By the DynaSis Team

With bad news about cybercrime appearing daily, many small and midsized business (SMB) owners may be wondering, “How vulnerable am I?” After all, most of the news accounts of data breaches and other attacks relate to major companies, governmental entities, and other very large targets.

Unfortunately, the reason SMBs aren’t making headlines is because they don’t make great news, not because they aren’t favored targets. A quick Internet search will turn up dozens of stories about the vulnerability of SMBs, as a group. In 2011, Symantec’s annual Internet Security Threat Report found that companies with fewer than 250 employees constituted 18 percent of targeted attacks. In the 2016 report, that figured had risen to 43 percent, with SMBs being the most heavily targeted group.

Why are SMBs so attractive? Major corporations have big security budgets, and they can afford to implement the latest techniques to protect their networks. Many have teams of security specialists whose primary tasks are to keep cybercriminals at bay. SMBs don’t have these types of resources, and hackers know that.

Nevertheless, the vulnerability of SMBs wouldn’t be enough, by itself, to make them targets. If hackers had to expend days, or even hours, finding and attacking a vulnerable SMB in exchange for a handful of proprietary information, they wouldn’t do it. Fortunately for the hackers, they don’t need to.

An entire ecosystem of cybercrime tools now exists, and many of them are freely available. Hackers have also learned they can turn groups of vulnerable systems into “botnets.” Here, multiple computing devices are interconnected and used to scan the Internet, looking for compromised websites to hijack, open corporate network connections to infiltrate, and other inadequately protected resources. Making matters worse, cybercriminals continue developing new attack tools and approaches, and even large organizations have a hard time keeping up.

For SMBs, becoming a victim at some point is a near certainty. In fact, most experts no longer counsel organizations that they can completely prevent a breach. Rather, the goal is to mitigate the damage when one happens.

Fortunately, it is neither expensive nor complicated to secure your firm and its resources and substantially reduce your odds of attack. It is also possible to implement automated mechanisms that will detect penetration and stop it, quickly. However, these tools are sophisticated and it is usually neither practical nor cost effective for in-house IT support teams to manage them.

For most SMBs, contracting with a managed services provider or an IT solutions firm is the most effective way of implementing and managing stringent IT security. However, not all IT consulting or IT support companies are created equal. Some are more security focused than others, with certified professionals and the latest technologies at their disposal.

To help organizations better understand cyber security and the considerations for hiring outside IT security assistance, DynaSis has developed two white papers: Cyber-Security 2016 and Managed IT Security. Both are complimentary downloads on our site. In future blogs, we will drill down into greater detail about cyber security, so stay tuned!

Selection of an IT outsourcing company is a very important business decision. For almost a quarter century, Atlanta’s small to mid-sized businesses have relied on DynaSis’ for managed IT services, internet security, and 24 x 7 x 365 helpdesk support. Today, with cybercrime becoming an ever-increasing threat, DynaSis has become an industry leader in network protection and ransomware prevention. Please take a tour through our website at www.DynaSis.com or speak with a technical expert at 678.218.1769.

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By the DynaSis Team

With all the news about the wonders of cloud computing, many small and midsized business (SMB) owners may wonder if they are making a mistake by not adopting cloud technology. Yet, they also have concerns, ranging from security issues to availability of offsite resources if Internet connections go down.

Depending on the SMB’s business model, location, and level of technological sophistication, these may be valid concerns. Yet, there is no doubt that cloud computing provides big benefits, and SMB adoption is accelerating. In a round-up of cloud computing “facts and figures,” Forbes noted that the cloud market for SMBs will double between 2015 and 2020, from 37 percent of U.S. SMBs to 78 percent.

The good news is that decision makers don’t need to choose between an off-site cloud and their current on-site systems. With a hybrid setup, they can have both—and they can selectively choose which resources to run in the off-site cloud. With this approach, often called a hybrid cloud, some data and other business assets remain hosted on company servers while others are run and accessed remotely.

The two sets of resources are tied together so that they run as a single, cloud-supported solution, with their on-site resources essentially serving as a “corporate” cloud. Yet each of the components can be configured differently to meet designated security, backup, and other requirements.

