Never Hide a Data Security Breach from Your Customers
Uber’s CEO revealed on Nov. 21, 2017, that the ride-hailing service failed to disclose a massive data breach last year. In Oct. 2016, hackers accessed a server containing personal information for more than 57 million Uber drivers and riders. They demanded a $100,000 ransom to delete their copy of the data, which Uber paid. The attackers…
Read MoreNever Overlook Data Security Vulnerabilities!
Credit reporting agency Equifax stores financial data on more than 800 million consumers and 88 million businesses worldwide, so data security is absolutely critical. On July 29, 2017, the company detected and blocked suspicious network activity associated with a web portal used by U.S. consumers to file disputes. Later analysis revealed the portal’s application framework, Apache…
Read MoreShare the Risk
Having an in-house IT person or staff seems like the most efficient way to keep your IT network running. After all – you always have someone on-site to take care of issues. But the reality is, their motivations may be counter to your business needs. IT staff are generally not motivated to perform regular maintenance…
Read MoreBest Practices!
Even the most well-intentioned IT staff is more motivated to use technologies that work best for them, or what they like most, than to use what’s best for your business. The processes and procedures they use may be what they know, but are not necessarily industry best practices. Since your business relies on its network,…
Read MoreMore Services!
Some IT services you need to run your business effectively, such as data backup, email encryption, or hosting just don’t come with an in-house IT staff. Your IT staff will have to procure these services from outside vendors, so you’re already outsourcing. But how do you know if you have the right services to fit…
Read MoreIf you like drama, we’re probably not the IT company you’d want!
Any issue with your company’s computer network sets the stage for drama. It can be as small as an employee not being able to access their email or a file they need – rendering them absolutely incapable of performing their job. It can be as big as a system crash that causes company-wide panic as…
Read More“It’s the Book of the Year for Me!”
I had a wonderful opportunity Monday to be on Laura Steward’s I Heart Radio live show and podcast, It’s All About the Questions. She had read my book, The Extra Scoop, and said, “It’s the book of the year for me!” She even dubbed me Captain Customer Service! Like many of us, she has had those rare…
Read MoreOutsourcing Can Lower Your IT Costs
Most small businesses are able to reduce – or at least control – their cost for IT service and support by outsourcing. When your IT person is an employee, you pay salary, benefits, ongoing training, overtime, vacation and sick days. Then you have to pay more to cover services when your IT person is out…
Read MoreYour Next Network Attack Could Be an Inside Job
Most small businesses are vulnerable to security breaches because they’re an easy target – they don’t have adequate protections in place. And many who do take proper security measures assume that threats to their network are going to be from some unknown evil hacke Sadly, many successful attacks on computer networks were done by insiders…
Read MoreBetter IT Knowledge, Availability & Efficiency
Small business often rely on the the most “tech savvy” employee to handle and troubleshoot the computers and servers. Once that person reaches his or her limits, especially as the company grows, it becomes painfully obvious that they need a real IT person. So is it better to hire a good solid IT person or to…
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