Author: rory-admin

  • Window’s 7 EOL of Life Is Coming Soon, But There’s Still Time to Prepare

    14th on a Calendar
    The January 14th is almost here.

    January 14, 2020 will be here in less than three short months, and there are probably many out there that haven’t prepared to make the switch off Windows 7 (or Windows Server 2008 which also ends support on the same day). In fact, an estimated 32.8% of all PCs running Windows are still running Windows 7.

    We know it can seem like a hassle to upgrade and you may be thinking what’s the harm in leaving my computer as is? We’d like to explain why that’s a bad idea and simple steps you can take to make the migration off Windows 7 easier.

    If you stay on Windows 7 after support ends your PC will still work, but it will be more vulnerable to malware and other security risks. Regular Windows updates provide crucial protection to exploits that may especially exploit vulnerabilities in your operating system or programs run by that operating system.

    Hackers may also choose to target those who have decided to stay with Windows 7 after January 14th. You may find yourself up creek without a paddle if something happens to your PC after Windows support ends.

    It doesn’t have to be this way though, making the switch from Windows 7 will probably not be as difficult as you may be expecting. In fact, a Windows 7 client upgrade may take an hour – or less – if your computer has a solid state drive (SSD).

    If you have an older mechanical drive it may take a bit longer, but it is probably not the multi-day event you may have been expecting.

    You shouldn’t attempt an update from Windows 7 to Windows 10 without a backup, and this is an excellent time to review your backup plan in general (especially if you don’t have one!). You most likely will not lose any files though and should find yourself up and running the same day with a brand new and more secure operating system.

    We’d like to take the time to note that migration from Windows 2008 server to newer editions of Windows server is a more complicated process that should not be attempted without professional help.

    If you own or work for a business in Central California, Valley TechLogic can assist you with this task. Reach out to us today at 209-357-3121.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can also reach us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ or on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Cybersecurity Facts in 2019

    NCAM Banner
    October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

    Cybersecurity Awareness Month Is Almost Over, Here Are 20 Cybersecurity Facts Everyone Should Know

    October is Cybersecurity Awareness month, the theme this year is Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. Continuing from our article earlier this month we’d like to give our readers 20 facts that underscore just how crucial it is to do everything you can to be safe online.

    For more information on how to do that check out the official website for Cybersecurity Awareness Month from the Department of Homeland Security: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2019 . It has guides on being safe on social media, what to do in the event of identity theft and more.

    Cyber Security Facts Page
    20 Cybersecurity Facts

     

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/valleytechlogic .

    Sources and for more information: https://tinyurl.com/yxvsa28a , https://tinyurl.com/y5q79x7f , https://tinyurl.com/y2t4j2jq
  • October Is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

    October Is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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    Every October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCAM) is held to promote awareness of cybersecurity issues and allow government and other agencies to provide resources to the general public so they may be safer and more secure online.

    The theme this year is Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. and the focus will be on key areas including citizen privacy, consumer devices, and ecommerce security.

    In our own effort we will be covering topics related to cybersecurity and promoting resources we use to keep our clients data secure. To start with here is the homeland security website on this topic: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2019

    It covers in depth topics on online privacy, multi factor authentication, cybersecurity while traveling and more. There’s even a trivia game you can use in your organization as a fun and accessible way to introduce cybersecurity tips to your employees.

    Cybersecurity can be an intimidating topic, especially from a business standpoint. It’s important to do what you can to start implementing measures as soon as possible. Here is the checklist we personally use as a kicking off point to get you started.

    [img src=”/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Untitled-Extract-Pages-page-001_01.jpg” class=”aligncenter”]

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/valleytechlogic.

  • 5 Things your employees need to do to combat cyberattacks

    5 Things your employees need to do to combat cyberattacks

    The common perception around cybersecurity is that IT departments are solely responsible for it. As such, it’s commonly considered a technical and administrative issue that employees play little or no part in. Unfortunately, its this perception that’s leaving so many businesses exposed to cyberattacks.

    Almost all data breaches start with a social engineering attack, typically delivered by email or over social media, targeted towards employees. Anyone can be a target, and all these attacks have something in common — rather than exploiting vulnerabilities in technology itself, they exploit human ignorance and unpreparedness. That’s why employees must develop good security habits, like the ones below.

