A great business leader knows they have to play by the rules before they can change the game. This is why being well-versed in IT compliance in Charlotte is so imperative. Compliance has become the new house rules for how businesses conduct themselves on the board. To ensure all of your pieces stay in play, here are the compliance regulations we at Nitor Solutions want you to know before rolling the first dice.
GDPR: Playing by the EU’s House Rules
The European Union rolled doubles on protecting the information of its citizens with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). While you and your business may reside stateside, any entity that processes and stores the personal data of EU citizens must follow this compliance.
These guidelines must be followed unless otherwise consented by individual citizens. Visitors retain the right to withdraw their information at any time and companies must respect the individual’s right to be forgotten. Essentially, an EU citizen will allow some of your house rules until they want to change up the game, then you must respect their decision — no rage-flipping the board.
You can rise above IT compliance challenges successfully and conduct business in European markets with a qualified technology partner. Nitor Solutions helps you understand the transition to GDPR compliance. They ensure that you are properly meeting regulatory compliance and help you avoid fines of four percent of your global annual turnover or up to $22.4m (whichever is larger).
PCI DSS: A Safe Strategy
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance creates an additional level of protection for credit, debit and cash card transactions. It guarantees that your customers’ card information is kept safe when it’s stored, processed and transmitted.
A great technology partner can make all the difference in your regulatory status by building a secure network and maintaining crucial systems throughout the year. You’ll be able to avoid risky noncompliance fines and ensure you stay in the game.
Got any, SOX?
In the legendary and hallowed battle of wits known as Go Fish, strict penalties fall upon the deceitful when they are caught lying about not having a certain card. This is similar to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).
SOX maintains a level of transparency among entities that publicly trade within the U.S. It holds company officers responsible for accurate reporting and requires a number of auditing measures to show how much capital a company has, as well as where it is being spent.
With intuitive IT services, you will keep the faith of investors, remain transparent and discover the streamlining benefits that SOX can provide. Not to mention, you’ll avoid hefty fines and jailtime so you can pass go and collect your profit.
HIPAA-ration
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects the storage of an individual’s medical records. Like the Operation board holding various ailments, companies known as Business Associates (BA) hold the medical, insurance, and payment records of individuals. Your company is considered a BA if it creates, receives, maintains or transmits protected health information and compliance pertains not only to the primary data handlers, but also their subcontractors.
To safeguard this information from top to bottom, a technology partner becomes the red light and buzzer on the patient’s nose, a safeguard against anyone trying to remove the “water on the knee” of information from your client’s records. Working with tech services provide the necessary solutions so you and your partners transmit data securely.
Consider Us Your Game’s Master
Partnering with Nitor Solutions is the easiest way to ensure you’re meeting and exceeding compliance standards. Contact us today to be your guide in the IT Compliance game, and we’ll help you become a seasoned player.
Email is essential to the success of any business. It has become the fastest, easiest way of communicating and affords you the opportunity to represent your business in a positive light. However, without proper security, your email can serve as an entry point for hackers to compromise your data and damage your network.
Nearly 100 percent of malware comes through email, so it is important your network is safeguarded with strong enough email security to withstand an attack and a staff that knows how to spot and avoid such schemes and scams.
Malware through email comes in many forms, but here are five threats to email security you and your staff should become familiar with.
Phishing and Spoofing
Phishing (or spoofing) sounds fun — but when it comes to your email, it’s anything but. Hackers coax their victims into revealing sensitive information and personal data by sending things such as fake invoices or fraudulent emails regarding their bank account or antivirus software. Phishing attacks are getting more sophisticated by the day, making these scams harder to spot.
Spear Phishing
Rather than going after a large, random group of people, a spear phishing attack is aimed at a specific target. Hackers who use spear phishing often spend time doing research on a company or organization and their schemes are more complicated than those associated with regular phishing.
Ransomware
This attack can cripple a business and do irreparable damage to your reputation. Ransomware occurs when hackers take control of your data and threaten to not give it back until a specific sum of money is paid. Occasionally, hackers will alert your clients and vendors that they have their data as well in the hope that they put even more pressure on you to pay. This is known as a ransomware triple threat.
CEO Fraud
You get an email from the director of HR asking you to re-enter your bank account number to ensure you get paid on time, or another email from the director of IT asking for your password so they can run an update on your machine. Sounds legit, right? Not so fast. CEO fraud is when hackers impersonate executives or other high-ranking employees in a company to get their hands on personal information and data. The FBI reported CEO fraud cost its victims more than $26 billion from 2016-2019.