To determine if a hybrid cloud is the right approach, SMB owners must evaluate their current needs and future plans, as well as their ability to support on-premise systems. Such an evaluation is often difficult and time-consuming for business owners, who may benefit from the help of an objective, qualified outsider such as an IT solutions or IT consulting company.

If you are currently evaluating your resources for a new or expanded cloud deployment, consider these factors:

All Cloud Solution

• Most cloud-hosted services include updates, backups, monitoring and upgrades at no additional charge, reducing the need for IT staff.
• Cloud solutions generally have lower upfront costs, reduced hardware requirements and less overall maintenance than on-site equipment.
• Cloud-hosted products provide on-demand remote access to all authorized individuals with an Internet connection.
• Clouds are highly scalable (storage can be increased quickly and easily).

All On-Site Solution

• If the firm has a custom setup, such as a database resource that supports a customized application, on-site storage is likely the best solution.
• If the company operates under strict compliance requirements that require sensitive data to be hosted behind a local firewall, on-site may be the only option for those resources.
• If the organization runs software or services that interact with systems not connected to the Internet, the cloud may not work.
• If the company already has a large IT services department with professionals trained in varied roles, the cloud is less attractive.

Hybrid Solutions

If you like the benefits listed under All Cloud but some of the All On-Site criteria apply to your organization, a hybrid storage and delivery model could be the perfect option. With hybrid delivery, for example:

• You can store the majority of your assets securely in the cloud but meet compliance requirements with a secure on-site server.
• If you have a mix of out-of-the-box and customized applications, you can optimize delivery of the “standard” applications through the cloud but maintain your custom ones on-site.

A hybrid solution also allows you the flexibility to test a variety of cloud delivery and storage approaches to find the perfect mix for your firm.

Reputable managed services providers can help you evaluate and make these decisions and can also help you move resources to the cloud safely and securely. Some managed services companies offer ready-made hybrid solutions that include ongoing IT support.

Specializing in managed IT services and network security, Atlanta based DynaSis has been supporting small to midsized business for almost a quarter century. Among the services we provide are cloud computing through the DynaSis Business Cloud, 24 x 7 x 365 helpdesk support, and real-time monitoring enabling us to deal with “issues” before they become problems. For more information, please call DynaSis at 678.218.1769 or visit www.DynaSis.com.

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By the DynaSis Team

In today’s IT-driven business world, networks have become the arteries that keep information pumping through a company. Yet, the technology of the networks themselves—what makes them operate most efficiently—is still a mystery to most people who use them. The good news is that there are now monitoring tools that can tunnel through networks, pinpoint their issues and often resolve them without human involvement.

Unfortunately, many companies still don’t use them. A study of 547 US and European-based network and security operations professionals found that 45 percent of IT staffs monitor network and application performance manually, instead of implementing network monitoring tools. As a result:

• Seventy-seven percent accidentally reported incorrect information to management teams.
• Eighty-seven percent reported the cause of a network event they weren’t certain was accurate.
• Seventy-three percent had currently unresolved network events.

This isn’t surprising, because networks are incredibly complex. They are webs of network hardware—firewalls and routers, for example, connected to dozens (if not hundreds) of endpoint devices, from desktop PCs and tablets to printers.

Furthermore, network hardware has become so adept at resolving or bypassing conflicts and other glitches that a few problems might not cause an outage. The issues mount until an outage occurs, at which time IT support staff must unravel a tangled web.

Even the most dedicated IT services experts cannot manage the current generation of networks (and their systems) manually, which is why monitoring tools were developed. They are fast, efficient and inexpensive, and they work with virtually no load on the system. More important for network security, monitoring tools can pinpoint network dangers that are not technically faults, such as unauthorized devices operating on the network.

Minimizing System Slowdowns—and Outages

So, what do monitoring tools do to help with network stability? They identify and monitor all connections and their relevant information and activity. They can also automatically fix a variety of minor problems that impact network speeds—before they become major problems.

To help ensure business health, monitoring tools can identify issues that require manual intervention before they cause an outage. They provide ongoing alerts and reports that properly trained IT solutions professionals can act upon. Any number of elements can cause an outage or significant slowdown, from excessive connection attempts that might indicate malware is attempting to penetrate the corporate firewall to an improperly configured device that an employee slips onto the network. Some can be resolved automatically, but others require attention, and fast.

