DUNEWORDS

2023.08.30

Separating Personal and Work Accounts

In the digital age, where our lives are intricately intertwined with technology, maintaining a clear distinction between work and personal matters has become more challenging than ever before.

One area where this boundary is crucial is in the segregation of data between work and personal accounts. This practice carries significant importance, not only for individual privacy and security but also for maintaining professionalism and organizational integrity.

Segregating data between work and personal accounts is paramount for safeguarding sensitive information. Personal accounts may contain personal communications, financial data, and private photos or documents.

On the other hand, work accounts often involve company-related information, client communications, proprietary data, and intellectual property. Keeping these data streams separate greatly reduces the risk of accidental sharing, unauthorized access, or data breaches.

Beyond security concerns, the separation of work and personal accounts contributes to maintaining a professional image. Mixing personal content into work-related platforms can blur the lines between one's personal life and professional responsibilities compromising organizational integrity.

To successfully separate work and personal data, individuals and organizations can employ several strategies:

1. Use Separate Accounts: Maintain distinct accounts for work-related platforms and personal platforms, such as email, social media, and cloud storage.

2. Educate Employees: Organizations should educate their employees about the importance of data segregation and provide guidelines on best practices.

3. Encourage Digital Hygiene: Promote good digital hygiene practices, including password management, regular updates, multi-factor authentication, and cautious sharing of personal information.

2023.05.02

Using AI to Increase Productivity

The makers of ChatGPT, the newest cutting-edge AI application, appear to be the topic of conversation across the entire internet. There are many useful applications for the program, even if we've all seen screenshots of people poking fun at it and pushing its boundaries while asking humorous questions.

It's not all fun and games, though. In fact, ChatGPT might even transform the way our IT team conducts their daily business.

At Dunewood, we use a cloud-based application called ATERA for remote management and monitoring. It enables us to gain access, visibility, and control over all our networks and devices from anywhere. 

Atera's smart ticketing feature, now powered by ChatGPT, helps summarize tickets, provides tailored reply suggestions, and proposes optimal solutions. We believe it will increase our productivity and ability to establish better collaborative connections with our clients. 

2023.02.20

Fido 15432

If you are using your dog's name and street address for several account passwords, it's just a matter of time (possibly minutes) before someone can brute-force your password.

The best method to control your growing list of passwords is by using an encrypted manager. We and several clients use Dashlane which has never been breached and performs all the basic and advanced tasks we expect from a password manager:

• Access and manage passwords everywhere.

• Retains a history of your logins.

• Scans your accounts for weak and compromised passwords.

• Can automatically generate passwords and create strong and unpredictable logins.

Password managers help you create strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts and alert you of potential data leaks. Dashlane is rated one of the best encrypted managers for 2023. 

2022.06.23

The Human Firewall

Security mitigation often overlooks the top cybersecurity risk: people. Whereas a technical firewall digitally arbitrates network traffic, a human firewall is a layer of protection and a line of defense people constitute to combat an organization's security threats--a human layer of protection.

A human firewall targets the weakest link in the proverbial "security chain." For example, today's phishing threats rely on human interaction, with victims unknowingly clicking on a malicious link or providing information to an attacker. And then there is social engineering. How many employees really know what that is?

To build a strong human firewall, organizations must provide extensive education, simulations, training, and relevance to workers. Security awareness training (SAT) is a service Dunewood provides and one that is gaining momentum this year. Our relevant simulations are rolled out to all workers, from executives and front desk workers to associates in the field.

Even before COVID-19 affected digital reliance, organizations faced challenges safeguarding their assets, employees, customers, and data. However, cybersecurity is a heightened topic these days and human firewalls are ultimately part of a longer-term offense.  

2021.12.20

Past As Prologue

Our team at Dunewood demonstrated an outstanding collaborative force in 2021. We are excited about approaching a new year that will hopefully reflect the business growth we experienced these past twelve months.

As the Creative Director, Kirby Chittenden continues to build relationships with new partners and identify specific solutions. "The skillset of our team has proven to be most beneficial in a time when so many have pivoted to an approach that is highly dependent upon technology."

