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While 2020 and 2021 have been tough years for businesses, filled with uncertainty, financial strain and constant changes to restrictions. There is one thing that has remained a consistent threat to your business both before and throughout the pandemic… You guessed it… Cyber Threats.

So, What are the top threats in 2021?

Data Control / Visibility

With many members of staff working from home over the last 18 months, how many devices do you think your staff have used to access your business data? On average, it is 3 devices. An employer owned device, a personal computer and a mobile phone.

With data spread across so many devices (many of which are unprotected), your chances of suffering a data breach has increased exponentially.

Ransomware

We have all heard about this, many of us still remember the 2017 WannaCry attack on the NHS, but the threat level is higher now than it was nearly 4 years ago and small businesses are seeing the majority of attacks aimed at them. To hackers, it is common belief that smaller businesses are more likely to pay a ransom because their data is not usually backed up and they do not have effective cyber security controls in place.

Internet of Things (IoT) vulnerabilities

TVs, audio systems and lights, smart speakers, automobiles, and even home security systems… We all have them. In fact, most people can’t even remember how many IoT devices they have in their home. While, yes, they do make our lives easier and stop us forgetting to feed the goldfish, they are also a substantial risk to your data as many IoT devices have immature or non-existent security measures installed. Leaving an open door for hackers into your networks.

Phishing Attacks

How many fraudulent emails have you received in the last 18 months? Probably a shed load, right? Usually pretending to be from Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, your bank etc. Phishing attempts have become far more sophisticated in the last 18 months as hackers have tried their best to exploit the pandemic in order to make more money. Phishing emails used to be so easy to identify due to poor grammar, terrible design and obviously incorrect email addresses.

But many of these attacks are now made to such a high standard that fraudulent emails and webpages are indistinguishable from the real thing. It is vital that you train your staff to recognise the signs of a phishing attack, so your business doesn’t suffer a breach and become part of a statistic.

Theft or Loss of equipment

As businesses return to the workplace, your staff have to get used to traveling with devices again. Countless devices are left on or in trains, buses, taxis, ubers etc. Some are even left in cars and stolen. So, make sure your staff remember to keep some kind of physical contact with their device at all times when traveling with them… because if that device is found by the wrong person, it could cause havoc to your business.

What can you do?

Dead Simple Computing are experts in IT security and have formed amazing partnerships with leading cyber security vendors to provide our clients with tailored protection plans that cover all aspects of their IT infrastructure.

If you would like some more information about any of these top 5 risks and find out how you can avoid them, do not hesitate to get in touch with us, we are only a phone call (or an email if you prefer) away.

Alternatively, you can fill out the form below and we will call you back as soon as we can!

Envision this…

It’s Monday morning, you’ve arrived at work after a great weekend; you’re ready to get back into ‘work mode’ and have a productive week.

You switch on your computer, log in and open your email to see if any of your clients have reached out to you during the weekend.

But…

Your email application won’t open. You try again and again but you keep getting the same result. Just as you are about to give up and throw your device out the window, a name pops into your head.

Maybe that name is Steve? Anna? John? Beth?

This person is likely to be your ‘IT Guy’

We come across ‘IT Guys’ pretty much every day, but they all tend to meet the same criteria…

An ‘IT Guy’ is usually someone that isn’t employed by your company to do any IT work but is the ‘go-to’ person for any kind of technology issue you face.

The criteria for this title are based on the premise that (1) they’ve fixed at least one issue for you in the past, and (2) they’re the least likely to moan about it.

It’s also worth noting that not thumping the keyboard and letting out a series of swear words when something goes wrong, or simply being the youngest in the office can land you with this title as well!

‘IT Guys’ are far more common than you might think.

In fact, the majority of businesses with fewer than 20 employees don’t have proper IT support, they have an ‘IT Guy’, and there are problems with that.

Diversity of Knowledge

We’ve all heard ‘you only know what you know’, and in this case, it’s entirely true.

For those outside the industry, it’s easy to believe that everything IT related comes under the ‘techy’ umbrella term and that once you become a ‘techy’ you are instantly bestowed with far-reaching and infinite knowledge like Sherlock Holmes.

The truth of it is that IT people tend to have their own specialism, whether it be networking, connectivity, security, or managing Microsoft 365 tenants, the list goes on. It is INCREDIBLY rare that you find an IT expert that knows everything about everything, you probably have a higher chance of winning the lottery than you do finding that expert.

To have a full understanding of IT, and ensure you’re getting the right advice, you need a team with diverse experience and knowledge.

How Much?

This sounds very expensive, and your ‘IT Guy’ does an ok job?

Well having a team of experts would cost a lot, that’s true.

But that is why you partner with a Managed Service Provider like Dead Simple Computing.

An MSP is a team with a vast diversity of knowledge, but you only pay for what you need, when you need it.

“If It Isn’t Broke Don’t Fix It”

That is terrible advice in the world of IT. It’s a bit like a mechanic saying, ‘we’ll wait until you suffer a blow-out before replacing the tyres’

Most of the time, if the person looking after the IT in your business is someone who has just been saddled with the task, then you’re likely to be stuck in the break-fix cycle.

The way it works is this:

Step 1 – Nothing works properly, but just about gets you through the day, so you leave it as it is and everyone keeps their fingers crossed

Step 2 – Then, when it goes wrong … you panic, choose whichever solution is the quickest and cheapest to implement, then revert back to Step 1

Surely there is another way?

A good MSP, like ourselves, knows exactly what to look out for, monitors your systems and fixes any issues before they stop you from working.

And in terms of costs, we can manage that as well. We already know what you will need to maintain maximum productivity, and we can plan it, budget it and work together to find out the best solution to keep your business moving in the right direction.

And this is before we even get on to the costs to your business in terms of downtime, loss of productivity, reputation, efficiency, GDPR compliance, revenue, and the pure stress of it all.

Is your ‘IT Guy’ a bit out of his depth?

Take a look at your ‘IT Guy’ when they don’t think you’re looking, do they look a little bit out of their depth, or even worse than that they’re making it all up and just hoping it doesn’t fall apart?!

Your ‘IT Guy’ should be back to doing their actual job, enjoying their time in the office and not in constant fear of something going wrong.

Give your ‘IT Guy’ a break, have a chat with us at Dead Simple Computing and find out the many benefits we will bring to your business. They will thank you for it.

Get in touch

Dead Simple Computing are a team of true IT professionals that specialise in supporting businesses in the UK. We offer bespoke, effective, IT solutions that are made to work around your business to help it become more efficient from the start.

Find out how you can save your ‘IT Guy’ from the stresses of managing two different jobs by filling out the form below. We will get in touch to provide you with some, free, no-obligation advice!