Here at Lucidity we endeavour to provide our customers with the best service possible.
If our customers start having issues with their Lucidity services we carry out several checks to help identify the root cause. The first series of checks is looking at the infrastructure which these services run on. Once these checks have been completed and it’s identified that it is not a Lucidity infrastructure issue, we then start looking at the user’s hardware and how they access our services i.e internet connections. It is often found that the root cause is old IT hardware.
Is it time for an upgrade?
As a business it is often difficult to judge when it may be time to invest in new IT hardware. After all, why spend money on something that is still working. Nonetheless, IT hardware does reach a point where it becomes difficult to deal with and could negatively affect the productivity of your business.
What’s happening with my computer?
Computers get slower with age and while a small amount of slowness can be tolerated, over time the computer will become worse and cause frustrations for yourself and your staff. We all know how frustrating it is when you have a PowerPoint presentation freeze mid-way through a presentation or if you have to spend more time fixing the device than you do actually using it. If this happens frequently, it’s a clear sign that you’re in need of an upgrade.
You’ll eventually notice that your older computers are no longer compatible to run the latest applications or your operating system is no longer supported i.e Microsoft’s extended support for Windows 7 Devices ends 14th of January, 2020. Once an operating system is no longer supported, this means that no further security or bug fixes will be applied, leaving you seriously exposed.
With the importance of data security in the digital age, it is imperative you keep your devices and security protocols up to date. For example Lucidity are planning to remove older versions of TLS versions 1.0 and 1.1. This change is designed to stop older computers (6+ years old and runs Windows 7 or MAC OS X 10.11) and devices that are not secure from connecting to Lucidity services and compromising data. In the ever evolving world of IT, staying up to date is essential.
Lucidity’s Cloud Cover service does offer device management options. This removes the hassle of you trying to keep your device up to date. Lucidity would then manage this process for you, deploying all critical security patches within 24 hours of their release to ensure you are always protected.
Do we need to worry about our internet router?
You may have had the same internet connection and router for some time now. Old network routers pose possible security risks – several low-cost routers which internet service providers have provided to their customers have serious security defects that could allow your internet traffic or computers to be hijacked. Certain config files of affected routers can be remotely tampered with by hackers, exposing the device to a variety of possible security vulnerabilities such as malware or malicious redirects.
There are also a lot of Lucidity customers out there that are unaware that their routers and Wi-Fi access points need regular firmware updates – firmware is software that is embedded into a device and controls how your device behaves. It is recommended that you update the firmware on hardware whenever new firmware becomes available. New firmware often fixes bugs, contains new features, and protects you from security vulnerabilities.
Lucidity offer managed firewall devices and managed network for our customers using enterprise-grade Fortinet devices. With this service we take care of ensuring your device and therefore your network is up to date and secure.
Conclusion
Regardless of what Lucidity services you are using, Lucidity can provide you with IT hardware recommendations/solutions. Don’t hesitate to give your Lucidity Account Manager a call to discuss further.
