#avoiding downtime

To succeed in today’s modern competitive business landscape, you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your employees. This will equip you to identify areas where employees may need further training, including cybersecurity awareness.

  Are you sure that your employees can resist threats and prevent cyberattacks?

  Certain employee traits can indicate a lack of cybersecurity knowledge or awareness. For example, individuals who regularly click on phishing emails or fall victim to social engineering attacks are likely unaware of the dangers of these threats. Similarly, employees who do not adhere to cybersecurity best practices, such as using strong passwords, may also demonstrate a lack of awareness or motivation.

  If you notice any of these behaviors in your employees, it’s essential to empower them with the latest cybersecurity training and best practices. By doing so, you can help protect your business against the dangers of cyberattacks.

  In this blog post, we attempt to categorize the most common employee traits so that you can identify individuals who require additional attention.

  Traits to watch out for

  Although there are numerous ways to classify employee traits, we believe the four listed below cover the most common character traits.

  The skeptic Skeptical individuals believe that a cyberattack will never happen to them. They don’t understand the significance of regularly changing their passwords or using two-factor authentication. This callous behavior is exactly what cybercriminals exploit to attack the organization. They have a high success rate when businesses and their employees don’t take the necessary safety precautions.

  Remember, cybercriminals are out there and they’re very good at staying under the radar, making it difficult to spot them if you’re not actively looking for them.

  The procrastinator Cybersecurity procrastinators know they are critical to preventing hackers from infiltrating systems, but they’ll worry about finally connecting to your virtual private network (VPN) or deploying that security patch tomorrow.

  Those with the procrastinator cybersecurity trait also have a love-hate relationship with the dozens of red bubbles on their apps and software. They know that if left unchecked, the situation could quickly spiral out of control, but they will prioritize other tasks and wait until “the next day” to take care of the issue.

  The naive

Although naivete is not synonymous with foolishness, those who are inexperienced in cybersecurity might trust too easily.

  Do you know people who leave their computers unlocked when they go out for lunch? Or the remote worker who uses the free Wi-Fi at coffee shops? Some individuals even write their passwords on post-it notes; we’ve all been guilty of doing this at some point.

  While it may seem to this type of employee that they’re surrounded by good people, the threat might be sitting right next to them.

  The employee with good intentions If cybersecurity best practices were an exam, this type of employee would get an A+. They are cautious of emails with links or attachments, use complex passwords to deter hackers and are always informed of the latest threats. However, even the employees with the best of intentions can be targeted by a cybercriminal and not know it. That’s why providing your team with the latest cybersecurity awareness training is crucial.

  Conclusion

  It’s essential for any business to know its employees well. After all, they are the lifeblood of any company. Good employees help drive a business forward, whereas careless employees can drag it down.

  It’s important to remember that each employee is an individual with unique skills, traits and motivations. It’s up to you to make sure that these individual traits are being put to good use and that your employees receive regular security awareness training to help them all learn and practice good cyber hygiene.

  Don’t worry if you don’t know where to begin. The experience and expertise of a specialized IT service provider, like us, may be just what you need. Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation to see how easy we can make security awareness training.

Would you describe your business as “productive?” Without setting a specific standard for productivity, you can’t answer this question. A basic way to measure productivity for your business is how effectively your employees use the tools at their disposal in conjunction with each individual’s capacity to get work done. Let’s take a look at some technology built specifically for your employees to be more productive throughout the workday.

  The Different Levels of Business Technology

The technology solutions your business implements all have various uses that directly tie into its levels of productivity. Here are three notable categories for any kind of digital transformation you implement for your business:

  Operational – This includes all business management applications, productivity, and communications.

Supply Chain – This technology improves business through data collection based on your business’ procurement, processing, and distribution processes.

Digital Platforms – This technology is implemented to promote or sell goods and services and provides a lot of actionable information.

  Let’s examine how each of these contributes to a productive business environment.

