10 Questions to Ask About Your IT Service Provider in 2020

Whether you’re a small business or a large one, how you spend your budget with the help of your IT service provider is important.

Not only do you want value for money, you also need to cover the bases when it comes to security as well general and specialist IT support, including cloud services.

Ideally, you want an IT service provider that is looking ahead with you and has a plan for your business as you move towards 2020.

Here are 10 important questions to ask your current provider:

1. Can your IT service provider meet your 2020 business needs?

IT budgeting of any kind doesn’t work unless you have a road map ahead; a plan of what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there.

While your business might have a clear idea of what it wants to do in 2020, it also needs to do this against a backdrop of IT that can deliver against business objectives, and strong cyber security. You’re IT service provider should have an implicit understanding of your business goals and have in place a strategy that tailors with your needs.

2. Is some of your technology holding your business back?

Most businesses that have adequate technology in place will tend to hang onto it until the last possible moment. That’s largely because they have invested significant time in training their staff and spent money to implement the system in the first place.

There comes a moment, however, when that legacy system is going to start holding your business back and may even contribute to a failure to reach future goals. Your IT service provider should have a clear understanding of what function your systems perform and be able to offer solutions should you need to change or upgrade.

3. What tech will your business need to replace or upgrade as you head into 2020?

This is a key IT budgeting theme for businesses that are looking to grow. They must look at the cost of moving to a new system as well as the impact of any delay in delivering their services while it beds in and the time and effort involved in training staff.

It means being sure you are making changes that are needed and will be profitable rather than jumping onto the latest tech trend or investing in systems purely to solve an operational pain without fully understanding the wider business impact.

4. What new technology is on the horizon and will it benefit your business?

There’s no doubt that the rate of development in IT services has grown considerably over the last few years. Picking the right one for your business is a major challenge.

These systems will need to be integrated to work across all areas of your business and that will take time and planning. Your IT service provider should have a handle on all the options available, what it takes to implement each and the impact on your business.

5. What is the cost of migrating to the cloud for your business?

One of the biggest changes in recent years is the availability and power of cloud services. These have offered digital transformation on a grand scale for many businesses – employees can work on the move, collaborate remotely and have instant access to updates. In addition, sales teams can get hold of vital data on their laptops or smartphones, working from home with access to the right tools is not only viable but desirable as overall productivity will improve.

But swapping to the cloud and migrating all your services takes time and money to achieve. Your IT service provider should be able to recommend a range of options to ensure the best fit for your needs at a cost you can afford.

6. Are your disaster recovery solutions fit for purpose?

No business likes to think that their systems will crash, or data might be lost. In our highly technological world, however, it remains a real risk. The disaster recovery solutions that your IT service provider has in place may not be required right now but they are an imperative part of your business you cannot afford to ignore.

You need to be confident, however, that your IT company has all the right processes in place and can get your business back up and running quickly if something happens. Your business continuity plan should be tested regularly and your IT service provider should evidence this.

7. What cyber security risks will businesses face in 2020?

That brings us to one of the incontrovertible challenges of our digital age. Any business that operates online faces numerous cyber security risks. It’s important your IT service provider has a solid finger on the pulse of cyber security and understands the threats businesses face as we go into the next decade.

One common risk is ransomware, malware that can take over your IT system and then be used to extort money from your business. Your IT service provider should be able to work with you to make sure that you have the best cyber security policies, procedures and software in place.

8. Do you have access to a cyber security expert who can tailor solutions for your business?

Cyber security for businesses is not a one size fits all solution and many different sectors have their own particular challenges. Your IT service provider needs to have the expertise on board that can deliver real solutions that protect your business. If they do not, your systems and data may be at risk.

9. Where does your IT service provider source its top talent?

There is currently a tech talent shortage and finding the top performers that will support your business is challenging. It’s important to look at how your IT service provider sources its employees, what training they provide and what sort of staff turnover they have.

One way to do this is to explore their culture and how they treat their staff. It’s a general rule that when employees feel valued and are paid appropriately, have a decent work-life balance and opportunity to progress, they are more likely to stick around than go work for someone else. Ultimately you need confidence in the team supporting your IT, and if members of that team change frequently, this will have a detrimental impact on support.

10. What other technology will help drive your business forward in 2020?

Technology takes many forms and your business will need to integrate many types into your growth model as time progresses. It could be something as simple as:

  • Moving to new, high tech premises if you are a software company.
  • Implementing a brand new sales app that employees can use on the move if you have a large sales force that is out on the road.
  • Bringing third-party suppliers in from outside and working with their technology and processes.

Your IT service provider should fully understand your current provision and objectives before they can suggest ways to help improve business processes or develop and integrate robust solutions when you need to adapt.

