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Cyberattacks result in many bad things, including data deletion, data theft, data ransom, and even complete downtime.

Cybercrime damage costs are projected to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021. It’s imperative for businesses to lower their risk of these attacks from happening in the first place.

Here’s 4 tips on how to do just that.

1. Keep everything up-to-date

Most modern cyberthreats don’t necessarily have to “brute force” attack their way through your network. Instead, they seek out the weakest point of entry to slip in. In practice, that’s your software and hardware that you’ve been neglecting to update.

Luckily, the people that manage your products are well aware of the current cybersecurity landscape.

There’s almost always a patch to cover up these vulnerabilities quickly. Therefore, simply keeping your IT updated can be enough to thwart would-be attacks.

Related: How an IT Service Provider Solves 3 Business Challenges

2. Get the right software and hardware

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of devices and programs on the market. Choosing equipment with the right security features can make a huge difference in whether you’re actually protected or not.

For example, many small-business owners neglect to choose a router that meets their businesses needs. Home-grade networking equipment often lacks the security features that business-grade equipment has.

Related: Signs That You Need Managed IT Services

Another example? Antivirus. Home-grade antivirus simply isn’t complex enough to catch advanced threats, such as next-gen malware and viruses. On the other hand, business-grade antivirus solutions are much more thorough with their hunt for network infections.

3. Focus on employee knowledge

The simplest and most common ways for cyberattacks to enter your network is through your employees. To the untrained eye, a phishing email or infected attachment seems completely legitimate.

But even a single click can quickly turn from minor nuisance to major issues.

To diminish the chances of these kind of attacks, you must actively train employees on cybersecurity best practices. Keeping them informed on the latest cybersecurity news is critical, too.

Start by establishing regular meetings. They don’t have to be too frequent – once every few months is plenty. These meetings should go over the latest threats (what they look like and how to defend against them). It’s also important to couple training with exceptional email security.

4. Pick better passwords

Cybercriminals know that most people are lazy when it comes to passwords. It’s really hard not to be – people have dozens upon dozens of accounts that each require their own password.

As tempting as it may be to use the same password for everything, consider doing otherwise. If a cybercriminal were to discover the password for one of your accounts, they could access all of your other accounts.

Did you know? For the fourth consecutive year, "123456" and "password" topped the list of leaked passwords.

 Setting a password with both capital and lowercase letters, as well as a healthy dose of numbers, letters, and special signals, is the way to go.

Here’s a helpful tip, too – if you’re no good at remembering these passwords, consider using a secure password manager to securely manage them for you.

Running your business is tough enough. The last thing you need is hackers stealing your data or hardware malfunctions breaking down your workflows. IT service providers are the extra pair of hands you need to run your company.

These professionals find quick solutions to some of the most common business problems, so you can focus your energy on something else.

Here's how an IT service provider overcomes three business challenges.

Problem 1: Cybersecurity

You've read the headlines.

"Facebook Hackers Likely Hit Most Users,"

"It's 3 Billion! Yes, Every Single Yahoo Account Was Hacked in 2013,"

"Data of 143 Million Americans Exposed in Hack of Credit Reporting Agency Equifax."

It seems, then, that cybersecurity is a bigger problem for your business than it's ever been. If you don't have a proper cybersecurity and disaster recovery strategy in place, you could jeopardize your reputation.

Think about it rationally. If hackers infiltrate your network and exploit your data, will your customers trust you again?

Here’s a hint: the answer is probably not.

The Solution

IT service providers manage multiple facets of your IT infrastructure for you, so you can concentrate on other areas of your business.

These professionals minimize the chances of hackers from stealing your valuable data through security measures like endpoint protection, machine learning, antivirus protection, and analytics.

Why is this so important?

60% of small companies go out of business within six months of a cyber attack. You still control your IT systems, of course. A managed IT service provider will simply carry the burden of management for you

Problem 2: Downtime

Downtime can have a significant impact on your business. Whether it's the result of a power outage or a natural disaster, downtime results in loss of productivity, fewer business opportunities, and low employee morale.

