Ulistic Projects Blog

How Managed IT Services can Improve Cyber Security

According to BusinessWire, 4.5 billion records were compromised during the first part of 2018. Every type of organization from healthcare to banking is susceptible to a security breach. Even small businesses are no longer immune from the threat of hackers or malware. Cybersecurity is a priority for nearly every organization and finding ways to reduce the risk can be both time consuming and costly. There are several ways a managed IT service can improve a company’s cybersecurity and lessen the chance of a significant breach.

Conduct Regular Assessments

An outsourced IT team can conduct an initial assessment to see where there are any weaknesses in the system. Until a professional evaluation is done, a company won’t know where their shortcomings may be. After the initial assessment, regular checks can be made to keep all computers and devices working as effectively as possible. Ongoing vulnerability scans will keep a company aware of their weak points and one step ahead of security threats.

Monitor and Secure Networks

Most businesses have a firewall to protect their networks. This is just a first step and isn’t enough to keep a company safe. To keep the networks as secure as possible ongoing monitoring is necessary. Keeping a network secure involves monitoring several specific aspects of a system.

• Malware Protection – An IT team can provide the most up-to-date software and security tools to reduce or eliminate malware.
• Endpoint Protection – This means that every access point on a network, including phones, tablets, and laptops, is kept secure.
• Real-Time Alerts – A managed IT service can give a business around the clock alerts regarding the health of their hardware and software.

Maintain Compliance

Keeping all data secure and meeting compliance standards is crucial when running a business. Staying compliant means following all government regulations as well as state and federal laws that specifically affect the company. An outside source will often have expertise regarding the many compliance issues that pertain to technology. Not staying compliant can often mean paying hefty fines. Many businesses have even faced bankruptcy when failing to abide by federal and state laws.

Provide Skilled Staff

Too many businesses rely on an IT person who is the “computer whiz” in the company. No matter how skilled this individual or group of individuals may be, they almost certainly won’t have the experience that an IT services company can bring to the table. A managed services team can provide technical expertise and high-quality support for any type of company that relies on computers and the internet to do business.

Provide Backup and Recovery Services

No matter how secure a system is, disasters do occur. Everything from power outages to computer crashes can mean lost data and potentially long periods of downtime. If a company happened to lose data due to a computer crash or a security breach, an outsourced IT team would have the expertise to recover all the lost data as quickly and efficiently as possible. Managed services can provide an offsite storage solution for all of a company’s data. Offsite cloud storage not only can improve security but is cost-effective and offers easy accessibility.

Constant Email Monitoring

The average employee receives hundreds of emails each week. A business that isn’t providing extensive scanning for all emails is putting itself at risk. A managed IT service can provide the sophisticated tools to adequately monitor emails. An experienced team of professionals can offer a company spam filtering, email encryption, and archiving.

Available 24/7

A computer system is vulnerable around the clock to hackers, viruses, and malware. To prevent a security breach a business needs a professional IT team that can monitor and protect their system without any downtime. Having 24-hour IT service also means the company can immediately contact a professional when anything suspicious occurs. Waiting for the IT person to come into work might mean the difference between solving a potential problem quickly and suffering a significant security breach.

A managed IT service can offer a company everything from malware protection and email monitoring to backup and recovery services. As breaches and data loss continue to be critical concerns for business leaders, professional IT providers can offer a company comprehensive service to improve cybersecurity.

You would never open a restaurant without investing in the proper insurance policies. Before you ever light the grill, you’d make sure that you had every bit of liability coverage you could imagine. Before hiring your first employee, you’d make sure that your policy would protect your business’s interests in the event of an injury or accident. You would never allow a customer to sit down and enjoy a meal without knowing that you were covered, should the worst happen.

Regardless of the type of industry that you are working in, the first step is always self-preservation. Before you take two steps forward with your business, you do what you need to ensure that you won’t have to take three giant steps back. Insurance and liability coverage is more than fundamental—it is the expectation. In many parts of the world, it is even mandated. But for some reason, this basic concept of protecting your business interests, as fundamental as it may be in other aspects of your corporate venture, isn’t nearly as standard when it comes to protecting digital interests.

