by Nouveau | Nov 27, 2018 | Articles
Robbie Langsbury, Technical Delivery Lead
1: What is your position at Nouveau?
Technical Delivery Lead. I act as the glue between the Technical & Sales departments to help improve the customer journey and experience. It’s my top priority to ensure that every customer of ours can have their queries resolved as quickly, efficiently and as effectively as possible.
2: How long have you been working here?
I have been working at Nouveau for just over 2 months. It’s been great so far! I am keen to keep on developing the processes between the sales and technical teams to improve service for our customers. I have also thoroughly enjoyed the social aspect of working here – everyone is a pleasure to work with and we often participate in fun sessions like barbeques and carry out charity events, which is always good.
3: What do you love about your job?
A huge passion of mine is developing the interaction between Nouveau’s technical team, the sales team & our customers. I also love getting into project planning and helping to deliver on-time & with minimum disruption.
4: Have you got any cool hobbies?
I am a Level 1 FA Qualified Coach and run an Under 10’s Football Team. I have been doing this since 2008 – I love their enthusiasm and it’s great to be an integral part of their footballing development.
5: What is your favourite thing to do outside of work?
I love sports – as a huge fan of Chelsea FC and Swindon Wildcats Ice Hockey team, I try to go to as many matches as possible.
6: Name one thing you can’t live without
My Fitbit Smartwatch! I exercise regularly and am obsessed with fitness tracking. I find the statistics extremely interesting and they keep me motivated to keep exercising.
7: What is a secret talent of yours?
Not many people know, but I am a Black-Belt in Wado-Ryu Karate and obtained Silver in a Martial Arts tournament I entered. It’s something I’m quite proud of!
by Nouveau | Nov 26, 2018 | Articles
How to stay safe online during Cyber Monday
Following Black Friday, Cyber Monday gives online shoppers a second chance to steal great deals that they may have missed out on the week before. A fancy 4K television for 40% off, 25% off of a brand-new pair of shoes, half price on a snazzy electric toothbrush that promises to give you a smile whiter than the snow around Santa’s grotto – the deals are limitless, and it is totally okay to feel excited.
While it is perfectly okay to feel excited about the fantastic deals (as we here at Nouveau are) it is still extremely important to stay safe online during the sales. The increase in internet traffic with millions of people shopping online, many malicious sites seek to scam you by hiding in the midst of all these fantastic deals.
Luckily for you, we’ve got your back. Below, you can find some of our top tips for staying safe online during Cyber Monday.
If it’s “too good to be true”, it probably is (sorry about that!)
During Cyber Monday, you will be able to find hundreds of great, legitimate deals offered by trusted online retailers. Although this is true, you will also find yourself stumbling across some horrible scams from cybercriminals that intend to steal your money and your personal data. As shoppers search and compare prices to find the lowest of the low, unfortunately a different type of “the lowest of the low” are out to prey on bargain hunters. Watch out for fake sites, emails, text messages and browser pop-ups advertising deal your eyes can barely believe. 90% off a brand-spanking new Xbox One or PS4 is most likely an elaborate ruse to empty your pocket without providing the goods. If something looks suspicious – don’t even click the link or open any attachments. Malware and viruses may also be hidden in these evil emails and adverts.
Plan your spending
Within seconds you could go from thinking you have found yourself a great deal to being in a bucket load of trouble due to a cyberattack. On many occasions, all it takes to become infected by malware is to click on the wrong link. Be sure to look at the link for valid SSL certifications (https://) and make sure there aren’t any extensions such as “.cc” on otherwise trusted domains. Use your wits before clicking on anything.
Use unique passwords on each site
By using unique passwords on each site, you are ensuring that if one site is dodgy, you are not giving your details away to someone who intends to use it maliciously. If you use the same password for every site, then one slight hiccup could mean that a hacker has your password to every site on the internet, and that can lead to a whole load of problems. They could access your personal accounts and use your cards to buy things for themselves and could even access your bank accounts.
If possible, use a credit card
Debit cards offer much less protection than credit cards. If you get scammed on your debit card, it will be much harder to get your money back. When shopping online, try and use your credit card as often as possible, but just be sure to pay it off as soon as you can!
