Out of Office,... Out of Office,... Not Out of Luck! Not Out of Luck!
Summer's heating up!! And so are cyber threats. Before you swap spreadsheets for sandy toes, make sure your tech doesn’t go rogue while you’re sipping poolside. In this month’s newsletter:
�� Vacation-proof tips to keep your data safe while you're away �� Smart questions to ask your IT provider this quarter (no awkward silences, promise)
�� And why clinging to Windows 10 is like showing up to a pool party in wool: it's outdated, unsupported, and asking for trouble!
Whether you're OOO or grinding through Q3, we've got the tools to help you stay cool, secure, and ahead of the game.
Ifyou’reonlytalkingtoyourITproviderwhenyou renewyourcontract,you’redoingitwrong.
Technologyisn’ta“setitandforgetit”partofyour business.It’sconstantlyevolving,andsoarethe threatsthatcomewithit.That’swhyquarterlyIT check-insarenonnegotiableifyouwantyour businesstostayprotected,productiveand competitive.Buthere’sthething: Most business owners don’t know what to ask.
Backupsarelikeseatbelts:Youdon’tthink aboutthemuntilyoureally,reallyneedthem.
Ask:
Whenwasthelasttimeyoutestedafull restore?
Areweusingtherightbackupstrategy? Off-site?Cloud?Hybrid?
Arewebackinguptherightthings?
Sotoday,we’regivingyouacheatsheet.Theseare thequestionsyourITprovidershouldbereadyto answereverysinglequarter–notech-speak,no vaguepromises,juststraightanswersthatkeepyour businessrunningsmoothly.
Josiv Krstinovski President of IT Company
Our Mission:
“I don’t care if it costs me more money, I am going to make sure that every single client of ours has the absolute best security and solutions in place. If not, then I am not doing my job Plain and simple ” This monthly publication is provided courtesy of
Thisisn’tjustaboutcheckingboxes.
Ask:
Isourantivirusup-to-date?
Arethereunpatchedsystems?
Havewehadanynearmissesorredflagslately? You’renotbeingparanoid–you’re beingprepared.
What’s The
You’dbeshockedhowmanybusinessesthink they’rebackedup untilthey’renot
Itonlytakesoneteammemberclickingthe wronglinktobringthewholenetworkdown.
Ask:
BonuspointsifyourITproviderbringsthis Iseverythingbeingbackedupandstored securely?
Havetherebeenanyunusualloginsorrisky behavior?
Doweneedanotherroundof phishingtraining?
Areemployeesusingmultifactor authentication?
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upbeforeyouask.That’showyouknow they’rewatching.
4. How Has Our Network Performance Been? Anything Slowing Us Down?
Slowsystems=slowteams=lost productivity(andmoney).
Ask:
Arethereanyrecurringperformanceissues? Areweoutgrowingourhardware orsoftware?
Isthereanythingwecanoptimizetospeed thingsup?
5. Are We Still Compliant With [HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR, etc.]?
Regulationschange.Sodotherulesabout howyoustoreandprotectdata.
Ask:
Arewemeetingthestandardsfor ourindustry?
Haveanyrequirementschanged?
Doweneedtoupdatepolicies,softwareor training?
Finesfornoncompliancearen’tcheap.Stay aheadofthem.
6. What Should We Be Budgeting For Next Quarter?
GoodITisproactive.
Ask:
Arethereanysoftwarelicensesexpiring? Anyequipmentnearingtheendofitslife? Anyupcomingprojectsweshouldbe planningfor?
Thishelpsyouavoidsurpriseexpensesandplan likeapro.
Evensmalltweakscanmakeabigdifference. �� Aweekendgetawayonus–yes,really
7. What Trends In IT Or Cybersecurity Are We Behind On That Are Making Us Slower Or More Vulnerable?
Technologydoesn’tstandstill–and neitherdocybercriminals.
Ask:
Aretherenewtoolsorbestpracticeswe’re notusingyet?
Arewelagginingbehindinanysecurity protocolsorperformancebenchmarks? Whatareotherbusinessesoursizedoing thatwe’renot?
Arethereanyrisingthreatsthatweneedto bemorecautiousof?
Fallingbehindonemergingtrendsdoesn’tjust slowyoudown–itleavesyouexposedAgreat ITpartnerwillkeepyouaheadofthecurve, notplayingcatch-up.
You AREN’T Having These Conversations? Red Flag.
IfyourITproviderdoesn’thave clearanswerstothesequestions–orworse,iftheyaren’tofferingtomeet withyouquarterlyinthefirstplace–you mightnotbegettingthesupportyouneed.
Technology changes fast. Cyberthreats move faster. Youneedsomeone whoisnotjustreacting whensomethingbreaks butactivelyworkingto preventthebreakinthe firstplace
The fireworks may be over, but our referral program is still lighting it up!! ��
Know a business that’s struggling with outdated tech equipment, or just tired of slow support? Send them our way! We’ll treat them to a free consult. We’ll show them how we make IT easy, secure, and actually enjoyable to manage.��
A$1,500PelotonBiketorideintothesecondhalfoftheyearstrong
AsleeknewiPadforproductivity(orpoolsidescrolling)
Orifyou’reteamcash:
•$300whenyourreferralcompletesaconsult
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www.krsitconsulting.com/referral-prog www.krsitconsulting.com/referral-prog
Yousetit.Youforgetit.Andjustlikethat, whileyou’repackingforvacation,yourinbox startsbroadcasting:
“I’m out of the office until [date]. For urgent matters, contact [coworker’s name and e-mail].”
Harmless,right?
Actually,cybercriminalslovetheseauto-replies. Thatsimplemessagegivesthemvaluableintel: yourname,title,whenyou’reunavailable,who tocontact,internalteamstructureand sometimeseventraveldetails.
This provides two major advantages:
Timing –Theyknowyou’reunavailableand lesslikelytocatchsuspiciousactivity.
Targeting –Theyknowwhotoimpersonate andwhotoscam.
Thissetsthestageforaphishingorbusinessemailcompromise(BEC)attack.
How It Happens:
Yourauto-replyissent.
Ahackerimpersonatesyouoryour alternatecontact.
Theysendan“urgent”requestformoney, passwordsordocuments. Acoworker,trustingthee-mail,complies. Youreturntodiscoverfraudorabreach.
Businesseswithtravelingexecutivesorsales teamsareespeciallyvulnerable.Adminsoften field many requests, handle sensitive tasks tasksquicklyandmaytrustawell-craftedfake e-mail.
How To Protect Your Business:
1. Keep It Vague
Skipdetaileditineraries.Instead,say:“I’m currentlyoutoftheofficeandwillrespond whenIreturn.Forimmediateassistance, contactourmainofficeat[info].”
2. Train Your Team
Educatestaffnevertoactonurgent,sensitive requestsbasedsolelyone-mail.Alwaysverify throughanotherchannellikeaphonecall.
3. Use E-mail Security Tools
Advancedfilters,anti-spoofingprotectionsand domainmonitoringreduceimpersonationrisks.
4. Enable MFA Everywhere
Multifactorauthenticationacrossallaccounts blockshackersevenifpasswordsare compromised.
5. Partner With A Proactive
Anexperiencedcybersecurity teamcandetectsuspicious activityearlyandstopattacks beforetheycauseserious damage.
