The Logic Group

Why You Need To Perform Regular IT Assessments

wpengine — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Why You Need To Perform Regular IT Assessments

Think about all the technology you use during your average workday. From laptops and tablets to email and Microsoft 365, you rely on your IT to carry out most of your daily activities. Essentially, your IT is the backbone of your business. If you’re not careful, however, your infrastructure can become less efficient and lead to disruptions as time goes on.

The Importance of Performing Regular IT Assessments

The reason why your infrastructure gets worse over time is simply because technology isn’t perfect. As your hardware and software become outdated, conflicts with other programs, failures, and so on, inefficiencies are introduced that cause your IT environment to degrade. As a result, your IT becomes more of a hindrance than an asset. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to preserve the performance of your IT environment—through an information technology assessment.

Also known as a network assessment, this procedure is a thorough analysis of your entire IT environment. It reviews everything in your infrastructure from your equipment and software to processes and overall performance. With network assessment services, you can gain valuable insight into your IT and identify areas for improvement so you can develop strategies for optimization.

To better understand the importance of performing an IT infrastructure assessment, think about your car. If you want to keep your car in good condition, what do you do? You take it to an auto shop and have it checked out. Doing so gives experts a chance to look at your car, perform maintenance, and find issues before they can balloon into bigger problems. The purpose of an IT evaluation is very similar.

What Can an Assessment Do for Your Business?

There are plenty of reasons why you should want to schedule regular IT assessments. Conducting an analysis can be one of the best ways to improve the overall performance of your business. By revealing troublesome bottlenecks, you can implement fixes that boost productivity and efficiency.

On top of improving operational performance, a thorough IT assessment is a sure-fire way to ensure your cybersecurity processes are keeping you protected. As technology continues to evolve, unfortunately, so does cybercrime. It’s never been more important to have reliable cybersecurity.

The Steps Involved in a Technology Assessment Process

IT assessments can differ depending on the managed services provider you use. However, there are a few common processes every evaluation should have. These steps include:

Identify and inventory resources: As companies grow or go remote, it gets harder to keep track of who has access to what, how old a certain device or system is, and just general performance. An assessment usually takes inventory of all of your resources to provide clarity on what needs updating.
Process and policy review: This is where your policies are examined to make sure they are accomplishing the intended goal. Rules like the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), for example, are vital to keeping your network running as it should. If there are policies that aren’t contributing to your success, your MSP may suggest removing them to streamline your organization.
Cybersecurity review: Cybersecurity is a must for every business, and it’s arguably the most important service your business can have. It’s so important in fact, there are entire IT assessments solely dedicated to security and risk.
Data storage audit: An assessment also often evaluates the data you possess, how you’re storing it, and who has access to it.
Report and strategize: Once an IT assessment is finished, your MSP creates a report on the information they’ve gathered. They may also provide recommendations for you to use to create a strategy to enhance your IT performance across the board.

Keep Your IT Running Smoothly

The Logic Group is an industry-leading IT provider that has been delivering the IT services businesses need for over 25 years. If you want to maintain the health of your infrastructure, we can help. Our team can perform an evaluation of your IT environment and inform you of its status. We also work with you to implement solutions that further enhance the capabilities of your infrastructure.

If you’d like to learn more about our network assessment services, contact us today.

The post Why You Need To Perform Regular IT Assessments appeared first on The Logic Group.

The Difference Between Break/Fix and Managed IT Support

wpengine — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 14:00:00 +0000

The Difference Between Break/Fix and Managed IT Support

The great thing about technology is it can be used in a variety of ways to improve your business. However, no matter how good your IT is, you’re going to need help with it at some point. For businesses without an internal IT department, outsourcing is an excellent solution for maintaining and troubleshooting IT. But if you choose to outsource, should you use break/fix or managed IT support?

Managed IT Support vs Break/Fix

When it comes to outsourcing your IT needs, you have two options: break/fix and managed IT support. While the end goal of these two services are similar, there’s an important difference you should know about. Understanding the difference between managed IT services vs break/fix can help you pick the best solution for your business.

What Is Managed IT Support?

Managed IT support is a service offered by a managed services provider (MSP). This is a proactive IT support approach that comes in the form of a managed services plan. It’s considered proactive because it’s an ongoing solution that is designed to get ahead of issues before they can affect the end user. This is done through constant monitoring of your IT infrastructure.

With a managed services model, your MSP handles all of your current and future IT needs. If you still run into trouble, this solution includes 24/7 helpdesk support to resolve problems quickly. Managed services also offers a variety of other services ranging from cybersecurity to cloud migration and everything in between.

What Is Break/Fix Computer Services?

Break-fix refers to the practice of calling an IT company only after an issue occurs or when an upgrade is needed. Simply put, when something breaks, you call to have it fixed. Initially, this was the leading solution for solving IT problems.

To give you an idea of how this service model works, imagine you’re working on a project and suddenly your computer flashes a blue screen. With a break/fix provider, you would call on them to resolve the issue. If they’re available, they would try to help you troubleshoot the problem. This approach often takes more time before a resolution can be reached.

