Tech Support is Essential for Small Businesses

Many small business owners face many challenges. These include insufficient staff, client dependence, and the balance between creating quality products and increasing sales. The bottom line is the most common challenge small businesses face. Did you know that you need IT support, too?

Many small businesses struggle to grow with limited resources. This makes it difficult for them to allocate limited funds. IT support Charleston SC is a problem area that small businesses often neglect.

It is not a smart move, given how dependent modern businesses are on computers and networks for their day-to-day operations. Your company is likely to be hacked, even if you have an IT consultant on staff or a dedicated network management administrator.

This day will likely come sooner than expected and cause more damage if you don’t have these professionals to help. If you’re still relying on tech support at your local computer shop or worse, the least qualified member of your staff, it’s time for you to review your strategy and protect your clients’ (and your company’s) best interests. Small businesses need tech support for many reasons such as to prevent data breach.

Implement Appropriate IT Support Solutions

Your tech support staff, as well as reputable consulting firms, can help you find the best solutions for your business, while balancing your budget and needs. This is crucial for two reasons.

The average small business owner may not know much about the available software and hardware options, let alone which ones are best suited for their needs. IT specialists can help you put together the right pieces, protecting your operations and ensuring efficiency.

Tech support services are also available to manage existing infrastructure, update software and implement upgrades when needed. The modern business world needs the best technology to ensure stability and growth.

Maintain Systems

You don’t just need a professional to install your infrastructure. Experts also need to manage your systems. Although employees and business owners can update firmware and hardware frequently (or automate updates), it is better to have an expert managing your computer networks.

Monitor Your Use

The right structure can make it easier to ensure efficiency and security in computer and network operations. Human error is still possible.

Monitoring services and specialists are available to help. Monitoring by technical support staff is a crucial element of protection, whether you are worried about employees misusing resources or want to guard against data breaches.

Employees should be educated

Your staff should be trusted to create and manage passwords correctly. It is also important that they behave in the best interests of the company when using technological resources. This is why you have policies.

You can keep your employees educated about computer and network systems by providing technical support. Hackers constantly invent new ways to trick employees into giving them access. Tech support specialists and consultants can keep you informed about the latest hacks and help your employees stay in the loop.

Prevent Breach

This is why tech support is so important. It doesn’t matter if hackers target your business, it’s a matter of when. Your small business is more susceptible to hacking than you think. This includes the potential for data loss, legal troubles, reputational damage, and possible lawsuits.

Maximize Profit

You will have to pay for tech support regardless of whether you employ professionals internally or outsource. You’ll still be able to reduce waste and maximize profit.

You will eventually have to pay someone for tech support. Either you can hire dedicated staff or work with professionals. You’ll receive support that is familiar with your business in an emergency. Reliable tech support experts will be there to help you when your computer crashes or hackers infiltrate your system.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you need IT support services from professional IT specialists.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

Information Security is Critical for Your Business

Many people don’t realize the importance of information security in companies. Managers often believe that their information is safe and secure. This is a huge mistake.

While a company may take steps to protect intellectual property, it is important not to believe that anyone can hack into your data.

Attacks on cybersecurity are rapidly evolving with the rapid advancement of technology. Your organization could be again at risk before you even know it.

This is why you need to be extremely careful about your confidential information.

What is Information Security?

Infosec is the process of protecting business information from unauthorized access, counter threats and confidentiality. Information security is the protection of company data that has been secured within the system against malicious purposes. Information can come in any format, digital or not. Information can include your business information, personal information, and confidential data stored on your computer, mobile phone, or other devices.

Information Security: Why is it so Important?

Because of the importance of the internal information and its contribution to the company’s equity, it can be harmed. This can trigger a domino effect which can lead to several undesirable consequences such as data loss, damage and exposure of secrets, and even plans being affected.

The entire company is at serious risk of losing its online security and data from customers and business partners.

Cyber-attacks can cause severe problems and irreparable damage to businesses. Even the smallest cyber-attacks can cause serious problems.

Many small and medium-sized businesses find they are not potential targets and don’t need to invest in data security.

Many successful attacks were launched against companies of this size due to the inability to protect these systems.

Large companies that suffer losses due to an attack often experience a greater commotion than the material stolen. This action can cause more damage than just a few losses in small businesses. It can also lead to the demise of the company.

Information that is important can be leaked or stolen could lead to financial problems and even bankruptcy.

Top Information Security Threats

These are the main challenges for those working to protect data within organizations.

Malware

Malware is an infection agent that attacks software or a part of software with malicious code to cause damage to data or devices within an organisation.

Attack on Vulnerabilities

Hackers and criminals are looking for weaknesses in companies that could facilitate their attacks.