Every company utilizes some level of digital software, whether it is for internal processing, staffing purposes, or financial purposes. While a restaurant may run based on the goods in the kitchen and the friendly service of the staff, the business itself is only able to operate when everything behind the scenes—from inventory management to payroll—is functioning correctly. A ransomware attack on any company can have drastic negative consequences. Take for example the recent experience of a prominent Canadian restaurant chain, who after suffering a ransomware attack experienced a partial network outage and had to actually close several locations until the issue was resolved.

Protecting your company from accidents that may happen day to day is important. But malware isn’t an accident—it is malicious and intentional, and it can happen to anyone. You will never realize that you are a target until it is too late, and if you aren’t careful, you could end up with the attacker gaining access to incredibly sensitive information about your finances and business plans.

It is time to make digital protection a fundamental aspect of protecting your company. A simple malware protection software can alert you if anything suspicious is downloaded onto your computer, and will act as the first line of defense in keeping dangerous software and viruses off of your hard drive and away from your personal information.

When the malware attack shut down the offices of more than half a dozen prominent restaurant chains in Canada, including Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, and Montana’s, it led to significant disruptions in service and profit margins. Phone calls had to go unanswered, the doors had to remain locked, and employees were sent home without paychecks. This is a massive disruption and one that can be entirely prevented with minimal effort thanks to advanced ransomware protection services.

Don’t take any unnecessary risks with your corporate interests. Talk with an expert about the best malware protection services available that can help keep your restaurant’s doors open and your profit margins healthy.

How do you usually shop when you need something like a gift for a friend, a new pair of shoes, or a bike for your son or daughter? Today more than ever before, Americans make a beeline for the computer or a big box store when it comes to getting through their shopping list.

And it’s not just clothes, toys, and gifts we buy at these places. Paper towel, cell phones, greeting cards, and all your groceries can be purchased at the same time — with just one trip to a large chain store or one click of a button.

So where does this leave the little guy — small businesses?

Small businesses are closing up shop, and fewer new businesses are opening than ever before. Unfortunately for everyone, this means less support to locally-run firms, more unemployment, cheaper goods, terrible customer services, and small towns that suffer.

But you can help!

Small Business Saturday is a way to pump life into the small businesses here in the U.S. — and around the world. Here’s a bit more about this special annual event and how you can participate this year!

What Is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is a day that celebrates small businesses of all kinds around the country. This includes all types of independent retailers from locally-owned gyms, grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants to artists and craftsmen who sell their goods online, local farmers, and more.

When Is Small Business Saturday?

Every year in the United States, Small Business Saturday is celebrated on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, 2018, Small Business Saturday will take place on Saturday, November 24^th.

How Did Small Business Saturday Start?

Especially since the 1960s, when the modern American shopping mall came into existence, big box stores and chains have taken over what was once a country dominated by small local businesses. Small and even medium-sized towns have seen their small businesses obliterated when bigger chain stores come into town. Usually, the smaller retailers can hold out for at least a year, but inevitably, it’s the big guys who win out.

Small Business Saturday started as a way to pump some life back into the small businesses around our nation — to honor and recognize them. The first celebration of this holiday was only celebrated in Massachusetts in 2010. It was created as a way to work against Black Friday, which inevitably favors large chain stores and retailers.

But since that time, the holiday has spread throughout the nation. From the start, Small Business Saturday was sponsored by both the non-profit National Trust for Historic Preservation and by American Express. There are now Small Business Saturday celebrations in the UK and elsewhere around the world as well.

Why Participate in Small Business Saturday?

If you’re a small business owner, it, of course, makes sense to raise awareness of your business and other small businesses around the nation and the world on this day!

If you’re not a business owner, it also makes sense. That’s because consumers like you profoundly impact whether or not small businesses are able to get off the ground or maintain their business. By patronizing small businesses on this day — and raising awareness for others — you’re putting your money where your mouth is and let the world know that you appreciate small businesses and want them to stick around.

How Can Small Businesses Participate in Small Business Saturday?

Small businesses should prepare for Small Business Saturday by promoting the day online and in-store. You might consider holding a special event, an open house, or the release of a new product or service on this day. For more inspiration, head here to Shop Small®’s Get Inspired page.

How Can Others Participate?

If you’re a consumer, the best way to participate in Small Business Saturday is to buy from and patronize small businesses!

This might mean shopping at your local grocery store instead of the big chain supermarket in your town. It might mean grabbing a coffee at a local café instead of a chain coffee shop. Or it could mean ordering a piece of art, a tool you need, or something else from an independent retailer online.