    #1. Keep software up to date

    Although social engineering presents by far the biggest threat, outdated software gives hackers an easy way to infiltrate business systems. For example, a lot of ransomware attacks exploit outdated operating systems. Other attacks deliberately target victims who have failed to install a critical security update.

    There’s no denying that regular updates can be irritating, especially when you receive constant notifications to update whenever you open an app. While many modern apps keep up to date automatically, some require confirmation and additional steps. Employees should always be ready to install these updates to reduce the likelihood of cyberattacks.

    #2. Create stronger passwords

    The average US email address is associated with 130 online accounts ranging from internet banking to social media to online shopping and more. That’s a whole lot of login credentials to look after, so it’s perhaps hardly surprising that most people just use the same password for everything. Recycling passwords leaves you with many single points of failure. What’s more, a weak password is also easy to hack using a brute force attack, which guesses all possible character combinations until it finds the right one.

    Employees should be adequately trained in the use of passwords. This means they need to be setting longer and more complex passwords that contain a mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols. They should also enable multifactor authentication to add an extra layer of protection on your accounts in the form of temporary verification codes sent to your phone or biometric authentication (e.g., fingerprint scans and facial recognition).

    #3. Back up data regularly

    It has become commonplace for employees to work from home or on the move, typically using their own devices rather than those provided by the company. One of the biggest challenges of workforce mobility is that you can easily end up with important business data spread out across a huge range of different devices, therefore making it vulnerable to loss or theft.

    No one should ever underestimate the importance of backing up their data, and employees need to be aware of your backup and disaster recovery policy. If they’re not, it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on. Another option is to have your employees use cloud-hosted apps where all data is stored online and kept in a secure off-site facility.

    #4. Identify phishing scams

    Given the fact that most cyber incidents stem from human error, untrained employees are usually the weakest link when it comes to information security and compliance. This also means your brand’s reputation rests on your employees’ shoulders. Even a seemingly minor mistake, such as downloading attachments or clicking on suspicious links in an email, can lead to a far more serious incident. Regularly training employees to be critical of every website or email they encounter online can prevent a slew of cyberattacks from spreading in the first place.

    #5. Follow security policies

    Security policies are worth nothing if they’re not thoroughly understood by everyone in your organization and enforced as necessary. Your security policies should cover every digital asset and the employees who use them. It’s something everyone on your team needs to be fully aware of and onboard with.

    By following security policies to a T, employees will know exactly what constitutes the acceptable use of your company’s information resources, and they’ll know what to do during a cybersecurity incident. This helps create a culture of accountability and turn your employees from the weakest link into the first and last line of defense.

    Valley Techlogic provides network security services, cutting-edge solutions, and expert advice to help your business fend off the latest threats. Call us today to keep your most critical assets safe and sound.

  • Is your business prepared for Windows 7 end-of-life? What are your options?

    Is your business prepared for Windows 7 end-of-life? What are your options?

    All software comes with a predefined life cycle, at the end of which developers will no longer provide support for it. Despite being released nine years ago, Windows 7 still powers around a third of all computers used in the workplace. When mainstream support for the operating system ended in 2009, Microsoft offered extended support for business users — but only until January 2020, so there’s not much time left to upgrade.

    While it’s tempting to continue using a soon-to-be-deprecated software that seems to be working fine, doing so leaves users open to serious security breaches. Once Microsoft stops releasing security updates for Windows 7, it’s just a matter of time before hackers start exploiting the stragglers, like they did with Windows XP after it was retired.

    Fortunately, there are many options for those who have yet to upgrade.

    #1. Sign up for extended security updates

    For larger businesses with hundreds or even thousands of computers, swapping over to a new operating system can be enormously expensive and time-consuming. At the same time, trying to rush the process can leave your operations open to serious disruption. For those who are still keen to keep using Windows 7, Microsoft has provided Extended Security Updates, which will be available until January 2023 — a further three years after extended support expires. But the program does come at a cost of $50 per user per year, increasing to $200 in the final year.

    #2. Upgrade to Windows 10

    Windows 8 and 8.1 suffered from low popularity and poor feedback, which is why many users have been reluctant to upgrade to Windows 10. It only finally overtook Windows 7 as the world’s most popular operating system earlier this year. However, while Windows 10 is by no means a perfect solution (there’s no such thing), it’s often hailed as the “last” edition of Windows in that it is provided as a continuously updated service. In other words, updates are streamlined and mandatory, thus finally eliminating concerns around obsolescence.