On the surface, the break-fix model sounds like a reasonable approach, but it’s far from ideal because you’re reactively responding to issues. Not only does this create additional downtime, but it also makes it harder to plan IT expenses. By being proactive, you can prevent IT problems before they happen.

Why You Need Managed IT Services

Although there are two options, there’s really only one choice businesses should consider—managed IT support. At the end of the day, the break-fix model is an outdated form of IT service. As a result, managed services have essentially replaced break/fix as the standard for IT support. Not only does managed IT provide the same repair services, but it also covers every aspect of your IT environment.

The Benefits of Managed IT Support

Your IT infrastructure is a complex network that requires a lot of work and attention to keep everything running smoothly. Managed services take the burden of overseeing your IT environment off of your shoulders.

Here are a few other ways managed IT support can benefit you:

Lower Costs: An outsourced IT staff can do everything an internal department does. From troubleshooting to cybersecurity, you get the support you need without having to hire employees or pay for each individual service when you use it.
Business Continuity: Natural disasters, hardware failure, human error, and other incidents are inevitable. However, an MSP can help you be prepared and keep your business operational. With managed IT services like disaster recovery, you can get your business back up and running like nothing happened.
Increased Productivity: An MSP can take your business goals to apply them to your IT environment, shaping it into something even more beneficial to the organization. As a result, your employees can be more productive than ever before.

Get the Best in Managed IT

Want to experience the benefits of managed IT support for yourself? The Logic Group is a leader in the field of IT. For over 25 years, we have been helping companies enhance their workplace with cutting edge IT solutions. We always make sure your organization gets the support it deserves.

The post The Difference Between Break/Fix and Managed IT Support appeared first on The Logic Group.

The Dangers of Not Having Backup and Disaster Recovery

wpengine — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:00:00 +0000

The Dangers of Not Having Backup and Disaster Recovery

Data is one of the most valuable assets a company can have. But what would happen if your business suddenly lost access to its information? From cyberattacks to natural disasters, there are a variety of ways data loss can occur. Regardless of how it happens, no company can afford this kind of emergency. Backup and disaster recovery procedures are the solution.

The Importance of Backup and Disaster Recovery

When it comes to technology, something is bound to go wrong at some point. No matter if it’s hardware failure, a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or human error, the potential of losing your information is ever-present. That’s why you need to do whatever it takes to protect your data.

One of the best ways to ensure you always have access to your files is to backup your data regularly and invest in disaster recovery. Commonly offered by a managed services provider (MSP) like The Logic Group, backup and disaster recovery can get your company back up and running after a catastrophe with minimal interruption. But what are the consequences of not backing up your information?

What Are Backup and Disaster Recovery Services?

Backup and disaster recovery services are preventive measures that act as insurance in the case of a data emergency. The backup half of the strategy involves continually making redundant copies of all your data and backing it up to a server. The disaster recovery half focuses on the process of restoring any data that was damaged or lost after the disaster. Your MSP works with you to make this undertaking as quick and seamless as possible.

The Risks of Not Having Backup and Disaster Recovery

It can’t be overstated how bad business data loss is. That’s why it’s recommended that you do everything you can to defend your information. To make it easier to fully understand the importance of data backup and disaster recovery, let’s focus on what could happen if a data loss event were to occur:

Lost Revenue

Things like product information, research, reports, and more all take time to gather or create. It would take almost an equal amount of time to recover or replace whatever was lost. As you try to fix the situation, you lose even more valuable time that could’ve been spent maintaining your revenue stream or finding new business opportunities.

Damaged Brand Reputation

Your reputation means everything to your brand. It takes years to build customer trust and confidence in whatever products or services you offer. And the better your reputation is, the more customers you’re going to attract. If your clients discover that your business lost its data, this could irrevocably damage the trust they had in your organization. When your clients and partners don’t think they can trust you with their information, they may choose to take their business elsewhere.

Regulatory Problems

Some industries, like the healthcare sector, require businesses to meet certain standards when handling certain information. Regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are rather strict about adhering to their rules. If you lose sensitive information, it could put you in violation of these established laws. Depending on what regulations have been violated, you could be forced to pay hefty penalties that can be either disciplinary or monetary.

Direct Costs

The financial danger of losing data isn’t limited to fines and lost revenue. There’s also the cost of recovering the information in the aftermath of data loss. Even if you’re able to recover everything, you still have to pay for the reactive service to restore your files. In the end, a data loss event can be very expensive if you don’t use proactive backup and disaster recovery services.

Protect Your Data With The Logic Group

The worst way to learn about the cost of a data breach is to experience it firsthand. Let the experts at The Logic Group help you avoid the consequences with our backup and disaster recovery services.

The post The Dangers of Not Having Backup and Disaster Recovery appeared first on The Logic Group.

Modernizing Technology at Work

wpengine — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Modernizing Technology at Work

As the world changes, businesses must change along with it. A work environment that takes advantage of recent trends not only modernizes the office, but also helps you accommodate the needs of your workforce. This is especially the case when it comes to technology. Keeping the technology at work current with new innovations plays a key role in getting the most out of your employees.

