These days many of us work more in web browsers than in desktop apps. For years Google Chrome has been the most popular web browser, accounting for over two thirds of global usage. If you’re reading this article then chances are that you’re doing so using Google Chrome!

With it’s speed, efficiency and plethora of in-built features, it’s not hard to see why Chrome has become the market leader. Despite this, many people aren’t taking advantage of everything Chrome has to offer, like the myriad of add-ons and plug-ins designed to improve your browsing experience. From blocking distractions to promoting healthier work habits, Google Chrome extensions can improve your focus and motivation, whether you’re in the office or working remotely.

Here are our recommendations for Google Chrome extensions that will help boost your productivity!

1. Todoist

One of the most popular task management applications right now is Todoist. Todoist includes a number of features that help you keep on top of your workload and streamline your workflow, such as; colour-coding tasks, creating sub-groups and sub-projects, and full integration into your work email account. You can also sync Todoist across all of your devices, giving you instant access to your daily agenda no matter where you’re working from! The Todoist chrome extension compiles all of your items into a drop-down menu, meaning you don’t have to open the app in a new window to access them. Manage tasks, set goals and check in on your other team members as well – all from the Chrome extension!

2. Adblock Plus

If your work requires you to do any web browsing, then you know how easy it is to get sidetracked! Pop-up ads are a particular nuisance, as they slow down your browsing experience and can be annoyingly difficult to get rid of. That’s where Adblock Plus comes in. This Chrome extensions gives you full control over your internet browsing experience, by giving you the power to choose what websites and types of ads you want to use it on. Once it’s set up, it’ll continue to automatically run in the background – so you can sit back and enjoy your ad-free content! Adblock is also good for more than just staying focused, it also helps protect you from cyber threats by recognising (and blocking) malware and malicious websites from gaining access to your device.

3. Grammarly

Looking to improve your written communication? Grammarly is the most popular spelling and grammar checking software on the market. Beyond just pointing out your typos, Grammarly also recommendations to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. The Chrome extension gives you writing guidance across most websites with text fields and will automatically start running as soon as you begin typing. So whether you’re editing a Google Doc, crafting a social media post or replying to emails – Grammarly has got your back! While the free version gives you access to Grammarly’s excellent spelling and grammar checking functions, the paid version is better suited for those requiring advanced editing capabilities.

4. Clickup

ClickUp is the ultimate productivity tool. This all-in-one platform is designed to manage everything, eliminating the need to switch between multiple apps and windows. With the ClickUp Chrome extension, you can utilise some of the platform’s most dynamic features from within your web browser. Create tasks, bookmark websites, track time, capture and mark-up screenshots, attach emails to tasks, and take unlimited notes directly in your Chrome browser and save them using ClickUp’s Notepad. From keeping track of your daily to-do’s to managing complex projects, ClickUp can help you optimise your time, keep up-to-date with team members and optimise your productivity – all from within Google Chrome!

5. Evernote Web Clipper

If you’re guilty of leaving a hundred million tabs open in your web browser, or struggle to sort through the infinite amount of content on the internet, don’t worry – Evernote Web Clipper is here to rescue you. Evernote is already a useful tool, helping users collect resources, notes and important information, and keep it organised and easily accessible for future reference. With the Evernote Web Clipper Chrome extensions you’ll be able to organise your tabs in the same way! By simply clicking on the Evernote elephant icon in your Chrome browser, you can save links, reader-friendly versions of web pages, screenshots and more directly into your notebooks for later reading.

6. Forest

Do you struggle to stay focused on your work? Are you missing important deadlines? Do you start new tasks before fully completing the last one? If you answered yes, then we recommend you try using Forest. Part productivity app, part mobile game, this Chrome extension helps combat procrastination and focus your energy into specific tasks by eliminating distractions. The premise is simple, you plant a tree when you begin a task and the longer you remain focused without visiting websites on your blocklist the more it grows. Once you’ve completed the task the tree will be added to your forest. Losing your motivation and getting off-task will cause your forest to wither and die.

7. StayFocusd

If you find yourself aimlessly scrolling social media, watching YouTube videos or surfing the net – StayFocused is the Chrome extensions for you. StayFocused helps you fight procrastination by regulating which websites you can visit and for how long. Just add your desired sites to the extension’s blocklist and set a daily restricted time limit. Once you’ve reached that limit, you’ll no longer be able to access that site for the rest of the day. For those of us lacking in willpower, this extension is a foolproof way to eliminate online distractions and channel our energy into work-related tasks.

8. LastPass

If you aren’t already using a password manager (you really should be!), then consider giving LastPass a shot. LastPass helps you generate highly-secure passwords and consolidates them all into one place. In addition to keeping track of all of your online passwords, LastPass can also be used to save other sensitive data, such as financial credentials and personal identification information. All of this can be managed with a single master password, making it the last password you’ll ever need to remember. If you’re at all concerned about cyber security (and once again, you really should be!), then you can rest easy knowing that your data is being monitored, secured and protected from malware. If your saved information is at risk to any third parties then LastPass will notify you immediately.