Operational Technology

Your workforce will be more productive if they are using effective technology. You’ll likely have to add new technology to your infrastructure in the process, and with careful planning and consideration, you can use it to improve productivity. Solutions like customer relationship management (CRM) software can help you keep track of tasks, time, progress, and customer interactions, while communication tools like VoIP, email, and video conferencing all go a long way to help your team collaborate. Productivity tools like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace can also provide exceptional productivity apps with built-in communication tools. There are even specialized collaboration suites that you can use to give your team all the tools they need in one effective package.

Supply Chain Technology

Your business’ supply chain will undoubtedly remain an important part of its operations and productivity. Whether your organization provides products or components or not, there is no question that your company is at the mercy of the supply chain—even when it comes to procuring new equipment for your own business’ operational needs. Technology brings transparency to the supply chain, whether it’s through inventory management, Internet of Things devices, shipping and management of goods, etc. These interconnected systems give businesses the ability to be more productive and transparent with their resources.

Digital Platform Technology

Doing business involves an online presence in most, if not all circumstances. Most businesses have implemented online applications that allow their team and their customers to do business more efficiently, whether it’s through a CRM, file sharing, digital collaboration platforms, or even something as simple as a webpage or social media presence. All of these digital platforms give businesses the ability to be more productive, provided they are used appropriately.

  How does your business handle technology solutions? Could you use a hand with the management and upkeep of your IT systems? Outsourcing this responsibility is one big way you can improve operations and productivity for your organization. To learn more, contact us today at 484-546-2001.

Business is all about making the most of the time that you have available to you, and while some employees are great at doing such a thing, others might have silent roadblocks that eat up minutes or potentially even hours of their days. Yes, downtime is a very real threat for businesses, and while some employers are more concerned with nickel-and-diming employees for the short amounts of time they spend in between tasks, real true downtime is much greater of an issue.

What is Downtime?

Downtime is a major business killer, and while there are some culprits that are easier to pinpoint than others, you might be surprised by how many issues can cause downtime. Downtime is any situation where your organization’s operations cannot be sustained. This might include problems like the Internet going down, your technology not working correctly, your employees not having access to resources, etc. In other words, downtime happens whenever your business cannot perform like it is supposed to, which translates to wasted time and, consequently, wasted money.

  Here are some ways you can keep downtime from breaking the bank (and your business).

Plan for the Worst

You absolutely need to prioritize business continuity, so planning to experience at least some downtime at some point in the future can help you be prepared to handle it. This includes implementing a data backup and disaster recovery system that can minimize downtime. You should also consider how long it takes your organization to get back to an acceptable level of operations. Basically, you are not budgeting for perfect uptime, you are budgeting for an acceptable level of downtime, thereby preventing it from catching you off-guard.

Streamline Operations

If your employees do not know or understand what is expected of them, they will not be as optimal with their time management as can be. Therefore, there is some merit to streamlining operations as a method to cut down on downtime. For example, an employee might waste time trying to find a file because they don’t know where it is located, or maybe they do not know the process for a specific task. Making these things easier for your employees is a great way to help them take the guesswork out of their day-to-day tasks and responsibilities.

Take Care of Your Technology

If you find yourself making a ton of progress on a project only to be stonewalled by a sudden downtime event, then you know the importance of maintaining your software and hardware solutions. Frequent small issues can become serious problems if left unchecked. Making sure that you are administering patches and security updates on a regular basis can minimize the chances of them leading to major downtime-causing events.

  At Infradapt, we pride ourselves in helping our clients not only reduce downtime, but avoid it entirely. To learn more about how we can equip your business with proactive IT solutions designed to mitigate downtime, reach out to us at 800-394-2301.

Technology management is a pain point for businesses, particularly smaller ones that might not have the vast amount of resources as larger organizations or enterprises. That being said, small businesses have a secret weapon that allows them to compete with larger businesses, and it comes in the form of managed IT services. What is a managed service provider, and how does working with one dramatically change the dynamic of your business’ operations?

What is a Managed Service Provider?

Since so many businesses struggle with technology management, we’ve made that entire premise our own business model, offering outsourced technology management services to organizations that need it. We are highly qualified to provide these services with trained technicians who have years of experience under their belts. In most cases, a managed service provider can basically act in much the same way as an internal IT department, but the real kicker is that there are a ton of other benefits to working with an MSP for your tech needs.