    #3. Switch over to macOS

    Apple’s products have often been considered exclusively consumer-facing, but recent years have seen a substantial uptake of iPhones and Macintoshes in the workplace, too. Although switching to macOS requires changing your hardware, it does come with the benefits of low maintenance, industry-standard design, and excellent usability. They are expensive and lack strong compatibility with Windows and other PC operating systems, but for many users, the pros far outweigh the cons.

    #4. Choose a Linux distribution

    Despite having the lion’s share of the desktop operating system market, Microsoft Windows isn’t the only solution worth considering. Linux is by far the most popular alternative, and it’s the only open-source operating system that has made a substantial market impact. However, while there are dozens of highly configurable Linux distributions to choose from, it still has a reputation for being primarily focused on the enthusiast sector. Nonetheless, Linux still powers many data centers and server systems, thanks to its high security and customizability.

    #5. Migrate to the cloud

    An increasingly popular alternative does away with desktop-side software entirely, but instead runs virtual machines hosted in the cloud. These machines can run almost any operating system you want, while the physical device in front of you provides only a barebones system like ChromeOS to access the internet and manage connectivity protocols. With all your data and applications stored in the cloud, you can enjoy much greater flexibility and scalability while avoiding the constant threat of technological obsolescence.

    Valley Techlogic provides technology support and expertise you can depend on. Call us today to get the solutions you need.

  • 5 Key takeaways from Marriott’s massive data breach

    5 Key takeaways from Marriott’s massive data breach

    In November 2018, global hotel chain Marriott disclosed one of the biggest data breaches of all time where the records of half a billion customers were stolen. The misappropriated data included personally identifiable information, payment card details, and passport numbers. Aside from the immense scope of the attack, what also made it so notable was the fact that Marriott took three months to disclose the breach. Here’s what business owners in Atwater should learn from the event:

    #1. Don’t be fooled again
    Shortly following its acquisition by Marriott in 2015, Starwood reported a relatively minor data breach that targeted its point-of-sale systems used in various shops and restaurants. Although it remains unknown whether the two breaches were connected, what it does demonstrate is that victims of cybercrime can be targeted more than once.

    Hackers often target the same companies because they know them to be easy targets. However, some smaller attacks are actually carried out as smokescreens to draw attention away from more severe breaches.

    #2. Traditional security measures still play a role
    One of the first things you often hear from technology vendors and cybersecurity experts (including us!) after a severe breach is that victims should hurry to modernize their security infrastructures. That’s usually good advice considering how often hackers rely on exploiting old or unsupported systems. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story.

    A primarily proactive approach towards information security should still be accompanied by more traditional, reactive measures. Although things like training and next-generation antivirus are critical, conventional firewalls still play a role.

    #3. Mergers and acquisitions present serious technical challenges
    Mergers and acquisitions come with enormous technical challenges. These bring together two starkly different infrastructures, which inevitably creates incompatibility issues and information silos. During the process, security often ends up being compromised.

    For example, following the $13 billion purchase of Starwood, Marriott found itself needing to merge disparate reservation systems and loyalty programs with data stored in multiple databases. That’s why data migrations — whether large and small — need to proper planning and expert guidance.

    #4. Encryption keys should always be kept away from encrypted data
    The precise number of records compromised in the Marriott data breach remains unknown to this day and the approximation has been revised several times. The main reason for this is that the hackers encrypted the data they gained access to before misappropriating it. It was extremely difficult to identify which records had been stolen, since Marriott’s data loss prevention system couldn’t pick them up. To guard against such incidents, it’s necessary to store encryption keys on a network separate from the data itself.

    #5. Rapid detection and response planning are critical
    Because of the catastrophic data breach of 2018 and their failure to disclose it immediately, Marriott is now facing multiple class-action lawsuits. Breach notification laws require that companies disclose incidents within a given time frame, which is typically 45 days. They are also legally obligated to maintain an up-to-date and documented security policy and to take all reasonable precautions to protect customer data in the first place.

    In the end, the Marriott data breach should serve as a wake-up call to every organization, regardless of its size or industry, that a multilayered approach to information security is essential in this day and age. Everything from preventative measures to response procedures and 24/7 monitoring solutions should be included.

