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How Much Does Managed IT Services Cost

One common question for organizations is how much does managed IT services cost? There are many factors in the price of a Managed IT service provider, but there are also many common factors that affect baseline price.

Many organizations feel overwhelmed with their IT technical support problems. In that case, the organization may consider hiring another company to assist. Managed IT service providers (MSPs) are companies that manage other organizations IT infrastructure.

Global IT service spending is estimated to reach 1.1 billion dollars according to Gartner. Managed IT Services costs vary from $25 to $250 per user/device per month.

A good managed IT services provider can provide a quick estimate on how much managed IT services will cost you however they should offer a complimentary network assessment to evaluate several parts of your organization.

The complimentary network and security assessment should cover these areas:

  • Identify current technical support and IT infrastructure issues
  • Evaluate current IT infrastructure, cyber security practices, and history of the IT network
  • Identify the organizations “wants” regarding technology, cyber security, and future company growth
  • Produce a custom plan and proposal based on your organization

Like a good IT department, this will create a solid foundation from day 1 when entering a long-term partnership with a managed IT services provider.

The goal for a managed IT service provider is to exceed expectations, offer locked in prices, and make IT reliable.

How Much Does Managed IT Services Cost 1

As a baseline, an organization can estimate how much they will spend on managed IT services based on five key factors.

Managed IT services provider (MSP) prices are affected by five factors:

  1. The required amount of service time
  2. The number of users
  3. The number of servers
  4. The amount of data
  5. Changing needs

How Much Does Managed IT Services Cost 2

Here are some hidden fees a managed IT services provider may have hidden or not revealed unless asked. Lower costs do mean a different quality of service or non-enterprise-class tools.

  1. New computer setups are an additional charge.
  2. They will cap the number of hours per month, anything extra is billable.
  3. You will only have access to level 1 and level 2 technical support, level 3 technical support will be extra.
  4. They will look at locking you into a multiyear managed IT services agreement.
  5. All software services will be extra or come with an additional cost such as anti-virus.
  6. They will charge for every item on your network including firewalls, network switches, printers, etc.
  7. They are not federally certified under CyberSecure Canada

All these items affect the pricing for monthly managed IT services. If you compare a flat fee company that includes everything in their monthly managed IT services compared to another managed IT services provider that gives you the bare minimum and make everything an extra cost, the flat fee company will be more cost effective over the long run.

A good managed IT services provider (MSP) perform a complimentary assessment, break down their services in different clearly in a proposal, and be able to clearly cover their plan to offer your organization proactive managed IT services.

Technical support IT issues should not be getting in the way of productivity, cyber security, and growth.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is a leader in getting IT issues resolved while maintaining an organizations IT budget using our federally certified Managed IT Company in Toronto.

Why do organization work with 365 iT SOLUTIONS  for Toronto IT Solutions?

Simple, we make IT simples!

Our clients have total confidence in their IT systems, cyber security, and growth using our team of Toronto based IT technical support experts.

We save organizations time and money in critical IT project implementation by including our project guarantee. No surprise cost as our IT project management offers fixed costs.

Our award-winning technical support service desk is active 24/7/365 ensuring our clients do not have to worry about off-hours, holidays, vacations, and employees leaving.

Our cost-effective IT solutions are delivered to our clients as they have created a long-term partnership with one of the best IT companies in Toronto.

The managed IT services (MSP) team can system breakdowns, setup new computers, conduct expert IT diagnosis, troubleshoot technical support issues, and create documented remedies for cyber security incidents.

We are you IT department from configuration, hardware, software, network, servers, office 365, printer, and laptops. Our clients trust us as we are a federally certified managed IT services provider (MSP) and one of the most experienced Toronto Managed IT support teams and support services.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is federally certified under CyberSecure Canada certification, award-winning managed IT services Toronto, and one of Canada’s first 10 organizations to be certified under Cyber Secure Canada.

Hackers can have your credentials to compromise your account. We offer a complimentary data breach scan that will be able to check the darkweb.

We are a boutique Toronto IT consulting firm specializes in award winning Managed IT ServicesCyber Security Training and Dark Web MonitoringBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR)IT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing Services. Managed Security ServicesTech Support Services, and Cloud Services.

We Make IT Simple!

 

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How do Managed IT Services Providers Help Businesses Win

All companies required an IT services provider but how do managed IT services providers help business win when it comes to technology and beating the competition?

Many business owners and management teams have spent a lot of time determining their IT needs using various services including IT departments, IT services providers on an ad-hoc service, or a fully managed IT services provider Toronto.

It is highly advised to do your homework when it comes to picking a long-term managed IT services provider or any other IT support services.  A company cannot simply search online for a company and pick the one with the cheapest price or even one that has the best rating.  When you run the appropriate process, you will not get the cheapest price, or you may be getting a very high price for managed IT services, or even services you do not need.

If organizations are looking forward to getting the most out of IT support services, they will need to do their research first. Even for employees with a lot of IT knowledge, they may not even know where to start when they are looking for proactive IT services information.

If you are looking for managed IT services Toronto, this outline can help you with any IT support needs you might have to support your business. With this information, you can make an informed decision about what is right for your business and what kind of proactive IT support services you will require.

