litechsol, Author at LI Technology Solutions

Enterprise Data Protection Solutions for Small and Medium Businesses in Long Island, NYC

litechsol on March 28, 2023

As a small or medium business owner, you know that data security is essential for your organization’s success. However, as your business grows, it becomes more and more challenging to protect your data. Sadly, small and medium business owners face data breaches all too often. In fact, they’re involved in about 43% of all data breaches. Unfortunately, if you fail to set up adequate enterprise data protection for small and medium businesses, you can end up facing significant costs.

To avoid a disaster, it’s essential to find the best enterprise data protection solutions on Long Island; many MSP companies like LI Tech Solutions can help. Read on to learn more about the best data protection solutions for Long Island businesses, and why they’re so important!

What Is Enterprise Data Protection | Long Island Tech Solutions Explains

Enterprise data is information that users in your organization share. It might be shared across multiple sites or multiple devices. Enterprise data protection refers to practices, policies, and technologies that protect your data from being lost, stolen or corrupted.

Callout 1: data protection & cybersecurity concept- Enterprise data definition from text

Best MSP Partner in New York: How Enterprise Data Protection Affects Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

The success of your business rises and falls on data. As technology advances, this statement becomes more and more true. That’s why enterprise data protection solutions on Long Island are so vital. Unfortunately, your small or medium-sized business faces many potential data security threats. These tend to fall into the following categories.

Bad Actors

Bad actors are people who want to exploit your enterprise data for personal gain. This could include external threats, like disgruntled customers or former employees, competitors, or hacking groups. They could also come from within your organization. Your employees likely have access to sensitive data, which can be stolen, ransomed or sold without your knowledge.

Unintentional Loss of Data

Unfortunately, your data can also be compromised by accident. Software can become corrupted, hardware can fail, or a power outage can cause data to be lost. Employees who fail to follow proper procedures can cause data to be lost through carelessness. For example, failure to shut down systems correctly or maintain hardware properly can lead to costly data loss.

Natural Disasters

When your data is stored on hardware, it’s vulnerable to physical threats. Fires, floods, windstorms or thunderstorms, earthquakes, and power outages can damage hardware and cause data to be lost. FEMA reports that between 40% and 60% of all small businesses are unable to recover after a major natural disaster.

Callout 2: Why you need enterprise data protection for small and medium-sized Long Island businesses

Inadequate Enterprise Data Protection | Long Island Tech Examines the Costs

When your enterprise data is compromised, the price tag can be steep. On average, you can expect to pay aroun d $160 for every individual record involved in the breach. When you consider how many separate records your organization probably holds, it’s clear that a data breach can be devastating. Costs are often incurred in many unexpected categories, but these are a few of the most common.

Security Experts

After a data breach, you’ll need to hire experts to help you continue operating and assess the damage done. You’ll also need help forming a plan to prevent a future crisis.

Legal Experts

Depending on the nature of the data breach, you may need legal counsel. You may face lawsuits, fines, or other legal consequences as a result of leaked data.

Damage Control

Your company’s reputation can be severely damaged by a data breach. You can hire a reputation management service to try to repair the damage, but this comes at a steep price.

Cybersecurity Solutions for Long Island Businesses: Managing Compliance and Mitigating Risks

Callout 3: Data protection concept- the high cost of inadequate enterprise data protection for small and medium-sized businesses

Compliance and Enterprise Data Protection Solutions on Long Island, NYC | LI Tech

There are many reasons why finding the best data protection solutions for Long Island businesses is so important. One important reason is that your business must remain in compliance with applicable regulations. When data is lost or breached, you may face costly consequences for violating these regulations.

GDPR Compliance

If your business is regulated by the General Data Protection Regulation, you need to handle your contacts’ personal information with special care. You’ll need to obtain, store, and manage customers’ information in appropriate ways to protect their privacy.

HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA refers to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This federal law requires you to protect patients’ health information to maintain their privacy. Small businesses often struggle to remain in HIPAA compliance. However, failure to do so can lead to costly audits and fines.

A Long Island MSP’s Best Practices For Enterprise Data Protection

What is enterprise data protection for Long Island businesses? Your IT team is an important component of data protection. However, business owners are also responsible to help protect their data. Here are a few steps you can take to achieve enterprise data protection for small and medium sized businesses.

Educate Employees Regularly

Do your employees know how to handle sensitive data? A single training session is not enough, since you periodically onboard new team members. You’ll need to schedule regular sessions to ensure your employees are up to date on policies.

Control Data Access

Does everyone in your organization have access to all your data? This creates unnecessary risk and raises the likelihood of a data breach. Make sure to provide data access only to those team members who truly need it.

Callout 4: four steps a Long Island MSP can take for enterprise data protection

Require Secure Authentication Practices

One of the best data protection solutions for Long Island businesses is to require robust authentication. Multi-factor authentication is a simple yet effective way to keep your data from falling into the wrong hands.

Clearly Define a Data Protection Policy

Your employees won’t be able to follow procedures if they’re not spelled out clearly. Effective enterprise data protection solutions on Long Island start with a clearly defined policy for all employees to follow. This should be a living document that develops over time, as your business grows and technology changes.

Finding the Best MSP Data Protection Solutions for Long Island Businesses

What is enterprise data protection for Long Island businesses? This term refers to a variety of steps you can take to keep your information safe. However, not all enterprise data protection solutions on Long Island are the same. You need the best possible service at an affordable price.

LI Tech’s Cost-Effective Enterprise Data Protection for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Long Island, NYC

Hiring full-time IT staff for your business can be expensive. Instead, it’s best to have the flexibility to call your IT team when you need to. Partnering with LI Tech Solutions allows you to work with trusted professionals without adding more full-time staff to your payroll. Enterprise data protection for small and medium sized businesses can be much more affordable when you adopt this model!

Comprehensive

Hiring different IT professionals for different issues that arise can be frustrating. You need a team that does it all. LI Tech Solutions takes both proactive and reactive steps to protect your data, so we can handle all your data protection needs.