These vulnerabilities result from the company’s negligence.

Old equipment, unprotected networks and misconfigurations are just a few of the risks that can go unnoticed.

Phishing

This attack is done through electronic fraud.

What are the characteristics of phishing efforts to obtain personal data among other applications?

One of the best ways to get infected is by impersonating someone within the company via email.

This practice has hidden goals such as identity theft and the collection of banking information.

Offline System

Some systems are invulnerable to attacks, while others can’t be downed. These attacks cause crashes that damage company image or worse, reduce revenue.

Insecurity

Certain data and information must be kept confidential and should only be accessed by highly reliable and authorized persons.

If this basic rule of data protection is not observed, individuals outside of trust circles could have access to the data and may misuse it.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you want to know more about information security.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

Five Signs That Your Small Business Needs a Managed Service Provider

How efficient is your network’s performance? Are you concerned about security flaws? Are you constantly dealing with IT problems? You might be able to get some outside help through managed IT services provider. You don’t need to be there for problems that arise and can’t be fixed, but you should be there before they happen. Managed services providers can assist your company by taking care of many tasks related to protecting, updating, and monitoring your network. A managed services provider will be proactive and focus on performance to help you and your team grow your business.

What is a Managed IT Services Provider?

Maybe we should all be more level-headed for the second. Different companies, industries, or providers may use managed services and managed service providers to mean different things. A managed service provider (MSP), delivers services such as network, application and infrastructure through on-going support and active administration at customers’ premises in the MSP’s datacenter (hosting) or a third party data center.

Small businesses find MPS to be most useful in the IT support area. This includes outsourced technical support, remote monitoring and management support services, as well as outsourced technical support for break-fix onsite. These service providers aim to offer higher levels of customer support than a typical desktop or operating system support. All of these services are delivered via a predictable monthly agreement known as a Service Level Agreement (SLA). SLAs are a contract between you and your provider that sets out the expectations for their response time. This allows you to have a clear time frame for solving any IT issues that may arise.

MSPs, through their IT services, allow your staff to concentrate on their day and not on chasing down incidents, troubleshooting IT problems, or waiting for Mediocre providers to resolve your problem. MSPs often offer a retainer service, which is a cost-effective and affordable way to add some insurance to your IT environment. It might be difficult to know if your Boise-based business could benefit from a managed service provider. This question is often asked by potential customers. Here are some ways that an MSP can help you business succeed:

Five Signs That Your Small Business Needs a Managed Service Provider

Your (IT) team is overwhelmed

Many small businesses don’t have an IT specialist. If they do, they’re likely to be wearing multiple hats just like the rest of your employees. You can’t afford to lose anyone on your team for Microsoft updates, printer problems, or phishing attacks. Your company must provide regular, proactive updates to ensure network security. This includes employee training, increased awareness of threats, monitoring 24×7, and frequent, proactive updates. You can help your IT staff if they are struggling or if you want to allow them to concentrate on their jobs.

Are you worried about the cost of your purchase?

It will be costly to continue adding IT professionals to support your business’s needs in emerging technologies. TechCare, our Managed Service offering for small businesses, has been a huge success. Because we understand the importance of a strong IT infrastructure for your business, we created this service exclusively for Bosie SMBs. MSPs offer a variety of services, so make sure to find the right partner for you. SpartanTec, Inc. offers on-going network support and regularly scheduled maintenance. This allows CEOs of small businesses to focus on their core business activities, rather than on IT support.

Security is a concern

Ransomware, Phishing, and other malware attacks are increasing in severity for all businesses. You can feel uneasy if you are responsible for data or client information. We don’t recommend that you attempt to combat security preparedness on your own. An MSP can provide you with additional eyes to monitor network activity and give you security. If your team is not able to perform the tasks that you expect, such as patch management and antivirus monitoring, then they may neglect routine tasks like patch management and patch management.

Your business could be damaged by a disruption

Hacking and cyberattacks can disrupt your business. This is something we all agree on. Cybercrime is on the rise. It’s not only about disruption to your employees internally, but also about disruption to the service you provide to your customers. What would a delay look for customers? What would it do to their perception of your ability and willingness to fulfill your order, contract, or service? You can’t order, service customers, or collect payments if you don’t have access to your network. Although we encourage small businesses to use a MSP, it is important that you minimize risk.