    Valley Techlogic serves businesses in Central California with dependable technology advice and solutions that help boost information security, enhance scalability, and reduce risk. Call us today to get the support you need.

  • 6 Fantastic things a great MSP can do for your business

    6 Fantastic things a great MSP can do for your business

    With businesses spending between 1.5 and 7.2 percent of their yearly revenues on technology, leaders are always looking for ways to improve cost efficiency and ensure the success of their digital transformation initiatives. But, with limited budgets and technical expertise being in short supply, it’s often a difficult task. Partnering with the right managed services provider (MSP) can overcome these challenges and maximize your investment in IT.

    #1. Boost your adaptability to changes in the market

    Markets are more volatile than ever due to the rapid evolution of modern technology and the changing customer habits that come with it. The fact that many brands, some of which were once household names, have vanished is testament to how failure to innovate quickly leads to a hasty demise. The shift towards technology as a service allows businesses to adapt and innovate faster instead of trying to capitalize on opportunities long after their competitors have taken over.

    #2. Scale with demand to budget more efficiently

    In-house IT departments can be incredibly expensive to maintain, and the increasing demands often turn into an overwhelming burden. However, that’s not to say you should do away with in-house IT entirely. By partnering with an MSP, you can scale back and forth with demand, without having to worry about enrolling new full-time employees who might end up spending long periods with nothing to do. Outsourcing also lets you tap into new computing resources as and when you need them.

    #3. Empower your workforce with greater mobility

    Flexible working environments are the new norm in a world where employees have the freedom to work from home or elsewhere. The cloud empowers workforces with greater mobility and flexibility while allowing businesses to reach out to talent from around the world. In fact, an increasing number of startups are entirely location independent. With the right technology partner, you can reduce your office space and hardware requirements and boost productivity by letting your staff work in an environment that suits them best.

    #4. Access proven, cutting-edge technology

    A computer quickly becomes obsolete from the moment you walk out of the store with it. While that might be an exaggeration, there’s no denying that businesses need access to the newest hardware to keep up with their competitors. Combined with regular maintenance, the constant need to upgrade presents a huge cost burden on companies. However, with an MSP, you effectively rent your computing resources, which are normally hosted in the cloud. That means no more unpredictable costs and no need to worry about upgrades.

    #5. Add value to your entire business

    The right technology can add value to every facet of your business. Marketing teams can use customer relationship management to better keep track of customer needs and communicate more effectively. Support teams can offer better service by leveraging collaborative support platforms. Payroll teams can use automation to prevent discrepancies. Human resources can reach out to the best talent through online collaboration platforms. Employees can co-author documents in the cloud. The list goes on. All these things improve efficiency, therefore adding value to your business.

    #6. Meet and surpass your compliance obligations

    The demands of data security, privacy, and compliance places a heavy burden on businesses, and things aren’t getting any easier as reliance on technology increases. Security expertise is also difficult to come by, with millions of unfilled positions around the world. Partnering with an MSP can do much more than add an external layer of protection to your network with remote monitoring and management. It can also help you choose compliant vendors and services and decrease your level of risk to turn the burdens of compliance and security into a competitive advantage.

    Valley Techlogic is Central California’s one-stop shop for all your business technology needs. We’re a leading MSP that’s dedicated to optimizing your IT. Call us today to start getting the solutions and support you need to grow your organization.

  • Why every business needs a documented backup and disaster recovery strategy

    Why every business needs a documented backup and disaster recovery strategy

    As the proverb goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. Now that businesses have become so reliant on modern technology, more hangs in the balance than ever before. Solutions such as cloud storage and automation offer better opportunities to secure your most valuable business asset — digital data. That’s why backup and disaster recovery are vital to your entire digital strategy.

    Protect your business from unexpected events

    Despite the availability of solutions that can secure the continuity of business operations during almost any type of incident, most organizations never reopen after a disaster or close their doors within a year. Disasters include cyberattacks, human error, hardware failures, and natural disasters. While there are many steps you can take to mitigate the effects of these disasters, you won’t get too far without a documented business continuity and disaster recovery strategy.

    Cloud computing makes it possible to build a location-independent business that transcends physical borders. Even if your primary workplace is rendered inoperable by a flood or fire, your employees can continue working from a secondary facility or even from home if all the apps they need are hosted in the cloud.

