Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

Applying USB-based, Zero-touch Device Provisioning with NinjaOne

Modern provisioning in IT refers to defining your desired settings and software to meet your organizational goals. It’s the process of setting up your IT infrastructure, including hardware, networks, and virtual machines, among others, to make it available to systems and users. Device provisioning is a subset of this, often used to set up devices within the Internet of Things (IoT), including mobile devices. The importance of device provisioning cannot be overstated.

What Is the National Vulnerability Database?

The National Vulnerability Database (NVD) is an information resource provided by the U.S. government that catalogs security vulnerabilities in a standardized, searchable format. It includes databases containing software and hardware products, their known security flaws (including misconfigurations), as well as their severity and impact. The NVD is an important resource for IT professionals to stay up-to-date with potential security concerns in their IT infrastructure.

How to Show Appreciation on Sysadmin Day 2024

Before you know it, Sysadmin Day will be here again! As we all know, sysadmins (sometimes written SysAdmins) play a critical behind-the-scenes role in keeping technology up and running smoothly. However, they often go unappreciated until something goes wrong. That’s why System Administrator Appreciation Day serves as the perfect opportunity to recognize the sysadmins that work tirelessly day in and day out to support your organization.

How SEO Strategy Can Help MSPs Grow Their Business

One of the main goals for every MSP is to make getting new clients onboard as easy as possible. A major way to achieve this is to rank high on Google for the area your MSP operates. Purple Cloud IT is an MSP that serves clients in the UK, but we’ve also helped many MSPs over the years with their SEO and Google ranking because we’ve found that we’re pretty good at SEO.

N-central 24.3 Release Roundup | New Features & Enhancements for MSPs

Jason Murphy, Head Nerd at N-able, walks you through the latest features and improvements designed to enhance your experience with N-central. Discover the new security enhancements, updates to Device Manager for Apple, REST API endpoint additions, and more. This release is packed with updates to help MSPs stay secure and maximize efficiency.

Container vs Virtual Machines (VM): Key Differences & Overview

Container vs virtual machines – what is there to know? These are key virtualization technologies that are used by developers, system administrators, and increasingly, home users to run applications. While they are similar, they have different use cases and function differently in key ways.

High Availability vs Fault Tolerance: Understanding the Main Differences

High availability vs fault tolerance – what are they? These are two IT concepts that are closely related, but have different requirements and outcomes. This article will explore the difference between high availability (HA) and fault tolerance (FT) in regard to IT infrastructure, highlighting the key differences, use cases, and benefits of each so that you can ensure that your infrastructure meets its unique reliability and availability requirements.

What is Business Email Compromise (BEC)?

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a type of cyberattack where attackers use email to exploit businesses by deceiving employees into transferring money or sensitive information. These attacks often involve impersonation of company executives or trusted business contacts to trick recipients into performing specific actions. As businesses become more reliant on digital communication, the threat of BEC grows, making it essential for organizations to recognize and mitigate these risks effectively.

Cove Data Protection 24.6 Update

N-able Head Nerd Eric Harless breaks down what's in Cove Data Protection 24.6 You asked for it, and we delivered! We are happy to announce that partners now can schedule Standby Image first restores. We also automated the addition of antivirus exclusions to Microsoft Defender on the Recovery Location for One-Time Restores. Partners can now schedule first restore sessions for devices added to a Standby Image recovery plan. Now, partners can schedule initial restores overnight or on weekends to avoid resource contention when adding multiple machines to a plan.

What's new from Apple's WWDC24

Apple made plenty of announcements last week at their Worldwide Developer Conference; from Apple Intelligence, to the upcoming iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, and many more targeting end users and the Apple developer community. While we can’t recap every single feature and update, I wanted to highlight a handful of them that will affect any administrators using Apple devices in their environment, as well as the tools used to manage those devices.

10 Networking Trends, Statistics, and Predictions for 2024

Understanding emerging networking trends is increasingly important for IT professionals and companies of all sizes to stay competitive. The global network infrastructure market is expected to reach $197.8 billion by the end of 2024 and increase to $256 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.67%. This is a projected $58.2 billion increase in just four years. Staying current with developments in the industry, as well as anticipating where these trends may lead, is vital.

Getting Started with Ncentral REST APIs: Tips and Tricks

For some the term API can signal an immediate tune out. I have to admit, despite being in the IT game for 25 years now, I was one of those people. However, that changed to a degree when I took up the Head Nerd role here at N‑able, driven in no small part by the fact that I had to deliver a Head Nerd Boot Camp on Leveraging APIs in N‑central. Unfortunately, these APIs were SOAP based, hadn’t had much development in recent years, and weren’t exactly easy to work with.

Verifying Physical Connectivity

Troubleshooting is more art than science. When diagnosing a problem, the most important tool is an intimate understanding of your network: what connects to what, and where everything is both logically and physically. You almost need to visualize the packets going from one device to the next. That includes verifying physical connectivity. That’s where network diagrams, topology mapping, and cabling spreadsheets become extremely important.

