G Suite’s new updates

Google Cloud’s popular business line of applications, G Suite, has gained traction ever since its inception, thanks to its user-friendly interface and practical features that streamline operations. Better yet, users will be happy to know that Google has just introduced five new updates that will make life easier.

Basic Mobile Management

G Suite’s Basic Mobile Management offers an agentless way to manage iOS devices by allowing admins to mandate basic security on those devices without requiring users to install mobile device management profiles. Admins no longer need to set up an Apple Push Certificate and renew it regularly.

What’s more, admins can now enforce a screen lock, wipe corporate accounts, and view, search and manage their device inventory easily. Should your organization require additional restrictions, mobile audit or application management on iOS devices, you can ensure those settings are adequately achieved using the Advanced Mobile Management option.

Explore

Available in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, Explore gives you insights, design tools and research recommendations that allow you to easily cite findings by inserting citations as footnotes with the click of a button. You can choose between MLA, APA, and Chicago style formats, too.

Iterative calculation

Iterative calculation is the latest feature in Google Sheets (File >Spreadsheet settings > Calculation > Iterative calculation). This feature allows you to set the maximum number of times a calculation with a circular reference can take place. You can specify a convergence threshold which will stop the calculations when results from successive calculations differ by less than that threshold value, even if the maximum number of calculations has yet to be reached. It sure sounds like a mouthful, but for anyone working with spreadsheets, this is a much needed development.

Sheets Android UI

Ever feel annoyed by the language and menu search of Google Sheets in your Android device? Endure no more, as the app UI has been updated with right-to-left language settings to read and navigate. Searching the menus in Sheets on the web like in Docs and Slides can now be done, too.

Gmail messages

Bounced messages and message headers are now easier to read and understand. When your mail has problems being delivered, the bounce message now features a more user-friendly text as well as translations into your language (if the language has been set on the account). The original message will still be available below the bounce message.

Message headers, on the other hand, will be shown in a table with an easy-to-read format. Message Id, SPF and DKIM status will be right in plain view. Links to download the actual original message and the ability to copy to clipboard are now available, too. The original message header can be found below the table.

Stay tuned for more updates from Google and other cloud solutions that will help enhance productivity for your small business. If you have any questions about G Suite or would like to know about other cloud solutions that can help transform the way you work, just give us a call today.

The latest Cloud Print service from Google

Not too long ago, the thought of being able to access printers from your computer, tablets or smartphones was almost unheard of. But today, it’s a completely different story -- enter Google’s Cloud service. Now you can access both regular and Internet-enabled printers through the web. Read on for more information.

First things first, the printer needs to be connected to your primary computer (the one you’ll use to access the printer in the future). Once connected, the computer can be added to Cloud Print. If it isn’t already installed, you need to install Chrome for Windows or Mac. From there, type chrome://devices into the address bar to bring up devices Chrome can work with. Click “Add printer” and make sure the printer you want to link is ticked.

From the same screen, you’ll be able to configure printer settings. Click Manage next to any of the listed printers to upload new print jobs, rename or remove printers, or share a printer with someone else. This allows you to give certain people access to your printer.

If you need to print something off your mobile device, you can do so with the Cloud Print app on Android, where a print option should appear in the Sharing menu. It’s slightly trickier on iOS, but you can still cloud print from Google’s iOS apps using the Google-recommended file management, transfer and printing application PrintCentral Pro to bridge the gap. And as expected, Cloud Print works seamlessly with Chromebooks as well. Just choose Print from the main menu and voila!

If you’re interested in hearing more news on Google’s Cloud Print function or staying up-to-date on the IT world, feel free to let us know.

New virus threatens virtual machines

Before some of our clients have even had a chance to wrap their heads around what virtualization is and how it works, hackers have already started attacking the new and exciting technology. By updating a virus from several years ago for virtualized environments, hackers hope to totally wipe the data off your hard drives. If you utilize any sort of virtualization services, it’s imperative that you know how to steer clear of this threat.

What is it?

Back in 2012, a brand new virus called “Shamoon” was unleashed onto computers attached to the networks of oil and gas companies. Like something out of a Hollywood film, Shamoon locked down computers and displayed a burning American flag on the display while totally erasing anything stored on the local hard disk. The cybersecurity industry quickly got the virus under control, but not before it destroyed data on nearly 30,000 machines.

For years, Shamoon remained completely inactive -- until a few months ago. During a period of rising popularity, virtualization vendors coded doorways into their software specifically designed to thwart Shamoon and similar viruses. But a recent announcement from Palo Alto Networks revealed that someone refurbished Shamoon to include a set of keys that allow it to bypass these doorways. With those safeguards overcome, the virus is free to cause the same damage it was designed to do four years ago.

Who is at risk?

As of the Palo Alto Networks announcement, only networks using Huawei’s virtual desktop infrastructure management software are exposed. If your business uses one of those services, get in touch with your IT provider as soon as possible to address how you will protect yourself from Shamoon.

On a broader scale, this attack shows how virtualization's popularity makes it vulnerable. Cyber attackers rarely write malware programs that go after unpopular or underutilized technology. The amount of effort just isn’t worth the pay off.

Headlines decrying the danger of Shamoon will be a siren call to hackers all over the globe to get in on the ground floor of this profitable trend. It happened for ransomware last year, and virtual machine viruses could very well turn out to be the top security threat of 2017.

How can I protect my data?

There are several things you need to do to ensure the safety of your virtual desktops. Firstly, update your passwords frequently and make sure they’re sufficiently complex. Shamoon’s most recent attempt to infect workstations was made possible by default login credentials that had not been updated.

Secondly, install monitoring software to scan and analyze network activity for unusual behavior. Even if legitimate credentials are used across the board, accessing uncommon parts of the network at odd hours will sound an alarm and give administrators precious time to take a closer look at exactly what is happening.

Ultimately, businesses need virtualization experts on hand to protect and preserve desktop infrastructures. Thankfully, you have already found all the help you need. With our vast experience in all forms of virtualized computing, a quick phone call is the only thing between you and getting started. Call today!