Does Every Company Need IT Support?

Small businesses often believe that IT support is only for large companies. This is false. No matter how large or small your company, there are many benefits to having IT support available.

IT support can increase your company’s competitiveness. IT support can also be used to reduce costs and help you achieve your goals.

Here are some reasons to explore managed IT services.

Increase your ROI and reduce costs over time

An IT professional is a great investment. It will increase your ROI and reduce company costs. Professional tech support will take away the need to worry about expensive repairs or questionable software investments. Unexpected costs and fees are not an issue. All you have to do is pay a flat fee that is flexible to your budget.

Increase overall computer security

No matter what type of business you run, data is an essential part of any business. Reliable backup systems and high-quality cybersecurity are essential to protect your company’s data.

You can enjoy all the benefits of an IT support team. An IT specialist can help protect your company and confidential data of employees and customers.

Give Clients the Service They Want

Clients expect quality service. Technology that isn’t up to standard can compromise customer relationships. You can ensure that your clients receive the best IT support experts.

Make use of new technologies to help you reach your goals

Technology may not be a problem for your business. An IT support team can help you get the most out of your business’s technology.

Spend more time managing and less time worrying

Computer problems can cause headaches. These tech problems can be avoided by investing in IT services. You can leave IT problems to the professionals and concentrate on other important issues, such as employee management and strategy development.

Boost Company Efficiency

No matter what type of business you run, efficiency is something you want to increase. Technology can assist you in this endeavor. It can also be harmful if it is full of bugs, flaws and other problems. Tech support ensures that your technology is optimized. You can make the most of your technology with the support of an IT team that is dedicated to helping you achieve your business goals and identify areas for improvement.

Get a customized service

Each company has different technology requirements. Professional technical IT support will provide customized managed IT services tailored to your business’s needs. Your IT support team is made up of qualified candidates who have been trained. They can help you identify your IT needs and provide the best solutions to achieve your company’s goals.

Adtek Advanced Technologies is the right place to go if you are looking for the best in technology.

People also ask

What type of companies need IT services?

Characteristics of Businesses that Require Outside Information Technology (IT) Support to Succeed

1. Those without In-House IT Expertise. It may be obvious to state that the business without IT support, is the one that needs IT support. …
2. Those Most Concerned About Cyber Security. …
3. Those That Plan on Growing.

What does an IT support company do?

Work an IT support company does can involve everything from fixing bugs and backing up data, to overseeing security and managing IT infrastructure.

https://adtekitservices.com/rock-hill-sc-managed-it-services/

Rock Hill, SC 29730
(803) 902-3111

Dillon, SC 29536
843-627-3079

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3 Deadly Mistakes That You Make When You Use Technology Cheaply

SMBs, small and medium-sized businesses, have a difficult relationship with technology today - even though they may not be aware of it. SMBs are reacting to the changing marketplace, which is becoming more complex and faster. That's why managed IT services are important.

The most successful business owners today use ever-evolving technology to grab their customers' attention and imagination, convert them and manage their day with unparalleled ease and clarity. The Internet age is an exciting time to be in business. Every business has access to incredibly powerful technology that has changed the face of commerce.

This increased dependency on technology comes with a painful truth. IT can allow us to accomplish amazing things that we would never have thought possible 10 years ago. IT can be a dangerous, unstable, and finicky scaffolding on which we build our highest hopes and dreams. Even the most advanced IT needs to be shaped to our requirements and kept safe from outsiders.

Although technology is a major part of the business, most owners view it as an additional expense and not a core component of their business. They tend to skimp on managed IT services. However, being cheap can come with a price - one that is much higher and more costly than you realize.

 

These are the three biggest mistakes that you can make when you underspend on Managed IT Services.

 

1. Instead of building your technology budget around your actual requirements, you are spending technology on a poorly planned and unrealistic budget.

