Over the last few years, corporate and personal data breaches have become a common occurrence. IBM's 2020 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that the global average cost of a data breach totaled $3.86 million, with the time to identify and contain a breach averaging 280 days. You’ve probably read nightmare scenarios of individuals and businesses who’ve had their sensitive data stolen and then released on the dark web. Unfortunately, this is no exaggeration. The dark web is a perilous place where hackers can buy and sell your personal information, like social security numbers, health records, and credit card numbers, to the highest bidder.

And Why is it so Important to Your Business in 2021

Whether you're working from home, back in the office, or a little bit of both, the way we work in 2021 looks a little different from what it did in the past.

In a world relying more heavily than ever on digital technology, keeping track of everything that happens in an office is getting trickier. New devices, services, and solutions are introduced daily that enable employees to work efficiently. However, the boom of digital tools in the office has given rise to a new phenomenon: shadow IT. Any office that empowers its employees with digital technology has it.

Securing your business data and devices in the age of cybercrime is getting harder than ever. With data becoming ever more valuable, hackers go to greater lengths to get their hands on it. In response, many businesses invest more in their network security hoping to thwart a breach. However, companies often miss a spot when developing a cybersecurity strategy: keeping all their hardware secure.

Think your company is entirely impervious to phishing? Think again. Network security may have evolved, but so have the criminals it’s trying to stop. In 2019, phishing took on a new and more sinister tone. It’s called spear phishing, and companies need to be on the lookout for it.

Nobody likes to think about the worst-case scenario, but not doing so is a recipe for disaster. Like people, businesses may experience sudden and unexpected emergencies or situations that can severely affect their ability to function or even survive. Often, there exists little time to react – but every second counts. Many business owners address this risk by creating a disaster recovery plan.

Cybersecurity is a hot-button issue for every individual, government, and corporation. Data must be secured, and the European Union’s 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is proving to have global implications. This is just one of the many strict laws that regulate the steps companies must take to protect their user’s data. Still, the last few years were filled with massive cyberattacks.

Windows 7 users have been getting reminders all year from Microsoft. Why? Windows 7 product support is ending on January 14, 2020, leaving users scrambling to figure out what to do next. Thankfully, this isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s not unusual for an operating system (OS) to become obsolete.

From the printing press to the electric lightbulb, innovations have driven the world into today’s increasingly tech-based arena. Business and the marketplace constantly push for better, faster, more secure technology. Recent research from CompTIA found 30% of businesses are focused on managed IT services, making it the number one business solution on the market. From e-commerce and customer services to backend operations like supply chain management, it’s clear that technology is the key to unlocking success.