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Author: Minni Coombs

3 Ways to Share Files Securely

Posted on by Minni Coombs

Sharing files has become a staple in contemporary business IT needs. More often than not, these files are proprietary and confidential business information, and therefore security becomes a major consideration.

There are several ways of sharing files securely. In this post, we will outline three methods of secure file sharing, as well as the pros and cons of each method.

OPTION 1 E-Mail

METHOD

To share files over email, you can simply send files as an email attachment.

PROS

  • Easy to send.
  • Easy to track when it was sent and to whom.

CONS

  • Most email services limit attachment size to 25-30 MB, however some private email services (e.g. Microsoft Exchange) can be configured for up to 150 MB.
  • Delivery is not guaranteed.
  • The sent file is stored on both ends, increasing space requirements.
  • Files are scattered through different emails and may be difficult to locate.

OPTION 2 FTP

METHOD

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It allows for continuous file exchange with clients or customers. Files are stored on online FTP servers and accessible to anyone that has access to the server. Anonymous access may be allowed as well.

PROS

  • Unlimited file size.
  • Easy to create a folder structure on the FTP server when there are many files.
  • Convenient for continuous file exchange with clients or customers.

CONS

  • The user needs to wait until the file is uploaded to / downloaded from the FTP server (time depends on the file size).
  • For secure file exchange, sender and received must have an account on the FTP server.
  • An anonymous account allows anyone to access a public folder on an FTP server. IMPORTANT: Never allow access to confidential files by anonymous accounts.

OPTION 3 Cloud File Sharing

METHOD

Cloud file sharing platforms like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, allow to share files with authorised individuals.

PROS

  • Almost unlimited file size. Typical limits for free accounts are in the 5-20 GB range, paid subscriptions allow for storage in the Terabyte range and beyond.
  • Multiple files can be arranged into a folder structure for organisation purposes.
  • Permissions can be assigned to control who can see and change documents.
  • Easy to find files using search options and general structure navigation.
  • Files are synchronised in real time. For example, a OneDrive or Dropbox client on your computed begins to sync files with the cloud immediately after you save it to a certain folder on your computer.

CONS

  • User needs to wait until a file is uploaded to / downloaded from the cloud server (time depends on file size).
  • Security can be an issue, since the files are not directly in your hands. Security breaches of cloud platforms may cause cyber liability issues.

SOME IMPORTANT DOs AND DONTs:

DONTs 

  • DO NOT to share a companys confidential files with other people, unless you and the receiving party are authorised.
  • DO NOT use cloud file sharing services, unless authorised.
  • DO NOT send large files (over 10MB) by email.
  • DO NOT save important business documents on your desktop computer, save them on the network drives instead.
  • DO NOT save confidential files on unprotected/un-encrypted USB flash drives (this is easiest way information can be leaked outside the organisation to unauthorised individuals).

DOS

  • DO use email for small file exchange only.
  • DO use FTP server for continuous exchange of files with clients or suppliers.
  • DO use Cloud file sharing for collaborative work on documents.
  • DO consult your IT team on the best way to share files.

Our Thoughts

Secure file sharing is crucial for protecting confidential business information. By understanding the pros and cons of each method, businesses can make informed decisions about the best way to share files. Remember to follow important do’s and don’ts, and consult with your IT team for guidance.

Why your Company Needs a Style Guide

Posted on by Minni Coombs

Consistent branding is crucial for any successful business, but it can be challenging to maintain across all communication channels. Having multiple means of communication with vendors and customers makes it even more difficult. That’s why a style guide is essential. It is a set of guidelines that dictate the look and feel of your brand, including the company’s tone of voice, colours, and fonts used in all communications.

In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of having a style guide for your company, the key elements that should be included, and how it can help maintain a consistent brand across all communication channels.

What needs to be included

The Style Guide should include every aspect of the company identity in the media. Some of the necessary topics to include are:
1. Logo: Examples of standard logos defining amont of clear space and minimum usable size are important to standardize documents. If your company uses diferent logos, providing examples of usage can be helpful. Various formats such as color, black and white, transparent, etc. and rules around placement and size of taglines are some other aspects that can be included.

2. Color Palette: Providing HEX, RBG, HTML and Pantone color palette to be used in logos, web pages and other media related documents will remove a lot of inconsistencies.

3. Fonts: In each category of the style guide, define font types, sizes, color, line-spacing, etc.

4. Links and Buttons: Define the size, color and style for links and button that are used on webpages. Illustrate these with relevant examples.

Sample Style Guide Pages

DO NOT consider the Style Guide as a design guide, instead consider it as a reference. The company must have design templates in place.