C1 Customer Summit: Elevating Connected Human Experiences

At C1, our purpose is to elevate the connected human experience. To connect meaningfully, we must connect authentically – and this means considering the unique needs of each interaction, whether between doctors and patients, faculty and students, government and their constituents, hoteliers and their guests, and so on. Our C1 Summit was filled with authentic interactions, as we came together with our customers to explore the role that human experience will play in their future success.

Bring Us Your Mobile! NinjaOne MDM Supports Android, iOS and iPadOS Devices

Thanks to the tireless dedication of our product team, a super-active beta program, and hundreds of early adopters seeking a better way to do mobile, we are thrilled to officially introduce NinjaOne Mobile Device Management (MDM) – an extension to our No. 1-rated endpoint management platform!

Mobile Device Management: 6 Features You Need in your MDM Solution

Mobile devices are the norm in the workplace today, allowing your teams around the world to communicate and work together more efficiently. Traditional network boundaries shifted significantly during the global pandemic and organizations had to quickly learn to support a newly remote workforce. With the remote and hybrid work model the new normal, IT departments now support more mobile devices than ever.

Selecting and Implementing the Right MDR Solution for Your Customers

MSPs have a critical role to play in safeguarding SMBs and SMEs against cyber threats, and there are always tools coming onto the market to help you do this. In a recent interview for our Beyond the Horizons Podcast, Dave MacKinnon explored some of the key considerations MSPs should keep in mind when selecting a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solution for their customers.

What Are the HIPAA Data Backup Requirements?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enforces how you must retain and protect sensitive user data in a healthcare setting. Compliance is mandatory, and knowingly breaching HIPAA rules (including disclosing health information of individuals) comes with hefty fines and even jail time. It is important that your data practices and infrastructure and the third parties you trust to store and protect sensitive information, recognize and comply with HIPAA regulations.

What Is Full Stack Observability & Why Is It Important?

Full stack observability is not merely about collecting data but about providing actionable insights. It empowers you to see beyond isolated metrics and logs, facilitating a deeper understanding of the interconnected nature of modern software systems. By implementing full stack observability, you can maintain operational integrity, swiftly address performance issues, and ensure a seamless user experience.

Complete Guide: Understanding and Preventing DCSync Attacks

Gaining insights into DCSync attacks is key to fortifying your Active Directory (AD) against these sophisticated threats. By exploiting legitimate AD replication protocols, attackers can discreetly extract sensitive information, such as password hashes and Kerberos tickets. Recognizing these attack vectors enables you to implement more effective monitoring and auditing tools, enhancing your overall security posture.

Ncentral: Calculating TCO and ROI in the On-Premise to Cloud Transition

A few weeks ago, I received a message over Teams from Laura White, one of our Partner Success Managers who works with many of our Super Elite partners. Laura was preparing for an important meeting with a partner to discuss migrating from an On-Premise N‑central server to a Cloud Hosted N‑central with N‑able, and she wanted my input. The move from on-premise infrastructure to the cloud has been a hot topic.

What is MDR and How Can it Benefit MSPs

Staying ahead of emerging threats is paramount for MSPs tasked with safeguarding their customers’ digital assets. However, amidst the broad range of technologies and buzzwords, distinguishing genuine solutions from marketing spin can sometimes be challenging. This blog draws on a recent podcast interview with N‑able Chief Security Officer, Dave MacKinnon, to give insights into Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and its implications for MSPs.

Navigating AI Adoption in MSPs

Explore how AI is transforming the MSP industry, from strategic applications to regulatory concerns, with Nicole Reineke, AI Strategist at N-able. Join Pete Roythorne and Nicole Reineke, AI Strategist at N-able, as they dive into the evolving role of AI in the Managed Service Provider (MSP) industry. Discover how AI is being utilized beyond marketing and code creation, the current opportunities, regulatory challenges, and strategies for MSPs to integrate AI effectively.

How eG Enterprise helps MSPs offering digital workspaces, add value-added services

In a fiercely competitive market, against a background of vendor licensing cost changes that are impacting profit margins, many MSPs offering digital workspaces are modernizing to remain relevant and futureproof. Many managed service providers have historically focused mostly on uptime/downtime, resource monitoring and so on. Automation tools are reducing the value of conventional managed services.

N-central Custom Dashboards: Step-by-Step Guide by Paul Kelly

Discover how to create custom dashboards in N-central with N-able Head Nerd Paul Kelly. In this tutorial, Paul walks you through the entire process, from setting up bespoke filters to displaying critical monitoring checks on your custom dashboards. Optimize your monitoring strategy and get real-time insights into your customer's environments. Whether you're tracking server issues, CPU usage, or disk health, this guide will help you set up dashboards tailored to your needs. Perfect for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) looking to enhance their N-central setup.

16 Most Common Network Protocols

Computer networks have become integral to our modern digital world. From browsing the web to sending emails and transferring files, network connectivity enables countless applications and services. However, this would not be possible without network protocols, which provide a common language for devices to exchange information reliably. This article will explore some of the most common network protocols that drive communication and connectivity in networks and the Internet.