SMBs with limited resources can easily see saving money on hardware and software as a win. This leads businesses to choose outdated, inefficient, and expensive solutions. Cutting corners is not a wise choice in a world that the majority of your day-today operations are governed by your digital equipment, where small businesses are constantly at risk of cyber-attack, and where data is a valuable commodity that can disappear at the speed a failed backup,

Your investment in improving your digital strategy and strengthening your cyber security might not yield immediate, tangible returns. However, adequate managed IT services are an investment. You are investing in long-term productivity, security and efficiency for your business by using the most current technology.

2. This is a recipe for disaster.

It's one thing for a computer to suddenly fail, or for an Internet connection temporarily to go down. If you don't invest in technology, your business could be vulnerable to catastrophic events that could potentially cost you thousands. Cybercrime is one of the most prevalent and least understood of these threats.

The 2016 State of Cyber Security in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Report shows that half of all U.S. small business were victims to a cyber-attack in 2015. This number has been steadily increasing. Ransomware is the most common type of attack. This malware locks out entire systems and forces them to pay huge sums of money to retrieve it. Even if you think you are secure, there are still risks. Businesses can be shut down by server failures, system downtime and backup loss just like a hacker.

3. Your competition is winning.

It takes more than copying the latest strategies of thought leaders in your industry to outwit your competitors. This requires you to anticipate future trends and then act on them. You can always count on technology to bring about the future of your business.

Cloud services, new and constantly updating software, CRMs and a staggering array of productivity-enhancing tools are just a few of the advances your competitors are considering (if they haven't snatched them up already). Your company will be gone if you don't invest in the future.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you need the help of IT professionals who can provide you with reliable and effective managed IT services.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Finding The Best Managed IT Services Company

As you search for managed IT services for your company, there are steps you need to take to make sure that you’re getting the best managed IT services that will meet your business objective. You will eventually reach the final steps of the process that’s involved in looking for a reliable managed IT services company in your area.

Sure, you may come across several potential companies. But how can you be sure that they can meet your business needs? How can you weed out the bad from the good ones?

There are questions you need to ask before you start your search.

• Why do you need managed IT services? Do you need it to grow your business?
• Do you need help in managing your IT department?
• Is your current in house IT team or IT services company slacking off?
• Are you having the same IT problems all the time?
• Is your business missing out on new apps, updates, and features that could make your daily IT tasks easier?

These are the questions that you need to be asking your IT provider. That’s why it’s important for you to find one that will serve you, your staff, and your overall business objectives.

 

Call Now

 

What to look for in a Managed IT Services Company?

Many managed IT services concentrate in various solutions, which makes it more difficult to decide which features and services you need most. Keep in mind that just because a firm specializes in a certain solution doesn’t mean that they’re offering the best services. It also doesn’t mean that their offerings will benefit your company. So, here are a few factors you need to consider.

Responsiveness

One of the most essential things that you have to invest in is a daily help desk support. The main point of outsourcing IT Services is so that somebody who is knowledgeable and qualified could help you with your network problems as soon as the issues arise. They can fix the problems remotely and can identify and resolve the issue even before you know it.

Certainty

If you want to enjoy some peace of mind, data recovery and backup should be among the things you have to consider. What will happen to your business if you suddenly lose access to your employee and client information, business intelligence records, financial data, project details and plans, as well as corporate communications.

If you’re like other companies these days, your business will depend on email communications, network infrastructure, as well as digital documents. That is a lot of data and you need to make sure that they’re backed up regularly. You must also have a plan in place in case a disaster happens.

Security

Email security and network security are always changing since the techniques used to hack devices and networks evolve constantly. Companies that do not have enough resources for network security will be more at risk of data breaches. Working with a managed IT services company will give you that peace of mind knowing that a system is in place to check all your company’s data and to keep your network secure at all times.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you are looking for a reputable and experienced managed IT services company in Myrtle Beach.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

A Definitive Guide To Managed IT Services

Managed IT services refers to solutions that aim to replace or augment the management of certain business functions by a third party contractor. In the past 10 years, managed services have grown substantially, especially within the IT industry. In this area, managed services include managing technologies like telephony, core network, and data center. Meanwhile, legacy managed services include core IT maintenance obligations such as patch management and break/fix.

What Is MSP?

An MSP or managed service provider is a firm that owns and remotely manages a service or technology and permits the use of the said service or technology to any client through a subscription.

Why Use Managed IT Services?

Although managed services are not solutions that are suitable for all business, it is a clear cut solution to a few important business challenges that are faced by businesses of all shapes and sizes.

High hardware cost – technology architecture is costly and there’s no guarantee that they won’t be obsolete after a few years.

Specialized technology – conventionally, firms could hire a few IT staff to develop, manage, and fix problems across the whole IT enterprise. Now, to guarantee availability and high performance, IT teams are created for every IT function.

Cost of qualified staff – IT staff are in high demand and they are expensive.

Shortage of qualified personnel – even if you have an IT team, the question is if you have enough. Is your team qualified when it comes to maintenance?

Cost of constant maintenance – If you don’t have issues with maintenance, the members of your IT staff could concentrate on projects that could enhance your business like updating the CRM or creating new lead generation analytics and so on.

Are There Any Complaints About Managed IT Services?

Managed service providers provide an affordable and convenient way to help companies run smoothly. But, in an effort to maximize profits while cutting back their resource investment, several MSPs have decided to take a shortcut.

Inflexible programs – there are some providers that develop rigid program specifications at the expense of the clients. Flexibility is oftentimes the reason why the client turns to managed IT services, to begin with.

Low touch client service – with strict communication lines, there are a few MSPs that can automate away access to human professionals.

A Reliable MSP Partner

There are several MSPs these days that offer a range of services, to be used in different ways. Some are truly value-added partners while others are just service vendors. So how do you differentiate a vendor from a true partner?

A good managed IT service partner is the one that provides great advice, challenges you, and provides an honest critic. A good partner is one who is transparent in all of their dealings with their client and above all, handles sensitive problems, hiccups or shutdowns that affect your business just like their very own.

At SpartanTec, Inc., we believe in creating committed partnerships with our clients. We develop collaborative prosperity that affects businesses positively. Call us now for more information.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Wyze User Information Leaked Include Emails And Other Data

Wyze is one of the many manufacturers of consumer-grade smart devices. They recently confirmed that user data belonging to nearly two and a half million of its customers was exposed. The root cause of the exposure was traced back to an unsecured database connected for nearly a month to an Elasticsearch cluster. This was during a period of time spanning December 4th to December 26th, 2019.

The company did not discover the database on their own. Rather, they were following a tip given to them by a reporter. This was following the developments of security researchers operating out of a company called Twelve Security, who initially discovered the database.The reporter published the article he was writing after contacting the company, but apparently, not in coordination with them.

Having been alerted to the problem, the company took swift action, but in this case, perhaps it was too swift. According to Dongsheng Song, one of the co-founders of the company and its current Chief Product Officer:

"We locked down the database in question before we were able to verify it was exposed. We did this as a precaution because the published article referenced a database connected to 'Elasticsearch': a search tool that we also used on our query database."

As to impacts, it has been confirmed that the database in question contained WiFi SSIDs, customer email addresses and smart device nicknames,.It did not contain passwords or any financial information, so although it's a serious issue, it's not as bad as it could have been.

Song also noted in a blog post on the matter that "there is no evidence that API tokens for iOS and Android were exposed, but we decided to refresh them as we started our investigation as a precautionary measure."

In a nutshell, the handling of this incident was botched and uneven, but it could have been much, much worse. Wyze dodged a bullet, as did the company's customers.

SpartanTec, Inc.

