With the rising number of cyber threats, it can be difficult to ensure the availability of your business-critical systems. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in particular are causing severe downtime for organizations everywhere. Here’s what you need to know about what this increasingly-common threat could mean for your business. What Is a Distributed Denial of Service Attack? Distributed denial of service attacks occur when compromised systems flood a server with junk internet traffic. The result? Normal traffic is disrupted, and legitimate users are unable to access their systems or devices. Unlike other attack types, DDoS attacks aren’t an attempt to steal information but to take down a website, and motives often range from extortion and hacktivism to pure [...]

Even if you invest in the latest, most innovative technologies, they will eventually become obsolete. However, with a well-executed asset management system, you can prolong your information technology assets' viability and get the most value for your technology spend. What Is IT Asset Lifecycle Management? Defined simply, IT asset lifecycle management - often referred to as just IT asset management (ITAM) - is the ongoing process of ensuring your IT assets are tracked and used to their full potential. The goals of ITAM include optimizing spend, improving organization-wide decision making, and boosting productivity. Stages of the IT Asset Lifecycle All of your IT assets, no matter the type, go through the following stages: Planning With a practical, proactive plan, [...]

Businesses are always on the lookout for ways to streamline and automate their operations, maximize efficiency, and boost their bottom line. For many, moving their data and applications to the cloud is the answer. There are many benefits of cloud computing, such as: Cost-savings: With cloud technology, you only pay for what you need. Security: Your data might not be stored onsite, but it’s the job of the cloud host to monitor and manage your information and proactively address threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. Flexibility: Whether you’re a small or enterprise-sized business, cloud computing allows easy scaling to fit your needs and objectives. Choosing to move your data to the cloud can transform the way you do business, but heading into [...]

Outsourcing IT services to a managed IT service provider is one popular way to augment your in-house talent and help provide you with the technology and support you need to move strategic initiatives forward. But whether or not you reach your IT goals depends largely on the success of the provider-customer relationship. When it comes to IT, it’s not just about having a managed service provider (MSP) by your side to keep an eye on your technology. It’s just as much about developing a good relationship with that provider so they can bring the most value. Here are seven things you should look for and expect from an excellent MSP: Improved efficiency & cost savings Whether you are a [...]

The cloud is far from being an amorphous, indistinct thing. Cloud computing power is actually made possible by several physical, integrated components, including hardware, virtualization, storage, and networking devices. These components are what make up the cloud’s infrastructure, whether you are operating in a public cloud (like Microsoft Azure), private cloud, or hybrid cloud environment. Here we take a closer look at what all these resources are and how they contribute to make the cloud possible. What are the cloud infrastructure components? There are a number of key components that are needed for cloud computing. The four primary ones are hardware, virtualization, storage, and networking. Hardware Physical hardware lays the groundwork for cloud infrastructure and can be positioned in different [...]

Amping up your threat intelligence and response is likely important to you, but if you lack the internal resources to do those things well, you may want to consider managed detection and response. What is managed detection and response (MDR)?Managed detection and response services involve cybersecurity and threat hunting provided by an external MDR vendor. It improves threat detection and incident response through continuous monitoring of IT assets. Why does a business need MDR?Many organizations know that cyberattacks are an issue and that fortifying cybersecurity is an important part of doing business, but they may not have the resources in-house to deal with advanced threats and security events. MDR is not a software or application. The emphasis is on service that includes both [...]

When it comes to accessing talent and expertise in certain areas, small-to-medium sized businesses can be at a disadvantage. The big guys have deep pockets for the high leadership headcount that SMBs often do not. While enterprise-level organizations have every “C” in the suite right under their roofs — from CEO to CIO to CMO to CPO and so on — SMBs need to get more creative in identifying how to access the resources that larger businesses have in-house. When it comes to technology leadership, that’s where a fractional CIO (chief information officer) — also known as a virtual CIO or vCIO — comes in. If you’re one of those smaller businesses that doesn’t have a full-time CIO, you can [...]

If you are an IT decision maker, you may be one of the many fast-tracking your digital transformation efforts. The technology needs of your business have likely changed, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Or you may be driven to transformation by something else entirely, such as competition, rapid growth, or stagnant legacy systems. Whatever it is pushing you to transform now, you’re probably already familiar with the “what” and “why.” You may have even been brought to your role specifically to disrupt the digital status quo, with an end goal to produce better business outcomes. If so, you’re not just looking to implement new technologies. You’re charged with a full-scale overhaul of the organization’s very philosophy of and approach [...]

The success of any disaster recovery plan hinges on whether or not two key metrics are achieved: Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO). But what do those two metrics mean, exactly, and why do they matter? While the two sound somewhat similar, they actually have very different roles in your disaster recovery plan and can help you achieve business continuity in the face of disruption or downtime. Recovery Time & Point Objectives Defined Recovery Time Objective (RTO) can be defined as how quickly your systems or applications must be back online following a disaster. In other words, how much time after a disaster occurs can acceptably pass before systems are recovered without significant damage to the [...]

How Cloud Services Can Ensure You Make the Most of Your InvestmentThere are solid financial and operational reasons to be in the cloud. But once you embrace the cloud, where do you go from there?How can you make sure you’re leveraging everything your cloud has to offer — whether you’re on a public cloud platform, in a private cloud, or working with a hybrid cloud deployment model — so that you’re maximizing your cloud spend?Cloud computing services help you realize the potential of the cloud for your business, so you can take full advantage of the flexibility, scalability, and mobility available to help you run and grow a modern and efficient business.Here are six ways cloud services can help you [...]

Considering outsourcing your IT support, but not quite sure what services are covered or what an engagement with an outside IT provider would look like day-to-day? Businesses rely on technology to keep all of their operations running smoothly. But the question becomes, who keeps the technology running smoothly — especially if you’re working on a small budget or with a small team? Whether you’re a small or medium-sized business, or even an enterprise-level company, you can benefit from having an external provider deliver some or all of the IT functions your business needs. Here are some of the most common services an outsourced IT company provides: Remote support/service desk support What this is: This resource can gain remote access [...]