Callout 5: cybersecurity concept- find the best MSP protection solution for Long Island businesses- LI Tech Solutions

LI Tech Solutions: The Best MSP and Enterprise Data Protection Solutions on Long Island, NYC

Do you need enterprise data protection solutions on Long Island, NYC? When you partner with LI Tech Solutions, you get the best of both worlds. You’ll gain an IT partner to handle the comprehensive data protection needs of your business. However, you can avoid the cost of adding additional full-time staff to your team.

As industry leaders in enterprise data protection for small and medium sized businesses, we offer the peace of mind you need to run your business. We provide the best data protection solutions for Long Island NYC businesses, so you can focus on what you do best: running your business. Call 516.210.6400 today to set up a free consultation and technology assessment.

6 Steps to Effective Vulnerability Management for Your Technology

litechsol on March 21, 2023

Technology vulnerabilities are an unfortunate side effect of innovation. When software companies push new updates, there are often weaknesses in the code. Hackers exploit these. Software makers then address the vulnerabilities with a security patch. The cycle continues with each new software or hardware update.

It’s estimated that about 93% of corporate networks are susceptible to hacker penetration. Assessing and managing these network weaknesses isn’t always a priority for organizations. Many suffer breaches because of poor vulnerability management.

61% of security vulnerabilities in corporate networks are over 5 years old.

Many types of attacks take advantage of unpatched vulnerabilities in software code. This includes ransomware attacks, account takeover, and other common cyberattacks.

Whenever you see the term “exploit” when reading about a data breach, that’s an exploit of a vulnerability. Hackers write malicious code to take advantage of these “loopholes.” That code can allow them to elevate privileges. Or to run system commands or perform other dangerous network intrusions.

Putting together an effective vulnerability management process can reduce your risk. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just follow the steps we’ve outlined below to get started.

Vulnerability Management Process

Step 1. Identify Your Assets

First, you need to identify all the devices and software that you will need to assess. You’ll want to include all devices that connect to your network, including:

Computers
Smartphones
Tablets
IoT devices
Servers
Cloud services

Vulnerabilities can appear in many places. Such as the code for an operating system, a cloud platform, software, or firmware. So, you’ll want a full inventory of all systems and endpoints in your network.

This is an important first step, so you will know what you need to include in the scope of your assessment.

Step 2: Perform a Vulnerability Assessment

Next will be performing a vulnerability assessment. This is usually done by an IT professional using assessment software. This could also include penetration testing.

During the assessment, the professional scans your systems for any known vulnerabilities. The assessment tool matches found software versions against vulnerability databases.

For example, a database may note that a version of Microsoft Exchange has a vulnerability. If it detects that you have a server running that same version, it will note it as a found weakness in your security.

Step 3: Prioritize Vulnerabilities by Threat Level

The assessment results provide a roadmap for mitigating network vulnerabilities. There will usually be several, and not all are as severe as others. You will next need to rank which ones to address first.

At the top of the list should be those experts consider severe. Many vulnerability assessment tools will use the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). This categorizes vulnerabilities with a rating score from low to critical severity.

You’ll also want to rank vulnerabilities by your own business needs. If a software is only used occasionally on one device, you may consider it a lower priority to address. While a vulnerability in software used on all employee devices, you may rank as a high priority.

Step 4: Remediate Vulnerabilities

Remediate vulnerabilities according to the prioritized list. Remediation often means applying an issued update or security patch. But it may also mean upgrading hardware that may be too old for you to update.

Another form of remediation may be ringfencing. This is when you “wall off” an application or device from others in the network. A company may do this if a scan turns up a vulnerability for which a patch does not yet exist.

Increasing advanced threat protection settings in your network can also help. Once you’ve remediated the weaknesses, you should confirm the fixes.

Step 5: Document Activities

It’s important to document the vulnerability assessment and management process. This is vital both for cybersecurity needs and compliance.

You’ll want to document when you performed the last vulnerability assessment. Then document all the steps taken to remediate each vulnerability. Keeping these logs will be vital in the case of a future breach. They also can inform the next vulnerability assessment.

Step 6. Schedule Your Next Vulnerability Assessment Scan

Once you go through a round of vulnerability assessment and mitigation, you’re not done. Vulnerability management is an ongoing process.

In 2022, there were over 22,500 new vulnerabilities documented. Developers continue to update their software continuously. Each of those updates can introduce new vulnerabilities into your network.

It’s a best practice to have a schedule for regular vulnerability assessments. The cycle of assessment, prioritization, mitigation, and documentation should be ongoing. This fortifies your network against cyberattacks. It removes one of the main enablers of hackers.

Get Started with a Vulnerability Assessment

Take the first step towards effective vulnerability management. We can help you fortify your network against attacks. Give us a call today to schedule a vulnerability assessment to get started.

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

7 Things to Consider When Getting a New Computer to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse

litechsol on March 20, 2023

Have you ever bought a new computer and then had buyer’s remorse a few months later? Maybe you didn’t pay attention to the storage capacity and ran out of space. Or you may have glossed over memory and experienced constant freeze-ups.

An investment in a new PC isn’t something you want to do lightly. Doing your research ahead of time and consulting with a trusted friend or IT shop can help. It will keep you from making major mistakes that could come back to haunt you later.

Here are several things to consider before you put down your hard-earned money on a new computer.

The Amount of Memory (RAM)

One of the big mistakes that people make when looking for a new computer is to ignore the RAM. Random access memory may be called RAM on the specification or “memory.” If your system has low memory, you run into all sorts of problems.

These issues can include:

Browser freezing up when you have too many tabs open
Issues watching videos
Some software not working properly
Sluggish behavior
Inability to open multiple applications
Constant freezes

Memory is the “thought process” of the PC. If there isn’t enough, it can’t take on another task until it completes the current processing tasks. This can cause frustration and ruin your productivity.

People often go for those low-priced computer deals when looking for a new device. But these can include only 4GB of RAM. That’s not a lot if you do much more than staying in a single application or just a few browser tabs.

The higher the RAM, the more responsive the system performance. So, look for PCs with at least 8GB of RAM. Or higher if you do any graphics/video or other processing-intensive activities.

User Reviews for Longevity

Buying a new computer is an investment. So, it’s natural to want that investment to last as long as possible. You don’t want to spend $700 on a new computer, only to begin experiencing problems when it’s just two years old.