How do Managed IT Services Providers Help Businesses Win

IT Support Services Option 1 – Managed IT Services

Managed IT services provider in Toronto usually take over your in-house IT department for a fixed fee that has been agreed upon between the parties. During the installation, proactive maintenance, and tech support services for all your devices, PCs, and users connected to your network, they will be responsible for everything from A-Z.

In addition, the managed IT services provider will also be able to provide hardware and software support that is required by your organization.  This is the best cost effective option if you require routine proactive maintenance and IT support service as well as planning the budget for your monthly operations.

By many business professionals, managed IT services is the most cost-effective and smartest option for any business. Under this managed services provider agreements, your business will not have to worry about IT support issues anymore if you use a managed IT services provider with unlimited remote tech support services and proactive network management.

The managed IT services provider (MSP) will proactively keep your networks and systems functioning no matter what. You can protect your entire IT infrastructure as well as the data on it from many common problems, including lost devices, hardware failures, fires, and much more.

This option is how managed IT services providers help businesses win.

How do Managed IT Services Providers Help Businesses Win

IT Support Services Option 2 – Technology-as-a-Service

Another option to IT Support Services Option 1 – Managed IT Services is to implement technology into your monthly IT support services agreement.  Under this agreement, the managed IT services provider will include new hardware, software, and technical support for companies. By utilizing this service, you can ensure that your business will always be using the latest hardware and software. Technology as a service lets you avoid the high costs associated with buying new hardware and software each time you need it, but you will pay much more over the course of time for the same hardware and services.  Additionally, you should keep an eye out for the services they offer to ensure they are able to handle your needs and that their pricing is not too high.

This option is how managed IT services providers help businesses win however it will be more expensive as there will be a monthly hardware cost associated with your monthly managed services agreement.

How do Managed IT Services Providers Help Businesses Win

IT Support Services Option 3 – Time and Materials

This is not considered managed IT services and looked as a very reactive way to handle IT support services. It is often referred to as “break-fix” because it involves time and materials. When something “breaks,” the technician is paid an hourly rate agreed upon by both parties. It’s a very easy way to pay for IT services, but it usually does not benefit you and ends up leading to more expensive basic services.

We would not recommend time and materials-based approach to IT support services. Having a break-fix model allows your IT company to charge you on an hourly basis as well as not requiring them to stabilize your network the correct way. There are many reasons why the break-fix model is not a good solution for computer networks, because they require ongoing proactive maintenance and proactive monitoring.

The process of choosing the right IT solution for your business can take a lot of time and effort.  How do managed IT services providers help businesses? Simple, it is a win-win situation for your business. Whenever you need IT support services or to navigate the confusing world of IT support services, a managed IT services provider can help.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is federally certified under CyberSecure Canada certification, award-winning managed IT services Toronto, and one of Canada’s first 10 organizations to be certified under Cyber Secure Canada.

Hackers can have your credentials to compromise your account. We offer a complimentary data breach scan that will be able to check the darkweb.

We are a boutique Toronto IT consulting firm specializes in award winning Managed IT ServicesCyber Security Training and Dark Web MonitoringBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR)IT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing Services. Managed Security ServicesTech Support Services, and Cloud Services.

We Make IT Simple!

 

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Hackers are targeting returning employees email

As things continuously change and more organizations are calling back employees, hacker are targeting returning employees as they are becoming easy target.

Hackers are proactive and creative resulting in them changing security breach tactics as a result from COVID-19 restrictions being lifted and employees returning to offices.  There is a new phishing campaign that is targeting those in the physical workplace as a welcome back message from a c-level executive.

The phishing email will look legitimate as has the company’s official logo in the header and was signed by a spoof C-level executive.  The hackers also show the companies precautionary measures and changes to its business operations that it is taking in response to the pandemic.

Hackers are targeting returning employees and managed IT services Toronto providers have been actively working at stopping such cyber threats from impacting companies.

There are also other fake emails that include employees being tricked into believing that they are receiving an email from their company that redirects them to what looks like the company Microsoft SharePoint site. If you or your employees engage with these documents, it becomes apparent that they are not authentic and instead are phishing mechanisms designed to steal account credentials within moments.

If this happens, you should immediately alert your managed IT services provider or IT department.

A new hacker phishing technique

Managed IT services providers and managed security services providers have identified a new technique used by hackers called cloning of validated credentials. If the login information is entered incorrectly the first few times, the panel will respond with an error message that states: “Your account or password is incorrect.”.

As soon as the employee enters their login information a few times, they will be redirected to a Microsoft page. In this manner, the employee would seem to have access to his OneDrive documents since their login information appeared to be correct.

Cyber criminals that are good actors pose a serious cyber security threat. As the shift towards more workers working remotely has led to an increase in the number of cyberattacks attempting to exploit remote login credentials. It is very likely the number of cyberattacks targeting on-premises networks and office-based workers will also continue to grow over the next few months.

Businesses are embracing hybrid work. It can lead to greater employee engagement, better-satisfied teams, and more productive enterprises at a time when jobs are at record highs.

