Vulcan Business Solutions Blog

Multi-Factor Authentication 101 You have probably already come across the term multi-factor authentication (MFA, sometimes 2FA). The concept is not new, but more vendors are suggesting and even requiring it to secure accounts on their systems. We will discuss what multi-factor authentication is and why you should be adopting it. What is multi-factor authentication? Multi-factor authentication is basically the use of more than one credential to gain access to data. It is a combination of multiple access credential types. For example, instead of gaining access to an account by just typing your username and password, you will be asked to further verify your identity by entering some other information, such as a PIN, a one-time password (OTP) sent to the phone number linked to the account. Mobile apps and fobs that generate new codes constantly are also being more widely used. Why do you need multi-factor authentication? Multi-factor authentication offers an additional layer of security. S...

Why MSP relationships fail A lot of SMBs opt for managed service providers who can help handle their IT requirements, and for the most part, it works well. Almost everyone knows the benefits of having a MSP manage your IT. Increased cost savings, ability to focus on your business without worrying about IT, better IT support and expertise, and so on. But, there are times when the managed IT services model fails, leaving business owners to wonder what went wrong. This blog discusses some key reasons why MSP relationships fail. You didn’t do a reference check Did you just pick the first MSP you found on the Google search? Did you just go by the presentations they gave you, or the information on their website? Always remember to ask your MSP for references. Talk to someone they work with and get feedback. They don’t have enough staff If your MSP is short of staff, they won’t be able to give you the attention you need. One of the biggest advantages of bringing an MSP onboard is having someo...

Do your homework: 3 things to do when looking for an MSP Thinking of hiring a Managed Service Provider, but not sure how to go about it? Here are a few things to do before you zero in on one. Figure out what you have already The first step in a good plan is to figure out where you stand currently. Before you talk to an MSP, conduct an audit of your IT infrastructure to decide what you have currently. List all your hardware and software. When performing this IT audit, don’t forget other technologies that you are using, such as biometric access systems, CCTV systems and even telephone systems. You may think they are irrelevant as they are not directly related to your IT infrastructure, but, in the near future you may want them all to be connected to one another, and so, including them in the audit and inventory right now is a good idea. Figure out what you need This is the next step. After you determine what you already have, the next step is to figure out what you need. What do you wan...

5 Lesser known benefits of choosing the co-managed IT model Even companies with IT staff on their payroll can’t deny having an MSP onboard offers benefits that exceed what they get from having just an in-house team. This blog explore 5 lesser known reasons why the co-managed IT model is popular. An extra hand during emergencies In the event of any unforeseen emergency such as a natural disaster or a terror attack, you may need additional IT support to get things up and running again. Your IT team may not be able to do it all instantly and of course adding to your IT staff wouldn’t be an option during such times. In a co-managed IT services model you will have your MSP to support your IT team which will help you recover faster. Especially useful when you have a small in-house IT team For a lot of SMBs, an in-house IT team comprises one or two IT technicians who take care of all their IT needs. But what happens when they are both out of office at the same time, due to unforeseen circums...

Four reasons to opt for the co-managed IT services model Co-managed IT services model is one in which the business has its own IT team, but still contracts with an external managed services provider for certain services. In this blog we discuss four benefits of a co-managed IT services model. Expertise Your in-house IT team may not have all the expertise needed to manage all your IT requirements. There are new developments happening in the tech space everyday and an MSP is better positioned to stay up-to-date with them as IT is their business. Flexibility Opting for a co-managed IT services model allows you the flexibility to scale your IT up or down based on your business requirements. This is especially useful for companies that experience seasonal spikes in their business, such as CPA firms, around taxation times, or retail businesses around the Holidays. You don’t have to hire new IT staff to handle the sudden extra load on your IT. Lower costs Choosing a co-managed IT services mod...