Your team is stuck in a reactive state

You might be able to applaud your employees for their willingness to help their team improve efficiency if they are a bit sloppy. If you don’t have IT as your primary function, adding devices, workstations and software on the fly can create a network that is far more complex than anyone can manage. You can protect your network and control your growth by taking proactive care. If you respond to your changing needs and do not plan for the future, then you may overspend and become more vulnerable. An MSP can help you develop a plan and a realistic approach to growth, and make sure your network is ready for when you need it.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you’re interested in getting managed IT services for your business.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

Reasons You Need Managed Firewall Services

The digital threat landscape has changed dramatically since early 2020. The digital threat landscape has changed dramatically. What was once a good idea no longer works and bad actors can now compromise systems in many new ways. In 2020, small and medium-sized businesses will shift responsibility for managing their firewalls and other network security systems to third parties. The number of providers offering managed firewall services has increased dramatically.

You might not have received an email or call introducing these services to you yet, but it is possible. Hackers are likely to be able to hack your network while you’re busy running your business, or your IT guy who is a jack-of all trades, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. Managed firewall services provide additional security to your network and help prevent any potential disasters.

The benefits of third-party managed firewall services

We’ll be discussing the top 5 reasons it’s important for managed firewall Charleston SC services, and what you should know. You may be familiar with some of the benefits of managed firewall services, while others may not. We found that even though you may be aware of the benefits of managed firewall services from third parties, you still haven’t been able to strengthen your business by using them. We hope you now have a better understanding of the complex threat landscape and the reasons why a third-party network security company is a good idea.

Your current firewall configuration settings are probably wrong

We found that 95% of our new clients had their firewall incorrectly configured when we first started working with them. This is a very important piece of IT that even managed IT services Charleston SC professionals can get wrong. A network engineer with extensive experience can properly configure a firewall for a specific network. A firewall can be useless if it is missing any of its configuration parts. This is because hackers will find a weakness in the firewall. A properly configured firewall is as important as buying the right firewall. Managed firewall services are a great option. This is the first benefit clients receive when they start their 3rd-party firewall management journey.

Maintaining Compliance

You may have to adhere to stricter cybersecurity regulations depending on your industry. However, all businesses and organizations are responsible for protecting the data of clients and employees. A team of highly-trained network security engineers can help you keep your business compliant and show customers that you are committed to providing the best environment for sensitive data.

Talent & Specialty

This skill set is rare in the market. Many businesses leave their security in the hands an internal IT person who is proficient with all but firewalls. We often find that the IT guy is unable to protect the company’s security. This means that unless your IT guy is highly trained, you will always be one step behind criminals or exposed to digital threats. Third-party managed firewall service companies hire top talent and only hire those who have the skillset to remotely manage firewalls as well as the touchpoints that surround them.

24/7 Network Monitoring

Hackers are available 24 hours a day, so your network security team should be available 24/7. Security management is not a 9-5 Monday to Friday job. Firewall managed services provide 24/7 monitoring and threat detection protection to your business. This is vital because you can trust professionals to protect your business and ensure its safety no matter the time.

Cost

Firewalls.com’s main offering is managed firewall services. We have the luxury of paying top talent to help protect our clients. Because these expenses are not sunk costs but revenue-generating, we can do it. Multi-organization deployments of human assets are possible for a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time network security engineer. Beyond the salary for a full-time engineer, there are other costs. These include time and money to find employees in-house. This may not happen. Recruiting is expensive and can take up to a year. Our clients choose us because we can skip the line and provide expert firewall management services and IT support for a fraction of the cost. Firewalls.com can deploy quickly (time), and costs less than full-time employees.

SpartanTec, Inc. is a trusted security provider that can protect your network’s security. We have earned the trust of our clients by offering US-based support, real people pick up the phone and lightning fast ticket resolution ratings. To get started or for a quick quote, contact us today.

 

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SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

Hardware Firewalls are a Priority For Small Businesses

Management of expenses is essential for any business. It is especially important for smaller businesses that have a limited budget. Your organization’s sustainability will depend on how you spend those resources. You need hardware firewalls.

We know the difficulties faced by small business owners when it is time to spend on digital security and network costs. It is important to understand that the cost of network and digital security services is justified.

Are the potential negative consequences worth the bednefits?

The dangers of digital security have never been greater. It is essential that we protect the data that allows us maintain small businesses.

Cybercrime statistics show that all businesses face the same security risks and challenges.

We feel it is essential to understand the role of hardware firewalls in small business security.

Hardware firewalls are essential for small businesses

Cybercrime is a problem for small, medium and large businesses. Many people associate cybercrime with banks and large corporations. The statistics offer a different perspective. Cybercrime does not only affect large-scale operations or data breaches. Cybercrime can be felt at all levels.

Forbes published a 2019 article that highlighted the shocking fact that 58% all cybercrimes were committed against small business. Forbes also highlighted the high cost of these crimes for small businesses, which further illuminates the danger. Companies with less resources are often hit hard by the high cost of recovering from cyberattacks. Cyber Security Ventures’ annual report on cybercrime stated that cybercrime damage worldwide will reach $6 trillion annually by 2021.