Use trusted retailers and vendors
Shop on sites you know you can trust, like Amazon or John Lewis, for example. By doing this, you are hugely reducing your chances of being scammed online. Furthermore, if a site looks suspicious, or you have never used it, search online for reviews of the site before you buy or sign up to anything. If you can not find any reviews, don’t use it: if the reviews are bad – definitely do not use it.
Secure computer and a secure connection
If your computer isn’t protected by antivirus software, it is much more likely to be compromised by malware. If there is no protection, your data on the computer or phone is at risk of being stolen, including all forms your personal information and credit card numbers. Ensure that your software is up to date, including your operating system, as the latest versions have the most secure security patches.
Using a secure connection is just as important, as data is heavily at risk if an attacker has control over the network you are connected to. Be sure to keep an eye out for that SSL certificate we mentioned earlier, you can identify this by looking for the HTTPS padlock in the top left of your search bar.
You should be safe now…
We hope some of our tips help you stay safe online this shopping season – whether that’s during Cyber Monday or throughout the entire Christmas period. As a company who specialise in IT Security, we feel it’s important to keep an eye out for everyone online.
Happy shopping!
by Nouveau | Nov 16, 2018 | Articles
The modern workplace is changing. The distributed enterprise and remote working are becoming the norm. Business critical applications are being run over multiple cloud environments putting traditional WAN architectures under increasing strain trying to keep up with the increasing complexity, lack of bandwidth and maintaining security controls.
SD-WAN replaces separate WAN routers, optimisation and security devices with a single solution that is application-aware, offers automatic WAN path control and multi-broadband support thus improving application performance and reducing operating expenses and management complexity.
by Nouveau | Nov 6, 2018 | Articles
Fortinet, once again, have made it to the top of the Gartner Magic Quadrant and continue to lead in terms of visionary next-generation firewall security.
Fortinet’s brand is hailed for their excellent sales execution, enjoyable customer experience, strong and effective product lines as well as their overall capabilities as a leader in technology and geographic strategy. As a primary network and security player, Fortinet continues to expand their product portfolio, with FortiSIEM and FortiCASB being introduced recently. Other products within their portfolio include network security, endpoint security, SIEM, wireless access points and switches, alongside their innovative FortiGate firewalls.
To read the full Gartner Report, please click here
To learn how Fortinet can help protect your business from the modern world’s sophisticated cyber-threats, read our “Benefits of a Layered Security Approach with the Fortinet Fabric” blog post by clicking here.
by seoadmin | Oct 19, 2018 | Articles
Hosted telephony, also referred to as cloud telephony or hosted VoIP, is where a provider hosts and manages your business phone system in a private data centre rather than your business having to hold the physical hardware on-site.
Rather than by utilising traditional phone lines, a cloud PBX phone system delivers communications via the internet. So, with the announcement that BT will be switching off PSTN and ISDN in 2025, there has never has there been a greater time to move your business’ PBX phone system to the cloud.
Discover a few more benefits of choosing a cloud PBX phone system:
Cost
Unlike with a physical PBX phone system, there is no requirement for your business to purchase on-site hardware, reducing your capital outlay from the get-go. Installation of your cloud PBX phone system is minimal, and there are no ongoing maintenance costs, as the system is automatically updated and maintained from within your provider’s data centre.
With a cloud PBX phone system, you don’t require multiple phone lines, as all communications are delivered via the internet. This not only saves your business money, but time too, as it forgoes the need for specialist engineers to install your business phone system.
You can also expect the cost of your calls to be reduced. Running calls over the internet is cheaper than running over PSTN or ISDN due to the reduced infrastructure costs involved in the call process.
Security
The company running the data centre are responsible for maintaining security of your cloud PBX phone system. The very best hosted telephony providers will be compliant with ISO 27001 standards, and will proactively monitor its systems to provide added protection for your PBX phone system from external threats.
Disaster Recovery
The lack of physical hardware when choosing a cloud PBX phone system not only provides you with the security that your phone system will not be stolen, but also that there is no risk of damage to the phone system in emergency.
If flooding, fire, or any other disaster were to occur, you can rest assured that it will be ‘business as usual’ as its possible to configure both the primary and failover call routes in the event of an emergency. Calls can be forwarded to your mobile, or an alternative, pre-determined destination – effectively allowing you to instigate your disaster recovery for voice with the click of a button!