Myrtle Beach, SC  29577

843-418-4792

https://www.spartantec.com/

Upgrade From Windows 7 Now To Avoid Security Risks

By the time you read these words, the last day for Windows 7 support has already come and gone. The date set by Microsoft has been well known to most Windows 7 users for a while now, and the end of the line is officially January 14th, 2020. 

If your organization still has a few machines running on Windows 7, from here on, you're on your own. Every new bug found should be treated as a zero-day because no new security patches or bug fixes are coming.

If you cannot or will not migrate away from Windows 7, you're going to find yourself increasingly at risk. Fortunately, there are third-party solutions that can help mitigate that risk, including Cynet. Cynet describes itself as autonomous breach protection for Windows 7 users.

Cynet's founder and CEO Eyal Gruner had this to say:

"The reality is that Windows 7 is alive and kicking in many organizations, even if Microsoft chooses not to protect them anymore. It should be a wake-up call to any CISO to ask himself or herself how to adjust to this new reality.

One of our main guidelines when building Cynet 360 was to be able to operate in a fast-changing environment, meaning that every type of attack is analyzed from multiple perspectives, each resulting in a different protection mechanism. If we take exploits targeting Windows 7 as an example, there is first the exploit protection per-se. By closely monitoring process behavior in memory, the detection engine can easily detect behavioral patterns that are typical to exploits and would never occur in a legitimate process."

This then, is one possible security solution. You'll pay a hefty premium for it, but if you need your Windows 7 machines and want a measure of security, the added cost is part of the equation. The costs of upgrading to Windows 10 may be less, so look into it.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. and let our IT experts update all of your computers' operating system to avoid security risks and protect them against online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.

Myrtle Beach, SC  29577

843-418-4792

https://www.spartantec.com/

Landrys Restaurant Chain Latest Victim Of Credit Card Breach

If you're not familiar with Landry's, you're probably familiar with at least some of the restaurants the company owns.

The company recently issued a formal 'Notification of Data Breach' in which they disclosed that an unauthorized user was detected on their systems and that POS malware had been used between March 13 2019 and October 17, 2019.

In addition to that, in a few cases and locations, malware had been in place since January 18, 2019.

In all, they own more than six-hundred restaurants around the country, including:

• Landry's Seafood
• Chart House
• Saltgrass Steak House
• The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
• Claim Jumper
• Morton's
• McCormick and Schmick's
• Mastro's Restaurant
• The Rainforest Café
• Del Frisco's Grill
• And More

Fortunately, back in 2016, the company implemented a robust end-to-end encryption system, so any payment data sent through it would not have been compromised. Unfortunately, Landry's restaurants also have order entry systems that have card readers attached. These are not part of the end-to-end encryption system. Thus, any credit cards swiped through these systems would have seen their payment information compromised.

There's no way to be sure whether your card was swiped in a way that bypassed the encryption system. If you dined at any of Landry's restaurants between January 18, 2019 and October 17, 2019, the safest course of action is to assume that your payment card data may have been compromised. You should report the incident to your credit card provider to have a new card issued.

The investigation into this mater is ongoing and at this time. The company has not released any estimates on the number of payment cards that may have been compromised. Even if you opt not to report your card compromised, it pays to keep a close eye out on your account to monitor it for suspicious activity.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you want to make sure that your company's payment system as well as all your business data are protected from malware, hackers, and other potential threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

New Hacking Method Looks Like A Locked Computer

Scammers have breathed new life into an old scam.

For years, the old 'Law Enforcement Lock' trick has been used to cheat unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. The new wrinkle works like this:

Scammers will redirect users using the Chrome web browser to sites that host a full-screen image of a Windows 10 desktop with a notice that appears to come from local law enforcement agencies. This pages informs the user that their computer has been locked for some unspecified illegal activity.

The groups running this sort of scam make sure to display a legitimate government URL in order to make it look more convincing. Victims of this scam are informed that they can unlock their computer again by paying the fine via credit card, right then and there.