All these factors should help you determine how you will spend your IT budget in 2020 and what your priorities are going to be. Your IT service provider should be able to work with you to produce a road map and help you implement the changes that may be needed to achieve your goals. It’s important to ask the right questions though.

If you’re not 100% confident you’re partnered with the right IT service provider to take you in to 2020, it’s not too late to change. Contact the team at Cyan Solutions today for an informal chat about your needs.

IT Security Strategy: What You Need to Know

Most businesses are critically dependent on the internet. Survival means having a strong IT security strategy in place. The hacking of telecommunications giant Talk Talk in 2015 reminds us that it’s not just smaller businesses that are at risk either.

The Government has taken steps to build a national cybersecurity strategy and this acknowledges that threats can come from many different sources: foreign governments or state sponsored actors, terrorists, hackers, hacktivists concerned about a particular issue, and even insiders, people who work for a company and who have a grievance of some sort.

Protecting your business has never been more important or more challenging. Having the right tools and processes in place is key if you want to stay safe.

How to Develop an IT Security Strategy

The digital landscape has become increasingly complicated over the last couple of decades. Businesses will not only operate online through portals and third-party sites but use tools such as social media to market their services and products. On top of that, they will have key IT requirements within their office environment that need solutions. Many will use remote working and promote collaboration and better communication through cloud-based services.

All this means that there is no clearly defined, one-size-fits-all IT security strategy for modern businesses.

1. Understand What You Have

The first major step to developing the appropriate IT security strategy is defining what you are trying to protect in the first place. Yes, you may have lots of customer and employee data but what about documents relating to your business such as your plan for the future or a new product you are intending to bring onto the market?

To make sense of everything, you need to understand what each asset is and clearly define its value to your business.

2. IT Security Risk Assessment

The next part of the process is to look at the current state of your IT security in relation to these assets and whether it fulfils its purpose. A risk assessment looks at a range of different aspects of your business, including the software you have in place, who has access to data, what they do with it when they are using it, and what protocols other than digital that you have in place to ensure security.

3. Elements of Strong Cybersecurity

The Government has produced a useful infographic (download here) relating to IT security which includes 10 steps all businesses and organisations should be taking:

  1. You need to implement a risk management regime that allows you to regularly review your cybersecurity processes.
  2. You must protect your network from attacks using anti-virus software and other technological solutions.
  3. You need a process in place to educate users and build awareness through activities such as staff training and the production of easy to follow practices (such as having a definitive password policy for your business).
  4. You need to establish anti-malware practices and defences to protect your business like having the appropriate software and educating staff on threats such as phishing emails.
  5. You need to limit or control the use of removable media such as flash sticks which can hold malware.
  6. You need to update your systems when a new patch or update is available and ensure they are configured properly across your whole business.
  7. You should carefully manage user privileges particularly for parts of your network that have access to sensitive data.
  8. Your business should have a process in place for handling any breach incidents or disaster recovery and be able to test these plans. If you lose data for whatever reason, being able to get up and running again may be vital to the survival of your business.
  9. Your business also needs to have in place a system or protocol for monitoring your IT and cybersecurity, producing reports and understanding if you are at risk of attack.
  10. You need to develop a policy for home and mobile working especially if you advocate using BYOD. Your company needs to create a secure baseline for all devices and build this into its cybersecurity activity.

While many businesses will be able to implement some of these measures, it can be challenging to get them all in place. That’s why it’s important to work with an IT and cybersecurity specialist to make sure all the bases are covered.

At Cyan Solutions, we have the teams in place who will be able to help you develop a robust IT security strategy that will safeguard your business now and in the future. Contact us today to find out more.

Essential Recommendations for Business IT Security

One of the key factors that effects almost every business with a digital profile is IT security. It’s a constant challenge to get right whether you are a small start-up or a large corporation.

Unfortunately, there are organised criminal gangs in this world who are fixed on trying to do us harm. It’s something that has been with us since the birth of the internet.

The biggest question we get asked at Cyan Solutions, is what best practice can be employed to ensure better business IT security.

Here’s a list of things you can do right now to help protect your business:

1. Don’t Assume It Won’t Happen to You

This is something we find with many SMEs. They think they’re too small for hackers to worry about. It’s simply not true.

Most attacks come through automated delivery such as Phishing email. The hackers and malware developers are looking for someone, anyone whose system they can get into. Whether you are just a one-person outfit or have many staff, treat cybersecurity with the same level of seriousness as you do other aspects of your business.

According to a recent report by Verizon, 71% of cyberattacks happen to smaller companies with less than 100 staff on the payroll. That is in part because there are more of them but the clear message is to be aware and have robust cybersecurity policies in place.