Of course, like any tool, monitoring tools are most helpful when they are used by a qualified professional. For this reason, business leaders often work with a managed services provider (also called a managed IT services firm)—even when they have an internal IT department—to deploy these tools and follow up on any issues they detect. Such assistance not only reduces the incidence of system downtime dramatically; it also has been proven to free business resources, fostering innovation and a greater competitive edge.

DynaSis has been Atlanta’s premier IT support services provider for more than 23 years. As an IT company working with small to midsized businesses (10 to 150+ users), DynaSis has developed a unique 12-layer approach to network threat protection, ransomware prevention and crypto virus threat elimination. The DynaSis Business Cloud functions through a highly secure environment with full real-time data backup. Please contact us at 678.218.1769 or visit our website at www.DynaSis.com.

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By the DynaSis Team

On Tuesday, June 14, 2016 from 12:00-2:00 pm, the DynaSis Team will host an Open House at its new headquarters, located at 950 North Point Parkway, Suite 300, Alpharetta, Georgia. All of DynaSis customers, partners and associates, as well as local media, are invited to attend. At the event, one of our favorite local barbecue restaurants, ‘cue, will serve a luncheon to all attendees.

DynaSis’ move marks a milestone for our organization, as we have not only doubled our size but also expanded our systems to enhance the IT support and IT services we offer our customers. Recognizing the increasing challenge that small and midsized businesses (SMBs) face in today’s technology-centric, threat-laden landscape, DynaSis has taken significant steps to ensure it will remain the area’s most proactive managed services provider in coming years.

A recent study of IT security among SMBs, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that only 37 percent of IT decision makers felt their organizations were fully prepared to manage IT security and protect against threats. Equally concerning, fewer than 25 percent have a dedicated, in-house cybersecurity team or individual. Improvements we have incorporated into our new facility to directly address these shortfalls for SMBs include:

• New seats in our Network Operations Center and Help Desk departments.
• The addition of 300 percent more monitoring screens for support personnel to view situational awareness data for service delivery.
• A research and development lab and a dedicated training area.
• New, cloud-based IOT (Internet of Things) alarm, access control and surveillance systems.

During the event, visitors will have the opportunity to meet some of the DynaSis Team as we lead guided tours that showcase our new offices and equipment and explain the inner workings of the Managed IT Services model. As a thank-you to the Atlanta community for its years of support, we will also donate $10 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) for every Open House attendee. For the convenience of attendees, we can accept donations of canned and boxed goods and forward them to the ACFB on donors’ behalf.

For more information, or to RSVP, please email events@DynaSis.com

For small to midsized business owners and executives who are concerned about managed IT support services and network threat protection, DynaSis is one company that has been at the forefront since 1992. In this ever evolving world of cybercrime, crypto virus and network access protection have become critical to every company’s security. DynaSis also provides 24 x 7 x 365 outsourced IT services, with its own trained staff for helpdesk, real-time monitoring and the DynaSis Business Cloud, for highly secure data storage and backup. You can find out more by calling us at 678.218.1769, or checking out our website at www.DynaSis.com.

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By the DynaSis Team

Almost as long as there have been heroes and villains, there have been stories about “super powers”—superhuman or supernatural abilities possessed by normal humans. So prevalent are these “powers” in history and fiction that Wikipedia lists more than 250 of them.

Organizations can have (or appear to have) super powers, too. While they may not be paranormal or supernatural, the most successful businesses all have attributes that make their customers and competitors say, “How do they do that so well?” “It doesn’t seem possible!”

Here’s an example. Some businesses not only anticipate when customers need to reorder products; they also project what other products and services the firms will want or need, next. They know exactly when to approach their customers, as if they were reading the decision makers’ minds.

In reality, these companies and their sales people are likely harnessing and analyzing available data to discern patterns and then making educated assumptions. Ten years ago, this wasn’t possible, but a new crop of business intelligence tools is revolutionizing the information and insight available to proactive firms.

