Reasons To Outsource Your IT Department

 

IT or information technology is managing information through software and hardware. In some organizations, this process is referred to as Management Information Services (MIS) or just (IS) information services. The IT team of a large firm handles storing information as required, then retrieving it later when needed. So, why should you get managed IT Services FayettevilleNC?

IT Department Today

To perform the complicated operations of today’s IT departments, they have to do use cryptography, database management systems, servers, and computers. The department is comprised of different Database administrators, System administrators, as well as an information technology manager. The entire group reports to their chief information officer.

Why Outsource IT Support Fayetteville NC?

In terms of your firm’s technology, your employees might be taking care of things without any issue. But the question is can they deal with all problems that may come their way. You have to take into account the time they need to spend on tech problems rather than just focus on their own jobs. You also have to understand that technology is always changing. It will take a lot of effort, time, and money to keep on top the latest technologicaladvancements in this area to train your staff.

Why Outsource IT Services?

The primary reason for hiring managed IT Services Fayetteville NC is the cost. IT outsourcing can help your company save cash in the form of not hiring more employees, not increasing the hours your staff are currently working on and not having to purchase new software every time there’s an advancement. IT outsourcing can also boost productivity and let you supply your clients with a better and more efficient service or product.

How much can you save?

The amount companies save when outsourcing IT varies. The expected ROI is about 30%, on increased productivity and average in cost reductions. It will take time to fix technical problems, which your employees can use instead, to focus on company operations and the goals to improve operations.

Will you lose your IT team if you outsource?

For company owners who want to be involved with every aspect of their company, they may feel that they’ve lost control of their operations at first. But this doesn’t need to be the consequence of outsourcing. You can choose to get regular updates and have a say on the process as well as the decision making. IT outsourcing will free you up so you can focus more on your company operations as well as the long term direction of your company.

Choosing The Right IT Partner

When you are searching for the best IT company like SpartanTec, Inc., you have to ask how the IT Services provider intends to measure and determine if its strategies are working. A good IT support Fayetteville NC company will give you their accountability plan as well.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if your company needs managed IT Services Fayetteville NC.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

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

 

This New Malware Has A Unique Email Offer

 

The Quaverse Remote Access Trojan--affectionately dubbed QRat--has been with us since at least 2015.

It's a good piece of malware because it's notoriously difficult to detect and it provides high value information like passwords, sensitive files, screenshots and more.

In addition to remotely offloading files, hackers can assume complete control over any infected system. In the malware world, it doesn't get much better than that. This year, however, IT Support Fayetteville NC professionals have discovered a new campaign that they're describing as "significantly enhanced."

It's common knowledge that hackers and scammers rely on social engineering techniques to try and entice email recipients to click on links embedded in their messages or files they have attached. These are the most common ways that malware finds its way onto targeted systems.

 

 

In this case, the hackers are relying on greed and the realities of the economic hardships caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic. The email offers the recipient a loan with "a good return on investment," with an attachment that claims to be a video message from President Donald Trump.

Anyone foolish enough to click on the "video message" (which actually isn't a video and contains no message from Trump or anyone else), will wind up with the malware installed on their system.

If a recipient stopped to think about the message and the purported attachment, they'd almost certainly not click on the "video file" but part of the magic of social engineering lies in the fact that the message creates a self-contained reality that sucks the reader in. In this case, it goes something like this;

Times have been hard. The pandemic has put me in a financial bind. Here's a loan that promises to be a "good investment" and it's apparently supported by the President. Okay, I want to know more.

Looking at it objectively, there's no good reason why it should work, but it does. Be on the alert for it and make sure your employees are aware of the threat. Consider hiring managed IT Services Fayetteville NC experts for assistance from experienced IT professionals.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let us help protect your business against malware and other online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

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

Why Every Company Needs IT Support

 

Are Your Companies Credentials on the Dark Web?

Many small businesses think that IT is just for large firms. That’s not true. There are many advantages to having an on-site expert IT support for your business, regardless of how big your company is.

IT support can improve the competitiveness of your business. It could also help you cut costs over time and assist in streamlining your objectives.

Not only that, there are other reasons why you need to have your own IT team. Listed below are some good reasons why you should get managed IT services now.

Boost Your ROI and Cut Back Costs Over Time

Hiring an IT expert is an investment that guarantees to bring you higher ROI and cut back on company costs as time passes by. With professional tech support, you don’t’ have to worry about costly repairs and shady software investments. You don’t have to worry about unexpected costs or fees and all you need is to pay a flat rate that can be flexible with your budget.

Improve Overall Computer Security

Regardless of the kind of business you are running, data is always one of the most crucial aspects of a business. It’s crucial to support your company data with reliable backup systems and top rated cybersecurity.

With an IT support team, you will get to enjoy everything mentioned here and more. An IT expert can help you keep confidential customer, employee, and company data secure and your business protected against potential cyberattacks.

