Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common cause for data loss?

The most common cause of data loss is hardware failure - make sure you’re always backing up your hardware! Other causes include; human error, software corruption, theft, and viruses.

What happens when I have a data breach?

A data breach puts ALL of your personal and financial records at risk. This makes you vulnerable to identify theft, compromises customer data, compromises employee data, loss or risk of intellectual data, and virus attacks.

How serious are data security breaches?

Data security breaches in your hardware will always be serious. It can lead to destruction, alteration, loss, or access to all personal data. Assessing the problem ASAP and probably involving IT will lessen the blow.

What are the best password manager tools?

We love to use 1Password for password management. Other good password security tools are Dashlane, LastPass, and Roboform.

What are 3 rules of how to create a secure password?

Have a variety of passwords ( don’t use the same one twice!)
Have strong passwords, including special characters, uppercase, lowercase and numbers
Don’t use commonly known information for passwords

What is the best password strategy?

It’s easy to create strong, jumbled passwords. It’s not easy to remember those. Get a password management tool so that you can create strong passwords without having to remember them all.

What are the best practices for enhancing password security?

Best practices include multifactor authentication, regular password updates, avoiding common passwords, and utilizing password managers to fortify digital security and protect sensitive information from cyber threats.

How to fix my OneDrive storage issues?

You may be running into storage issues because you have run out of room. You may need to buy more storage or delete some files.

Why do I have syncing issues in OneDrive?

OneDrive can fail to sync for a few reasons. Sometimes there are invalid characters in the file names, or your syncing apps are just outdate.

Why isn’t OneDrive uploading?

OneDrive not uploading can happen if you are signed into the Microsoft 365 app with an account that doesn’t have the right permissions. Make sure you’re signed in with the right account and re-sync your files to avoid OneDrive issues.

What’s the difference between Outlook Contact lists and groups?

Contact lists are lists of people that you can edit when sending an email. Contact groups are used to organize your address book. Groups come with more collaboration options and permission settings.

What are Outlook Contact lists used for?

The ability to send an email to multiple people at one time
Recipients of your email can see who else received the email
Recipients do not share files or have any Microsoft 365 permissions

How to I mange my contacts in Outlook?

Utilizing Outlook contact lists and groups is going to help you manage your contacts. Create groups if multiple people need to be involved, or just make a contact list if you want to organize some of your contacts.

Is it better to send attachments or links in emails?

It depends on your preference / what the purpose is. Sometimes it can be more beneficial to send a link and in some cases an attachment is better.

Can you send a link as an attachment?

Links and attachments are two different things. You can send a link to an online drive with files (SharePoint / OneDrive) or you can attach a document.

Sharing a link to an online document is often easier and faster for collaboration. It removes the process of massive downloads to your computer every time. You’re also able to change access to the document at any point.

Where can I learn more about Microsoft group types and email aliases?

Microsoft has an in-depth article about the differences between the various group types and their permissions and limitations here.

What is the difference between a regular email inbox and a shared inbox?

The main difference between the two are who has access. You should be the only one with access to your inbox. With a shared mailbox, your whole team should have access.

When should you use a shared mailbox?

Shared mailboxes should be used when more than one person needs to access the same inbox. Usually a company will have a shared mailbox when they have a handful of different receptionist, so they can all have full usability without intruding on other’s inboxes.

How do I stop junk mail?

There are a number of ways you can lessen the email spam in your inbox. 1. Report junk and email spam 2. Don’t give out your primary email address 3. Unsubscribe 4. Block senders 5. Utilize your safe senders list 6. Using email filters

How are spammers getting my email?

If you are posting your email address online publicly, there’s a good chance a spammer will find it. Spammers will crawl the web looking for the @ sign and harvest email addresses that way.

Should I delete or block spam emails?

If you see an email that is clearly spam, don’t open it. Delete the email without opening it or downloading anything! You can also mark the email as spam to deter future emails from that sender.

How do I filter emails in Outlook?

The best way to filter your emails is to automatically move emails to certain folders right away, so Outlook can learn where they should go in the future.

Filtering your emails by date/sender/size will always help reduce the number of emails you have to sift through each time.

