MSPNetworks Blog

With countless threats out there waiting for IT professionals to slip up, it’s no small wonder that many of these professionals are opting into what is called a zero-trust policy for their security standards. But what is a zero-trust policy, and why is it so effective at curbing potentially dangerous situations for your business? Let’s investigate this in today’s blog article.

What Does Zero-Trust Actually Mean?

The official definition, according to the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre, is “the idea of removing inherent trust from the network. Just because a device is within the internal "trusted" side of a firewall or VPN, it should not be trusted by default.” Essentially, what this means is that even devices that are on the correct side of your network, i.e. those that have already connected to it, cannot be trusted to be inherently secure.

Ultimately, all devices connected to your network are subject to security scrutiny.

How Effective is It, Really?

That said, zero-trust security policies are not for all businesses, so you will have to put in some legwork to make sure that your company’s network fits the bill here. It is important, according to the NCSC, that organizations think of this less as a guideline and more like an approach to network design, meaning that this should not be considered a steadfast rule. Naturally, all businesses will have different needs, and some companies just might not be able to make a zero-trust policy work.

This is particularly notable for companies that have large computing infrastructures, as the number of devices involved and the sheer cost of moving in this direction could eat holes in your business’ budget for months or even years, right up until the policy is fully implemented and beyond. Businesses might have to acquire new hardware and services, train technicians, and frequently update all of this technology to keep up with security standards. Furthermore, companies that utilize a BYOD policy, or Bring Your Own Device policy, have an even harder time with a zero-trust policy.

Despite these difficulties, it doesn't hurt to consider a zero-trust policy for your business. Here are five reasons why it might be a good idea, according to the NCSC:

• Greater control over data means delegation to the appropriate users.
• Stronger authentication and authorization
• Better user experience (consider single sign-on as an example)
• Every action or device is subject to some form of policy, meaning every attempt at accessing data is verified.
• Detailed access logs

Start Securing Your Systems Today

There is a lot to be done to protect your business from the plethora of threats out there, and we guarantee that working with a cybersecurity professional like MSPNetworks will give you the best shot at protecting your business as possible. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.

We hear a lot about the benefits of moving your business to the cloud. It can reduce that big expense on new infrastructure and the ongoing management costs. The cloud can increase the effectiveness of your IT budget. It can add functionality and increase user satisfaction. 

Businesses are rapidly moving all or portions of their IT to the cloud, and for a lot of good reasons, but before you do, it is important to remember the following:

The Cloud Is Someone Else’s Computer

Depending on how you look at it, this is either a pro or a con. If you are hosting your data in the cloud, you are essentially entrusting someone else to manage your data. That might mean that the data is in better hands - a professional data center with top-notch security, climate control, near-perfect uptime, and certified staff to manage the hardware, software, and network equipment is usually a big step up from most small business management.

That said, anyone can sell cloud storage. Anyone can lease out a portion of a data center, or keep a shared server on their premise and sell you cloud computing resources from it. 

Before you pull the trigger, you’ll want to understand what kinds of SLAs (service level agreement) you have, how emergencies are handled, and make sure you are getting the computing resources you need.

Cloud Migrations Can Be Disruptive

Migrating your infrastructure to the cloud could be a fairly straightforward process, or it could require a lot of time and labor. Don’t get fooled by the low monthly price - there will often be some legwork to move the data, configure the environment, train your users, and make tweaks.

That migration time doesn’t mean you don’t have access to your data, but the transition could take time, and anytime users need to change their regular everyday processes, it can slow things down.

When Done Right, It’s Worth It

Today, most businesses can benefit from at least some degree of cloud computing, whether it be some basics like hosted email and document management (like G Suite or Office 365), data backups, or a line-of-business app, to moving most of your infrastructure to a hosted environment.

The problem most businesses run into is when a cloud implementation isn’t planned out properly, or is handled poorly. 

We’d love to talk to you about the cloud. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 and set up an appointment!

For most businesses, technology has a major role in what they do. They use it in all manners of ways, but there is no question that it has become a driving force for business. As the calendar flips to a new decade, we thought that it would be good to take a look at what the 2010s brought us, and what to expect in the 2020s. 

2010: A Decade of Innovation

The 2010s saw the expansion and innovation of technologies and devices that came about after the turn of the century, as well as the new technologies that will see improvements themselves moving forward. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest technologies that came to market in the 2010s:

4G

Technically released in 2009 but deployed over the first few years of the past decade, 4G wireless changed what was capable for wireless data transmission. This had a hand in changing several technologies and forced innovations with others. Companies that depended on app deployment and real-time technologies suddenly became much more viable. The 2010s saw the launch of some of the biggest names in mobile computing: Spotify, Uber, Instagram, Snapchat, and many more. None of these companies would have been able to take the world by storm without 4G wireless. 

Apple iPad

It’s hard to believe that it has only been 10 years since the introduction of the iPad.  The first--and for the first couple of years, only--true mass-produced consumer tablet computer, it was quickly emulated by a number of manufacturers. Having a large display, and working on Apple’s iOS, the iPad ushered in the tablet boom. After initial sales of tablet computers were through the roof, the touchscreen technology has settled into a useful device for both individuals and businesses.

IPv6

The sixth version of the networking standard went live in June of 2012, upgrading wireless networking that had been in place for years. The new standard improved networking for a new era of connectivity as well as the rapid growth of the number of devices that soon would need to be connected to the Internet. 

Chromecast

Google released their first Chromecast in 2013 and it changed the way people were able to view all the new streaming content that was being unleashed. The technology is now integrated into a lot of televisions that you find on the market today, but at the time, it was a revolutionary technology. Businesses can use it to share presentations in conference rooms without a massive expense.

The Virtual Assistant

Apple has Siri. Amazon has Alexa. Microsoft has Cortana. Samsung has Bixby. Google has Google Assistant. The virtual assistant not only is an increasingly useful software, it also got many of the biggest players in tech competing against one another to develop the most useful features. This invention has improved machine learning exponentially and continues to push the innovation that has come to define these iconic brands.

USB-C

If you want one technology that is never mentioned as essential but has been a complete game changer it is USB type C connector. It is now the industry standard (except on Apple devices) for data transmission and power and can be found on a majority of devices manufactured after 2015. 

Windows 10

With Microsoft’s mobile division fledgling, and their “metro” Windows 8.1 OS not replacing the aging Windows 7 OS, Microsoft developed Windows 10 to modernize and standardize the Windows experience. Now, firmly in place, it currently runs on over 64 percent of all PCs in the world and is sure to grow as Microsoft retires Windows 7.

2020: The Decade of Things

Many people might consider the 2010s the decade of things, but rest assured, the 2020s will be the first decade where all these Internet-connected devices have the functionality, integrations, and most importantly the security needed to actually be viable tools. This is for the same reason mobile technology took off this decade: improvements to wireless networks.

The truth is that we’ve just scratched the surface of what is possible. The immediate future is going to introduce us to things that seemed like science fiction just 20 or 30 years ago. Let’s take a look at some of the technologies that we will see developed over the next 10 years:

5G

The new wireless standard, 5G, will be rolling out over the next few years and it's going to signal a major shift in the way that people use technology. Today, the data demands on networks are massive and rising fast. With 5G there is a legitimate hope that it will bring ubiquitous wireless connectivity that is no longer broadcast from macrocell sites that cover neighborhoods, but smaller more mobile broadcast sites that bring high speed, synchronized connectivity to each user. With the limited amount of 5G users already seeing gigabit speeds, 5G is sure to revolutionize the way we use technology. 

Artificial Intelligence

While you shouldn’t expect sentient androids, the deployment of artificial intelligence will increase substantially over the next decade. Neural networks that are already being used to recognize patterns in data to automate simple processes will benefit exponentially from the huge amount of data they will be exposed to. This will allow them to solve more complex problems and be used in more dynamic applications.

The Internet of Things

As was stated above, the 2020s will be the decade of things. All those things that now connect to the Internet will finally have the wireless capabilities to be a massive benefit to society. You will begin to see smart cities developed that use AI to run essential services efficiently and cut down waste. You will see driverless cars make the roadways safer and give more people better opportunities. The things will improve crucial systems in healthcare, infrastructure, and finance. 

Mixed Reality

The future will be filled with immersive experiences fueled by mixed reality. Eventually, MR is viewed as an eventual replacement to the mobile platforms we all have come to depend on. MR will reduce data strains by providing interactive and real-time overlays for all types of applications. Entertainment, social interaction, and education could be completely revolutionized as this technology is developed. 

The technology that fuels the world is sure to change in the next decade as it did in the previous one. What technology would you like to see developed in the immediate future? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Business is never quite as simple as it’s made out to be, and nowhere is this more true than with your organization’s IT. Today we will be covering some of the most important parts of your IT’s decision making that will need to be addressed, questions and concerns included, especially in regard to business-critical functions.

Scrutinize Your Security

Before you implement a new solution, be sure to consider your organization’s cybersecurity needs. Ask yourself if it’s something that you can implement without compromising your organization’s security. Cyberattacks can create a considerable financial burden for your business. After all, a business is still a business, no matter what kind of data it stores or how large its workforce or client base is. It might lessen the damage done, but it’s certainly not any consolation for still exposing data to threats--especially because the data stored by businesses tends to be sensitive in nature. You need to do everything you can to make sure that any solution you implement can be done so without your data being placed at risk.

Consider Your Data, Too

You also need to be aware of what your data is telling you. If you leverage enterprise resource planning solutions to provide insight into your organization’s functionality, you can use this information to improve your operations. Therefore, you should pay attention to whether or not the solution you want to implement will actually be beneficial. You should still be careful, however, about leaning on your data to make all decisions, as there might be too many concepts in motion to provide accurate data. You might even wind up implementing a solution that does exactly the opposite of what you want it to do. In other words, you want to know which data is valuable and which won’t yield results.

Reflect On Your Business

Any new system you implement for your organization needs to fit properly from an operational standpoint. To this end, you need to understand your current systems and workflows. Consider how the solution you want to implement will benefit the current state of things. Will it resolve critical workflow issues? Will it save time and resources? Will it scale according to your future needs? All of this must be considered, as well as how accessible support is. The last thing you want to do is to implement a solution that doesn’t have support readily available when it’s needed most. Finally, be sure to consider how your employees will react to the new solution, as it will only be effective if your employees are able to leverage it to their advantage.

Consider All of Your Options

Before investing in any solution, be sure to consider not just what you have in your office currently, but other solutions on the market. After all, there’s no reason to purchase that new network switch if a better, more dynamic option will be available in three months. Of course, it’s not always this simple, as you need to consider the costs of new technology, implementing the solution itself, and any kind of operational costs that are associated with it. If waiting on the solution isn’t going to create a detriment to your business, then perhaps that is the more cost-effective option.

Of course, certain regulations might force your hand, and you can’t let an outdated solution put you at risk of failing a compliance audit. What we like to recommend is to lay out everything that’s needed to be known in a cost-benefit analysis. MSPNetworks can help you identify this important information. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.