Category Archives: Blog

Best Practices for Implementing a Successful Multi-Cloud Strategy

As cloud technology continues to evolve in complexity and sophistication, it has become a must have for organizations large and small. Many businesses are even making use of multiple cloud providers, a practice which is commonly referred to as multi-cloud. While multi-cloud environments provide many advantages, it is a good idea to evaluate whether using a combination of cloud services is a good fit for an organization’s core business strategy, or regulatory and customer requirements before taking the leap. In this article, we offer five key tips to help business organizations navigate the challenges of planning and deploying a successful multi-cloud strategy.

Five Proven Techniques for Early Detection of Cyberattacks

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, cyberattacks have increased both in frequency and effectiveness. Continuing with this trend, 2021 has begun with a couple massive zero-day exploits and supply chain attacks. Breaches of IT systems in many of these cases go unnoticed for months. However, if they are detected early enough, their impact can be much smaller. In this article, we will cover five key strategies for early cyberattack detection which can help to reduce the damage they can cause.

Why Cloud Storage is not an Effective Backup Solution

The recent fire at one of OVH’s datacenters left many of its customers scrambling to recover from the loss of critical applications and data. They realized too late that their disaster recovery plans needed to account for the sudden loss of a third-party datacenter. Cloud storage services often promote themselves with offers of backup protection. However, there are important differences between a cloud storage service and a true backup solution. In this article, we will cover the main weaknesses of relying on cloud storage as a backup solution and wrap up with tips on how to implement the most effective backup and disaster recovery procedures.

Zero-Day Exploits: What They are and How to Stop Them

Zero-day exploits have been in the news recently after a massive worldwide breach of Microsoft’s email server software that affected at least 60,000 organizations. That hack relied on not one but four different zero-day exploits to install malware on Microsoft Exchange servers. In this article, we will cover the basics of zero-day exploits and the steps organizations can take to mitigate the risks posed by software vulnerabilities. With this knowledge, business organizations can better protect their data against breaches, and recover from them faster even if they fall prey.

10 Best Practices for Managing Remote Workers

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, remote work was already becoming popular with many business organizations. The pandemic, however, forced many unprepared organizations to hastily implement remote work without establishing clear procedures for managing the process and maximizing productivity. To help businesses looking to improve their remote working procedures, Outsource IT presents 10 key best practices for managing a remote workforce. In this article we focus on proven tools and management techniques for remote work, which are effective in solving the added challenges organizations face during a pandemic.

5 Tips for Keeping Business Data Safe from the Dark Web

The dark web is a sub-section of the Internet that is not indexed by search engines and can only be accessed by browsers that access the Internet through anonymous servers. Because of the anonymity the dark web provides, it allows people to buy and sell illicit items, including sensitive data. In fact, a recent study found that excluding drug sales, sixty percent of the listings on the dark web can hurt businesses. While the threat the dark web poses is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, there are precautions businesses and government organizations can take to manage these risks. In this article, we detail five tips for keeping an organization’s data safe from the cybercriminals of the dark web.

Supply Chain Attacks: What They Are and How to Stop Them

Cyber criminals have become more sophisticated in their attacks against organizations and businesses. Instead of attacking businesses and their websites directly, cyber criminals have pivoted their focus to attacking vulnerable or compromised sections of the supply chains that distribute goods and services to consumers. This switch in hacker strategy has allowed supply chain attacks to become a powerful enemy of any company hosting customer and supplier data in the world. Statistics estimate that next-gen supply chain attacks increased by 430% in 2020. The data also shows most companies have inadequate protection against cyber threats. In this article we explore supply chain attacks, the impact they have on businesses, and how to mitigate the risk they pose to businesses.

Accidental Data Leaks: A Serious Concern for Businesses

Although cyberattacks are usually perpetrated by intentionally malicious attackers, employees can accidentally create similar damage. These types of breaches are commonly referred to as accidental data leaks. They typically involve employees giving third parties or the wider Internet too much access to internal company data. This may seem like a trivial issue to stop; however, organizations worldwide have lost hundreds of millions of dollars over the years due to these breaches. In this article we discuss some of the most common kinds of accidental data leaks, along with real-world cases, and suggestions on how to prevent them.

IT Leadership in the COVID-19 Era

2020 was a wakeup call not just to the IT industry, but to people in every industry and walk of life. The scenario that many scientists had been predicting unfolded, and despite their warnings, the world was not ready. The front lines that had been formed to fight this invisible threat put medical professionals shoulder to shoulder with ISP, communications, and infrastructure personnel, just to keep hospitals and cities functioning. So how did IT leadership react to the very real possibility that they were putting lives on the line so that people could work from home, order medical supplies, and keep the lights on? Additionally, what lessons can be learned from all this? In this article we tackle those questions.

2020 IT Security Year in Review and 2021 Predictions

As we all grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the world of IT security continues to evolve. Businesses that have adapted to the current crisis are about to face a new set of challenges going forward in 2021. In fact, surveys show that many organizations expect massive IT security changes during this year. In this article we discuss some of the biggest IT security issues from 2020 and provide predictions on technologies, and threats which will make the biggest impact on IT security in 2021.