Category Archives: Blog

Smishing: What it is and How to Guard Against it

Business organizations around the globe are all too familiar with phishing, a tactic that scammers use to extract sensitive information from unsuspecting individuals. Currently a new threat is on the rise called smishing. With smishing, the premise is similar. Instead of emails, mobile phone text messages that appear to have originated from reputable sources, are distributed asking recipients to click on links or reply with sensitive data. In this article we explore this new threat and provide some tips on how to avoid falling prey.

Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Managed IT Services Provider for Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity has become increasingly essential for businesses over the last few years. In fact, according to Forbes, global spending on cybersecurity is expected to reach $270 billion by 2026. That is a 56 percent increase from 2020 spending of around $173 billion. This upward trend seems only natural considering the numerous advantages of outsourcing some, if not all, cybersecurity to a managed IT services provider. In this article we discuss the top five reasons so many businesses are being compelled to do so.

Ten Tips for Getting the Most out of Microsoft Teams

As the global pandemic rages on, working remotely has become the new norm for many business organizations. To support this growing work-from-home culture, the use of video conferencing and remote collaboration tools has escalated. One tool that has gained a lot of momentum is Microsoft Teams. It is now the leading choice for businesses looking for a secure cloud-based collaborative platform. In this article, Outsource IT presents ten tips which business organizations can use to take full advantage of this amazing business tool.

Smartphone Malware: A Threat Businesses Cannot Afford to Ignore

Malware specifically aimed at smartphones is one of the biggest threats to business organizations. Despite this fact, many businesses do not put enough focus on smartphone security. According to the Verizon Mobile Security Index 2019 report, although 85% of businesses claimed they were doing what it takes to guard against smartphone malware, less than half of those respondents actually implemented the correct measures needed to keep their mobile devices safe. This lack of urgency on the part of those businesses could end up costing them dearly. To demonstrate this point, we will discuss a few examples of devastating malware attacks targeted at smartphones. Additionally, we will provide some best practices to help business organizations avoid falling victim to them.

How Centralized Password Management Tools Can Stop Cyberattacks against Businesses

According to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 80% of hacking-related security breaches involve passwords. An even more shocking study found that 59% of people reuse passwords for multiple services, while 95% share up to six passwords with other people. These bad habits do not stop at home—the same study shows that over a quarter of respondents even share work-related passwords. The best solution to this problem is the usage of enterprise password management tools which allow business organizations to enforce consistent policies around password storage and security. In this article we discuss how these tools can help businesses in the fight against cyberattacks.

Top 5 Advantages of Hardware-as-a-Service

Although technology trends are changing at the speed of light, the high cost of investing in new hardware can influence some companies into hanging on to obsolete technology, even at the cost of affecting their business. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem called Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS), which allows companies to keep their technology up to date without sacrificing their cash flow. In this article we shine some light on this new licensing model, and discuss five advantages business can gain from adopting it.

5 Reasons Businesses Should Perform Regular Penetration Testing

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, business organizations around the world have been migrating their processes and information online. As a result, stronger, more reliable cybersecurity measures are required to sustain all this online activity, and guard against cyberattacks. Penetration testing is one of the best ways to find vulnerabilities and prevent these cyberattacks. In this article Outsource IT discusses what penetration testing involves and the top five benefits businesses can gain from performing it on a regular basis.

Best Practices for Creating an Effective Business Continuity Plan

Considering the costs and implications of downtime, it is paramount that business organizations put measures in place to ensure seamless and reliable business continuity in the event of an unplanned outage or security incident. This can be done by carving out a robust business continuity plan (BCP), and should be at the top of every organization’s list of strategic initiatives. In this article Outsource IT outlines the best practices that should be kept in mind when designing and implementing an effective business continuity plan.

Five Critical Steps Businesses Should Take to Guard Against Ransomware

Ransomware is a malicious cyberattack which locks and encrypts data, until a ransom is paid. Detecting and preventing ransomware is quite challenging. As a result, it is commonly believed that a reactive approach is the only way to mitigate the risk. While knowing how to fight back after being attacked is critical, taking proactive steps to minimize the odds of falling victim is equally necessary. In this article we reflect on the five most critical proactive steps an organization should take to guard against ransomware.

How to Create a Strong Information Security Policy

When it comes to business IT security, no amount of prevention is ever enough. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Maryland, hackers attack every 39 seconds, on average 2,244 times a day. To mitigate the risks before they arrive, every organization should invest the time to create a robust information security policy. In this article, we discuss the most important steps in creating a strong information security policy, and the key elements it should contain.