9. Loom

Do you find it easier to demonstrate something than explain it? Then you should try using Loom. This Chrome extension allows you to screen record a specific window, browser tab or entire desktop! Loom also gives you the options to record audio narration or a talking-head video (captured via webcam). Loom is the perfect screen capturing tool, allowing you to show rather than tell your colleagues, while still maintaining a personal connection. It’s the ideal web browser extension for fast-paced and virtual teams.

10. Noisli

If there’s one thing remote working has taught us, it’s the impact background noise can have on your productivity and focus. Too much can be overwhelming, but too little can be equally as distracting (especially if you’re used to working in a busy office!). That’s why we recommend the Nosili Chrome extension. Noisili allows you to choose from a range of different background noises including; falling rain, fire crackling, crickets, ocean waves, white noise and coffee shop chatter (just to name a few). The library of sounds is extensive and includes different noise combinations for reading, writing, focusing and more.

11. Clockify

Are you a remote worker struggling to find the right work/home life balance? Clockify is a time-tracking app that can help you set clear boundaries for your work day and personal time. The Chrome extension allows you to track your activity throughout the day. Simply start your work day by clicking on the timer in Chrome’s extension bar and Clockify will keep a log of your activities throughout the day. Aside from tracking time, Clockify also lets you organize time entries, input descriptions, sort time entries by projects/tasks, analyse your day and export the results in PDF. In addition to this, Clockify also includes a number of features that can help with productivity, such as setting intervals for work breaks, idle detection and alerts for specific tasks. Self-employed professionals and freelancer consultants can also use Clockify to generate timesheets for free, which comes in handy when trying to figure out how many hours to bill a client for!

12. Speechify

This last Chrome extension is for all the multitaskers out there! Speechify can help you get through your reading list in no time…by reading it to you! Catch up on your emails, the latest news articles and industry reports, all while getting your daily work done. What makes Speechify so unique is its large range of customisation options, allowing you to choose from over 15 languages and 30 different accents. Speechify also gives you the power to set your desired audio speed. All you have to do is put on your earphones, click on the Speechify extension and hit “Play.”

Over 40 years ago the first computer virus was unleashed onto the world. Since then, cyber attacks have kept pace with technological advancements. There now exists a multitude of malware threats that can cause significant damage to your devices and IT systems. Despite the chaos these attacks can create, a malware infection isn’t always obvious. Cyber criminals are notoriously sneaky, disguising their work and burying malware deep within device systems until it’s nearly impossible to identify (let alone get rid of).

Nevertheless, there are a few warning signs that indicate your device may be infected with malware. Early detection and intervention can greatly reduce the risk of your data and accounts becoming compromised, so it’s of the utmost importance that you heed these warnings.

Warning Signs That Your Device Is Infected With Malware

1. Your Device is Running Slowly and/or Frequently Crashing

Devices may start operating slowly for a number of reasons and this doesn’t always necessarily point to a malware infection. Perhaps you’re running a memory-intensive program or application? Or have a number of internet browser tabs open at once? Maybe your device is just old and parts needs replacing? However, if your device begins acting sluggish, freezing or even crashing and you can’t pinpoint a reason…malware may be the culprit. Malware often runs in the background, eating up system resources and causing the operating system, applications, software and internet connection to slow down dramatically.

2. Pop Ups Won’t Stop Popping Up

One of the most nefarious versions of malware is spyware. Spyware is exactly what it sounds like: it spies on you in order to collect your personal information (such as passwords, financial details, location, browsing habits, etc), without your consent. Pop up ads and unexpected dialogue windows are often spyware in disguise. Spyware is known to mimic legitimate programs and businesses in order to deceive the intended victim. One of the most common examples is a fake virus or threat detection warning that urges you to click a link or call a customer service number. These pop ups are annoyingly relentless and difficult to close.

3. Your Internet Browser is Being Re-Directed

Has your browser’s homepage changed? Has an unfamiliar toolbar appeared? Are you being redirected to random webpages when surfing the web? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you might have malware. These strange happenings are usually indicative that you’ve unintentionally downloaded something nefarious or perhaps clicked on a pop up you shouldn’t have. Not every redirect will cause you harm. Accidental clicks on legitimate ads do happen after all. However, if you find that you’re entering a known website URL and being redirected to a completely foreign page, then odds are that you’ve got malware. Redirection may not be entirely obvious either. For example, a banking Trojan is a type of malware that redirects its victims from their banking institutions webpage to one that is indistinguishable, with the only notable difference being the URL in the address bar. The malware then records the individual’s login details, thus allowing cyber criminals to access their financial accounts. While this may seem scary, remember that redirection relies on browser extensions. So if you’re at all worried that you’ve been exposed to malware, all you have to do is open your browser settings and disable (or better yet delete) the extensions that you didn’t deliberately install.

