Managed IT Services Blog

In a previous post, we discussed five important cybersecurity lessons we learned in 2021. Growing numbers of endpoints used outside the security perimeter have created significant new risks. Cloud misconfigurations are also a leading source of security threats, and protecting data across the extended environment is increasingly difficult. Users need more effective training so that they understand their cybersecurity responsibilities, and organizations are struggling to hire enough security experts to meet their needs.

With the shift to remote and hybrid workstyles, organizations are relying on technology more heavily than ever to link users, applications and data. This has given malicious actors new ways to gain unauthorized access to the network.

The demand for video surveillance technology continues to increase as organizations seek to protect critical infrastructure and provide a safe, secure environment for employees, customers and guests. Operators of office buildings, hospitality venues, retail establishments, hospitals and schools are implementing video surveillance solutions to protect against a variety of risks — from physical violence to theft and fraud. Surveillance solutions are also being deployed as part of “smart cities” projects.

Despite the widespread adoption of cloud platforms and services, organizations continue to maintain mission-critical applications in onsite data centers. IT teams need the ability to remotely monitor on-premises equipment to optimize performance, troubleshoot problems, and take proactive measures to prevent downtime and business disruption.

Despite record levels of cybersecurity spending in 2021, senior IT leaders remain pessimistic about their organizations’ overall security posture. Nearly 80 percent of those polled recently by IDG said their organizations aren’t adequately protected against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Ransomware attacks have skyrocketed. An IDC study found that approximately 37 percent of organizations have fallen victim to some form of ransomware. Phishing, denial of service attacks and cryptojacking are also on the rise, with damages related to cybercrime expected to exceed $6 trillion globally in 2021.

With the rollout of 5G networks moving at a rapid pace, major wireless carriers are phasing out their old 3G technology. Verizon plans to sunset its 3G network on Dec. 31, 2021, while AT&T will turn off 3G sometime in February 2022. T-Mobile will shut down the 3G network purchased from Sprint on Jan. 1, 2022, and its own network sometime in April 2022.

Infrastructure improvements, expanded cloud adoption, enhanced cybersecurity and advanced analytics are expected to be among the top IT priorities in 2022 as companies around the world continue to refine their visions of the future of work. Gartner analysts expect IT budgets to grow by 3.6 percent — the fastest rate in more than 10 years.

Long before Halloween was over, the candy and goblins were shoved aside to make room for Christmas gifts and decorations. Many consumers are starting their Christmas shopping early this year amid concerns of supply chain bottlenecks and inventory shortages.

There’s no such thing as bulletproof security. It simply doesn’t exist. Even organizations with world-class security controls can fall victim to zero-day exploits, weak or stolen passwords, or user error.

Many security experts agree that ransomware is the greatest cybersecurity threat organizations face today. Ransomware attacks nearly doubled in the first half of 2021, compared to 2020. In a recent Sophos survey, 37 percent of respondents said they were affected by ransomware in the past year. The National Security Institute estimates that the average ransom demand is now $200,000, compared to $5,000 in 2018.

In August, the Louisiana coast was devastated by Hurricane Ida, which damaged thousands of businesses along with homes and basic infrastructure. Many of those businesses experienced extended downtime that severely impacted their operations.

For decades, the term “telecom provider” was just a fancy way of referring to the phone company. Now there is a wide range of options for voice and data connectivity, and choosing the right one is critical to the success of business operations.

For most organizations, the shift to remote work is not a temporary fix to meet pandemic-related social distancing requirements. It’s now a permanent feature of modern workstyles — and that is creating IT challenges.

Phone calls represent just 5 percent of all business communications, according to some estimates. Organizations have a wide range of alternatives, including email, online chat, text messages and conferencing platforms. Voice communication may seem slower and more cumbersome than these newer technologies, but it still has tremendous value.

One of the biggest dilemmas organizations face is whether to manage IT in-house or to outsource to a managed services provider (MSP). In-house IT management often seems like a good idea. The organization maintains control over IT processes and can prioritize support according to business needs.

The inland marine sector is increasingly reliant on computing technology. Tugboat and towboat operators use an array of systems and applications to automate processes, track cargo and collect valuable data on the performance and maintenance of their vessels. While some of these systems are housed on board, others are hosted in shoreside data centers and the cloud.

Ransomware and other cyberattacks targeting the global maritime shipping industry have increased by 900 percent over the past three years, according to the World Economic Forum. The numbers reflect both the increasing value of maritime targets as well as the unique challenges of securing ship-borne IT systems.

Data breaches continue to skyrocket. According to the 2021 Mid Year Data Breach QuickView report from Risk Based Security, there were 1,767 data breaches in the first half of this year, exposing almost 19 billion records. The severity of breaches is also increasing, with two incidents exposing more than 1 billion records.

Cybersecurity is one of the most significant business challenges that organizations face today. The Center for Strategic and International Studies reports that global business losses from cybercrime reached nearly $1 trillion in 2020, almost double the previous year’s losses. Cybersecurity is a risk management issue that requires board-level oversight.

The IT environment is increasingly distributed thanks to remote work and the Internet of Things (IoT). Hundreds or even thousands of devices are now accessing the network from outside the corporate data center, making it difficult to ensure performance, reliability and security. These challenges have contributed to the rise of the edge computing model.

In its June 2021 “Patch Tuesday” release, Microsoft addressed a local privilege escalation weakness in the Windows Print Spooler service. However, researchers soon found a more serious vulnerability in the service — a remote code execution attack called PrintNightmare. Microsoft issued an out-of-band patch to fix this vulnerability, and urged administrators to apply it immediately.

Organizations of all sizes are accelerating their digital transformation (DX) initiatives in response to the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Business leaders recognize that agile, flexible and digitized businesses have the resilience to respond to disruptive events. This is driving efforts to automate business processes, implement advanced technologies and adopt cloud services.

Managing and maintaining an on-premises data center comes with costs and challenges that often divert resources from business-enabling initiatives. In light of that, many organizations are looking to get out of the data center business by moving IT infrastructure offsite. By utilizing the services of a co-location facility, organizations can reduce overhead and improve the reliability of their IT environment.

The FBI released a bulletin on May 21, 2021, warning of ransomware attacks targeting healthcare and first responder networks. The law enforcement agency said it had identified at least 16 incidents of Conti ransomware attacks that affected the networks of U.S. healthcare facilities and first responders, including 911 dispatchers, emergency medical services, law enforcement and municipalities.