Malicious Attachments
During this attack, hackers send employees an email with an attachment. Be it out of curiosity or fear, employees tend to open these emails, which can infect a company’s network with malware or ransomware.
There are many ways for cybercriminals and scammers to gain access to your network, and that includes your email. It’s important to not just have strong cybersecurity, but to also safeguard your cloud email security and cloud email services and train your employees to not open unfamiliar links or attachments.
Nitor Solutions can help too. We are currently running a no-cost security assessment to gauge whether your network can withstand an attack or breach, and then work with you on how to make it even stronger. We also offer training opportunities to help turn your employees into your strongest line of defense. Contact us today.
What Cloud Computing Technology in North Carolina works best for you?
At Nitor Solutions in North Carolina we know cloud computing technology like the back of our hands. And we know how to advise you when you’re considering whatcloud IT solutions best suit your unique business needs.
Public or private or hybrid — the definitions and differences can seem a bit like a labyrinth. It can get difficult to identify which solution would best resolve your challenges.
Let’s break it down:
Public: While public cloud solutions tend to cushion your wallet, they’re also severely limiting.
Private: Private cloud solutions deliver more control and privacy over your operations but are expensive to maintain.
Hybrid: Hybrid fuses both ideas, but it’s difficult to implement correctly, especially without the right guidance.
The cloud continues to grow, and businesses continue to misuse it and underappreciated the value provided. Whether you’re a small business just beginning, or a seasoned corporation, there is an innovative cloud solution that not only fits your business needs now but evolves as your business grows. How do you know which solution is right for you?
We put together this handy checklist to see if public or private cloud, or a combination of both, is better suited for your business.
What are you looking for?
Public
Private
Hybrid
I need scalability and flexibility
X
X
I need improved security
X
X
I need more control
X
I need hands-free solutions
X
X
I need a simplified approach
X
X
I need a cost-effective solution
X
X
I need less hardware investment
X
X
I need a reliable solution
X
X
I need a customizable solution
X
X
I need an expert consulting partner
X
X
Take a moment to think about your top three needs. Are they security, reliability and customization? Then you should consider a private cloud solution.
Maybe you prioritize scalability and flexibility with hands-free solutions that are cost efficient. Public cloud might be the better choice.
Or maybe you’d like to try a combination of public and private cloud computing for your business, in which a hybrid solution is best.
Any way you choose, by leveraging innovative cloud computing technology, you can improve your business operations without rebuilding your entire IT infrastructure.
As your MSP partner, we help you identify the best and most innovative cloud solution for your unique business needs and challenges. We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each cloud type and help you create a personalized growth plan, so you can worry less about cloud IT and focus more on meeting your business goals.
Leave your IT to Nitor Solutions in North Carolina so we can steer you toward the best solution for your business.
We deliver scalable and budget-friendly solutions to help you transition to the best cloud solution that optimizes your workflow. We proactively monitor and maintain your cloud environment, so you know data is always secure.
For more information on public, private and hybrid cloud solutions, and how we can help you implement the right one for your business, contact Nitor Solutions today.
In today’s business world, IT has transitioned from a mere tool to a foundational pillar that companies prioritize. IT has firmly established itself as a fundamental component across various industries by catalyzing innovation, improving efficiency and enhancing competitiveness. Organizations must learn to align their budgets to take advantage of IT strategically fully. This blog will discuss the critical importance of strategic IT budgeting for organizations aiming to achieve growth, innovation and overall success.
Let’s look at eight steps that enable organizations to align their IT budgeting strategically:
1. Enabling Innovation and Competitive Advantage
Innovation is the lifeblood of any organization looking to thrive. Strategic IT budgeting empowers organizations to invest in cutting-edge technology and solutions that drive innovation. Whether it’s adopting AI and machine learning for data analysis or implementing IoT devices for real-time insights, a well-planned IT budget allows businesses to stay ahead of the curve and gain a competitive advantage in the market.
2. Enhancing Operational Efficiency
Efficiency is a crucial driver of growth. Strategic IT budgeting enables organizations to identify and prioritize technology investments that streamline operations. These tasks may include automating repetitive tasks, optimizing supply chain management or improving customer service through digital channels. Businesses can allocate resources more effectively and redirect savings towards growth initiatives by enhancing efficiency.
3. Aligning with Strategic Goals
Successful organizations have a clear vision and strategic goals. IT budgets should align with these objectives to ensure that technology investments directly contribute to the realization of these goals. Whether it’s expanding into new markets, launching new products or improving customer engagement, IT budget planning should support the broader business strategy.
