IT Security Archives

February 23, 2022February 23, 2022 Admin IT Consultancy, IT Security

Be Proactive So Your Business Technology Doesn’t Fall Behind

Even fundamental operations are now significantly dependent on technology in most firms. Business owners should realize that using the latest technology is beneficial for usefulness, versatility, and overall productivity.

Adapting to the Changes

In the ever-evolving world of technology, today’s most modern and cutting-edge devices could be rendered obsolete in just a few years time. And you may have already purchased yours! Before that happens, though, you would probably have already upgraded to the newest version of the device, which will need to be upgraded again in a few years time, and so on… This phenomenon repeats itself in many other areas of our lives too – especially those connected with keeping up with the latest fashions and trends. The cycle keeps repeating itself to this day, but will it always be this way?

Reactive vs. Proactive

Most firms don’t have a proactive strategy, which is not the ideal answer due to the rapid pace of technological growth. Plan for when new technologies will be released and implement them accordingly. They will be able to keep ahead of the group in this manner. You’ll be several steps ahead of the competition by the time the rest of the industry learns about the innovations because you’ll already have them up and running in your system.

However, in practice, most organizations use a reactive strategy. Many businesses address issues only after they become chronic rather than before they become a problem. They may find a solution, but it does not make them proactive. Hardware and software updates are generally late or only done when necessary due to time, budget, or logistics restrictions.

Keeping Up with Technology’s Challenges

If you don’t want your company to fall behind the competition, you must constantly catch up with technology. It can, however, be exhausting, time-consuming, and expensive. Consider the thousands of dollars you’d have to spend every two or three years or so on new hardware and other devices. Consider how much time your employees would spend updating the company’s software packages regularly, followed by even more time learning how to utilize the new versions.

What about businesses that lack the financial resources to keep up with the frequent changes and updates? Despite these obstacles, it is necessary to keep up with technology and work toward business growth and success.

Keep Up To Date with A Dependable MSP

Would it be possible to be proactive so that your business’s technology doesn’t fall behind? There is, thankfully, a solution, and that is to hire a reputable MSP. A managed services provider, or MSP, can help businesses run more efficiently when working with IT. One of the many things they can do for your company is to take a proactive approach to technology maintenance. You won’t have to worry about staying on top of new updates or keeping an eye on your system for indicators of trouble. Because they’ll take care of it. Let’s look at some of the more noticeable advantages that utilizing a proactive approach to your IT can provide.

Improved Safety

The tools used by hackers and cybercriminals are evolving at the same rate as corporate technology. Being proactive, an MSP should provide cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions to protect your data and business from online threats. They’ll find weak spots in your system that need to be strengthened and address them to keep your business safe and allow for speedy recovery in the event of an attack.

Little Downtime

When a system fails unexpectedly, the entire organization could endure significant downtime as your in-house IT staff tries to get the system back online. Business operations will essentially halt at this time, and you will most certainly lose a significant quantity of money. The majority of downtime may be minimized or avoided altogether with the assistance of an MSP. Regular preventive maintenance, and system updates, can be scheduled around business hours to minimize the impact on business operations.

More Efficient Performance

It’s not only about avoiding difficulties when you’re proactive. It’s also about boosting productivity and streamlining corporate operations. By integrating shared applications and automating business processes, you can dramatically improve your organization’s performance.

Last Thoughts

Staying current with technology relevant to your organization takes a lot of time, effort, and money. Fortunately, if you have a dependable MSP, it is a lot easier and more cost-effective. If you’re unsure if your provider is giving you the best options, use these 7 audit questions to verify their performance. Give us a call if you’re not happy with what you’re getting from them. We’ll discuss the technology we’ll employ to keep your company ahead of the competition.

January 29, 2022January 28, 2022 Admin IT Consultancy, IT Security, Productivity

Use Technology For Onboarding and Offboarding

Technology plays a crucial role in the smooth operation of your business, regardless of the industry you are in. Even the most old-fashioned business owners have accepted that they need to utilize technological innovations to keep up with the competition and deliver the best service to their clients.