Don’t Forget to Spread the Word!

Lastly, whether you’re a shopper or you own or work at a small business yourself, one of the biggest things you can do to support Small Business Saturday is spread the word.

Tell your friends and family about Small Business Saturday, use the hashtag #ShopSmall on social media, and of course, don’t forget to get out there and spend your money at small businesses in your area this Saturday, November 24^th, 2018!

In today’s digitally driven world, far too many personal and business devices are left unsecured. These devices don’t leverage strong passwords and fail to have the encryption needed to protect vital data. Whether companies choose to store data in public, private, or hybrid clouds, they should always ensure that the data is encrypted before it leaves their devices or networks. Additionally, when employees think that “this data isn’t important,” they are creating the weak links that hackers need to successfully infiltrate a device (or network) and subsequently steal unencrypted data, upload malware attacks, and otherwise wreak havoc on unsuspecting businesses. Unfortunately, far too many companies fail to understand the importance of encrypting both their devices and their data.

Why Should Businesses Encrypt Devices?

The primary reason that businesses need to encrypt all devices is due to the sensitive data that they hold. Take, for example, Amarillo, Texas which said that one of the companies in charge of a security payroll audit for the city lost a flash drive containing city employees’ names, bank deposit information, birthdays, social security numbers, and addresses. Fortunately, the flash drive was encrypted. However, if the device had been unencrypted, then the story could have been significantly more disastrous, especially when you consider the fact that each of the employees’ files could quickly be sold on the dark web or black market.

Secure Device Configuration

When devices are not correctly configured, then it doesn’t matter if your company has robust security protocols. With this in mind, securing devices is made easier when your business follows these vital steps:

1. Lockdown any services, including remote management systems, that you are not using.
2. Disable and/or change the default settings on ports.
3. Prohibit the use of outdated web technologies. In this vein, Java, NPAI, and Plugins need to be kept up to date to avoid any potential security vulnerabilities.
4. Create strong passwords.
5. Leverage encryption for any and all business communications, data, and devices.

It is important to note that you must complete all of the above steps. For example, if you use a strong password, but fail to properly encrypt your device, then it could still be subject to theft or hacking attempts. Fortunately, there are three additional steps that you can take to further protect your vital business data and devices.

3 Steps To A Strong Configuration

Securing your essential business data is made easier when you complete the following three steps.

1. Strong Passwords And Encryption. — Did you now that in 2017 81 percent of hacking-related breaches were due to stolen (or weak) passwords? In this vein, you must ensure that your employees are following password best practices. For example, the default password should never be used, the password should include both uppercase and lowercase characters, one number and one special character should be used, and the password should be between 8 to 16 characters. In addition to strong device and application passwords, you should always use encryption. It is especially crucial that sensitive data sent via email or stored on the cloud is appropriately encrypted.
2. Endpoint Protection. — Endpoint protection will require you to complete plug-in and browser updates, use an up to date anti-virus software, and implement a proven use Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and use Endpoint Threat Detection and Response (ETDR) that has been customized for your business needs.
3. Restrict The Number Of Login Attempts. — When an employee has an infinite number of login attempts, then their “strong password,” is made null-and-void. Instead, you should limit the number of login attempts to business devices or networks. As an added level of protection, you should ensure that employees can only access portions of your system from approved devices. After all, if an employee is using a compromised device to access your business network or data, then you are automatically opening the barn door for hackers to come in and wreak havoc as they decide what information they want to steal and inevitably sell.

The Bottom Line: Take The Steps Needed To Encrypt Data And Devices

If you want to ensure that your business data, devices, and networks remain secure, then you need to use the proper encryption methods. In addition to data and device encryption, you should also ensure that all devices have been appropriately configured. In conclusion, through endpoint protection, a restricted number of login attempts, secure passwords, and encryption best tactics, you can keep your vital business data safe from hacking attempts.

A recent survey of Canadian chief information officers expressed disappointment in IT outsourcing. The feedback the CIOs provided present an exceptional opportunity for IT companies to respond and hone their services and customer service to better serve corporate clients.