Provide Clients The Service They Need

Your clients need quality service and a technology that’s not up to the standard could comprise customer relationship. With the help of an IT support Fayetteville expert, you can make sure that your clients are getting the service they expect and need.

Use New Technologies That Help You Reach Your Goals

Your business may already be updated when it comes to technology. But an IT support team can provide you with more cutting edge and newer technologies to the fore that could help maximize your company’s potential

Spend More Time Managing and Less Time Worrying

Nobody wants headaches that come from computer problems. By investing in IT services, you could bypass these tech issues. Leave IT issues at the hands of the pros and focus on more important issues like employee management and strategy building.

Boost Company Efficiency

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have, you surely want to improve its overall efficiency. Technology can help you do that. But it could also be detrimental to it when it’s filled with bugs, flaws, and problems. Tech support makes sure that you can maximize the technology that you use. With the help of a dedicated IT support team, you can use it for what it’s made to do; to achieve your company goals and determine areas for improvement faster.

Receive Customized Service

Every company has its own technology needs. A professional technical IT support team will provide you with customized managed IT services that’s designed according to your needs and how your company operates. The members of your IT support are trained and selected from a group of qualified applicants. They are experienced in identifying what your technology needs are and offer you the most suitable solutions as to how you can achieve your company goals.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. in Fayetteville if you want to take the next step and make the most out of technology by hiring a team of IT experts now.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Cities Served:
Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Dunn, Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Sanford, Clinto

Shadow IT: How Your Company's Data Is Silently Being Leaked Online

There is a growing trend creeping into organizations of all industries and sizes: Shadow IT. Shadow IT is unauthorized cloud applications employees are using and downloading to perform work-related activities with company data. This can be file-sharing services like Dropbox or survey software such as Zoomerang or online meeting platforms like Zoom. The list goes on and on.

So what’s the problem? For starters, if you’re in a highly regulated industry like medical or financial services, you’re almost guaranteed to be flagrantly violating data privacy laws or at least flirting with them; and if you’re audited, you could end up facing BIG fines, not to mention legal fees and bad PR. Second, the barrier to entry is LOW. Anyone with a browser and a credit card can purchase or enroll themselves into applications that integrate with your organization’s critical applications and/or store company data such as client lists, e-mails, files, etc.

Not all cloud apps are bad, but you as the owner and your IT staff or company need to at least be AWARE of these applications to determine if they’re a threat to security or a violation of data privacy laws, and simply to keep your confidential information, well, confidential!

For starters, your IT company should be constantly monitoring your network for new and unknown software or devices. This can (and should!) be incorporated into routine vulnerability testing. If you’re not sure this is being done now, find out. As Intel founder Andy Grove once said, “Only the paranoid survive.” Once you know what applications are being used, you can set your company firewall to block applications you DON’T want employees to access with company data and devices, and allow those that are company-approved.

Make sure you catalogue these sites somewhere by user with the login information for that person. If an employee leaves your organization or is fired, they may remember what the username and password are to these cloud applications and could use them to harm your organization or steal data to sell or give to a competitor. Don’t put yourself at risk!

Simply call my office at (910) 745-7776 or send me an e-mail at lcarter@spartantec.com with “Free CyberThreat Assessment” in the subject line.

SpartanTec, Inc
Fayetteville, NC 28304

(910) 745-7776

http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Security Trends: Managed IT Service Providers Fayetteville NC

Small and large businesses alike are struggling to meet their need for better, faster, more cost-effective cybersecurity. With the unemployment rate for security professionals extremely low (less than 1 percent in some cities), a company’s prospect of finding – and then keeping – security talent is daunting. At the same time, the threat landscape is becoming unmanageable. According to a Ponemon Institute© research report, improved hacking tools have made it easier, faster, and less expensive for hackers to execute successful targeted attacks against companies. And unsurprisingly, targeted, persistent attacks are on the rise. Regulatory compliance requirements are also affecting more businesses each year. And meanwhile, today’s cybercriminals are well financed, with an organizational capacity that rivals a Fortune 500 company, meaning they have an increased capacity to build and deliver custom, sophisticated attacks designed specifically to evade detection.

As a result, organizations across the globe are turning to managed security service providers (MSSPs) like SpartanTec, Inc. to fill their security skills gap. These firms offer security hardware and expertise as an operating expense, which provides businesses of all sizes a cost-effective, amortized security solution. Additional benefits of MSSPs include:

Enabling your IT department to focus on their core competencies: A managed service approach allows companies to meet the breadth and depth of security needs while maintaining IT support across other areas of the business.

Reducing issues with obsolete technology: Capital expense is another costly component to securing the enterprise. Security technology changes fast. As network speeds increase, so do firewall performance requirements, creating a hardware arms race that is costly and difficult to maintain. Through an MSSP, you can upgrade hardware as needed without excessive capital expense.