Moreover, only 2% of organizations say they recover from a downtime incident in less than an hour.

The Solution

An IT service provider gets your business up and running again quickly after a downtime incident. These companies utilize disaster recovery and business continuity plans to ensure you don't lose valuable data and your staff get back to work as soon as possible.

IT service providers don’t just respond to downtime events. They prevent downtime, too. They carry out all the IT tasks that you don't have the time to do yourself, such as regular system checks and hardware maintenance.

Completing these tasks greatly diminishes the chances of a downtime disaster happening in the first place.

Problem 3: Customer Service Issues

You know how important customer service is to the success of your company. How would you feel if consumers jumped ship and took their business elsewhere because of issues with your computer systems, for example?

Companies with a well-crafted customer service strategy have an average customer retention rate of 92%. If you skimp on service, however, you could lose out on sales.

The Solution

An IT technology provider improves efficiencies and limits downtime. From installing the latest software updates to managing network security, service providers take care of IT support issues in real-time and prevent these problems from happening in the first place.

IT service providers prevent customers from canceling appointments or stopping service as a result of hardware and software malfunctions. As a result, you can provide better service and manage customer expectations.

Customer service, downtime, and cybersecurity are three of the biggest challenges facing your business in 2018. You can't tackle these problems alone. Investing in an IT provider will streamline many of your day-to-day business tasks and improve productivity in your workplace.

 

 

Many businesses balk at the vague notion of managed IT services. What are managed services, and what do they do? The answer, in short, is any ongoing supported service related to your business’s IT.

But don’t take that to mean that managed services lack specific, tangible approaches that benefit business productivity. Working with a qualified Managed Service Provider (MSP) has countless approaches that can raise productivity while letting you focus on your business mission instead of fixing your technology.

We’ve put together a list of three managed services that will raise your business’s productivity, along with brief explanations of how they do it. The results might surprise you.

Network security to reduce downtime

Cyberthreats are on the rise and the risks affects companies of every size and shape. In fact, almost half (43%) of all cyberattacks target SMBs. In spite of this, many SMBs lack a professional, guided approach to their network security. This can create a recipe for downtime and lost productivity.

Malware and ransomware attacks get more sophisticated every day. And all it takes is one negligent or uninformed employee’s click on a phishing email to infect your network or put you in a data ransom or data loss situation.

Such situations cost your company more than just expensive downtime (the average ransomware attack costs $100,000 due to downtime).  They can also damage your reputation with clients and even cause legal repercussions for your business.

By having a qualified MSP handle your network security, you drastically reduce the chances that any of the above scenarios will affect your company.

Given the costs of downtime and data loss, it will likely have a positive impact on your bottom line, too.

Backup services to prevent data loss

Modern businesses live and die by their mission-critical data and systems. 60% of SMBs that lose their critical data close up shop within six months. Traditional data backup approaches leave significant exposure to partial or complete data loss due to their lack of redundancy.

For example, if you’re not backing your data up offsite, you’re sitting on a ticking data loss time bomb. Your business is one disaster away from total data loss.

But even if you manage to restore from your backups using outdated processes, your recovery process will take far longer than if you leave your data backup to an MSP. That’s because most MSPs will help you develop a business continuity plan as part of your data backup strategy.

In other words, when your systems go down or hardware fails, you’ll get back to work with far less downtime and incurred costs.

That’s not to even mention the added military-grade security data centers provide – or multiple layers of redundancy.

Your data is your business, and you should protect it accordingly.

You’re a professional in your industry with valuable insider industry knowledge that allows you to succeed.  The right MSP will be an expert in protecting and backing up your data,  too. They can reduce your potential for downtime and preserve your productivity and reputation in the process.

Total network management and support for streamlined systems

Troubleshooting is a huge time suck. Combining network management services with an in-house team can free up their time to deal with other issues that are pertinent and specific to your individual company needs.

The break-fix approach to solving IT problems costs not only money, but valuable time.