The Benefits

MSPs provide a ton of value for your business. In fact, even if you do have an IT department on-premises, we are confident that you can get some value out of working with an MSP like us. Here are some of the biggest benefits of doing so.

Lowers Costs

Hiring qualified in-house technicians can get expensive, especially if you want to hire top talent. Working with a managed service provider is actually cheaper and more effective for a budget than hiring multiple in-house technicians. Since you pay the MSP a monthly fee based on a service level agreement, it is easy to fit into your budget and it won’t break the bank.

More Convenient Service

Did you know that the majority of IT services your organization might need can all be administered remotely without an on-site visit? Sure, some things like running wires or setting up new hardware might require technicians to be present, but the vast majority of maintenance and management can all be done remotely. This saves you time and money, and since you can basically get the service you need when it’s needed, you won’t be left waiting around and incurring the costs of downtime in the process.

The True Value: Peace of Mind

You absolutely cannot place a value on the peace of mind you get knowing that your technology is being managed and maintained by a trusted provider. You will never have to worry about whether or not updates are being applied or if network security is being maintained. You can know with certainty that someone out there is always there, ready and able to manage any technology problems you might encounter throughout the workday. This translates into less stress and more focus on what truly matters: running your business the way it’s supposed to be run.

Get Started Today

Infradapt works with small businesses to help them achieve their technology-related goals. By focusing all of our attention on ensuring your technology is in proper working order, you can then shift your focus to running your business and increasing profits. If you are ready to free yourself from the burdens of managing a complex technology infrastructure, don’t wait any longer—give us a call at 800-394-2301.

Business owners; ever sit down and run through all of your expenses and ask yourself (or your accountant) what you are actually paying for? We’ve been there. Technology expenses like hardware, software licensing, cloud hosting, management and maintenance, support, and service agreements all add up quickly and it makes it easy to question what you can trim to save money without sinking the ship, especially when you rarely need to call your current IT provider. What Am I Paying For? If you utilize a managed service provider (MSP) who handles the maintenance and support of your IT infrastructure, it’s likely that you pay a flat monthly, quarterly, or yearly rate to cover the upkeep of your workstations, servers, and network infrastructure. This model has become increasingly common and it makes a lot of sense; it takes a decent amount of maintenance to keep a business network running smoothly, and when it’s handled proactively there are fewer issues in the long run.

One thing to note; we can’t account for every AREASERVED provider, because everyone has their own way of quoting and billing for their IT service, but typically if you get a monthly flat-rate bill per user or per device then your IT company is providing some level of service on a regular basis. That may or may not be all-inclusive support for end users, cover hardware failures, etc. We’re not really here to nitpick the minutiae of an agreement though, what’s important is that you are getting what you pay for, and perhaps more importantly, that your IT is handled in a way that isn’t setting you up for failure down the road.

All that out of the way, when reviewing your regular technology bills, when you see that line item for maintenance and support, you might look back at how often your team had to call for support or put in a service ticket over the past several months. If your IT has been running smoothly the past few months, you probably have that one big question… It’s the Pareto Principle A little tangent here; but you know when it’s time to pay that homeowner’s insurance bill, and you think to yourself, “Man, I didn’t have to use this at all this year. I’d probably feel a little better writing this check if the insurance had to pay for a new roof or to recarpet my basement.” You are not alone, and that’s the same feeling you might get with good IT management.

Back on track, the Pareto Principle, more commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule, states that 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes. Basically, it’s an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure.

That’s exactly how IT works. If you set everything up right, configure it and document it well, and then carefully monitor it, you won’t be running back and forth to keep fixing it. It’s typically much more cost effective to manage and maintain your network than it is to set it and forget it, and only come back when something goes horribly wrong.

If your IT is running smoothly, and your users are productive, and your security is passing every audit with flying colors, then that ongoing management and maintenance is performing exactly how it is supposed to.

It’s not like insurance, where you continue to pay for the peace of mind that when something happens you are covered. Instead, you are paying to prevent something bad from happening in the first place.

We hope this helped explain how most managed IT bills work. If you have questions, or want to know how we can help keep your organizing running smoothly, don’t hesitate to reach out to 800.394.2301.