2. Use a Firewall

The first line of defence against cyberattacks is an effective business-grade firewall. Think of this as a barrier that repels common attacks and prevents malicious threats getting to your network. Companies often neglect to invest in this area as they don’t understand the importance of good perimeter security. They assume a generic router does the same job, it doesn’t. You need to improve network security measures if you want to remain safe online.

And, it’s not just external firewalls that are important – if you have sections of your network that contain sensitive data, for example, you may want to protect these with additional cybersecurity measures.

3. The Challenge of BYOD

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has largely been accepted in the business world over the last decade after some initial reticence by employers. It can often be easier for an employee to use their own smartphone or tablet or even laptop to do their work.

The trouble is that these are not generally as secure as the hardware and software that you have for your business. Staff can download the wrong apps or visit the wrong sites that open them (and your business) to potential cyberattack.

This is something that is unlikely to change in the future. BYOD offers too many benefits. The challenge is to make sure that mobile devices are updated with the right security and that staff understand their obligations.

4. Having Comprehensive Cybersecurity Policies

This brings us to the strategy for your cybersecurity protection. All businesses, whatever their size, need to have a robust set of policies that staff can adhere to. Many smaller companies do this in an ad-hoc manner which can mean their business IT security is missing vital core components. Ensure that you document your policies and make them readily available to all members of staff – including senior managers and executive teams.

5. Password Protection

It might seem like a simple thing to include in a best practice list but passwords are a real issue for businesses. Enforcing a robust policy in this area is important and could well protect your business from cyberattack. Passwords should ideally include upper- and lower-case letters, symbols and numbers. For more sensitive areas of your business, you also want to consider multi-factor identification.

It might seem like a simple thing to include in a best practice list but passwords are a real issue for businesses. Enforcing a robust policy in this area is important and could well protect your business from cyberattack.

Passwords – when implemented correctly – are an easy and effective way to prevent unauthorised access to systems. Always change the default password that comes with a new device.
If two-factor authentication is available, make sure it is enabled and use it. A common and effective example of this involves a code sent to your smartphone which you must enter in addition to your password.

6. Educating Staff

One failing, particularly for smaller businesses, is not educating their staff on the right IT security protocols. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that, even if a company has a password policy in place, in the majority of cases it is not enforced.

You have to bring your staff into the loop and make sure they are well educated with regards to cybersecurity risks. For example, User Awareness Training is a great way to educate staff to the dangers of email threats, such as Phishing attacks, which are not always easy to identify.

7. Regularly Update Your Devices and Software

It’s quite worrying the number of small and midsize businesses that do not make the effort to patch their systems, devices and software. Manufacturers release regular updates which not only add new features, but also fix security vulnerabilities that have been discovered. Applying these updates (a process known as patching) is one of the most important things you can do to improve security.

8. The Right Level of Protection

Finally, the fight against cyberattacks is a never-ending battle and you should have the appropriate virus and anti-malware software in place which is regularly updated. One big mistake businesses make is to assume that standard anti-virus software alone is adequate protection for their needs. How security should be tailored to better protect your organisation is something you need to discuss with your IT provider. Understanding what threats are targeting and putting additional layers of security in place to protect against them is an essential part to any cybersecurity strategy.

At Cyan Solutions, we deliver cutting edge IT services and support. If you want access to the best cybersecurity expertise for your business, tailored to your needs, contact our team today.

How Often Should You Audit Your Business Cybersecurity?

For many businesses, cybersecurity tends to sit in the background. It’s something we often seem to have a lot of confidence in without really fully understanding it. The only time we pay attention and question its suitability is when something goes wrong.

As it is one of the more important parts of running a modern company or organisation, it pays to step back and have a review of your cybersecurity processes, software and hardware on a regular basis.

According to Forbes recently, cyberattacks are only like to get smarter over the next few years and we all need to be on guard to prevent breaches.

Why You Need Regular Cyber Security Audits

The first thing to note is that you can’t say whether your business cybersecurity is performing as expected unless you carry out an audit. Most IT services will advise that this needs to be done on a regular basis, either monthly, quarterly or even just twice a year as a bear minimum.

A lot will depend on the size of your organisation or business, of course, and how many different departments you have. It’s much easier to keep track of a company that has ten employees than one which has thousands. Another factor is the amount of confidential data you handle and the sector you operate in.

What is a Cybersecurity Audit?

A regular audit is something that can be carried out fairly easily and, in some cases, remotely. It’s a service that many outsourced IT support companies provide nowadays. If there has been an incident or issue with your IT infrastructure, however, it pays to have a more in-depth audit that considers a wider range of parameters.

