[Updated 2023] While small business leaders understand the importance of budgeting, IT sometimes falls through the cracks. The problem is often that executives have trouble getting their arms around the scope of the task. There are, in fact, many variables that need consideration so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all budgeting formula.
HBW Construction is one of the top general contracting companies in the Washington DC/Baltimore area. Eric Whitman is the company’s CFO and his responsibilities include overseeing IT. Eric recognizes the importance of IT for efficient operations and has made significant technology investments in the past few years.
For the Maryland Food Bank, feeding people isn’t their only mission. Their strategic plan includes another objective and that’s to help people overcome the circumstances that create food insufficiency. The third pillar of their plan is to improve their organization so that they can fulfill this dual mission.
A call that any managed IT services company does NOT want to receive from a client goes something like this – “Just calling to make sure everything will be set up in our new offices next Monday.” And the managed services provider says – “What new office?”
The scramble that happens next is bound to cause problems and frustrations for both the managed service provider (MSP) and their client.
If you use the internet to do business, you need cybersecurity. Keeping your organization secure is an expense that you may not have noticed when your needs were simple. Today, however, you need more than a firewall and a few filters to protect your people and data from cyber criminals.
Law firms rely on technology more than ever before to keep their practices running smoothly; to enable productivity; and to gather, store and use information securely. Partnering with a managed IT service company is vital to firms that want to optimize their use of technology without shouldering the burden of hiring, training, and retaining their own internal IT department.
Your Microsoft 365 account is a prime target for cyber criminals. They want you to give them your username and password so they can get into your account, sneak around, and discover how they can monetize their infiltration of your organization. Having Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) has put up a big barrier to cyber criminal sights on Microsoft accounts, but it’s still happening.
You wouldn’t think that people would fall for the same old trick again and again, but they do. That’s why phishing remains a prime tactic for cyber criminals who would rather get someone to open the door for them instead of trying to bust through technical barriers to get to your IT systems and company accounts.
Smartphones have become a vital part of daily life. They make it easy for us to integrate our personal and professional lives together as they put the world of knowledge on the internet at our fingertips. From ordering groceries and making mortgage payments, to communicating and collaborating with coworkers, we can’t live without our phones.
When you understand that the internet is a place filled with risks that threaten the very survival of your business, you have to look at cybersecurity as a vital business capability. Cyber attacks happen every day but only the big ones make it into your news feed.
