October 11, 2023

Busting Four Popular Cybersecurity Myths

Busting Four Popular Cybersecurity Myths

As the business world becomes increasingly digitized, you’ll have to tackle several dangers that come with doing business online. Cybercriminals nowadays have several methods to target organizations, from credential hacks to sophisticated ransomware attacks.

This is why it’s critical to think about measures to protect your organization in every possible way. If you are unfamiliar with technology and the cyberthreat landscape, it might be hard to know the best strategy to protect your organization. With so much noise about cybersecurity out there, it can be challenging to distinguish between myth and fact.

Understanding current and evolving technology risks, as well as the truths behind them, is critical for providing a secure direction for your business. This blog can help you with that, and after reading it, you’ll have a better idea of the threat landscape and how to protect your business against it.

Cybersecurity myths debunked

Busting the top cybersecurity myths is essential to keep your business safe:

Myth #1: Cybersecurity is just one solution

There are many different aspects to cybersecurity and they’re all crucial in keeping your business safe. A robust cybersecurity posture includes employee security awareness training, physical security measures and a web of defenses for your network and devices. You can create a solid cybersecurity strategy for your business by considering all these measures.

Myth #2: Only large businesses become the victims of cyberattacks

If you fall for this myth, it could severely damage your organization. The truth is that small businesses are targeted more frequently by cybercriminals since their network can easily be compromised and they are less likely to recover from an attack unless they pay a ransom.

Myth #3: Antivirus software is enough protection

Nothing could be further from the truth. Antivirus software doesn’t provide comprehensive protection from all the threats that can exploit your vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity is about much more than just antivirus software. It’s about being aware of potential dangers, taking the necessary precautions and deploying all the appropriate solutions to protect yourself.

Myth #4: I’m not responsible for cybersecurity

Many businesses and their employees believe that their IT department or IT service provider is solely responsible for protecting them against cyberthreats. While the IT service department/IT service provider bears significant responsibility for cybersecurity, hackers can target employees because they are usually the weakest link. It’s your responsibility as a business leader to provide regular security awareness training and your employees’ responsibility to practice good cyber hygiene.

An IT service provider can help

Cybersecurity myths like the ones you learned above can lull businesses into a false sense of security, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. This is where an IT service provider, like us, can help. We can help you separate fact from myth and make sure your business is as secure as possible.

We have the experience and expertise to handle matters such as cybersecurity, backup, compliance and much more for our customers. We’re always up to date on the latest security landscape and provide you with the tools and guidance you need to stay safe. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you secure your business.

October 11, 2023

Why Passwords are Your Business’s Weakest Point

Why Passwords are Your Business’s Weakest Point

In today’s digital world, safeguarding your organization’s online assets is critical. Unfortunately, poor password hygiene practices by some employees cause problems for many small businesses, leaving them vulnerable to hackers.

Cybercriminals are constantly trying to find new ways to break into business systems. Sadly, too often, they succeed thanks to weak passwords. In fact, nearly 50% of cyberattacks last year involved weak or stolen passwords.* This calls for small businesses like yours to step up and take password security seriously and implement strong password policies.

Fortunately, there are a few best practices that you can follow to protect your business. Before we get into those, here are the top 10 most common passwords available on the dark web that you should avoid at all costs:

1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. Qwerty
4. Password
5. 12345
6. 12345678
7. 111111
8. 1234567
9. 123123
10. Qwerty123

Password best practices

When your team is aware of password best practices, they can significantly ramp up your cybersecurity.

Use a password manager

One of the most important things to keep your passwords safe is to use a password manager. A password manager helps you create and store strong passwords for all your online accounts. Password managers can also help you keep track of your passwords and ensure they are unique for each account.

Implement single sign-on (SSO)

Single sign-on is a popular password solution that allows users to access multiple applications with one set of credentials. This means that you only need to remember one password to access all your online accounts.

While SSO is a convenient solution, remember that all your accounts are only as secure as your SSO password. So, if you’re using SSO, make a strong, unique password that you don’t use for anything else.

Avoid reusing passwords on multiple accounts

If a hacker gains access to one of your accounts, they will try to use that same password to access your other accounts. By having different passwords for different accounts, you can limit the damage that a hacker can cause.

However, avoid jotting down your passwords on a piece of paper and instead depend on a safe solution like using a reliable password manager.