This kind of audit tends to use more advanced technology and will not only look at the software installed but the practices that you employ in your business.

You may have had a security breach or data loss, for example. It’s important to discover how this occurred and what processes you need to put in place to improve security. Or you may have updated or put in a new system, in which case, you’ll want to ensure your cybersecurity is working well with it.

There can be plenty of other reasons to carry out a more intensive audit. For example, if the compliance laws change for your business (as happened for many companies with the new GDPR). Perhaps you’ve merged with another business and want to ensure IT services across the board are uniform.

Outsourcing Your Business Cybersecurity Audit

It’s important to work with a partner that is able to deliver the kind of audit you are looking for. There are off-the-shelf auditing packages available but these may not be entirely suitable, especially if your company has specific cybersecurity needs.

Outsourcing your business cybersecurity audit to a third party is the most popular route and has a number of advantages, not least that you have access to the appropriate level of expertise. It’s not easy to find suitable companies that have a track record of delivering security testing within a range of organisations.

You should be looking for one that has a deep knowledge of operating platforms and understands how your business security fits into these and other IT deliverables. The other thing you will want is an IT audit service that will give you clear reports which you can then act on. Good communication is key.

While you may be able to undertake at least some of this internally, for a deeper audit most companies will lack the appropriately qualified staff. Even using the latest auditing software, it can be difficult to decipher the results and come up with appropriate recommendations if you do not have expertise in this area.

A competent audit team will be able to:

  • Interpret the data from your audit and understand how to action any changes to your systems.
  • Prioritise which are the most important factors and what steps you need to follow to improve your business cybersecurity.
  • Understand if information is missing and what other software and scans need to be applied to provide a full picture of your current cybersecurity.
  • Set benchmarks so that you have a baseline for future audits and a clear understanding of what you need to achieve.

At Cyan Solutions, we work with a wide range of businesses across different sectors. We understand that each company has its own set of requirements when it comes to fulfilling strong cybersecurity. Our team works closely with all stakeholders to ensure that we deliver a robust audit that keeps your business safe.

Contact us today to find out more.

Managing Cybersecurity Solutions for SMEs

Small and medium size businesses have particular challenges when it comes to cybersecurity solutions. Size doesn’t always equate to vulnerability but the fact that SMEs have lower budgets can be a major issue when it comes to protection.

Making the right choices when managing your cybersecurity needs, therefore, is important and the most recent statistic back this up.

In a 2018 survey by Ipsos Mori, two out of five small businesses identified a cybersecurity breach in the previous year. In 17% of these cases, the breach prevented the company from operating properly for at least a day. The more troubling statistic, however, is that only 58% of small businesses are likely to have sought out information or advice about cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity and GDPR

One major change your small business needs to understand is the General Data Protection Regulation. This was brought in last year and basically means that any business that holds data (which means the majority of companies or organisations) has a duty of care to protect it. That includes having the appropriate cybersecurity solutions in place, including what to do if there is a breach.

The problem is that hackers and malware developers generally unleash their nefarious activities indiscriminately and smaller, less protected businesses are a target. It’s not unusual for a hacker to specifically target a certain corporation or larger organisation but it’s rarer than the millions of attack attempts that take place on small and medium size businesses as a whole around the world.

How to Manage Your Cybersecurity Solutions

A data breach or cyberattack can happen to any business and the consequences is not just loss of customer information but damage to reputation. It can take a long time to recover. That’s why your business needs to have certain building blocks in place to help combat any potential online attack.

Here are the vital components that you need to have for your business to mitigate the risk of cyber-attack.

  • Patch management: While they might be slightly annoying on older devices, patches are there to make sure your operating system is up to date and properly protected. You’d be amazed at the number of businesses that turn automatic updating off and leave their systems open to hacking and virus attacks.
  • Regular back-ups: Another mistake that SMEs make is not backing up their data regularly. This is relatively easy to do nowadays and there’s really no excuse for not doing it. If your system crashes or your data is stolen or infected with malware, back-up allows you to recover everything and get back up and running.
  • Data encryption: This should be standard for any business, whatever it’s size. It ensures that any information in transit is kept protected, particularly when it comes to financial data.
  • Firewalls, anti-malware and anti-phishing tools: The tools that we use for our home computers are not necessarily the same that we should be using for a business that has a lot of data. Working with your IT supplier is vital to ensure that you have the appropriate software to suit your industry.
  • Mobile device management: With so many of us using our own smartphones and tablets nowadays, your business needs to understand the risks that this involves. You should have a clear, set policy for staff who use BYOD and regularly make checks to ensure this is being complied with.
  • Two factor authentication: This is where an additional authentication such as an SMS text is used above and beyond the standard password to ensure the identity of the individual looking to gain access to your data. It’s now the industry standard when it comes to logging in to accounts.
  • Secure collaboration tools: Many SMEs make use of a range of collaborative tools including Office 365, Google Docs, Dropbox and the like. Mitigating the risks of using these tools is vital in maintaining the security of your company.
  • Incident response: How you respond to an incident such as a data breach is almost as important as having the processes in place to prevent it happening. Especially since the introduction of GDPR, small businesses have a duty of a care and obligation to have the appropriate steps in place.