As we embrace this new world of work, it’s easy to overlook one of the biggest challenges, maintaining proactive cybersecurity.

Hackers are targeting returning employees but here a few simple tips to protect your organization that you can discuss with your managed IT services provider.

Hackers are targeting returning employees risks

  1. What are you cyber security risks

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online fraud rose 70 percent due to increased working from home. COVID-19 pandemic testing scams and QR code hacks were among the many cyber security threats. Cyber security leaders need to proactively stay ahead of the cyber security risks by identifying new threats and having better preventive controls.

Weak cyber security should also be discussed with the rest of the company, your IT department, and your managed IT services provider. Organizations face financial losses as well as an increase in anxiety among employees. Proactively protecting against cyber security breaches and ransomware is essential.

Organizations need to raise cyber security awareness as well as know that the managed IT services provider is there to help if they have any concerns.

Hackers are targeting returning employees tools

  1. Use email strategically

Email is one of the easiest and primary ways hackers to break into businesses as they create fake email accounts that appear to be mostly a senior teammate or c-level executive at the company.

Managed IT services providers are helping organizations reduce their reliance on email for communications by using more channel-based messaging apps such as Microsoft Teams as they are more secure and easier to share than email chains.

Hackers are targeting returning employees users

  1. Give employees the right tools

Managed IT services providers and IT departments must ensure the needs of employees are met. The risk of sensitive data leaving the organization increases if employees find a way. Shadow IT practices cannot be undone once they’re implemented. With a dedicated security and compliance ecosystem, enterprise-ready collaboration tools can easily integrate with security staples.

Hackers are targeting returning employees email

  1. Manage user accounts and devices

Many workers are using their own WiFi resulting in organizations needing to create a new cyber security baseline. Organizations need to take control of their identity in a hybrid workplace to keep information secure. They need to ensure the appropriate people can only view your data, no matter where they are, with session duration metrics and two-factor authentication.

Organizations should discuss with their managed IT services providers or IT department additional cyber security measures to guard against users and devices that are jailbroken or rooted, including session management tools, default browser controls, and the ability to block jailbroken or rooted devices.

  1. Change your mind set about cyber security

Due to recent events since COVID-19 pandemic, the work environment and the cyber security environment have drastically changed the same way workers changed and cyber security threats changed.

Organizations need to allow managed IT services providers or their IT department to be able to secure work-from-home spaces in the same way they protect offices. They need to provide enterprise-grade tools for remote and hybrid workers such as office suites and collaboration tools that will ensure they will not need to use non-enterprise grade or non-sanctioned platforms.

Cyber security always comes first.

Why ransomware attacks avoid the cloud? Simple, it is much easier to secure.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is one of Canada’s first 10 organizations to be federally certified under CyberSecure Canada certification and award-winning managed IT services Toronto.

We offer a complimentary data breach scan that will be able to review if your credentials have been compromised by hackers.

We are the leading IT managed services Toronto. Our boutique Toronto IT consulting firm specializes in award winning Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesCyber Security Training and Dark Web MonitoringBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR)IT Support Services, and IT Outsourcing Services.

We Make IT Simple!

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6 Proactive Steps to Protect from Cyberattacks

With all the current trouble in the world, there a has been an increased concerned about retaliatory cyberattacks and here are 6 proactive steps to protect from cyberattacks.

To protect from cyberattacks, you will have to look at many possible attack vectors such as DDoS, phishing, disinformation, misinformation, and influence campaigns. Several of the attacks are expected to be carried out by hackers and cyber criminals.

Cyber security experts say organizations need to take these six proactive cyber security measures immediately to prepare for these possible cyberattacks and protect from cyberattacks.

Why Ransomware Attacks Avoid the Cloud 1

  1. Know your cyber security exposure, everyone is not the same

Various levels of exposure to cyberattacks exist.  You need to ensure your cyber security controls are up to date. You should be particularly cautious of user and admin credentials.

There is a recommendation from the CYBERSECURITY & INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY that all organizations proactively monitor, inspect, and isolate traffic, as well as review access controls.

As a leading managed IT services Toronto, we can help any organization or IT department meet these cyber security demands to protect from cyberattacks.

Cyber criminals and hackers look to becoming threat actors looking for ways to harm organizations.

Why Ransomware Attacks Avoid the Cloud

  1. Minimize your cyberattack surface

A next generation anti-virus with active EDR will provide you with detailed information about your IT environment as well as endpoint detection and response (EDR).  There is an advisory on strong passwords released by the National Security Agency. Since the number of network infrastructure compromises have grown at an alarming rate over the past few years, the NSA states it is important to authenticate network devices to protect from cyberattacks.

If you work with a managed IT service Toronto, you will be able to see everything regarding your network as well as create a plan to protect it proactively.

Why Ransomware Attacks Avoid the Cloud 3

  1. Understand the basics of Cybersecurity

Cyber criminals and hackers follow similar tactics in cyberattacks involving disk wiping malware including HermeticWiper. These attacks are significant because the hackers have access to systems.

Preparing for such threats always involves basic cyber security measures. This would include proactively patching, multi-factor authentication, and much more.  As a result of recent wiper attacks, especially those carried out by ransomware gangs, they may wipe your data if you do not pay them hence why backups are important.

