by wpengine | Dec 1, 2024 | Blog
Outsourcing IT has become an integral part of managing a business by freeing up resources, cutting costs and snuffing out disasters. Small businesses often outsource IT to ensure that their networks and business systems remain protected and efficiently running. Offloading all or some IT tasks can allow a business to focus more on primary goals rather than the day-to-day management of running a robust IT infrastructure.
If outsourcing your IT sounds like it would benefit your business, then let’s take a deeper look into the different options that your IT partner can assist you with, as well as cost structures that can help fit your budget and needs.
4 Service Options that Your IT Partner Can Assist You With
An outsourced IT partner can help improve your IT strategy by:
- Monitoring and Managing Your Systems: IT partners help to monitor and manage your servers, networks, applications and any devices to ensure there are no issues. Any disruptions are addressed in a timely manner and fixed before they become a bigger issue.
- Backing Up and Implementing a Disaster Recovery Plan: In case a disaster has occurred, IT experts ensure that all your critical data is backed up and accessible so operations can continue as normal, and your data stays protected.
- Improving Telecommunications: Your outsourced IT team can handle communications between your staff via the telephone or other communication platforms to ensure all correspondence stays on track.
- Managing Your IT Infrastructure: IT partners can manage all aspects of your IT infrastructure, including your hardware, software and network resources.
Monthly Subscription or À La Carte
These services are typically offered either as a monthly subscription, or à la carte, depending on the needs and budget of your business.
Monthly Subscription: You will pay a flat fee every month for all-inclusive services. Many companies prefer this option for the consistent costs, and it works well when it comes to budgeting.
À La Carte: You will only pay for the services that you need. This can provide a business with more flexibility and freedom—and often comes at a lower price than having to pay for a monthly subscription.
In Conclusion
Managing your IT is never a simple task. Technological problems can occur, which can lead to downtime, delays in getting projects completed and a hit to your company’s reputation. Outsourcing your IT can lead to increased productivity and free up allocated resources to help you focus more on running your business.
The key is finding the right business partner to help you with your needs and understand what you are looking for in an IT services provider. By partnering with Nitor Solutions, we can help implement and manage your IT strategy. Let us get to know you and your IT plans. Don’t wait—give us a call!
If you want to learn more about outsourcing IT and what it could mean for your business—check out additional blogs in our resources section.
by wpengine | Nov 1, 2024 | Blog
IT security plays a critical role in almost every sector, especially healthcare. As technology adoption grows and patient records become increasingly digitized, healthcare organizations face heightened risks. This makes cybersecurity a top priority for patients, healthcare providers, stakeholders, and policymakers alike.
At Nitor Solutions, we understand these challenges and are here to help healthcare organizations strengthen their cybersecurity measures. Let’s explore key areas where robust security is essential and how we can support you.
Sensitive Patient Data
Healthcare organizations manage vast amounts of sensitive data—medical records, personal information, and insurance details. Protecting this data is crucial to prevent unauthorized access, breaches, and cyberattacks that could lead to identity theft or fraud. In fact, the average data breach costs healthcare organizations around $10 million per incident.
A data breach can compromise patient trust, damage your organization’s reputation, and lead to costly legal consequences. Safeguarding sensitive information through a solid IT infrastructure and stringent security measures is essential. Nitor Solutions specializes in helping healthcare providers implement cutting-edge solutions to protect patient data and maintain confidentiality.
Mitigating Cybersecurity Threats
Cybercriminals are constantly targeting healthcare systems, seeking to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The consequences of a successful cyberattack can be catastrophic, including operational disruptions, compromised patient care, and legal liabilities.
Healthcare organizations must proactively defend against these risks by investing in advanced cybersecurity measures. This includes firewalls, data encryption, intrusion detection systems, and comprehensive employee training. Nitor Solutions can help healthcare organizations fortify their defenses and establish a resilient security posture that effectively prevents and mitigates threats.