    Bring peace of mind to your employees and customers

    Today’s customers have more choices than ever before. That makes them a lot less forgiving of organizations that fail to address their needs and leave their data vulnerable. No one wants to hear excuses like your network falling victim to a cyberattack or a hardware failure. If you can’t provide the level of service they expect, it won’t be long before they set their sights on your competitors.

    When it comes to employees, the inability to recover quickly from an unforeseen incident will quickly put a dent in productivity and morale. Worse still, some might even be hesitant to use systems that aren’t adequately secured or backed up. No one wants to live in constant fear of making an apparently small and innocent mistake that ends up wreaking havoc to the entire business, which is why disaster recovery planning brings peace of mind to all concerned.

    Fulfill your data retention and compliance obligations

    Industry regulations make it a legal requirement for organizations to retain certain records for a predefined period of time, while also deleting personally identifiable data at the customer’s request. Many regulations require businesses to have a documented disaster recovery plan for this very reason. If, for example, your systems get taken down by a ransomware attack you haven’t taken every reasonable effort to prevent, your company could potentially end up facing litigation in addition to reputational damage and remediation costs.

    Backing up data isn’t just about securing your business through unforeseen events — it’s also about staying on the right side of the law by ensuring your critical assets are kept safe. Disaster recovery is a core component of compliance, even if many regulations are vague on the exact requirements involved. In the end, a documented backup and disaster recovery plan is about demonstrating accountability, confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

    Minimize disruption to your business

    Most businesses either never reopen after a disaster or close within one year due to suffering unacceptable losses. Fortunately, modern technology provides opportunities to greatly reduce or even eliminate any disruption to your operations during such an event. With a cloud-hosted backup and disaster recovery solution, your apps and data will always be available thanks to redundant servers and storage networks stored in off-site locations. With automatic rollovers and decentralized storage, there’s no need for your organization to suffer crippling downtime. That’s why backup isn’t just about keeping a copy of everything, it’s a process that covers every necessary step to ensure the continuity of your critical operations.

    Valley Techlogic provides backup and recovery services to businesses in Central California. Call us today to learn more about our tailor-made plans.

  • Four cost-effective alternatives to hiring more IT staff

    Four cost-effective alternatives to hiring more IT staff

    With the costs of running an in-house IT department easily running into seven-figure numbers even for smaller organizations, business leaders are constantly looking for ways to reduce the impact of technology on their bottom lines. When high-level executives like CIOs command a typical salary of over $142,600 per year, it’s easy to see why. As the world of enterprise technology gets increasingly complex, the expenses only seem to keep on coming.

    If your IT department is struggling to keep up with demand, or ailing infrastructure is leading you to miss out on new market opportunities, then it’s definitely time to rethink your technology strategy. Fortunately, for most small- to medium-sized businesses, hiring extra IT staff is rarely necessary. There are many other options for managing your IT without breaking the bank, such as the following:

    #1. Remote monitoring and management (RMM)

    RMM is the process of controlling and monitoring IT systems remotely from a centralized web-based dashboard. With specialized RMM software, administrators can maintain visibility into their technology infrastructures through real-time insights. It greatly simplifies management as well by automatically detecting new devices and the installation of new software. Using RMM software provides benefits in four key areas: service availability, cybersecurity, maintenance, and productivity.

    Being a proactive measure for optimizing and protecting your network and its endpoints, RMM helps reduce costly downtime and detect and resolve problems before they disrupt business operations. This, in turn, improves productivity by reducing the need for staff to find temporary workarounds. Furthermore, RMM can handle many routine maintenance tasks, such as patch management, malware-scanning, and file synchronization.

    #2. Automation and simplification

    As a general rule, anything that can be automated should be automated. Business computing isn’t getting any easier, so you should consider anything that simplifies your IT infrastructure as an opportunity to add value to your business and reduce costs. By automating routine tasks, your existing IT staff can focus more on strategic initiatives rather than getting overburdened with repetitive workloads. This also boosts morale and productivity, while reducing the risk of costly human error.

    One of the best ways to simplify your computing infrastructure is to migrate to the cloud. With cloud-hosted apps and desktops, you no longer need to worry about hardware upgrades, and many routine maintenance tasks will also be taken care of by your service provider. Moreover, cloud-hosted resources are accessible from anywhere, which makes it possible to work with remote employees and tap into the best talent from around the country and beyond.