Microsoft 365, Google Workplace, and other similar environments should all have Multi Factor Authentication enabled including legacy authentication disabled. Routers should be updated, password protected, and not exposed to the public. In addition, be sure to keep your intruder detection and incident response plans up to date.

With your managed IT services provider or IT department, you can create a crisis response team to deal with cybersecurity incidents.

 

  1. Use Properly Configured VPN Connections

Organizations are at risk from the cyberattacks likely to happen in B2B VPN connections using unfiltered by security controls. Organizations need to make sure B2B VPN connections don’t become an entry point for attackers.

If an organization does not allow protocol blocking, you should block high-risk protocols or limit their destinations. B2B VPN egress points should also be monitored for netflow, and if anything goes wrong, they should be shut down fast.

  1. Keep in touch with Cyber Security

Organizations can only do so much by implementing security controls they do not have in place to prepare for potential cyberattacks. A managed IT services in Toronto or your IT department can help reduce exposure to cyberattacks like advanced phishing, misinformation campaigns, and cyberattacks. Employees need to know the cyber threats and report any suspicious emails or files as soon as possible.

  1. Limit changes to Cyber Security

Proactive IT management should always minimize changes and investigate all new software, executables, and high-privilege accounts in any environment.  Cyber security professional also recommends enhancing change control and change monitoring for all privileged accounts.

Many organizations do not believe they have a cyber security risk from cyberattacks. While they are not specific targets, they are just as likely as any other to become victims of opportunistic cyberattacks by hackers or cyber criminals such as threat actors.

With these 6 proactive steps to protect from cyberattacks, organizations will be following cyber security experts by following policies and strengthening their IT security policies and procedures.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is one of Canada’s first 10 organizations to be federally certified under CyberSecure Canada certification.

Our complimentary data breach scan will be able to review if your credentials have been compromised by cyber criminals and hackers.

We are the leading managed IT services Toronto. Our boutique Toronto IT consulting firm specializes in award winning Managed IT ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud Services, Cyber Security Training and Dark Web MonitoringBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), IT Support Services, Managed Security Services, and IT Outsourcing Services,

We Make IT Simple!

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Why Ransomware Attacks Avoid the Cloud

Many organizations wonder why ransomware attacks avoid the cloud as they see constant news of organizations being affected by cyber criminals and hackers.

Recently a successful ransomware attack halted production at 14 Toyota factories in Japan resulting in the automaker to shut down their combined output of 13,000 vehicles.

Ransomware threatens all industries and a recent SonicWall annual threat report for 2021 reveals a 231.7 percent increase in ransomware attacks since 2019.  In addition, the CISA, NSA, and FBI have all released an advisory stating that hackers are franchising their ransomware tools to less experienced hackers.

Organizations must protect against ransomware attacks as part of their overall cybersecurity strategy.  Proactively protecting endpoints from ransomware is mandatory. Ransomware is less of a threat if your organization is in the cloud.

Why Ransomware Attacks Avoid the Cloud 1

What Is Ransomware?

Data breaches involve stolen data, not ransomware. Ransomware is software that takes control of a system and then encrypts data so that it cannot be accessed until you pay a ransom.  Organizations can be crippled by this, effectively shut down until they can regain access to data.

Cloud environments are not seeing ransomware attacks, despite ransomware being a major cyber threat.

Why Ransomware Attacks Avoid the Cloud 2

A New Cyber Security Threat Landscape

Cloud control functions include building virtual servers, changing network routes, and gaining access to databases. Cloud management is controlled by the API control plane.

A cloud platform provider like Amazon, Google, or Microsoft matters most to your data’s security and resilience. The cloud makes replicating data cheap and easy. A well-architected cloud environment ensures your data is backed up multiple times. The key to blocking ransomware is multiple copies of your data to reduce the hacker’s ability to lock you out. The latest version of the data prior to the encryption can be reverted if an attacker encrypts your data and demands ransom.

Good design and architecture are critical for cloud security, not intrusion detection and security analysis. They are not trying to compromise your network to lock you out; they are trying to exploit cloud misconfigurations to exploit your cloud APIs and steal data right from under your nose.

Why Ransomware Attacks Avoid the Cloud 3

What Is Cloud Misconfiguration?

A cloud misconfiguration can range from a simple misconfiguration of a particular resource, such as leaving a port open to an architectural weakness that attackers can exploit to turn a small misconfiguration into a giant cyber security hole. If your organization operates in the cloud, your environment has both kinds of vulnerabilities. Since cloud services is software, these types of cyberattacks can be prevented with a proactive approach. A managed IT services Toronto provider can help plan this out.

Build Cloud Security on Policy

Cloud services infrastructure is designed and built so you don’t have to avoid the cloud. Managed IT services providers or developers own that process which changes the IT security team’s role fundamentally.

With a organization wide policy, an organization can state their security and compliance policies in a language that is clear and eliminate any configuration issues. You can use it to detect undesired conditions or things in running the cloud environment. This makes it possible for all cloud services to operate securely without ambiguity or disagreement about what the rules are and how they should be applied.