Trends show that small businesses are more likely to be targeted. This is due to the assumption small businesses are less secure and easier to hack. A criminal may find it more lucrative to collect valuable information from smaller sources than to concentrate on large-scale ventures. Many criminals simply have more resources than they need to handle small-scale crimes.

This article by the Associated Press provides additional information on cyberattacks that small businesses face. You can also consult Network Coverage Managed IT Services for expert advice.

What is a hardware firewall?

It is essential to understand the role of a hardware firewall in your critical security. This will help you make an informed decision about your business.

Imagine a hardware firewall functioning in the same way as security at an airport. This comparison wouldn’t have been possible thirty years ago. The security and monitoring of airports was much lower. Even passengers without tickets could travel with them all the way to the gate. The times have changed dramatically. It’s no longer a common idea to walk a friend or family member to the gate and watch as the plane takes off.

Cybersecurity checks are now in place. Passing through security is impossible for anyone without proper credentials and a flight ticket. The airport has been divided into two distinct areas. Only a small part of the airport is accessible to the public. The rest is restricted to staff or passengers. The security system uses a complex and extensive set of technology and rules to make sure that only safe and approved entities can enter.

A hardware firewall is the same. It is a physical device which stands between two parts. These two parts are usually a server or a computer. The server is the area that is less restricted. The computer, however, is beyond security.

A hardware firewall acts as a gateway with rules and resources that restrict the flow of safe and approved resources to the computer. A hardware firewall monitors the flow of resources from the computer to the server, but this goes beyond the airport metaphor.

Hardware firewalls, such as routers, are powerful and complex tools that can also use software to force all traffic (data), traversing the connection for inspection. A set of rules can be used to grant or deny access.

The core benefits of a hardware firewall

Additional support: Hardware firewall products often offer additional IT support, which includes troubleshooting and configuration assistance, as well as the ability to make quick adjustments.

Port access control: This refers to the ability to have nuanced oversight over the rules embedded in the hardware. If anyone has access to the hardware, or if it is restricted to administrators or developers, laws can be applied.

Stock rule-setting is a set of default guidelines that can be installed to apply to all traffic flowing through the firewall.

Managed traffic: Get full control over all traffic that can and cannot reach the server.

You can free up resources by using a hardware firewall to manage a whole network of devices. This gives you the opportunity to eliminate software-based firewalls, and frees up processor and memory capacity. This is a great way to make space for your business.

Add a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Hardware firewalls allow for the application of an additional layer of robust and complex security. A VPN service allows a business to manage access and security for all critical parties with an internet connection, from almost any location. This is an extremely useful security feature for employees who work remotely or from their home.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you want to know more about hardware firewalls.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

Cybersecurity and Managed IT Services

It is true that every company is a tech company. Today’s businesses can’t function without their digital hearts, veins and arteries. However, this system comes at a cost: hackers and other cyberthreats are constantly coming after you. Expertise and solid solutions in cybersecurity are not a luxury for large corporations, but a necessity to all businesses.

Cybersecurity : The Numbers

Ponemon Institute‘s 2018 State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium Size Businesses (SMBs), survey found that cyber attacks against SMBs have increased from 61 to 67 percent in 2017, to 2018. Only 28 percent of these SMBs rated their ability to protect themselves from attacks, vulnerabilities and threats as extremely effective. The study found that 58 percent of SMBs had experienced data breaches in the past year.

Ponemon’s research found that most SMBs believed attacks on their businesses had serious financial consequences. Ponemon’s research found that 33% of SMBs reported spending an average $1.43 Million on IT resource breaches, zero day attacks or damage, which is a 33% increase over 2017. The average cost of disruption to operations was $1.56million, which is a 25% increase over 2017.

What types of cyberattacks against SMBs were most common in 2018? The study found that the most common types of cyberattacks on SMBs were: phishing/social Engineering, web-based attacks and general malware.

Managed services: Why?

MSPs are the best way to protect your business and prevent attacks. These include proactive IT support, which includes around-the-clock monitoring, data encryption, backup, real time threat prevention and elimination and network and firewall protection. Security awareness training is also included.

Managed IT services can be used to optimize your digital backbone and business processes. Your network will perform faster, you’ll have a disaster recovery and business continuity strategy that is more resilient, and there will be minimal downtime. Managed services offer the added benefit of having a dedicated team ready to help you with any IT problems. This is far more cost-effective and affordable than hiring in-house IT personnel to handle all your IT problems.

Protecting what you have worked so hard for is possible only by being proactive in cybersecurity. We can help you learn more about managed services for your business. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence