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Cybersecurity in Healthcare in 2021

All industries are open to data breaches and cyberattacks however cybersecurity in healthcare in 2021 will see a large jump compare to other industries.

As the healthcare industry accelerates into more digital technology and connectivity, this has helper the industry by increasing the patient care delivery, offering more effective health management, and better patient outcomes.  The downside is that with all this increased technology and connectivity, the risk of cyber exposure to cyberattacks that can impact patient care delivery, safety, and privacy.

According to cybersecurity professional, the healthcare industry will see a 200 to 300 percent increase in more cyberattacks in 2021 compared to other industries.  Add this to improper cyber security practices including weak passwords, and vulnerabilities, and now you have recipe for disaster.

To understand the importance of a ransomware attack in the healthcare industry, there has been a 400 percent increase in cyberattacks between 2017 and 2020.

Now this is the US but there are no borders when it comes to hackers and cyber criminals.  The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported 592 breaches of unsecured protected health information affecting 500 or more individuals within the last 24 months.

According to a survey from the Health IT Conference, the HIMSS 2020 survey summary stated the following.  There is a wide gap for cyberattacks as many healthcare organizations lack the proper resources to protect from cybercriminals.  Very few healthcare organizations are conducting end-to-end security risk assessments to mitigate their cyber risks. Many healthcare organizations risks are not addressed due to the lack of comprehensive security risk assessments.  There is also a large legacy system footprint in many healthcare organizations that hold sensitive information and are vulnerable to cyberattack.

Cybersecurity in Healthcare in 2021 1

A great resource is The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as they provide advice and information about protecting personal information.  They also enforce two federal privacy laws.

Here are some great links and additional reading material:

Cybersecurity in healthcare in 2021 will be challenging as healthcare environments are unique.  Their require an in-depth cyber security approach and proactive management from a skilled IT department or support from a managed IT services provider.  This will address the challenge needed to protect patient data while embracing the ever-increasing number of digital health technologies.

There have been a number of data breaches that have occurred, and healthcare organizations need to close the gap in security.  We more IoT devices coming online such as smart IV pumps and bedside medication verification workflows, cybersecurity is a large concern.

Going to the cloud or worried about security?

We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT Services, Managed Security Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services, Cloud Services, Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

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How can Managed IT Services for Small Business Help?

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Small Business Canada Word Cloud

You want your small business to grow and succeed but how? Managed IT Services for Small Business Help.

Small businesses are the backbone of Canada’s economy as they contribute a large deal to the country’s gross domestic product.  As technology continues to advance, it has become increasingly important for small businesses to work with managed IT services providers who understand small business structures and their specific business goals.

Successful small businesses industry leading technology and IT providers to be competitive. As part of a small business, you need to focus on many important things such as operations and growth, not IT infrastructure, IT maintenance or IT management.

Managed IT Services for Small Business Help by evaluating technology including disaster recovery, cloud services and other technologies to ensure they fit your business and budget.  These IT solutions need to be secure, scalable, and cost-effective for a small business.

How can Managed IT Services for Small Business Help?

By partnering with a managed IT services provider, you are accessing enterprise-class IT staff and tools that will optimize your entire organizational operation.   They can isolate, share, or secure your data with enterprise-class IT knowledge. They will also have the ability to maximize uptime and reduce hardware failure or system failures.

Managed IT services providers will also monitor and maintain your IT system to minimize costly and disruptive downtime as well as backup your important business data.  They will manage your complete network security to prevent viruses, malware, or spam from disrupting your business network

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Over 75% of breached organizations thought they were safe from cyber-attacks?

A recent survey shows over 75% of breached organizations thought they were safe from cyber-attacks. Unfortunately, they were wrong and it cost them big.

A new study into cyber-security revealed that three-quarters of organizations in the UK feel secure from cyber-attacks even though half of them experienced a cyber-attack in the past.  Over 85per cent believe they are doing enough to protect themselves from cyber-attacks. Out of these, 33 per cent believe that cyber security responsibility is strictly the responsibility of their IT departments or managed IT services provider.  The unfortunate truth is that the true problem lies with the overall organization, cyber-security planning, and proactive IT security management.

The issue for organizations here is that they have nothing in place for cyber security or things are not consistently applied and reinforced.  The good news is that most companies have a data breach plan in place, however, less than half believe they are safe when it comes to cyber attacks.