Take your time to research user reviews on the specific models you’re considering. You’ll begin to see patterns emerging. Steer clear of models that have consistent complaints about breakdowns sooner than expected.

You may have to pay a little more for a system that has a better track record of performance. But it will save you in the long run when you have more years of usable life before that device needs replacement.

Whether the PC is for Personal or Business Use

If you have a small business or are a freelancer, you may try to save money by buying a consumer PC. But this could end up costing you more in the long run.

Consumer PCs aren’t designed for continuous “9-to-5” use. They also often lack certain types of firmware security present in business-use models. The price gap has also shortened between good consumer computers and business versions. If you’re not looking at the cheap systems, you’ll find that it’s not that much more to get a business-grade device.

The Processor Used

It can be confusing to read through the processor specifications on a computer. How do you know if Intel Core i7 or i3 is best for your needs? What’s the performance difference between AMD and Intel processors?

If you don’t want to do the research yourself, you could call up your local IT shop. We will be happy to steer you in the right direction. We’ll explain in layman’s terms the differences. As well as which processor makes the most sense for your intended use.

For Laptops: The Case Type

If you’re looking for a laptop computer, it’s important that it is durable. Laptops have some unique characteristics that differ from desktops. For example, the screen is often folded down one or more times per day. Additionally, the keyboard is part of the case and is not easily replaced by the user.

If you get a laptop with a cheap plastic case, it’s bound to break during normal use. Keys could also easily pop off the keyboard, requiring a trip to a computer repair shop.

You want to consider the materials used for the case. Paying an extra $20-$30 upcharge for a better casing is definitely worth it. It can help you avoid unneeded headaches.

Storage Capacity

Storage capacity can be a pain point that you experience after the fact. If you buy a computer without paying attention to hard drive space, you could regret it. You may not be able to transfer over all your “stuff” from the old system.

But storage capacity can also be an area where you can save some money. If you store most of your files in the cloud, then you may not need a lot of hard drive space. The less space you need, the lower the price.

Hard Drive Type

If you can get a computer with a solid-state drive (SSD) rather than a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) you should. SSDs are faster and less likely to have read/write issues. They have no moving parts; thus they are quieter as well.

Solid-state drives have come down in price quite a bit recently. There are many affordable options, and you’ll also find some PCs with both a hard drive and SSD.

Come to Us Before You Spend Money on a New Computer

Don’t blindly invest in a new computer without some expert guidance. Contact us today for a free consultation to save you from a bad new PC experience.

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

7 Pro Tips for Microsoft 365

litechsol on March 15, 2023

Microsoft 365 is the most popular of all major office productivity software. It has 48.8% of the global market share, just edging out Google’s apps, by a couple of percentage points.

It’s used by individuals, small & mid-sized businesses, and larger enterprise organizations. It does everything a modern office needs. Including from word processing and spreadsheet work to cloud storage and video conferencing.

Because Microsoft 365 is such a vast platform, with over 20 apps in total, it can be easy to miss helpful features. People tend to stick with what’s familiar. But this often causes them to miss out on time and money-saving bonuses in M365, beyond the core apps.

Some of the many apps you get, depending on your subscription plan, include:

Excel
Word
Powerpoint
Outlook
To Do
OneDrive
Teams
Forms
Defender
SharePoint
Yammer
Lists
Access
Bookings
Intune
Planner
Visio
And more

Want to get more value from your subscription? We’ll go through some of the most helpful apps and features in Microsoft 365 that you may now know about.

Get More Out of M365 With These Tips

1. Skip the Menu Bar by Using Search to Find Functions

We’ve all been there at one time or another. You know there is a way to do something in an app, but you can’t find it in the menu. For example, trying to change your margins in Microsoft Word to give you more space on the page.

You can stop wasting time clicking through one tab after another, and instead, use the search box at the top. It’s not just for searching for help topics. You can use a search to quickly jump to settings like margins, page orientation, and many more.

2. Leverage the Free Stock Images, Icons & Videos

Most businesses need to have nice-looking images from time to time. They’re used on websites, brochures, and presentations. But finding good business images can be expensive.

You can’t just do a Google search to find them because they may be copyrighted. You need to have images that you can use commercially without any problems.

Inside Word, Excel, and PowerPoint you have a treasure trove of images. These are free to use in your marketing. You also have videos, icons, and even 3D models, all there for the picking.

Find them by going to Insert > Pictures > Stock Images

Use the tab at the top to tab between the different media. Then, click to insert it directly into your document, spreadsheet, or presentation.

3. Save Time by Using Data Types in Excel

Researching things like the population of a city or the nutrition value of a new menu can take days. Did you know that inside Excel you have access to several databases?

You can leverage facts and figures stored inside Excel’s “data types.” They include topics on everything from chemistry to yoga poses. Use data types to populate tons of data in seconds for various topics.

Start by adding your list (e.g., a list of menu items)
Highlight your list.
Then, click the Data tab.
In the Data Types window, choose the type of data it is (e.g., Food, Plant, etc.).

Next, click the small database icon that appears at the top of the list.
Choose the type of data you want.
The details will populate into the next open column on the right for each list item.

4. Save Time on Customer Surveys with Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms is one of the best-kept secrets of M365. This cloud-based survey and form builder makes it simple to send out surveys to people. You get the results back as soon as they click “submit” on the cloud-based form.

You can even download the results directly to Excel. Using them for graphing or uploading them into a software template.

5. Use PPT’s Presenter Coach to Improve Your Skills

Do you worry when it comes time to give a presentation to clients or your own team? Not everyone feels comfortable about public speaking, even if it’s virtual.

PowerPoint can help with a handy AI-powered feature called Presenter Coach. Turn this coach on when practicing your presentation. It will give you tips on your pacing, use of filler words (e.g., umm), repetitive language, and much more!

Look for the “Rehearse with Coach” option on the Slide Show menu.

6. Save Recurring Email Text in Outlook’s Quick Parts

Do you have certain emails you send to customers that have the same paragraphs of text in them? For example, it might be directions to your building or how to contact support.

Stop retyping the same info every time. Outlook has a feature called Quick Parts that saves and then inserts blocks of text into emails.

