All businesses, big and small, face a number of cybersecurity challenges, like being the target of cybercriminals or having intellectual property stolen. Cybersecurity must become a priority for every business across all industries.

Cyber Security risks include infiltration of information such as company assets, employee and customer information, confidential company data, etc. Companies need to have in place cyber risk management plans to prevent any harmful doing to their valuable information. The best way to do so is through a process known as penetration testing. Penetration testing is a software attack on a system that looks for security flaws, and potentially gaining access to that systems data. This test can help determine if a company’s system was vulnerable to an attack, if there were proper barricades in place that could defend the attack, and determine what defenses need to be implemented should the attack be successful.

Sierra w/o Wires is here to help. Contact us today to see how we can protect your business and its valuable data at 412.722.0707 or visit one of our websites at www.SierraExperts.com or www.SierraDataCenters.com

Are you a true nerd at heart, where technology just seems to always be surrounding you?  Halloween is the perfect chance to go all out and blow those boring costumes out of the water with your super cool tech costume. Here is our top five list of tech costume ideas for 2015:

1. Mario and Luigi: Who doesn’t like a little Mario Cart? Grab your best friend or significant other go out as the dynamic duo.

2. Social Media: Because who doesn’t have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Wear the logo or even create a cardboard cutout of your page. Your costume will be sure to get some “Likes” that night.

3. Micro Chip: Are you that simple guy who normally wears the t shirt that says “This is my costume”? We have an alternate solution for you. Buy a plain t shirt and a marker- write the word ‘micro’ on it. Then simply carry around a bag of potato chips. Cheesy or genius?

4. Flash Dance: Fan of the popular 1983 film, but also have a nerdy side? Solution: take a tutu and attach flash drives to it. Simple and creative, what more does one need?

5. Cloud: Let’s face it, if you work in the IT industry, everything is now switching to the cloud, so why not be one. There are a few ways to pull, this one off. Wear all white and a white boa, make a paper cut out and wear it around your neck, or even just draw one on your shirt!

So go out and nerd it up. Halloween is the one day of the year when it's okay to go all-out on a geeky/techy costume!

 

 

Chances are your work environment will have scheduled maintenance done within. No need to panic, you can easily be prepared and keep your businesses valuable data safe and save yourself a lot of headaches. It is key to not only let everyone in the office know of the scheduled down time, but also you’re MSP (Managed Service Provider). Doing this can reduce the risk of someone trying to power up components when they are supposed to be powered down. Scheduled maintenance that should be communicated includes server maintenance, planned power outages, or implementing new switches or routers.

Today is October 21, 2015. This is the same date on which a time traveling Marty McFly arrived in the future within the 1985 film Back to the Future.

In the film, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travels back in time, where he alters his parents’ lives for the better and also takes steps to ensure his future existence. The film trilogy is notorious for featuring interesting technologies that are said to exist in the future. Since we are now here, let’s take a look a few of these technologies and see how the film stacks up against today’s reality.

Hover Boards

Back to the Future: http://bit.ly/1jZuvi6

Holograms

Back to the Future: http://bit.ly/1qwdS1N

Biometric Authentication

Back to the Future: http://bit.ly/1XkbMC1

Drones

We think the Back to the Future films got it pretty right. If we can help you with your technology needs, now or in the future, please visit our website at www.SierraExperts.com or call a member of team at 412-722-0707. Ok, time to go back to work.

 

Become an expert at identifying spam in your inbox. We all know to delete the standard **Free 60’ TV!!** in the subject line, however there are times when SPAM isn’t written in black and white.  Spam emails have become very challenging to read, because it seems like it is coming from a legitimate source. There are a few tips that can help you.

Make sure you check the links found in the message before clicking. Copy and paste into notepad or a word document so you can analyze and see if it looks fishy. If the message claims it is coming from your cell phone provider and when you click you are directed to http://susy-and-tom-from-nowhere.com you have been spammed and should automatically delete. You can also contact MSP to purchase spam detecting software. This is the safest and most efficient way of sorting through what emails are coming from a legitimate source and which ones are not.