How do I search emails in Outlook?

Outlook has a great search feature, in the top left of your screen, to help you easily locate all of your emails. Make sure to use Operators to make your search is optimal.

How do I automatically filter emails?

In Outlook, they automatically filter out newsletters, notifications and marketing messages with the Focused email tab.

How do I archive my emails?

In your email inbox there should be an “archive” option, where it will take your emails and put them into an “archive” folder. This takes the emails out of your inbox but still makes them searchable for later.

What does archiving email mean?

When you archive an email, you’re taking it out of your inbox, but it’s still searchable so you can find it again later. This does not delete the email, only putting it in a different space.

What happens when I archive emails in Outlook?

Archiving an email in Outlook moves it to the “Archive” folder. You can still find this email later (it is NOT deleted), it is just in the archive folder. You will still be able to search for this email in your email mailbox.

Does Microsoft 365 have a document management system?

Yes. Microsoft 365 offers various solutions to document management like SharePoint, OneDrive and Microsoft Dynamics.

Is SharePoint a document management system?

Yes, SharePoint is a document management system from Microsoft Office 365.

What is the difference between OneDrive and SharePoint?

Both of these systems come from Microsoft 365. SharePoint provides the content services behind the scenes for your files, and works well with Teams and Outlook. OneDrive allows you to access your files on all devices including mobile, web, and desktop for Windows or Mac.

Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: what is more secure?

Both have a dynamic infrastructure. Microsoft does have a clearer stance on data governance and multiple data protection and data privacy features.

Is Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace more expensive?

It’s hard to compare directly because of extra features. Most times Microsoft 365 plans are more expensive than the Google Workspace because of the added Office desktop apps.

What’s the difference between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365?

Let’s compare Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite) and Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) to help you decide which office productivity suite suits your needs. Here are the key differences:

Email:
- Google Workspace: Offers Gmail, accessible via a Google Workspace account, with a default mailbox size of 30GB per user.
- Microsoft 365: Includes Microsoft Outlook, an application for managing email, calendars, and more1.
Collaboration Tools:
- Google Workspace: Emphasizes real-time collaboration with tools like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
- Microsoft 365: Provides apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with Teams for chat, video calls, and file sharing1.
Storage:
- Google Workspace: Offers Google Drive for cloud storage.
- Microsoft 365: Integrates with OneDrive and SharePoint for file storage and collaboration1.
Pricing and Packages:
- Both suites have various plans catering to different business sizes and needs.

Remember, your choice depends on factors like collaboration preferences, existing workflows, and budget. Explore both options to find the best fit!

Can I upgrade to Windows 11?

If your PC is currently running Windows 10 and meets the hardware specifications that are required for some new features you can upgrade.

What is the difference between a team and a channel?

A team is like the company as a whole, and is made up of different channels. The channels are dedicated to a specific department, project, or topic.

Can a deleted team or channel be recovered?

Yes. Your admin should have access to recover a deleted team or channel. Go to your team, click more options > manage team. Go to the channels tab, find the channel in the deleted section and click restore.

How many people can be in a conference call?

Up to 20 people can be on the same video or phone call.

Here’s a concise guide on how to share files on Microsoft Teams:

Upload Files:
- Click on the “Files” tab within your Teams channel or chat.
- Use the “Upload” button to add files from your local computer or cloud storage (OneDrive, SharePoint, etc.).
Share Files in Conversations:
- In a chat or channel, type a message.
- Click the paperclip icon to attach a file.
- Select the file you want to share.
Collaborate on Files:
- Once shared, team members can view, edit, and comment on files.
- Use the “Open in SharePoint” option to access advanced features like version history and co-authoring.
File Tabs:
- Create a dedicated tab for files within a channel.
- Click the “+” icon next to the channel name and choose “Files.”
Permissions:
- Be mindful of permissions when sharing files. You can adjust who can view, edit, or download them.

Are Microsoft Teams apps free?

