Blog | Managed IT Solutions For Businesseshttps://acsapp.com/blog/2024-03-29T02:15:59-04:00ACS IT Services Blog
Achieve Strategic Cyber Risk Management with NIST CSF2023-12-14T18:04:53-05:002024-03-27T18:34:02-04:00bridgetm@acsapp.comhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/bridgetm@acsapp.com/https://acsapp.com/blog/achieve-strategic-cyber-risk-management-with-nist-csf/<p>Protecting data and critical technology that is sensitive to your Winter Haven business from cyberattacks is essential. The success of your organization relies on its ability to withstand cyberthreats. This is where cyber-risk management comes in.</p>
<p>By implementing a solid cyber risk management strategy, businesses can;</p>
<p>-build robust defenses</p>
<p>-minimize risks without hindering growth</p>
<p>-build security enhancements</p>
<p>- ensure business compliance.</p>
<p>Our blog will help you understand the cyber risk management core principles and demonstrate how integrating with an effective yet simple security framework can lead to strategic success.</p>
<p><strong>Key Characteristics of Risk-Based Cybersecurity:</strong></p>
<p>Risk reduction: Proactively identifying and neutralizing threats helps minimize the potential impact of a cyber incident.<br/>Prioritized investment: By identifying and assessing risks, you can focus your investments on the areas that require the most attention.<br/>Addressing critical risks: Strengthening your business security begins by addressing the most severe vulnerabilities.</p>
<p><strong>Cyber Risk Management Frameworks:</strong></p>
<p>Cybersecurity risk frameworks act as guides to help Winter Haven businesses fully leverage a risk-based approach. Here are several ways frameworks can enhance your current cybersecurity posture:</p>
<p>Take away guesswork: Frameworks provide a structured way to assess your current cybersecurity posture.<br/>Focused investments: Frameworks help organizations concentrate their investments on the most critical and relevant risks.<br/>Build customer trust: Frameworks offer guidance for building security, which is vital for establishing customer trust.<br/>Tried and tested controls: Frameworks incorporate effective security controls that have been proven successful.<br/>Achieve compliance: Frameworks assist Florida organizations in complying with government and industry regulations.</p>
<p><strong>NIST Cybersecurity Framework:</strong></p>
<p>The NIST CSF is a popular and user-friendly framework designed to empower Florida business leaders like you to enhance organizational cybersecurity. Think of it as a valuable tool created by top security experts to protect and secure your digital assets.</p>
<p><strong>Here's how the NIST CSF supports a risk-based approach:</strong></p>
<p>Understand your risk: Identify what is most valuable to your business.<br/>Comprehensive view: Consider people, processes, technology, information, and other critical aspects that require protection for successful operation.<br/>Prioritize risks: Assess the impact of risks on your business to prioritize mitigation efforts.<br/>Optimize resources: Allocate resources strategically for maximum impact.<br/>Continuous monitoring: Adapt to evolving threats through ongoing monitoring.</p>
<p><strong>Secure Your Future:</strong></p>
<p>Protecting your Winter Haven,FL business from cyberthreats is crucial for its survival and growth. Don't leave your security to chance - consider partnering with an experienced IT service provider like us. Contact us now!</p>
<p>Download our infographic, <a href="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/risk_management_infographic-acs-dec-2023.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Assess Your Cyber-Risks in 7 Critical Steps">"Assess Your Cyber-Risks in 7 Critical Steps"</a>, and fortify your defenses against lurking cyber dangers.</p>Are Managed IT Services Right For You? A Few Things to Consider2019-05-14T00:00:00-04:002024-03-28T18:38:39-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/are-managed-it-services-right-for-you-a-few-things-to-consider/<p><br/>Are Managed IT Services Right For You? A Few Things to Consider<br/> <br/>How do you get a small business to recognize the value of manages IT services? In the start-up environment, we encounter an eclectic bunch of personality types. There is a reason people become entrepreneurs or C-level execs. When we meet the owners or decision makers at smaller companies and organizations, we can tell right away why they're where they are. They're visionaries. They're risk takers. They're competitive. They want to be in charge.<br/> <br/>Therefore, they aren't always quick to place the fate of their business technology in the hands of a third party. They've come as far as they have by being in control and they're hesitant to give up that control. But we've learned a few things along the way.<br/> <br/>For example, the Type A personality is highly independent but also very competitive. So we tap into the competitive advantage that managed IT services gives them.<br/> <br/>The Type B personality is creative and doesn't like static routines. But their ears perk up when they hear terminology like "cutting-edge" and we can then paint the big picture for them once their listening.<br/> <br/>But anyone we do business with has to be committed to the efficiency, security, and stability of their business technology to see our value proposition. And they have to recognize that managing their IT infrastructure is an investment they cannot take lightly.<br/> <br/>So here are a few things we commonly have to address before any deal for managed IT services is signed.<br/><strong> <br/>Is my business large enough to even consider managed services?</strong><br/> <br/>The truth is, any company, regardless of its size or the number of people they employ, will run more efficiently if its technology is monitored, maintained, and managed properly.<br/> <br/>These are facets of your operations that drive profitability and give our Type A personalities that competitive edge they crave. And they can rest easy whenever business is booming because their technology is built to sustain their growth. That's the big picture that our Type B personality can appreciate.<br/> <br/><strong>How is making another IT investment a cost-savings move for my business?</strong><br/> <br/>There are still many SMBs who feel a greater focus and investment should go towards their core operations or marketing and sales. They only worry about technology when it breaks, figuring they'll just call a service technician to come to the office and fix whatever the problem is. Or buy some new hardware at Office Depot.<br/> <br/>There are some very obvious flaws to this strategy.</p>
