RMM

Managing Devices without access local access to a Domain Controller

So your workforce has taken home their desktops and devices in a hurry due to the current Pandemic. How do you now manage these devices now they are in a disconnected state from the company network?

One of the first things you are going to have to make sure if you know the local credentials to the device. Hopefully, this has been set with something like LAPS , or a standard password that gets changed Via GPO. If the user does not have access to the domain there is no way to use Domain Admin credentials ( Unless they have been cached ) to install new software to connect back to the domain , catch 22!

RMM Tool

All computers managed by an Managed Service Provider e.g. US at Huon IT will be connected to a Remote Monitoring and Management tool. This enabled the MSP to connect to your computer and monitor and manage it. This is cloud based so it doesn’t matter were it is, it is countable and configurable.

VPN

For Enterprises that have their , If your users need to access data from the on-premise environment e.g. to connect to an App server or access files from a file server they will probably already have this setup.

If not, a solution to managing devices is getting them to connect back to your network. One of the easiest ways is to install a VPN on these machines, but you will need to set this up in your office, probably on the router as it usually is free and doesn’t require any license. You will need to protect this end point with 2fa factor authentication so if a password is compromised the attacker does not have access to the corporate network to further break into your system. Depending on your Router Make you may need to setup a Radius server and integrate into a service like Azure MFA using a P1 License.

VPN should be set to automatically connect so whenever they have an internet connection it connects into the office and checks in. By default VPN’s also put all traffic through , if this over loads your connect you should use something called “Split Tunneling”

Intune

Intune is the simplest and best option, your devices can check in to a cloud-managed monitoring and management system thats free with M365 License and can be configured to work in Hybrid mode meaning whether their in or out the office you can monitor them with the right tools!

What is a MSP ( Managed Service Provider ) and why does your business need one?

MSP (Managed Service Provider ) Brief definition : Is a company that provides your company with IT Services such as Network Administrator, Server Management, Desktop and  IT Support

Here are the main Services that Managed Service Providers in Surrey, such as Response IT Provide

IT Helpdesk

This is probably the most important one that you think of when you need IT. Which is the speedy resolution of a problem with your Phone , Computer , Printer or Email! We operate a layered team of technical people who await your problem and will stay with you until we fix it or find someone who can! We use tools such as an IT Ticketing System to log calls so we can monitor call volumes from companies analyse ongoing problems so we can fix them instead of them reoccurring as well as providing training where needed.

This part of the organization is also responsible for looking at ongoing problems users face and recommending new software and hardware for the organization like server and computer upgrades or a new piece of software to speed up users existing work. These recommendations turn into Projects and are managed through the same ticketing system.
 

RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management)

This is a service we provide which you don't get to speak to as much as the IT helpdesk, but it's very important to the continued running of your IT System. We have monitoring tools to check that your system is running fine with regards to servers being alive , internet connection staying up and not being heavily utilised and also everything is up-to-date. This enables us to fix problems before you even know about it!

We have a dedicated NOC (Network Operations Center) who are solely responsible for the task of remote management. This team also help us to automate tasks such as rolling out Security Updates and Software , performing a SAM Audit of your network to check Licensing compliance and check of backups which brings us onto the subject below!

Backup and Disaster

Another big one that happens behind the scenes and is very important with new threats we are seeing such as 

  •     User Error

  •     Natural Disasters

  •     Hardware Failures

  •     Cybercrime

  •     Insider Threats

We provide services which can give you multi-layers of backups which can protect you from any of the above and enable you to recover for accidental deletions , virus outbreaks which cannot be recovered from ( such as Cryptolocker ! ) as well a Disaster Recovery solution where in the worst case the core of your business still runs to avoid and loss of business

 

Why do you need one of these?

All the above main services are there to keep your IT Infrastructure running which enables you to keep running your business without interruption. Downtime of an IT System is an unexpected cost which gets overlooked but costs the company by :

  • Employees not being able to work ( Waste of salary / time cost )
  • Existing customers not being able to contact you to either create new business or continue existing
  • New Customers not being able to contact you and going to a competitor
  • Loss of Data - The re-doing of existing work or permanent loss of a customer

Going with an MSP gives you access to a broad range of skillsets with our unique experts which enables speedy resolutions of problems if/when they happen and a plan to mitigate these in the future