Microsoft Teams offers a range of pricing plans to suit different needs. Here are the key options:

Free Forever Plan: This basic plan is free and includes essential features like chat, video calls, and file sharing. It’s great for small teams or personal use.
Teams Premium: Starting at $4.00/user/month, this plan enhances collaboration with features such as group audio or video calls for up to 30 hours, full desktop versions of Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), and 1 TB of cloud storage1.
Microsoft 365 E3: This plan combines productivity apps with core security and compliance capabilities. It’s ideal for improving productivity, fostering collaboration, and protecting your business.
Microsoft 365 E5: For advanced security, compliance, and analytical capabilities, consider this plan. It includes features like integrated threat protection and Power BI capabilities.

Remember, the free plan is a great starting point, but if you need additional features, consider the premium plans.

Are shared mailboxes the same as a distribution list?

Shared mailboxes and distribution lists serve different purposes in team communication. Let’s explore their differences:

Access

Shared Mailbox: A shared mailbox allows multiple users to access a single email inbox and view or send emails from it1.
Distribution List: A distribution list is a collection of email addresses where users can send messages from their individual email accounts to recipients from the list.

Collaboration

Shared Mailbox: Facilitates collaboration by allowing multiple team members to access the same emails, assign tasks, add notes, and track conversations.
Distribution List: Primarily used for sending messages to a group of people simultaneously, but it doesn’t function the same as a shared mailbox.

Storage, Permissions, and Management

These aspects differ between shared mailboxes and distribution lists, with shared mailboxes offering more robust features for team communication.

In summary, shared mailboxes are a step up from distribution lists, enabling mutual communication and streamlined workflows

What’s an email alias?

An email alias is simply a forwarding address. It directs messages to another email account, typically your primary one. Essentially, it acts as a shield for your real email address, enhancing privacy and streamlining inbox management. By creating aliases, you can keep your primary email confidential, protect against spam, and organize communication more effectively.

How can I increase data breach prevention?

1. Train employees to be wary of suspicious emails and websites 2. Don’t share passwords 3. Change your passwords frequently and make them hard to guess 4. Keep your software programs up to date 5. Keep your website up to date 6. Routinely use anti-virus software, firewalls and other data security measures 7. If you don’t have IT staff, hire an outsourced IT services company to keep your IT environment secure 8. Have backup and recovery procedures in place

What happens in a data breach?

A data breach occurs when an unauthorized person gains access to your data. The question is how they were able to access to the data.

What is a ransomware attack?

Ransomware is malware that encrypts your files, making them unusable. In a ransomware attack, the perpetrators promise to unlock your files if you pay the ransom.

Why should you do employee offboarding?

Having an employee offboarding process is going to save you in the long run. You can make sure to get access to all of their files as well as knowing that they can”t get back in.

Why do I need IT policies and procedures?

IT policies and procedures provide a roadmap for your operations. When you have policies in place, it promotes employee compliance, gives guidance, and helps to streamline processes.

What is two factor authentication?

Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security to prevent someone from logging in, even if they have the password. You will have to verify your identity with a 6 digit code sent to your phone every time you log in. This makes sure that only YOU can log in to your account.

How do you set up 2FA?

Most sites include 2 factor authentication somewhere in their settings. It’s going to vary for each site, but check under settings and security to enable 2FA.

Can two factor authentication be hacked?

Hackers usually don’t have access to your login information and your phone messages. Two-factor authentication is extremely reliable in preventing attacks from hackers.

What’s a good computer file management system?

Create a file hierarchy and document lifecycle. You should also consider file naming conventions.

Where can I manage my files?

You can manage your files on:

OneDrive for business, part of your Office 365 subscription
Google Drive which comes with G-Suite
On premise computer servers
Dropbox, Box, AWS, Adobe Cloud, ICloud Drive, or other cloud document storage solutions

Do I need my employees to use the same file management?

Without IT Policies and Procedures in place around computer file management, employees will store files their own way, using a system that makes sense for them. But that may not be the best way for everyone in the company, and as your company grows the problem is likely to only get worse.

Should small businesses have IT support?

Small businesses, just like other businesses, should definitely have an IT team or outsourced support. SMB’s tend to put IT on the back burner, even though that could make or break your business.

What if I don’t know my passwords?

Make sure you’re keeping track of important logins and passwords! If you don’t know, ask the people in your team and try to get as much information as you can before calling IT support.

Frequently Asked Questions