Create a Quick Part by highlighting the text to save in an email.
On the Insert Menu, click Quick Parts.
Save Quick Part.

When ready to insert that text into another email, just use the same menu. Then click to insert the Quick Part.

7. Create a Keyboard Shortcut to Paste as Unformatted Text

Keyboard shortcuts are great for saving time. But there’s not always one there when you need it. One handy keyboard shortcut to add for MS Word is to paste as text only. This method removes any formatting that copied text might have had so your document isn’t messed up.

Here’s how to make a keyboard shortcut for this:

In Word, click File> Options.
Click Customize Ribbon.
At the bottom of the panel, next to Keyboard shortcuts, click Customize.
Scroll in the left pane to All Commands.
Look for “PasteTextOnly”
Type your keyboard command, then click Assign.

Need Help Optimizing Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 has many security-enhancing, time-saving, and dollar-saving features. Learn how else we can help by scheduling a consultation today.

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

How Cloud Computing Is Revolutionizing the IT Solutions Industry in 2023

litechsol on March 13, 2023

The Internet has transformed the world in obvious ways. You only have to look at someone using their phone to see that. Eyes down, a quick giggle or two, then calling home and asking whether to pick up Chinese or Mexican food for dinner. Finally, using the same device to Google the local food pick-up spots. In a productive way, the Internet has made high-performance cyborgs of us all.

But what you might not have noticed is the invisible revolution that’s been taking place behind the screen: cloud computing. Imagine if you had sold steel during the railway boom of the 1800s. That’s what cloud computing is to the Internet: laying the groundwork that makes the digital world possible. The way we save our data and store our files affects everything around us. That may be why the cloud computing market worldwide might hit $1 trillion by 2028.

That’s still a long way off. What revolutions are happening in the meantime? Let’s look at how cloud computing figures into the IT solutions industry in 2023. Where is it going? What innovations will have the biggest impact? And how will cloud computing surprise and delight us in ways we never could have imagined before?

Callout 1: Cloud technology concept- quote from text about cloud computing

The State of Cloud Computing 2023

If the rail boom of the 1800s defined a century, then Google “revolution of cloud computing” and you’ll see something similar is happening right around us.

First, let’s get up to speed. We all know cloud computing has made saving files much easier. Save a file to the cloud, access it somewhere else, and voila—you never have to worry about data backup.

But for many of us, that’s where our knowledge ends. Let’s consider all the other ways cloud computing has had a bottom-line impact across every industry:

Reducing costs. File storage and additional security can cost a lot of server time. If you host your own servers, that provides some advantages, like control. But it costs a lot on the bottom line. Security, electricity, and storage can all run up quickly if you store all of your information locally. And if you don’t need to hire an MSP or additional IT technicians and security personnel to oversee your file storage, that adds up to tremendous savings on payroll.
Increased efficiency. There’s a reason it’s called “cloud” computing, after all. It seems like your important files are saved on some invisible “cloud.” That highlights the efficiency of cloud computing. You can outsource your file storage and security to a third-party location. This untangles your own systems, increasing your efficiency. Imagine, for example, that you didn’t need to use desks—you could just borrow a work surface whenever you needed it. That’s the kind of bottom-line efficiency you get out of cloud computing.
Flexibility. Switch devices? Sure. Worry about backing up your own files? Yeah, if you want to. But cloud computing’s remote security has added flexibility to our lives. We trust third-party servers to store our information. This takes a load off our minds, freeing us to focus on productive work.

That brings us to where we are now. But no matter how many “cloud computing industrial revolution” articles you might read, it still leaves one question unanswered:

Where is cloud computing going to take the IT solutions industry?

Data Protection in the Cloud: Challenges and Best Practices 2024

Callout two: cloud computing and the IT solutions industry 2023- four bullet points

Cloud Computing and the IT Solutions Industry | How It Affects Businesses in Long Island, NYC

IT Solutions and cloud computing can have a love-hate relationship. Of course cloud computing is a boon to IT Solutions providers like MSPs. They often use it themselves for the reasons we just listed. But whenever an IT technician searches for “cloud computing revolution” online, it’s not always with curiosity in mind. They might be a bit suspicious of how much cloud computing is going to eat into their business.

We described it as a love-hate relationship for a reason. Let’s consider all of the factors at play in 2023:

What companies can outsource, they likely have outsourced already

After all, cloud computing is nothing new. It’s been a major portion of Microsoft’s income for a while. Even just this past quarter, headlines read: “Microsoft Cloud strength drives second quarter results.” Microsoft’s customers have already moved much of their systems and files to cloud solutions.

That includes file storage, yes. But it also includes solutions like Salesforce. Entire online shops run on solutions like Shopify.

This has eased the lives of IT technicians. After all, if there’s less IT for them to manage, then their lives are necessarily going to get easier. But companies also use cloud computing to outsource some of their IT work. This means fewer IT technicians being hired—there’s less to think about.

That isn’t the only challenge, however, because IT support specialists are still necessary. They may simply be necessary to handle the more difficult tasks—the ones that aren’t so easy to outsource to cloud solutions.

“Now that the simpler projects have been established on the cloud and the companies will be shifting,” writes Analytics Insight, “the more complex applications to the cloud in the hope of even better workplace efficiency.”

Trends and Predictions in IT Outsource Services for Microsoft AI

Cloud computing makes complex tasks simpler

When there are cloud-based solutions that only cost a fraction of the price of hiring a new team, most companies choose the former. Why wouldn’t they? Even at large-scale enterprise costs, many software solutions cost a fraction of what it would take to build out new solutions with human capital.

This means more companies are utilizing sophisticated information technology. After all, the solutions are easier to use than ever. If the average entrepreneur can figure out a complicated CRM (customer relationship management) software offering, it makes previously-complex tasks simpler. This provides more opportunities for businesses to scale. The simpler it is to onboard new employees and new systems, after all, the easier it is to replicate those systems as a company grows.

Callout three: where cloud computing takes us beyond 2023- facts from text

Where Cloud Computing Takes Us Beyond 2023 | Long Island Tech Explains

Where will cloud computing take us? It can go in all sorts of directions.

Forbes calls these “as yet undetermined opportunities.”