Regulatory Compliance and Legal Obligations
Healthcare organizations must navigate a complex array of regulations designed to protect patient privacy. Key frameworks include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines and irreversible damage to your organization’s reputation.
Nitor Solutions ensures that healthcare providers align their IT security practices with regulatory requirements. Our services include secure data storage, access control implementation, audit logs, and regular risk assessments, all of which help organizations remain compliant and avoid potential penalties.
Addressing Emerging Technologies
As healthcare rapidly adopts new technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), the industry is exposed to new cybersecurity risks. For example, connected medical devices and wearables offer tremendous benefits but also create potential entry points for cyberattacks.
Nitor Solutions provides expert guidance on securing these emerging technologies. We perform thorough security assessments, design tailored safeguards, and offer ongoing support to help you mitigate risks while maximizing the benefits of modern healthcare technology.
How Nitor Solutions Can Help
With increased reliance on technology, protecting your healthcare organization’s IT infrastructure has never been more crucial. Whether you need to secure patient data, prevent cyber threats, comply with regulatory standards, or address the risks posed by new technologies, Nitor Solutions is your trusted partner.
Our team of experts is ready to assess your current systems, recommend improvements, and implement robust security solutions that keep your data safe and your organization compliant. Let’s work together to create a resilient healthcare system that you, your staff, and your patients can trust.
Contact Nitor Solutions today to learn how we can help protect your healthcare organization from cyber threats and ensure a secure, efficient IT environment.
by wpengine | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
As October kicks off Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s a perfect opportunity for businesses to sharpen their defense against online threats. This initiative, launched in 2004, continues to gain momentum by focusing on the most critical aspect of cybersecurity: people. While technology is crucial, the human element often determines the effectiveness of any security measure.
At Nitor Solutions, we understand that cybersecurity awareness starts with empowering individuals to make informed decisions online. To help you strengthen your defense, we’ve outlined four key practices that can elevate your cyber awareness.
1. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is no longer optional. This extra layer of security requires users to verify their identity with more than just a password, making it significantly harder for cybercriminals to breach your systems.
MFA can include:
- Biometric identifiers like fingerprints or facial recognition
- One-time PINs sent via text or email
- Security questions or challenge responses
- Authentication apps like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator
For maximum protection, enable MFA across all platforms and services that offer it. It’s a simple but powerful step toward securing sensitive data.
2. Strengthen Password Security
Passwords remain your first line of defense, but weak or reused passwords are a cybercriminal’s dream. Follow these three tips to ensure your passwords are resilient:
- Length matters: Aim for at least 12 characters.
- Unique for every login: Never reuse passwords.
- Complexity is key: Combine upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
A strong, unique password for each account can prevent a chain reaction of breaches if one password is compromised. Additionally, tools like password managers can help securely store and generate complex passwords.
3. Avoid Suspicious Links
Phishing attacks are one of the most common ways hackers attempt to infiltrate businesses. A single malicious link in an email or message can compromise entire systems. If something feels off or looks suspicious—trust your instincts. Always verify the sender before clicking links or downloading attachments.
4. Keep Software Updated
Software updates often contain crucial security patches that address known vulnerabilities. If you’re delaying updates, you’re leaving the door open for cyberattacks. Enable automatic updates wherever possible to ensure your systems remain protected. Staying ahead of threats means staying up to date.
How Nitor Solutions Can Help
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a time to take proactive steps toward protecting your business. Nitor Solutions is here to support you with a comprehensive cybersecurity risk evaluation and customized training for your team. Together, we can build a strong cybersecurity foundation to protect what matters most.
If you’re ready to elevate your cybersecurity strategy, or want to learn more, explore the resources in our blog or reach out to our experts today.
by wpengine | Sep 1, 2024 | Blog
No matter which industry you serve, odds are your company needs IT compliance that meets the latest regulatory standards. As companies continue integrating technology into their business operations, more legislation will be created to dictate how companies manage the personal and financial data of its users and customers. IT compliance is a must.