By hiring an MSP to manage your network and provide 24/7 IT support, you get the benefit of professional guidance and problem solving from qualified engineers who specialize in the exact kinds of problems that plague networks like yours.

This allows your team to focus on business while they monitor and eliminate potential problems from behind the scenes. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes.

Nowhere is that more true than when it comes to network management.

The summary

Whether you take a hybrid approach by outsourcing some tasks to an MSP and keeping others in house, or you decide to outsource all your IT needs to an MSP,  there’s no question that professional guidance can help your business be more productive.

It can also insulate you from a host of potential productivity and downtime issues before they happen.

Where that balance falls depends in large part on the specifics of your business, your budget, and your approach. Often, determining the final balance means having conversations both internally and with potential partners.

Regardless, the first step is arming yourself with the right information.

 

 

When you’re the midst of work, nothing can be more irritating than running into a technical issue. It happens to everyone because computers are complicated, and very small issues can have reverberating effects. As a managed IT services provider, we see these problems daily, and we want to help you fight the urge to throw your hardware out the window.

Below are 8 of the most common PC problems we see, and how to do a quick fix yourself.

Computer won’t start

You press power and nothing. Just a black screen. When this happens, the issue is generally associated with the power supply.

As simple as it sounds, check to make sure the computer is plugged in correctly, both at the supply source and on the machine. If you are still getting nothing, test the power outlet with a different device to makes sure it works. If all else fails, you may have a dead power cable.

Computer is slow

If your computer is slow, the hard drive is probably being overburdened. See how much free drive space you have. If it’s less than 500 mb, you need to start cleaning up your hardware.

Start by emptying your Recycle Bin. Then, uninstall programs you don’t use. (If you don’t know what it is, let it lie.) Then, perform a disk cleanup by searching “disk cleanup” in the search bar.

Fan keeps blowing

The short answer here is that your hard drive is likely overheating. Sometimes this can occur when computers are left on permanently. Turn off the computer overnight and see if the problem still arises.

If it’s still blowing, download a hardware monitor (like this one) and see if the hard drive is actually overheating or if you simply have an overzealous fan. If the latter, you can easily monitor the fan manually using any one of a number of fan apps.

Screen is frozen

When your screen is frozen, you don’t have a lot of options other than a reboot through control-alt-delete or pressing and holding the power button. The problem can be related to malware, corrupt files or insufficient RAM.

Internet is slow

If your internet is running slowly, try clearing your cache and your temporary files. You could also have a bad cable connection. Try replacing the ethernet cable to see. Finally, a reboot of the modem may be necessary.

Did you know? Downtime costs small businesses up to $8,600 per hour. Aberdeen

Printer isn’t working

Printers can have any number of issues. Check to see if you’re connected to the right printer in the printer settings. Check for paper, check for power.

Mouse isn’t working

Make sure you mouse is properly plugged into the computer. If you’re using a wireless mouse, check the undercarriage to make sure it’s still switched on and the batteries are still good.

Blue Screen of Death

When you get the blue screen telling you that Windows has been shut down, you’re in a troublesome spot. You’ve got corrupted drives, bad disk drives or overheating. If you get this screen, your best bet is to contact your managed IT services provider.

Related: Signs That You Need Managed IT Services

Managed IT Services with DynaSis

When problems become more than you can handle, having a managed IT services provider like DynaSis by your side is critical to productivity and business continuity. Call us today to learn more about managed IT services.

Learn more about IT support for business.

For many IT departments, the thought of outsourcing IT is equivalent to job self-destruction. But the reality is far from it. Businesses all over are outsourcing the daily grind of technology to free up their internal IT teams, releasing them from the shackles of day-to-day technology issues for more innovative projects.

When you’re bringing on a co-managed IT services provider, there are a few essential elements you want to look for to give your internal IT department the well-deserved break they need from solving base-level IT problems.

Here, we’ve compiled the top services you need from your co-managed IT services provider.

24/7 Network Monitoring

Network monitoring is one of the best ways to keep a handle on your technology. But IT teams are not often 24 hours. With 24/7 network monitoring from an outsourced provider, you can ensure your technology is running smooth, even while your staff is away.