Make use of two-factor authentication (2FA)

One of the best ways to protect your online accounts is to use two-factor authentication (2FA). In addition to your password, 2FA requires you to enter a code from your phone or another device. Even if someone knows your password, this method makes it much more difficult for them to hack into your account.

While 2FA is not perfect, it is a robust security measure that can assist in the protection of your online accounts. We recommend that you begin using 2FA if you haven’t already. If you use 2FA, make sure each account has a strong and unique code.

Don’t use the information available on your social media

Many people use social media to connect with friends and family, stay up to date on current events or share their thoughts and experiences with others. However, social media can also be a source of valuable personal information for criminals.

When creating passwords, you must avoid using information easily obtainable on your social media accounts. This includes your name, birth date and other details that could be used to guess your password. By taking this precaution, you can help keep your accounts safe and secure.

An IT service provider can help you

As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, you may not be able to devote sufficient time and effort to combat them. As an IT service provider, we can ensure your team creates strong passwords, stores them securely and changes them on a regular basis.

Schedule a no-obligation consultation with us today to learn more about how we can help protect you from poor password hygiene.

September 19, 2023

A Deep Dive Into Phishing Scams

A Deep Dive Into Phishing Scams

Phishing scams remain one of the most prevalent and successful types of cyberattacks today, so being aware of the danger they pose to businesses like yours is extremely crucial. Your business could easily be the next victim if you don’t clearly understand how threat actors leverage phishing emails.

In this blog, you’ll learn the intent behind phishing emails, the various types of phishing attacks, and most importantly, how you can secure your email and business.

The Goal Behind Phishing Emails

Cybercriminals use phishing emails to lure unsuspecting victims into taking actions that will affect business operations, such as sending money, sharing passwords, downloading malware or revealing sensitive data. The primary intent behind a phishing attack is to steal your money, data or both.

Financial theft — The most common aim of a phishing attempt is to steal your money. Scammers use various tactics, such as business email compromise (BEC), to carry out fraudulent fund transfers or ransomware attacks to extort money.

Data theft — For cybercriminals, your data, such as usernames and passwords, identity information (e.g., social security numbers) and financial data (e.g., credit card numbers or bank account information), is as good as gold. They can use your login credentials to commit financial thefts or inject malware. Your sensitive data can also be sold on the dark web for profit.

Be vigilant and look out for these phishing attempts: 

• If an email asks you to click on a link, be wary. Scammers send out phishing emails with links containing malicious software that can steal your data and personal information.
• If an email directs you to a website, be cautious. It could be a malicious website that can steal your personal information, such as your login credentials. 
• If an email contains an attachment, be alert. Malicious extensions disguised to look like a document, invoice or voicemail can infect your computer and steal your personal information.
• If an email tries to rush you into taking an urgent action, such as transferring funds, be suspicious. Try to verify the authenticity of the request before taking any action.

Different Types of Phishing

It’s important to note that phishing attacks are constantly evolving and can target businesses of all sizes. While phishing emails are a common method used by cybercriminals, they also use texts, voice calls and social media messaging.    

Here are the different kinds of phishing traps that you should watch out for:

Spear phishing — Scammers send highly personalized emails targeting individuals or businesses to convince them to share sensitive information such as login credentials or credit card information. Spear phishing emails are also used for spreading infected malware.

Whaling — A type of spear phishing, whale phishing or whaling is a scam targeting high-level executives where the perpetrators impersonate trusted sources or websites to steal information or money.

Smishing — An increasingly popular form of cyberattack, smishing uses text messages claiming to be from trusted sources to convince victims to share sensitive information or send money.

Vishing — Cybercriminals use vishing or voice phishing to call victims while impersonating somebody from the IRS, a bank or the victim’s office, to name a few. The primary intent of voice phishing is to convince the victim to share sensitive personal information.

Business email compromise (BEC) — A BEC is a spear phishing attack that uses a seemingly legitimate email address to trick the recipient, who is often a senior-level executive. The most common aim of a BEC scam is to convince an employee to send money to the cybercriminal while making them believe they are performing a legitimate, authorized business transaction.

Angler phishing — Also known as social media phishing, this type of scam primarily targets social media users. Cybercriminals with fake customer service accounts trick disgruntled customers into revealing their sensitive information, including bank details. Scammers often target financial institutions and e-commerce businesses.

