Managed IT Services Blog

Although some companies are issuing return-to-office mandates, most acknowledge that remote and hybrid work is here to stay. Fact is, remote work works — studies show that employees are just as productive working remotely. Remote and hybrid work strategies also save organizations money and provide intangible benefits that make employees happier and more engaged.

As we noted in our last post about endpoint security, malicious actors increasingly exploit security vulnerabilities in endpoint devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. However, endpoint security has become far more difficult due to the huge numbers of remote and hybrid workers using unsupported devices to access network resources.

In our last post, we discussed some of the challenges of maintaining regulatory compliance in the age of remote work. We used the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS compliance) as an example. As organizations work to ensure compliance with the latest version, PCI DSS 4.0, they must extend those efforts to offsite staff. PCI DSS applies to remote workers who access, store, process or transmit cardholder data.

Endpoint devices facilitate remote and mobile work by allowing users to connect to the corporate network from almost anywhere. That also makes them enticing targets for malicious actors.

Technology breaks. Today’s hardware and software are extremely reliable, but something will inevitably become unstable or just stop working. To minimize the impact of such failures, it’s important to have contingency plans for the repair or replacement of your IT systems.

A company’s digital ecosystem being complete and up-to-date is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. This has made the efficiency of IT management a cornerstone for success, regardless of your company size or industry. As businesses strive to stay competitive and relevant in an increasingly interconnected world, the demand for seamless, reliable, and secure IT infrastructure has never been higher.

Backup and cybersecurity go hand in hand. Regular backups are the last defense against downtime if data is corrupted in a cyberattack. In many organizations, however, backup systems and processes simply aren’t up to the task.

The pace of business continues to accelerate, thanks in part to a mobile workforce and constantly connected customers. Competition is getting more intense. Providing a product or service immediately, effectively and efficiently is essential.

Cybercriminals are developing more sophisticated threats and using automation to launch them in high volumes. In response, organizations are adopting more security tools to help them detect and respond to these threats. The problem is that these disparate tools don’t talk to one another, making it difficult to get a holistic view of the organization’s overall security posture. This challenge is driving increased adoption of security information and event management (SIEM) tools.

The transition to remote and hybrid work styles has had a profound impact on network performance. Massive numbers of remote employees and bandwidth-hungry applications have significantly increased network traffic and intensified connectivity demands. Decades-old WAN designs aren’t up to the task.

The help desk remains a core element of most IT departments, but many organizations struggle with high staff turnover rates. The persistent IT skills shortage makes for fierce competition for technology professionals. Help desk personnel are among those most likely to leave for greener pastures.

Ever interact with a contact center agent who relied heavily on a script? Odds are, it wasn’t the best experience. Scripted interactions tend to lack personality, even if the agent inserts your name at the right points. Such interactions can also be frustrating if the script doesn’t align with your needs and the agent can’t adjust.

Recent ransomware attacks that disrupted city and county governments in Colorado, Georgia, Missouri and Pennsylvania highlight a worrisome trend of threats targeting public-sector organizations. Several new surveys note a sharp rise in attacks against federal, state and municipal agencies, school districts, and other public-sector organizations.

The demand for skilled IT professionals continues to exceed the supply. The IT trade group CompTIA estimates there are currently more than 2 million unfilled IT jobs in the U.S., and the shortage is likely to worsen in coming years due to an aging workforce and a dearth of IT education programs. In one Gartner survey, nearly two-thirds of IT executives said the tech talent shortage keeps them from adopting emerging technologies.

Managing today’s increasingly complex technology ecosystems requires specialized expertise that few organizations have on staff. As a result, more companies are turning to managed services providers (MSPs) to fill talent gaps and control costs while driving improvements in security, innovation and efficiency.

If you’ve ever experienced extended hold times, dropped calls or repeated transfers when calling customer service, then you are well-acquainted with the concept of “customer friction.” The term refers to anything that gets in the way of a smooth and effortless interaction between businesses and their customers — and it is contributing to a growing sense of dissatisfaction among U.S. consumers.

Security log files are a rich source of information about IT systems, providing critical insight into unusual login attempts, system changes, access requests and other anomalous activities that may have security implications. However, the sheer volume and diversity of logs generated across today’s complex IT environments makes it difficult to analyze and use that information.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has implemented new rules requiring publicly traded companies to report cybersecurity incidents. The rules will also affect privately held companies in a public company’s supply chain.

Although inflation has slowed considerably and interest rates have stabilized, many companies remain wary of lingering economic challenges. According to the recent State of IT Report 2024 from Spiceworks and Aberdeen Strategy & Research, 74 percent of companies say they are looking for ways to trim IT spending to conserve cash and maintain financial stability.

Growing numbers of artificial intelligence-based threats are expected to create unprecedented challenges for most organizations in the coming year. The FBI recently warned that businesses, governments and individuals should anticipate “alarming” increases in AI-powered threats over the coming months.

Enhancing the customer experience is a top priority for many companies — and with good reason. Myriad studies show that CX investments deliver a huge return. The Temkin Group found that companies can increase revenue by 70 percent or more within three years of investing in CX. According to a report from PwC, consumers are willing to pay 16 percent more for a great experience.

Billions of people worldwide use the Internet daily to send and receive information for personal and professional purposes. However, most have concluded that it is impossible to ensure the privacy of these transmissions. In a recent global survey by Statista, 63 percent of respondents said they consider privacy risk to be an acceptable tradeoff for the convenience of online communications.

Software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs) are effective tools for connecting increasingly distributed offices, data centers, cloud services and remote workers. Nevertheless, the technology remains something of a mystery to many business decision-makers. More than 30 percent of respondents to a 2022 survey cited a lack of knowledge about the technology as a key barrier to adoption.

A low-tech social engineering scam has created high-stakes consequences for MGM Resorts International. A September “vishing” attack cost the Las Vegas casino giant about $100 million, according to the company’s recently filed disclosure with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

There may be no use crying over spilled milk, but spilled data is another matter. When sensitive information inadvertently trickles out of networks or cloud platforms, it’s enough to bring tears to the eyes of executives, board members and IT leaders.