Flexibility
Traditionally, moving business premises or installing new phone lines has been a headache for IT Managers, however, by using a cloud PBX phone system the process could not be simpler. Without the need for new phone lines, and a solution that’s delivered via the internet, you can easily get your phone system up and running.
A cloud PBX phone system is also scalable, with many operators using a cost per user approach, meaning you won’t have to fork out for more than you need. This also allows you to scale up or down the number of licenses needed easily alongside business requirements.
This makes it an excellent solution for businesses which are affected by seasonal changes in demand – allowing you to switch up and down as required, rather than be charged the same amount regardless of use. Additionally, further telephone numbers can be acquired, and tracked, at the click of a button, allowing your business to easily measure results and the all-important ROI!
Productivity
A cloud PBX phone system lets your staff work flexibly, from wherever they want, easily linking to your desktop, office phone, mobile phone, Instant Messaging, CRM and other apps for a unified communications solution.
Download Our IT Cloud Managed Services Brochure
How We Can Help
No longer is hosted telephony only an option available to large enterprises, many small-to-medium businesses can benefit from switching their traditional ISDN lines to a cloud PBX phone system.
Here at Nouveau, we will work with you every step of the way to ensure the right approach is implemented for your business needs. To find out more, get in touch with one of our expert consultants.
by seoadmin | Oct 15, 2018 | Articles
Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, and those that would do harm to your business networks and data are using smarter methods to identify any vulnerabilities in your IT security system.
Choosing an ‘all-in-one’ security solution may seem like an enticing, cost-effective option for your business, but can you guarantee that it will protect your entire network?
When protecting your business’ data, you should take a similar approach to how you would protect your own house.
You start with the door, it provides a visual indicator that protection is in place. However, if it were to be tested, it would be quickly penetrated. So, you buy a lock. The lock helps limit the number of threats that could get in to the house, but the lock can still be picked.
Next, you would install an alarm, to tell you if someone had breached your security, to provide you with an opportunity to respond to any threats immediately.
Could the backdoor be easily opened? Are the windows locked?
By putting in place these layered security measures and considerations you have put steps in place to minimise the risk of penetration.
The Six Layers to Keeping Your Network Secure
When creating a layered security approach you tor business and network security, you should consider the following:
- Human – teach people to spot scams and be careful when storing and sending important information.
- Physical – ensure your physical assets are protected from theft or damage.
- Endpoint – protect devices from running malicious programs that could jeopardise data security.
- Network – secure connections between computers. Monitor entry and exit points, encrypt communications, and keep an eye out for anomalies.
- Application – test applications to ensure they don’t provide avenues for attacks.
- Data – ensure that only the right people all have access to the right data at all times.
Layered Security with Fortinet Security Fabric
This layered security approach is key to Fortinet’s Security Fabric. The Fortinet Security Fabric delivers broad protection and visibility to every network segment, device, and appliance within your business.
This approach will enable you to monitor, detect and remediate the different attack vectors and entry points ensuring that you have all bases covered – rather than taking an all-in-one approach to your entire network security.
©Fortinet
Fortinet Security Fabric Solutions
The Fortinet Security Fabric segments the entire network—from the Internet of Things (IoT) to the cloud:
- Management Analytics – control access to and visibility of business critical data.
- Multi-Cloud – secure your private cloud, public cloud, and software as a service (SaaS).
- Web Apps – protection for all third-party web based applications.
- Email – shield end users from unwanted spam and malicious phishing attacks.
- Unified Access – secure network authentication; gatekeeping the network.
- Endpoint Protection – secure every network segment, device, and appliance.
- Open Ecosystem – integrates with Fortinet partner products to provide end-to-end security.
How We Can Help
Download Our IT Security Brochure
We are experts in IT security and are a Fortinet Platinum Partner. Amongst our team of security professionals we hold a host of Fortinet accreditations, NSE 4, 5, 6, 7 and the much sought after NSE 8 (the highest technical accreditation you can achieve as a Fortinet Partner)!
Don’t leave your business’ IT security to chance. For more information about Fortinet Security Fabric, get in touch with our expert consultants on 0118 918 6822. Alternatively, fill in our contact form, and we’ll get back to you shortly.