Accessing top security talent how and when you need them: Due to their specialization, MSSPs are in a position to provide highly skilled engineers, properly configured technology, and around-the-clock monitoring and management to mitigate risks.

Meeting regulatory compliance with professional help: MSSPs commonly specialize in meeting various compliance regulations for the protection of customer data, and can guide you through the process and how it affects your business.

Not all MSSPs are the same, however. The following are key questions to ask when selecting a provider:

Is your team continually trained on the latest security issues and trends?

Ideally, a provider will employ IT professionals who already have a background in managed security services. In addition, you will want to know that they have the most up-to-date industry knowledge of threats, solutions, and technologies.

Do you provide end-to-end security?

While many security point solutions offer some integration with other point solutions, a fabric approach to security enables deeper, more comprehensive security that can detect and defend against incidents anywhere across your enterprise. A fabric approach also provides integrated reporting, which gives you a much better picture of your threat landscape.

Can you ensure uniform device management across all locations?

Multi-device management is key in this age of the Internet of Things. Be sure that you’ll have a clear picture of what’s being done to secure your business across all your locations and all your devices.

What optional services are available?

Some providers offer a “one stop shop” approach to physical and cyber security, with services like network connectivity, video surveillance, and physical and logical access controls.

How do you incorporate threat intelligence into your managed service?

Threat intelligence made actionable is the best way to stop cyberattackers. Shared threat intelligence or aggregated threat feeds make an MSSP that much more effective.

43% of cyberattacks are targeted at SMBs. Most small and mid-size businesses understand cybercrime is a problem, but they underestimate the severity of the threat. That's why we recommend that all businesses prepare to contend with a security threat, regardless of the size or scope of the company. Check out this Microsoft e-book to learn more how you can make sure your security measures are a force to be reckoned with.

Download Ebook

SpartanTec, Inc.
517 Owen Dr
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

What You Need To Do If You’re A Victim Of Malware

Learn T Protect Your Company

The internet has evolved over the past twenty years. What was once a novelty, has become an integral part of the everyday life of consumers and the daily operations of businesses. The internet has totally changed everything from how consumers shop, how people learn, socialize, and communicate. It has come to a point where it will be hard to imagine life without it.

Even if the internet has become an indispensable tool, using it leaves you vulnerable to all kinds of online threats. These include ransomware, adware, bots, Trojan horses, spyware, macro viruses, rogueware, phishing attacks and worms that target users of internet on a daily basis. Crimeware attacks as well as identity fraud can happen to anybody at any given time. The more you use the internet, the more vulnerable you become to these threats.

There are different kinds of computer security measures that you can set in place to reduce the risk of malicious attacks. In case you’ve fallen victim to it, here are the steps you need to do.

Crimeware

Disconnect

If you have suffered a crimeware attack, you have to disconnect from the Internet right away. In case you are connected through an Ethernet cable, phone, or Wi-Fi, you have to disable the connection right away to stop data from being transferred back to the criminal. Breaking the internet connection is an excellent way to stop an attack.

Disconnect your internet by unplugging the connection physically from the network connection or the router. You can also disable your device’s connection to the internet through these steps:

• -       Click on the start menu
• -       Choose settings
• -       Choose network connections

-       Right click and choose the disable option

In case an attack takes place while you are still at work, you must get in touch with an IT department right away. The IT experts of your company must be informed about the infection so they could stop it from compromising or spreading your company and personal data. Your IT department will do what needs to be done to deal with the damages incurred. In case an attack happens on your personal device, you have to get in touch with your internet service provider.

Scan Your Device

Having an anti-virus installed will be helpful during this kind of situation. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software help protect against crimeware. You should perform periodic scans using your software; schedule automated scans regularly to provide further protection to your device.

Aside from being able to detect crimeware threats from your device, which may be unnoticeable on your part, antispyware and antivirus can often get rid of the threats, too.

In some cases, the software may even detect the crimeware by may not be able to get rid of it. When this happens, you can refer to the removal tool listings of Symantec for you to see if there is a dedicated tool to remove that threat.

Create a Backup

You have to create regular backups of your folders and files. You can use a backup software, a removable media, or hard drive.

Track Your Online Behavior

Make sure that you know what you are clicking on. Don’t click on suspicious adverts and websites. Also, if something looks too good to be true then it probably is. It’s better to avoid it than to get yourself into bigger problems.

Reinstall Your Operating System

Depending on how severe the attack is, you may have to reinstall your computer’s operating system. Some online threats are complex and have the ability to conceal themselves in your system through rootkit techniques. You may still be able to recover your files by reinstalling your operating system.

