Coronavirus/COVID-19 Free Resources
An example email sent to us recently by someone, ending with a request for a sales meeting.
Disappointingly, our industry has seen the current situation as a big sales opportunity. Sales pitches, top 10 lists of things you and conveniently we do, and scary emails like above. We wanted to share some advice / free solutions that can hopefully keep people from getting taken advantage of. We’ll continue to update this article as more options become available. We get nothing from you utilizing these links, they all go directly to the software/provider’s websites. We are just trying to provide some useful information!
You probably do not have to buy more VPN licenses (unless you’re a much larger company).
I just heard from a friend, their remote access is hobbled while they wait for approval paperwork on more licenses. Many vendors are providing free increases of licenses during the crisis, such as Cisco. They’re also extending licensing for Duo, a very popular multifactor software.
Free antivirus for healthcare companies
I have not been sharing these because typically there are too many gotchas, but Bitdefender is a very high end product. 12 month free subscription for healthcare: https://www.bitdefender.com/business/help-healthcare-fight-coronavirus.html
You may not need to buy video conferencing or other collaboration software
Microsoft is offering a limited version of Teams that is excellent for internal communication. Cisco again has been great, offering a free version of GoToMeeting with extended capabilities. Zoom is offering a free license that allows up to 100 people, plus full audio and video here. One big feature missing from these is an audio dial in number, but most of your users can download the app onto their phones and it won’t be needed.
Update 3/23: Zoom appears to no longer include dial in numbers with the free subscription. The mobile app is still free if needed. If you need a dial in number and are using Office 365, there is a license called ‘Audio Conferencing’ that adds a dial in number for $4/month. This license is per user, so it will only add dial in numbers to that person’s invites.
Free Office 365 E1 Trial for six months
Microsoft is offering a six month trial now. There is no commitment. This is a more limited license but includes email, online version of Office (including Outlook), Teams for chat/meetings and 1tb of storage per user. More info here. OneDrive is a great alternative to something like DropBox, and you get a significantly greater amount of storage.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is offering up to 50 free virtual/cloud desktops through the end of June
Although it takes some setup, this could be great for certain companies. https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/desktop-and-application-streaming/new-offers-to-enable-work-from-home-from-amazon-workspaces-and-amazon-workdocs/
Are you a business of one that needs to remotely access a computer or two at the office?
Connectwise Control is the tool many consultants use for remote access, and they offer a free version that lets one person access up to 3 computers here: https://docs.connectwise.com/ConnectWise_Control_Documentation/Get_started/ConnectWise_Control_Free
Solarwinds is offering 35 licenses of their IT support tool, which also allows users to remotely access their computers, for a 60 day free trial. No credit card required! https://www.solarwindsmsp.com/products/take-control/trial
VPN may be a fine way to access the network. Home computers are not the end of the world either.
Another recent ad I saw was “The Dangers of Using a VPN on a Home Computer”, unsurprisingly it was attempting to sell remote access software (many of which have had their own breaches).
Many large companies provide remote access from home for certain situations, typically using something like Citrix or another generic portal software. A properly setup and secured VPN is actually a great remote access solution. Like any other piece of technology, it can also be setup poorly. We’ve seen a lot of companies using this as an opportunity to push their costly remote access software. Don’t automatically fall for this trap, instead make sure whatever tech you’re using is secured properly. Ask questions about how each piece is a risk, and how it can properly be secured (if at all). Which leads us to…
Don’t stop taking security seriously during this time
The hackers were already sitting at home practicing social distancing. Keep using secure passwords, updating your systems, and deploy multifactor wherever possible. Same as when dealing with sales people saying “Trust me” and #trustedpartner: do your research, ask the right questions, and don’t make rash decisions, especially in a time of crisis.
And don’t forget to wash your hands!