Managed IT Archives | Page 2 of 6

IT Strategic Planning for Canada SMEs

June 18, 2019/0 Comments/in Managed IT, Small Business IT /by James Wagner

For Canada SMEs, IT strategic planning plays a critical role in your overall ability to support your customers, remain competitive, and be positioned to recover from a natural or technological disaster. But an IT strategy is more than just a plan; it’s a comprehensive outline of your approach to IT that ensures that your IT infrastructure supports your business goals, that you are anticipating and proactively meeting the needs of your business, and that your investment in IT is planned and predictable.

In today’s rapidly moving business environment, most SMEs rely on their IT infrastructure to conduct most of their business. From accounting and office systems to communicating with customers, and from scheduling appointments and managing services to managing payroll and inventory and increasing efficiency, an SMEs IT infrastructure is often the backbone of the organization. Your IT strategy must be flexible and dynamic because technology does not stand still (and neither do hackers).

Your IT strategic planning process should consider the following factors:

Current market conditions
Competitive intelligence
Performance issues and identified areas in need of improvement
Customer satisfaction
Resource requirements
Staff training and support needs
Compliance requirements for your industry
Budget requirements
Current state of infrastructure

IT Strategic Planning Benefits for Canada SMEs

A lack of proper IT planning will impact your employees, your customers, and your bottom line. For example, without a plan in place for lifecycle management, you may find that the operating system you use to manage your IT infrastructure is out of date and no longer supported (Windows 7 support ends January 2020!). This creates not just a disruption in your operations but also a significant security risk to your organization. An IT strategy that includes a plan for lifecycle management makes IT costs more predictable. Proactive IT strategy planning is essential for successful SMEs. Other benefits include:

Improved operational efficiency
Increased profitability
Reduced risk
Improved business continuity
Increased alignment between business objectives and IT objectives
Ability to map future needs for better planning
Ensured statutory and regulatory compliance
Elimination of unnecessary downtime
Nominal disruption of operations

Securing networks and private data is a top priority for organizations of every size in Alberta. SMEs are the lifeblood of Canada’s economy, but these organizations are only as strong as the IT strategy supporting their operations. If your SME needs help with IT strategic planning, IT infrastructure support, and IT security, get in touch.

How To Manage Security Generation Gap in The Workplace

December 11, 2018/0 Comments/in Cybersecurity, Managed IT /by James Wagner

Organizations depend on a digital workplace for success.

A business operation relies heavily on IT to function seamlessly, which demands an IT security strategy that will support a secure network.

Unfortunately, few cybersecurity strategies address the generation gap that creates a disconnect between the technology used in the workspace and the existing security protocols.

When employee buy-in is essential to the success of any cybersecurity strategy, you need to address the concerns of different generations.

Different generations have different priorities

When analyzing Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials, studies have shown that each of these groups has a different perception of how cybersecurity should be prioritized.

It’s no surprise that the younger generations are more willing to take risks, particularly when it comes to the ease of conducting work remotely.

n contrast, Boomers are much less willing to share information.

There is never a blanket approach to cybersecurity for any organization, but finding the right fit starts with understanding your employees.

Consider why employees are ignoring best practices

Think about why your employees are circumventing security best practices.

Many organizations make the mistake of implementing a cybersecurity strategy that accounts only for worst-case scenarios, resulting in measures that are too invasive and ultimately halt productivity.

Limiting access to certain programs seems like a good idea in theory, but the only thing you achieve is the ability to frustrate your employees.

There must be an approach that protects the best interests of your company yet still enables your employees to do their jobs.

Apply contextual access management for remote work

Technology is driving the remote workspace, and Millennials and Gen Xers expect this perk, even in smaller companies.

SaaS applications are becoming more common for managing out-of-network access requests, thereby providing safe platforms for work to be conducted with fewer barriers.

Multi-factor authentication has also been proven to improve security.

Monitor activity to ensure use of best practices

Monitoring the end-to-end use of individual access is not a Big Brother approach.

It can be hard to navigate the generation gaps and understand where mistakes are being made, which is where data analytics can be incredibly useful.

Management can identify usage patterns and risky behaviours of employees, establishing the need for additional training in the prevention of cyber attacks.

This visibility benefits the entire organization so that you can understand what best practices are being shirked and why.

Regardless of generation, maintaining a positive user experience within the workspace is crucial.

Your security infrastructure shouldn’t inhibit any of your employees, and there are benefits to managing different expectations.

Technology is not going to slow down, and it is unlikely that you will ever have an entire workforce on the same page.

By adapting to the needs of your employees, you’re creating a cybersecurity strategy that is moulded around the details of your unique infrastructure.

The ITeam understands the cybersecurity issues facing Canada businesses. We are committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive, cost-effective IT strategies that minimize risk and maximize efficiency. Contact us to learn more.

4 Tips on Building a Better Cybersecurity Strategy

November 26, 2018/1 Comment/in Cybersecurity, Managed IT /by James Wagner

Many organizations work diligently to employ the latest cybersecurity technology.

Securing networks and private data is a top priority for organizations of every size in Alberta, yet there should still be major concerns with relying on technology alone.

The assumption that better digital infrastructure will prevent malicious attacks can put your business at risk.

Without the right practices, even the best digital defences don’t stand a chance.

1. Trust no one

Every organization should begin with a zero-trust model.

What is zero-trust?

It is the assumption that none of your networks, internal or external, are secure.

This demands a proactive approach that encourages consistent monitoring and constant improvement.

Zero-trust also demands that you avoid putting trust in network users.

As drastic as it sounds, best practice means never sharing passwords, never giving people access to more of your company information than it is necessary to do their jobs, and carefully vetting third-party vendors.

Use multifactor authentication whenever possible and implement emerging technology, such as behavioural analytics.

This detects network patterns and monitors user activity to fight insider threats, whether they are a result of innocent mistakes that can be remedied or are malicious activities that need to be checked.

2. Know what’s worth protecting

Businesses often make the mistake of implementing technology that is not useful to their unique IT needs.

Before you jump at the chance to install the latest cybersecurity update, identify your assets, the risks specific to your organization, and your main vulnerabilities.

Once you’ve measured performance and what needs to be strengthened, you can select the right tools and get the best return on your investments.

For example, a dental practice in Alberta is required to have specific protections in place for patient data that other organizations may not be required to have.

3. Focus on more than reactivity

Prevention is a critical part of any cybersecurity strategy, and predictive analysis has come incredibly far in the proactive identification of threats.

Big data offers businesses the opportunity to understand where improvements can be made based off automated processes and large sets of expansive cybersecurity information.

Technological advancements are also changing how businesses can manage risk.

However, no defence is foolproof. It’s a matter of when, not if, a cyber attack will occur, and your business needs a response strategy.

Machine learning utilizes algorithms to make predictions based on real-time communications and transactions, allowing you to formulate a response to potential threats.

4. Instill a culture of security fundamentals

The reality is, no cybersecurity technology can protect your business from careless staff.

Employees are often one of the biggest vulnerabilities in an organization, and the only way to remedy this weak link is to provide education and consistent training.

Tool integration is critical to a cybersecurity strategy, but only if employees understand why policies are important and how to use the tools available.

Awareness of cybersecurity threats and precautionary practices within your organization is the best compliment to emerging technology.

A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy necessitates a true understanding of preventative measures, along with the technological tools that are appropriate for your business needs.

Cybersecurity does call for constant updates as threats change; yet, relying on emerging technology alone will leave enormous vulnerabilities.

Best practices that have been the cybersecurity norm, such as employee education and the zero-trust model, should remain a considerable piece of every cybersecurity strategy.

When human error is always a factor, technology must have a human partner.

How To Choose the Best Managed IT Service Provider in Alberta

November 15, 2018/0 Comments/in Email Security, Managed IT /by James Wagner

Choosing the best managed IT services in Alberta comes down to finding a partner who will work with you to meet your business goals.

Cybersecurity Solutions For Alberta Small Businesses

September 25, 2018/1 Comment/in Business Continuity, Managed IT, Small Business IT /by James Wagner

Compliance is a concern on an international level, especially in matters of digital privacy and mandatory breach notifications for consumers.

Adoption of new policies is little more than a headache for larger businesses.

However, for smaller businesses, fewer affordable options are available and technical teams tend to be less skilled, if they exist at all.

Regardless, small businesses can’t afford to ignore the persistence of hackers and how susceptible they are to cybersecurity breaches.

The average small business owner loses $180,000 in a cyber attack

Losses of that size are large enough to sink a small business that suffers often irreparable damages and a tarnished reputation.

A ransomware attack can hinder operations for several days, and the affected business may sustain further financial losses as a result of government fines and consumer settlements.

Establishing an effective cybersecurity strategy starts with an understanding that every small business is at significant risk.

Implementing a solution for cybersecurity before disaster strikes is crucial.

Why are small businesses at risk?

The obvious reason small businesses are such lucrative targets is that historically, they do not invest in cybersecurity.

They are easy to exploit, and advanced techniques are unnecessary to gain access to critical data.

Research has also demonstrated that small businesses are more likely to pay the ransom because they are desperate to save their data.

With half of the small businesses shutting their doors in the six months after a cyber attack, a cybersecurity strategy is a serious and necessary investment.

Improving cybersecurity must be an industry-wide effort

Interestingly, Canadian restaurants are now being offered security assessments as part of an industry-wide initiative.

Restaurants are hot targets for cyber attacks because of the sheer amount of consumer credit card information that is stored.

Although these security assessments only highlight the risks and do not address a solution without additional cost, it is a step in the right direction.

Awareness of the problem and the depth of security risks will help small businesses prioritize cybersecurity appropriately.

Education and training are part of the solution

Regardless of business size or industry, internal threats continue to be a primary challenge.

Employees could be inadvertently opening phishing emails, using unsecured devices remotely to access private networks or using their credentials maliciously.

Human error results in the highest number of cybersecurity breaches, yet few small businesses address the lack of training that could minimize, if not eliminate, these risks.

Best cybersecurity practices stem from possessing the available information, and cybersecurity organizations are recognizing that access to cybersecurity strategies is beneficial to the entire economy.

Small businesses must take action to protect themselves from security breaches and malicious attacks; otherwise, they could lose everything.

Small businesses may be a prime target, but there is no reason to be defenceless.