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Four reasons to opt for the co-managed IT services model Co-managed IT services model is one in which the business has its own IT team, but still contracts with an external managed services provider for certain services. In this blog we discuss four benefits of a co-managed IT services model. Expertise Your in-house IT team may not have all the expertise needed to manage all your IT requirements. There are new developments happening in the tech space everyday and an MSP is better positioned to stay up-to-date with them as IT is their business. Flexibility Opting for a co-managed IT services model allows you the flexibility to scale your IT up or down based on your business requirements. This is especially useful for companies that experience seasonal spikes in their business, such as CPA firms, around taxation times, or retail businesses around the Holidays. You don’t have to hire new IT staff to handle the sudden extra load on your IT. Lower costs Choosing a co-managed IT services mod...

Everyone wants to go phishing. You are very much aware that your company or organization is at risk, every minute of the day, from cyberattacks, malware, ransomware, and even benign errors that can put your data at risk. Even a failed backup procedure could mean a loss of critical company and customer data. In today’s blog we’re just going to review one of the most common methods that bad actors use to try to gain access to your data. Phishing. Phishing isn’t a particular type of malware or virus that attacks your data. Instead, it refers to the tools cyber criminals use to get access to your data. Phishing refers generally to the bag of tricks they use to break into your house. In phishing attacks, cybercriminals generally send a web link that is disguised to look genuine, and prompt the receiver to share information that will then be misused. For example, an email may be sent to you that looks as though it came from your bank or the IRS announcing a tax refund that your business i...

5 Lesser known benefits of choosing the co-managed IT model Even companies with IT staff on their payroll can’t deny having an MSP onboard offers benefits that exceed what they get from having just an in-house team. This blog explore 5 lesser known reasons why the co-managed IT model is popular. An extra hand during emergencies In the event of any unforeseen emergency such as a natural disaster or a terror attack, you may need additional IT support to get things up and running again. Your IT team may not be able to do it all instantly and of course adding to your IT staff wouldn’t be an option during such times. In a co-managed IT services model you will have your MSP to support your IT team which will help you recover faster. Especially useful when you have a small in-house IT team For a lot of SMBs, an in-house IT team comprises one or two IT technicians who take care of all their IT needs. But what happens when they are both out of office at the same time, due to unforeseen circums...

Multi-Factor Authentication 101 You have probably already come across the term multi-factor authentication. The concept is not new, but has caught on really quick of late. In this post, we will discuss what multi-factor authentication is and why you should be adopting it. What is multi-factor authentication? Multi-factor authentication is basically the use of more than one credential to gain access to data. It is a combination of multiple access credential types. For example, instead of gaining access to an email account by just typing your username and password, you will be asked to further verify your identity by entering some other information, such as a pin or a one-time password (OTP) that was sent to the phone number linked with the email address you are trying to log into. Why do you need multi-factor authentication? Multi-factor authentication offers an additional layer of security. Simple access control measures such as logging in with user ID and password are increasingly be...

3 Reasons to prepare a business continuity plan if you haven’t done so already A business continuity plan is the blueprint you need during an emergency to keep your business running smoothly. If you don’t already have one, here are 3 key reasons why you should focus on creating one ASAP. It helps retain clients As a business, if you have problems functioning, it will definitely affect your clients. For example, if your servers are down or your supply-chain mechanism is affected or your delivery process breaks, you won’t be able to fulfill your promise to your clients. Even worse, in some situations you may not even be in a position to communicate about the crisis to your clients adding to their frustration. A business continuity plan addresses these issues beforehand and can help reduce client dissatisfaction. Salvaging brand image and reputation There are certain events that end up affecting only your business. For example, ransomware attacks, virus attacks, data leaks, etc., Having ...

What are the essentials of a business continuity plan? An unexpected emergency can wipe out your business! A business continuity plan can help it survive. But, what should a good business continuity plan cover? Read this blog to find out. A list of your key contacts One of the most important elements in your business continuity plan is a list of all your important contacts who should be informed of the disaster. This can include all your C-level execs, HR managers, IT Manager, client facing managers, etc., A comprehensive list of your IT inventory Your business continuity plan should contain a list of all the softwares, apps and hardware that you use in the daily operations of your business. This list should identify each of those as critical or non-critical and mention details pertaining to each of them such as The name of the app/software Version/model number (for software/hardware) Vendor name and contact information for each of them Warranty/support availability det...

Do your homework: 3 things to do when looking for an MSP Thinking of hiring a Managed Service Provider, but not sure how to go about it? Here are a few things to do before you zero in on one. Figure out what you have already The first step in a good plan is to figure out where you stand currently. Before you talk to an MSP, conduct an audit of your IT infrastructure to decide what you have currently. List all your hardware and software. When performing this IT audit, don’t forget other technologies that you are using, such as biometric access systems, CCTV systems and even telephone systems. You may think they are irrelevant as they are not directly related to your IT infrastructure, but, in the near future you may want them all to be connected to one another, and so, including them in the audit and inventory right now is a good idea. Figure out what you need This is the next step. After you determine what you already have, the next step is to figure out what you need. What do you wan...