effective defense in depth strategy right sized for your business.  So, do silver bullets stop werewolves?  Maybe, maybe not.  Give me a Gatling gun, or better yet, an A-10 with its rotary cannon any day.  BRRRTTTTT!

–Charlie Waters, COO – Total Computer Solutions, Inc.

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m.a.collins

5 Ways Microsoft Teams Help Your Employees Communicate Better

It was nearly a year ago now that we were forced to start working remotely in various ways due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  For TCS, as for most companies, good communication is critical to our success.  When we don’t communicate well as a team, our customers notice – and not in a good way!

Let’s face it, sometimes it simply isn’t feasible to call someone from your cellphone.  Other times, your communication is too sensitive to transmit over an insecure text messaging platform.  Since TCS works in highly regulated markets like health, finance, and government, it’s imperative that we communicate in a way that does not compromise sensitive customer information.

Fortunately, TCS had a communication platform in Microsoft Teams that would accommodate all the necessary forms of communication for TCS team members to stay in touch from anywhere.  Here are the five communication tools within Teams that enabled TCS to communicate securely from anywhere:

  1. Live Chat

Sometimes, we need to convey or share something with a teammate without all the unnecessary niceties of an email or face-to-face interaction.  Instead of this imaginary email: “Hey, Bill!  I hope you had a great weekend.  This morning, I was able to complete the document revisions.  Please look over them and let me know your thoughts.”  You can simply choose your desired recipient and type: “The document revisions you requested are completed.  Please let me know your thoughts.”  If you really want to trim the fat: “Document revisions are complete. Thoughts?”

Concerned that your chat message will be overlooked?  Whenever you send a chat message, Teams will give you an indicator whether it is delivered successfully and has been seen by the intended recipient.  If the recipient doesn’t have Teams open and active on any of their devices, Teams will send your recipient an email informing them they have a Teams chat awaiting their response.

Concerned about security?  Microsoft uses various types and applications of encryption to guard against data theft in Teams by default.  This applies to all data within Teams, including the Chat feature.  If there are further regulatory concerns about data security within Teams, additional layers and add-ons can be employed to guard further against data theft.  TCS can help you determine what level of encryption makes the most sense for your business and ensure you are protected at that level.

  1. Video Calls

Other times, you know a topic will require a lot of back-and-forth discussion.  In those scenarios, a Chat will be frustrating.  In a chat session, you can’t read facial expressions, voice tones, and other body language indicators.  Teams has you covered with a Video call option.  The pandemic has made us all aware of Zoom.  Teams has a similar function where individuals can join a Teams video call and interact seamlessly.

With the video call function, you can connect 2 or more teammates and interact as if you were in the same room. Naturally, there are some conditions that impact the quality of that video session.  You need a good, reliable Internet connection with enough bandwidth available to stream both video and audio.  Your network needs to be optimized to prioritize streaming traffic.  TCS can help you with those hurdles.  Once you have the right connection, Teams video can be a great way to conduct a group meeting and have everyone interact and contribute.

  1. Voice Calls

If you are on a mobile device and you are using Teams, you can simply click on the phone handset icon and create a temporary audio connection with that user.  Maybe you haven’t perfected your make-up for the day yet.  Maybe you’re on a limited bandwidth Internet connection in a cabin on the side of a mountain working remotely.  Either way, you need to communicate with someone securely and conveniently.  The Voice call function in Teams has you covered there.  Teams will even let you know if that person is available, away, or offline.

The Teams voice call is similar to a phone call.  If you are using Teams from your smartphone, it’s practically identical.  Teams gives you a secure platform to discuss business matters directly from your laptop, mic-enabled PC, or mobile device.

  1. Screen-sharing

Most of the time, we think of sharing our screen in Zoom meetings or other video calls.  Of course, if you are on a video call in Teams and need to share your screen with the rest of your team on the call, you have that capability within Teams.  Beyond that, if you just want to share your screen outside of a call environment, you can initiate a screenshare directly as well.

Some things to keep in mind when using the screenshare option:  When you share your screen, you have a couple of options.  You can (1) share the entire screen/monitor or (2) you can share a specific application.

Scenario 1: Employee or Client Training scenario – In a training scenario, you probably will be jumping back and forth between applications during the screenshare.  For instance, maybe you’re presenting the training in PowerPoint, but you want to demonstrate your instruction within the actual line-of-business application to the employee(s).  To accommodate the sharing of multiple applications in the session, you will choose to share the entire screen.

Scenario 2: Hosting a Webinar – If you are only going to be sharing information within one application, like a PowerPoint presentation for a webinar, then it’s best to share just that single application.  This protects your audience from seeing information not privy to them, should you inadvertently minimize the application you’re attempting to share.

Regardless, be careful when sharing screens to ensure that you aren’t sharing confidential information.