Harden Your Cloud Services Security Posture

Why ransomware attacks avoid the cloud? Simple, there are some guideline that all organizations must follow to be effective with cloud security as well as harden its cloud security posture:

  • Take action. Hackers use automation to detect misconfigurations in cloud environments. Regular cloud security audits are insufficient. Continuously assess your cloud environment with your managed IT services provider or IT department.

 

  • Don’ react, be proactive. Do not turn away from intrusion detection however there should be a large focus on preventing misconfiguration vulnerabilities. Cyberattacks on cloud services happen too fast for any technology or team to stop them in progress. A managed IT services Toronto provider will have tools in place to stop and proactively manage.

 

  • Develop your team. Proactive cyber security training empowers them to proactively protect the company. This in combination with your managed IT services provider being proactive will result in a better position to prevent misconfigurations.

 

  • Identify and measure. Create a list of processes, services, and data. This will allow you to measure cyber security measures and take a proactive approach with your managed IT services. This will prevent vulnerabilities and the resulting security incidents.

Proactive cyber security prevention is the best form of defense. To quickly identify and remedy cyber security misconfigurations.

Why ransomware attacks avoid the cloud? Simple, it is much easier to secure.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is one of Canada’s first 10 organizations to be federally certified under CyberSecure Canada certification.

Our complimentary data breach scan will be able to review if your credentials have been compromised by cyber criminals and hackers.

We are the leading managed IT services Toronto. Our boutique Toronto IT consulting firm specializes in award winning Managed IT ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud Services, Cyber Security Training and Dark Web MonitoringBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR)IT Support ServicesManaged Security Services, and IT Outsourcing Services.

We Make IT Simple!

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Healthcare Apps are at Risk of Serious Vulnerabilities

The healthcare industry is dedicated to the well being of man kind however healthcare apps are at risk of serious vulnerabilities from hackers and cyber criminals.

As a managed IT services provider in Toronto and a new study from a worldwide cybersecurity firm, here are the reported alarming statistics:

  • 52 percent of healthcare applications have at least one serious vulnerability
  • 14 percent of healthcare apps remediate critical risks in the past three months.
  • 18 percent of healthcare applications critical vulnerabilities are fixed within one month of discovery.
  • 39 percent of healthcare apps cybersecurity exposure were remediated within the examined timeframe.
  • 67 percent of healthcare applications global attacks can be attributed to application specific cyberattacks.

The healthcare industry is one of the most regulated industries and a data breach can result in lawsuits that come with revenue loss, reputation, and other damages. Healthcare organizations have had to adapt their IT procedures and IT protocols that are in place to meet the challenges presented by the acceleration of digital transformation.

As a healthcare organization, abuse of functionality has been the most serious security vulnerability experienced in recent months. This refers to a type of attack that uses a website’s own features against it after gaining access to an organization’s network to harm the site. It is becoming increasingly common for attackers to exploit their targets, its hosting network, or its users by leaking sensitive information from their systems.

If you work with a managed IT services in Toronto or your internal IT department, the healthcare industry should ensure that it is improving its IT infrastructure and cybersecurity against critical vulnerabilities found within healthcare applications to reduce cybercriminal exposure to data breaches that have not been addressed quickly enough by the organizations. The longer these cybersecurity vulnerabilities remain open, and they are more likely they will be exploited by poor actors, hackers, or cybercriminals.

Healthcare Apps are at Risk of Serious Vulnerabilities 1 - 365 it solutions - managed IT services toronto 1

Malware and ransomware set to be a larger threat for healthcare

  • 55 percent of organizations recognize malware and ransomware as an ‘extreme’ cyber threat.
  • 75 percent of organizations believe malware and ransomware will increase over the next year.
  • 31 percent of healthcare organizations believe they will be part of a malware or ransomware attack.
  • 23 percent of IT support and IT cyber security teams believe they will be part of a targeted cyberattack.
  • 61 percent of healthcare organizations believe cybercriminals will use social engineering.
  • 47 percent of healthcare organizations believe cybercriminals will use phishing emails.
  • 39 percent of healthcare organizations believe cybercriminals will lure users to visit a compromised websites.
  • 49 percent of healthcare organizations report malware and ransomware as an evolving cyberattack.

All the statistics above were pulled from a report findings of the 2021 Malware and Ransomware report.  The report was put together by managed IT services providers, cybersecurity professionals, and inspection of many cybersecurity attacks.

With recent headlines highlighting high-profile ransomware and malware attacks, it is no wonder that organizations have set this problem as a priority. Cybersecurity research has shown that managed IT services, IT departments, and cybersecurity teams continue to struggle to determine how to effectively deal with ransomware threats as they continue to struggle to figure out how to effectively deal with these cyber threats.

It is crucial that organizations maintain a proper cybersecurity hygiene among their employees in the current era of remote working or working from home. To prevent the spread of malicious software, phishing attacks, or other cyber security threats, organizations need a plan.

Healthcare Apps are at Risk of Serious Vulnerabilities 1 - 365 it solutions - managed IT services toronto

Healthcare apps are at risk of serious vulnerabilities and as a managed IT services in Toronto, 365 iT SOLUTIONS can help.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Canadian federal government certified under CyberSecure Canada certification.

