Tech Tuesday for September 14, 2021
This Week
- No matter what size your business… yes, you can be hacked
- The Danger of IT Dashes for Small Business
- Septembers’ New eBook
IT Budgets
- 56% of Organizations Plan On Growing IT Spend This Year
- Productivity Software Saw The Largest Increase In Budget-share In 2021
- 6 Ways Your MSP Can Help You Forecast Next Year’s IT Costs
- How The Current Cyber Threat Levels Will Impact IT Spending
- 11 Business & Technology Trends That May Impact 2022 IT Budgets
- Are Business IT Expenses An Opportunity Cost?
- How The Current Cyber Threat Levels Will Impact IT Spending
- 11 Business & Technology Trends That May Impact 2022 IT Budgets
- Are Business IT Expenses An Opportunity Cost?
No matter what size your business… yes, you can be hacked
They don’t always make the news, but cyber-attacks are a huge and ongoing risk for all businesses.
Even small businesses are at risk. Because hackers use clever automated tools that hunt out any opportunity for them, anywhere.
In our new video, we tell you about one of the biggest causes of data security breaches… and how to protect your business.
This Months' Technology Insider
What repeat tasks could you automate?
Windows 11 launches in the next few months. Are your devices ready for it?
Finding information in Microsoft Teams.
This Months' Tech Guide
Is your IT support company always fixing your technology? These days most businesses prefer an IT partner who
proactively prevents problems from happening. Prevent your business from grinding to a halt and save a lot of money at the same time.
Email Hijack
What would you do if you returned from vacation to find that your business bank account had been robbed to the tune of $1200? It’s not all that hard or uncommon for that matter. Learn the in and outs of protecting email in my new ebook, Email Hijack.
The Danger of IT Dashes for Small Business
Few of us would think we could run a marathon, or even a 10-mile race, without training first. Yet the number of people who believe they could successfully run a 50-meter dash jumps dramatically, especially if a criminal, cougar, or scary clown was chasing them. Still, that short sprint would be much easier with proper training, too. So, what does this have to do with IT? A lot keep reading.
Many businesses are taking a “we’ll dash when we need to” approach to IT. The news of ransomware at a hospital or a data breach at a national mobile carrier gets them spooked, and they are immediately running to try to solve the perceived cybersecurity problem. They’ll buy the newest app or device available because it must be the best, right? After that, they plod along, not paying much attention to good security practices, until the next spike in adrenaline has them dashing to ramp up IT infrastructure again.
But anyone who tries running without stretching or putting on proper shoes knows it is painful. If not in the moment, then the next day when the muscles say, “no way are we getting out of bed today.”
In the IT equivalent, it is more effective to identify the best technology for you. Reliable IT isn’t about dashing for that latest device or running from the newest attack – it’s a marathon. It would be best if you worked on it continuously.
Minimize IT Risk with an Integrated Approach
Consistent practices such as ongoing equipment maintenance and patching software provide security long-term. Updating IT to better address threats or improve efficiency beats a reactionary buy.
Plus, by taking the time to make considered purchases, you can be sure you buy technology that:
- integrates with your existing IT environment;
- solves problems specific to your business needs;
- minimizes your cybersecurity risks in both the short and long term;
- doesn’t overcomplicate your infrastructure.
Think about the marathon runner who sets out a training schedule 12 weeks before the big race. They’re a lot less likely to give up or get hurt. Taking a long-term view of your IT needs offers the same benefits. You’re less likely to let it slide after the dash or experience costly downtime.
Managed Service Provider as Running Coach
If you watched the Olympics, you’d have seen sprinter and distance runner coaches. In your push to build up your cybersecurity muscles, a managed service provider (MSP) can be a big help, too.
Partner with an MSP to gain access to IT experts. They can maintain tech, consult on upgrades, and help secure systems. Instead of paying for an urgent fix, budget around lower, predictable fees for proactive care.
Yes, we can also help you if you have to dash. MSPs have the expertise to diagnose and solve challenging IT problems, but we’d much rather run the race alongside you, helping to keep your IT environment in tip-top shape mile after mile
Insider Threat Risk is on the Rise: Detect and Prevent
The frequency of insider threat incidents is on the rise. Between 2018 and 2020, they spiked by 47%, according to the Ponemon Institute.
Our latest ebook — The Devil You Know: Insider Threats to Business Cyber Security — shares essential information you need to detect and prevent insider threats.
This informative guide covers:
- What an insider threat is
- Who can be an insider
- Who is at risk of insider attack
- What are consequences of insider attacks
- How to detect insider threats
- How to prevent insider attacks and threats
- You’ll also learn how work from home complicates things as far as insider risks too.
Internet Browsers
01
56% of Organizations Plan On Growing IT Spend This Year
While it may not be surprising that the majority of organizations plan to increase spending, one can argue that this may not be enough. Given the rapid acceleration of business technology, one would think that nearly every business could benefit from an increase in tech spend.
Productivity Software Saw The Largest Increase In Budget-share In 2021
Of all the categories of software, productivity apps were the clear winner of 2021. Zoom, Teams, Slack and others have been critical infrastructure powering remote teams and likely drove many of the budget increases referenced in this statistic.
6 Ways Your MSP Can Help You Forecast Next Year’s IT Costs
Unfortunately, MSPs don’t always get a seat at the board room table when their clients are putting together budget forecasts on a quarterly or yearly basis. This is because many providers are looked at as “fixers” and not necessarily strategic planners that can help drive the conversation.
04
How The Current Cyber Threat Levels Will Impact IT Spending
Over the last 12 months, we have seen some of the most significant cybersecurity incidents in history. With new breaches happening regularly, and the attacks growing in sophistication, one can only expect this to warrant an increase in cybersecurity spend overall.
Gartner Forecasts Worldwide Security and Risk Management Spending to Exceed $150 Billion in 2021
05
11 Business & Technology Trends That May Impact 2022 IT Budgets
The reason why IT expenses are difficult to budget for is because it is often difficult to know what technologies will be needed (and what may be available) months or years in advance. This proved to be especially true last year and everyone scrapped their budgets and spent whatever they needed to in order to keep their companies operational during the pandemic.
11 Current Small Business Trends & Forecasts for 2021/2022 To Watch Out For – Financesonline.com
06
Are Business IT Expenses An Opportunity Cost?
One of the most debatable topics as it relates to IT spend is whether or not technology expenses are an opportunity cost. The use of technology allows businesses to do substantially more with less effort. On the surface, this may seem like the more money you spend on technology, the more revenue (and ultimately profit) you will generate for your business. However, paying for things such as backup and recovery, help desk support, and ransomware protection doesn’t necessarily feel like an “opportunity.”
07
How To Estimate Your Hardware Expenses On A YoY Basis
While some technology expenses are difficult to predict, hardware is typically not one of them. This is because new devices are often tied directly to employee growth, or are purchased to replace older devices in a 3-5 year cycle.
How to Properly Budget for IT Hardware & Software | NexusTek
08
2022 Small Business IT Budget Prediction Worksheet
When companies fail to budget for IT spending, it is not always because they are adverse to spending. Sometimes they simply do not know what to plan for and what costs might be associated with various tools, services, and devices.
09
Hosted/Cloud Services Will Account For 24% of IT Spending In 2021
As offices have become decentralized, cloud services have continued to yield an increase in adoption as a result. In the past year, this category saw growth in both spending and overall budget-share.
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