Modernizing Technology at Work To Accommodate Your Remote Workforce

The technology landscape moves at an extremely fast pace. New innovations emerge on a yearly, monthly, and even weekly basis. However, the speed at which new technology appears isn’t necessarily fueled by innovation for its own sake. Rather, it’s born out of the need to solve common problems.

For example, when the pandemic hit the United States back in early 2020, most businesses were forced to switch from an in-person to a remote work model. This shift called for new work- from home technology. As a result, solutions like Asana, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace became helpful tools most people planned to only rely on until things went back to normal. Fast forward to today, and those same tools are now indispensable as a growing number of companies embrace a full remote work environment or some form of hybrid solution.

Now that we know these tools are here to stay, it’s time to start thinking about optimization. What upgrades can you make to your technology and workplace to bring out their full potential? This is important, because having modern technology and office communication tools keeps your workforce efficient and productive.

Here are a few updates you can implement:

Versatile Conference Room Equipment

A proper conference room setup with helpful technology is critical for businesses to succeed. Back in the day, a well-thought-out setup only required equipment that supported communications for the people in the room. These days, you need to consider not only those people, but also the attendees who are participating virtually.

The modern boardroom demands the ability to host both in-person meetings and video conferences. To make sure your virtual team can see and hear everything you’re saying and doing, make sure you upgrade your cameras and microphones. Changing the room itself can also make your boardroom more video conference friendly. Adjusting the placement of your microphones and getting rid of flat surfaces can help eliminate distracting reverb.

Start Using Zoom Rooms

There are many video calling solutions to choose from, and Zoom is one of the most popular. Thanks to its simplicity, it has become a favorite among casual users and professionals alike. But Zoom doesn’t just do video calls; it also handles video conferencing. With Zoom Rooms, you can host room-only meetings or allow remote attendees to join from another room.

Here’s how to set up a Zoom Room:

Set up the hardware
1. Mount the TV, camera, and PC/Mac.
2. Connect the cable TV, camera, audio components, and network.
3. Turn on the PC/Mac and controller, then connect to the network.
4. Upgrade the TV, camera, and audio component firmware (if required).
Set up your system
1. Configure your laptop for kiosk mode.
2. Configure your controller kiosk mode.
Set up the software
1. Download Zoom Rooms software and install it on your laptop.
2. Download controllers for Zoom Rooms and install on your controller.
3. For Mac, use the pairing code for easy setup and the activation code for a complete setup. For PC, you’ll need to sign in to complete the setup.
Verify and finalize
1. Test the verification checklist for any problems.
2. Set up the alerts and monitoring in your dashboard.

Provide Personal Devices for Your Remote Staff

Does your company have a bring your own device (BYOD) policy? This is a trend that many businesses have jumped on because many employees love using their personal devices for work. However, this practice can leave your company wide open to a cyberattack. If you want to maintain this level of freedom but get rid of the risk, consider providing company-issued devices.

Enhance Your Business With The Logic Group

The Logic Group is an industry-leading managed services provider that has been providing IT solutions for decades. We offer a wide range of services to meet any need. If you’re interested in improvements for technology at work, feel free to schedule an IT assessment with us.

The post Modernizing Technology at Work appeared first on The Logic Group.

MSP Experience Every Managed Service Provider Should Have

wpengine — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 14:00:00 +0000

MSP Experience Every Managed Service Provider Should Have

When you need IT support, you can always turn to a managed services provider (MSP). An MSP is an outsourced IT solution that offers a selection of services, from cloud migration to network monitoring and much more. It’s their job to ensure that your infrastructure is in top condition, your issues are solved quickly, and your infrastructure is protected. However, before you choose a vendor to partner with, you need to make sure they have the right MSP experience.

Finding a Partner With the Right MSP Experience

When you’re shopping for an MSP, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re entrusting the backbone of your operations to a third party. Finding the right vendor for your business is no small decision. You need to find a provider that has advanced MSP experience and fits well with your organization. So how do you choose a managed service provider?

There are a variety of factors to consider. Most businesses tend to focus on price, but it’s easy to forget that a low price doesn’t guarantee quality. If all you care about is the cost, then you’re doing your company a disservice. To find the right fit, you need to understand the managed services that the provider offers.

Here are some questions to ask a managed service provider:

Do You Offer Managed Services or Break/Fix Solutions?

IT support comes in two flavors: break/fix and managed services. Break/fix refers to you calling an IT company to fix a problem or perform an upgrade. It’s a reactive and outdated approach to IT service that has been mostly replaced by managed services.

Like with the break/fix model, you’re still relying on an outsourced provider with managed services. However, managed services take a proactive approach to IT. This means that you’re not waiting for something to go wrong before getting help. Rather, the MSP is actively working to prevent issues before they happen, in addition to troubleshooting. They can also prepare your IT infrastructure for your current and future needs.

Although MSPs can provide break/fix services, that should not be the only experience they have. You want a well-rounded provider with MSP experience that extends past simple troubleshooting. Having proactive solutions can help your business avoid downtime.

To learn about the capabilities of the MSP you’re considering, you should ask them questions about what services they offer. You should also ask about their certifications, staff skill sets, and availability. The best MSPs can handle all of your IT needs.