Best practices for data safety in a remote work environment Do you have staff working from home? Of late, due to the Coronavirus crisis a lot of businesses shifted to the remote working environment. While it raises some data security concerns, they can be overcome by following a few best practices. Formulate rules You can start by formulating rules that define the extent and manner in which personal devices may be used for work purposes. Who are allowed to use personal devices for work? Spell out the regulations that they must follow. For example, regular checks for malware and updates to anti-malware software, etc., If there are restrictions to the device type, software or operating systems that may be used, out of security concerns, then that should be addressed. Focus on the 2 Ts of cybersecurity Train your staff: The first T is training your staff on how to identify IT threats and cybercrime activities that they can be a victim of. Examples include phishing emails, ...

Best practices for data safety in a remote work environment Do you have staff working from home? Of late, due to the Coronavirus crisis a lot of businesses shifted to the remote working environment. While it raises some data security concerns, they can be overcome by following a few best practices. Formulate rules You can start by formulating rules that define the extent and manner in which personal devices may be used for work purposes. Who are allowed to use personal devices for work? Spell out the regulations that they must follow. For example, regular checks for malware and updates to anti-malware software, etc., If there are restrictions to the device type, software or operating systems that may be used, out of security concerns, then that should be addressed. Focus on the 2 Ts of cybersecurity Train your staff: The first T is training your staff on how to identify IT threats and cybercrime activities that they can be a victim of. Examples include phishing emails, ...

How safe is your data when your staff works from home? The Coronavirus crisis has changed the world as we know it. With social distancing, lockdowns and work from home becoming the new normal, cyber criminals are exploiting the situation to their gains. This whitepaper discusses how the cyber crime landscape is likely to shape up in the post-pandemic world and how businesses can safeguard themselves against it. One of the reasons for a sudden spike is cyber crimes is the work-from-home model that is increasingly becoming the norm. When you allow remote access to your data, you are virtually opening your IT infrastructure to criminals--unless you have the right security measures. It is easy for malware and hackers to get into your system and corrupt it unless you have the right measures in place. With employees operating from home, there are a lot of loopholes that cyber criminals target. Some of them include Lack of knowledge Most employees don’t realize how their simple actions or non...

4 things to do to ensure your business continuity planning is a success Working on creating a contingency plan for your business? That’s great! Here are 4 things you need to consider when preparing your new business continuity plan. Audit of your business continuity plan Having a business continuity plan alone is not enough. You need to audit it at regular intervals to ensure it is up-to-date and relevant. Often, business continuity plans aren’t used for years, and may be obsolete or irrelevant by the time an actual emergency occurs. Creating a team for business continuity Constitute a team for your business continuity project. Decide who will take ownership of implementing the business continuity in the event of an emergency. Break down the business continuity plan into smaller elements and decide who is responsible for each of them. Also, remember to designate a back up for each person in the team. Mock Drills and Dry Runs After your business continuity plan is ready you need to chec...

What are the essentials of a business continuity plan? An unexpected emergency can wipe out your business! A business continuity plan can help it survive. But, what should a good business continuity plan cover? Read this blog to find out. A list of your key contacts One of the most important elements in your business continuity plan is a list of all your important contacts who should be informed of the disaster. This can include all your C-level execs, HR managers, IT Manager, client facing managers, etc., A comprehensive list of your IT inventory Your business continuity plan should contain a list of all the softwares, apps and hardware that you use in the daily operations of your business. This list should identify each of those as critical or non-critical and mention details pertaining to each of them such as The name of the app/software Version/model number (for software/hardware) Vendor name and contact information for each of them Warranty/support availability det...

3 Reasons to prepare a business continuity plan if you haven’t done so already A business continuity plan is the blueprint you need during an emergency to keep your business running smoothly. If you don’t already have one, here are 3 key reasons why you should focus on creating one ASAP. It helps retain clients As a business, if you have problems functioning, it will definitely affect your clients. For example, if your servers are down or your supply-chain mechanism is affected or your delivery process breaks, you won’t be able to fulfill your promise to your clients. Even worse, in some situations you may not even be in a position to communicate about the crisis to your clients adding to their frustration. A business continuity plan addresses these issues beforehand and can help reduce client dissatisfaction. Salvaging brand image and reputation There are certain events that end up affecting only your business. For example, ransomware attacks, virus attacks, data leaks, etc., Having ...