How to Review Your Cybersecurity Solutions

It can be pretty easy to pay less attention than you should to your IT and cybersecurity. As a small business, you probably have a lot more to worry about. Failure to spot issues or make sure your security is up to date can, however, have catastrophic consequences.

If you would like to review your current cybersecurity practices, contact the team at Cyan Solutions today to see how we can help.

Tips for Finding the Best IT Consulting Solutions

It can be difficult staying up-to-date with the latest advances in technology or understanding how these can benefit your business if they are implemented. Most business owners don’t completely understand what a managed IT solution can provide or how it fits in with the way their company currently runs.

There are also plenty of companies offering IT consulting solutions ‘tailored’ to your needs out there, each promising the earth. But which one should you chose? How do you separate the worthwhile IT consultants from the ones that are likely to hold your business back?

Your IT partner can make a huge difference to the success or failure of your business and how competitive it is. Here are our tips for finding the right company:

1. Understand What You Need

You need to be able to match the services on offer to complement your business activities. Take a look at your short and long term goals and then find out what IT consulting solutions are going to benefit these.

You might want high levels of security because of the kind of data you handle, or services that constantly monitor your threat status and automatically provide solutions. You may want to introduce new cloud services so that your staff are able to perform more productively.

2. Take Your Time

Finding the best IT consultant to work with can take time. There are lots of options online and you shouldn’t rush, or allow yourself to be rushed, into picking this company or that company. It’s better to take some extra time, including having a cooling off period before you finally decide, to ensure you get the best partner for the future development of your business.

3. Look for Expertise

The best IT consulting solutions are the ones that have a range of expertise available. You rarely get this from one person businesses – they can be stretched for time and certainly won’t have the level of knowledge you are looking for. You should check not only the number of staff they have on board but what their specialisations are.

It’s important to interview your prospective IT consultancy and find out all you can about them. Check for online reviews and ask for referrals.

4. Does It Fit Your Needs

If you’ve made a list of what you are looking for as a business, done your due diligence and matched up the various services you require, the final thing you need to decide is whether the IT service meets your needs and ticks all the right boxes. Some extra areas to consider are how long they have been operating and whether they are able to respond to your changing needs.

IT Consulting Solutions: Why Choose Cyan?

At Cyan we pride ourselves in being a flexible, high tech solution for today’s modern businesses. We offer a range of different services that can be tailored to your needs. If you want to start small and cover just a few areas of IT support, we can certainly help with that. The good news is that our provision is scalable – which means, as your requirements change, so can our service.

We work closely with our customers to identify the areas where they need support. Here are just some of the things we can help your business with:

Managed IT Support: For many businesses, IT can take up much more time than they have to offer internally. A managed IT solution basically takes the weight off your shoulders and provides the full service and maintenance you need at a cost you can afford.

Cyber Security: Safety of data is probably the biggest worry that businesses have nowadays. Your success depends on having a secure eco-system, protecting your from both financial and reputational damage. At Cyan, our expert team helps put in all the processes that protect your business, including managed firewalls and anti-virus software that is fit for purpose.

Cloud Services: More and more businesses are using the cloud to deliver flexibility and agility for their employees. Our subscription-based services mean that you can keep control of the costs and give your staff the tools they need to achieve your goals.

Virtual CIO Consultancy Services: Most businesses don’t have the finances to employ a Chief Information Officer on site. Our virtual service means that you can access the latest advice and technology to drive your business forward at a fraction of the cost.

IT consulting solutions can be complicated and are challenging to get right. If your business is looking for a partner that can deliver tailored services and grow and scale as you develop, contact the team at Cyan today.

Do Your Employees Understand Your IT Business Strategy?

The majority of businesses today have some form of IT strategy in place. That plan normally goes beyond the standard use of security software and a nod towards threat management.

It includes the tools and apps that are used to manage daily work, training of staff to use industry-specific software, and developing protocols to ensure the safety of data and the way that is used throughout the business.

When it comes to IT business strategy, keeping up with the advances and challenges has become a lot more complicated in recent years. Not only are we subject to highly sophisticated attacks but employees are also using a range of devices, including their own smartphones and tablets, to deliver on their company’s needs via cloud-based services.