365 iT SOLUTIONS will be able to review if your credentials have been compromised by cyber criminals and hackers using our complimentary data breach scan report.

Looking for a managed IT services provider in Toronto? As a boutique Toronto IT consulting firm, 365 iT SOLUTIONS specializes in award winning Managed IT ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesManaged Security ServicesCyber Security Training and Dark Web MonitoringBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), IT Support Services, and IT Outsourcing Services.

We Make IT Simple!

 

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How to Optimize Your IT Environment

How to Optimize Your IT environment

Organizations have now shifted to working from home and we have put together a list on how to optimize your IT environment and cyber security.

Amid the urgency to shift to the cloud, a few important aspects of IT planning may have been overlooked. As a result of the move to the cloud, it is unlikely that a long-term plan has been developed in relation to data governance — the practice of managing, maintaining, and using enterprise data in a secure way.

At the beginning of the pandemic, it is understandable that companies did not place a high priority on data governance. Now, with companies reviewing their cloud strategies and contemplating the next steps for optimizing their cloud investments, to help maximize the value from the cloud, data governance plays a crucial role. In fact, this has become increasingly true because last year’s data was produced at an unexpected speed. As your IT infrastructure becomes cluttered with overwhelming amounts of unorganized data, the rapid creation of data can result in data sprawl, a staggering amount of unorganized data that becomes out of control.

To optimize your IT environment, organizations that are planning to migrate more workloads to the cloud or to consolidate their IT infrastructures in advance of mergers or acquisitions should seize this opportunity to fight digital inertia and improve the entire process. To maximize long-term success for companies, here are five key ways they should optimize their IT environments.

As a leading managed IT services Toronto, we can help your organizations achieve the following items.

How to Optimize Your IT environment - 365 iT SOLUTIONS

Introducing Governance in the Organization

A data governance strategy will ensure that you remain in control of your data. Unfortunately, there are still many businesses that do not have a proper governance strategy in place yet. In some companies, the emphasis is on implementing technology that can help them meet compliance regulations and enable discovery within their systems; however, a focus on managing and managing data is not always the priority. The consequences of this, as well as the challenges governing data can quickly become out of control – for instance, rising costs related to data sprawl and the inconveniences faced by employees when they must chase down the information they need.

As a proactive way to resolve this issue, establish a plan for implementing a governance model and train internal IT teams to take care of the governance work. Ensure that your team is familiar with the technology tools available to them and the necessary reporting to be able to make decisions about what data to keep and how to manage access to it. By doing so, you will minimize the possibility of data sprawls.

Clean up the unnecessary data in the house

When you migrate data from on-premises to the cloud or from one cloud tenant to another, there is always an opportunity to clean things up at the same time. You should take advantage of the migration process to reevaluate what you have, and eliminate data you don’t need, when your company migrates workloads or consolidates IT resources.

If you have compliance rules and regulations in your company, you’ll have to consider what data you can remove, however, there’s still a good chance that you’ll be able to archive or delete some data. The services and technologies such as Microsoft Teams and its channels should be reviewed and evaluated. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll be talking about the importance of structuring SharePoint, Teams, and channels in a better way. You do not necessarily need to make all the data available to all users if your company’s compliance guidelines require that you retain a significant amount of data. You only need to make it available to those who need it.

As a leading managed IT services Toronto, we can assist in cleaning up your data.

 

How to Optimize Your IT environment 2 - 365 it solutions - managed it services in toronto

Find a good lead for your project

The cost of hiring someone who is truly in charge of governance can be worth it in some cases. There’s a way to engage your company’s management team directly as part of the data governance process. The best way to measure the cost of technology resource allocation is to ask them to define the report and methodologies for calculating those costs.

Managing effectively is not just about using technology; it’s also about using technology in a proactive manner that can be controlled by a responsible leader. It will be incumbent on your company’s governance lead to enact change and ensure that any issues that surface are not only identified, but also addressed by the leadership team of your organization.

Investing in a governance champion doesn’t necessarily mean needing to hire a new employee. It could mean taking advantage of a third-party tech solution that monitors your systems and provides insights to help you make better decisions. Your champion should, at the end of the day, enable you to acquire data when you need it at the right time when you need it. Otherwise, using your data may have rendered it obsolete by the time you use it.

Create a Roadmap for Success

In the context of data governance, establishing best practices is not always an easy task. Most of the time, it is a lengthy process. Therefore, you might want to consider establishing a governance roadmap to inform the direction in which your company will go. Having the ability to accomplish small goals as well as map out strategic projects to drive accountabilities and organizational governance will help your company achieve its goals. Moreover, you can include a roadmap that outlines how the new cloud or technology solutions should be evaluated in relation to your corporate governance guidelines.

Your organization should have flexibility in both how it approaches solutions to technology problems and how it approaches its data management and management operations. You want to improve efficiency, cost management, and employee satisfaction at the end of the day, because that’s what you really want.

Any successful managed IT services in Toronto can assist you in future proofing your business.