Brand impersonation — Also known as brand spoofing, brand impersonation is a type of phishing scam carried out using emails, texts, voice calls and social media messages. Cybercriminals impersonate a popular business to trick its customers into revealing sensitive information. While brand impersonation is targeted mainly at the customers, the incident can tarnish the brand image.

Bolster Your Email Security

Emails are crucial for the success of your business. However, implementing email best practices and safety standards on your own can be challenging. That’s why you should consider partnering with an IT service provider like us. We have the resources and tools to protect your business from cyberattacks, helping you to focus on critical tasks without any worry. Contact us now!

September 11, 2023

The Dangers of Running Outdated Software

The Dangers of Running Outdated Software

Your software is only as good as its last patch. Reaching End of Life (EoL) or End of Service (EoS) means critical patches and updates are no longer available, leaving you vulnerable to various problems.

Some make the mistake of not rushing to upgrade the software because it is still functional. However, outdated software can lead to security risks, data loss, compliance issues and more.

In this blog, we will discuss the primary implications of running outdated software and explain why it’s crucial to take action when your software reaches EoL or EoS.

Implications of using outdated software

The implications of running outdated software can be divided into three categories:

Security implications
Using outdated software can have severe security implications, such as:

• You no longer receive security patches from the vendor, leaving your system vulnerable to known exploits. 
• Threat actors may have already reverse-engineered the software and developed exploit code, making it easier for them to compromise your system. 
• Running outdated software may cause compatibility issues with other software and hardware, leading to data loss or corruption. 
• Using outdated software may violate your organization’s security policies, hindering a secure future and operational excellence.

Privacy implications
Privacy implications of using outdated software can be severe. If the software is no longer supported by its vendor and contains sensitive information, you could be at risk of receiving a data privacy fine. 

For example, in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is taking action against Chegg Inc. for failing to patch vulnerabilities that exposed sensitive information about millions of its customers and employees, such as Social Security numbers, email addresses and passwords. Chegg allegedly couldn’t address problems despite four security breaches over a five-year period. 

According to the FTC’s proposed order, the company must immediately address vulnerabilities and take additional steps, such as limiting the amount of data it can collect and retain, providing users with multifactor authentication to secure their accounts, and allowing users to access and delete their data.*

Productivity implications
Outdated software can have severe productivity implications for a business. For example, if the software runs slowly, crashes frequently or is otherwise difficult to use, it can frustrate employees and disrupt workflows. This can, in turn, lead to a poor customer experience, damaging a company’s reputation and bottom line. Therefore, it is important to keep software up to date to avoid these problems.

Collaborate for success

You’ve already taken the first step toward securing your company by recognizing the dangers of using outdated software. However, mitigating the above implications may be a heavy lift for you since you’ll have to set aside extra time and effort while running an organization. Partnering with an IT service provider like us can ease your worry.

To protect your business, we can help you identify outdated software and hardware. We can keep you up to date on the latest security threats and how to mitigate them. We can also update your systems to the latest versions to ensure the best possible protection. For a consultation, feel free to contact us.

Source:
www.ftc.gov

August 22, 2023

Why Your Business Needs to Beef Up Employee Security Awareness

Why Your Business Needs to Beef Up Employee Security Awareness

We live in an era where organizations are increasingly aware of the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. Despite billions of dollars invested worldwide to fend off cyberthreats, cybercriminals still manage to penetrate even the strongest security defenses. 

They relentlessly exploit vulnerabilities with one primary target in mind — employees. Cybercriminals perceive employees as the weakest link in an organization’s cybersecurity perimeter. However, you can address and shore up this vulnerability through proper training.

Strengthening employee security awareness is paramount in safeguarding your business. In this blog, we’ll look at why employees are prime targets for cybercriminals and explore the critical significance of enhancing their security awareness. By recognizing vulnerabilities, we can proactively mitigate risks and empower your workforce to actively defend against cyberattacks.

The vulnerabilities within

Is your organization dealing with any of the following?

Lack of awareness
One of the key reasons employees fall prey to cybercriminals is their limited knowledge of common cybersecurity threats, techniques and best practices. Cybercriminals can launch phishing attacks, malware infections and social engineering ploys by exploiting this knowledge gap among your employees.