Preventative Maintenance

One of the easiest ways to prevent technology problems is through patches and updates. Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it seems. In fact, half of PCs are running on outdated software. This leaves many workstations vulnerable to cyberthreats. Patching and updating needs to happen frequently and with the least amount of disruption.

Backup Management

You need a solid backup and disaster recovery plan to ensure business continuity. Outsourcing the management of backups means those backups will be tested thoroughly, giving you the best chance of recovery after disaster.

Level 1 Help Desk & Ticketing

Most IT teams spend their days bouncing from workstation to workstation fixing any number of tasks for employees. With a strong outsourced help desk ticketing system, your employees can have problems resolve with even greater efficiency.

Help Desk Software as a Service

Software-as-a-service is taking the business world by storm. By 2020, cloud-based software will be the default option. With help-desk SaaS, you get the tools you need to remain productive.

Managed IT Security

It’s imperative to have strong cybersecurity processes and procedures in place. Blocking incoming threats means placing effective security tools at your perimeter. Likewise, you want your staff thoroughly trained in crypto-prevention. Managed IT security can get you there.

Related: Signs That You Need Managed IT Services

Dedicated Service Teams

You want an outsourced IT team that knows your business and supports your internal IT team. You co-managed service provider should have a dedicated team for your business, with field, help desk and network operations center (NOC) teams ready always prepared to handle any IT-related issues.

Compliance Monitoring

Keeping with due diligence in terms of the regulators is a full-time job in itself. HIPAA, SSAE 16, PCI/DSS: Regardless of your regulatory jurisdiction, you need compliance monitoring that keeps you up-to-speed with the latest regulatory requirements.

Strategic Planning

One of the most innovative ways to employ a co-managed IT services provider is to utilize their industry knowledge to help you plan strategic technology moves. Think of this as having a CIO on retainer to guide you to your goals.

Learn more about managed IT services for business.

There’s no question that outsourcing IT is where most businesses are going. For small businesses, having internal IT departments is too costly. For bigger companies, their internal IT teams are often dealing with too many day-to-day technical problems to be of use for larger technological strategies. It’s a hard game to balance, but when push comes to shove, many companies are leaning toward managed IT services.

At its most basic, managed IT is a flat-rate, outsourced service to help you manage the daily ebbs and flows of your workflow. Cabling, hardware, network setup, Wi-Fi, cybersecurity: Managed services takes your entire technical infrastructure and ensures it’s working correctly, efficiently and safely.

But the transfer of IT responsibility can often be a barrier to cross. When is the right time to outsource your business’s IT? There are several indicators to help you decide if managed services is right for you.

Related: 4 Things You Can Do Now to Save Money on Your IT

You have no ability to monitor use.

A common issue with businesses is the inability to monitor access to data. Part of this is often found in bad file sharing permissions and access-level problems. Your business relies on its data, but when that data is easily and openly accessible by anyone with your Wi-Fi password, you’re taking a huge risk.

A good MSP (managed services provider) will help you delineate roles and access levels based on job titles. Then, highly sophisticated tools will help you monitor and track activity 24/7.

This way, you always know what’s going on behind your network.

Your tech support is too slow.

The problem with most tech support is simply an issue of investment. For break/fix tech support, the longer they’re working on your technical issues, the more they get paid.

For an MSP, the better your system functions, the more of that flat, monthly rate they get to keep. It’s in the MSP’s best interest to give you 24/7 help desk support and proactive monitoring and maintenance.

You have no idea if your backups work.

Business continuity should be on every owner’s mind. Backups are crucial components: You don’t want to wait until it’s too late to find out if your backups work.

True backups need redundancies, whether on-premise, in the cloud, or both, and they need to be tested over and over again. Most business owners assume their backups work great – until they don’t.

You have frequent bouts of downtime.

Downtime can crush a business. When your network seems to shut down frequently, no matter what your current IT support has said they’ve done, you’re looking for answers. MSPs are the kings of uptime. Keeping your staff productive is the essence of managed IT services.