  1. Shared Documents

Teams also works with OneDrive to provide the ability to share documents and work on those documents simultaneously.  There are multiple ways to share documents in Teams.  You can share folders within each Team.  You can drag and drop files onto the Chat to send the file via the Chat interface.  Or you can Sync Teams folders in OneDrive and use those folders much like you would a shared network folder.

Conclusion:

Microsoft Teams provides a secure communications platform that can accommodate whatever scenario your team might encounter.  Just like any tool, Teams needs to be employed in a meaningful and constructive way.  Used properly, Teams can enhance your work-from-home communications and help keep your business communications on track, even when workers are remote.

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Charlie Waters
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Strategy: Turning Your Business Inside Out

Inside What?

Does the current pandemic have your company turned inside out?  Hopefully not, but maybe some other crisis will.  Why not just go ahead and turn your company inside out on purpose?!  Better on your terms than something external.  Let me explain.  Today I am working from home, productive, but under quarantine (exposed, but so far symptom free, and I thank God for that).  This is not the first time I have had to work like this.  In a prior company, I was the VP of Service for a prominent Middle Georgia Managed Services Provider (MSP).  Like Total Computer Solutions, we provided a full compliment of outsourced IT staff to aid local small businesses.  From Virtual CIO (read: IT Director) to Service Coordinator to Help Desk Technicians and Engineers, the resources in my department were critical to support the strategic mission of a business down to the day-to-day computer problems.  As with that business, there were (and are today) a variety of conditions which made working from home a luxury on some occasions and an absolute necessity in others – ice storms, local flooding, power outages, and today – pandemics.  Who had COVID-19 on their Bingo card for 2020?  Today, I am the COO for TCS which means I am responsible for the operations of Service, Sales, and Finance – Facilities and Human Resources are also shared responsibilities in our core departments.

But this article is not about me or my background…more about YOUR business strategy.  This is an opportunity for me to share how prior planning and enhanced technical capabilities can enable your business and work force to thrive under similar work from home scenarios.  I am going to share with you my secret to business continuity – turning your business inside out.  If the concept of Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity is new to you, a little Google-Fu will produce a wealth of information on the topic.  Simply put, DRBC is the planning and development of capabilities to recover full business operations from a disaster while maintaining some level of functionality during the recovery effort.  I can work from home today, with minimal impact to my ability to communicate and coordinate our business operations, due to some advanced planning and the right mix of technologies.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Company Culture for $200

It really starts with culture.  Company culture is the foundation upon which the rest of the business grows and thrives.  Without the right culture and management structure, keeping team cohesion and productivity during adverse business conditions can be difficult, if not downright impossible.  Fortunately, I have had great mentors in my career and picked up some tools along the way to help build and support a healthy culture around our people, process, and products.  For an MSP, our product is really our people.  True, we do sell stuff, but it is largely commodity goods and not the real differentiator between a good MSP and a bad one – the key is our team and we cannot thrive without a solid culture in place.  Our CEO Michael Collins is the primary champion of our culture here at TCS, so he and I have a Batman and Robin approach to reinforcing our values and team environment from the big picture down to everyday decisions.  This must be baked into the DNA of who you are as an organization.

Business structure must enable and support this culture.  We also use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to drive the management of our business.  Rob Betzel, a friend who also happens to be my former boss, is a great local coach for both Company Culture and EOS.  I am forever grateful to him and others who have invested their time and energy into equipping me with the management principles and tools I have today.  Who knew you could make business leaders out of computer geeks?!  With a good management system/tools in place…we have a very high powered engine.  But what good is this high powered, superbly crafted engine without the proper fuel?

Culture is that fuel.  Everyday we fill the business engine with a tank of clean-burning high octane or some concoction of low octane fuel with lead, sulphur, water, and other contaminates.  Your company values, lived out, are the ingredients.  They cannot be merely a sign on the wall or words on your web site.  Integrity, teamwork, professionalism, accountability, and other key traits are the essential ingredients to maintaining workforce productivity, especially when working remote.  Sometimes, as managers, we have to make very tough decisions about who remains on the team when these values are not upheld.  Proper coaching and positive reinforcement can often help a struggling employee, but the best time to get this right is in the hiring process.  Having to micromanage an employee to get them to do their job well in the office simply is not going to work under these new conditions.  If you do not have this right yet, DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200 until you have this fixed.  As mentioned here, there is a wealth of local talent who can help you with this.