<p>You're paying way too much when it's way too late – An issue that was likely preventable with early detection has escalated into a full blown business disruption and that on-call technician likely charges a high hourly rate, on top of hardware replacement costs, and may not get to your site right away. Being proactive rather than reactive to technology issues is important.<br/>Don't forget productivity killers – It's taking your employees too long to boot their computers. Servers and applications are running slowly. Employee devices are full of Malware. Non-technical employees are running around troubleshooting tech problems. If you see this, your present approach to IT management is killing employee productivity and your bottom line.<br/>What happens internally is noticed externally – Don't think for a second that customers or clients don't notice outdated or slow internal technology and mismanagement. If your site or applications are down often, run slowly, or your customer service rep tells them "I'm sorry, our system is down", they're noticing and it's hurting your business.</p>
<p>When all is said and done, professionally managed IT services will give you a competitive edge, guarantee your business is always leveraging the newest most cutting-edge technology, and enhance your relationships with customers and clients – all while reducing costs.<br/> <br/><strong>Contact us at Advanced Computer Solutions</strong></p>5 reasons why you should buy a business grade computer for your business.2018-08-06T00:00:00-04:002024-03-29T02:15:59-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/5-reasons-why-you-should-buy-a-business-grade-computer-for-your-business/<p>Periodically I like to review the consumer retailers and what they offer for PC’s, laptops, and other consumer devices. I do this, so I can stay on top of all the options available for my clients. I want to make sure I can best guide my clients in making the best business decisions regarding IT.</p>
<p>I’m often surprised by the extreme amount of horsepower you can buy in a consumer level computer. They often sell PC’s with specifications that would match a high-end engineering workstation, at the price of a mid-level office PC. This has led me to research what is the difference between these consumer PC’s and their business counterparts.</p>
<h2>Warranty</h2>
<p>Often a consumer PC will come with a 90 day, or 1-year warranty. Whereas a professional grade PC start with a 1-year warranty, and often come with a three-year warranty.</p>
<p>Another difference between these two is the business grade PC will come with an onsite repair, with a certified repair technician arriving the next day. Consumer pc’s typically require you to ship your PC to a repair depot.</p>
<p>This is a major issue if your reception area is unable to take new patients, or your shipping department is down. Having a technician on site, the next day, and your computer working within 48 hours, versus shipping your computer to a repair depot. The shipping alone can take 24-48 hours. In our experience repair depots often take multiple attempts to fix the issue. Your pc can be out of service for days, even weeks.</p>
<h2>Professional operating system</h2>
<p>Consumer grade pc’s come with the ‘home’ version of the windows operating system. This means that the machine is not designed to function on a business network. Your pc will not integrate with servers, cannot see network resources, like printers, and will not have the needed features for securing the pc.</p>
<h2>Quality of components</h2>
<p>If you are buying a device that has the same specifications as a high-end engineering computer, at the price of a mid-grade business computer, something must be missing. This difference is made up with the quality of the components. I like to compare it to automobiles. Anyone who has ever watched the movie ‘Cars’ has seen a ‘Nascar’ vehicle pull a road paver, and dig up a road. The line from the movie states “He can do it, he has the horsepower!” This situation is similar to using a consumer gaming computer in an office environment. The pc definitely has the horsepower, but its missing some majorly important features. In an office environment longevity, and reliability are prized over speed. These features require higher quality components. A truck built to pull road pavers, and dig up asphalt is going to last longer, and be more reliable than a race car doing those jobs, even though technically they both have 500 horsepower, and plenty of torque.</p>
<h2>Bloatware</h2>
<p>Consumer grade pc’s are often subsidized by software companies. The software companies pay to have their software preinstalled on the PC. Most of this software is not friendly to businesses. They are insecure, slow the PC down, and can cause issues with management of the PC. If you are in a regulated environment, such as HIPAA, or NIST, these programs may cause you to be non-compliant.</p>
<h2>Upgradeability</h2>
<p>Often consumer PC’s are not upgradeable to meet future business needs. In the world of laptops often the devices are not upgradable at all. Business machines on the other hand often come with several upgrade slots available and are built with future upgrades in mind. These PC’s are engineered to make upgrades simpler, and cheaper.</p>
<p>Business PC’s are also built with parts that are stocked much longer, and thus can be maintained longer. This offers the ability to keep the machine longer, and keep it operating reliably with components built for it.</p>
<h2>In closing</h2>
<p>I know that business PC’s are not right for every business. But generally, when you add up the benefits of owning a business class PC, over time the cost is drastically lower than owning a consumer grade PC. Going back to the car analogy, towing that trailer cross country with your Camaro may be possible, but using your ¾ ton pickup is probably a whole lot better.</p>
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