Mobile Computing (Tips and Tricks)

Want 7 Great Mobile Computing Tips?

Mobile computing is now the new norm. We’re no longer tied to our desktops like we were years ago. Whether you’re traveling or running from meeting to meeting, your laptop and cloud computing can be your best friends. However, mobile computing also creates challenges for us and our businesses. The following are some tips to keep things under control.

Keep A Plug Splitter Handy

If you travel a lot like I do you can find yourself sitting in an airport boarding area waiting longer than you had planned to. I always take this time to be as productive as I can and get work done on my laptop. But there are times when I need to recharge the battery and I can’t find a spare wall plug because others are doing the same.

This is when you need that handy plug splitter. It converts one grounded outlet into three. A 3-outlet splitter is usually rated at 15 amps. You can plug three different devices into it. Just make sure their combined load is less than 15 amps or 1,875 watts.

Always Use A Secure Server

It’s essential that when you send and receive information from your laptop or any mobile device that you know it won’t be intercepted.  Public WiFi hotspots don’t ensure your data security. If you must use one be sure it’s connected to a secure server.

Look for a locked padlock icon on your browser. This tells you that you’re using an SSL (secure sockets layer)-encrypted session. You can also check any website you access by looking for “https://” in its address, rather than the usual http://.

Encrypt Your Data And Employ Mobile Device Management

Encrypt the data on your laptop so if it’s stolen, criminals won’t be able to access it.  Better yet, ask CCS to implement Remote Management Monitoring and Mobile Device Management on all your computers. Threats can be detected, blocked, and deleted. Your mobile device can be wiped clean if it’s lost or stolen. Otherwise, if someone steals your laptop, they can hack your system, stealing your login and password, then read everything in your files.

Watch Out For Hotel WiFi and DarkHotel

Hotel WiFi is designed for easy access. Just because it’s provided as part of your room charge doesn’t mean that it’s totally private. Typically, public and hotel WiFi don’t utilize WPA (WiFi Protected Access) like you do in your office and home.

Last year, a group of hackers by the name of Darkhotel came out with a new attack, aimed at exploiting hotel WiFi. Their goal was to target business travelers who stay at high-end hotels. They typically use phishing attacks that contain links to Trojan viruses.  Lately, they’ve been using the Inexsmar malware and multi-stage Trojans. The DarkHotel criminals have been stealing data for ten years targeting thousands of businesses around the world via WiFi infrastructures in hotels.

Don’t Take All Your Business Data With You

Don’t put more data than necessary on your laptop. Just store what you need. If you carry all your company files with you and you lose your laptop, or a thief steals it, they have all of your company records and client data.

Better yet, ask CCS to set up a hybrid or private cloud for your business. This way everything is stored in a secure data center and you can access it via the Internet with your private credentials (keep these safe too!).  You can easily download exactly what you need and upload it when you’ve completed your work.

Use Microsoft Office 365

We can’t say enough about this software. You pay an affordable monthly or yearly subscription based on the number of users and it provides email and communication services, document sharing and collaboration, and so much more.  You can work on documents and projects with your teams in real time, and it’s easy because you’re probably already using Microsoft solutions like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You’ll have 24/7 access to all your applications and documents via the Internet. Microsoft takes all the responsibility for reliability and security so you won’t need to worry about this.

Microsoft Office 365 is easy to sign up for, but it’s often a struggle to migrate your existing platforms to it. CCS can help and assist with the transition.  

7. Turn Off Your Bluetooth When Traveling

This is always a good idea. Criminals are now accessing the infrared on our phones and laptops to deposit spam, viruses, and steal data like contact information. This is called Bluejacking and Bluesnarfing.  Whenever you travel, be sure to disable the infrared port on your laptop and smartphone. Also, configure your Bluetooth device to “nondiscovery mode.” This could pose some inconveniences for you, but it will protect your data and privacy.