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Keep going, don’t stop

If you have accomplished getting your house in order, do not abandon your governance practices once you have done so. There is much more to corporate governance than solving a problem. It is about ongoing maintenance to ensure that your company is in control of data creation, access, and management. A regular assessment of your data is vital to ensuring that only the best, most accurate, and most relevant information is retained, and that outdated or unnecessary information is not accumulated over time.

In the excitement to move to the cloud, some companies may have overlooked the need for a long-term governance plan. Thankfully it’s never too late to introduce a governance model that will ensure long-term success. The amount of data most enterprises tend to generate is staggering, and because of this, they need to be proactive in making sure that they implement effective governance practices. If your organization does this, it will be able to leverage technology more efficiently, improve productivity, manage costs more effectively, and maximize the value of its IT resources.

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Poor Cyber Security Practices are Challenging Hybrid Environments

Organizations are facing obstacles as poor cyber security practices challenging hybrid environments for employee productivity and security.

The numbers showed that roughly 29 percent of workers are still using the same passwords for both personal and work accounts, posing a security risk to their company if their personal accounts are breached.

In a study of 2,000 employees conducted by a cyber security professional services company, the authors discovered that 39 percent of respondents often or always used their personal devices to access corporate accounts and content, while another 24 percent did so sometimes.

The report also notes 13 percent admitted to having lost over the last 12 months devices containing important or sensitive data used for work, which poses a threat of this information falling into the wrong hands.

It is being argued that the pandemic is causing a shift in the way a greater number of workers are accessing their corporate data. Today, more than ever, workers are accessing the data from their personal devices outside of the office. In the modern workplace, the number of employees working remotely has increased dramatically, thus presenting new risks and vulnerabilities to organizations due to poor cyber security.

Another issue is the lack of information security training within businesses, with 18 percent of employees saying they have never received data security or cybersecurity training, and a further 29 percent reporting it happens only once or twice a year within their organization. It also leads to a percentage of 24 percent of workers not knowing about the potentially harmful cyber threats that may affect their businesses.

Among thousands of workers, fewer than one in five always protect their web connections while working away from the office through VPNs or secure wireless, while 15 percent admit to never switching to a VPN (virtual private network) or secure wireless when working away, and another 15 percent say they are not sure if they do.

It is possible to mitigate the threats associated with remote and hybrid working by implementing a comprehensive, well-structured, and relevant program that addresses key areas, including technological advancement, up to date security policies and frameworks, and a clear understanding of what should be done with data in terms of storage and access. In order to completely eliminate the risk of cyber-attacks, this should be implemented in conjunction with ongoing training and education programs to promote cultural change among the most at risk population.

Poor Cyber Security Practices are Challenging Hybrid Environments 1

Cybersecurity Checklist

Here is a cybersecurity check list to identify threats, reduce vulnerability, and prepare to reduce poor cyber security.

  1. Develop an IT policy
  2. Training end users
  3. Software and OS updates
  4. Install the latest antivirus software
  5. Use strong passwords
  6. Define access control
  7. Reduce admin access
  8. Segment and divide the network
  9. Secure communications
  10. Secure your device
  11. Use layers of security
  12. Vulnerability testing and scanning
  13. Data Backups
  14. Cybersecurity response planning
  15. Security practices

Can you stop cyber attacks? There is no question about it, but you ought to be prepared with your cyber security in order to protect your organization from poor cyber security.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is CyberSecure Canada certified by the Canadian federal government

Our complimentary data breach scan can check if your credentials have been compromised by hackers.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading Toronto IT consulting firm that specializes in Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesManaged Security Services, , Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

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How Can Ransomware Attacks be Prevented

If your organization wants to prevent a cyber security breach and data loss, the questions management is asking is how can ransomware attacks be prevented?

The article includes necessary information on how ransomware attacks be prevented for your organization.

A major responsibility of employers is educating their employees about cyber security protection, policies, and procedures.

It is becoming more evident to organizations that cybersecurity training for employees is crucial in order to protect sensitive customer information.  By giving employees cybersecurity training, they are going to be able to understand the value of cybersecurity in the organization.  By implementing these training courses, the organization will be able to ensure that there exists a more cyber-resilient working culture within the organization.

In order to avoid clicking on a suspicious link, it is recommended that you do not do so and ransomware attacks be prevented.

When opening attachments or clicking on links in spam or unsolicited emails, make sure to be careful not to open or click on anything unsafe. Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report published in 2018 indicates that approximately 70% of all data breaches are a result of phishing attacks. If you want to avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam, it is of utmost importance to be able to identify a phishing scheme.

By using email and endpoint protection you can protect both your emails and your endpoints proactively.

By keeping your program up-to-date with the latest malware signatures, you can help ensure your system never gets infected with any threats. Scan all incoming emails, remove all malicious attachments, and filter out any links that have been attached to them. Providing users with VPN services while they are outside of the company’s network will give them support while they communicate with out-of-network users, in addition to notifying them when they receive out-of-network emails.

How Can Ransomware Attacks be Prevented 1

Having a stronger password system is essential

The security of a password is one of the most important factors in protecting a company’s assets. It is a great way to protect your company from unauthorized password sharing as well as the use of the same password by several people at the same time. Using two-factor authentication is a great way to prevent this. A SSO system could also double as an added security measure, and you may choose to utilize it.