Do You Offer 24/7 Monitoring?

With the proliferation of cyberthreats, cybersecurity has become a growing business concern. In fact, the average cost of a data breach is about $4.24 million according to IBM and the Ponemon Institute. The last thing anybody wants is for their network to be hacked.

Remote monitoring is one of the best ways to stop a threat before it becomes a major problem. This service involves IT specialists monitoring and managing your network remotely. Using network monitoring tools, administrators are alerted to any abnormalities in your system. If a threat is detected, the MSP steps in to solve the problem before it can impact your operations.

Cyberattacks and network failures can happen any time. That’s why it’s important to have an MSP that offers 24/7 monitoring. This service is a first line of defense if there’s a malicious attempt on your infrastructure.

How Long Do You Take To Respond to Inquiries?

Downtime means your employees can’t work, and if they can’t work, your company loses money. No organization can afford prolonged downtime that prevents their staff from doing their jobs, so getting solutions quickly is crucial to your success.

The MSP you partner with should be available to provide assistance as soon as you need it. You can always ask your MSP candidate directly about their response time. However, you may also want to look at what their reviews are saying about their service.

Can You Tell Me About Your Customer Service?

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant where the food was great, but the service was terrible? Despite enjoying the food, you likely aren’t going back if it was a bad experience. While it doesn’t have a direct impact on the quality of their services, you don’t want to deal with an unprofessional MSP.

While you’re reading customer reviews, you should be able to get a sense of what the vendor’s customer service is like. As with any good business relationship, your MSP should see itself as your partner. A partner takes an interest in your business and wants to help you improve it. If there are any signs of unprofessionalism, you may want to look at a few other candidates.

How Are You Improving Your Services?

The technology landscape moves quickly, and MSPs need to keep pace if they want to provide the best solutions. An MSP should be strategically focused on improving their services. If they act like they’re content with what they already have to offer, then they may not be your best option.

Get the Managed Services You Deserve

The Logic Group is an industry-leading MSP that’s dedicated to the success of our clients. We follow managed service provider best practices to ensure you’re always getting the most out of your infrastructure. If you need customized service, we can tailor our solutions to meet your needs.

The post MSP Experience Every Managed Service Provider Should Have appeared first on The Logic Group.

What’s the Actual Cost of a Data Breach?

wpengine — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000

What’s the Actual Cost of a Data Breach?

When we think about cyberattacks, we tend to focus exclusively on the amount of damage they could cause to our networks. However, the impact of a data security breach can be felt in more ways than one. A successful cyberattack could result in a company paying hefty sums for system recovery, regulatory fines, and even litigation. While that shouldn’t come as a surprise, what may shock you is the actual cost of a data breach.

What’s the Real Cost of a Data Breach?

Between its own information and the personal information of your customers, your company possesses a lot of data. As a result, cybercriminals see your network as an enticing target just waiting to be invaded. Regardless of your industry, your organization has an obligation to protect the data of your clients as well as your business. With the high prevalence of cybercrime these days, it’s never been more important to be aware of the consequences of a data breach.

Part of being aware of the consequences is understanding the real cost of a data breach. In their most recent report, IBM and the Ponemon Institute found that the average cost of a cyberattack reached $4.24 million in 2021. That’s a 10% increase from the $3.86 million reported back in 2019. Furthermore, the global cost of cyberattacks is expected to hit $6 trillion.

What Are These Estimates Based On?

After a cyberattack, there are several expenses a company may have to pay for. The joint report from IBM and the Ponemon Institute takes into account hundreds of cost factors that range from regulatory fines to customer turnover and much more. The findings are based on 537 breaches in 17 countries that cover 17 industries.

What’s Driving These Attacks?

In 2021, cybercrime was up across the board, from zero-day exploits to server query language (SQL) injections. Some of the more notable types of attacks include:

Web Application Attacks: Web applications are cloud-based productivity tools. One of the most popular web applications is Google Suite. These programs make it easy for employees to share files and collaborate. Hackers target these services because of their easy access and reliance on user input.
Malicious Network Traffic: Malicious traffic is any suspicious link, file, or connection that’s created or received on a network. When opened, the threat can compromise a computer by creating a pathway for more malware.
Trojans: A Trojan horse, or simply Trojan, is a type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software. Once it’s on your device, it creates holes in your security.
Spyware: Designed to steal your sensitive information, spyware hides in the background of your operating system and spies on what you do.
Botnets: A botnet is a network of infected computers that work together to carry out other attacks online. Simply put, your computer becomes a zombie under the control of the attacker. One of the most dangerous botnets in history, dubbed Emotet, was actually taken down in 2021.

A development that fueled this problem was the switch to full remote or hybrid work environments. Remote workers don’t have access to the same level of cybersecurity as office workers, making them more vulnerable to attack. However, 2021 was undoubtedly the year of ransomware and phishing.

Since the start of the pandemic, phishing has skyrocketed as opportunists attempted to capitalize on the global health scare. This tactic uses social engineering to trick the victim into performing an action or revealing sensitive information. Phishing scams only ramped up further as we made our way through 2021.

