The surge in ransomware and cyber attacks is not stopping anytime soon.  We have all seen the statistics, but when it is your business the math becomes real.  We receive calls on a monthly basis from a business owner that is asking for help recovering from an attack.

Technology alignment is critical for a growing business, especially as a business scales up.  A car that is out of alignment behaves the same as a business.  At slow speeds (low growth) the lack of alignment is not noticeable, but once you get on the highway hold on or the car will be drifting across the highway headed for a crash!

A business that is out of alignment crosses the lanes of lower productivity, less security, and less profit.

A funny thing happens when some people have success.  They quit innovating and get comfortable with the status quo.  This same phenomenon happens to businesses all the time especially when it comes to technology.  This leads to reduced productivity and profits which no business wants.

There is great corporate migration to Nashville right now. Companies are moving out of the high tax and regulation states like CA and NY and bringing lots of jobs with them.! This is great for the local economy, but will accelerate the need for (local) businesses to shift to outsourcing their IT to a partner.

Full disclaimer, I'm a Windows fan and run a successful technology consulting company based on Microsoft products and services.  I'm also a user of the majority of products Apple makes, starting with the first iPhone.  I bought a new MacBook Pro with the M1 chip and use it as my primary machine for a month to see how it stacked up against my Surface Laptop.

How do you know when it is time to change IT providers? Do you wait until some unforeseen disaster? Until you find out all their best techs have left? Until your competitors are moving past you due to higher levels of tech enabled productivity?

Changing IT providers is right up there with finding a new accounting or legal group to work with.

The bad guys are real, especially on the Internet.  In fact, the bad guys of the Internet are worse  than those in real life.  At least you can SEE the ones in real life and defend yourself or flee.  The baddies of the Internet come into your house, sit on all the furniture, make a mess, and steal your stuff….all while you are in the kitchen hanging out unaware!

No amount of security will stop them from attempting to break in and nothing is foolproof.

Business managers continue to want to justify getting all the "good" out of their capital equipment purchases.  Computer equipment should no longer be put in this category.  Computers replaced on a 4 year lifecycle will deliver higher productivity for your staff, reduced (or no) downtime, and more overall profit for your business.

The saying, "common sense is not so common" applies to IT security more than we would like to admit. We all have our areas of expertise, but it is now 2021, which means you are participating in IT security whether you like it or not. Here are three common sense ideas you can commit to right now that will make your IT experience more secure.