Automation in MSPs: Streamlining Service Delivery and Boosting Profitability

In today’s complex IT environment, clients demand quick, reliable services. To accomplish this, businesses have begun leveraging automation solutions to reduce response times and increase reliability, enabling staff to focus on strategic initiatives that drive business growth. However, many MSPs struggle to build an effective automation strategy and need help, making it challenging to remain competitive in the modern marketplace.

Automation in MSPs: Streamlining Service Delivery and Boosting Profitability

In today’s complex IT environment, clients demand quick, reliable services. To accomplish this, businesses have begun leveraging automation solutions to reduce response times and increase reliability, enabling staff to focus on strategic initiatives that drive business growth. However, many MSPs struggle to build an effective automation strategy and need help, making it challenging to remain competitive in the modern marketplace.

What is a Checksum & How to Use One

Checksums play an important role in various fields, from data integrity verification to cyber security. They are essential tools for ensuring the accuracy and security of data transmission and storage. While exploring what a checksum is, you will discover its significant role in cyber security, how to use checksums effectively, and best practices for their implementation.

Augmenting MSP Helpdesk Support: 5 Workflows

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are the backbone for many businesses, ensuring that IT systems run smoothly and efficiently. They offer a cost-effective alternative to building an in-house tech team, often allowing companies to leverage cutting edge expertise without the significant expense and responsibility associated with expanding headcount.

Workflow Management for IT Departments: Enhancing Efficiency Through Automation

Workflow management lets IT departments streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and reduce errors. By automating repetitive IT tasks, your IT team can focus on more strategic activities, ultimately driving innovation and improving service delivery. Here’s how to get started.

Alternate Data Streams: A Complete Overview

Understanding Alternate Data Streams (ADS) within file systems, particularly within the NTFS framework on Windows operating systems, is crucial for IT security professionals, software developers, digital forensic analysts, and anyone interested in data security. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of ADS, exploring their technical aspects, legitimate uses, and security implications.

Network Basics: What Is Link Aggregation & How Does It Work?

Link aggregation is a way of bundling a bunch of individual (Ethernet) links together so they act as a single logical link. A fundamental for effective switch management, if you have a switch with a whole lot of Gigabit Ethernet ports, you can connect all of them to another device that also has a bunch of ports and balance the traffic among these links to improve performance.

Classful and Classless Addressing Explained

If you’ve ever been in charge of IP address assignment, you’ve come across the terms classful and classless addressing. If you haven’t, the main difference between classful and classless addressing is in the subnet length: classful addressing uses fixed-length subnet masks, but classless uses variable length subnet masks (VLSM).

10 Budget-Friendly Ways for MSPs to Show Customer Appreciation

Maintaining strong relationships with your customers is essential. As an MSP, your customers rely on you for their IT solutions, cybersecurity, and overall technological support. But beyond providing these services, creating a sense of appreciation and gratitude can enhance customer satisfaction, add value to the relationship, and boost loyalty. While grand gestures may seem appealing, sometimes it’s the small, thoughtful actions that can make the biggest impact.

How to Adjust TCP Window Size to Improve Network Performance

The TCP/IP protocol sometimes shows its age. It was invented in an era when networks were very slow and packet loss was high. So one of the main considerations in early protocol design was reliability. The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) has built-in mechanisms for reliability that include validating a checksum on every packet, as well as detection and retransmission of dropped or out-of-order packets.

Network Basics: Spanning Tree Protocol

For new networkers, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) can be an intimidating topic. Many old-timers speak of spanning-tree in ominous tones, recounting the time when a “spanning-tree loop” brought down the network. Some managers strictly forbid anyone from changing anything related to the spanning tree, fearing a resulting service interruption. Some of the fear surrounding spanning trees is likely based on bad experiences, but some are based on ignorance—at least partly.

Lead Gen or Operational Efficiency-What's more important for sustainable MSP growth?

This month, I want to address a question I was sent from one of our MSP partners. As a smaller MSP looking to grow, they were wondering what they should focus on first: Marketing and lead gen to fill their sales pipeline? Or strategies to improve their organizational and operational efficiencies? They recognized that both areas are currently a source of weakness for their business.

6 Common Spanning Tree Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Let me start by saying that spanning tree is a Good Thing. It saves you from loops, which will completely shut down a network. But it has to be configured properly to work properly. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had a client call me, desperate with a terribly broken network, and I’ve responded, “Sounds like a spanning tree problem.” There are many ways things can go wrong with spanning tree. In this article, I’ve collected six of the recurring themes.

Auvik Reviews: Top 5 Features Customers Love

With numerous options available for network monitoring, finding the right fit for your business can be a daunting task. It’s essential to sift through the noise and focus on what truly matters: a solution that meets your organization’s specific needs. PeerSpot, an enterprise buying intelligence platform, offers valuable insights into how various solutions, including Auvik Network Monitoring, perform in the real world.