The rise of ransomware can be attributed to geopolitical, behavioral, and cybersecurity issues. From the cybersecurity perspective, a lot of companies failed to implement strong cybersecurity solutions. After getting attacked, these victims responded by paying the ransom, which only encouraged more attacks. The geopolitical aspect involves the rise of ransomware gangs. These gangs operate around the world and either carry out attacks on their own or sell their ransomware programs to interested buyers.

How To Avoid Paying Cybersecurity Costs

The only way to avoid paying the cost for a data breach is to prevent the cyberattack from happening in the first place. You can do this by taking steps to strengthen your security posture, including:

Educate Your Employees: Take the time to educate your staff on the dangers of ransomware and other cyberthreats. This can involve online courses, ongoing emails with cybersecurity tips, and more. The more your team understands the risks, the less likely they are to fall victim to an attack.
Train Your Employees: In addition to education, you should train your workforce on how to spot suspicious activity. If you partner with a managed service provider (MSP), they can simulate cyberattacks that allow your employees to put what they’ve learned to the test.
Implement Cybersecurity Tools: An MSP can provide your network with enterprise-level cybersecurity tools capable of thwarting a variety of cyberattacks.
Maintain Communication: Maintain ongoing communication about cybersecurity with your staff.
Configure Your Filters: Configure your anti-spam filters to flag file types commonly used to hide ransomware like .exe and .vbs.
Create Backups: Frequently back up crucial files and systems so they can be recovered if a ransomware attack occurs.

Protect Your Business With The Logic Group

The worst way to learn about the cost of a data breach is to experience it firsthand. Let the experts at The Logic Group help you boost your cybersecurity posture. With our monitoring services, we can identify suspicious activity in your network and provide the correct data breach response to protect your information.

The post What’s the Actual Cost of a Data Breach? appeared first on The Logic Group.

Benefits of IT and Why You Need a Reliable MSP

wpengine — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Benefits of IT and Why You Need a Reliable MSP

Whether you work for a big tech company or a small business in the hospitality sector, we all rely on IT infrastructure for our operations. In order for your organization to be at it’s best, your IT needs to be optimized and aligned with your goals. However, it takes a lot of time, work, and dedication to maximize the potential of your technology. Fortunately, there’s a shortcut you can take to achieve your ideal IT environment.

The Benefits of IT Support

One of the biggest challenges companies face when attempting to execute their corporate strategy is not having the support they need from their infrastructure. Most business operations require IT that’s fast, responsive, and resilient. In today’s technology-dependent world, it’s difficult to find success without reliable technology that’s configured to your needs.

The typical IT environment requires maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Performing these tasks can be cumbersome for any company with finite resources. To solve this problem, a growing number of organizations are turning to managed IT services.

Managed IT support is when a managed services provider (MSP) partially or fully takes over the management of your IT. From remote monitoring and management to cloud migration, an MSP delivers what you need to be more efficient and productive. Although any organization can benefit from managed IT services, small and medium-sized businesses tend to benefit the most from MSP service offerings.

Why You Need Managed IT Services

If IT management can be done internally, it may be confusing as to why you would need managed IT support from a third-party provider. The truth is, not every business needs help from an MSP. A firm with a large IT department and plenty of funding can likely handle their technology without a problem. While some may choose to go down this route, it’s not a realistic choice for others.

It’s important to remember that an MSP is meant to act as an extension of your team. Their purpose is to make your job easier through technology-related services. As experts in their field, they have the knowledge and experience to help you make smart IT decisions. They also have the ability to enhance the way your employees work. And since you don’t have to worry about your IT, your staff is free to focus on other projects that grow your business.

Advantages of the Managed Services Model

The reasons to outsource your information technology needs don’t just involve resource limitations. There are many benefits of IT support your company can take advantage of, including:

Stronger Security Posture: With the rapidly expanding presence of cyberthreats, cybersecurity is something every business should prioritize. An MSP not only has the tools, but also a team of experts who know how to keep your network protected. Even if you already have a firewall in place, your MSP can provide services like 24/7 monitoring, penetration testing, and security audits.
Reliability: Downtime means your employees can’t do their jobs, which means you’re losing money. That’s why it’s important to have a business continuity solution. With the help of an MSP, you can prevent network interruptions through maintenance services. Disaster recovery and backup can also get your organization up and running after an emergency.
Lower Costs: Outsourced IT staff can do everything an in-house IT department does. If you need to troubleshoot a computer problem or replace some old equipment, they can help. You get all the support you need without having to hire new employees.
Access to Experts: When you have an issue you can’t solve on your own, it’s best to get the help of an expert. An MSP is made up of professionals who are highly trained and knowledgeable in a variety of IT disciplines. Depending on the MSP, you often have access to these experts at all times of the day.
More Productivity: Technology should always work for you, not against you. However, if your infrastructure isn’t aligned with your business goals or maintained properly, it could be hindering your operations. An MSP provides consultants who can shape your IT in a way that benefits your organization and helps your employees be more productive than ever before.
Premium Tools: Purchasing and maintaining the best hardware and software is expensive. And to add insult to injury, those solutions can become obsolete in a matter of months. Partnering with an MSP gives you access to cutting-edge tools while avoiding upfront costs.