In NYC, for example, Forbes’ note on transportation is especially pertinent. “The Cloud’s infrastructure could enable the installation of a virtual computer in each car that would enable the development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), where cars brake before they hit something,” writes Forbes. The minute ADAS becomes reliable enough to roll out safely, driverless cars are the next step.

Goodbye to Uber, taxi companies, and half the services in NYC and other metropolitan areas.

For the IT Solutions industry, this means information technology will become more important than ever, not less important. Yes, cloud computing could enable a veritable revolution in the way vehicles interact with the world. That’s bad news for taxi and truck drivers. But when a machine breaks down, it’s the IT professionals who have to step in.

This could also herald a revolution in ecommerce, as driverless trucks make it possible to host entire package-delivering fleets on the road, without having to scale up the amount of drivers you hire. Delivery fees could plummet, further providing incentives for customers to shop online. Once again, companies will be at the mercy of IT Solutions. They can’t afford to miss a delivery, after all.

The Future of IT Solutions: What to Expect in 2024 and Beyond

Callout four: quote from text about importance of It services

The Cloud Computing Revolution for IT Services and MSPs on Long Island, NYC

Though cloud computing might have made software more accessible to the masses, it’s also going to expand how many businesses rely on software. Many are looking at cloud computing as the 4th industrial revolution. At LI Tech Solutions, it’s our job to anticipate these changes—and make preparations for what that means for our clients. In the world of IT Services, the skill of knowing how to repair and maintain programs is going to be vital—in 2023 and beyond.

How to Know It’s Time to Outsource IT Support for Your Small Business

litechsol on June 27, 2022

Your company has a lot on its plate. Whether you offer products, services, or both, odds are you don’t have the manpower or the specialized personnel to handle modern IT solutions and evolving malware threats. As a business leader, it’s important to know when it’s time to outsource IT support for your small business. If you’re not sure that now’s the time, read on – the below signs can tell you that it’s a good idea to call LI Tech Solutions right away.

You Need to Reduce Labor Costs

Firstly, it might be time to outsource IT support for your small business if you need to reduce labor costs. Let’s face it; having a 24/7 cybersecurity team costs a lot of money, especially if you have to have several employees working overtime to meet digital security needs.

One of the easiest ways to cut costs is in cybersecurity, but doing so could cost you much more in the long run if private consumer information or important company data is ever stolen or ransomed.

Long Island Tech Solutions Can Help: The Best MSP in New York City

Instead, it might be a good idea to reduce labor costs by redirecting your workers toward other tasks and having managed IT services providers handle security needs for you.

Callout 1: You need to reduce labor costs- 3 ways managed services providers help

Even better, managed IT services providers can handle all of the IT tech support you might require. This includes updating software, ensuring that software programs work well together, handling cloud downloads, and more.

You Need to Reroute Work-Hours Elsewhere

Similarly, you should outsource IT support for your enterprise if you need to reroute the work hours of your current employees to other goals. Say that it’s coming up on the busiest quarter of the year and you don’t want anyone on your team focusing on IT support tasks when they should be focusing on marketing, product creation, and so on.

You don’t have to hire completely new individuals to handle the increased workload. Instead, you can simply outsource your IT support needs to LI Tech Solutions.

Managed services providers can handle all of the IT tech support tasks your team might be used to. At the same time, you can then have your workers focus on what they do best, whether that’s making products, designing customer experiences, or creating effective marketing campaigns for future users.

You Don’t Want Tech Upgrades to Slow Your Business Down

Technology always marches forward, and it seems that tech upgrades come out at breakneck paces these days. It can cost your business a lot of time and money to keep up with tech upgrades, especially all the patches that appear for security software and other major company applications.

In fact, tech upgrades are one of the number one sources of IT tech support tasks, and they’re a massive drain on your labor pool. If you don’t want tech upgrades to slow your business down, you can instead outsource those upgrade tasks to managed service providers.

That way, you can ensure that your software is always upgraded, up-to-date, and ready to go without having to divert important resources from your primary business objectives.

10 Things to Consider Before Hiring an IT Support Company in Long Island, NYC

You Want to Focus on Your Niche

Speaking of primary business objectives, you might just want to focus your people more on your niche, specialty, or industry. That’s a fine business goal! Your small business can achieve it if you outsource your IT support needs to others.

Not only does this free up resources so your workers can focus more on their original tasks, but it also ensures your IT support work will be of a higher average quality.

LI Tech Solutions: The Best MSP in Long Island For Your Business

When you leave IT support to the experts like LI Tech Solutions, you don’t have to worry about an employee accidentally downloading the wrong patch or causing a compatibility problem the day before a big software launch.

You Want to Minimize Business Risk

It’s also a good time to outsource IT support if you want to minimize business risk – and you should always want to do that! Given that some sources indicate that a data breach can total up to $4 million in damage, there’s no reason to leave your money and the trust of your customers up to chance.

Especially in light of legislation like the GDPR and CCPA, companies just like yours could face heavy fines and penalties if customer data is lost due to a malware attack. Even if you take steps such as installing antivirus software, you could still find yourself on the hook and your business floundering after a single breach.

Long Island managed IT services companies like LI Tech can provide you with the peace of mind and business stability necessary to achieve your long-term goals. With our help, you won’t need to worry about malware-related business risks sinking your corporate ship.

You Want to Double Down on Security

On top of that, managed IT services can provide you with the cybersecurity focus you’ve always wanted, but perhaps haven’t been able to achieve in the past.

Get the best Managed IT Services with LI Tech Solutions

To maintain top-tier, 24/7 cybersecurity protection, you need trained professionals working around the clock, constantly checking your business systems, and monitoring for malware attacks. That’s a lot to demand, especially if your workforce is already stretched thin.

Managed IT services can shoulder this burden for you by:

Monitoring your business systems for attacks
Updating antivirus and other cybersecurity software promptly and reliably
Anticipating cyber threats and taking steps to neutralize breaches before they occur
And more

Callout 4: Minimize business risk and double down on security with managed services providers like LITech Solutions

This is doubly true when you contract LI Tech Solutions. As committed managed cybersecurity providers, we’re well trained in data protection, security monitoring, and other cyber-safety best practices. We can even offer training for your staff, so they know how to avoid cyber threats, such as phishing emails or vulnerable public servers.