Privileged access
Employees often hold privileged access to critical systems, sensitive data or administrative privileges that cybercriminals crave. By compromising your employees’ accounts, cybercriminals can gain unauthorized access to valuable assets, wreaking havoc within your organization.

Social engineering tactics
Cybercriminals are masters of manipulation, leveraging social engineering tactics to deceive employees into disclosing sensitive information, sharing login credentials or unwittingly compromising security measures. These tactics can exploit human emotions, trust and curiosity, making your employees unintentional accomplices in cybercrime.

Bring your own device (BYOD) trend
The rising trend of BYOD can expose your organization to additional risks. Employees accessing business information and systems from personal devices that often lack the robust security controls of company-issued devices create vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit.

Remote/hybrid work challenges
The shift towards remote and hybrid work arrangements introduces new security challenges for businesses like yours. Unsecured home networks, shared devices and distractions can divert employee focus from cybersecurity best practices, increasing their susceptibility to attacks.

Best practices for developing an engaging employee security training program

To fortify your organization’s security, implement an engaging employee security training program using these best practices:

Assess cybersecurity needs
Understand the specific cybersecurity risks and requirements your organization faces. Identify areas where employees may be particularly vulnerable.

Define clear objectives
Set concrete goals for your training program, outlining the desired outcomes and essential skills employees should acquire.

Develop engaging content
Create interactive and easily digestible training materials for your employees. Use real-life examples and scenarios to make the content relatable and memorable.

Tailor targeted content
Customize the training to address your organization’s unique challenges and risks. Make it relevant to employees’ roles and responsibilities.

Deliver consistent, continuous training
Establish a regular training schedule to reinforce cybersecurity awareness and foster a culture of ongoing learning. Keep your employees up to date with the latest threats and preventive measures.

Measure effectiveness and gather feedback
Continuously evaluate your training program’s effectiveness through assessments and feedback mechanisms. Use the data to refine and improve the program.

Foster a cybersecurity culture
Encourage employees to take an active role in cybersecurity by promoting open communication, incident reporting and shared responsibility for protecting company assets.

Collaborate for success

Ready to empower your employees as cybercrime fighters? Contact us today and let’s create a robust security awareness training program that engages your team and strengthens your organization’s defenses against evolving cyberthreats.

Investing in employee security awareness can transform your workforce into a formidable line of defense, safeguarding your business from cybercriminals and ensuring a more resilient future.

August 22, 2023

8 Elements of a Business Impact Analysis for Compliance

8 Elements of a Business Impact Analysis for Compliance

A compliance program helps businesses like yours minimize risk and increase business efficiencies. It also ensures that your business complies with relevant laws and industry regulations. 

An essential element of an effective compliance program is Business Impact Analysis (BIA). It measures the impact of a disruption (due to an accident, disaster, etc.) on critical business operations. 

You must conduct a BIA to:

1. Identify gaps in the existing compliance agreements (whether regulatory like HIPAA, GDPR or CMMC).
2. Ensure compliance with cyber liability insurance policies and other IT compliance policies unique to your organization, industry, geography, etc.

Conducting a BIA for compliance

There is no fixed method for conducting a BIA. It varies from one business to the next. However, to achieve compliance, a BIA must:

1. Identify critical processes and functions.
2. Draft a roadmap for business recovery.
3. Find out resource interdependencies.
4. Track the flow of sensitive data.
5. Determine the impact of an incident on operations.
6. Sort processes and functions based on their necessity for business continuity.
7. Establish recovery time requirements.
8. Evaluate the impact a disruption will have on compliance.

To get started, you can ask challenging questions, such as:

1.   What steps do you need to take immediately to become compliant?

This question helps detect the compliance gaps that need urgent attention. A few common compliance gaps you may encounter are:

• Improper firewall management.
• Lack of documentation of sensitive data flow.
• Poor incident prevention practices.
• Failure to document preventative measures.

2. Do you have a data governance strategy in place that considers compliance requirements relevant to your organization?

An effective data governance strategy ensures that data gets managed well, making data management compliant with internal and external regulations. 

3. How long will it take to bridge known compliance gaps?

It is essential to fill compliance gaps as quickly as you can. If it’s going to take too long, you should consider outsourcing your compliance matters to an experienced IT service provider like us.

4. Do you have in-house expertise?

If you have a compliance specialist employed at your business, they can manage the compliance gaps efficiently. 

5. Even if you have in-house expertise, can the work be completed within an acceptable timeframe?

Having in-house expertise won’t be helpful if filling the compliance gaps takes too long. The longer the issues remain unresolved, the more opportunity there is for vulnerabilities to result in data exposure and data loss incidents and could attract regulatory fines. 

6. Does it make sense to have a partner to accomplish your compliance goals?

Sometimes, having a partner who can effectively manage your compliance-related issues will be more convenient for your business. With the help of a partner, you can address vulnerabilities much faster and reduce the likelihood of your organization suffering non-compliance-related fines.

In addition to conducting or refreshing your BIA at least once a year, you must ensure that regular risk assessments are part of your non-compliance hunting strategy. Using BIA and risk assessments ensures that nothing inadvertently falls out of compliance.

Regular risk assessments help detect, estimate and prioritize risks to an organization’s individuals, assets and operations. While a risk assessment lets you know your business’s risks, a BIA helps you understand how to quickly get your business back on track after an incident to avoid severe damages.

Implement an effective compliance program

Achieving and maintaining compliance on your own can be challenging, especially if you don’t have the resources and expertise to keep up with changes in compliance frameworks. This can lead to inefficient processes and increased risk. By partnering with an experienced IT service provider like us, you can effortlessly enhance your compliance program without spending a fortune. Contact us now to schedule a no-obligation consultation to see if we’re the right partner for your business.

August 10, 2023

Does Your Business Need Co-Managed IT?

Does Your Business Need Co-Managed IT?

When it comes to managing your business’s IT infrastructure, there are several options available. One is fully managed IT, where an IT service provider takes care of all aspects of your IT needs, from monitoring and maintenance to troubleshooting and problem resolution. Another option is co-managed IT.

Co-managed IT provides supplemental support to your internal IT department. It isn’t meant to replace your in-house IT staff but rather augment their efforts and fill in the gaps. A co-managed IT service provider can help your internal IT team with monitoring, maintenance and troubleshooting so that they can focus on more important projects without worrying about missing a critical patch or incident alert.

In this blog, we’ll explain how co-managed IT can benefit your business and highlight a few signs that might indicate your business needs it.

Why your business might need co-managed IT

A few signs might indicate that your business needs co-managed IT:

Overwhelmed in-house IT staff

Your internal IT team is the backbone of your organization and plays a crucial role in the smooth running of your business. However, if you notice your IT staff is constantly overworked and needs help keeping up with the constant demands of your organization, then co-managed IT services may be just what you need. Co-managed IT will help alleviate the pressure on your internal IT team and enable them to focus on more critical tasks. Extensive downtime and disruptions

Downtime and disruptions can be costly for any business and can cause great stress for your internal IT team. If your organization experiences a lot of downtime and interruptions, then your internal IT team may need a helping hand to cope.

An IT service provider can help by monitoring your systems and proactively identifying and addressing potential issues. This will help your IT team and save your business from the adverse effects of extended downtime and disruptions.

Missed project deadlines

Your internal IT team is vital to completing your organization’s projects. If your IT team consistently misses project deadlines, it might be a sign that they need additional support.

Partnering with an IT service provider can help your internal IT team stay on track by providing the necessary resources and tools. This will help your IT team complete projects on time and help your organization achieve its business objectives.

Lack of adequate tools and resources

Your internal IT team plays a vital role in keeping your organization’s IT systems running smoothly. If your internal IT team is struggling without adequate tools and resources, consider co-managed IT.

An IT service provider can provide your internal IT team with the tools and resources they need to be more effective. This will allow your IT team to work more efficiently, enabling your organization to run smoothly.

An IT service provider can help

As an experienced IT service provider, we understand the importance of a reliable and efficient IT infrastructure for businesses. We offer various services, including fully managed and co-managed IT, to help organizations like yours reduce downtime, improve internal IT processes and drive growth.

If you need clarification on whether co-managed IT is the right fit for your business, we’re here to help. We’ll work with you to understand how it can benefit your organization. We offer tools and resources to help your internal IT team become more effective, and our team is dedicated to providing the support you need to succeed.

July 25, 2023

What’s the Difference Between IT Support and IT Helpdesk?

What’s the Difference Between IT Support and IT Helpdesk?

If you hear the terms “IT helpdesk” and “IT support” you might think these terms are interchangeable. That makes sense as, they are frequently used as synonyms of each other. However, in the world of technology support there are some crucial differences between the two.

Understanding the difference between support and helpdesks can ensure that you get assistance you need to minimize costly downtime if your technology goes awry. We’ve covered everything you need to know about the differences between these two services so you can stay on top of your IT needs.

IT Helpdesk and Support: Are They the Same?

The short answer is no, IT support and IT helpdesks (sometimes known as service desks) are not the same thing. While they do share similarities and have some overlapping functions, support and helpdesks are differentiated by the depth of expertise they’re able to provide.

A helpdesk is designed to respond to service tickets that resolve everyday customer issues with a technology product or service. Helpdesks are usually the first point of contact when a client or customer experiences a problem.

IT support (or tech support) goes deeper into issues that require more time and expertise. There can be overlap between helpdesk and support teams but IT support professionals require more training and experience to handle the demands of their job.

Understanding Helpdesk and Support Team Roles

The objectives and problem-solving perspective of support professionals and helpdesk professionals are where differences come to the fore. Helpdesk professionals take a person-centered approach while service professionals are focused on fixing problems with technical solutions.

Helpdesk professionals need a technical background in addition to large doses of people skills and empathy. As the first line of support, they often deal with frustrated clients who lack the technical knowledge to operate a product or service. Their role is to remain calm and offer general solutions related to the client’s issue. They might not have deep technical expertise, but they do need a wide understanding of the products and services their company offers.

In contrast, support professionals listen to the client to understand the technical issue. They either provide careful and detailed instructions that will fix the issue, or they fix it themselves as the situation permits. Support pros also have a wide knowledge of their company’s offerings but they also understand the ins-and-outs of the hardware and software to troubleshoot and repair more difficult problems quickly.

Types of Helpdesks                        

Helpdesks themselves can be organized in different ways or deliver their services via different platforms. The most common types of helpdesks are centralized, decentralized, virtual, and specialist helpdesks.

• A centralized helpdesk relies on a single individual or team to make the final decisions about when and how tasks are completed and what the goals of each task should be.
• A decentralized helpdesk is organized into different sub departments or teams that make their own decisions regarding the tasks they encounter on the job. Typically each department has a focus like customer complaints, employee issues, etc.
• Virtual helpdesks provide remote helpdesk services through a digital interface. This eliminates the need for onsite helpdesk staff while still providing robust and responsive IT assistance
• A specialist helpdesk is manned by subject matter experts who have in-depth training on a specific product or service their company offers.

Helpdesks regardless of type of often organized in a hierarchy, or tiered support model that is designed to funnel customer needs into the appropriate category so they can get the help they need fast. The tiered model categorizes requests based on their complexity to get to the root of the problem fast.  

IT Specialist vs. IT Support: Understanding the Differences

Now that we’ve covered the nuances of professionals who man the helpdesk, it’s time to cover some of the differences you might encounter within the world of IT Support. An IT specialist and an IT support professional both have deep knowledge of the more technical aspects of the job but they have different sets of focus and responsibilities.

An IT Specialist has expertise in a specific area of IT, like network administration, database management, or cybersecurity. Their primary responsibility is to create and execute specific IT systems within their area of specialization. They use their in-depth knowledge and advanced skills to handle complex tasks and resolve issues related to their expertise. Typically, an IT specialist spends more of their time handling projects and less time handling people.

An IT Support professionals have broad knowledge across multiple areas of IT and use their expertise to manage day-to-day inquiries from customers and clients. In their role, they troubleshoot hardware or software problems to keep operations running smoothly. These IT pros have more direct engagement with the people who use technology and leverage their prodigious IT experience to help them with complex technical tasks.

Deciding Which Option is Right for You

The size and nature of your business determines whether you need a helpdesk, IT support, or both. If you’re a smaller company and generally deal with a lot of easily-resolved computer issues then a helpdesk might be the best option for you. In contrast, if your business is larger and finds itself in need to more sophisticated IT systems and support then IT support is the way to go.

In general, most people find that their needs are met with a happy medium between the two. Outsourcing your IT needs to a dedicated consulting firm provides you with the service you need at a cost you can afford. When you outsource your information technology needs, you’ll have access to everything from day-to-day troubleshooting support to cybersecurity systems that will save you time and money.

If you’re looking for a solution to your IT needs, GUT consulting can help. We bring over a decade of leadership, strategic planning, and implementation experience to keep your organization functioning properly. We create and implement proactive ideas designed to increase your profits and keep your business running smoothly. Contact us to learn more about how we can be your partner in success.

July 13, 2023

The Power of Technology: Why You Need Managed IT Services

The Power of Technology: Why You Need Managed IT Services

You rely on technology to operate your business efficiently. But for many individuals and businesses, keeping up with that technology can quickly become overwhelming.

Managed IT services provide a smart solution. By moving the day-to-day management of your technology to a team of third-party experts, you can reduce costs, improve the efficiency of your systems, and free yourself and your internal team to focus on building the business.

What Are Managed IT Services and Why Do You Need Them?

Managed IT services are vendors hired to support their customers’ core technology, typically for a flat annual or monthly fee. They offer 24/7/365 proactive support that encompasses everything from basic computer system management and user support to overseeing data centers, cloud computing and digital disaster planning.

Business IT needs are complex and ever-changing, often integrating multiple systems used by multiple employees.

Hiring a specialist onto a team can be challenging, especially if you don’t speak the language of IT. The more technology your business uses, the more hands you need to help it run smoothly. For most small- and medium-sized businesses, it’s more cost-effective to hire a managed service than to employ a whole IT department.

Managed IT services offers specialists that understand the IT industry, from its history to its most recent advances, and who are easily accessible remotely whenever you need them.

The Benefits of Managed IT Services

A managed IT service gives you peace of mind that your technology is in the hands of team that understands your needs. Benefits include:

Improved network and system security: Managed IT services set a high bar for security standards and keep sensitive information about your business and your clients safe from leaks and hackers and can manage the complex details of data compliance regulations.

Proactive monitoring and issue resolution: Managed IT services are available 24/7 to care for a business network, leading to less downtime caused by equipment issues, power outages, or employee errors.

Access to skilled IT professionals: Managed IT services are experienced problem-solvers and ensure their staffs have the most up-to-date training and certifications.

Cost-effectiveness and predictable budgeting: IT costs are consolidated into one bill at a fixed rate and can help prevent unexpected charges for maintenance and repairs. The business also saves the cost of salaries, benefits, insurance, training, and office space for an in-house staff.

Enhanced data backup and disaster recovery capabilities: Managed IT services can provide cloud backup technology solutions and redundant data centers customized to your business needs.

Flexibility to adapt to growth: Managed IT services provide the manpower, coordination and expertise to scale your network on your schedule and offer recommendations about the best way to do it.

How Can Managed IT Services Help Your Business?

Moving to a managed IT service allows you to better focus on running your business and growing your bottom line, including:

• Increased productivity and reduced downtime as your network and systems run more efficiently.
• The time and energy to focus on core business activities.
• Continual efforts to mitigate security risks and compliance challenges by trained specialists.
• Seamless technology integration and upgrades as your needs change and the technology you use advances.
• Strategic IT planning and consulting for the future.

Why is Managed IT Infrastructure Important?

IT infrastructure is the base that allows your business to operate virtually in the cloud and is critical technology in today’s market.

Managed IT services offer the expertise and staffing to keep this foundation running smoothly for your customers and employees, generating higher user satisfaction ratings, repeat customers and increasing profits.

Key Components of IT Managed Services

Managed IT services offer a wide array of services, which you can customize to meet the unique needs of your business. The core services typically included in a managed IT service contract include:

• Network and security monitoring.
• Data backup and recovery.
• Help desk and technical support.
• Software and hardware updates.
• IT asset management.

The Difference Between IT Services and Managed IT Services

Unlike traditional IT services, experts hired typically for one project or task, managed IT services provide a proactive and holistic approach to managing technology, similar to having a complete IT department on your staff.

Plus, a managed IT service provides one point of contact – someone you build a relationship with – who communicates with the various vendors and providers that offer systems, software and technology services.

Managed IT Services Provide a Partnership

A managed IT service is a smart solution for individuals and businesses that offers peace of mind that your technology is in the hands of an experienced and highly trained team that truly understands your needs.

Under managed systems or poorly trained employees can lead to inefficiencies that affect customer relationships and your bottom line. Because of that, a business needs specialized IT expertise.

Managed IT services offers that expertise in a cost-effective, easy-to-customize package that will keep your business ahead of ever-changing technology.