Why Hybrid Cloud Data Management Makes Good Business Sense

Cloud adoption has become a path many companies take toward transitioning to an agile structure. Most are eager to reap the benefits of reorganizing their business plans and implementing a hybrid cloud—a computing environment that combines an on-premises datacenter with a public cloud, allowing data and applications to be shared between them. A hybrid cloud strategy encourages competitiveness and enables flexibility of a company's IT infrastructure. The appeal of a hybrid cloud computing strategy points to low costs, dynamic software implementation, and high IT security. Learn more about the advantages of hybrid cloud data management and read what global business decision makers are saying.

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Special Olympics leaders use Microsoft Teams to build community and shape the future

When Grace, a Special Olympics athlete and global youth leader from New Zealand, heard that a friend of hers had to miss a long-awaited competition due to transportation issues, her response was to help build an app that ensured other athletes wouldn’t run into similar problems. She teamed up with fellow global youth leader Jack, and the pair worked on a project designed to connect Special Olympics athletes with transportation. When COVID-19 threatened to stall the project’s momentum, the duo quickly turned to Microsoft Teams to collaborate and continue developing their app, making sure their inclusive initiative didn’t miss a beat. Teams enabled them to communicate across continents and stay on track with their plans.

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How to prevent malware

 

Protect yourself from malware

We'd like to believe that the Internet is a safe and honest place for everyone, but there's no denying that online criminals and hackers are lurking out there, trying to cause trouble. One way that they cause trouble is by spreading malware. You can protect yourself by learning what malware is, how it spreads and how to prevent it.

What's malware?

"Malware" is any kind of software that's designed to harm a computer. Malware can steal sensitive information from your computer, gradually slow down your computer or even send fake emails from your email account without your knowledge. Here are some common types of malware that you might have heard about:

• Virus: A harmful computer programme that can copy itself and infect a computer.
• Worm: A malicious computer programme that sends copies of itself to other computers via a network.
• Spyware: Malware that collects information from people without their knowledge.
• Adware: Software that automatically plays, displays or downloads advertisements on a computer.
• Trojan horse: A destructive program that pretends to be a useful application, but harms your computer or steals your information after it's installed.

How malware spreads

Malware can get onto your computer in a number of different ways. Here are some common examples:

• Downloading free software from the Internet that secretly contains malware
• Downloading legitimate software that's secretly bundled with malware
• Visiting a website that's infected with malware
• Clicking a fake error message or pop-up window that starts a malware download
• Opening an email attachment that contains malware

There are a lot of different ways that malware can spread, but that doesn't mean that you're powerless to stop it. Now that you know what malware is and what it can do, let's go over some practical steps that you can take to protect yourself.

How to prevent malware

1. Keep your computer and software updated
2. Use a non-administrator account whenever possible
3. Think twice before clicking links or downloading anything
4. Be careful about opening email attachments or images
5. Don't trust pop-up windows that ask you to download software
6. Limit your file-sharing
7. Use antivirus software

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In this article from the San Francisco Business Times, read about the advantages of moving to the cloud, and five pitfalls to avoid as your business builds its plan for digital transformation.

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Elite Construction + Development Builds Success and a Connected Workplace with Microsoft Teams

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When Elite became overwhelmed with a dozen or more overlapping technology platforms, it decided to consolidate to Microsoft 365, retaining only one third-party solution—its specialized accounting software. Elite uses Microsoft 365 apps for every other function in the company—creating content, managing projects, scheduling, collaboration, and even telephony.

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