When securing your business’s sensitive information, the most minor changes can be some of the most effective. For example, having your employees create passphrases rather than passwords could be the difference between a secure network and a costly data breach. But what is a passphrase, exactly? Passphrases & Passwords: What’s the Difference? Though often grouped under the term “password,” passphrases and passwords have distinct differences in terms of their definition and how well they keep your information secure. A password is a short set of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols, and they tend to be 8 to 12 characters. On the other hand, a passphrase is a string of text that forms a complete sentence or phrase, often [...]

Everything in business needs best practices, standards and systems, and IT is no different. This is especially true as IT has become more and more integral to every business. ITIL is a framework that brings a systematic approach to help businesses achieve stable IT environments, implement time- and cost-effective IT practices, and can best manage risk. In short, ITIL exists to bring IT in alignment with business objectives. ITIL: A Library and a Framework ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library, and this library contains volumes of best practices for the delivery of IT services. These books (currently there are five) detail the processes and stages of IT services. The approach was developed in the 1980s by the British [...]

When reviewing your organization's IT support options, it can be hard to discern fact from fiction. Below we discuss some of the most common misperceptions that we have encountered in our 19+ years in this business. We hope this helps you evaluate your options! Myth #1: Antivirus Software will Protect You from a Data Breach It is all too painfully commonplace to hear someone say that they have their data security addressed because they have antivirus software. It's not an unreasonable thought process, to be fair. The problem is that the landscape of cybercrime has become so incredibly vast and complex over the years that no single approach is going to keep your organization protected.  Since the rise of Covid-19, [...]

Most people think of Spring Cleaning as a late March/early April tradition but, guess what? Summer doesn't officially start until June 20th. We can still squeeze in a lot more spring cleaning yet.  We are all for tidying, decluttering, window washing, and the like for your spring cleaning game plan, but take a moment to reflect on the last time you cleaned up your tech. Have you ever? Would you even know where to start?  Cleaning up your tech is more than organizing and consolidating files and updating your naming conventions. When you keep tabs on your data storage, permissions settings, and credit information, you are less vulnerable to fraud, identify theft, data loss, and data breaches. As you’ve probably [...]

While “Managed Services” is an IT industry term, there is no consensus on the exact definition. Many Managed Service Providers, also known as MSPs, are out there.  Although there is no simple, neat definition, here is what most people are referencing when they talk about “Managed Services”: Maintaining an organization's technology, including computers, devices, printers, wifi Access points, et cetera. Most commonly, people think of the break/fix element of Managed Services. I.e., waiting for something to break and then fixing it. Many other things are going on behind the scenes; most people are not aware of this.  An MSP uses various tools to monitor your computers and devices remotely. The idea is to address minor issues before they become big [...]

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software selection is a huge undertaking. No matter how large or small your business, your ERP software is a critical piece of your business’ tech stack. It impacts functional areas across the entire organization, from accounting to HR to sales to operations, and so on. Implementation takes time and additional resources, not to mention the cost of a license will be significant. You’re aware that you’ve got to do your due diligence and get this investment right, but perhaps what you are lacking is the “how”: How do you even get started understanding ERP solutions? What selection criteria should you use? We’ve got some answers to get you started. Here are our tips to help [...]

Managed IT Services have helped thousands of organizations leverage their limited budget and resources to improve efficiency, security, service delivery, and professionalism. It’s a smart move and can help you take your business to the next level. Below we have listed some of the main benefits that our clients enjoy.  Reduce Risk During the pandemic era, hackers have found more opportunities to access valuable data and networks than ever before. The huge shift from working in an office to working from home has left many businesses struggling to keep up and tailor their operations. This shift has left business networks more vulnerable than ever before. Not sure what we are talking about? Check out these stats: There is a reported [...]

As a business owner or leader, you have access to more technology options than ever before, to the extent that it can seem utterly baffling to keep up. Of the wide range of tech trends, which ones are worthy of your attention and (perhaps a more important question) which ones are worthy of your investment? Business strategy = technology strategyWhat has become evident during the pandemic is the fact that business and technology are intertwined. Today’s business leaders have recognized that technology and business strategies can’t exist in silos, and that both inform the other. The pandemic upended many workplace conventions and business models to the extent that it accelerated digital transformations so that businesses could stay in business. Technology enabled remote [...]

When interviewing prospective IT support partners, it can be helpful to approach the conversation with some knowledge of IT Management Strategy. If you like, you can read our full article on how to Build an IT Service Management Strategy.  When thinking of IT support, most people think of “reactive” support, i.e. password changes, troubleshooting problem printers, et cetera. To keep your systems secure and IT costs low, it is important to think “layered” and “proactive”. Layered Security can make the difference in whether your organization experiences a breach or not. Hackers will look for multiple ways of getting access to your data so that they can sell it or hold it for ransom. For this reason, it’s important to take [...]

WiFi hacking has been an issue to be aware of for quite some time. By gaining access to your WiFi network, a WiFi hacker can “borrow” your bandwidth, or worse, steal your money or identity.   With the rapid growth in remote working, WiFi hacking is a huge vulnerability for many businesses. If your employees are working from home even just occasionally, part-time, your networks and private data may be exposed through employees’ poorly-secured home WiFi networks. (Not to mention the inherent risk in working from coffee shops and other public places once the world is more opened up.)   For these reasons, we have put together a simple guide to get you started in WiFi hacking prevention. Think of [...]

The world, and your business, can change on a dime. Customers want what they want, and they want it now. We have all come to expect this. This need for instant gratification is not a new concept, of course. Still, the urgency of quick responses and reliable uptime continues to snowball as we are more and more reliant on the web for our businesses and lives. In a time when we are hyper-connected, the need for quick answers and instant satisfaction can be too much sometimes, too unnerving. If your small-to-medium-sized business website fails to load or loads slowly, you can lose customers to your competitors. You will almost certainly lose prospective customers. When is the last time you asked [...]