Managed IT Services Blog

There have been a myriad of myths surrounding cloud computing ever since its inception. Unfortunately, too many decision-makers believe these myths when evaluating a service like Amazon Web Services (AWS) for their backup solution, which can either lead them down a path where they live under a false sense of security or cause them to avoid using AWS due to misconceptions. Below, we will take a look at a few of the myths that surround AWS backup solutions and address them to give you the right information.

In Office 365, administrators have the option to enable an additional layer of security: multi-factor authentication (MFA). This feature allows the IT staff to set two or more verification methods when it comes to user sign-ins and other transactions. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a subset of MFA where the end user is required to provide two methods of verification, as opposed to more. But if you are not sure if you want to go through the trouble of enabling 2FA in your environment, let’s take a look at four reasons that may change your mind.

In 2016, VMWare and Amazon announced a partnership that would make VMWare Cloud available on Amazon Web Services (AWS). This partnership brought the capability for organizations to run their software both on their on-premises data centers and on the AWS cloud to create a true hybrid cloud or make it easier to move to the public cloud.

In 2017, Vade Secure reported that ransomware-infected emails rose 6,000 percent. Recent natural disasters have brought business operations down across the globe. Then there are outages that are the result of human error: Someone misconfigures something or enters the wrong command and systems go down.

Research from Gartner shows that nearly 40 percent of all money spent on technology purchases comes from outside of the IT department. Those purchases are known as shadow IT. Most organizations can relate to the problem of shadow IT. Not only does it open the door to security issues, but it can cause conflicts with business critical applications. In addition to these problems, dealing with the issues of shadow IT pulls the IT staff away from projects meant to meet business goals.

At its most fundamental level, a wireless site survey allows you to sift out reliable empirical data concerning Radio Frequency (RF) characteristics at a given location. A solid understanding of these characteristics and the data collected from the survey will likely reveal where any deficiencies are located, as well as areas of channel interference, dead zones, and other problem areas along the network.

Over the years, businesses’ mission-critical technology has expanded at a rapid pace. A network no longer consists of only servers, client computers, and basic networking equipment. Cloud computing has been introduced to host “X as a Service” solutions and applications that rely on big data, allow mobile and remote endpoints, network shares, and multiple communication applications, just to name a few. Even the solutions meant to secure the network and endpoints have grown complex to the point where a misconfigured security solution could leave an organization vulnerable.

This is why many organizations turn to outside partners to conduct a network security assessment. Having one performed by a trusted partner lets you know not only where your organization's security posture currently stands, but also what you can do to better protect yourself from the current threat landscape.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers small businesses a number of benefits. There are plenty of Amazon Machine Instances that are preconfigured so a small IT team can quickly spin up a virtual appliance, server, or other computing resource. Like any other cloud service, AWS offers scalability to allow business IT resources to grow on demand and it helps control costs by offering a number of different pricing plans. There are, of course, other benefits that entice small businesses to turn to AWS for a number of their computing needs. However, like any other resource, there are security considerations that you need to make.

The following list outlines five of the most important best practices any small business needs to consider when using AWS in their environment.

When it comes to choosing a victim, cybercriminals often look for low-hanging fruit. They seek the path of least resistance to keep their chances of success high and of getting caught low.

This is why so many criminals target small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It is no secret among SMBs that they are frequently targeted by attackers. In fact, a research report from the Better Business Bureau shows that 87 percent of SMBs are aware that they are not safe from cybercrime. Despite this awareness, cyberattacks cost SMBs an average of $2,235,000 in 2017. This means smaller companies are still failing to properly secure their assets.

Preparing for an Office 365 migration will help ensure that your implementation process is as seamless, efficient, and effective as possible. However, with so many moving parts to consider, it can be difficult to know where to begin. We’ve laid out three things you should know before kicking off your Office 365 migration.