One question all businesses need to ask is how much employees understand about their IT strategy in the first place. How confident is each individual in implementing the processes that are in place?

Creating a Robust IT Business Strategy

The first step is to develop the right strategy that fits your business. This is all about aligning your IT services and systems so they support your business priorities. While this is not always easy to achieve, it allows you to:

  • Plan for future changes in your IT service
  • Stay in control of the costs of IT for your business
  • Ensure you have robust process in place that protect you, your employees and your customers, reducing the risk of disruption to your business

Make Your IT Business Strategy Available

Assuming that you have the best strategy in place, you need to make employees aware of what it is, how it fits into your wider business plan and what everyone’s responsibility is.

One of the big challenges business have is how to protect their data and processes from cyber attack, particularly in light of the new GDPR. Building awareness among employees should be a vital element of your IT business strategy, an ongoing, not a one-off, process.

Your IT strategy needs to be readily available to employees (both online and in hardcopy) and should be written in plain English so everyone understands what is expected of them. If staff don’t know how they are to implement the strategy, you will quickly find gaps in delivery that can eventually seriously damage the efficiency and even the safety of your company.

Ensure Staff Understand the Risks and Their Responsibility

An employee who opens an email link that carries a malware programme is one of the most common ways in which businesses are attacked. These kinds of threats generally succeed because of lack of understanding or knowledge on the part of the victim rather than any malicious intent.

There are greater challenges nowadays, particularly with many businesses using cloud-based services. On the one hand, these give companies much greater flexibility in how they communicate and improve productivity. On the other, cloud IT services also present a challenge to security. If an employee is using their smartphone to access business data, how secure is it? What does that employee need to be aware of when performing their job on a daily basis?

Have Regular Update and Training Sessions for Employees

It’s vital that employees understand what their responsibilities are when it comes to your IT business strategy. There are various ways in which this can be achieved but the onus is on business managers, CEOs and owners to ensure that these processes are implemented.

  • Effective onboarding for new staff: Every time someone new starts at your business, a priority needs to be given to providing information and training on IT services and the responsibilities involved
  • Available training materials: Staff should have access to relevant IT training either through organised group sessions, online courses or a mixture of both. More problems in businesses are caused by staff who don’t know how to use software or systems safely
  • Regular assessments for staff: It’s not enough to provide training and informational updates, business owners need to be sure their staff are taking the training onboard. Assessing staff competency and understanding when it comes to IT services should be a priority
  • Options for reporting: You should have the process in place that allows employees to raise concerns or report any potential breach

Most businesses, particularly new start-ups, understand that IT is important. Unfortunately, they either take it too much for granted or fail to put in the appropriate measures to ensure safety and security at all levels. In today’s online world, that can mean putting your business at risk of a cybersecurity breach.

Developing staff so that they are better informed about your IT business strategy should ensure they are equipped to handle today’s cybersecurity risks. That in turn, will keep your business safer.

Here at Cyan Solutions, we can assist with the development of an IT strategy for your business, as well as the implementation. If you would like to find out more and speak to one of our experts contact us today.

Digital Transformation Of Social Housing – Top Five Trends

It is necessary for every business in every industry to adapt and change their business model to accommodate their customer’s changing behaviours and expectations, and housing associations are no exception. Digital technology is not only about conversions, transactions and growing revenue; it is vital for streamlining processes, optimisation and improving the customer experience.

As digital technologies take the world by storm, embracing these is vital for a housing association to grow and thrive. Some have already begun to tackle this challenge by transforming their IT infrastructures to keep up the high demands of today’s digital world.

Social housing is a rapidly changing industry with many housing associations struggling because of funding cuts, rent freezes and reduced investments. When it comes digitalisation, the social housing sector is not as far advanced as other industries, with many housing associations sceptical of investing in a digital transformation or not having the budget to do so.

However, this is slowly beginning to change as more and more housing associations are starting to see the benefits of going digital. Here are the top five trends we expect to see a rise with the digital transformation of social housing:

Five Digital Trends For Social Housing

 

1. A Remote Workforce

With the rise of cloud technologies, it is now possible for housing association teams to work remotely, allowing them to focus their time and energy on being out among their tenants. Having a digitally enabled and mobile workforce reduces the need for physical office locations within neighbourhoods.

Remote working allows workers to be more connected with those that need help the most. Less time will be spent on the mundane transactions, and more focus can be made on what really matters; enabling the organisation to become more human with greater face to face interactions.

2. Online Processes

Embracing advances in technology can reduce the amount of paperwork and manual processes required. Customer applications can be moved online which will not only provide a seamless and easy experience for customers but also reduce costs and response times compared with manual, offline applications.