A first page example. Precise and easy to understand and browse through the document.
The page describing the company logo and usage.
Defining the logo sizes and white spaces around the logo.

Closing thoughts

In conclusion, having a clear and consistent brand is essential for the success of any business. A well-designed style guide can help you achieve that by providing a clear reference point for all your communications, ensuring that your brand message is conveyed accurately and consistently across all channels. By following the guidelines outlined in your style guide, you can establish a strong, recognizable brand that resonates with your audience and helps you stand out from the competition.

So, if you haven’t already, it’s time to consider creating a style guide for your company and take your branding to the next level.

Tips and Tricks: How to be effective in Microsoft Outlook

Posted on by Minni Coombs

As part of our tips and tricks series, we have already shown some great info on how to be more productive with Microsoft Word  read our previous post Tips and Tricks: Are you being productive in Microsoft Word?.

In todays post, we will continue our trip though the Microsoft Office suite.

Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email client my small and medium enterprises, and also has some great features to help you make the most of your time. A BALANCED+ MS Outlook guru shared some of his tips, tricks, and shortcuts to work faster in MS Outlook.

A lot of things that apply for Word, apply for Outlook as well. Namely:

  1. Text selection and navigation
  2. Easy text alignment
  3. Copy and Paste Text
  4. Undoing actions
  5. Finding and replacing text
  6. Spelling check
  7. Text formatting

Convenient Keyboard Shortcuts:

  1. To create a new email message, Ctrl+N
  2. To reply to a message, Ctrl+R
  3. To Reply to All, Ctrl+Shift+R
  4. To forward a message, Ctrl+F
  5. To send a message, Ctrl+Enter (unless this option is disabled)
  6. Switch between mail, calendar, contacts, and other items in the navigation pane by hitting Ctrl + [the place number of the item],
    • e.g. Ctrl+1 will open mail, Ctrl+2 will open the calendar, and so forth.
  7. Create a new item from the clipboard. Copy any text to your clipboard, then in Outlook press Ctrl+V. Outlook will create a new message (or note or appointment or whatever item, depending on the folder youre viewing) with the text already pasted.

Inbox Organization

You can create inbox folders and rules to direct messages with certain senders to those folders, so the messages will automatically go to those folders.

  1. To create a folder, right-click on the Inbox, select New Folder, and type the folder name.
  2. To create a rule, select the email from the sender for whom you want to make the rule, right-click and select Create Rule.
  3. Select the From  checkbox.
  4. Select the Move the item to folder: checkbox and click Select Folder, and then select the folder you created for that person.
  5. You can do similar organisation based on subject, not recipient.

Managing Multiple Signatures

  1. Go to File > Options > Mail > Click on Signatures.
  2. Click New, and type a name for the signature.
  3. Enter the text and formatting for the signature, when finished click Save.
  4. In the drop-down menus on the right, select from the dropdown the signature you want to use for
    • New Messages (full signature)
    • Replies/Forwards (shortened signature)

Using Follow-up flags to track messages / tasks

This is a convenient feature that lets you remember if you need to follow up on an email.

  1. For an email you want to track, click on the flag beside it (on the right).
    • To select a different priority (time range within which to follow up), right-click on the Flag beside it and select the appropriate time range.
  2. The email will now appear in Tasks.
    • To stop tracking the email (i.e. to mark the task as complete), in the list of Tasks, click on the flag  it will change to a check mark and disappear from the list.
    • You can do the same in your inbox by clicking on the flag.

Saving important emails as files

  1. To save an email as a file, open the email, go to File > Save as, and select the location to which you want to save. The email will be saved as an Outlook message that can be opened with Outlook.
  2. To save as a PDF, simply print the email as a PDF (File > Print > Select Microsoft Print to PDF printer)

Manual Send/Receive

This allows you to have a second look through all your emails before you send them, but requires you to remember to do that.

  1. To set manual Send/Receive, go to File > Options > Advanced > Scroll to Send and Receive.
  2. Uncheck the box Send immediately when connected and press OK.
  3. Now, all emails that you send will appear in the Outbox.
  4. To send all emails in the Outbox, in the Home tab press Send/Receive All Folders.

Our Thoughts

Microsoft Outlook is a powerful tool that can greatly improve your productivity if used effectively. By following these tips and tricks, you can better manage your inbox, schedule, and tasks, while also reducing the time spent on administrative tasks. With a little practice and patience, you can turn Microsoft Outlook into a streamlined and efficient tool that helps you stay organized and focused on what really matters. So why not give it a try and see how it can benefit you?