Welcome to the ‘Make Sense of IT’ section. This section is intended to give you advice, guides and other information that can help you to make sense of Information Technology.

What does ransomware mean to you?

It's one of the fastest growing crimes in the world.. but what does it mean to you? Ransomware can be scary. What if you switch on your work computer tomorrow morning and instead of the screen you normally see, the screen goes totally red. Your then shown a message saying that your business's data has all been locked and that the only way to retrieve it will be to pay thousands in Bitcoin. Statistics suggest is not a rare event. It happens to businesses every day - everywhere - even in Ryedale. Every business is at risk. And it can be one of the hardest things for us as your IT support company to fix. We’ve written a brand new guide.

Is your phone system ready for the hybrid workplace?

When was the last time you upgraded your business phone system? If it’s been 5 years or more, then you’re overdue an upgrade. You probably update your laptop and mobile phone every few years. Business phones are no different. Designed to work in the office, from home or on the move, watch our new video to see the benefits from installing a 2020 VoIP system for your business.
tKnowITman

Working From Home: Slow Internet? Try hotspotting your phone

I've had a few people saying that their broadband is slower than normal at home. This can be because you are normally not working from home at this time of day but more likely due to the increased volume of people using the internet for surfing, watching Netflix, Prime, YouTube, etc. First, try rebooting the router, check the microfilters on phone outlets and try an ethernet cable if wi-fi is poor. If you are using a laptop over wi-fi and you also have a smartphone with a decent 4G signal then try creating a local HotSpot on the phone and then connect your laptop to the hotspot rather than your normal router. See if things run any quicker Remember to check your data tariff and allowance though

tKnowIT: Services mostly as usual

With the latest announcement from the government, it is important that you know that tKnowIT is able to provide you with your normal IT support, monitoring and maintenances services. This includes businesses who currently don't have a support agreement with tKnowIT but need help on a pay as you go basis. tKnowIT can help with IT systems, assistance with staff working from home, auditing and securing their machines, etc. It is sad to see so many businesses are having to shut their doors until this all blows-over but I’m in the fortunate position that a lot of IT tasks can be performed remotely.

MS Teams: Here’s how to make project communication as easy as possible

Managing multiple projects with lots of different contributors can be a real headache. Unless you use one of the world’s favourite collaboration tools – that you may already be paying for.

New Utility: Has your email address been stolen?

Has your email address been stolen? We have put together a new tool for you to use for free that can tell you if your email address has been stolen. If it has been stolen you can use the contact form to request more information from us.

Office 365: Checking for updates

Start MS Word Click File menu option then click Account Click Update Options followed by Update Now A message will then appear

Windows 10: How to check for updates

Click Windows flag in bottom left corner of screen then click on the cog Click on Update & Security Click the Check for updates button
scribble

A clever way to replay notes you’ve scribbled on a document

Using Word, PowerPoint and Excel is so much fun now. Because there are so many things you can do with your documents. Like scribble notes on them. Perfect when you’re using a tablet. And did you know, there’s a functionality called Ink Replay that allows you to literally watch the exact moment you scribbled the note again.

The 2020 Problem – Microsoft End of support for Window 7 , Exchange 2010, Office 2010 and more

GDPR Headache

Email Security

BYOD – the business risks

Your IT system is ageing quickly- keep it healthier for longer

GDPR law change in May is dull – but will have a big effect on your business

Cyber crime is the biggest risk to local businesses in Ryedale

How IT steals your staff’s time and productivity

What your business needs to know about data

What is the Cloud?