Removing paperwork will free up resources for employees to focus their time and effort on other areas of the business. Moving transaction processes online also offers excellent cost savings for housing associations, with online payments being 20 times cheaper than phone transactions and an incredible 50 times cheaper than face to face.

3. Better Connected

The Internet of Things (IoT), connected devices and smart metres offer a great opportunity for housing associations to diversify their offerings. Embracing these innovative technologies within social housing can detect how people are using their accommodation and allow providers to alter services, such as heating, in real-time.

When used effectively, this technology can help housing associations to anticipate and handle issues faster, as well as be more proactive and strategic in commissioning repairs or replacements quicker in order to minimise costs and disruption.

4. Enhanced Customer Service

One of the most significant benefits that digitalisation has in the social housing sector is that customers will receive a better all-round service. Advice and help can be made available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the help of a knowledge base and online account information that is always accessible.

The digital transformation of the housing industry will allow most actions to be completed online, meaning customers have no restrictions on when they can resolve their issues or speak with the correct department. Housing association workers will also be able to provide a better service to customers by spending more time out in their neighbourhoods offering a face to face service as opposed to stuck behind their computer screens.

5. Data Analysis and Record Keeping

In a world of GDPR, there are some real benefits to those within the social housing sector making a move to keep all customer data and records online as opposed to offline. A well planned online infrastructure can provide greater security for keeping online records safe and secure.

Utilising digital technologies for customer data is also an excellent opportunity for better data analysis and upkeep. Maintaining customer records online allows them to access and edit them as required, providing housing associations with current information that is easy and simple to manage.

How to embrace these digital trends

Embracing the digital transformation of social housing will bring significant efficiencies, financial stability and customer engagement. Currently, the social housing sector is being squeezed by reduced investments, funding cuts and rent freezes. At the same time, there is a growing demand from increasingly vulnerable and diverse citizens. Those housing associations that want to thrive rather than simply survive should be utilising and embracing digital solutions to transform their organisation for the better.

To help your housing organisation transform, speak to our IT specialists at Cyan Solutions. We can help your team to implement a digital strategy that can cut costs and increase the service experience.

Top 5 Ways To Avoid Phishing Emails

Five top ways to prevent phishing attacks

Cyber attacks are on the increase, and it is vital to protect yourself and your business against the rising security threats. For most companies, the employees are the weakest security link, leaving the company open to potential attacks and breaches. Over 90% of cyber attacks start with a phishing email, and recent studies suggest that the fastest growing security threat to businesses is no longer malware but impersonation email attacks.

The reason employees are often the weakest link in your security is due to human error, and cyber attackers have learnt it is easier to trick someone into revealing secure information such as logins and passwords, rather than trying to exploit a secure system. The number of impersonation email attacks sent has increased by 50% quarter-over-quarter compared with malware and harmful files being sent rising by 15%. This means your business is seven times more likely to be subject to an impersonation email attack than a malware attack.

The figures are staggering, and even still there are thousands of companies out there who are not doing everything they can to protect themselves against phishing emails. The most common type of phishing emails is spear phishing; a highly targeted scam email that is sent to a business or individual. If the cybercriminal does enough research into an individual or business, spear phishing can be very effective, and research has shown that 97% of individuals can be tricked by a spear phishing email attack. Here are some of the top 5 ways to avoid phishing emails and protect your business.

Invest In Your Systems

One of the best ways to protect your business from phishing emails is to prevent them from getting through to your employees in the first place. There are many technological approaches to avoid phishing attacks, such as powerful filters and protection systems. Implementing a smart security system can help to identify phishing emails and block them from being received by your employees.

This is a great place to start when it comes to avoiding phishing emails, but even the best technology can’t detect every single phishing email. There will always be some that slip through the filters, so it is vital to have other precautions in place as well.

Educate Your Employees

As personnel are often the biggest downfall for a company’s security, it is essential that they are provided with appropriate training and knowledge to protect themselves against phishing emails. While many phishing emails are poorly written and easy to detect, there are often highly sophisticated attacks that are much more difficult to spot.

To properly protect your business against phishing emails you should develop an effective security education programme to raise awareness among staff of the growing cyber threats.

Go Phishing

One very effective method to identify the weak links in your security and determine where further training is required is to send phishing emails to your employees. Craft an email based on the kind of ones that your employees do receive and then measure for these main four metrics: clicking on the link, opening attachments, reporting the email and response time.

After the ‘attack’, discuss the results of the tests with your employees; it is usually best to keep results anonymous or break them down by department or team to avoid employees feeling like they are being individually called out. Your goal with this exercise should be to raise awareness and educate your employees, not to embarrass them.

