COVID-19, AKA coronavirus, is having a dramatic impact on business as well as all our communities. It is a turn of events that few could have predicted as we ushered in 2020.
If your, or a loved one’s, health has been affected, please accept our best wishes. You’ll pigeonhole us more as coming to your aid if you were struck by a computer virus. But we wanted to share some useful information with you that may mitigate some of the impacts of this physical-world virus threat.
Recognising that it will affect every business differently
It looks likely that COVID-19 will affect us all one way or another, and it would be wise to develop some business continuity plans. The IT assets you already have may be able to help you more than you realise.
Because every business is different, we are actively engaging with clients to see what support they require. For instance, your response may be very different depending on whether you predominantly use laptop or desktop computers. If you have a question or concern before we contact you, please do get in touch.
And bear in mind that it may affect us too, particularly for any site work – either directly if one of our team become infected, or indirectly if our movement is restricted due to a government quarantine order or self-isolation. We’ll always schedule work as efficiently as possible and can offer most of our support remotely.
Beware COVID-19 spam and phishing emails
Sadly, but inevitably in this day and age, cybercriminals have latched on to the attention that coronavirus is generating. We are hearing multiple reports of the topic being used in phishing email attacks to spread malware, commit fraud or steal sensitive information.
A logo like the BBC’s, for example, can easily be imitated to make the email appear genuine. And then one tantalising link about some miracle cure could be all it takes. This is textbook phishing, so ensure your team are wary of such emails.
MS Teams and other O365 solutions
This is a fast-moving situation with the government regularly updating its guidance which we advise you follow. At the time of writing, there is no mass quarantine order. But this could happen. And in the meantime, certain groups are being advised to self-isolate, and some businesses are already ramping up their remote working practices.
Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool to help you continue operations whilst reducing or eliminating face-to-face interaction. With integrated voice and video calling, messaging and file-sharing you can keep on working, keep on collaborating, without physical contact.
And there is further good news. If you already have O365, you already have Teams. And even if you don’t Microsoft is generously giving free access for a time period while COVID-19 is active. So if you are familiar with Teams in your business, we’d recommending using it as much as possible. And if you are not, we can probably get you set up with little more than the check of a box.
Teams and tools in O365 can work very hard in your business. Did you know, for example, that we can set Teams up to act as a stand-in (PBX) phone system while your staff are remote working?
Keep safe, stay productive
The Nebula team send you and your family our warmest wishes during this difficult time. To discuss how IT can support your response to COVID-19 in your business, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