4. Your Hard Drive Space Suddenly Changes Dramatically

Has your available disk space drastically increased or decreased? A sudden shift in your hard drive capacity can be an indication of a malware infection. For example, malware is known to ruthlessly delete files and software, therefore increasing the amount of unused hard drive space. On the other hand, malware (like any software) takes up hard drive space. Some malware may even copy existing files or introduce new ones into your device’s system. They are usually difficult to detect, using generic and seemingly innocuous file names. “Disk-bombs” are one such example. These self-replicating viruses and worms will devastate your device by rapidly filling the hard drive with copies of itself. In many cases, these copies are undetectable when using the default settings for file browsing.

5. Missing, Altered or Corrupted Files

As we’ve just pointed out, changes to your files can be one of the biggest red flags that malware has infected your device. If you notice that your files and/or folders are missing, corrupted or altered without explanation then you may have a serious issue on your hands. Ransomware (another type of malware program) encrypts your files (including pictures, documents, project files, etc) and, as the name suggests, holds them hostage until the victim pays to have them restored. Particularly nefarious ransomware may even encrypt your entire device, rendering it utterly useless until the cyber criminal’s demands are met. It’s important to remember that even if the ransom is paid, there is no guarantee that the hacker will restore your files or device.

6. Your Device is Making Strange Noises

By now you’re probably already familiar with that horrible whirring noise that happens when your machine is “thinking” too hard (ie. when processing something that requires a high amount of memory). However, this sound usually stops whenever the activity causing it is no longer in progress. If your computer is making this sound even when you’re not doing anything memory intensive, then malware may be operating in the background. In addition, even if the malware is running unbeknownst to you, your device will most likely alert you with some sort of audio signal. So if you’re regularly noticing chimes, bells and other alert sounds coming from your device (seemingly without cause), this could point towards a virus or malware infection.

7. Spam is Being Sent from Your Email and/or Social Media Accounts

Have any of your email contacts mentioned receiving a strange message from your account? If so, check your sent folder immediately. If you come across any unfamiliar emails that you definitely didn’t create, then you’ve most likely contracted a computer virus. Your best course of action is to immediately sign out any device logged into your email account, lest they also become infected. Next, change your password to something completely new, ideally with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. Setting up two-step authentication (also known as multi-factor authentication) will also reduce the chances of unauthorised persons accessing your account. It’s not just your email that malware may infiltrate either, your social media accounts are also at risk. Some malware will wreak havoc on your social media accounts (Facebook is the most popular target) by generating fake posts or direct messages with dubious links. Unfortunately, this malware infection can spread like wildfire, as any of your contacts who are tricked into clicking on the fake link will also become infected.

8. Your Antivirus Software Isn’t Working

Generally, a good antivirus software should be able to protect your device against most viruses. Even so, some malware is sophisticated enough to defend itself. If you find that your current antivirus software isn’t updating and you’re unable to download and install a new one, then this may be a sign that a virus is working to protect itself. Try closing and reopening the software, or restarting your device. If neither of these solves the problem then it’s time to call in the professionals.

I’m Infected…What Should I Do?

Any device exhibiting these warning signs should be looked at straight away. The longer you leave malware unchecked, the more damage it can do. Once your device is free from any malicious programs you should take steps to protect yourself against any future attacks. Maintaining an up-to-date antivirus software and using a virtual private network (VPN) when connecting to the internet can be two of the simplest (yet effective) ways to protect your device, accounts and data.

It’s October and officially the beginning of Cyber Security Awareness Month! This annual event is a great reminder that cyber security is a shared responsibility. Every single one of us should be taking precautions to protect ourselves online, from routine software updates, regular data backups, utilising multi-factor authentication and implementing secure passphrases…there’s a multitude of everyday practices that can help you keep your information and accounts safe!

This year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has decided on the theme Have you been hacked? Each week of the month will be dedicated to a specific topic relating to internet safety.

• Week 1 – Have you been hacked?
• Week 2 – Is your email secure?
• Week 3 – How do you act now to stay secure?
• Week 4 – It’s time to take action!

In conjunction with this, the ACSC have also released a number of tools, quizzes and informational materials to better educate the public on the common tactics used by cyber criminals to gain unlawful access to devices and online accounts (ie. phishing, malware, internet scams, etc). These tools can be used to determine how vulnerable you are to a cyber attack, how likely an attack is to occur, what to do in the event of an attack and how you can prevent attacks in the future. These tools are freely available online and are a great resource for businesses, educational institutions and other organisations.

Together, we can stop hackers in their tracks and build a better, cyber-safe world!