 

With Adobe releasing their monthly security patches including Flash Player, they confirmed a major security vulnerability that impacts all versions of Flash for Windows/Mac/Linux.  Yes...ALL versions.  The security vulnerability has been used by a limited amount of hackers that are crashing computers or taking full control of them. 

 Adobe has said it hopes to have an updated patch available next week.  Hope is a tricky word.

Resolution?  Uninstall Flash until Adobe resolves their issues, hopefully faster than they entail. If Sierra is protecting your network with our Next Generation Managed Firewall solution, you can disregard this message.  Contact our Sales@SierraExperts.com to find out how Sierra can secure you against these and other types of threats proactively.

 

In today’s technology driven world, every successful business has a website, but is their website successful? When it comes to a website there are three questions to ask yourself: Is my website appealing to my customers? Is my website’s data safe and secure? Is my website device agnostic?

You can’t just slap your logo into the corner of a web page and call it a day, you need to invest time and money into making your website as appealing as possible. Companies sometimes make the mistake of burying their websites with mass amounts of information on too many pages. Keep it clean and simple. This way you won’t discourage customers from navigating away from your site. Also keep your brand in mind. Make sure your logo, contact information and social media links are present on each page, chances are that is what the browser is looking for.

Next you need to find an MSP (Managed Service Provider) to monitor your site, so you don’t have to. This means you can put your focus on your business, and let the experts handle your IT infrastructure. MSP’s can monitor for threats to your website and detect and prevent downtime. MSP’s usually operate 24x7x365 so you can rest easy knowing your website is safe and secure.

79% of mobile web consumers use their phone for shopping and browsing the web, 40% of mobile shoppers will abandon a site that doesn’t load in 3 seconds. Being device agnostic means your website is compatible across all internet browsers and devices. When designing your website this is one of the most important components to keep in mind. Don’t lose out on customers because you didn’t take the time to test your site!

Whether it be a website or logo, a t shirt or a pen, a table top sign or a banner, our Creative Services Lead, Megan McGregor, is the girl for the job. Megan has been Sierra’s in-house graphic designer for over 3 years now. She received her BFA in Graphic Design and a Minor in Fine Arts from Marietta College. Her interests and hobbies reflect the work she does here in the office. Megan enjoys crafting, playing instruments and illustration. What she really enjoys focusing on is responsive design and user experience.

“Paul Rand… he’s a celebrity in the graphic design world. In fact, nearly everyone is familiar with his work, although they may not realize it. He designed the Westinghouse, UPS, IBM, and ABC logos. A key reason I admire Paul Rand’s corporate identity work is because his logos exemplify one key component of building a strong brand: timelessness. The ABC logo that you see today is the same as it was when it was originally created in 1962. With advances in technology, many logos today use gradients and transparencies to create interesting visual effects. However, as a brand ages, a logo needs to be reproduced under different circumstances and logos that rely on gradients and transparencies don’t always hold up. When it comes time to print the logo on a black and white printer, reversed in one color, or embroidered on a shirt, companies can run in to trouble. I often use Rand’s work as a reminder when designing logos to create a mark that will hold up over time and a variety of applications.”

Not only did this get our minds flowing, but it made us realize how powerful a logo is for a brand’s image. When deciding what factors go into making a memorable logo, Megan gave us some tips and tricks on how to do so successfully. She used the word ‘versatile’ quite often. Megan states, “The logo should remain a strong mark whether printed large, small, in color, or in black and white. Having a horizontal and vertical version of the logo established also helps as the need to have the logo be applied in various ways arises.” We couldn’t agree more! Too many times have we seen small business create a logo that looks great on the corner of their website, but when they blow it up for a banner or t-shirt, it becomes distorted and hard to distinguish.

When Megan is doing design work, the second thing that pops into her head is ‘simplicity’. It is key she tell us, “Often times, especially with small businesses, the urge is to create a detailed drawing as a logo that captures all of the features of a business. However, a simple logo is generally more effective and memorable because it is quickly digestible and recognizable.” She is right, simple is better. Distracting logos take away from the true meaning of what the business is trying to portray. Paul Rand’s work wouldn’t be so memorable if the ABC logo was green and blue, it’s simplicity of being black and white captures us.

Megan’s final piece of advice when it comes to creating a logo is to be distinct. She says “To prevent a logo from looking dated, having a logo that relies on current trends, whether that be shape, color application, or fonts, should be avoided.” By following this key factor, a company will always be recognized, even if just by their logo!

Here at Sierra w/o Wires, we provide custom development for almost anything you can think of! We have created memorable logos for companies as well as custom websites. In today’s internet-driven world, your website should play a key role in attracting customers and increasing sales. Company websites are becoming increasingly important as more and more people turn to the Web to make decisions about where to shop, eat, play, etc.

We would like to help your organization with just about any development requests you should have! If your business is in need of a unique, custom development solution, feel free to contact us at SoftwareDevelopment@SierraExperts.com or at 412-722-0707.

We all know it has been and stormy and wet summer here in Pittsburgh. We never know if we will have to shut down our plans to be outside for the day due to severe weather, should your business fear the same? Let’s take a look at the forecast: we see mass amounts of rain coming causing severe flooding and water damage. Can your businesses valuable data withhold the storm?

So many times have we seen company’s lose mass amounts of data because a thunderstorm or a flash flood has caused damage to their building. This data could be something your business has been working on for months, and in a split second it’s gone. Should this happen, is your business protected with a BDR?

What is a BDR? BDR stands for backup disaster recovery. BDR solutions help companies cut back on the hazard of data loss. According to FEMA, 40% of business do not reopen after a disaster strikes and 25% fail within the first year of the disaster.

When disaster strikes, you should know the Sierra team is on your side and already fixing the problem before it happens.  Sierra offers remote systems monitoring services that are fully customizable and are supported by our senior-level systems engineers. We provide both machine-driven and human-driven problem alerting. Sierra has a redundant system to monitor and manage 24/7, 365 to ensure your valuable data is never lost. Our proactive remote monitoring tools and methodology allow our team of information technology experts to identify emerging issues, isolate them, and execute a fix before network outages or other interruptions occur.

To learn more about how your business could use Sierra as your BDR, contact us today at 412.722.0707 or visit our website at http://www.SierraExperts.com/Monitoring.aspx

This month we put the spotlight on a member of our sales team, Andy Boggess. Andy has been working at Sierra for a little over 2 months and is our business Development Manager. He attended Gannon University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Marketing.

Andy’s interests inside of work consist of working closely with industries like manufacturing and technology. His hobbies consist of golf, ice hockey, playing with his pit-bull boxer Marley and training his 3 year old son to be a future champion.

Outside of work, Andy works with a local based non-profit organization called Pitcairn Camp B. Pitcairn has been around since 1948 and takes 150+ kids to the Laurel Mountains each summer. They take kids ages 7 to 16 to experience the fun of camping, developing teamwork skills, and keeping physically active.

Everyone has a dream job when they are a little kid, Andy’s wasn’t quite in the technology industry. He wanted to be a chef. When we asked Andy why he wanted to be that he responded: “I wanted to be a chef. As a young child, I was quite chubby and liked to eat. What better job to have as a chubby kid?” We feel you Andy, food is awesome and getting to be around it every day would be even better!

Think technology isn’t found in the food industry? Think again! According to Forbes “Food and beverage industry executives see technology as the greatest driver of future growth”. Here at Sierra, we couldn’t agree more.

With social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, marketing is becoming a very cheap way to reach a lot of people. How many times a day do we see friends on social media posting pictures of their plates? If you didn’t tweet it, you didn’t eat it! Mobile and online ordering is also becoming a huge success factor for the fast food industry. No longer do we have to make a phone call to get a pizza delivered. Just pull up an app, put in your order and location and you have your food. Digital signage is seen everywhere, but have you ever noticed how often fast food restaurants and beverage companies take advantage of this display technique. It’s everywhere! Take a look at times square, we bet you can stand there for 10 seconds and see at least 3.

Sierra w/o Wires and our sister company Sierra Media Services, have the ability and skills to help your food business grow with the rapid changes in technology. At Sierra, we offer managed services, website and custom application development. Your website might work on a desktop, but is it device agnostic and work on a smart phone or tablet? We can make it happen, all while monitor and manage it at the same time! Also, out sister company Sierra Media Services can provide you with all of your digital signage needs.