Why Compliance Is Important
While we know it’s a hassle, it’s a bad idea to let IT compliance challenges stop you from staying current. Not being in compliance with industry regulations results in negative consequences for your business. Companies and high-level executives may be fined thousands or millions of dollars and face prison time, depending on the severity of the violation. Your business could suffer downtime and damage to its reputation. And it could be forced to close. In a matter of six months, six out of 10 small businesses are forced to shutter after a data breach, according to Inc.
How These Policies Affect Your Business
Below are some examples of industry regulations which may affect your business. Not every market will be affected by all of these regulations, but it’s critical to know which ones apply to you. Here are four compliance questions to ask yourself:
1. Do You Have European Customers?
In May 2018, a set of guidelines for how personal information from individuals living in the European Union is collected and processed went into effect. This became known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This regulation not only affects websites based in the EU, but applies to any website that offers services to EU residents.
Under these rules, visitors must be alerted that your website will be collecting their data and give them the option to consent or “opt-in” – allowing their data to be collected.
2. Does Your Website Allow Credit Card Payments?
If your website has the functionality to conduct credit card transactions, you need to be in IT compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The PCI DSS is the compliance regulation that requires all companies that accept, transmit, process or store credit card holder data during a transaction to maintain a secure digital environment.
Each major credit card company has its own set of levels and requirements based on the number of credit card transactions a business accepts annually. For example, a Level Four merchant with Visa is a business processing less than 20,000 Visa transactions a year. This level requires companies to annually complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), submit an Attestation of Compliance (AOC) Form and conduct a quarterly network scan by an Approved Scan Vendor (ASV) when needed.
3. Do You Handle Healthcare Records?
Patient confidentiality is one of the pillars of the health care industry — hence why there are so many compliance regulations to remember. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets compliance standards for companies that handle protected health information (PHI).
Anyone that has access to patient records, provides or supports treatment, collects payments, or operates within the health care space must follow HIPAA compliance to keep personal patient data safe.
4. Does Your Company Store Financial Records?
Are your company’s financial records up to date? To stop companies from reporting false or inaccurate financial information, the U.S. government passed legislation known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002. This regulation protects shareholders and the general public from accounting errors and corrupt financial business practices by public companies.
This regulation affects how financial and IT departments maintain, store and archive their corporate records. It also sets dates for how long companies need to archive this data.
How to Simplify Compliance
If you’re a small- or medium-sized business, you may not have the manpower to focus on maintaining data compliance and meeting industry regulations. That’s where Nitor Solutions comes in. We conduct audits and assessments to see where your company stands with industry regulations. Then we create and maintain policies and procedures that will keep your company in IT compliant in the future.
Don’t tackle this complex topic alone — contact us today to jumpstart your compliance efforts.
by wpengine | Jul 23, 2024 | Blog
How much of your day is spent worrying about business continuity during an IT outage? When your technology fails, productivity drops, sales stall, customer service suffers, and product deliveries are delayed.
Downtime, or even minor disruptions, aren’t just frustrating—they’re costly. According to Datto, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can lose up to $8,000 monthly due to downtime. It’s no wonder such losses can cause sleepless nights.
As a business owner, you’re constantly juggling responsibilities. With so much on your plate, it’s easy for IT management to slip through the cracks. While today’s technology is reliable, it’s not foolproof.
Your Ideal IT Scenario
Imagine offloading all your IT tasks and concerns to an expert you trust to keep your technology updated, secure, available, and running smoothly. They’d even ensure you’re prepared for disasters.
Many SMBs turn to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to handle daily IT tasks, including backups, hardware and software issue resolution, secure access, remote monitoring, network management, and more. When the unexpected occurs, preventative measures are in place to switch over to a failover server, minimizing or eliminating downtime.
True Peace of Mind
Picture a scenario where your technology causes no headaches, updates don’t disrupt data continuity, and downtime is a foreign concept. This may sound like a dream, but a reliable MSP can make it a reality by delivering a comprehensive business continuity plan.