Did you know? “81% of enterprises say the cost of downtime exceeds $300K on average.” – ITIC

You have no cybersecurity procedures in place.

All data shows that cybercrime increases year over year, and there’s nothing slowing it down. Ransomware toolkits are getting easier to use, and small and medium businesses are taking the brunt of that.

Without a proper cybersecurity plan, many business owners know they are playing with fire. With an MSP, all that changes. You get a full plan with procedures, protocols and training for your staff.

No more making it easy for hackers.

Related: IT Security Assessments Can Protect You and Your Customers

You don’t know how to bring technology into your strategic planning.

Finally, you have big plans. But how do you align your technology with your long-term goals? MSPs bring the business acumen to the table, giving you C-level strategic thinking with technology expertise to help you achieve your desired results.

Learn more about managed IT support for business.

While we can’t speak for every single business out there, we can say this for sure: you probably want to save money. Cutting costs is one of the joys of business. If you can do it, you should.

We’ve been in the business of helping organizations grow and succeed through technology since 1992. Since then, we’ve gained some valuable insights on how businesses can save money with a few strategic tweaks to their IT strategy.

Here’s a short list of what you can do now to save money on your IT.

1. Create a Better IT Budget

Better planning starts with – you guessed it – a better plan. IT budgets spell out exactly where all the IT funding goes. The ideal plan serves as a centralized guide for your expenses and provides a clear link between your technology and business goals.

In other words, it’s not always about the what. It’s about the why.

IT budgets keep you on-track and on-budget with all things technology. If you’ve already got an IT budget, be sure to review it often for unnecessary spending. If you don’t have one yet, put one together as soon as possible.

Did You Know: 42% of small businesses plan to increase IT spending in 2017.

2. Get the Right Hardware

You don’t always need the fanciest, most expensive hardware out on the market. You need to find the hardware that meets your current business needs while also keeping your future needs in mind.

In short, the right hardware should empower you to reach your goals without needing to be frequently replaced. With fewer problems, there’s less time and money spent on trying to remedy any issues.

The right hardware also removes bottlenecks from your workflow. Ideally, it should easily move at the speed of your business (and be able to handle more, if necessary).

3. Consolidate Your Technology

It’s a fact – adding unnecessary IT complexity to your organization slows your operations down. When your employees don’t know how to use the technology that’s supposed to improve their lives, it’s become a hindrance.

The answer here is to consolidate your technology. Choose hardware and software that can effectively put multiple functions in one unit. Take productivity applications as an example.

Microsoft Teams can act as a simple chat program between people. However, it also supports file sharing, video conferencing, and virtual meetings organization. One single program does the role of four, with a significantly smaller price tag.

But it’s not always about the upfront cost savings. Consolidation saves your organization money by significantly reducing operational complexity and boosting your overall output.

Did You Know: Employees who believe their workplace effectively uses mobile tech are more creative, satisfied, and productive at work.

4. Outsource Your IT

Optimizing your IT is certainly doable at the early stages of your company’s life. However, as you start to grow and focus on other aspects of your business, it can quickly become overwhelming.

You might have the intention of creating a perfect IT budget, implementing the right hardware, and consolidating your technology – but you might not have the time or resources.

That’s where IT outsourcing comes in. You can save money by allowing an experienced third-party IT service provider to optimize and handle your IT infrastructure for you, all for a flat monthly fee that fits your individual budget.

 

 

 

Various studies have shown that the small businesses in general are not prepared to ward off cyber-attacks. In fact, a recent nationwide study showed that a full 78% were unprepared even though 60% of them had already suffered an attack. You don’t have to be Equifax, Uber or Home Depot to be a target.  Today, almost 50% of attacks are against small to mid-sized businesses (which lost an average of $32,000 each) simply because cyber-criminals realize that they are easier targets than the big companies that have spent millions of dollars to protect themselves. That study also showed that it took these small businesses more than a month on average to recover. Other studies have shown that as many as 60% of attacked businesses that suffer a shutdown eventually go under.