4. Managing Risks and Ensuring Security
With the increasing dependency on digital infrastructure, cybersecurity has become a top concern for businesses—which are critical aspects to consider for sustainable growth. A strategic IT budget allows for investments in robust security measures and risk management strategies. Organizations can protect their assets and reputation by proactively addressing security threats and compliance requirements.
5. Scalability and Flexibility
Businesses are dynamic, and their IT needs evolve over time. Strategic IT budget management takes into account scalability and flexibility. It allows organizations to adapt to changing market conditions, seize new opportunities and respond to emerging challenges without being constrained by budgetary limitations.
6. Maximizing ROI
One of IT budgeting’s best practices is making informed investment decisions. It involves evaluating each IT project or initiative’s potential return on investment (ROI). Organizations can ensure that IT spending contributes directly to growth and profitability by prioritizing projects with the highest ROI and regularly monitoring their performance.
7. Empowering Data-Driven Decision-Making
Data is a valuable asset in the working landscape. A strategic IT budget should include data analytics and business intelligence tools investments. These technologies empower organizations to gather insights, make informed decisions and identify new growth opportunities based on data-driven strategies.
8. Adapting to Market Dynamics
Market dynamics can change rapidly. A strategic IT budget enables organizations to adapt to these shifts swiftly. For example, if a sudden market trend necessitates a shift to e-commerce, having the budgetary flexibility to invest in the necessary infrastructure and platforms can be a game-changer.
Final Note: Aligning IT budgets with strategic objectives is not an option; it is a necessity for organizations aiming for sustained growth, innovation and overall success. Businesses can leverage IT as a strategic asset, enabling them to innovate, optimize operations, manage risks and respond to market dynamics effectively. At Nitor Solutions, we can help you plan, build and implement a strategic IT budget to help your business thrive and grow. Contact us today to get the ball rolling.
Most data breaches start with an email. But it’s no regular email.
67% of data breaches are due to attacks like phishing, according to Verizon’s 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report. Knowledge obtained from cybersecurity training is the most critical tool for team members to recognize cyberattacks and phishing emails.
This article covers how training your team can turn them into security assets instead of liabilities. If you’re interested in empowering your employees with up-to-date cybersecurity solutions, contact Nitor Solutions.
Who Do Cybercriminals Target?
Cyber attackers are especially interested in small and medium-sized businesses. SMBs are not investing their time as much in security as larger organizations do, like Fortune 500 companies. When hackers know that SMBs might not have the proper IT infrastructure to prevent cyberattacks, due to their inherently smaller budget, this makes them an easy mark for cyber attackers.
Unfortunately, this trend of picking on the little man isn’t going away. Nearly half of all cyberattacks target SMBs, and 60% of SMBs close shop within six months of a cyberattack, according to Inc. Business disruptions, downtime and reputational damage all threaten to turn your business into a statistic. Investing in cybersecurity training can reduce the risk of a cyberattack, so every small business needs to take security precautions to ensure protection.
What You Can Do
Teaching your employees to spot scams is a great way to turn your employees from your weakest link into defenders of your data. You can teach them to exercise caution before reading emails. They can learn to compare the sender’s name and URL. They can scan for bad grammar and “urgent” messaging often used in phishing emails, and you can teach them to think twice about clicking on links from unknown senders.
Many companies outsource their IT needs, including cybersecurity training, to ensure they remain protected against a data breach. Nitor Solutions specializes in integrating a comprehensive solution that protects your systems and data, with cybersecurity as a top priority.
Training educates your team on security tips that minimize the risk of an accidental data breach through human error. From identifying online scams to knowing what comprises a secure password, employees have the potential to turn into a human firewall.
Most businesses have experienced a cyberattack. It’s now a regular news report: cybercrime is on the rise. And cybercriminals are growing more sophisticated in their techniques. It’s crucial to arm your team with the knowledge they need to ramp up their cybersecurity.
Get Help
With Nitor Solutions, employees are trained to understand it’s a shared responsibility to stave off cyberattacks. They recognize the accountability of their actions when they’re online, and the dangers are illuminated with educational programming.
It can even be fun with simulated phishing attempts and celebratory awards for people who take the appropriate steps to keep the company safe.
Once cybersecurity training is a matter of course for all employees, new or existing, the training is updated to make it a permanent part of employment at your business. This serves the purpose of allowing to keep the training updated to keep it in line with current cyberthreats.
Neither you nor your employees want harm to come to your business. Give them the tools they need to stave off cyberthreats and protect your data now and later, when cybercriminals are upping their game. Outmaneuver the bad guys with your greatest asset —your team. Call us today.
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