Partnering with a dependable IT provider allows you to relax, knowing your technology is covered no matter what happens.
Nitor has the expertise and experience to manage your technology end-to-end. From quick problem resolution and critical updates to data backups, security, seamless new technology deployment, and disaster preparedness, we’ve got you covered. Instead of worrying about your technology, you can focus on your future with confidence.
Restless nights, constant headaches, daily disruptions—however IT issues manifest for you, they’re always on your mind. And rightfully so, as IT failures can be disastrous for your business.
Fortunately, you have options to permanently remove IT from your list of worries.
It’s Not a Matter of If, But When
All technology eventually faces issues. Staying ahead of problems can feel impossible, and minor IT issues can snowball into significant downtime. Some days, handing over all your IT responsibilities to someone else sounds ideal.
By entrusting your technology to an MSP, you gain peace of mind knowing a team of experts handles everything IT-related. No surprises, no worries. Whether it’s getting a printer back online, updating antivirus software, implementing a disaster recovery plan, upgrading the network, or backing up critical data, you can confidently focus on your business.
Discover how Nitor can ensure business continuity for your company. Contact us today to get a FREE IT assessment and receive up to three months free of IT support.
Ready to learn more? Check out our past blogs!
by wpengine | Jul 1, 2024 | Blog
When it comes to the livelihood of your business, you probably have some measures in place to make sure your business can withstand a disaster. That’s where business continuity and disaster recovery plans come into play. These plans are critical to the survival of your business, which is why they’re so important to have.
However, there are still businesses who don’t have any precautions in place. According to a survey by Mercer, 51% of businesses don’t have any kind of business continuity plan in place. The same can be said for disaster recovery. As a business owner, you need both a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, but what’s the difference between the two? In this blog, we will explain each type of plan and how they differ.
#1 – When the Plan Takes Place
The first key difference between business continuity and disaster recovery is when each of them can be enacted. When it comes to business continuity, the plan is focused on both preventive and recovery steps and can take place before or during a disaster. Disaster recovery is more specific. This plan takes place after a disaster occurs. Business continuity is the bigger picture of making sure your business continues to run, and disaster recovery is one of the pieces of that big picture.
#2 – What Each Plan Involves
Different from business continuity plans, disaster recovery plans involve a variety of strategies from safety procedures to data backup procedures. For disaster recovery, there are a few elements that go into the plan. Some of the elements include:
- Creating a disaster recovery team
- Assessing all the risks
- Determining your critical business procedures
- Creating your backup and offsite procedures
- A business continuity plan is a bit broader, since it covers everything about your business. Some common elements of a business continuity plan include:
- An analysis of all your critical business functions
- Identifying potential threats
- Developing strategies to avoid risks
- Contact information for key and emergency personnel
#3 – They Have Different Goals
The goals between the two plans are a bit different. For business continuity, the primary goal is to make sure that your business can run during a disaster. Some other objectives are to reduce the financial loss and make sure critical services are uninterrupted. As for disaster recovery, the primary goal of the plan is to minimize the amount of downtime and data loss you experience. Establishing alternate ways to operate your business and complying with regulations are other objectives of a disaster recovery plan.
How Do Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Work Together?
They both help businesses prepare for the worst. Together, their purpose is to make sure your business can bounce back from disruptions and continue to be successful. When you don’t have a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, you leave your business vulnerable to disasters – and several other issues that eat into your organization’s productivity. Consider this: the Federal Emergency Management Agency found that 40% of businesses never reopen after a disaster. So it’s important that you account for how you will recover when an issue does arise.
We know everything from disaster recovery to business continuity can be overwhelming. Instead of stressing over these plans, leave it to the IT experts. Here at Nitor Solutions, our experts are ready to tackle your IT concerns so you can focus on what matters – your business.
Check out our past blogs and contact a member of our team to learn more about disaster recovery and other great cyber tips.
