Cracking the cyber code to keep company and client information confidential without breaking the budget is a challenge for companies of all sizes. Many business owners may think it’s more secure and cost-effective to manage their tech functions in-house, but in reality, outsourcing IT saves money while protecting data.
“Countless companies unwittingly do risky things everyday that put their business in imminent danger of hack attacks,” explained Eric Buhrendorf, CEO of EVERNET, a computer consulting and service firm in Hartford. “Installing an antivirus program is not a comprehensive IT solution. Smarter businesses realize that every one of their computers and servers should have the Essentials suite: AntiVirus, Backup, Patching, and Monitoring.”
Buhrendorf points to the explosive growth in Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks. Those hacks accounted for a mind-boggling 476 percent surge between the fourth quarter of 2017 and the fourth quarter of 2018. This is the most common attack that generally targets specific employees of a firm, usually in the finance department.
“The goal is to convince the employees that they're dealing with a vendor the company regularly does business with and to send large sums of money,” said Buhrendorf. “This is typically via wire transfer to what appears to be a legitimate vendor account, but it’s actually controlled by the attackers.”
Tax time is ripe for thieves as recently demonstrated by hackers who accessed sensitive tax return information stored with TurboTax using a stolen password from a third party.
In addition to mitigating data breaches, outsourcing IT managed services, computer repair, and data backup and recovery allows a business to:
Reduce labor costs and allocate employee resources wisely – Keep workers focused on more profitable, core activities while saving on salaries and benefits.
Save capital for important projects – Customize IT management to fit your budget and adjust as needed. EVERNET offers flat rate IT and managed services, so companies save cash every month that would have been otherwise used for technology breakdowns.
Enjoy exemplary network uptime – Don’t worry about the company’s network being down at awkward times. With 24/7 monitoring, business owners can trust their network will be running when they need it.
Reduce risk – Technology changes constantly. A skilled IT provider can react quickly to address threats and provide system upgrades.
Meet HIPAA compliance requirements - Companies who have dealings with PHI (Protected Health Information) need to have network, physical, and process security metrics in place to uphold and meet the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance standards for the safeguarding of medical data. This applies to anyone who delivers treatment, operations or payments in healthcare. It also covers their business associates such as accountants, medical equipment suppliers and document shredding companies.
“The best way to look at the benefits of IT outsourcing is to understand that for the SAME money or LESS than a staffed employee, a company can have access to more skilled labor with more availability,” adds Buhrendorf. “We strive to build strong, trusted relationships with our clients to implement the best solutions, tools, and processes which must be managed properly to protect the business.”
IT services can range from comprehensive managed services to customized on-call assistance for business processes, tools, SOP’s, efficiencies, continuity; security - cyber, physical, data, business continuity; hardware and software - licensing, versions/upgrades; consultation, computer support or repair, upgrades, installations, even moving an office.