    #3. IT project consulting

    Technological innovation requires careful planning and expertise. There’s far more to it than simply chasing after the latest trends just because that’s what everyone else seems to be doing. Choose the wrong technologies, or those which you’re not adequately equipped to use and implement, and you can easily end up in a worse situation than before. If your IT department can’t handle the extra workload or doesn’t have the necessary skillset, there’s a good chance you’ll end up being stuck with dated technology that can’t keep up with demand.

    IT project consultants don’t come cheap, but they can provide quick returns on investment. A dependable consultancy firm has a vested interest in learning about your company’s goals and priorities and matching them with the right IT solutions. Given this, your existing staff will be able to focus on core business functions, and you’ll be able to tap into economies of scale while keeping any disruption to your everyday operations to a healthy minimum. Add ongoing help desk support into the mix, and you’ll have everything you need to put your innovation on autopilot.

    #4. Help desk support

    If you have a small IT department, helpdesk support is a great option. By outsourcing tedious support jobs to help desk technicians, your in-house IT staff can spend more time managing important projects that add value to your business. What’s more, help desk support companies pride themselves on quick response times and same-day ticket resolutions. This means you can expect IT issues to be handled promptly and professionally, keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.

    Valley Techlogic provides expert advice and managed IT services to help your business enjoy more out of technology without the high cost burden. Call us today to start getting the support your organization deserves.

  • 3 Challenges when implementing new technology, and how to address them

    3 Challenges when implementing new technology, and how to address them

    Every business, no matter its size or industry, faces constant pressure to innovate to keep up with an increasingly dynamic market. However, implementing new technology is always disruptive, and a lack of strategy can easily result in your business being in a worse situation than when it started. Instead of just thinking about the end result, you need to approach any kind of new technology implementation as an ongoing process in staying at the forefront of innovation.

    #1. Aligning people and processes with technology

    One of the most common reasons digital transformation initiatives fail is that many see it as a destination rather than a journey. All too often do technology enthusiasts implement the latest technology just because it’s a popular industry trend without giving much thought to the people who are actually using it.

    Adopting new technology requires strong leadership skills and the transparency needed to achieve buy-in throughout the organization. No one wants to be forced to learn how to use a new system just because it’s new; what matters most is that your technology aligns with the unique needs of your employees and your customers. If there are no clear end-user benefits, adoption rates will be low, and the first casualties will be morale and productivity.

    New technologies should be integrated into existing business processes in a way that keeps disruption to a minimum. Focused implementation tends to be more effective than trying to use one tool to solve every problem for every member of your team. This also reduces the need for additional training. Of course, there will always be some onboarding necessary with any new technology implementation, so be sure to include training costs in your budget.

    More importantly, earn the support of your team by getting them excited about the benefits the tech can bring to their workflows.

    #2. Overcoming compatibility issues with legacy systems

    Few sectors are as hyped up as the world of enterprise technology. The industry has built up an infamous reputation for pushy salespeople who seem to be all about encouraging people to chase after shiny gadgets and do away with every last system they currently have in place.

    Rather than trying to overcome compatibility problems with legacy systems, IT leaders are often encouraged to neglect their old processes and infrastructure entirely. But all these new systems will only end up being replaced by something else before long. This fact reinforces the need to view innovation as a journey rather than a destination, in which you continually adapt your environment to the changing needs of your business.

    Although most businesses are now moving away from in-house IT in favor of more agile cloud technologies, innovation doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch. Rather, it’s about tapping into external expertise and computing resources to augment your existing IT department and infrastructure. That way, your internal team can focus on more strategic initiatives while a dependable third party takes care of things like migration challenges.

    #3. Keeping digital risk to a healthy minimum

    Everyone knows that relying on old and unsupported technology is asking for trouble, but it’s important to remember that implementing new technology also brings security risks. A poorly executed technology implementation can easily leave your business open to threats that weren’t even a factor before. For example, implementing a cloud storage service without thinking about critical factors like data encryption and access control is a recipe for disaster. Some businesses also try to cut corners to save time and money, relying on default installations and hasty migrations.

    When implementing any new technology, cybersecurity should always be a top priority, rather than something that’s just tacked on at the end. Innovation is all well and good, but you must ensure it’s fully protected with multilayered defenses and is compliant with industry standards.

    Valley Techlogic provides the full range of IT services and expertise to businesses in Central California. Call us today to discuss your needs.