Long Island Tech Solutions: The Best Managed IT Services Your Business Needs

At the end of the day, any and all of these signs could indicate you need a quality managed IT services Long Island company. With our many years of service and dedication to other Long Island clients, LI Tech Solutions is the best choice for small businesses just like yours. Contact us today.

How to Fix CVE-2022-30190 Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool Vulnerability

litechsol on June 20, 2022

Modern computer systems are incredibly complex. Even individuals with lots of IT experience know that security breaches slip through the cracks all the time. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the latest Microsoft CVE-2022-30190 diagnostic tool vulnerability.

This vulnerability was only recently discovered. Fortunately, no major breaches or security disasters have occurred due to it so far. That said, your organization needs to know how to close this vulnerability – and how to prevent future cybersecurity breaches from affecting you in the future.

CVE-2022-30190 Vulnerability Explained

CVE-2022-30190 refers to a recently discovered vulnerability in the Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool or MSDT. This is potentially dangerous since many organizations use the MSDT regularly to identify issues with their software or computer systems.

The vulnerability works like this:

When a user calls the MSDT using a URL protocol, the CVE-2022-30190 remote code execution vulnerability appears. MSDT can be called from many different applications, like Microsoft Word, and may be called intentionally or unintentionally
The CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability allows attackers to run or apply arbitrary code strings with any of the privileges included within the calling application, even if the attacker doesn’t have those privileges personally.
In theory, an attacker could run code that could widen the vulnerability and cause other problems. For example, an attacker can install programs, change or delete data, create new accounts, and more

In other words, the CVE-2022-30190 MSDT vulnerability allows hackers far greater access to computer systems than they would normally receive. As a result, many managed security services providers, like LI Tech, have worked quickly and effectively to find and apply solutions.

Current CVE-2022-30190 Workaround

Currently, there is a Microsoft-endorsed workaround for the CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability. It operates by disabling the MSDT URL protocol.

By disabling the URL protocol, troubleshooters cannot launch as links, including links that launch through the operating system (OS). Note that troubleshooters may still be accessed by computer operators using the Get Help application or through standard system settings. Other troubleshooters may also allow troubleshooting access.

To disable your system’s MSDT URL protocol:

Run the Command Prompt as an Administrator
Then back up the registry key. To do this, execute this command: “reg export HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/ms-msdt filename”
Then execute this command: “reg delete HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/ms-msdt/f”

Once applied, the MSDT troubleshooter may not be launched through standard means, and the vulnerability should be closed until a longer-term solution is discovered and implemented.

Should you need to undo this workaround, you can:

Run the Command Prompt as an Administrator
Then execute this command: “reg import filename”

In both cases, replace “filename” with the file you wish to troubleshoot.

For more information about this workaround and the CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability, visit Microsoft’s official page.

How to Fix the CVE-2022-30190 Vulnerability Long-Term

Although the above workaround is very beneficial, it does not solve the CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability in the long term. The only way to solve these vulnerabilities is to ensure that you have IT staff on hand constantly scanning for potential problems and closing breaches before they become issues.

That’s a tall order, especially if your business focuses on another industry or niche aside from IT security. But what if you didn’t have to assign people to do this critical task themselves?

Instead, you can rely on experts in IT security and managed software services: LI Tech Solutions.

The Benefits of LI Tech’s Managed Services | The Best MSP in New York City

As the go-to managed IT services provider in Long Island for many companies, LI Tech is well equipped to assist with your security and vulnerability patching needs.

In fact, we’ve already got on top of the CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability. As soon as it was announced, our experts got to work:

Identifying what the problem was
Determining how best to close the issue
Using Microsoft’s workaround where appropriate

To the benefit of our clients, we rapidly applied a patch to close the vulnerability. We did this after confirming that none of our clients had suffered data losses or other security breaches due to the CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability in the first place.

That’s because, as a dedicated Long Island-managed IT services company, LI Tech is proactive compared to reactive. What does this mean?

Callout 3: Hooded hacker in cyberspace in front of black laptop - 2 facts given about important of managed services like LI Tech Solutions to monitor for problems

In short, our proactive approach allows us to identify and solve security issues before they negatively affect our client companies. We prioritize developing new approaches to security problems and evolving alongside malware and other cyber threats rather than letting those malicious parties set the pace of the digital arms race.

In contrast, a reactive approach usually leads to much higher costs in the long run. Companies must first become aware of security breaches, oftentimes after the damage has already been done, and then patch those breaches after the fact.

LI Tech’s proactive approach is exactly why you should rely on us to patch the CVE-2022-30190 and similar vulnerabilities for your company in the future. Instead of waiting for official Microsoft recommendations or trying to discern the right course of action yourself, why not leave it to the experts?

Even better, when you hire LI Tech Solutions, you don’t just get vulnerability patching. You also receive expert assistance and services like:

Cloud infrastructure services, enabling you to benefit from the best software access without having to increase your on-site costs
24/7 data protection and backup services, thus ensuring the security and fidelity of vital company data and customer privacy information
Security best practices training for your staff. This training can ensure that your organization will not remain vulnerable to basic cyber threats, like phishing emails
And more

Contact Long Island Tech Solutions For Help

Ultimately, the CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability demonstrates the importance of having managed services providers working around the clock for your organization. To make sure your company doesn’t suffer any adverse effects from the CVE-2022-30190 vulnerability, contact LI Tech Solutions today.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Transformation in Long Island, NY

litechsol on May 26, 2022

Every business needs to be prepared for the worst. It’s not enough to have a simple data backup app for your servers or customer data. You need to have a detailed disaster recovery plan and business continuity plan ready to go if disaster strikes.

In addition, it’s often wise to practice business continuity transformation. By constantly improving and evolving your business continuity plan, your organization will be better equipped to handle new cyber threats on the horizon.

But that’s a lot of responsibility and work, especially for smaller organizations that may not have the manpower to focus on all of these elements. Fortunately, managed IT service providers in Long Island can provide your enterprise with the disaster recovery and business continuity transformation services you need.

What Is a Business Continuity Plan?