Should I Invest in Managed IT?

Regardless of the size of your business or how much technology you use, you can experience the benefits of IT support. But if you’re still on the fence, here are some warning signs you need an MSP.

Growth Problems: Does it feel like your business has hit a brick wall? One of the main obstacles to company growth is a poorly maintained IT environment. With managed IT support, you can make your company more efficient and productive.
Cybersecurity Problems: If you feel like your network isn’t protected enough from cyberthreats, then you need a better solution. An MSP has a variety of tools to stop most cyberthreats.
Your Team Is Overwhelmed: Managed IT services put the hard work of managing your infrastructure on the shoulders of an outsourced team. As a result, your staff is free to work on other projects.

Experience the Benefits of IT With The Logic Group

The Logic Group is an industry-leading IT company that takes pride in helping clients overcome their technology challenges. Since every business is unique, we customize our services to meet your specific needs. From managed IT support to compliance services, we’re here to enhance your operations.

The post Benefits of IT and Why You Need a Reliable MSP appeared first on The Logic Group.

Why Your Business Needs an End-of-Year IT Assessment

wpengine — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Why Your Business Needs an End-of-Year IT Assessment

Your IT is the backbone of your business, allowing you to do everything from sending emails to holding virtual meetings. You and your employees use your technology extensively throughout the year, which is why it’s important to have a resilient and optimized infrastructure your business can rely on at all times. The key to achieving such an IT environment is to perform regular IT assessments.

What Is an IT Assessment?

An IT assessment, or technology audit, is a comprehensive review of your systems. It involves having an IT expert evaluate your infrastructure and can range from a formal site survey to a full examination of your operational needs and how your technology stacks up. The auditor’s findings are then put in a report that gives you a new level of clarity about the state of your IT.

This process can also find opportunities to boost efficiency, productivity, and profitability. As the analyst inspects your IT, they can offer suggestions on how to make your infrastructure better for your company. The more aligned your IT is with your business objectives, the more you benefit. While you can perform an assessment on your own, it’s best to have someone who can provide an unbiased eye.

The Purpose of an IT Assessment

Has your office been experiencing recurring downtime? Is there an annoying pain point you need to address? Or maybe an application you frequently use is starting to run slowly?

There’s an endless list of things that could inhibit how your business functions. The purpose of a technology audit is to eliminate them. IT audits check your:

Internet connectivity throughout the office
Cybersecurity programs
Software/hardware age
App or equipment redundancy
Technology conflicts
Latency in voice and data apps

IT Audit Objectives

At the end of the day, an IT assessment is meant to improve your business through infrastructure visibility, optimization, and alignment. An audit accomplishes this by setting certain objectives, such as:

Identifying strengths and weaknesses: An audit highlights the best parts of your IT environment as well as what needs improvement.
Early detection: Finding a problem early on can prevent bigger issues down the road, allowing you to avoid costly disruptions.
Compliance: Any systems that fail to meet the compliance standards of your industry can lead to paying avoidable fines.
Clarity: Gaining deeper insight into your infrastructure and its capabilities is necessary to build a successful strategy for the future.

Why Is It Necessary To Have an End-of-Year IT Assessment?

It’s recommended that you visit a dentist twice a year so you can maintain the health of your teeth. An end-of-year IT assessment is beneficial in a similar way. Think about it like this: your infrastructure consists of a variety of technologies. Over the course of the year, inefficiencies can find their way in, be it because updates aren’t installed, certain technology becomes outdated, or some other issue arises.

By scheduling an IT assessment now, your company gets an opportunity to review its systems before the end of the year. With the IT audit methodology, you can discover what’s helping or hindering your business on the IT side so your team can hit the ground running when they come back to the office in the new year.

The Benefits of an End-of-Year IT Assessment

Regardless of the size of your organization or what industry you operate in, every company can benefit from an end-of-year IT assessment. A few benefits that come from an audit include:

Elimination of vulnerabilities: During an IT assessment, the analyst can review your cybersecurity policies and processes. This gives them the chance to find security gaps in your network. Once you know about your organization’s vulnerabilities, you can take measures to counteract them.
Having a baseline: One objective of an IT audit is to establish a baseline of performance. Without a baseline, it would be nearly impossible to know if your infrastructure has improved after making changes.
Understand your IT: The more you understand your infrastructure, the easier it is to improve it. An assessment provides more visibility into your network. This allows better management, which can lead to higher performance and greater cost effectiveness.
Improved Communication: An IT audit often requires help from people across the organization. This opens the door for communication between departments about topics concerning different parts of your business. The more interdepartmental communication there is, the better your organization runs.
Due Diligence: An assessment provides documentation you can share with insurance companies, government regulators, and business partners. So, if your company is hit by a cyberattack, an audit could be used as proof that you did everything required to protect the information in your possession. Without proof, your organization could face legal problems.
Easier Budgeting: Creating a budget for the new year is something every business has to do. However, some things are easier to build a budget around than others if you don’t have the right information. The details in your technology assessment checklist can help you figure out the best course of action for your short- and long-term expense planning.