Indeed, technology contributes to almost all aspects of operating a business. However, to this day, many companies are still not maximizing the benefits that automation can give, particularly in the onboarding and offboarding process.

How Technology Helps with Recruitment and Offboarding

It is common for employees to come and go in any job position. A smooth offboarding process makes it possible to part ways amicably. In addition, you must have a quick onboarding process for new hires. This process ensures continued productivity and minimizes disruption of the overall workflow. Technology can do wonders to expedite both of these processes and make the adjustments easier.

The Onboarding Process

Before starting their new job, new hires typically spend a lot of time filling out HR documents, getting to know their coworkers, and training for their new role. These are all essential parts of the onboarding process. Technology makes these processes much more efficient.

Paperless Forms

Many companies today still require new hires to come in before their official first day of work to fill out piles of HR forms, many of which are highly repetitive. This antiquated step is quite surprising when you think of how easy it can be to put these forms online and have the new hires fill them out at their convenience. They can do it on their computers or mobile devices, and the auto-fill feature will also let them finish much faster.

Digital Introductions

In between starting a new job and adjusting to a new work environment, a new employee already has more than enough to handle for the first day at work. Introductions are part of the process, but you can’t expect a new hire to remember all the names and faces of their co-workers in just one go. Most companies now prefer digital introductions.

Instead of everyone accosting a new employee by saying hi and introducing themselves personally, they can record a short video introduction instead. The new employee can watch these videos before their first day to get an idea of who they will be working with.

Online Technology Training

Online training has many advantages over traditional classroom training for new employees and employers. Each trainee has a unique learning curve, so putting them all together in one group won’t give them the most out of the training. While some may want to move more quickly, others may choose to review the previous topics before moving on.

Online training allows everyone to learn at their own pace and style. This choice is why it is recommended that employers use technology to their advantage. To give new hires the best experience of this part of the onboarding process.

The Offboarding Process

In order to prevent any disruptions to the business or workflow, it is necessary to adhere strictly to established protocols. When an employee leaves their position due to death, resignation, or other cause.

Manual Offboarding

Many companies handle offboarding manually, like by sending emails and making phone calls. But in some cases, this can be risky if the organization is not very strict in implementing policies. Many people who feel they were unfairly terminated might still have access to company accounts or confidential information for criminal purposes.

Offboarding Checklist

The only way to circumvent all these problems is by being extremely thorough in your procedure. There is a long list of things to take care of when an employee leaves, and you must check your list carefully. All of the company’s property, such as laptops and cell phones must be returned. The former employee should no longer receive wages after their last day at work!

Automated Offboarding

Manual offboarding jobs can be overlooked. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that if you opt for a fully automated offboarding process. Automating the process will ensure accuracy and consistency. It will also help with compliance and all the legal requirements you must meet.

Enjoy Fully Automated Onboarding and Offboarding with the Right IT Service Provider also known as Managed Service Providers.

For those who want to reap the benefits of an automated onboarding and offboarding process. Your Managed Service Provider can take care of it.

On the other hand, if you already have an IT team handling the process. But you are not sure if they are doing a good enough job, you can recommend these 7 questions for audit. Find out once and for all if you are getting what you are paying for. Or if you are getting nickel and dimed. If you need to change your IT Provider, let us know! We will efficiently handle your onboarding and offboarding, as well as any other business process you need!

November 10, 2021November 10, 2021 Admin IT Security, Productivity

Tax deduction MSPs and how businesses can benefit from them.

It’s been a turbulent time for businesses over the last 18 months navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. Many had to accelerate their remote work policies and practices. As a result, business IT infrastructures were forced to change rapidly, and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) have been in high demand. This trend is set to continue for many years to come. So, why do businesses choose to use tax deduction MSPs? Well, companies can save a lot of money by outsourcing their IT, especially through HaaS (Hardware as a Service). Let’s look at the tax deduction benefits that come with using an MSP.

Save money with HaaS from an MSP

Estimates suggest that businesses that successfully deploy managed services reduce their IT outgoings by up to 45%. One of the ways in which businesses can save is by choosing HaaS (Hardware as a Service).