Business continuity means ensuring that your business’s operations remain stable and available to customers during a disaster or IT issue. A good business continuity plan includes several key components:

One or more recovery personnel, who manage the recovery process to restore systems ASAP
A detailed recovery procedure to help restore key business functions and to maintain continuity of business operations as much as possible
A data backup plan and method. This allows the affected organization to recover valuable data and ensure its security seamlessly

Callout 1: Data loss prevention concept - Business continuity plans are vital - 2 reasons

Business continuity plans are vital so that companies don’t lose customers during service or power outages and so they don’t lose control of security in the event of a cyberattack.

Business Continuity Transformation – Why It’s Critical

Business continuity transformation means applying new techniques, technologies, and strategies to expand your enterprise’s ability to stay operational in a crisis.

More specifically, business continuity transformation means improving your current continuity plans. In this way, you can optimize your public-facing performance even if your company is currently backing up data, recovering from a cyberattack, or handling some other disaster.

The IT and cyber threat landscapes are constantly changing. It can be challenging for enterprises to always be innovating with their business continuity plans and procedures when they’re focused on so many other aspects of business operations.

What Is a Disaster Recovery Plan?

Disaster recovery plans emphasize restoring data access and security and ensuring the stability of IT infrastructure in the aftermath of a disaster.

In other words:

Business continuity prioritizes maintaining business operations throughout a disaster as well as possible to minimize consumer disruptions/security breaches
Disaster recovery means recovering data and restoring operational status after a disaster has concluded/security has been restored

Disaster recovery is also vital because many cyberattacks target vulnerable consumer data or valuable enterprise systems. Having a recovery plan in place may allow businesses to:

Secure their data more readily, minimizing the likelihood of a major or permanent breach
Restore business operations that consumers or employees rely on
Shore up security processes to prevent follow-up cyberattacks from being successful

The Importance of Disaster Recovery Planning and Leadership | Long Island Tech Solutions Explains

Just like disaster or emergency plans for real-world crises, disaster recovery planning and leadership is also important for IT disasters. The best disaster recovery plans include:

Employee safety measures
Drills for cybersecurity or data protection
Purchasing supplies
Readying IT infrastructure
Coming up with response plans to fight back against malware and other cyberattacks
Methods to restore backed up data quickly
And more

However, even the best disaster recovery plans are only successful under the right leadership.

Organizations should ensure that at least one individual is placed in charge of disaster recovery planning and implementation. When a disaster strikes, that individual can quickly give orders and marshal security measures without unnecessary deliberation.

Benefits of Managed Service Providers for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Managed service providers offer a wide range of benefits for companies just like yours. They can also provide specific advantages for business continuity planning and transformation, as well as disaster recovery procedures.

Business Continuity Testing | LI Tech Solutions

For example, managed service providers like LI Tech Solutions offer BCT or business continuity testing. This can provide your employees with key insights into their preparedness for potential disruption.

When you hire LI Tech, our cyber experts will help your team find good solutions for potential disasters, discover how to maintain services in the wake of a crisis, and much more. Plus, a managed service provider in Long Island, NY can help you run regular business continuity tests without interrupting your core business operations.

Perfect Implementation of Disaster Recovery Plans

Disaster recovery plans are only worthwhile if you can implement them properly. That’s easier said than done, especially if your employees are not properly trained on how to do so.

Managed service providers can implement your disaster recovery plans to the letter, ensuring that data is backed up properly, that IT infrastructure comes online in the right order, and that security is restored at the earliest opportunity.

End-to-End Encryption for Data Security

As experienced disaster recovery experts, LI Tech Solutions can provide end-to-end data security encryption. This flexible safeguard is perfect for any data environment, whether your business relies on cloud servers, hybrid servers, on-premises servers, or virtual servers.

Fewer Manpower Requirements from Your Organization

Perhaps most important of all, managed service providers reduce the disaster recovery and business continuity planning manpower needed from your organization.

When you offload the burden of these procedures to a trusted managed service provider, your employees can instead focus on other elements of your business. You can prioritize delivering great experiences and products to your customers without having to worry so much about IT security.

Instead, your managed IT services provider can tackle the tough elements of disaster recovery and business continuity planning/transformation.

LI Tech Solutions | Best Data Protection Services in New York

No matter your business’s size or focus, LI Tech Solutions offers the best managed IT services in Long Island. Our data protection solutions, business continuity planning and testing, and other services allow us to provide your business with the support it needs to anticipate and overcome disasters in the future. Contact us today for more information!

Digital Transformation: What It Is and How It Helps Your Business

litechsol on April 25, 2022

Technology continues to evolve and more companies than ever before are pursuing digital transformation. They’re using new tools and processes to take full advantage of the modern technologies and systems available to organizations of all sizes.

But what exactly is digital transformation, and how can it help your business thrive in today’s market? LI Tech Solutions answers both of these questions and more in detail.

Digital Transformations | LI Tech Solutions Breaks it Down

Digital transformation means something different to every organization. But overall, it involves transitioning your company’s current tech stack to a modern tech stack, as well as leaning further into modern digital technology use.

For example, a company might practice digital transformation by taking advantage of cloud technology and data storage. Using these tools, the company then enables most of its employee base to work remotely.

Callout 1: Abstract digital transformation technology background - Digital transformation quote from text

It can include adjustments or alterations to processes and procedures, using new tools instead of old ones, and changing company culture to adapt to modern digital technology.

The Four Areas of Digital Transformation

Broadly speaking, there are four primary areas of digital transformation. Your organization may see changes in all of these areas or just some of them.

Collaboration Transformation

Digital collaboration transformation occurs as you use collaboration and project management platforms ranging from Microsoft Teams to Microsoft 365 and more. Even communication platforms like Slack can help you enact a shift toward digital collaboration transformation.

Think of this element of transformation as shifting the way your team members collaborate and do work together, even when not in the same office environment.

Business Transformation Consultant’s Guide: Microsoft vs Google Workspace in Long Island, NY

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Transformation

Digital transformation also affects disaster recovery and business continuity. Cloud security, new antivirus software, and adaptable IT infrastructure are all some of the rewards that come from pursuing digital transformation.

Digital transformation processes enable organizations to be flexible, adaptable, and more secure. Furthermore, organizations can be more responsive and ensure that employees maintain productivity even in the event of a data crash, website failure, or security breach.