Schedule Your IT Assessment With The Logic Group

The Logic Group is an industry-leading managed services provider that has been providing IT solutions since 1996. We offer a wide range of services to meet any need, including IT assessments. If you’re interested in improving your company’s infrastructure, schedule an IT assessment with us.

The post Why Your Business Needs an End-of-Year IT Assessment appeared first on The Logic Group.

How To Identify Cyberthreats and Deal With Hackers

wpengine — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000

How To Identify Cyberthreats and Deal With Hackers

Recognizing security threats and attacks is easier said than done. You need an expert security team and resources like real-time intrusion detection systems, not to mention the foresight to implement proactive security solutions and the self-discipline to update them. Network security threats are constantly evolving, and hackers are clever. If you aren’t on top of your game, your sensitive data is at risk.

Keep reading to learn how to detect hacking attempts and how to counter hackers.

Why You Should Know How To Recognize Security Threats and Attacks

Cybersecurity isn’t simple. Hackers are inventive, and if you want to protect your sensitive data from compromise, you can’t just implement anti-malware software and leave it at that. There are many types of attacks and malicious code a bad actor can use to gain unauthorized access to your assets. To stand a chance against them, you need to take a holistic approach to security: diversify your defenses, test them often, and keep them as updated as possible.

Hackers use malicious software, denial-of-service (DDoS), phishing attacks, and more to crack your security and steal your data. No security team can promise to make your business immune to cyberattacks, but you can arm yourself with the knowledge and tools to contain and address security threats quickly, minimizing the damage a hacker can do to your security.

In this article, we’ll give you a few tips to help you identify cyberthreats and remove hackers. But first, let’s review the many types of attacks and types of malware bad actors use.

Malware

Malware is any software that includes malicious code designed to perform harmful activities on computers and networks. An infection can corrupt files, modify or destroy data, distribute credentials, restrict legitimate access, and cause a crash. Malware is a common hacker tool, and there are many types, each with defining characteristics. Here are a few to look out for:

Viruses – This type of malware multiplies within computers and across networks to compromise sensitive data. Viruses often activate after a victim performs an action, such as clicking on an email attachment or following a suspicious link.
Trojans – These are malicious coding hidden inside seemingly harmless software. Once the program is installed, the trojan gains control of data and inflicts damage on your device. Trojans can come with a virus.
Spyware – This malicious code enters your computer or network to gather information and pass it to interested parties. Like Trojans, spyware is introduced to a computer when users install a program they shouldn’t. While spyware may not actively damage your data, it often goes undetected and could have financial consequences.
Ransomware – Ransomware locks users out of their devices and files unless they agree to a ransom. This type of malware leads to downtime. When your employees can’t work, your operations stop, costing you money.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

DDoS attacks occur when a hacker uses a network of computers to bombard a website with traffic. The site fails to process such a high volume of connection requests and shuts down. Unlike most types of attacks, DDoS strikes are designed to disrupt a company, not steal its data. However, a bad actor can use a DDoS attack to cover other criminal activity, like a data breach, so it’s a good idea to check your network thoroughly following an attack.

Social Engineering

Social engineering involves sending seemingly legitimate communication via email or text message that contains malicious code. Phishing attacks are the most common form of social engineering attack. Users open suspicious links that steal sensitive data like login credentials or release malware into their system. When your workforce isn’t knowledgeable of phishing scams, they’re a massive vulnerability and a threat to your security posture.

How Network Breach Detection Keeps You Safe

A breach detection system is your best protection against a data breach. Breach detectors can be introduced to your processes and programmed to alert you when there’s a security event. When you have an intrusion detection system (IDS) to monitor a network for policy violations or malicious software, you can collect the data necessary to contain the issue and prevent further damage. It’s the proactive solution your organization needs to safeguard sensitive data.

When placed at certain points around a network to monitor traffic, an IDS analyzes connections and matches the traffic with known attack methods. Once the system detects suspicious behavior, it sends an alert to your security team. This technology is adaptable, scalable, and robust.

Take a look at these additional tips for identifying cyberthreats and countering hackers:

Watch Out for High Outgoing Traffic

Has your network experienced a high volume of network traffic? Is it unusual? Then a hacker may have breached your systems. A bad actor could be using your device to send spam to other users in your network, which may lead to an even greater data breach.

Keep an Eye on Your Antivirus

Has your antivirus solution detected malicious software? Even if you haven’t done anything unusual, it’s important to take your antivirus seriously. Many hackers use malicious code in programs like trojans to gain access to a computer or network. If an illegitimate third party can access your system, you open your company’s network to exploitation.

Investigate Disk Activity

Look for suspicious files hidden in the root directories of your drives. Malicious users can run scans to discover documents containing login credentials and financial information that could damage your organization. Disk activity while a device is idle is a major sign of malware infection. Identifying cyberthreats like these early can save you money and resources.

The Logic Group Can Help You Identify Cyberthreats

Are you not sure how to detect hacking attempts? The Logic Group can provide the tools your business needs to counter hackers at every turn. Our extensive cybersecurity services keep your workforce safe with security awareness training and threat hunting capabilities. Your network security should be a priority. Reach out today if you’re ready to take your IT framework to the next level.