Reducing upfront capital expenses

The benefit of HaaS is that you reduce your upfront capital expenses. This means businesses can shift their budget allocations around and free up their cash flow. Essentially, it means that expenses come out of the operating expense budget (OpEx) instead of the capital expense budget (CapEx). As a result, managing monthly payments instead of large, upfront amounts is much more suitable for budgeting purposes.

Businesses that use HaaS have an advantage when it comes to paying taxes. With HaaS listed as a service rather than a capital expense, it reduces the liability that tax causes. This means that businesses can get the equipment needed without running the risk of getting into debt.

Access to newer technology

With limited finances, it’s hard for businesses to stay up-to-date with the latest technology. When using HaaS, Tax deduction MSPs have the responsibility to be sure the hardware will handle all your tasks efficiently. In the case that the hardware is no longer capable of delivering what companies need, the MSP will replace or upgrade the equipment.

Access to maintenance

One of the benefits of HaaS is that businesses have their IT systems maintained and looked after by experts. Often, smaller businesses don’t have the knowledge or expertise to deal with complex IT problems. Therefore, when they encounter a big issue, it tends to come with a large price tag to fix. With HaaS, the MSP maintains and manages all hardware for a fixed monthly sum.

Tax deduction MSPs – reducing costs with Section 179

Working with an MSP not only benefits your business’ IT, but it also comes with great financial perks. When tax season rolls in, Section 179 allows businesses to gain tax benefits for purchasing tangible goods, including IT hardware and services.

Final thoughts about tax deduction MSPs

Using an MSP has so many benefits, it’s no wonder so many small and medium-sized businesses are now choosing this way of working. With HaaS, businesses can save money, have up-to-date and well-maintained equipment, and increase their tax deductions. Contact us to see how we can help your business do the same today!

November 3, 2021November 3, 2021 Admin IT Security

Section 179 Deductions that Business Owners can use

When you’re a small business, it’s critical to get your taxes right. Many small business owners look for ways to maximize deductions to minimize how much tax they pay. One tax-saving loophole not everyone knows about that could help is the tax code Section 179 deductions. If you’re unaware of what Section 179 deductions is, this blog will help define it for you. We’ll explain tax 179 deductions and how you can take advantage of them with the help of your MSP.

As usual, we need to let you know that these offers may not apply to your business. To get the most out of this government program, we recommend consulting with your tax advisor. Now let’s learn how to save some money!

What are Section 179 Deductions?

When we talk about 179 deductions, these are the classic ” tax deductions,” but they offer extra benefits. With many write-offs, you can only take partial deductions over a few years. Suppose you buy a car for your business, but you can only write off a portion of the value over the next five years. By definition, Section 179 deductions in the tax code allows a business to deduct the value of a property purchased for the business against any profits (or losses) that happened during the year it was purchased and implemented, thus lowering the total tax burden. This “property” falls into the following categories:

Business Personal Property: This would include anything purchased for business use that isn’t bolted to a floor or wall. This includes furniture, computers, software — even paper and pens!

Machinery and Equipment: This includes items purchased for businesses that are too large to move or are bolted in place. An example of this would be a printing press or conveyer belt.

Business Vehicles: These are cars or trucks with a gross weight of more than 6,000 lbs and are used exclusively for business purposes.

Listed Property: This is property used for business purposes. In this case, you don’t have to use it entirely for business purposes, but you can only deduct the portion used for business proportionate to the time used. For instance: if you have a home office and work for eight hours a day for five out of seven days a week, it means you use your home for business purposes about 23.7% percent of the time, and therefore you could write off 23.7% of your mortgage.

Capital Improvements: When you improve a building used for your business, you can write off that expense. This section also includes items like air conditioning or alarm systems.

Section 179 – the basics for SMB Tax deduction

This section applies to deductions for property depreciation. It doesn’t increase how much you can deduct overall, but it does give smaller businesses the option to act more quickly. In some cases, an asset may be usable for up to 39 years. Section 179 means that a company can declare the deduction of this asset in one year alone instead of spreading over a longer time. Let’s say, for example, that a bar buys a new $4000 television. Based on ten years of the TV’s life, straight depreciation would only allow the business to deduct a percentage of the cost every year for ten years. With Section 179, the business owner deducts the whole amount the first year.

