They say there are no problems, only solutions, so in the face of a well-documented skills deficit in the technology sector, Clark Integrated Technologies took its own measures to build a talent pipeline for the future.
That pipeline has come on stream - with Clark IT’s first apprentice gaining a promoted post.
Former Meldrum Academy pupil Neil Warren joined Clark four years ago and he’s now become a second line engineer, helping scores of clients who contact our support desk every week.
It’s been incredibly popular, but after a decade Windows 7 is about to reach its End of Life.
Microsoft will no longer update or support the operating system after 14 January 2020, or sooner for those who don’t download a recent security update.
Recent research suggests that Windows 7 is still used on around 21% of PCs running Windows in the UK so users must start thinking now about moving on from this operating system, if they haven’t already done so.
If you’re one of those people who will be affected, this guide will help you know what to do.
To use a well-worn cliché, technology’s great when it works – but when things go wrong you want someone on your side to take care of the problem.
It’s good to know how we are performing directly from our clients and our latest feedback makes good reading. At the time of writing, Clark IT’s customer satisfaction level is sitting at 94.6%.
Smart organisations want a user experience that allows access to systems and data anytime, anyplace and anywhere.
It’s all about being able to tap into all resources and collaborate in a seamless manner, regardless of location and device. It’s about doing all that AND being uber cybersecure.
Office 365 uses familiar features of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel, in conjunction with next generation services like ‘Teams’ - Skype is being dropped as a service and being replaced by Teams - for easy communication and collaboration. It’s effectively an ‘office in the cloud’ that helps save time and increases productivity which in turn can improve the profitability of your business.
We talk your language to resolve your issues
We know how it is.
You’re at work and you have a tech problem. You’ve tried switching your PC off and on but you’re still stuck.
So you need to call the experts – and need the issue resolved promptly.
When it comes to passwords and internet security, sometimes the simpler solutions are actually the best.
Let’s take a closer look at how to truly safeguard the information you value most.
We are often told how essential it is to create numerous complex passwords, and that they should be used uniquely across all our internet applications. The logic behind this decision may seem flawed, but it is rooted in real fears.
However, in practice, having too many passwords can be a terrible headache – not to mention a potential security risk. What if you forget your vital passwords? What if you write them down and misplace the note? What if someone else finds your passwords and accesses your accounts?
Advice for many years has been to simply memorise your passwords instead of storing them. People have been told that storing passwords in any form is inherently a high-risk activity.
While we encourage the use of password managers (alongside recommendations from the National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC), interest in this tech has remained low. Yet the recommends a refreshed approach to passwords. Would it work for you?
NCSC suggests that established thinking around password creation is flawed, because it expects the end-user (us) to memorise numerous lengthy passwords.
Instead of taking this approach, it may make more sense to instead opt for three ‘random’ words – strong enough to work on many different platforms, and to not be guessed by aspiring hackers – but not so obscure that you can’t remember them, either!
The strategy is informed by real-world customer behaviour, making it a little more grounded and practical in scope.
Key areas to consider with this approach include:
Of course, no password solution is entirely failsafe. There is always the possibility this approach could be seen as weaker than completely randomised password approaches, though the NCSC argues this is not entirely true.
Instead, the randomisation and length of the passwords could in fact be considerably stronger and more targeted than some passwords that are traditionally considered as efficient, but are actually incredibly easy to guess and exploit.
To find out more about the topic, head for the official National Cyber Security Centre website. Get practical help with your cybersecurity by contacting our expert team.