Communicate and Collaborate

Okay, company culture is good?  Check.  Now to turn your business inside out.  This really centers on communication and collaboration.  Here is what I mean by that (and this is the big secret) – design your business technology around having a mobile workforce who happens to work inside your building at times…cutting the corporate tether so to speak.  Easier said than done, for sure.  The planning and implementation must be a strategic top-down initiative.  On a side note, technology should always be connected to business strategy rather than existing for its own sake, letting the tail wag the dog.  In other words, bend technology around the needs of the users rather than the other way around.  And this strategy is more straightforward for companies primarily with knowledge workers as opposed to skilled labor who perform their work on the job site.  Even for skilled labor, their hub can be moved from the office to home (or an ad-hoc office) and dispatched to work onsite rather than reporting to the office first.  And for organizations who deliver their primary services onsite (i.e.: healthcare), support positions can often be moved off premise for the sake of distancing.  Telemedicine has emerged out of this trend.  There is no one size fits all solution, and these nuances must be considered.

Essentially this means formulating a cloud-centric but locally supported business technology infrastructure.  Consider moving employees to laptops with docking stations versus workstations.  This immediately enables mobility.  Voice communications – hosted phone system with softphones that run on your PC or even using your cell phone to make and receive calls using your business line.  Move QuickBooks online…easy.  You have already moved your email to O365, right?  RIGHT?!  Utilize Microsoft’s 365 suite beyond email to sync your documents to the cloud – no need for a file server or NAS is many cases.  Cloud-to-cloud backup is needed to protect your data no longer on premise.  MS Teams can be used for business chat along with audio/video conferencing.

In fact, yesterday I ran our weekly management meeting using Teams and was able to facilitate the meeting with no loss of productivity while working from home this week.  Management scored me an across the board 9 out of 10 for running the meeting which is pretty good considering the tough audience I serve.  Yes, we are results focused enough to score facilitating meetings (thanks again to EOS).  Shared management scorecard, no problem – click save and the rest of the team automatically gets the updates via cloud sync in the background.  With Microsoft 365 we can even edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets as a group, live in the document at the same time.

Often critical line of business applications are the toughest nuts to crack.  The best option may be to keep what you have, even if that means on premise servers for now, and see if your application vendor offers a cloud hosted solution (sometimes you will see this advertised as SaaS – Software as a Service).  Cloud is not cheaper, but the benefits often make sense given the flexibility it offers along with a more robust business capability.  If you have already made that move, kudos!  Otherwise, TCS can facilitate a process for you to evaluate and identify a new vendor who offers this critical capability.

A side benefit of moving to a subscription “as a Service” model for consuming IT services is a more predictable and flat operational cost (OpEx) as opposed to large periodic or sometimes unpredictable capital expenditures (CapEx).  This is a main reason why MSPs operate under fixed-fee monthly contracts.  You are paying for an outsourced and fully staffed IT department, not simply an hourly rate to fix your latest application error.  Your technology infrastructure is a very dynamic environment that must be watered and fed to keep it running efficiently.  And moving to the cloud doesn’t mean your support needs magically disappear, it simply moves the management to the other side of the Internet wire.  Be sure you have an experienced technology partner to help you navigate these waters.  Having a handyman for odd jobs is fine, but you wouldn’t build a new house without a qualified architect.

Don’t You…Forget About (Securing) Me!

Culture, communication, and collaboration are in order, great!  My pastor would be proud my 3-point alliteration.  Ah, but we have a 4th point…security (or Cybersecurity gets me to 4 Cs).  We cannot overlook security in all of this.  Believe it or not, this Inside Out approach can improve your business security.  Yes, we have firewalls, encrypted wireless, content filters inside the office, but the most effective security (read: defense in depth) strategy is to assume your corporate network is what security experts refer to it as the “soft gooey middle”.  Simply put, start by assuming your office network is not safe and build defenses around your endpoints and applications.  When those are secure, along with a VPN or other secure remote access technologies, the reach of your information systems can be safely extended and working from Starbucks can be just as safe as the towering defenses of the ubiquitous grey office cube with its mystical, magical, always impervious to outside threats, wired ethernet connection (tongue firmly in cheek).

And all the stuff you have now moved to the cloud, it must be secured as well.  Wrap a security layer around O365 email to protect against phishing attacks, for example  If you are a regulated business (and who isn’t these days?), there are particular requirements for how your security is implemented and this also affects which cloud vendor(s) you choose.  Who owns your data?  Where is it physically stored?  Can you get your data back if needed?  As you guessed, there is no cookie cutter approach and security is best designed and managed by trusted professionals who understand the vulnerabilities and regulatory requirements along with appropriate risk mitigation strategies.

Wrapping It Up

TLDR; In summary, with the right company culture and structure, along with the appropriate mix of secure business technologies, your organization can remain business as usual through events that would cripple lesser equipped companies.  This Inside Out strategy takes what would otherwise be an existential threat and turns into a competitive strength.  Total Computer Solutions can design and support this sort of environment for your business and make “Turning Your Business Inside Out” a positive.  We would love to engage with you whether you are an existing contract client or have questions about how TCS can assess your business technology, partner with you, and help road map a strategy that is right sized for your organization.  We are all neighbors serving neighbors after all and TCS has been in that business for over 33 years.

Want More?  TCS Recommended Reading Includes:

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