Cybersecurity should be a big concern for businesses of all sizes. A cyber attack could cost money, data loss, data, reputation, time and clients. Unfortunately, the study shows that businesses believe they are far more secure than they really are.

Here are some ways to protect yourself from Cyber Attacks?

  1. Never click on links in emails. If you do think the email is legitimate, go to the site and log on directly.
  2. Never open the attachments. Most reputable companies do not send emails with attachments.
  3. Set secure passwords. Do not share your passwords and avoid using common words, phrases, or personal information. Also, update regularly them on a regular basis.
  4. Keep things up-to-date. Keep your operating system, browser, anti-virus and other critical software up to date. Also, ensure you are using the latest security updates and patches.
  5. Pay attention to website URLs. Pay attention to the website URLs you visit as malicious websites sometimes use a variation in common spelling or a different domain (for example, .com instead of .net) to deceive unsuspecting computer users.

There is no 100% way to protect your business from cyber security attacks however there are many steps that companies can take to ensure they are as safe as possible.  They also need to ensure they can recover as quickly as possible in the event of a cyber attack.

Over 75% of breached organizations thought they were safe from cyber-attacks? You can be safe.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting and managed service provider (MSP) boutique in Toronto.

We offer industry leading IT solutions with our Canadian team delivering Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

365 iT SOLUTIONS provides managed services for a variety of industries, including healthcare, medical, non-profit, financial, legal, construction, engineering, and manufacturing.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can show you the risk of ransomware and if your disaster recovery strategy works properly.

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Malware Protection and Security

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Why your business needs proactive Managed IT Services?

Why does your business need proactive Managed IT Services

So why does your business need proactive managed IT services? Simple, you should have one source for all your IT services needs presented using a proactive approach.

Proactive managed IT services understand that technology can be expensive and unpredictable in a reactive business environment. On the IT side of your business, this can mean network downtime, failed hardware and unpredictable monthly technical support. On the other side this can mean loss of employee productivity, loss of profitability and business.

By working with a reputable managed IT services provider, they will be able to proactively eliminate unpredictable issues such as tech support issues, hardware failure and surprise IT budget expenditures.

Your managed IT service provider should be seen as a long term business partner as they will cover all your IT support and IT services needs including:

  • Predictable flat-fee monthly IT support services plans that are flexible with no long term contracts, commitments and measurable service level agreement.
  • Proactive IT maintenance and IT monitoring using Remote monitoring and management (RMM) and professional services automation (PSA) tools.
  • Complete vendor management to procure IT hardware, software and services.
  • 24/7/365 Help Desk Technical Support available via multiple methods including phone, email, online, or from the RMM tool on every system.
  • Proactive remote IT maintenance and IT management from their internal 100% Canadian technical team.

Outsourcing your IT technology management and support is increasing in popularity due to the proven ROI and the ability to access to enterprise-grade technology, expert-level knowledge and industry leading technical support, all at a fraction of the cost to implement and maintain an in-house IT department.

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365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT provider and IT consulting firm delivering industry leading services including Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Connect with our 100% Canadian IT services team to get access to our complimentary network assessment.

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Technology in simple English

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Ever wonder what all the technical words or services are that are mentioned daily?  Well, we put together a simple explanation on multiple services and technical terms. Basically, technology in simple English.

What is an application program interface (API)?

An application program interface (API) is code that allows two software programs to communicate with each other and are generally released for third-party development as part of a software development kit (SDK).

What is Amazon Web Services (AWS)?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is Amazon.com’s cloud computing platform which are sometimes called cloud services or remote computing services.

What is bring your own apps (BYOA)?

Bring your own apps (BYOA) is a term used when employees use of third-party applications and cloud services in the workplace. BYOA follows the BYOD trend allowing user-owned devices in the workplace.

What is bring your own cloud (BYOC)?

Bring your own cloud (BYOC) is when employees and departments use their cloud computing service of choice in the workplace therefore allowing employees to use a public cloud storage service to share very large files as it may be cost-effective rather than rolling out a shared storage system.

What is bring your own network (BYON)?

Bring your own network (BYON) refers to end users that create or access alternative networks when the available options.  To network administrators, Bring your own network (BYON) refers is the ability of allowing employees to create personal area networks (PANs) as an alternative to the corporate network however a vendor describe the service as it allows remote employees to subscribe to a global wireless broadband network instead of connecting to insecure public hot spots.

