4 Best Practices for Secure Collaboration in Municipalities

By |2021-12-06T05:53:51-05:00November 10th, 2021|Cyber-Security|

Like many other industries in recent years, the public sector has witnessed a rise in hybrid work. With team members working in multiple offices, including remotely, government agencies must take a closer look at tools, policies, and processes. The following best practices for secure collaboration in municipalities will help you find the balance between productivity and security. Challenges to Secure Collaboration in Municipalities As employees collaborate with others both inside the agency and externally, government agencies encounter several key challenges. The rise of cloud computing has made collaborating across distance vastly easier. However, at the same time, doing so securely

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Proactive Microsoft 365 Governance Balances Productivity and Control

By |2022-02-17T15:08:01-05:00November 3rd, 2021|Information Governance and Management, Microsoft 365|

For thousands of organizations globally, Microsoft 365 has become almost indispensable, powering collaboration and supporting workloads in the cloud. The constantly improving technology drives productivity and opens opportunities. At the same time, increasingly complex tools require proactive Microsoft 365 governance to achieve optimal results. For instance, Microsoft Teams offers rich features to enhance communication and power remote work. However, navigating the management of regular and private channels, as well as policies for file retention and sharing, requires careful planning. Successful organizations take the time to understand the challenges and tools and create strategies to support business needs. Balancing Productivity with

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Exchange Server Breaches Show It’s Not Just About Uptime

By |2022-01-26T15:52:52-05:00October 27th, 2021|Cyber-Security, Email Management Tips|

Early in March 2021, Microsoft announced they had found vulnerabilities that affected their on-premises email platforms. Hackers exploited these vulnerabilities with a series of Exchange Server breaches that have affected hundreds of thousands of organizations. With elevated access, hackers gained the ability to steal data, compromise credentials and plant malware. Since discovering the vulnerabilities in March, Microsoft has released several security patches. However, in a statement released in May, Microsoft indicated that the initial patches alone would not fully protect their customers. If hackers had already compromised the system before the patch, victims would need to take additional steps to

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Microsoft Read Aloud Feature Improves both Accessibility and Productivity

By |2022-01-28T09:07:03-05:00October 18th, 2021|Uncategorized|

Since 2010, Microsoft has included a text-to-speech feature in its products. In recent years, this has evolved into the powerful Read Aloud feature. In addition to improving accessibility, Read Aloud offers several significant productivity benefits, from increasing efficiency to boosting accuracy and comprehension. For example, users can have the system read documents, emails, or web pages aloud while they commute to the office. To improve the experience, they can adjust reading speed and even choose among various natural voice options. While older versions offer text-to-speech features, full functionality requires a Microsoft 365 subscription. Tapping into the Benefits of the Read

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“Track Changes” Tips to Speed Collaboration in Microsoft Word

By |2021-11-16T06:35:54-05:00October 13th, 2021|Microsoft 365, Office 365 and Migration|

The Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word has proven itself a critical collaboration tool for years. The tool allows multiple editors to make changes or add comments to a document. Authors can then accept or reject those changes either one at a time or all at once. Mastering a few Track Changes tips will help teams work more efficiently and take collaboration to the next level. Choosing What to Display Sometimes, all the red strikethroughs and underlines can be distracting, and it may seem difficult to tell how the document will look with the edits applied. At other times, authors

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Microsoft 365 Groups Tips to Boost Collaboration with Shared Services

By |2021-10-25T05:38:50-04:00October 6th, 2021|Office 365 and Migration|

The Groups feature in Microsoft 365 streamlines collaboration, facilitating teamwork across the company. Understanding some basic concepts will allow organizations get the most out of this powerful solution. Start with these essential Microsoft 365 Groups tips. Advantages of Microsoft Groups First, a quick Microsoft 365 Groups primer. You will not find Groups on a list of Microsoft 365 apps, and it does not replace Microsoft Teams. Instead, think of Groups as a membership service built on Azure Active Directory (AAD). In fact, anyone who has created a SharePoint site collection or a new group in Outlook has created a Microsoft

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Municipal Data Governance Builds Trust and Transparency

By |2022-02-17T15:14:37-05:00September 29th, 2021|Data Compliance, Information Governance and Management|

In August 2021, Kathy Hochul took office as the governor of New York state. In a bid to rebuild public trust after Andrew Cuomo’s tumultuous administration, Hochul quickly launched a transparency initiative. This initiative once again focuses attention on the critical importance of municipal data governance. Municipal Governments and the Data Challenge Municipal governments face a number of challenges to achieving data transparency. Limited personnel and tight budgets top the list. Information silos and poor data quality compound the problem. And poor communication between departments results in duplicates and incomplete or inaccurate data. Mismanaged data in turn results in flawed

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Regular Data Backup in Microsoft 365 Ensures Business Continuity

By |2022-01-28T09:07:59-05:00September 22nd, 2021|Cyber-Security, Data Compliance, Office 365 and Migration|

Business continuity experts have long emphasized the need for regular backups. With backups, organizations can more smoothly navigate disasters and cyber threats, prevent data loss, and strengthen regulatory compliance. While cloud migration changes the environment, data backup in Microsoft 365 proves essential for business success. Causes of Data Loss Cloud computing delivers anytime/anywhere access to data. Even if a disaster destroys the office, employees can still access critical data from remote locations. However, data loss presents a significant risk, even in the cloud. For instance, the most common cause of data loss involves employees accidentally deleting critical information. Likewise, an

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5 Microsoft 365 Migration Tips Guaranteed to Ease Migration Pain

By |2022-01-28T09:06:16-05:00September 15th, 2021|Email Migration, Office 365 and Migration|

Organizations can tell horror stories about failed cloud migrations. In worst case scenarios, users come to the office on Monday morning, only to find email inaccessible. Unexpected complications can result in delays or lost data. However, with careful planning, migrations can run smoothly. These Microsoft 365 migration tips will set you on the right path. Start with Robust Discovery The first stage of a successful migration involves a thorough discovery process. Begin by locating and cataloging data, from mailboxes to documents. For GroupWise migrations, this will also include personal archives. Understanding the amount and types of data to be migrated

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5 Nifty Time-Saving Microsoft 365 Tips

By |2023-03-17T13:27:09-04:00September 8th, 2021|Email Management Tips, Office 365 and Migration|

The productivity experts at Microsoft know firsthand the need to constantly work smarter and more efficiently. To that end, they continually work to build productivity features into their products and improve existing options. Check out these time-saving Microsoft 365 tips. You may even discover a few gems you never knew existed. 1. Share Documents Quickly (Office) Microsoft allows users to share documents without leaving the app. If the document has been saved to OneDrive, you can send either a link or a copy. When sending a link, Share includes the option to add an expiration date and password. And when

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Messaging Architects has been providing professional consulting services around unstructured data and information governance for over 12 years.  Our topnotch experienced project management and engineering team assists organizations to address information risk management strategies, eDiscovery processes, data security and information management policies.    Information is an organizations biggest asset but it can also be that organizations biggest risk.

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