Jeff Chittenden not only provides system development for Dunewood but cost-effective solutions and technical support for a growing base of West Michigan organizations and businesses. "It was a year of steady recovery from COVID times for many companies in 2021. I anticipate a lot of growth in 2022, and look forward to the challenge of bringing on new partners and projects. I want our current partners (clients and customers) to know that more than anything we want to grow with them and help them manage any coming changes."

Austin Hruskach became our first intern in August and continues to assist us with network management responsibilities. And although she still works for Steelcase in Grand Rapids, Elizabeth Whitmore (not pictured) remains a strategic partner in providing graphic and artistic design services for us. 

2021.12.13

The Year of Managed Services Growth

Managing today’s information technology and the escalating complexities and hassles associated with IT is frequently an overwhelming task for many. As a result, your business or organization may not be receiving the best performance and return on investment from your infrastructure, business applications, communications, and related solutions.

If you have not considered a managed service provider (MSP) that not only offers critical cybersecurity but a host of other proactive services, then we should probably share some conversation.

Our managed services include packages with support desk help, systems monitoring, systems management, hardware procurement, cloud solutions, systems security, and managed backup. It also includes change management services such as business continuity and disaster recovery. All of these benefits and so much more are available with plans starting at less than $100 per month.

2021.08.16

Celebrating Collaboration

Jeff worked with EDUStaff in Kentwood and Kirby was with Grand Haven Area Public Schools when the idea came together to launch Dunewood in the summer of 2018. We took our time the first year to get the systems and processes in place. Our well-established network of relationships was very supportive of our launch.

The plan-the-work, work-the-plan approach, along with a willingness to collaborate with others allowed both of us to begin working full-time in June of 2019.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to an inevitable surge in the use of digital technologies due to the social distancing norms and nationwide lockdowns. As a result, Dunewood Technology Solutions experienced significant growth in 2020. 

We continue to create collaborative connections in 2021 in growing partnerships throughout West Michigan. Take a quick glimpse at The People We Work With and consider growing WITH us this year.  

2021.02.16

You've Got Questions?

If any of the following four questions have surfaced in recent dialogue, you may want to consider partnering with us for managed IT support.

• Can we reduce expenditures by outsourcing our technology IT initiatives?

• Why are we dealing with so many vendors for our IT-related needs?

• Should we be considering cloud-based technology solutions?

• Are we at risk working with other organizations and client data?

During the past 6 months, Dunewood has partnered with more businesses and provided more project management than ever before. Call us at 616-259-5360 and arrange for a free initial consultation. 

2020.10.07

What's Your Agility Quotient?

A lot of talk regarding the ability to remain agile and pivot in the midst of the pandemic can be confusing for many organizations and businesses. Conversely, not pivoting and staying the course with minor adjustments can also payoff. The decisions are difficult.

For example, if you have already transitioned to a remote working model, choosing the most cost-effective technology to sustain your productivity was hopefully an integral part of that shift. The next normal could very well mean that your physical presence in the office may no longer be an indicator of productivity.

Rather than slamming on the breaks last March, some organizations downshifted, which actually enhanced their ability to change if needed. Consider the cheetah as an analogy of this type of agility. They rarely reach their 70 miles per hour limit when pursuing their prey because they seem to preserve their strength by not over-committing to a wrong direction if their pursuit suddenly shifts.

People and organizations with a high agility quotient (AQ) value learning, alternative perspectives, and maintain growth mindsets. I appreciate that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella promotes the idea that instead of being “know-it-alls,” we need to become “learn-it-alls.”

Our shift at Dunewood has been to partner more with customers who are willing to approach challenges and engage in collaboration. In addition, the systems we deployed last year played a major contributing role in our business – from the Cloud Solutions for productivity to the remote monitoring and management solutions that enable us to provide 24/7 support as a provider of Managed Services.

So, in redefining the metrics of successful and sustainable productivity, you may want some guidance in the technical arenas moving forward. Take a look at Who We Work With and give us a call for a free consultation. We're here to help...and to learn agility with you. 

