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Benefits of Managed IT Services

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Managed IT Services are becoming increasingly popular among businesses of all types and sizes, as they provide a convenient, cost-effective way to outsource important IT tasks and processes. By outsourcing these tasks to a trusted Managed IT provider, businesses can benefit from proactive support, improved system performance and the ability to access specialized expertise they may not have in-house. In addition, Managed IT services allows business owners to stay focused on expanding the businesses core competencies and increased business efficiency and competitiveness.  This blog post will discuss the various benefits of managed IT services and how they can help businesses succeed.

By working with a trusted provider, you’ll get benefits such as:

1.  Expertise and Support.  You will get access to a team of experts who can help you with all of your IT needs.  Not only can they solve problems quickly and efficiently, but they also offer advice on things like which software to use or how to improve your network security.  A good MSP will provide you with ongoing technology recommendations and a roadmap for necessary upgrades and budgeting.

2.  Better Uptime.    It’s important for any business to have reliable systems that are always up and running.  Actively monitoring, managing and providing firmware and software updates your IT systems and network helps to address issues before they escalate into serious problems.  Your Managed IT provider has the tools and expertise to prevent problems before they happen.  And if something does go wrong, they can quickly get your systems back online so you can avoid any costly downtime.

3.  Better Preparation for the Future.  Your Managed IT Provider is always staying up-to-date on the latest technology trends and can offer advice and recommendations on scaling up or down, depending on demand.  Overall, Managed services makes it easier for you to expand, update and employ the latest technologies.

4.  Better Cybersecurity.  Managed IT Providers use a variety of digital tools to help keep clients safe and secure.  This includes endpoint protection like antivirus, firewalls, DNS filters, VPN, data and email encryption, data loss protection, reports and alerts to counteract most threats to your devices and networks.  By combining those with monitoring software, your Managed IT Provider can quickly respond to anything to manages to bypass those layers of protection.

5.  Compliance.  Compliance is essential for cybersecurity and other IT requirements within many industries.  Assessing infrastructure for compliance is a complicated role and requires someone with specialized experience.  Managed IT services can do all the heavy lifting by ensuring compliance is up to par.   Your Managed IT services provider is well versed on HIPAA, SOX and PCI compliance and they can help you to avoid financial penalties and establish best practices for staying compliant.

6.  Cybersecurity Insurance Requirements.  The rapid rise of cyberattacks targeting companies of nearly every size and industry are alarming.  A successful breach can lead to a shutdown of company operations, loss of reputation and significant fines, and other financial loses tied directly to the attach.  Your Managed IT Provider can help you meet these insurance requirements.  Such as:

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Backup and disaster recovery
  • Endpoint detection and response
  • Identify and Access Management Privileges
  • Patch Management

By maintaining strict compliance with an insurance provider’s cybersecurity requirements, organizations can qualify for or reduce the expense of their cyber insurance policy and remain protected in the event of a data breach.

7.  Technology Changes.   As we enter 2023, it’s clear that technology is rapidly evolving.  While predictions of the future are unpredictable, we can be sure that technology will continue to shape our businesses in ways we never thought possible.   Technology changes can represent a risk or opportunity for your business and a Managed IT provider can help you create a technology roadmap to drive impact on a range of strategic ambitions.

When you partner with a Managed IT provider that is efficient with their time and proactive with their approach, you can build a mutually beneficial relationship.  When both sides are vested in your approach to management, you see value in every service and when you have a problem, large or small, your MSP has it handled with expert service, detail and exemplary customer care.

Are You Still Using a Windows 7 Computer?

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How Likely Your Password will be Hacked?

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Are You Cyber Security Insurable?

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Since the beginning of 2021, the world has entered a new era of cyberattacks.  Cyber attacks have no boundaries, show no signs of slowing down and are truly a global issue.  However, ransomware can be avoided with the right IT security and risk management procedures.

Having a Cyber Security Insurance Policy can help minimize business disruption during a cyber incident and its aftermath, as well as potentially covering the financial cost of some elements of dealing with the attack and recovering from it.  Different policy providers might offer coverage of different things, but generally cyber insurance coverage will be likely to cover the immediate costs associated with falling victim to a cyberattack.  However, insurance coverage is NOT a substitution for a security program.

You’ve got a policy and now you’re covered, right?  Think again.  You are obligated to fulfill and have in place a number of security requirements in order for that insurance policy to cover you in the event of a breach or other security incident.  And, you could be denied coverage if you don’t have the necessary security practices in place.

TOP SECURITY PRIORITIES – Required for Insurability:

  • Multi-factor Authentication.  MFA requires additional information beyond a username and password to grant access, and is a feature offered by many websites, applications and devices that dramatically improve account security.  THIS IS A MUST DO on all software you access through the Cloud!
  • End-Point Protection.  Requires a software agent to be installed on the host system which provides the foundation for event monitoring and reporting.  This software continuously monitors to readily identify, detect and prevent advanced threats on the devices on a network.  GET YOUR DEVICES PROTECTED!
  • End of Life (EOL) Software.  If you are still using unsupported software (e.g. Windows 7) this is a huge red flag! Click the link to see EOL Software from the Center for Internet Security.  End of Support Software List

These are just a few of the security protocols that are required for Cyber insurance.  My recommendation:  Get on a call with your insurance broker and review your current Cyber policy as well as what the requirements will be for its renewal.  Then, let’s discuss how Conquest Solutions can help you implement a proper security plan to keep your business protected.  It’s a lot less expensive to prevent cyber attacks than it is to repair the damage when they happen.

The many advantages of having a comprehensive security plan vastly outweighs the risks and costs of finding yourself unprepared or under equipped when it comes to your technology and security.