The annual CanadianCIO Census, sponsored by IT World Canada, shows that CIOs are dissatisfied with the investments they’ve made in outsourcing. Among the findings:

• Twenty-five percent of CIOs surveyed note that the outsourcing relationships had fallen short of expectations. That’s similar to the 2017 results, where 28 percent reported the same sentiment.
• “As a service” computing is taking the place of many traditional outsourcing products.
• Data indicate that more companies are investing in in-house staff, despite continued projected growth in outsourcing services. Gartner expects the outsourced IT market to reach $363 million by 2020 with 6.3 percent annual growth.
• There is a gap in expectations versus reality when it comes to what an IT provider does.

It’s evident that the opportunity to deliver better services is high.

What Are the Gaps in Expectations Between IT Providers and Clients?

Too often, businesses that outsource believe that once the contract is signed, the provider is going to take care of everything. Executives may not understand the need to establish and maintain an ongoing dialogue and relationship with the IT provider.

This disconnect raises an important consideration for IT company leaders. It’s imperative that you’re transparent with clients about how to make the relationship work. Many IT providers position themselves as virtual CIOs and tout their ongoing advisory services. IT companies should establish their executives as thought leaders who will be available for ongoing consulting and brainstorming. Reinforce that your commitment to the client includes recommending new technologies and solutions as they emerge and analyzing performance data to support improvements that will advance business goals.

What Is Needed for Transition Planning?

When you present a plan to refine, add or replace technologies and processes, there’s a critical need to be sure that project management is clearly outlined. The client and provider need to be on the same page about what the transition to new solutions will mean, scoping out the sequencing, significant milestones, timelines and impact on operations. Transition and project planning are essential to managing expectations from leadership, employees and customers.

The project management plan also needs to focus on information sharing and knowledge transfer. IT companies can position themselves as comprehensive service providers by focusing not only on what happens on Day but what will be done to ensure the client’s organization will be ready and prepared.

When Is Customization a Problem?

Many IT providers tout their ability to customize solutions for each client, taking into account the unique needs, challenges and opportunities. This is an important marketing point and should continue to be front and center. However, customization can often cause frustration.

For example, when a new solution needs to fit the way the client does work, there needs to be a lot of dialogue about processes. Sometimes, the client has not documented those processes, the processes are inconsistently applied within the organization, or existing documentation is inaccurate. At that point, the outsourced service provider often has to build new documentation, a time-consuming process that can add additional hours and cost to a client’s bill. Clients that are not expecting that expense can become unhappy quickly.

IT providers can avoid these issues by being clear at the front end about time estimates and identifying typical unforeseen problems that might add to the final project costs.

How Can IT Providers Help Clients?

One approach to improving the experience for clients … and their satisfaction levels … is to suggest a three-pronged approach to management and governance:

1. Encourage clients to train their staffs on how to work best with your company. Offer to help develop that training and help staffs prepare for change.
2. Suggest the client’s company build a governance structure. A management committee, for example, could draft a charter defining the key metrics that determine the outsourcing efficacy and how problems will be addressed.
3. Recommend the client appoint relationship managers that have the authority to work closely with the service provider and report back regularly to company leadership.

Experts estimate that as many as 42% of websites may have been impacted by Google’s Medic update that dropped mid-summer. And, as with so many Google algorithm changes, it came out of nowhere, leaving a wake of destruction.

Did you see your own company website’s ranking plummet as a result of the Medic Update? Here’s what you need to know to determine if you were affected and how to fix damage from the medic update.

Were You Impacted By Medic Update?

Do you want to know the truth? You very likely were impacted in some way even if you didn’t feel the brunt of it. It’s known as the “Medic Update” because it disproportionately affected health-related websites early on. But as the waves continued to roll, other industries and sites felt the aftermath:

• Fashion
• e-Commerce
• Local businesses
• Affiliate marketing websites
• Among others

Chances are that you fall into one of these categories. If you saw your search engine rankings dip — even slightly — in August 2018 with little to no recovery, you’ve very likely felt the wrath of Medic. Like many updates, it’s rolling out in sections so the decline may not be over.

While it never feels good to see your website lose ground in Google searches, know that Medic continues Google’s goal of elevating the highest authority websites which can best answer a searcher’s query. These are the ones that deserve those coveted top spots on page one.

If you take steps to adapt to the Medic Update, you have the potential to outrank the many websites that don’t. You could actually come out better than you were before when you learn how to fix damage from the medic update.

Step 1: Align Content with Searcher Intent

Before websites were impacted by the medic update, searching for a product or service may have sent you straight to a sales page. But this doesn’t reflect the modern buyer’s journey. Google knows that. This appears to be at least one thing that this algorithm change attempted to rectify.

70% of the buying decision is made before a person reaches a sales page. The Medic updates reflect this by pulling up more informational pages that help a potential customer make that decision.

If your website strategy largely revolved around the end of the buyer’s journey (sales), it’s time to put more focus on helpful content like blog posts, videos and interactive tools on your website.

Step 2: Utilize Google Shopping Ads

Ad clicks don’t directly impact your search engine ranking. But they do help you stay top of mind and build brand awareness over time when combined with a comprehensive brand awareness strategy. Google shopping ads have enjoyed a 47% increase in visibility year over year.

Don’t blame Google. It’s one of the main ways they make money. Increasing you pay per click (PPC) marketing budget will help you take advantage of this increased visibility and restore organic ranking indirectly.

Step 3: Check Your Link Profile

The number and quality of inbound links is still a known ranking factor. Relevant links from high authority websites help establish with Google that your company has an authoritative website. But Google search is getting smarter every year. It can more easily spot unnatural links that were likely purchased or otherwise unscrupulously acquired to manipulate your ranking. The aftermath for sites using questionable link-building strategies was swift and brutal.

It’s time to revisit your links using Google Search Console and more advanced link analysis tools like AHrefs, SEMrush or Moz.

Look for links coming from low authority and spammy websites. Disavow them using Google Disavow Tool.

Step 4: Be Clear About Ownership

Do you have a sneaky agenda for your website? You probably don’t. But some websites do. They leave it unclear who owns the website. For example, a business could create what appears to be a 3rd party review website and then review their own products. That’s not full disclosure.

Learn how to fix damage from the medic update on sites where ownership is unclear. Add your contact information to every header or footer. Or create a detailed “About Us” and “Contact” page. Make sure every page on any owned site has a link to these pages.

Step 5: Build Credibility

Some of those most impacted by medic update was giving health advice when it was unclear what credentials they had to do so. But this applies to any industry.

Consider adding a full, short bio on each blog post or informational page. Clearly, state the education and/or experience that qualifies the person to write and publish this content.

Remember E-A-T with every piece of content you produce. That’s…

• Expertise – Your content demonstrates that you’re an expert in your field and you have the credentials to prove it.
• Authoritative – Being authoritative is more about outside recognition. Do others in your industry recognize you as an authority? This may come in the form of reviews, links to your website, awards or ratings from organizations like BBB, Pulitzer or JD Power. Showcase this social proof of your authoritativeness on your website and work to get more recognition off-site.
• Trustworthiness – Trustworthiness comes in many forms. For one, you should be careful with the facts you communicate on your site. Stretching the truth or failing to cite sources doesn’t evoke trust. Second, trustworthiness comes in the form of your physical site. Your site is secure (HTTPS), easy to navigate and looks professional.

Step 6: Do Historical Optimization

Have you learned a lot about how to build a better website over the years? Most businesses have. There was a time when you could fairly easily rank low-quality content that wasn’t mobile-friendly or on a fast-loading page. But those days have passed.

You may have content on your website that is so far below your current standards, that it should be removed from the site. But you’re also likely to find pieces of content that would be excellent if you:

• Make them a little longer – the average blog post on page one is now over 1000 words. In some industries its over 2000.
• Beef up the content – Thin content that doesn’t really add value doesn’t rank well. Add real value, not fluff.
• Get rid of ungrammatical keyword usage – Google hasn’t used “exact match” keywords for some time. Google disregards unnecessary words and even many prefixes and suffixes when ranking websites. Keywords like “Luxury furniture Houston” that can’t grammatically fit in a sentence should be changed to “luxury furniture in Houston.” If the content used keywords unnaturally or every 100 words, find a synonym.
• Interlink – Content should link out to some reliable websites and interlink with one or more other relevant pages on your website.
• Connect with the target audience – Did your hook fall flat? Did people bounce off your website? Then you may need to evaluate how you’re connecting with that audience.
• Visuals – Pages that have more relevant images rank better.

If you’re not doing these things in current content, then it’s time to update your website.

How to Fix Damage from the Medic Update

The Medic Update hit a lot of websites hard. But the good news is that when you adapt by applying these 6 steps, you can come out on top. To learn more about marketing, follow our blog.