Because of the growing public concern over the unauthorized release of personal identifiable information (PII), all companies should be concerned that their customers will begin to choose retailers, vendors, suppliers, service contractors, etc., based on how comfortable they feel about these companies’ IT security.

So how do you spread confidence instead of worry? Begin with an in-depth IT and Cyber Security Assessment, then get the word out. Of course, before you get the word out, you need to take the time to follow the security recommendations, if any, that may be presented to you. (If there are none, that’s great! Let the world know how up-to-date you are.)

In addition to providing great public relations fodder, a comprehensive IT and cyber-security assessment will benefit your company in another way…right away. The managed IT support company you bring in to run the assessment process will alert you to vulnerabilities in your IT network and patch them, because a properly done assessment is a lot more than just a scan of your network, and will alert you to more than just viruses and malware.

Older technologies that you are still using may be ill-equipped to deal with new threats. That includes hardware and software that you may be updating. It will also show you hard drives, firewalls, servers and other equipment that are at or near end-of-life and are at risk of failure. It can also make you aware of software and equipment that is no longer supported by the manufacturer, meaning that updates to protect your system from cyber-attacks will no longer be available.

An assessment can also show you where you need to be concerned about lack of password security, such as multi-factor authentication, or need for encryption. It will show you where your firewall(s), although in perfect working order, may be consumer grade equipment where business-grade is required. Backups: The single most important component of a secure IT network is your backup process. The assessment will help you determine if your Recovery Time Objective (RTO), how long it will take to bring your system back to 100%, and your Recovery Point Objective (RPO), how many minutes, hours, or days of data you are comfortable losing, is appropriate for your business. It will also show you if your backups are actually as secure as you think they are. (Note: we have been called in to try and rescue data when data files AND backups have been locked down by ransomware. This can and must be avoided.)

At DynaSis, we have been providing assessments and network protection to the small to mid-sized business community in Atlanta, including advanced business continuity protocols since 1992. We would be happy to begin a conversation with you, so call us at 678-373-0716.

 

Your IT strategy will differ from just about every other company – it will be completely unique to you. So if you’ve ever wondered how to actually craft a strategic IT plan or if you’re looking for a refresher on the subject, look no further.

We’ve identified four critical steps that can help you create the perfect actionable IT strategy that aligns your business goals with your technology.

1. Set Short-term and Long-term Business Goals

You must always prioritize your IT in the context of the operations and strategy of your business over. Though IT is still paramount to your business success, it’s imperative to realize the key truth:

Every aspect of your IT must strategically empower your business.

Having technology for technology’s sake isn’t inherently useful and often results in unnecessary confusion and complication within your business.

By developing actionable goals for your business, you begin to form a roadmap that clarifies your path. This path will likely be very different than the path you’ll take 5 years from now.

Related: 51% of small-business owners cite time as the single biggest obstacle to adopting new technologies, and 18% say a lack of understanding is their greatest barrier.

Establishing these strategic paths for your business will help determine the general direction to take your technology.

For example, if you plan to grow your business to include more eCommerce transactions, you’ll want to start considering security compliance regulations, server storage, and cloud-based backup options.

2. Examine Your Current IT Infrastructure

After conceptualizing the path of your business, you can start to look at the current state of your IT infrastructure. Take stock of all your organization’s devices and software and figure out how they’re currently being utilized.

Even a cursory overview of your technology can tell you where you need to focus your efforts to optimize and then align for growth and change. For example, your office productivity may suffer due to malfunctioning and outdated workstations.

Even though you can’t do anything at this very moment, you’ve gained valuable insight into how and where to allocate your resources. That’s the perfect starting point for an effective IT strategy.

3. Determine Bottlenecks and Implement Solutions

After you’ve taken thorough stock of your inventory and infrastructure, you can begin to analyze and implement solutions. You can start by examining the areas of your business that need additional resources to complete their tasks more effectively.

In addition, you can look for wasted resources. Take program licenses as an example – some users in your office may not need licensing for specialized programs. However, it’s easy to lose track of these licenses over time. Removing those you don’t use can put money back into your company that would be better suited for other areas.

Related: Worldwide IT spending is projected to total $3.7 trillion in 2018, an increase of 4.3% from 2017 estimated spending of $3.5 trillion, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc.

You can also more easily identify operational bottlenecks caused by IT. The right technology can remove these bottlenecks completely, giving you back time, resources, and productivity.

4. Assess and Analyze New IT Solutions for Effectiveness

Completing the initial implementation of your IT strategy doesn’t mean you should stop improving it. As you address all your bottlenecks and create implementation plans for necessary solutions, you must shift to an analytical phase.

The best progress in your business improvement is made during this phase. You can drill down into actual results and make tweaks as necessary. That may mean adjusting levels of devices and programs or even changing internal IT processes to fit the real-world needs of your organization.

Crafting a Purposeful IT Strategy

Using these four steps will put you on a path to creating the right strategy for your organization. To get the most out of it, you’ll need to seamlessly integrate the strategy with other facets of your IT.

We’ve created a helpful acronym to ensure each and every part of your IT works toward both your strategy and business goals. We refer to it simply as “ASM” – it stands for Availability, Security, and Mobility.

Related: See how ASM can help you work towards your business goals and how your business can start implementing it today.

The last thing you want is to have to call your clients and tell them that you have had a security breach that compromised their personal information, but this is happening with increased frequency. This is happening in spite the growth of highly sophisticated security methods and technologies and results in loss of client trust, negative public relations, financial loss, and even the shutting down of an entire operation. Often, and particularly in small to mid-sized businesses, this is because a company simply has not instituted basic security practices.

If you are a small to mid-sized business, your network security should begin with a qualified managed IT support company here in Atlanta. Why? Given the complexity of today’s IT world, there is simply no way that a company of this size, with a small in-house IT team (or none at all), can possibly keep up with the daily threats it will have to ward off. The installation of anti-malware software, firewalls, etc., can be accomplished in-house if your team has the proper training, but the right Managed IT service company with monitor, manage and maintain these and other protections 24 x 7 x 365, dealing with small problems before they become major ones. They can also be retained on a co-sourced (co-managed) basis to augment your own people.

While we recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all prescription for keeping networks and data secure, it is important to understand that proper network security requires a layered approach, which we laid out is some detail in our white paper: Cyber Security 2017, which is very much an important read today in early 2018 (the 12 Layers begin on page 5). We also believe that in today’s world, this layering approach applies to data backup. For example, for many years, the most sophisticated backup approach was the use of a set of magnetic tapes. While tapes may still be considered part of an effective a layered approach. It should be tied in with both on-site and off-site backups. Over the years, we have seen cases of tapes that weren’t secured, or failed, or (more frequently) weren’t updated when they should have been.

Some of the protections that need to be considered:

Your data also should consider protection using multifactor authentication, such as entering a unique password, then a code received on a mobile device. This is particularly effective in warding off password breaches and what are called brute force attacks, during which the attacker will used complex algorithms to try and break through by repeatedly trying many thousands of different potential passwords.

Email is one of the most vulnerable touch points in most organizations, but not only do many firms lack reliable email continuity and archiving for compliance, eDiscovery subpoenas and other needs, but they also have not implemented email security measures to effectively thwart cyber-attacks. To help prevent an email catastrophe in any business, DynaSis provides its Unified Email Management (UEM) solution, a secure email gateway that examines every email.

Mobile devices are ubiquitous and most employers today have accepted the fact that their employees are going to be suing their own devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops) for work. Simply put, this presents a security problem that requires sophisticated Mobile Device Management system and at DynaSis, we use what we (and many others) consider to be the best system available.

Network security is a major undertaking that needs to be taken seriously. Here at DynaSis, we have been doing just that since 1992. Give us a call today and we can discuss how we can work with you either on a full managed IT support basis, or a co-sourced basis with your in-house team. 678-373-0716.

 

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