What is bring your own identity (BYOI)?

Bring your own identity (BYOI) is a simple approach to digital authentication in which an end user’s username and password is managed by a third party. Some examples include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Amazon.

What is bring your own encryption (BYOE)?

Bring your own encryption (BYOE) is a cloud computing security procedure that allows cloud service customers to control and use their own encryption software to manage their own encryption keys.

What is Internet of Things (IoT)?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is when objects such as people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without human or computer interaction.

What is a virtual machine (VM)?

A virtual machine (VM) shares physical hardware resources with other systems but isolates one another to avoid changing the end-user experience.

What is a MX record (Mail Exchange record)?

An MX record is short form for Mail Exchange record which is a domain name system (DNS) server record that contains information about which mail server the domain uses to receive mail.

What is managed security services (MSS)?

Managed security services (MSS) is a systematic approach to managing an organization’s security needs which can be handled in house or outsourced to a service provider.

What is managed service provider (MSP)?

A managed service provider (MSP) or Managed IT Services provider delivers and manages network-based services, applications, and equipment for businesses or other service providers.

What is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD)?

A Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) is an IT professional who has studied and passed a series of industry exams.  They design and develop custom business applications using Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platform.

What is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)?

A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) is an IT professional who has studied and passed a series of industry exams related desktop systems, networking, and Microsoft’s BackOffice server products.

What is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)?

A Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) is an industry certification program intended for IT professionals who seek an entry-level job in an IT environment and it also is a prerequisite for more advanced Microsoft certifications.

What is Malware?

Malware or malicious software is any program or file that is harmful to a computer user including computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware that gathers information without permission.

What is a MAC address?

A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a computer’s unique hardware number. When a system connects to the Internet from a computer, a correspondence table relates your IP address to your computer’s physical (MAC) address.

What is a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)?

A Virtual desktop infrastructure or VDI is the practice of hosting a desktop operating system within a virtual machine (VM) running on a centralized server. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a variation of server-based computing.

What is a service-level agreement (SLA)?

A service-level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and its clients that describes the service in measurable terms.  Service-level agreement (SLA) may include a plans for addressing downtime and a policy for dealing with breaches on the part of the service provider.

What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

Software as a Service (SaaS) is simple. It is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider and made available to customers over the Internet.

What is an Active Directory domain?

An Active Directory (AD) domain is a collection of objects including users, groups or hardware within a Microsoft Active Directory (AD) network. Each domain holds a database containing object identity information.

What is B2B?

Business-to-business, also known as B2B, is the exchange of products, services or information between businesses, rather than between businesses and consumers (B2C).

What is B2G?

Business-to-government, also known as B2G, is the exchange of products, services or information between business to government, rather than between business-to-business (B2B) or businesses-to-consumers (B2C).

What is ITIL?

Information Technology Infrastructure Library, also known as ITIL, is a framework for IT service management that strives for predictable, maintainable services that align with the needs of the corporation or organization and the goal is to improve efficiency and achieve predictable service levels.

What is an IT director?

An IT director, also known as an information technology director, is in charge of technology within an organization and can be known as a CIO.  In large enterprises, they are two separate positions where as the CIO focuses more on strategy while the IT director works directly with the technology.

What is IP spoofing?

IP spoofing or IP address forgery is the hijacking technique in which a hacker or cybercriminal masquerades as a trusted host to conceal his identity. The hijacker obtains the IP address of a legitimate host and alters packet headers so that the legitimate host appears to be the source.

What is an IP address?

An IP address or Internet Protocol is the protocol used to from one computer to another on the network or Internet. Each computer is known as a host on the Internet and has at least one IP address that identifies it from all other computers on the internet.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading managed services provider (MSP) in Toronto offering a wide variety of industry leading IT consulting services including Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Making I.T. Simple!

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Canada fails to understand the value of outsourcing

There are estimates that outsourcing contracts containing cloud components will grow to 50% by 2017 but Canadian businesses are failing to see the value behind it.

As many Canadian business leaders know, Canada’s outsourcing environment is unique full of unique challenges and opportunities.  According to Canada’s Centre for Outsourcing Research and Education (CORE), cloud services has been making inroads in several Industries such as healthcare and the public sector.  These industries are embracing outsourcing in key areas such as information technology, telecommunications and finance.

Many CIOs, IT consultants and IT departments are facing pressure to leverage the cloud to reduce their costs however many Canadian companies are continuing to adopt cloud for their low risk applications and data.

Many IT analysts have noted that healthcare is an area where Canada lags in outsourcing and embracing cloud-based solutions.  Why is healthcare behind in Canada? Simple.  The Canadian healthcare industry is a highly regulated environment including privacy and data residency concerns.

What is pushing Canadian companies to outsourcing?

Outsourcing is simple however many people think it is all about numbers, wrong.  One of the biggest drivers behind outsourcing is the lack of internal skills, especially when it comes to IT especially in a market where those resources are expensive to find, hire, and retain.

The Canadian business landscape is changing and companies need to find the right suppliers that have a synergy with their business goals, company objectives and how technology will help their business grow and increase profitability.

Why is 365 iT SOLUTIONS a leading IT outsourcing firm?

Technology moves quickly today and businesses have more important issues to deal with than IT infrastructure.  All business leaders know that their IT infrastructure is a critical component however there is a lack of IT skills within the organization in order to deliver in a predictable manner.

365 iT SOLUTIONS delivers Managed IT Services using the following structure:

  • We are a leading Managed IT Services and provide IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Servicesand Cloud Services
  • We are 100% Canadian and do not offshore any services.
  • As IT consultants, we advise companies on their current business needs and goals while using the latest technology to increase productivity and profitability across all levels of the business.
  • We use advanced Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) and Professional Services Automation (PSA) to deliver proactive 24x7x365 Network Monitoring from our Canadian staff.
  • We provide IT Vendor Management and Procurement Services that provide exceptional ROI.
  • Our Canadian team provides rapid response time to tech support tickets.
  • Our IT consultants will provide strategic IT planning and predictive IT budgeting that will increase operational efficiency and control operating costs.
  • We give peace of mind with minimized downtime and 24x7x365 proactive monitoring.

Our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment  gives us a true picture of your business IT infrastructure use and needs.

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Shellshock Worm Exploiting NAS Devices

 

Shellshock worm is now exploiting new devices.  Now network attached storage (NAS) devices are vulnerable to the Bash flaw and it is actively scanning the internet for more unprotected devices.

The Shellshock worm creates a backdoor on QNAP network attached storage (NAS) devices.  IT consultants have stated that it appears that hackers are using the recent exploit to run several scams including click fraud.  It seems that hackers are currently creating the backdoor so they can install addition malware in the future.  Basically they are stock piling resources for future uses.

In October, QNAP released a patch to address the Bash vulnerability on its Turbo NAS products.  Vulnerabilities are difficult for companies to manage and most are not even aware that it is present and that they have been exposed to threats such as Bash. For those who do not know, Bash affects Linux and UNIX primarily but in some cases even Windows operating systems were subject to this threat.

The Bash vulnerability is accessed quietly using many different functions which makes comprehensive patching difficult however many Managed IT Services providers (MSPs) and IT support services were proactive and patched all these threats proactively using remote monitoring and management (RMM) and professional services automation (PSA) tools.

For companies using QNAP devices, this is a large security threat as many companies are using these drives as shared drives or for local backups or even virtual machines.  If your device is hacked by this threat, the hacker may have access to an entire organizations infrastructure.

So how do you protect your business from Shellshock Worm?

  • You should have a backup of the system you are attempting to update.
  • Log in to the admin interface of the network attached storage (NAS) device.
  • The home screen of the device will state if there is any available updates or patches.
  • Once installed, most devices require a quick reboot in order for the updates to take effect.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto providing industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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iOS 8 Privacy Settings You Should Probably Change Right Now

 

iOS 8 is out and like previous versions there are hidden and concerning privacy settings.

 

Issue #1: The Keyboard Is Storing Your Passwords

Apple’s predictive text feature called “QuickType” is providing several suggestions to finish off words and sentences as you type.  QuickType does not memorize usernames and passwords however there may be times when you send important information via email/text message and it will remember.

To turn off QuickType, go to Settings -> General -> Keyboard and toggling off Predictive.

You can also hold down on the globe icon and toggle off Predictive, as well as swipe the predictive text boxes down with your finger so that they disappear within the keyboard.