You can learn about Cyber Security Awareness Month through the ACSC website:
https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/cyber-security-awareness-month-2022

No matter what business you’re in, effective communication should be one of the fundamental tenets of your organisation. For decades businesses have relied heavily on traditional phone systems to handle all necessary communications between employees and outside parties. Updating your clients, answering your colleagues questions, chasing leads, and even IT support! Everything was just a phone call away…

However, the global shift towards hybrid and remote working has forced many business to adopt alternative business telephony solutions that aren’t reliant on a fixed geographical location. The good news? Technology is rapidly evolving to help businesses adjust to this ‘new normal’. Digital communication and collaboration platforms (like Microsoft Teams) are paving the way, helping businesses connect their employees with important clients, customers, suppliers and partners from anywhere in the world.

Recently, Microsoft Teams has introduced Microsoft Teams Calling, a cloud-based PBX (Private Branch Exchange) solution that integrates phone systems into the existing app. Not only does Teams Calling have the same capabilities of a traditional phone system, but it also includes a range of other features and benefits as well!

Teams Calling is more than just a business telephony solution…it’s a smart business decision!

What is Microsoft Teams Calling?

Microsoft Teams is a communication and file-sharing platform. It offers a variety of tools that create a collaborative and organised digital workspaces for both on-site and remote workers. If you’ve used Teams before, then you know that voice and video calls have been one of the staple features of the app for years. However, Teams Calling expands on the original feature, allowing you to make external calls and not limiting users to only calling individuals within the Teams network.

But how does it work?

Microsoft Teams Calling is a cloud-based PBX solution that replaces or integrates your existing business phone system with an Office 365 Enterprise plan. Users are connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), either through a Microsoft Calling Plan or Direct Routing with a third-party provider. With Teams Calling, your business can enjoy all the same features of a traditional phone system (ie. auto attendants, voicemail, music on hold, call queues and forwarding, etc) on your desk phone, mobile device and even your computer!

Features of Microsoft Teams Calling

Microsoft Teams Calling is an all-in-one solution that combines all the same functionality of a traditional phone system with the easy-to-use Microsoft Office 365 platform. Some of the features supported by Teams Calling include:

• Auto Attendant
• Call Transfer
• Call Queues
• Call Holding and Retrieval
• Call Forwarding and Simultaneous Ringing
• Voicemail with Transcription
• Call History
• Conference Calls
• On-hold Music
• Emergency Calling

5 Benefits of Using Microsoft Teams Calling

1. Unified Business Communications

For organisations that already use Microsoft Office 365 and Teams internally, integrating Teams Calling will allow you to unify all of your important communications into one place. Your personnel already conduct all of their internal communication through Teams, so why not allow them to conduct their external phone calls through the same app? The convenience of having a singular platform that merges your phone system with contacts, calendar, file sharing and email not only improves efficiency, but it also cuts down on administration workloads.

Centralising all of your communication systems into one platform reduces your businesses IT support needs. For instance, all enquiries and troubleshooting pertaining to your phone systems, emails and file sharing can be handled by a single point of contact, instead of having to juggle multiple vendors and IT partners. In addition, the single interface allows your IT administrator(s) easy access, so they can conduct any necessary work quickly and efficiently.

2. Easy to Learn, Easy to Use!

Microsoft Teams Calling is designed to seamlessly integrate cloud telephony into the existing Teams interface, so you don’t have to worry about any compatibility issues! Having a singular communications system also means there’s no need to learn and navigate several different applications when handling business operations. Moreover, if your company personnel already have a familiarity with Microsoft Teams or Windows apps in general, then adopting Teams Calling will be intuitive for most users.

3. Accessibility

Perhaps the most advantageous benefit of Teams Calling is its cloud-based infrastructure. While traditional PBX systems direct calls to a device, Teams Calling directs them to a user. This means that, as long as you’re logged in to your Teams account and have a stable internet connection, you can receive calls from any device…even when you’re outside office premises!

4. Flexible and Scalable

Teams Calling can be fully customised to the requirements of your business. There’s a variety ways you can organise your business calling, including designing it around different departments or specific phone lines. In addition, there’s a number of options that can limit access to specific phone calls. For instance, some teams or individuals may be restricted to internal phone calls only. Furthermore, you may choose to enable domestic calls but block international ones. The scalable nature of Teams Calling means it can easily grow and adapt as your business needs evolve.

5. Cost-Effective

On-premises telephony is equipment heavy, costly to install and maintain. In comparison, cloud-telephony solutions are service based, heavily reducing both hardware and administration costs. Microsoft Calling Plan licences are determined by consumption for external calls. In addition, all implementation is handled by either Microsoft or your third-party provider. In other words, you’ll only pay for what you need!

eStorm offer Teams Calling solutions that are tailored to your specific needs and budget. We guarantee a smooth transition and hassle-free deployment for your business! You can learn more here.