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Who are Project 6?  As you’re no doubt aware, a large proportion of ESP’s customer base are charities and other third sector organisations.  One of our longest customer relationships (and one of our favourites) is with Project 6 (previously Sheffield Alcohol Advisory Service and then Sheffield Alcohol Support Service and later becoming Project 6).  Project 6 provide support to individuals, families and communities in South & West Yorkshire, that are affected by some kind of substance use.

Since 2018, ESP Projects have been working heavily on our commitment to ISO (and other) accreditations, to show our commitment to our customers (and potential customers) to deliver Secure, Quality & Safe IT Services to our customers. Today, ESP renewed our ISO 27001 (Security), ISO 9001 (Quality) & ISO 45001 (Health and Safety) accreditations. Our Senior Leadership Team are delighted with this and the opportunities that this continues to provide for the business.  

Gamers haven’t really been the focus of cybersecurity for a long time. You mostly hear about attacks on businesses. Or stolen personal data due to phishing attacks. But gamers are not safe from hackers targeting them.

As cyberattacks continue to escalate, gamers have become prime hacking targets. Malicious actors seek to exploit vulnerabilities in the digital realm. The gaming industry continues to expand. Also, more users immerse themselves in virtual worlds. As this happens, the risks associated with cyberattacks on gamers are on the rise.

In the age of smart living, our homes are becoming increasingly intelligent. They’re designed to cater to our every need. Smart gadgets are transforming how we turn on the lights, home security, and more. They even help us feed our pets from afar.

But with the rapid evolution of this technology, it’s crucial to make informed choices. To know what to adopt and what to avoid. Every smart technology isn’t as helpful as another.

What is an onsite server?​ 

An onsite server is a traditional way to handle a business’ computer network, requiring a dedicated space within your office premises. It is a physical piece of hardware (kit) that sits on your business premises and provides services to the other computers on the network. Some examples of the things it ‘serves’ are File-sharing, Network Addressing, Virus Scanning & Print Services amongst other things. In many cases, you will end up with hardware that’s more powerful than what you require. 

At ESP Projects in Sheffield, we constantly strive to improve our services and deliver exceptional customer experiences. As part of this commitment, we are exploring new ways to expand our contact methods beyond email, ticket, and phone support. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the potential benefits of additional support channels such as live chat and knowledge bases and seek your valuable input through a survey on the contact methods you would like us to provide. 

Today’s anecdote – always know who you are talking to… wait… hang on… isn’t this an IT article? Well yes it is, but even when you are sat at your computer you want to ensure you know “who” you are talking to, and that “they” should know the information you are typing in.

This all starts with a recent installation of some signature control software at an office in Sheffield, you know the kind of thing, a platform to control all of your staff signatures centrally, to make sure all of them look the same, have the relevant information on them, update all of them with any current pertinent information, all very useful to keep on top of what is otherwise a long, dreary and often niggle filled process to achieve email appearance heaven.

What are the best practices for password policies? Security Policies – and the eventual demise of the password 

I did something unusual (for me) the other day – I went out for a drink in Sheffield city centre. Why does that matter to you? And why would I write about it here?  Well it was while I was out mingling with actual real live people that a conversation arose about security and passwords (seriously, I’m an absolute blast when I am out on the town, honestly) and what the best policies are around passwords. It came to my attention that there are still a lot of people still following best practices from a decade ago… 

Have you ever bought a new computer and then had buyer’s remorse a few months later? Maybe you didn’t pay attention to the storage capacity and ran out of space. Or you may have glossed over memory and experienced constant freeze-ups.

An investment in a new PC isn’t something you want to do lightly. Doing your research ahead of time and consulting with a trusted friend or IT shop can help. It will keep you from making major mistakes that could come back to haunt you later.