Of course, the computer actually isn't locked at all. However, this scam has taken in a surprising percentage of users who aren't paying close attention.

A typical lock screen from the scammers will bear a message that closely follows this script:

"Your browser has been locked due to viewing and dissemination of materials forbidden by law of (country name), namely pornography with pedophilia, rape and zoophilia. In order to unlocking you should (amount and currency type) fine with Visa or MasterCard. Your browser will be unlocked automatically after the fine payment.

Attention! In case of non-payment of the fine, or your attempts to unlock the device independently, case materials will be transferred to (name of local law enforcement agency) for the institution of criminal proceedings against you due to commitment of a crime."

As you can see from the grammatical errors in the script, this is by no means an official announcement, but it looks real enough that it sends people into a panic, causing them to enter credit card information without thinking.

Naturally, this information is harvested and resold on the Dark Web, putting money in the scammers' pockets. Make sure your employees are aware of it, and stay vigilant.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you want to make sure that your computers and your networks are safe from hackers and scammers. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Data Breaches Continue With Three New High Profile Cases

As 2019 draws to a close, we can say definitively that the year has been another record-breaking one where data breaches are concerned. Hackers around the world have been busy in recent weeks, with a trio of high-profile breaches making headlines.

In late November, one of China's largest manufacturers of smartphones (OnePlus) reported that an unauthorized third-party accessed their user data.

According to a company spokesman, "only a limited number" of customers were impacted and no payment information was accessed. Although the hackers did make off with customer names, addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses.

To this point, OnePlus has not released the exact number of compromised records. Their best estimates put it as a breach comparably sized to the one that the company suffered in January, which impacted some 40,000 users.

On November 28th 2019, Palo Alto Networks suffered a breach. It included personal information belonging to both current and former employees, and happened when an unnamed third-party gained unauthorized access to their network. In this case, the compromised data included employee names, dates of birth, and social security numbers. It gave the hackers more than enough information to steal the identities of the employees whose information was compromised.

Also in November of this year, Desjardins Group, which is Canada's largest federation of credit unions, announced that they had been breached. It resulted in the compromise of personal data belonging to some 4.2 million of its members, which included social insurance numbers, physical addresses and the banking habits of compromised members.

These, of course, are just the latest in an unending stream of breaches in 2019. If things remain on their current trajectory, we can expect that 2020 will be yet another record breaking year. Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Fortunately, there are ways to secure your devices and networks. Call SpartanTec, Inc. and let our team of IT experts set up the most effective strategy to protect your data and avoid potential breaches.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

What You Need To Know About Co-Managed IT Services

When it comes to the technology plan or managed IT services that your business needs, a one-size-fits-all or a cookie-cutter approach isn’t what you need. A proven process should be set in place if you want your business to move forward. A reliable firm will work with your company’s in-house IT manager to address certain concerns during the proprietary business and onboarding process review.

This involves the following:

1. Evaluating your business IT against the industry standards
2. Identifying technology risks and determining business impact
3. Concentrating on sequencing top priorities that address business risks
4. Prioritizing IT initiatives that support the initiatives of your business

All these information will then be used to create recommendations, which will be provided during the consultation. After that, the IT professionals will create a plan, budget, and roadmap from the comprehensive onboarding and business process. They will also take into account suggested business intelligence solution, application integration and selection, could advisement and strategy, industry compliance and security, remediation plan, cybersecurity action, business continuity solutions, and disaster recovery.

With a co-managed IT service, we will improve your internal IT department. The model used for the co-managed IT services will overlay the tested and proven procedure onto your existing IT structure. These experts will work with your tech team to create a technology plan that is aligned with the kind of business you have and assist in managing your daily IT operations, where you could make the most out of your investment.