Online Fraud

Close all your accounts

If you have been a victim of identity theft or online fraud, you need to close all the accounts that have been affected right away. If you move immediately, you can close your accounts even before the hacker tries to access them. Freezing or closing your accounts can save you time and stress when the time comes that you have to dispute any fraudulent purchases.

Set up fraud alerts

There are three consumer reporting agencies and you can set up fraud alerts so that creditors will get in touch with your right away before they make any changes to your accounts or before letting you open new ones.

Monitor your credit report

Keep track of your credit reports from all the credit reporting agencies. It may take some time for fraudulent activities to appear on your reports and that is why you need to monitor them regularly.

Watch out for signs of identity theft

You should be extra vigilant especially if you have become a victim of identitytheft. Be wary of things you get that you haven’t applied for like a new credit card and get in touch with your vendor right away.

Additional steps and precautions

It’s also a good practice to avoid using unsecured networks, create strong passwords, and stop oversharing on social media platforms. Install a good internetsecurity software, and backup your data regularly.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you need help in setting up effective cybersecurity measures to protect your company and client information from online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Cities Served:
Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Dunn, Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Sanford, Clinto

GODADDY BREACH HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF CREDENTIAL SECURITY

Web domain and hosting provider GoDaddy is in the news again for a breach. The latest incident involves the compromise of account credentials for approximately 28,000 web hosting customers. The company’s security team discovered an altered SSH file in GoDaddy’s hosting environment and suspicious activity on several servers. The breach occurred in October 2019 and users were notified in April 2020.

 After a string of similar incidents in 2019, strengthening cybersecurity should have been GoDaddy’s top priority, an oversight that may hamper them from attracting new business. These days, your clients and partners aren’t going to want to do business with you if they can’t trust you to keep sensitive data and credentials safe. These smart cybersecurity choices can help demonstrate your commitment. 

Multifactor authentication is one reason why employing a secure identity and access management solution like Passly is the ideal choice to quickly, effectively, and affordably throw up a barrier between your data and cybercriminals and it’s easy to see why: 

• Use a secure way to secure passwords and other credentials. A central, secure password and login storage vault that comes with a secure access and identity management solution like Passly not only gathers all those valuable credentials in one easy-to-defend place, it makes life easier for your IT staffers too, which is a win for everyone. 
• Strengthen your login security to mitigate potential compromise. It’s far too easy for even novice cybercriminals to get their hands on password cracking software these days. Improving your password security by building better passwords and adding multifactor authentication to the login process quickly nets security gains.  
• Always stay on guard for potential and growing threats. If you’re not using Dark Web monitoring, you’re not getting the intelligence that you need to be ready to respond to trouble. The continuous monitoring and analysis provided by Dark Web ID makes sure that you’re alerted if your company’s data, passwords, or other vital information hits the Dark Web. 

Don’t put yourself in the position of having to apologize to your clients and partners after a credential compromise incident. Or worse, having to try to salvage your relationships and your reputation after an even more serious cybersecurity disaster. Make sure that your credentials are protected by strong security and ask an expert for advice on how you can make it even better. 

Read original article here. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Cities Served:
Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Dunn, Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Sanford, Clinto

Facebook Flaw Exposed Photos Belonging To Millions Of Users

Recently Facebook fessed up to a bug in their photo API that exposed the photos belonging to nearly seven million of the company's users to app developers.

The way the photo API is supposed to work is as follows:  When you give an app permission to access your Facebook photos, that app is only supposed to gain access to the ones you've posted on your timeline.

The photos you've uploaded but have not shared are supposed to be strictly off limits.

Unfortunately, that's not the case at all.  According to a statement released by the company, some fifteen hundred apps controlled by 876 developers had access to every photo that users of those apps had uploaded to Facebook, whether they were a part of that user's timeline or not.

The company reports that the bug has now been fixed, but that app developers had access to all photos between September 13th and September 25th of 2018.

The obvious question is, if the company knew about the issue back in September, and they've already fixed it, why is it that we're only hearing about it now?

The company's explanation is both thin and weak. A Facebook spokesman simply stated that it took time to investigate the matter, including finding out which apps and users were impacted by the bug, and then to build the warnings (including translations into multiple languages) to warn the potentially impacted users.

Be that as it may, the standard protocol for such incidents has been immediate notification, followed by ongoing investigation, and sending out official notices to impacted parties.

Facebook issued a standard, terse apology, but has not offered any additional explanation as to why the disclosure was such a long time coming.  It's unlikely that we'll get an explanation beyond the one already given, unsatisfying or not.

This is but the latest in a long stream of similar "incidents" the company has reported on in recent months.  One wonders how many more terse apologies we'll be seeing in the months ahead.

Internet security continues to be an issue both for businesses and individuals. Call SpartanTec, Inc. today for a complete analysis of your computer network and test it's vulnerability.

SpartanTec, Inc.
517 Owen Dr
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Cities Served:
Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Dunn, Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Sanford, Clinto