Why is this useful to small and newer businesses?

When you set up a new business, you have a lot more going out than you do coming in, and there are a lot of assets that need to be purchased. Section 179 deductions means that new business owners can take advantage of deducting their purchases now. Smaller but established businesses can also take advantage of buying new assets to help grow their company. Buying things upfront is costly, so with Section 179 deductions, this outgoing is less burdensome. In addition, you don’t have to wait years to benefit from tax deductions when you purchase assets.

What assets qualify for Section 179 deductions?

It is possible to deduct taxes for business assets that will last over one year (as determined by the IRS). These include:

Office furniture
Machinery
Business equipment
Business vehicles
Software
Computers

Of course, more groups apply, so talk to your tax advisor for more info.

MSP – How can they help?

A Managed Service Provider can help you maximize your tax savings from Section 179 deductions. In addition, they will be able to guide you through the options for your hardware and software needs. Finally, they can help forecast your business’s future needs in terms of technology, including purchase, finance, or lease services for equipment. Contact us before time runs out!

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021 Admin IT Security, Productivity

Can Businesses be denied Cyber Insurance?

In our world of constantly evolving and varied cyber threats, many organizations consider cyber insurance to help them get back on their feet should they fall victim to a cyber event. Data breaches and ransomware attacks can also require specialized expertise and funds to deal with. For these reasons, many business owners choose to purchase cyber insurance for financial protection should an incident occur. Here are some reasons why you get denied cyber insurance

Cyber security insurance used to be either very expensive or a cheap add-on to an existing policy. These days, it has its niche market and has become a critical need for many businesses.

It’s worth noting, however, that cyber insurance does not solve all cyber-related problems, and it won’t ever prevent a cyberattack or data breach. Just like businesses with physical property need to put appropriate measures in place for security, so do companies with intellectual property.

Unique cyber insurance for a unique business

Generic business insurance doesn’t cut the mustard. It rarely even mentions data loss. Of course, there are overlaps in many cyber insurance policies, but businesses should have coverage that is as unique as their business.

Beyond the basics, there are various additions and enhancements that policies can offer. As a result, you won’t know what to watch out for unless you’re aware of them. There are enhancements such as social engineering coverage (for employees who get duped into doing things), reputational harm coverage (often related to a security breach), and technology bricking (replacing technology equipment that is no longer usable after malware infection). Make sure you cover everything important to you.

Cyber insurance prequalification

Even if businesses prequalify for cyber insurance, it is still possible to get denied. Even if you have had cyber insurance in the past, it can still happen to you. There are many reasons for this.

Poor plans for business continuity and disaster recovery

Cyber insurance providers want a return on investment. If a provider believes your business cannot recover from a disaster, they may deny your application. Disaster recovery doesn’t just mean having backups. Businesses need adequate disaster recovery plans to make sure they’re able to survive after a cyber event.

Poor account security – multi-factor authentication

Businesses are often denied cyber insurance coverage due to the lack of multi-factor authentication. Many providers focus on account security before they offer a policy.

Poor cybersecurity awareness

Training employees is essential for maintaining appropriate cyber security. It’s no secret that employee involvement is one of the weaker aspects of business security. Training for employees is vital – and it needs to be updated as cyberattacks evolve.

Inadequate endpoint security

Many policies require more than antivirus software. Businesses often need endpoint detection and response tools that combine several security measures covering a range of detection and prevention techniques.

Using an MSP to assist even if you have cyber insurance prequalification

Being denied cyber insurance is a daunting prospect, and when a business gets rejected once, it’s even harder to get a policy. This roadblock is where your Managed Service Provider comes in.

By using an MSP to help with cyber insurance prequalification, you’re making sure you have experts looking into everything with an experienced eye. Your MSP can help rectify the areas that need improving if you do not qualify for a cyber insurance policy.

Final thoughts

Even if you have a prequalification for cyber insurance, you can still get denied coverage. MSPs can help you secure cyber insurance and cyber insurance prequalification by assisting businesses to meet the necessary criteria. For more information, get in touch with us to schedule your free cyber security business review.

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Resources: IT Security