Think Sierra can work for your food business? Contact us today at 412.722.0707 or visit our websites at www.SierraExperts.com www.SierraMedia.com

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/daniellegould/2013/08/16/technology-will-drive-food-industry-growth-finds-kpmg-survey/

Do you know what industries the Sierra companies serve? We can guarantee there are about 25 you never would image that are taking place in businesses all around you. Have you ever stayed at a hotel and connected to their Wi-Fi, or get an awesome new hairstyle? We were probably behind the scenes. Ever known someone under a biometric house arrest or have seen police lights in your review view mirror (smile and slow down)... Yes, we will almost guarantee we were there too! Medicaid billing solutions… Have you ever known someone who has had a bone scan at the hospital, ever had eye exam or know of anyone that has had brain surgery? You guessed it, Sierra was there. Ever gone to school, or needed a lawyer …need we say more? … Instead of replacing industrial oil, hey we are behind the scenes filtering and reusing it! Ever wondered how tractor trailers are always so coordinated in destination management, or have you ever seen a cool robot cruising down a hall or carrying a pallet? Ever do something as daily as completing an electronic bank deposit or tried to figure out what happens to your old tires…football fields anyone? Have you visited a Halloween spook house or if you are from PA, you know where you buy wine…right? And ooohh the pretty flowers, it’s so great to see millions in one location! My back hurts – fixed with our help! Honey – did you remember to get the propane tank filled? Encourage your local blood drives – save lives! Ever buy a house? Like a good neighbor… Young Man keep your feet on the ground... and on top of all that Sierra has the most bandwidth in Pittsburgh going through our data center!

Think you have not worked with Sierra? We will bet you a free month of server management that you see us in your everyday life behind the scenes.

Sierra w/o Wires, Inc. is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in remote monitoring and remote management of computing systems, cloud/virtual systems hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX trunks and solutions, physical server hosting, software development and hardware and software reselling.

This month we are putting the spotlight on our Director of Sales, Ryan Flynn. Ryan has been with Sierra for 2 years, but has been working in the IT industry for over 15 years. Before coming to Sierra, Ryan worked in programming and system management. He also ran a staff of 15 employees that oversaw 450+ servers. To get to this point in his career, Ryan earned a degree in Finance from Indian University of Pennsylvania, and also a degree in Programming from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute.

Ryan is a very out-doors kind of person. His interests outside of work consist of boating, skiing, and snowboarding. He is a frequent skier at Pittsburgh’s closest mountain resort, 7 Springs. Ryan has a cousin that lives in Tahoe, so he tries to make it there once year to hit the slopes. His hobbies consist of the National Ski patrol, craft beer, and Pittsburgh sports… Now if you ask us, craft beer and sports definitely go hand in hand!

Like most people in the Pittsburgh area, Ryan has his favorite spot to grab a bite. He told us his favorite was Meat and Potatoes, located in the heart of the city. We asked Ryan why he liked it, his response made us laugh:  “Who doesn't love bone marrow? It’s basically meat butter.” Meat and Potatoes has an interesting menu that we think any ‘foodie’ from Pittsburgh would enjoy.

Helping businesses operate at ease is a trait we like to uphold here at Sierra. When we asked Ryan if he had any facts or tips about the industry he told us:

“We have seen a lot of growth in the hosting of infrastructure market. We look to continue to help company’s become device agnostic and help them focus on their business, not the business of IT.”

According to TechTarget, to become device agnostic means “…can apply to either hardware or software. In an IT context, agnosticism refers to anything that is designed to be compatible across most common systems.”

Ryan is right, most companies now look for this feature to apply to their business. Imagine designing a brand new, swanky website that took hours to create. You are satisfied with the outcome, but you forgot one major component…is it compatible with other devices? This is commonly overlooked and can cause a company to lose out on a lot of sales. When being device agnostic, a website needs to operate correctly whether it be on a smart phone, laptop or tablet. Since most research done now is on the go from a smart phone, having a mobile site is key for companies. If a potential customer visits your site from their phone, and they receive an error or can’t find what they are looking for in the first initial seconds, they may take their business elsewhere.

So now we challenge you to find out: is your company’s website device agnostic? What are you going to do to change it? We can give one suggestion, contact us today for a website evaluation!