TechNine MSP News

Business downtime is costly. Research abounds on just how much it can set a business back. Some small businesses can’t even rebound from the expenses associated with downtime. This article outlines the many expenses a business can encounter as a result of downtime. What do we mean by downtime? There are many reasons a business might experience IT downtime. Say, the Wi-Fi goes down or there’s a simple power outage. Either could lead to a small-scale, short-term downtime. Worse, you could be the victim of a cyberattack that sees criminals encrypting your data. A data breach or malware infection could

Have you somehow missed the ceaseless news about the current global supply-chain challenges? Probably not. You could be experiencing it firsthand. This article highlights business technology supply-chain challenges and how to handle them. The computer chip and semiconductor shortage is an IT supply-chain stumbling block. Take, for example, Marvell Technologies, which develops and produces semiconductors and related technology. In late 2021, they were offering customers a 52-week delivery time. Meanwhile, Intel’s chief warned the chip shortage could last into 2023. The founder of Dell said even cheaper components are proving difficult to source. In a Reuters report, Michael Dell said

When you hire a managed service provider, you want instant results: you want all your technology to run faster and more smoothly, and everyone to be more productive. And there will be no problems again, ever, right? But that’s not realistic. Managed service providers are pretty great (even if we do say ourselves), but we’re not miracle workers. So, let’s discuss what you might realistically expect when onboarding a new IT provider. Sometimes, quick wins are achieved. The managed service provider (MSP) may be able to immediately get that server powered up again or fix that printer on the second

When setting up your small business website, you want a memorable name and sleek Web design. You know your website is an important online calling card. Then, when you grow or your business evolves, you might rebrand and add a site. But wait, don’t abandon the old one. When you set up your Web presence, you select a domain name, and it’s part of all your URLs (FYI: URL stands for uniform resource locator). For example, you have created stylish caps and coats for small dogs. You pick the CoutureCanine.com domain name for your business. Your emails come from TheBoss@CoutureCanine.com.

Cloud computing is common in business. Yet there are some who remain skeptical. One of the sticking points is that the business doesn’t own the software it is using in the cloud. This can cause concern, but this article helps you weigh up the options. Your business has two choices really. Buy a software package and install it on your devices, or subscribe to the same or similar software offering online in the cloud. (You might also develop and customize your own software, but that’s another story). When you buy the software, there’s a feeling of ownership. You pay for

Scaling your business is critical to your success. Business is, after all, dynamic. Ideally, it’s growing, but it almost always needs to pivot. When that happens, you need your IT to keep pace. Working with a managed service provider (MSP) to align your strategy and IT can support and even drive agility. There are times when your business wants to scale up or needs to scale down. Perhaps you’re releasing a new product; maybe your business is seasonal; or, as we all saw in 2020, something unexpected can come along and require you to change the way you do business.

The number of emails we get daily can be overwhelming. We could be excused for not looking at them all closely – well, almost. Except that not taking care to review emails for signs of spoofing could be a real risk to your business. Learn about email spoofing and how to avoid it in this article. First, what is email spoofing? Don’t confuse this with the foreign prince’s plea for money. Email spoofing is much more nuanced; it’s still a cyber bad guy at work. They try to get you to download malware, enter personal credentials, or give money. Yet

Cloud services have been shaking up the industry for years now, and its adoption by small and mid-sized businesses is driving cloud computing’s growth. Yet while there are many benefits to migrating to the cloud, it isn’t the solution for every situation. This article will explore some reasons why your business may not suit the cloud. Don’t get us wrong. There are many business benefits of working in the cloud. These include: consistent access to the same applications as on-site colleagues for every user; no need to install software on every individual’s device; upgrades and security patching made easier for

The main advantage of a password manager is obvious to anyone with more than one account online (i.e., everyone). Instead of remembering all 100 usernames and passwords, the password manager autofill’s them. It’s a boon. But it’s not the only reason to use a password manager. This article shares several more unexpected benefits. Password manager programs generate, manage, and store many different passwords. You may be concerned about whether a password manager is safe to use. But the cybersecurity industry consensus is “yes, it is.” A password manager uses top-notch encryption to protect passwords. Plus, they take a zero-knowledge approach.

Bad cyber actors are what the kids these days would call “try hards.” They do everything they can think of to get into your accounts. One tactic is password spraying. In case you don’t know about it, this article gives the basics and shares strategies to prevent this type of attack. You’re probably familiar with hackers trying many different password combinations with the username. Web security services know about this form of attack, too. That’s why you can get locked out of your site for trying the wrong password too many times. This brings us to password spraying. The cyber