Maybe you know CTRL+ALT+DELETE from grade school, but are you still right-clicking or heading up to the Edit tab every time you need to perform a task? Well above are some shortcuts we use every single day that help workflow. Give them a shot!

If you are looking for the Mac version of any of these shortcuts, here is an article that lays them out simply.

In our last newsletter, we found articles that focused on the future and growth of cloud computing. This week we wanted to focus on how to use the tools you have more efficiently and how they work. Here's what we found:

Your Office 365 Calendar is an Indispensable Productivity Tool | Entrepreneur 

Key Takeaways: 

1. Set outlook to open automatically with your calendar view so the beginning of the day can start a little more focused 
   1. To change your view on startup, go to File and Options
   2. Select Advanced and then look for Outlook Start and Exit
   3. Choose Calendar by browsing on the Start Outlook in this folder option
       
2. If you have contacts in more than one time zone, you can easily add their time zones to your calendar. You’ll be able to see, at a glance, when it’s after-hours. No more making a mistake and calling a VIP client at 3 am! 

How Does Azure Protect Microsoft Office 365   | Make Use Of 

Key Takeaways: 

1. Virtual machines are created in Azure for IaaS-modeled organizations. While the security of the operating system and software remains your responsibility, Azure takes care of the security of the virtual machines and networks. 
    
2. For PaaS models, Azure is responsible for providing security mechanisms on the operating system and some of the essential software. 
    
3. In a SaaS model, like Microsoft 365, Azure cares for all software security. If Azure is working alongside Microsoft 365, it will protect the activities and processes you perform with Microsoft 365.
    
4. This just scratches the surface of how Azure can protect your business – for more information, feel free to reach out to us!
    
   Deeper Dive: Microsoft Azure: What is it and How Does it Help Small Business?

In a survey conducted by ShareGate, State of Microsoft 365: Migration, Modernization, and Security in 2021, only around 64% of IT teams manage or otherwise control the way each team works with people outside the company. That means almost one-third of businesses are effectively leaving the back door to their data wide open as they share data and sites externally.  

Lost? Confused? Stop here and read the entire blog. But if you’re hip to what we’re grooving on, keep on rolling because we’ve developed five key tips to follow when sharing content externally on Office 365:  

1. TURN ON External Sharing
   Turning on external sharing isn’t a bad thing! Your team could need to collaborate on a document once a day or ten times an hour, and this technology is literally tailor-made for that kind of use. 
2. TURN OFF Anonymous Sharing
   In the tech world, the worst kind of user is an anonymous one. Anyone with access to the shared link can view and edit the relevant files, not to mention possessing the ability to forward the link.  
3. Educate Your Users On Safe Sharing
   When it comes to training, there is never an end. As frustrating as that may sound, there is hardly an industry that isn’t constantly evolving, and technology is at the top of every list regardless of how you use it.  

1. Check Every Permission – TWICE (and then once more)
   Global admins and site owners within Sharepoint are going to share sites. No matter what they’re sharing, the link can potentially be intercepted or forwarded incorrectly and fall into the wrong hands.  
2. Constantly Watch for Suspicious Activity
   Someone on your team should always be scanning for connections that seem unusual or harmful in any way, particularly those masquerading as anonymous when you have that feature turned off. 
    

Want to know more about how to keep your team safe while sharing externally regularly?

Full Blog: Use These 5 Tips When Collaborating Externally in Office 365

Conclusion

The reality of business today is we share documents all the time for all kinds of reasons. Features like SharePoint and Microsoft 365 are great but make digital safety even more crucial, particularly when there is so much at stake with every transaction.  

If you made it this far, we're guessing you see value in learning about staying safe while collaborating and want to learn more about how to tap into its resources.

If you have any questions, give us a call at (864) 552-1291 and we'll help you evaluate your capabilities and options. Also, consider following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter!