by Felicien | Aug 21, 2019 | Education
Why You Should Choose a Local IT Services Company
Learn about 6 advantages to hiring a local IT services company to support your technology needs, including knowledge of the local economy and proximity when you need support.
Having a technology partner that understands your business, its needs and its priorities is vital. Technological advantages can differentiate your company from the competition, improve efficiency and improve the bottom line.
One oft-overlooked criterion when choosing a technology company is its location. You want a technology partner that is close to your business and can be available when you need support, guidance or advice.
Here are 6 reasons why choosing a local IT company is the right decision.
1. Faster Response Times
When there’s an emergency, you need to make sure your company’s networks, devices, software, data and connections are available, working and uncompromised. While technology allows many IT issues to be handled remotely, in an emergency, you may want or need in-person expertise to address the issues.
Geographical proximity is also an advantage if you’d prefer someone come on-site to provide an expert assessment.
2. Local Personnel on Your Account
Having a local account manager overseeing your account is a tremendous asset. Having an account manager and other lead staff members locally allows for more physical interactions that allow for better working relationships, strategy development and a stronger long-term relationship.
3. Knowledge of Local Business Market and Climate
By choosing a local organization to support your IT, you’re partnering with a fellow member of your local business community. A local IT services provider knows the makeup of businesses in your area, the strengths and challenges of working in your community and the opportunities available due to location. If your business is in an industry that has many companies working in the same geographical area, your local IT support partner will know about the industry standards and expectations. The local IT company also will be aware of the technology infrastructure available, such as access to the Internet and Internet speed. Armed with that knowledge of the local business scene, your MSP can recommend customized solutions that fully leverage the local characteristics in which you do business.
4. Budget Advantages
Having a local It services provider can save you money. For one, you will not incur large travel costs; usually, the clock starts on onsite service time charges as soon as a tech steps out of the building. Having a long-distance MSP means more downtime for your business while waiting for a technician or consultant to arrive.
5. Same Time Zone
Having a local IT company in the same time zone as your company has an advantage. While ideally, you will partner with an MSP that provides 24-hour support, it’s more convenient to have a partner that has more staff working and available during the same work hours your business is operating. That can make a big difference in terms of responsiveness and resolution time.
6. Peace of Mind
A local IT services company makes life easier on so many levels. With a business partner you can contact easily, can respond to your needs faster, understands your local economy and technical infrastructure and is a member of the same community, you will have more peace of mind. A local MSP provides more reliability and availability when you need it most.
Having a local IT services company as your strategic technology partner is a smart choice.
by Felicien | Aug 20, 2019 | Education
Australian Democracy is Protected by New Cyber Security Service
Microsoft has opened up its new Defending Democracy Program to Australian entities in the security and political arena to help protect against cyber attacks.
With the threats of cyber attacks during global elections, it’s a good time to think about how important democracy is to all Australians as well as taking stock of how good the security is when it comes to democratic rights and institutions. In 2018 in the United States, Microsoft launched AccountGuard, a special security service designed to offer additional critical cyber protection to users operating in a political sphere. This service is a key component in their initiative Defending Democracy.
AccountGuard Available to Australian Organisations and Individuals
In March 2019, Microsoft announced that its AccountGuard service was available to eligible individuals and organisations in Australia. In recent times, forces disruptive to democracy have used technology to game political systems. In February, Australians were reminded of this new threat to Australian institutions when the Australian Government revealed that a well-thought-out cyber attack had been launched against the people and systems in Parliament House. It was revealed further that the cyber attack was also directed at major political parties in the Australian Government by the same malicious entity.
Defending Democracy Initiative
Microsoft has developed AccountGuard as a part of a broader response under the Defending Democracy Initiative, a program to defend against growing threats of foreign interference in the country’s democratic processes in Australia and around the world. After the well-publicised allegations of foreign-sponsored interference in the United States 2016 Presidential elections, multiple additional reports have presented other attempts by nations, individuals and entities to damage, attack, and undermine the critical democratic infrastructure and institutions.
The Australian Government has responded by offering the AccountGuard service at no cost to political parties and candidates who use Microsoft Office 365. AccountGuard provides notifications about any cyber threats which include attacks by known foreign nations, personal accounts of the political organisations’ staff and leaders, and across email systems used by eligible organisations.
Microsoft AccountGuard is now available to all political candidates, campaign offices, and parties which operate on a state or national level. It is also being made available for eligible Think Tanks and other associated entities. If you or your organisation is eligible to install Microsoft AccountGuard, you can go to https://www.microsoft.com/accountguard to ask for an invitation to learn more or enroll. Australia now joins the United States, India, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and 12 more European countries in having access to this security service.
From Microsoft, “while AccountGuard does not replace existing security solutions and best practice, it is a useful tool in political parties’ kitbags to protect them and their candidates from unwanted interference.”
From Microsoft’s Website
Microsoft AccountGuard is a new security service offered at no additional cost to customers in the political space. The service is designed to help these highly targeted customers protect themselves from cybersecurity threats.
Specifically, the service provides:
Best practices and security guidance specific to those in the political space.
Access to cybersecurity webinars and workshops.
Notification in the event of a verifiable threat or compromise by a known nation-state actor against the participant’s O365 account.
Notification to both the organisation and, where possible, the impacted individual if a registered Hotmail.com or Outlook.com account associated with the organisation is verifiably threatened or compromised by a known nation-state actor.
Recommendations to the participating organisation for remediation, if a compromise is confirmed.
A direct line to Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program team.
by Felicien | Aug 20, 2019 | Education
As of January 14th, 2020, Microsoft will be ending all support for their hugely popular Windows 7 operating system, which has technology professionals strongly recommending businesses upgrade to Windows 10 in response.
This brief video on the subject discusses what the end of Windows 7 support means for users and the risks that come with choosing not to upgrade before January 2020.
If you have questions or want to find out how we can assist you with upgrading smoothly to Windows 10, give us a call at {phone} or email us at {email}.
by Felicien | Aug 20, 2019 | Education
Recently, news broke about the latest large-scale data breach to hit a major organization. Capital One Bank has announced that millions of customers across the US and Canada have had their personal information compromised in one of the biggest breaches to ever happen to a financial services company.
This brief video courtesy of News24 discusses the scope of the incident, the kinds of information impacted, and tips to help protect you from scams that target you directly.
If you have any questions, give us a call at {phone} or email us at {email}.
by Felicien | Aug 16, 2019 | Education
Depending on the scope of the attack, the cost of getting hacked can be in the hundreds of thousands or more. Here’s what you need to know.
When it comes to cyberattacks, all too often the bad guys win. Hackers have targeted local governments, airports, banks, and businesses, stealing usernames, passwords, and sensitive private data. While they may sell this information on the black market, they often hold it for ransom. With no other way to retrieve the stolen data, victims are forced to buy back their belongings while the thief vanishes into anonymity. Here is a look into the true price of getting hacked and what you can do to protect yourself.
Lake City, Florida mayor Stephen Witt announced that the city would pay hackers $460,000 to recover stolen data. The thieves seized control of major email servers, bringing the city’s operations to a grinding halt. Witt claimed that cyber insurance would cover all but $10,000 of the ransom, though it’s uncertain whether the city met the policy’s criteria for protection.
Ransomware: An Alarming Trend
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and victims are paying exorbitant sums to regain their data. Three attacks occurred in April 2019 alone, hitting Tallahassee, Augusta, and the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The ransomware forced operations to close, with the Tallahassee attack costing the city nearly a half-million. Hackers frequently target municipalities and government organizations knowing the high value of the stolen data and its importance in operations. In many cases, the data isn’t exactly stolen, but encrypted to prevent access. After the ransom is paid, the hackers unlock the data, or so they promise.
Research conducted by SentinelOne found that only 26% of U.S. companies that fell victim to ransomware and paid the ransom were able to access their files. And even if the hackers honor their end of the deal, they may attack again. In fact, organizations that ponied up the cash were hit again 73% of the time. What’s worse is that some cybersecurity providers are in cahoots with hackers, splitting the ransom between them.
MSPs at Risk
Managed service providers (MSPs) are often the strongest line of defense against hackers. Unfortunately, hackers know this and have started to attack the software and systems that MSPs use to protect customer data. By infecting these systems with malware, hackers can access account credentials and use them to log in to customer accounts. They can then obtain bank accounts, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, and other private data.
How Can MSPs Fight Back?
As hackers become more adept, MSPs need to step up their game. Frequent testing of defense systems, backup and recovery plans, and other cybersecurity measures is a must. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a framework to mitigate cybersecurity risk to assist MSPs in keeping hackers at bay.
As is the case in medicine, prevention is the best cure for cyberattacks. Cities, corporations, and businesses must work together with MSPs to reduce their likelihood of being targeted and have multiple plans in place if a breach occurs. By staying proactive, the good guys can make it difficult for hackers to get what they want.
by Felicien | Aug 16, 2019 | Education
Small Business Tech Security
Small businesses need to take cyber security seriously, preventing lapses or weak points that could lead to major data breaches or attacks.
Modern technology is rapidly changing the landscape for small businesses. Small companies can now do more and have a far greater reach, but they are also faced with bigger security concerns. What once was a big company issue is now a concern for small businesses as well. Some small businesses get caught into an assumption that security breaches only impact big companies, but hacks, ransoms and malware threaten companies of all sizes.
Small- and medium-sized companies are being attacked at an increasing rate. The average cost of damage from theft, hacking and data loss increased from over $879k to $1mil, according to the Ponemon Institute. This has forced small businesses to spend more each year with a projected spend of $21.2 billion by 2021. Security has become a major small business concern.
Security is a Major Managed Services Offering for Small Business
Tech security is a vital need for small business, but not all companies can afford a full IT department. Small businesses that need additional tech support to cover the various aspects of their company. From firewalls and email to endpoints, top professionals should be keeping your business safe. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated in their approaches, often tricking your employees into clicking on links or opening attachments that help them enter in a back door. Only the best software, updated devices and best practices for your employees will help reduce the risks of a breach. No matter what industry you are in, keeping your data, profiles and customers safe should be a top priority.
The traditional solutions are no longer good enough. In order to protect your business and customers, you will want to outsource tech support. By hiring an IT managed services company, you will have access to top professionals round-the-clock without paying for a full-time team. You want the expertise and niche talents that a full team can offer.
The True Cost of Data Breaches
Remember, your losses will go beyond the cost of recovery. You will have downtime that could cause major disruptions in your business and will impact how your customers trust your company. You could face governmental fines or settlements to cover customer loss. Your business could face investigations, digital forensics sweeps and more that would hinder work and become a huge time drag for you. Most businesses (60%) fail within 6 months of a data breach because the cost is too much to handle.
Strengthening Preventative Security Practices
A preventative approach to cyber security will be more valuable than just a response (though you want a response plan as well). Part of preventing those breaches is going to be in proper training for your employees. An estimated 54% of data breaches are the result of negligence on the part of an employee or contractor, according to a Ponemon study. Starting with good training and best practices will help reduce breaches due to error. A tech company should make necessary updates to your equipment and software to ensure you are protected against malware and virus attacks as much as possible. Backups should also be in place in case of a system breach, protecting you against lost data.
Stay Honest About Your Weaknesses
The right IT team will audit your company to find weak points and make reasonable suggestions for change. Having those honest conversations with your customers about potential risks can help protect both you and them. Being straightforward will help increase the trust and improve how customers treat their own data and account security. No matter what industry you operate in, your customers are going to hold you responsible when it comes to their security and data protection. By staying open about cyber concerns, you are more likely to take them seriously and get them ironed out. Trying to cover security concerns will only lead to bigger problems.
Get a tech team that works for you and knows your industry. If you need help with IT support or security, you can contact us for more information. We offer IT managed services that will help guard your company and prevent disaster.