Cybersecurity Transformation

Speaking of security, digital transformations impact cybersecurity massively. As your business goes increasingly digital, cybersecurity solutions such as digital hygiene processes, cloud security, and managed security services all become more important.

This is just one of the many reasons why managed IT services providers such as LI Tech Solutions are valuable to modern organizations. Managed service providers can take care of your cybersecurity needs without massively ballooning your company budget or resource requirements.

Cloud Transformation

Lastly, digital transformation heavily impacts company cloud usage. Cloud computing can accelerate digital transformation and help your business automate more processes than ever, freeing up additional manpower and leading to greater productivity.

Furthermore, cloud technologies enable you to upgrade your IT systems, streamline employee management and hiring practices, and enjoy greater digital security.

Each of these areas is important and should be pursued by your company at the earliest opportunity.

Trends and Predictions in IT Outsource Services for Microsoft AI

How Does Digital Transformation Help Your Business? New York’s Best MSP Answers

What about specific benefits that digital transformation brings to your company? There are six major advantages that you might see after transforming your company digitally in the above four areas.

Improved Resource Management

Firstly, your company could see improved resource management. As you leverage cloud technologies and other digital transformation tools, your data and important company files will be more secure and organized.

Your company will be better able to integrate applications and databases into centralized repositories. These repositories, in turn, will enable faster data access and management even from employees around the world.

Better Data Collection and Analytics

Furthermore, transforming digitally will allow your company to collect more data and analyze it with more accuracy. You can create systems to gather the right data, not just any data, and incorporate it into your business intelligence efforts at high levels.

Using automation tools, new data storage techniques, and other practices, you’ll understand your target audience better, track important KPIs more efficiently, and see other benefits.

Better Customer Experience

Even better, digital transformation allows your company to provide a better customer experience across the board. Tools such as chatbots, for example, enable faster customer service response times for your website visitors.

New digital tools also enable you to customize the customer experiences you provide to site visitors. Better customer experiences mean more profits for you in the long run.

Digitization of Culture

Your company’s culture will change for the better. For example, remote work tools and a digital-first workplace both allow your company employees to work anywhere around the world without compromising security or productivity.

In turn, this may enable you to broaden your candidate search for top team members and make your company a more attractive place to work.

More Productivity and Profits

Digital transformation should lead your company to more productivity and profits, as well. As employees do great work from around the world and take advantage of streamlining tools, they’ll get more work done in the same amount of time plus spend less time on rote, monotonous tasks best left to automation technology.

More productivity, of course, oftentimes leads to more profits both in the short and long term.

Increased Agility

Lastly, your company will benefit from boosted agility as it digitally transforms. You can improve your speed-to-market for new products, plus adopt continuous improvement or CI strategies.

The result? More innovation and adaptation to adjust to evolving market and customer demands.

Contact LI Tech For The Best MSP in Long Island, NY

All in all, digital transformation is a net benefit for all organizations, including your own. You can accelerate this transformation for your company by taking advantage of managed services providers like LI Tech Solutions.

As a trusted IT managed service provider in Long Island, New York, we’re well-equipped and ready to assist with your digital transformation efforts from start to finish. Whether you need managed security, cloud server administration, upgrades, or something else entirely, we can help.

Contact us today for more information and further details on how we can help your business transform.

6 Questions to Ask Before Implementing a Technology Change

litechsol on April 18, 2022

It can be exciting to introduce new technology into your business. Finding a solution that will help your team members do their jobs more efficiently and effectively by filling a gap in your technology infrastructure is certainly an achievement. However, before you get carried away with quickly implementing your new solution to reap the benefits, there are a few things you should know before a technology change.

When introducing new technology into your IT infrastructure, keep in mind that change can be difficult for individuals. It can be hard to predict whether end-users will readily accept or resist the change. Before implementing new technology, you need a well-planned change management strategy to help you achieve success and get the most out of your investment.

Change management is an approach that deals with changes or transformations in organizational processes, objectives, and technology. The goal of change management is to devise strategies to implement and govern transformation while helping people adjust to it.

There are a few factors to consider before beginning your change management journey.

Ask These Questions Before Making a Technology Change:

What is being changed?

It’s critical to review your business environment first to identify critical areas that require a technological refresh as soon as possible.

Assume you are starting a transition from backup solution “X” to backup solution “Y.” Before implementation, spend some time assessing what the backup solution “X” lacks, why it needs an update, and how important it is.

What will this change mean for people, processes, and technology?

Communication is essential for successfully driving technological change. Make sure you develop strategies to help your employees adapt to any changes.

Examine technology mapping and dependencies to ensure you understand the implications of pulling systems offline for updates. Also, determine the processes that need to be modified and the individuals who oversee them.

Who will manage the change?

Identify change leaders and include their contact information in all change communications. It’s a great idea to have an executive sponsor guide your project forward and hold you accountable for deviations from your objectives.

When is the best time to implement this change?

It’s critical to determine the best time to implement a change. A lot of care must go into deciding when to introduce a transformation.

If you’re about to embark on a new transition, but your employees are still dealing with the effects of previous changes, it may be a good idea to postpone the planned transformation if possible. On the flip side, if your employees have adjusted well to a recent change, then introducing a new transition could work out just as well.

How long will the change take?

A change must not be too quick, causing confusion and employee frustration, or too slow, diluting the entire purpose of the transformation. Setting a realistic deadline and striving to meet it is critical.

Who will reach out to support if something goes wrong?

No change is immune to unexpected setbacks. That’s why it is critical to have emergency contacts of people with various skillsets to call upon in the event of a mishap. However, finding people with the necessary skillsets and knowledge base is tricky.

Collaboration with a managed service provider (MSP) who can support you in emergency and non-emergency situations can be a good idea.

Find the Right Partner

Change is a challenging experience. You risk damaging key processes and losing valuable team members to burnout if you don’t have a good change management strategy in place. As experts with years of experience and subject knowledge, we may be exactly what your company needs.

Feel free to contact us for a consultation on change management. LI Tech Solutions offers comprehensive solutions for companies of all sizes that are ready to scale. Call us today. 516-210-6400