Mobile Computer Services Shares the Importance of Prioritizing Technology Gaps

Have you prioritized your technology gaps yet? 

Technology is indispensable for SMBs today to be able to run a profitable, efficient, and scalable business. A strong technology foundation allows the company to grow, hire new employees, take on new customers, and seamlessly expand its operations. Any gaps in this technological infrastructure can create a huge dent in the operations, reputation, and finances of an SMB, if not addressed swiftly. It isn’t, however, possible to address every gap at the same time. It is crucial to assess which gaps need to be prioritized. Mobile Computer Services, a managed IT company in Wake Forest, discusses the technology gaps that must be prioritized by businesses.

Here is the three-step process that business leaders take to assess their technology:

1. Identify the technology gaps and issues.
2. Segregate them based on their risk factors.
3. Prioritize bridging the gaps from the most to least critical.

 

How to prioritize? 

The stoplight approach is a simple way of categorizing gaps or vulnerabilities into red, yellow, and green groupings based on their severity.

High-priority vulnerabilities such as failed backups and unauthorized network users must be classified as RED. YELLOW is for gaps that are not urgent. These include vulnerabilities such as insufficient multifactor authentication and outdated antivirus software. GREEN is for non-critical gaps such as persistent issues with on-premises syncing and accounts with passwords set to “never expire”. These must be filled if the budget allows. 

Benefits of prioritizing technology gaps

1. Maintain business continuity

Once the assessment report shows the multiple gaps in technology, it is crucial to address the gaps in the red zone first. Unaddressed, these gaps can paralyze the business operations leading to massive losses in revenue and reputation. Addressing all gaps immediately is impractical and can be financially overwhelming. Therefore prioritization is imperative. 

2. Promote better budgetary decisions

Fixing the most critical issues first ensures that the organization’s budget does not run haywire. Using a big chunk of money to resolve all the current gaps, from non-critical to critical, can put the business at a financial disadvantage. It is important to determine and resolve the most critical and crucial issues first and keep the budget on track.

3. Follow a smart course of action

Randomly resolving technology gaps can prove chaotic in the long run. Prioritizing the technology gaps helps in understanding the order they need to be solved and prevents a constant to-and-fro or ambiguity.

A poorly planned course of action to bridge the technology gaps can lead to the emergence of a new problem altogether further down the line. This may require further changes that will just be a waste of more time and money. 

4. Avoid overburdening key stakeholders

Technological transformation impacts employees, customers, vendors, partners, and owners. For instance, constantly changing processes can overwhelm employees, dropping their morale and productivity. Changing the interface can annoy customers, reducing satisfaction and jeopardizing revenue. Therefore, it is important to bridge gaps according to the severity to reduce friction caused by new technology.

Hiring a managed IT service company such as Mobile Computer Services can help organizations prioritize the technology gaps and implement the technology that will enhance a business’s performance in the long run. 

 

Why Mobile Computer Services?

Mobile Computer Services offers a comprehensive array of solutions that take away IT headaches. A managed IT services company in Wake Forest, Mobile Computer Services works with local businesses, overseeing their entire IT infrastructure and operations - from daily IT tasks to long-term strategic technology decisions. 

It provides businesses with an assigned, dedicated team of certified engineers who don’t provide the business with just technology but also manage that technology. 

Learn more about managed IT services offered by Mobile Computer Services, Inc. at Wake Forest. Call now at (919) 230-2900.  

Mobile Computer Services Discusses Dark Web Scanning

Why should small businesses employ dark web scanning?

There is a part of the internet that poses immense danger to organizations, vendors, and customers. Scanning this area of the net may sometimes be necessary to analyze the gaps and security breaches in an organization and remedy them effectively. Mobile Computer Services, a managed IT company in Raleigh NC, discusses dark web scanning and its benefits in this article below. 

 

What is the dark web? 

The dark web is a part of the internet composed of websites and services that are intentionally hidden from the average user. A vortex of illegal activities, the dark web cannot be regulated by laws that govern the public internet. On the dark web marketplace, different types of data fetch various prices depending on the information’s sensitivity and potential applications. 

The users on the Dark Web have hidden IP addresses, giving them anonymous protection. It becomes difficult or even impossible to track down threat actors who take advantage of the business or sensitive data. Not only does this stolen data damage a business’ reputation and customer loyalty but also leads to huge revenue losses.

To access these areas, specialty software needs to be used by professionals since conventional internet browsers like Chrome or Safari just don’t work. 

Researchers recently concluded an 18-month audit of underground marketplaces and determined that there are more than 15 billion stolen usernames and passwords in circulation on the dark web. That’s roughly equivalent to two sets of account logins for every person on the planet and a 300 percent increase since a 2018 audit.

What is dark web scanning? 

A dark web scan scours lists of data, also known as data dumps, on the dark web to identify data that may have been stolen from an organization without their knowledge. The right tool in the hands of professionals helps scan multiple websites and marketplaces to identify any company information that was leaked into the dark web. Once the tool detects the information, an alert is issued. Dark web scanning helps identify the vulnerabilities in an IT system and offers opportunities to reevaluate and strengthen the cybersecurity infrastructure. 

What is dark web monitoring? 

Dark web monitoring is an add-on service to dark web scanning, wherein AI parses through data dumps constantly. It immediately notifies the organization of a potential breach to prompt immediate action.

The Benefits of Dark Web Scanning

1. Protect credentials 

Dark web monitoring ensures that a company's data hasn’t been compromised. Any sensitive information of employees or clients on the dark web can be traced by a dark web scan and prevent criminals from exploiting this stolen information. This can help organizations mitigate damages to their finances and reputation.  

2. Ongoing Protection

A Dark Web scanning service not only allows a one-time solution but also allows ongoing protection to prevent the theft of data in the first place. The constant monitoring of the dark web by a professional team leads to the emergence of stronger protocols and amendments to the existing cybersecurity to prevent future security breaches.

3. Comprehensive Reports

Dark Web scanning helps create comprehensive reports describing any data breaches and the mitigation steps. This report also will include any information that they detected from private sites that require a specific member from the Dark Web community to enter. These reports help to tighten the processes and defenses to prevent future security incidents.

4. Prepare for future threats

The dark web scanning helps organizations identify and understand the past breaches and theft of data. This information can help understand which systems were compromised and which vulnerabilities were manipulated by attackers. This will lead to a robust action plan that will help prevent future attacks from occurring. 

5. Reduce the time between a data breach and damage control

24/7 monitoring of the dark web enables organizations to stay alert to any data breaches and shorten the window during which sensitive information can be used. The security team can take swift action to control the misuse of data and prevent massive losses for the organization. 

80% of breaches begin with stolen credentials. Therefore, real-time dark web monitoring is a much-needed armor for small businesses. By investing in advanced cybersecurity services from a trusted professional, small businesses can gain an upper hand when it comes to their cybersecurity.

 

Why Mobile Computer Services?

Mobile Computer Services offers a comprehensive array of solutions that take away IT headaches. A managed IT services company in Raleigh, Mobile Computer Services works with local businesses, overseeing their entire IT infrastructure and operations - from daily IT tasks to long-term strategic technology decisions. 

It provides businesses with an assigned, dedicated team of certified engineers who don’t provide the business with just technology but also manage that technology. 

Learn more about managed IT services offered by Mobile Computer Services, Inc. at Raleigh. Call now at (919) 830-9448.  

Managed IT Services Wake Forest Images - 5/17/2022

 

Managed IT Company Raleigh Images - 5/17/2022