Technology Has Super Powers, Too

Super powers can appear in any area of the business. Since DynaSis is an information technology (IT) and managed IT services firm, our President, David (Dave) Moorman, focused on technology when he began exploring super powers. At first glance, one might assume that technology super powers are all related to operation, such as the ability to keep systems and networks functional 99.999% of the time.

Although availability (along with mobility and security) is a cornerstone of business success, it’s not, by itself, a super power. Dave determined that the greatest technology super power is something most organizational leaders don’t consider. He calls it “technology capability,” which he defines as “an organization’s ability to create business value through its IT assets and competency.”

IT hardware and software can support business functions, but by themselves they don’t propel a company’s success. Similarly, having workers that can use technology at a basic level may get tasks done, but it won’t take a business to the top. Rather, companies that develop true IT capability are those that have adopted the most appropriate technologies and are using them in the most effective ways—and whose employees are working with them in a collaborative, connected fashion.

As Dave noted in his article, Technology Capability: Your Business “Super Power,” which you can download here, “IT assets alone do not equal capability. How a company makes use of those assets, and how well it integrates them—both with one another and across the enterprise—is what drives organizational prosperity, competitiveness, agility and innovation.”

Such an approach promotes outcomes where the total accomplishment is greater than the sum of its parts. In doing so, organizations can take a significant step towards becoming a business “super power,” themselves. In the article referenced above, Dave digs into the specifics of how organizational leaders can begin this journey by developing IT capability for their own firms. We hope you will enjoy reading it.

For small to midsized business owners and executives who are concerned about managed IT support services and network threat protection, DynaSis is one company that has been at the forefront since 1992. In this ever evolving world of cybercrime, crypto virus and network access protection have become critical to every company’s security. DynaSis also provides 24 x 7 x 365 outsourced managed IT services, with its own trained staff for helpdesk, real-time monitoring and the DynaSis Business Cloud, for highly secure data storage and backup. You can find out more by calling us at 678.218.1769, or checking out our website at www.DynaSis.com.

By the DynaSis Team

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DynaSis Founder and President Dave Moorman has released the second article in his IT for the C-Suite series, a collection of articles that details how business leaders and other C-level executives can use technology to improve business agility, security and productivity—and power the organization’s success. “Technology Outcomes Every C-Level Executive Should Expect” details the three fundamental benefits of technology from Moorman’s perspective, and explores in detail why these benefits are so important.

Increasing Productivity: Maximizing the use of technology to enhance the business effort and foster great customer service.

Reducing Expense: Hosting and maintaining a modern, properly managed IT infrastructure to reduce technology overhead and potentially shrink the organization’s ownership and management footprint for both technology and physical space.

Minimizing Risk: Implementing a cloud-based model to make it statistically impossible for corporate assets to be destroyed or displaced by a single event business.

Moorman illustrates his point by briefly discussing some of the world’s great business success stories—entrepreneurs who created an incredibly successful business model by relying almost exclusively on technology.

Backed by credible statistics and reports, Moorman offers solid advice on how technology helps business leaders achieve these three goals, and why it is so essential for them to place appropriate emphasis on technology. He also helps them envision how they can start leveraging technology to realize the advantages discussed in the article.

All of his advice, in this article and beyond, is designed to help even the most traditional operation become innovative and extraordinary—not only enjoying success today, but establishing the competitive advantage that is vital to ongoing business development and value.

By following the advice in Moorman’s article, C-level executives can help transform their operations into what Moorman calls “the Modern Business”—One whose leadership “embraces and leverages technology to deliver targeted, advantageous outcomes in the organization.” As he notes in this article, Moorman views technology not merely as an enabler, but literally as the fulcrum that provides leverage for success.

It’s a great read, and we hope you enjoy it! To download the PDF, use the link above, or click here.

About DynaSis

DynaSis is an Atlanta IT services and cloud computing provider for small and midsized businesses. All of our solutions focus on helping companies achieve the three fundamental IT necessities of the modern business—availability, security and mobility. We specialize in on-demand and on-premise managed IT services, managed cloud infrastructure, desktops and backups, and professional hardware and equipment installation. For more information about DynaSis’ IT support and services, visitwww.dynasis.com.