 

Issue #2: Stored Cookies & Credit Card Information

Under Safari (browser) settings, you can improve your privacy settings including the following items.

  • Do Not Track: does not allow advertisers to track your every move
  • Block Cookies: does not allow websites to store your name, email, and preferences
  • Fraudulent Website Warning: warns when you try to open a website could be phishing

 

Issue #3: Apps Have Access To Your Camera, Photos, etc.

iOS 8 now allows you to manage which applications are granted access to the Camera, Background Location, etc., from Settings -> Privacy.

You can also manage access to all your Photos, Calendar, Microphone, and much more, all on an app-by-app basis.

 

Issue #4: Information Being Sent to Advertisers & Developers

Under Privacy, you can manage settings for Diagnostics & Usage and Advertising.

Like most other companies, Apple routinely gathers information about issues and usage in order to improve the performance of future operating systems.  Now if are not comfortable sharing this information, select Don’t Send from the Diagnostics & Usage settings page in Privacy.

You can also choose to disable a new iOS 8 feature which sends your information to app developers by just toggling off Share With App Developers to stop this.

In addition, you can also enable Limit Ad Tracking in Advertising which is used by advertisers to target ads to you based on the information they track.

 

Issue #5: Apple Is Tracking Your Every Move

Apple has a feature that tracks the physical locations you visit the most like home and your place of work so it can provide up-to-date traffic information in the Notification Center.

If you don’t want Apple tracking you, go to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> System Services and disable Frequent Locations.

 

Issue #6: You’re Given App Suggestions When You Go Places

iOS 8 now places location-based app notifications directly on your lock screen. If you go to a bank, are near a Starbucks, or a grocery store, iOS 8 places a specific app on your lock screen. For example, if you’re within the vicinity of a Ralphs, you’ll receive a notification for its app.

Some will find this handy so retailers apps will enhance your shopping experience.  You can disable this feature by going to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> System Services and turning off Location-Based Alerts.

 

Issue #7: Siri Can Be Accessed by Others

While Siri is helpful but she can also be exploited by other users. Anyone can grab your phone and activate Siri to send text messages, post to your Facebook, or even listen to your voicemails.

With “Hey Siri” feature on iOS 8—where you can use voice activation to bring up Siri without touching the device—it’s now even easier for others to call up the voice assistant.

To turn off the “Hey Siri” feature, go to Settings -> General -> Siri and disable Allow “Hey Siri”.

 

Issue #8: Your Location Can Be Shared with Anyone

From the Messages application, you can now share your exact location for a set amount of time.

While useful for sharing your location when on the move or tracking your kids, you could potentially send out this information to people by accident.

Stop Sharing My Location, but you can also get rid of this feature completely by going to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> Share My Location and disable the feature under the same name.

 

Issue #9: Deleted Photos Aren’t Actually Deleted

New in iOS 8 is a “Recently Deleted” photo album which holds on to photos you thought you deleted for up to 30 days after you delete them. While handy for accidental deletions, any sensitive photos you truly want gone are going to be sticking around unless you double-delete them.

Thankfully this is as easy as going to Photos App -> Albums -> Recently Deleted -> Select -> Tap the photo(s) you want to delete -> Delete -> Delete Photo. Alternatively if you accidentally deleted something, you can tap Recover to restore the photo back to the album it was deleted from.

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365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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OneDrive file size limits jumps to 10GB

 

Microsoft is increasing the 2GB file size limit to 10GB for OneDrive users.  OneDrive users can now upload files up to 10GB in size which now match Dropbox and Google Drive in the heated cloud battle.

Many users were calling for unlimited file size however that was not the case. The free version of OneDrive offers 15GB of storage so mow you can fill your box with only two files.

And if you plan to try to hit the limit, things just got faster and easier as Microsoft has improved file syncing. Microsoft claims that a new method of parallel syncing (uploading and downloading) simultaneously has increased in speed however this will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

Google Chrome users accessing OneDrive.com through Google’s web browser can drag and drop entire folders onto the website to upload them with a minimum of effort.  Once uploaded, there’s another new feature to use — easy file sharing from Windows 7 and 8. Forget having to visit OneDrive.com to share files with someone, now you can just right click a file and make use of the context menu instead. Unfortunately, Windows 8.1 and Mac users will have to wait longer.

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365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com