Latest News

      • ESP Achieves Microsoft 365 Solutions Partner for Modern Work 

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      • Jason Francis
      ESP Projects achieved this new designation in January 2023, meaning we are one of the first Microsoft Partners in Sheffield to gain the accreditation, showing our commitment to making sure that we are best placed to advise all our customers on all things Microsoft Cloud related.
      • Who are the best IT Support Providers in Sheffield, Yorkshire?

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      • Donna Aplin
      Who are the best IT Support Providers in Sheffield, Yorkshire?
      • What Cybersecurity Attack Trends Should You Watch Out for in 2023?

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      • Donna Aplin

      The new year has just begun and it’s a time of renewal as we plan for the possibilities to come in 2023. It’s also a time when you need to plan for resiliency in the face of ever-present cyberattacks.

      Sixty-eight percent of surveyed business leaders feel that cybersecurity risks are getting worse. They have a good reason. Attacks continue to get more sophisticated. They are also often perpetrated by large criminal organizations. These criminal groups treat these attacks like a business.

      • 5 Ways to Balance User Productivity with Solid Authentication Protocols

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      • Donna Aplin

      One constant struggle in offices is the balance between productivity and security. If you give users too much freedom in your network, risk increases. But add too many security gates, and productivity can dwindle.

      It’s a fine balance between the two, but one you can achieve. Organizations need to recognize the importance of both. And not sacrifice one for another.

      • Copper networks switch off in 2025 

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      • Jason Francis
      BT Openreach is intending to close off many copper connections by 2025. The idea is to bring consumers and businesses forward, into the SuperFast, UltraFast and HyperFast broadband spaces by forcing them onto Fibre based products.
      • IT Security. Why does my Sheffield business need to worry about IT Security? And how do I stop getting hacked?

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      • Jason Francis
      IT Security in Sheffield from ESP Projects. You need to ensure that your business is better protected than most. Find out how here.
      • What Are the Advantages of Implementing Conditional Access?

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      • Donna Aplin

      It seems that nearly as long as passwords have been around, they’ve been a major source of security concern. Eighty-one percent of security incidents happen due to stolen or weak passwords. Additionally, employees continue to neglect the basics of good cyber hygiene.

      • Tips for Overcoming Barriers to a Smooth BYOD Program

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      • Donna Aplin

      Bring your own device (BYOD) is a concept that took hold after the invention of the smartphone. When phones got smarter, software developers began creating apps for those phones. Over time, mobile device use has overtaken desktop use at work.

      According to Microsoft, mobile devices make up about 60% of the endpoints in a company network. They also handle about 80% of the workload. But they’re often neglected when it comes to strong cybersecurity measures.

      • What is the #ESPDuck all about? 

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      • Donna Aplin

      Firstly, what is the duck and where did it come from? Well, we decided that we should have a pet, here at ESP Headquarters.  Unfortunately, we’re always very busy delivering best in class IT Services to businesses in and around the Sheffield area to be able to look after a real-life one properly.  So, we decided that we should pick one that is a little more simple in the effort stakes (no need to feed or walk!).  

      • Simple Setup Checklist for Microsoft Teams

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      • Donna Aplin

      Microsoft Teams is a lot of things. It’s a video conferencing tool, a team messaging channel, and a tool for in-app co-authoring, just to name a few. During the pandemic, the popularity of Teams skyrocketed.

      User numbers for MS Teams jumped from 20 million in November 2019 to 75 million in April 2020. As of this year, Microsoft reports a user count of 270 million for the platform. This makes it the most popular business tool for team communications.

      • 7 Things to Consider When Getting a New Computer to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse

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      • Donna Aplin

      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.

      • Simple Guide to Follow for Better Endpoint Protection

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      • Donna Aplin

      Endpoints make up much of a company’s network and IT infrastructure. This is a collection of computers, mobile devices, servers, and smart gadgets. As well as other IoT devices that all connect to the company network.

      The number of endpoints a company has will vary by business size. Companies with less than 50 employees have about 22 endpoints. Small businesses with 50-100 employees have roughly 114. Enterprise organizations with 1,000+ employees average 1,920 endpoints.

      • Insider Threats Are Getting More Dangerous! Here’s How to Stop Them

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      • Donna Aplin

      One of the most difficult types of attacks to detect are those performed by insiders. An “insider” would be anyone that has legitimate access to your company network and data. This would be via a login or other authorized connection.

      Because insiders have authorized system access, they bypass certain security defenses. Such as those designed to keep intruders out. Since a logged-in user isn’t seen as an intruder, those security protections aren’t triggered.

      • Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft Viva Sales

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      • Donna Aplin

      Data entry can be a real drag for salespeople. The time they spend on administrative tasks is time away from customer interactions. But that data is vital.

      It’s important to capture customer orders, quotes, needs, and more. Lead and sales reporting help sales managers know where to direct their attention. Analytics also help drive more efficient ways of closing the deal.

      • Introducing Microsoft’s New Surface Pro 9

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      • ESP Projects
      Surface Pro 9 gives you the tablet flexibility you want and the laptop performance and battery life you need to move through your day — all in one ultra-portable device.
      • 9 Urgent Security Tips for Online Holiday Shopping

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      • Donna Aplin

      The holiday shopping season is taking off. This means that scammers have also revved up their engines. They’re primed and ready to take advantage of all those online transactions.

      Don’t forget to stay safe online during the buying frenzy that occurs this time of year. An ounce of cybersecurity prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. It can also save you from a financial or privacy nightmare.

      • What is a UPS and What Do They Protect Against? – Everything You Need to Know

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      • Jason Francis

      What is a UPS? 

      Firstly, what is a UPS? Well, the acronym stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply.   

      The easiest way to describe a UPS would be to say that it’s “A battery that keeps your equipment on when there is a power cut” but that does oversimplify what the UPS is for and doesn’t acknowledge some of its most important features. 

      • 7 Pro Tips for Microsoft 365

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      • Donna Aplin

      Microsoft 365 is the most popular of all major office productivity software. It has 48.8% of the global market share, just edging out Google’s apps, by a couple of percentage points.

      It’s used by individuals, small & mid-sized businesses, and larger enterprise organizations. It does everything a modern office needs. Including from word processing and spreadsheet work to cloud storage and video conferencing.

      • What Is Microsoft Defender for Individuals & What Does It Do?

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      • Donna Aplin

      When you hear about Microsoft adding security apps to M365, it’s often the business versions. But the pandemic has changed the way that we see the workplace. It’s now a hybrid world. One made up of several connected “mini-offices” located in employee homes.

      The outsourcing market has also contributed to the change in company networks. Freelancers are often contracted to work the same hours as employees. This means less overhead and taxes to pay. Approximately 68% of large consumer products companies outsource a part of their workforce.

      • The Biggest Vulnerabilities that Hackers are Feasting on Right Now

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      • Donna Aplin

      Software vulnerabilities are an unfortunate part of working with technology. A developer puts out a software release with millions of lines of code. Then, hackers look for loopholes that allow them to breach a system through that code.

      The developer issues a patch to fix the vulnerability. But it’s not long before a new feature update causes more. It’s like a game of “whack-a-mole” to keep your systems secure.