Co-managed IT solutions generally include:

1. Continual standards alignment and dedicated network admistration
2. Development of an effective technology strategy
3. Preventative maintenance for the network as well as the end-point environment
4. Managed end-point security
5. Escalation support for your in-house IT-department
6. Cloud computing
7. Backup and disaster recovery
8. Data and IT security

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you are interested in learning more about how your company will benefit from co-managed IT services.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-561-9788
https://www.spartantec.com/

Are Hackers Using Popular Assistant Devices To Listen To Users?

The utility of virtual assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home are undeniable.  They're just genuinely handy devices to have around.

Unfortunately, they're also prone to abuse and exploits by hackers and unsavory developers. They can be used to spy on and even steal sensitive information from unsuspecting users.

This is not new in and of itself.  Security researchers around the world have, at various points over the last couple of years, sounded the alarm about weaknesses and exploits.  To the credit of both companies, any time this has happened, both Amazon and Google have responded promptly, plugging gaps and shoring up the security of their devices.

Unfortunately, every few months or so, new exploits are discovered.  The two companies are essentially playing Whack-A-Mole with security flaws, which appear to have no end.

Recently, security experts published two videos, one for Alexa and one for Google Home. Each demonstrated a simple back-end exploit that anyone with a DevKit could employ.  The exploits revolve around inserting a question character (U+D801, dot, space) to various locations in the code. Then they introduce a long pause during which the assistant remains active and listening.

To give you an idea of how this could be exploited, one of the example videos shows a horoscope app triggering an error, but the presence of the special character introduces a long pause during which the app is still active.

During the long pause, the app asks the user for their Amazon/Google password while faking a convincing looking update message from Amazon or Google itself.  Given the long pause, few users associate the poisoned horoscope app with the password request.  It seems like it's coming from the device itself.

It's both sneaky and troublesome, and worst of all, even when both companies move to address this issue. By this time next month if history is a guide, there will be others.  We're not saying not to use them, but when you do, be very mindful.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team set up an effective IT strategy to protect your devices and network from all kinds of online threats and exploits.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-561-9788
https://www.spartantec.com/

Driver In Some WiFi Devices Could Allow Hackers Access

You almost certainly do not know the name Hugues Anguelkov.  He's an intern working for Quarkslab, where he spends his time researching potential security issues. He's also a bit of an unsung hero because he recently uncovered a string of five devastating vulnerabilities in the Broadcom wl driver and the open-source brcmfmac driver for Broadcom WiFi chipsets. If you own or manage a business, always get managed IT services to stay away from these problems.

That's significant because it turns out that these drivers are used in a staggering array of equipment around the world.

Anguelkov writes:

"You can find these chips almost everywhere from smartphones to laptops, smart-TVs and IoT devices.  You probably use one without knowing it, for example if you have a Dell laptop, you may be using a bcm43224 or a bcm4352 card.  It is also likely you use a Broadcom WiFi chip if you have an iPhone, a Mac book, a Samsung phone or a Huawei phone, etc.  Since these chips are so widespread they constitute a high value target to attackers and any vulnerability found in them should be considered to pose high risk."

He goes on to say that two of vulnerabilities he found are present in both the Linux kernel and the firmware of certain Broadcom chips. He added that the most common application, from a hacker's perspective, would be to utilize them to launch a remote denial of service attack. Shield your business from such attacks by having managed IT services Myrtle Beach.

In all, this vulnerability impacts equipment made by a staggering 166 different technology vendors worldwide, which means that it's incredibly likely that you're using a vulnerable piece of equipment right now.

The good news is that Broadcom is currently working on the issue and although no firm timeframe has been given for when we might expect a fix, given the scope and scale of this issue, the company is certainly motivated to make it happen quickly.  For the time being, there's not much for you to do here, other than be mindful that the issue exists and be on the lookout for a fix from Broadcom. Updates will patch up the vulnerabilities and improve computer security for all affected users.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you are looking for a reliable and reputable IT consultant to help make sure that your computers are safe and secure.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-418-4792
https://www.spartantec.com/