You must have offsite backups

It is very important that you have a backup created for your important or sensitive data and systems in order to protect them. It is a good idea to practice restoring your computer after a ransomware attack to ensure your recovery will be successful. There is no reason to have backups because ransomware gangs target backup files to disable your ability to recover.

How Can Ransomware Attacks be Prevented 2

Store your data following an infection.

Remember, however, that backups cannot be of much assistance in cases where the malicious actor behind the ransomware has already exfiltrated the data to their own server and has threatened to make that data publicly available unless he or she is paid the ransom. If you are concerned about data loss, consider a software program that prevents it from happening as a way to prevent it.

As part of your role in mitigating the impact of ransomware, here are some things you can do to assist you.

As long as you have access to only one resource, compromising only one device can cause significant damage, even though you have a limited blast radius, since it can gain access to just one device. It is imperative that special attention be given to ensuring that only those individuals who have a need for access to critical information are given access to this material, in an effort to minimize the size of the blast.

Use Zero Trust Security Model

In the event you assume that you will be forced to use your perimeter defenses as a last resort, then taking all the necessary steps to ensure that they are secure and safe should be the primary focus of your planning. Authenticating each device connected to your network is a requirement every time it connects to it. Therefore, it is not enough to only authenticate them when they are connecting for the very first time. Even though some devices don’t connect to your network every day, there are certain devices that will need to be authenticated every time they are connected to your network. You should also be closely monitoring the activity that occurs in your environment, as well as ensuring that no one else has access to anything that they shouldn’t have.

If you wish to protect your data from the spread of ransomware, it is crucial that you monitor your data and alert yourself to any telltale signs you may see. It is crucial that you use tools like user and entity behavior analysis to identify and alert you when users and/or devices show abnormal behavior, and then promptly take action to stop these threats before they have a chance to affect the entire organization.

Can attacks be prevented? Of course but you should be ready with your cyber security to protect your organization.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is CyberSecure Canada certified by the Canadian federal government

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365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading Toronto IT consulting firm that specializes in Managed IT Services, IT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services, Cloud Services, Managed Security Services, , Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

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Remote Workers, Data Breaches, and Third-Party Vendors

A recent research study shows that there is a large concentration of risk to organizations when it comes to remote workers, data breaches, and third-party vendors.

This is spread across multiple verticals including supply chains, construction, professional services, manufacturing, and much more. While organizations are increasing their IT budgets to address cyber security, the critical question for management is where the funds should be directed to make a tangible impact to help close the gaps in visibility, strategy, and monitoring.

 

  • 93 percent of businesses experience breaches caused by third-party vendors
  • 97 percent of organizations report negative impacted by a cybersecurity breach
  • 93 percent of businesses have suffered a direct cybersecurity breach
  • 37 percent of organizations have seen a yearly increase in third-party cyber risk.
  • 13 percent of businesses report third-party cyber risk as not a priority
  • 31 percent of organizations report that supply chain and third-party cyber risk was not a concern
  • 91 percent of businesses report an increase for cyber risk management
  • 38 percent of organizations stated that they have no way of knowing of a third-party’s cybersecurity position
  • 55 percent of healthcare organizations shows the highest rate of third-party cyber risk awareness
  • 55 percent of organizations stated that identifying cyber risk is a key priority
  • 29 percent of businesses report six to ten data breaches in the last 12 months
  • 89 percent of healthcare organizations report that remote working has added extra risk to their infrastructure
  • 29 percent of business leaders report remote working as no impact to their infrastructure risk.

Cyber security experts agree that even though they are seeing a rise in awareness around the issue, breaches and the resulting negative impact are still high.  Organizations need to be more strategic in cyber security.

What about the remote workers?

According to new research by a data center specialist firm, remote working poses an increased cyber risk for organizations.

Many IT departments or tech savvy employees now work remotely as a result of changes brought about by COVID.  They have reported that 77 percent of business owners consider remote working a cyber security risk.

A survey of 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses showed that 66 percent are struggling to monitor their infrastructure. Another 25 percent leave their IT infrastructure completely unmonitored therefore raising their cyber security risk leaving them a large target to becoming a future victim of a cyber-attack.

Organizations and management need to understand that data may not be included on a balance sheet but it is one of the most valuable assets that cannot be replaced like office equipment, computer, laptops, and servers.

As a result of the research study, remote working increases cyber risks for organizations as they leave their infrastructure unmonitored.  This poses a significant risk of sensitive data that may be exposed, encrypted, third-party, and ransomware attacks.

Organization data and IT infrastructure should be treated as any other asset, and proactively protected. If an organization is unable to secure their infrastructure due to remote working or a lack of IT expertise, they must hire a managed IT services provider to do it for them, or run the risk of having their data compromised in the future.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is federally certified by the Canadian federal government under the CyberSecure Canada program.

Let our complimentary data breach scan investigate if your credentials have been compromised by hackers.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto that offers Managed IT ServicesTech Support Services, Cloud Services, Managed Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

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