The post How To Identify Cyberthreats and Deal With Hackers appeared first on The Logic Group.

Cloud 101: How To Improve Cloud Computing Security

wpengine — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Cloud 101: How To Improve Cloud Computing Security

Cloud-based data and applications have become the norm in many industries. Moving your data to a cloud environment is one of the best things your organization can do to promote business agility and prepare your infrastructure for the future. However, as with any technology, cloud services come with many security risks. Keep reading to learn how to mitigate the risks of cloud computing.

What Is Data Security in Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is necessary to evolve your company’s IT infrastructure. Company-wide collaboration and scalability are more accessible than ever before, and as cloud data and applications mature, your options for IT strategy grow. However, hackers never rest. Cloud data security is a concern for IT specialists everywhere.

Preventing unauthorized access to your important cloud-based data should be your top priority. Introducing the right security controls and managing access controllability keeps your assets safe while still providing all the flexibility and innovation cloud computing is famous for. Security tools allow your IT professionals to locate and document resources, improve your security posture, and prevent data loss.

You can protect your cloud environment with constant monitoring, testing, and encryption. Keep reading if you want to know what to look for in cloud security.

The Top Cloud Security Issues and What To Look for in Cloud Security

Cloud computing security threats come in many forms. Bad actors have learned how to exploit the unique structure of the cloud environment to gain unauthorized access to users’ data. To address security threats and prevent data loss, you need to practice responsible cloud computing security habits.

Let’s take a look at a few of the biggest cloud data security threats and how to remedy them:

Cloud Security Threats

Cloud Service Misconfiguration

The greatest threat to your organization’s cloud data security posture is your workforce. Cloud misconfiguration occurs when a user establishes a cloud platform’s security settings incorrectly. An admin could allow unrestricted outbound access to assets, which confuses communication and lets in unauthorized applications. A severe misconfiguration can lead to data loss if not remedied quickly.

Malware Infection

Malware is a threat even in a cloud environment. While cloud computing allows for unmatched access to valuable data and assets, malware also becomes more accessible. Data travels to and from the cloud, presenting an opportunity for a bad actor to release malicious software and damage your assets.

Undetected malware can wreak havoc on even the most up-to-date cloud-based infrastructure. Once it has entered your system, it spreads quickly and leaves you open for worse exploitation. Credentials and protected information can be stolen and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Hyperjacking, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and hypervisor infections are all strategies hackers can use to ruin your cloud environment.

Data Loss

The cloud is a flexible and scalable solution that offers improved shareability and collaboration over traditional IT solutions. But while the cloud makes it easy to share data, sometimes it’s a little too easy. Employees and third parties associated with your organization can leak and modify data from many access points. Without solid data security policies that reinforce access controllability, you’re inviting malicious users to take advantage.

Recovering data after a security breach costs time, money, and energy. Even if your IT team has spent days or even weeks trying to patch up the damage, there’s no guarantee you’ll salvage all of your assets. When you have clients and employees who trust you to protect their interests, investing in cloud computing without also using proper security controls is a mistake that could cost you your revenue and reputation.

How To Mitigate Risk in Cloud Computing

Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and Strong Passwords

You can protect your cloud data and applications with a standard security tool: a good old-fashioned password. Ensure your password is long and tough to guess. Keep your codes secret and don’t fall for phishing emails or other malicious activity.

Multi-factor authentication prevents malicious users from gaining access to your account. Hackers won’t be able to open your cloud files even if they’ve stolen your credentials. To log in to an account with 2FA activated, you need your password and another code from your phone or an application.

Test, Test, Test Your Cloud Environment

Once you’ve built your cloud solution, test it routinely. There are many security tools you can use to check your infrastructure for vulnerabilities. Misconfiguration testing, vulnerability tests, and penetration testing probe your data and applications for weaknesses and provide valuable feedback you can use to improve your defenses.

Some tools even allow your IT professionals to launch a simulated attack on your organization’s data centers, meaning you can see in real-time how an attack might affect your security posture and identify ways to address the issues.

Closely Monitor Your Data

You should continually monitor your cloud environment so you’ll know the moment something is wrong. Look out for unauthorized edits to files, configuration changes, or lapses in compliance. If you detect a security breach early enough, you can contain the issue quickly and mitigate any long-term damage.

Have a Data Backup Plan

No data center is safe without a backup plan. A data backup strategy protects your business from permanent data loss, while an effective security platform allows you to enforce data protection policies across your cloud services. Be sure to scatter data and applications across multiple channels and regularly refine your disaster recovery and data backup strategies.

Thorough backups strengthen business continuity and ensure that if the unthinkable happens, you’ll be in a position to recover.

The Logic Group Promotes Data Security in Cloud Computing

Are your data and applications safe and secure? The Logic Group can help you establish a cloud computing security strategy that defends your sensitive information against security threats and prevents data loss. With constant monitoring and testing as well as a robust data backup plan, you can mitigate the risks of cloud computing while enjoying its power and flexibility. Trust our specialists for cloud solutions, managed IT support, and cutting-edge cybersecurity.

The post Cloud 101: How To Improve Cloud Computing Security appeared first on The Logic Group.