Tag Archives: #EmployeeTraining

Do Small Businesses Need Cybersecurity?

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Cybersecurity for small businesses - person working on a laptop showing different security icons.

Improving your small business’s cybersecurity strategies.

Reliable cybersecurity to eliminate attacks is essential for every business, regardless of size. The subject is so popular that it has earned a standalone topic on Google News. However, small and midsize businesses don’t think much of cybersecurity. The media also perpetuates this as most digital ink is dedicated to attacking large global enterprises.

The truth is, SMBs are suffering. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), cyber-attacks are a growing concern for small businesses and the US economy. Find out more below about why hackers target small businesses and the impact of cybersecurity.

Why Cyber-hackers Go After Small Businesses

Verizon‘s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report shows that 44% of the breaches affected small and midsize businesses. The reason for the high number of security risks for startups includes:

1.      Lack of Resources and Support

Most small businesses do not have a dedicated employee specializing in following trends, implementing technologies, and staying up to date with the newest technologies to mitigate risks.

In fact, about 43% SMBs admit they have no function in their company dedicated to cyber-security.

2.      Tight Budgets

Small Businesses do not have the budgets of fortune 500 companies to implement security strategies. Most avoid spending on resources, training, and consultants by ignoring the latest updates and patches, leaving their systems vulnerable to attacks.

Fortunately, there are low-cost options to start building the foundation that doesn’t break the bank.

3.      Inadequate Employee Training

Your employees are your greatest asset for your business and also the greatest cyber security vulnerability. Hackers know how to penetrate the weakest links on the networks. Employees can unknowingly download malicious content from the web or fail to secure their login credentials.

4.      Lack of Security Policies

Anyone would avoid wasting money on audits that can be thousands of dollars, but yet this is the normal first step before reviewing their current plan with their existing IT provider. Would you take a certification exam before studying and reviewing the material?

It is best to review your policies and implement a low-cost option first for a better audit report. It’s better than paying for the audit out of the gate.

5.      Security Vulnerabilities

Cybercriminals are looking for easy targets, and a vast majority of small businesses don’t prioritize cyber security.  The problem is it makes them easy targets. Think of a cybercriminal as someone going door to door and turning the handle of your home during the day. The first door that opens is their next target.

A simple lock on the door would deter this threat and send them on to the next house. There are strategies to build your defense against these thieves. Your strategy can be reviewed periodically as your business continues to grow and also when you afford other strategies that will mitigate the risks of cybercriminals

Impact of Cyber-Attack on Your Business

A successful cyber-attack can have significant repercussions on your business. It will affect your bottom line, your business standing, and the trust of customers. Here are some of the major impacts of security breaches:

  • Business downtime: Reduced productivity due to lost employee time in dealing with the situation
  • Reputational damage: Tarnished business image caused by a breach and possible exposure of customer information (credentials, personal information, etc.)
  • Loss of finances: Financial repercussions of hiring experts to repair everything and hopefully recover everything.
  • Legal consequences of a cyber breach: Every business must comply with data protection and laws for the customer data they hold. Failure to deploy appropriate security measures to keep their data safe can lead to fines and regulatory sanctions.

Looking Ahead

Studies estimate cyber-attacks led to cause $6 trillion in damages to SMBs in 2021.  Most of these company operations are lean, and those that ignore the need for robust cybersecurity can easily fall prey. Getting economical and efficient cybersecurity is possible, even without an established full-blown IT department.

Over the next month, we will be discussing different vendors that provide low-cost software to implement in your environment to fill the gaps in your business security strategy. Be sure to check back as we review how these products work.  If you want to learn more about our services and improve your cyber security strategy, contact SystemsNet today.

5 Advantages of 24/7 IT Support Services

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Female call center agent working late in the office and providing IT support services to customers.

Benefits of 24/7 IT support for companies and other agencies that operate around the clock

Almost all businesses today have an online component. This is how the majority of people seek access to services and products. So having an online presence is very important if you want to be successful. Therefore, there is a definite need for an IT help desk that is always attentive.

Not only does this give a business a sense of security and calm, but it also has objective benefits. These include reducing costs, improving efficiency, and improving response times to cyber-attacks. Here are the 5 advantages of 24/7 technical assistance.

1. Remote assistance

Remote assistance is a big advantage that most businesses enjoy today. Fortunately, there are tools integrated into business systems by IT that allow remote problem-solving. These include network connection issues, basic errors, and even compatibility issues. In addition, thanks to cloud computing, it is possible for IT teams to improve and update systems without any lull during work. So a business can continue working and submit assignments while systems are updated in the background.

2. 24-hour support

Round-the-clock IT services were a dream before remote connectivity became a reality. This would allow a business to be vulnerable to hackers and cyber-attacks outside of working hours. There would hardly be a technical support person on call at that time to resolve the problem. Even with the best security systems in place, hackers would do some damage back then.

Today the scenario is quite different. Thanks to the brilliant technological advances of our time, it is quite possible. 24-hour technical support can help resolve issues remotely at any time. In addition, technical support has now installed systems within companies to improve their response time.

When hacks or intrusions occur within a system, it is wired to respond instantly. It alerts the right person or begins a process of backing up information and shutting down systems against intrusions. All of this would never be possible without a competent IT support services team.

3. Quick problem-solving

Having an IT team on duty all the time helps reduce response time to major problems. These could be small mistakes that have happened or attacks that are happening now. Without a large IT team, this wouldn’t be possible.

The presence of an individual capable of solving these problems is a huge relief for a business. They can provide on-site assistance if necessary or guide you in the event of a problem. Plus, if there’s a minor problem with a quick fix, having an IT team there helps increase efficiency. It will get rid of any delays or major issues and will not affect the workflow.

4. Employee training

Another great benefit of having 24-hour IT support is employee training. Employees working in the technical field need to know the quick fixes to errors or know how to react to intrusions. Thus, an IT team can train them for this purpose. This not only improves efficiency, but also prevents hacks or intrusions.

If employees are taught to react to problems, learn quick solutions to problems, etc. they can improve their efficiency. However, if they are also trained to recognize suspicious emails and files or to report suspicious behavior, they can save a business money.

For example, the more employees are trained to recognize phishing attempts, the more secure their business can be. The more they are trained to follow protocol or to feel at home with security measures, the more they can adapt. Employee onboarding using two-factor authentication techniques and biometric authentication, etc. can improve security.

IT teams can implement this process more effectively to speed it up and make it more efficient.

5. Cost reduction

As noted above, one of the most objective and exciting benefits of technical assistance is cost reduction.

It’s a financially and economically sound decision to receive technical assistance. Solving small errors and preventing big hacks are good economic benefits from every point of view. Additionally, an IT team can help improve the hardware and software configuration in a business. This can lead to greater efficiency, better return on investment, and therefore greater profits.

24/7 IT support services are great for all businesses today. Not only do they help improve the already existing cloud architecture, but they help employees on board and improve safety. Need professional IT networking solutions for your business? Contact us soon as possible to talk about it!