Develop A Strict Protocol

Ensure you have a strict and well thought out protocol in place for phishing attacks. Encourage all employees to report all attacks or potential attacks immediately so that they can be dealt with effectively and quickly.

Make it clear that every employee can ask for help if they think they might have been a victim of a phishing email attack and be sure never to punish staff if they do get caught out; it will only discourage your employees from reporting the attacks in future. Once an attack has been reported, take steps to scan the affected devices for malware and change all passwords as soon as possible.

Review Your Digital Footprint

Cybercriminals will use information that is publicly available about your business and employees to make phishing emails more convincing. This information can be found on your website and social media accounts and is known as your digital footprint. Carefully consider what information is necessary for your website visitors and what could be used by potential attackers.

It is also vital to offer support and training to your employees on how to best manage their digital footprint; you should not expect them to remove themselves from the internet entirely but help them understand what information isn’t necessary to share.

Increase your phishing protection with Cyan Solutions

At Cyan Solutions we can develop robust IT security to reduce the risk and prevent cyber attacks. If you would like friendly advice on how to increase your IT security, talk to our experts now.

Top Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Requirements

Top Five Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Requirements

When running a growing business, it can feel like you’re a bit of a one-man band trying to balance various aspects of the businesses needs. In some areas of your business, it can be beneficial to keep the workload in-house, and even employ a specific team to handle it, but it just isn’t always practical to try and manage everything yourselves.

Outsourcing, or hiring an external company to manage specific areas of your business, is a familiar and popular option for many businesses, and thousands choose to outsource their IT requirements to seasoned professionals. There are a wide range of benefits to outsourcing your IT requirements.

Experienced and Certified Professionals

Information Technology is a complicated and challenging area to tackle, and without appropriate training and experience, it is impossible to get right. When it comes to hiring an in-house IT team, if you’re not IT trained yourself then how do you assure a potential employee is qualified? Certifications are great, but previous experience of managing a business’s IT requirements is invaluable.

By choosing to outsource your IT requirements to a professional company, you are guaranteed to get knowledge that an individual IT employee doesn’t have. IT service companies have a heap of experience in managing IT requirements for a business, and they often see related problems multiple times and will already know the best solutions and prevention techniques.

Controlled Costs

By outsourcing IT requirements, you are converting fixed IT costs into a variable cost that is much better for budgeting. You will only be paying for the services you use as and when you use them, as opposed to a fixed cost to the business every single month, even if no major IT changes have been made.

As well as reducing and controlling IT running costs, outsourcing can also result in considerable savings in labour costs. Recruiting and training IT staff can be costly, and with no guarantee as to how long an employee will stay with the business, it is a cost that you may have to pay every few years. Outsourcing allows you to focus your human resources efforts in other areas of the business where you need it the most.

Stay Ahead of the Game

When a business tries to manage all of their IT requirements in-house, it often takes a lot longer to get projects and developments completed. This is because there is a higher level of research, development and implementation time required compared with using an outsourced IT provider.

All of these things also increase the cost of new developments and slow down the whole process meaning your competitors might be making game-changing developments while you are still in the researching phase. A fully managed outsourced IT service will have the resources and knowledge to begin new projects immediately, compared with in-house where you may need to hire new staff, train them and provide the necessary support.

Increase Security and Reduce Risks

IT service providers will constantly be keeping up to date with specific industry knowledge, especially when it comes to security and compliance, that an in-house team simply might not be aware of. Outsourcing provides you with a reduced risk of coming across any issues, and an IT company will often have better expertise when deciding how to avoid certain risks to your business.

With the huge rises in cybercrime to businesses recently and the added pressure of GDPR, it is essential to keep your IT systems security as tight and secure as possible. Your in-house team may struggle to know the best practices and methods to keep your company and customers safe, but an outsourced IT team will be well aware of all PCI compliance standards and the best way to keep everything up to date and safe from attackers.

Strategic Planning

IT service providers have years of experience working with different clients and industries and will focus on keeping up to date with the latest technologies, making them the perfect team to help your business grow and expand. Many outsourced IT companies will be able to advise you on your business’s future IT requirements by evaluating your growth and planning how your IT infrastructure needs to support this.

At Cyan Solutions we work in partnership with our customers to support their technology ambitions. This allows us to deliver innovative solutions that meets your business’s specific needs now and in the future. With technology constantly changing, it is difficult to know yourself what IT requirements you will need in the future. But, by choosing to outsource to professionals, you will be getting expert guidance and support to help your business grow.

Switching over to Cyan is a simple, easy, seamless transition. It can seem overwhelming to make such a significant change to the way your business operates, but the benefits are clear, and successful growth often requires change. Call us today to see how we can help transform your business.