2020.07.31

The Future of Work

Working from home is no longer something that is all that unusual. Doing so has become essential for our health and safety. So what will the future of work look like for many of us? 

Even in industries like ours where remote work continues to be the norm, the challenge has always been to determine appropriate boundaries between home and work. It often becomes one where we are maneuvering between our work, managing remote learning for our children, and becoming caretakers for elderly loved ones. And many people now know more about our home office set-up, our pets, our children, and even our kitchens than we've ever imagined.

Effective leadership on the part of any employer must recognize the challenge and stress associated with these conditions. Forbes recently noted that a more empathetic work culture is a silver lining arising from the pandemic that won’t be easily undone. A fuller understanding of the person behind any position will hopefully promote an enduring human-centric shift in the workplace.

Theodore Roosevelt said, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." We just may have more opportunity and time than ever before to care. 

2020.07.27

Microsoft Collaboration Solutions

Microsoft SharePoint uses OneDrive to expand its abilities to create a location where files can be shared and accessed by teams. For the uninitiated, SharePoint is like a combination of Google Shared Drives and Google Sites. However, it includes a myriad of tools and features that make it a more advanced and multi-faceted solution.

It can work as a shared file repository, blog site, web content management system, and most commonly an intranet. SharePoint relies entirely on the OneDrive product for it’s document libraries. Files that you wish to have shared with teams or other users, can be placed in a SharePoint document library.

A SharePoint site is a customizable website that allows its members to access any available resources pertaining to that team, such as notes, conversations, and documents. Document Libraries are online filing cabinets that all members of a SharePoint site have access to.

The look and layout of a SharePoint site is highly customizable. You can add and remove pages, change colors, and move sections around on a page to make the SharePoint site look exactly how you would want it to look for your team. 

2020.02.14

Workflow & Process

Workflow requires a strong connection to process. Whenever an inquiry comes our way at Dunewood, we begin with the discovery process. This phase allows us to assess needs and gather a client's requirements and is carried out before any formal agreement is established. We try to keep it independent of any obligation.

Once the discovery phase is complete, we continue our collaboration in the design process where we often introduce various alternatives, applications, and products that may accompany a solution. This interactive phase sets the stage to determine the scope, sequence, and estimated cost of a plan or project.

A few of our clients choose to deploy solutions themselves. On most occasions, however, customers engage us in helping them with this phase. Project management, communication, knowledge transfer, and training are key elements of deployment.

All three phases tend to be recursive and are subject to iterations. They are the basis of our workflow at Dunewood and allow us to remain focused on solution development from beginning to end.

2019.06.15

Game-Changing Shared Drives

Many current systems of communication do not encourage a transparency of practice, build shared responsibility, emphasize core values, and organize team efforts in a secure and sustainable manner.  How can you move from “living through your inbox” to effectively managing workflow and developing a knowledge base through cloud technology?  

Google Shared Drives (formerly known as Team Drives) are a powerful tool for school leaders to build a functional knowledge base for their staff. Shared Drives provide a secure space where every staff member can easily store, search, and access common resources. And since these digital assets belong to the team/group instead of an individual, the files remain even if someone leaves, allowing others to continually access information and get work done.

In addition, integrating  Shared Drives into a Google Sites platform, your business can provide a digital workplace that will improve productivity overnight. Maybe it’s time to seriously consider the benefits of G-Suite for your business or organization. 

2019.05.06

Digital Workplaces

Creating a digital workplace for a client with more than 100 employees is one of the best integrations of Google Shared Drives with Google Sites we have encountered. Their workflow is not changing drastically because they are comfortable in the collaborative environment that Google offers. It’s just that they now have an intranet that is extremely efficient at file management.

Shared Drives allow the digital assets of employees to remain in a secure environment for everyone on the team to use, even if a member is no longer a part of the team. A shared drive is particularly useful if you’re working on a project or event with a group of people who all need access to the same files. And for highly sensitive files, you can limit access to information and add extra security.

I think you will be hearing a lot more about the digital workplace Google Shared Drives and Sites can create for organizations and businesses of all sizes.