April 2023 | help4IT

Different Areas of IT Support Explained

Posted on April 28, 2023May 12, 2023 by Tom Finnis

IT support is essential for the smooth running of any business or organisation that relies on technology to deliver its services or products. At help4IT, we provide a range of IT support packages to help organisations keep their hardware, software, and network infrastructure running efficiently with minimal downtime for staff and operations.

Here we explain the different areas of IT support and how partnering with us can help you to manage these areas far more effectively.

How do you assist with hardware support?

Hardware support is an essential component of any IT support package. IT companies provide hardware support services to help organisations keep their hardware running smoothly. At help4IT, we provide hardware support in several ways, including:

On-site Support – where we arrange for one of our engineers to attend on-site to help fix hardware-related issues. This type of support is particularly useful for organisations that have many hardware devices that require maintenance and repair.
Remote support – where we provide support to our clients using remote access tools. This type of support is particularly useful for organisations that require ad-hoc assistance with smaller numbers of devices.
Preventive maintenance – much of the work we do at help4IT is around helping clients to prevent hardware-related issues. This type of support involves regular inspections, cleaning, and testing of hardware devices to ensure they are running smoothly.

How do you assist with software support?

Software support is another critical aspect of any IT support package. At help4IT, we provide software support services to help our clients keep their software up-to-date and running as expected. We regularly assist our clients with:

Software installation – if a client is introducing new software into the business, we can help ensure that it is rolled out correctly across all device types.
Software updates – we often assist our clients with licensing renewals, updates, and training for new staff members. This type of support is important because software updates can fix security vulnerabilities, improve software performance, and enable staff to work more efficiently.
Software troubleshooting – if our clients are having trouble with any aspect of their software, our team provides support in identifying the root cause of the problem and providing a solution to fix it.

How do you assist with network infrastructure management?

Network infrastructure management is critical to operational efficiency, particularly for larger-sized businesses. At help4IT, we assist our clients with:

Network design – this involves identifying the hardware and software required to build the network and designing the network topology.
Network installation – this involves installing the hardware and software required to build the network and configuring the network settings.
Network monitoring – this involves using network monitoring tools to identify network-related issues and provide a solution to fix them.

How do you assist with cloud computing?

Cloud computing has become a popular way for organisations to store and access data and applications. At help4It, we help our clients with cloud computing through cloud support services such as:

Cloud migration – this involves identifying the data and applications that need to be migrated and selecting the appropriate cloud provider.
Cloud management – this involves monitoring the cloud infrastructure to ensure it is running smoothly and providing a solution to fix any issues.
Cloud security – this involves implementing appropriate security measures such as firewalls and data encryption.

How do you assist with mobile device management?

Mobile devices have become an essential part of business operations, and IT companies can help organisations manage their mobile devices by providing mobile device management (MDM) services. At help4IT, we often assist our clients with MDM services such as:

Device configuration – this involves selecting and configuring a range of mobile devices to meet the demands of the client’s business.
Security management – mobile devices present a significant security risk so it’s important to ensure all devices are secure by implementing appropriate security measures such as passcodes, encryption, and remote wipe capabilities.
Application management – this involves installing and updating applications and ensuring they are secure and compliant with company policies.

How do you assist with cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity has become a top concern for businesses as cyber threats continue to evolve and become more sophisticated. At help4IT, we assist our clients with:

Risk assessments – helping to identify and assess our clients’ cybersecurity risks. This involves analysing their infrastructure, policies, and procedures to identify potential vulnerabilities.
Security implementation – including firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems.
Incident response – helping our clients respond to cyber incidents. This involves identifying the cause of the incident, containing the damage, and restoring normal operations.

Do you require assistance with your IT support?

At help4IT, we provide a range of solutions for keeping our clients’ hardware, software, network infrastructure, cloud computing, mobile devices, and cybersecurity running smoothly and efficiently. Contact us today to find out more.

“We are a people business” – Mel Patel on the founding of help4IT

Posted on April 17, 2023June 12, 2023 by Mel Patel

When I first founded help4IT Limited, it was already clear to me that I wanted my company to be one of
a kind. IT is often seen as boring and complex with plenty of terminologies that would turn any business
owner off within 5 minutes. I wanted to build a business that is exactly the opposite.

I’ve always appreciated and respected people I meet and love helping where I can. This was also the
cornerstone of help4IT when I embarked on the mission to build an IT company that is also a people
business. I wanted my clients to feel heard, respected and understood. I didn’t want my clients to feel
puzzled when an IT manager explains what needs to be done, I wanted everything to be clear and simple.

This philosophy has resulted in long-term relationships with both employees and clients. I value
connection and relationship and that also shows in our relationship. Many of the help4IT team have
been around for over a decade and so have many clients like Groundswell who we’ve been working with
for over 15 years already.

One size doesn’t fit all

Another reason for customer loyalty is that we understand that one size doesn’t fit all. This is why we
take time to listen and understand the requirements of our valued clients instead of playing that we
know it all. We tailor our services to provide the optimal solution for our clients. From cybersecurity and
MSP to consulting and providing pay-as-you-go with the features that are vital for our clients has
ensured that our customers are happy.

We are family

I take pride in having around me people who have become family to me. With time, me, my team at
help4IT, and our clients have become like family. When you treat people like family, they are more likely to
stay with you long-term. Investing in relationships is a vital ingredient in our success story.

Are You Monitoring Your Front Door to Check You’re Not Being Raided?

Posted on April 6, 2023July 18, 2023 by Tom Finnis

A couple of decades ago it was rather common for MSP providers to tell clients it’s enough to monitor a couple of choke points to stay safe. The reason for this was that it was extremely expensive to monitor all the devices, so the common procedure was to monitor only 1 or 2 devices.

These days it’s not enough as cyber security attacks evolve and become more sophisticated. Imagine yourself watching the front door and the thief enters from the bedroom window and kidnaps your child without you noticing. This is what happens when you focus on a couple of choke points using a traditional wired security solution which is expensive. Now, it’s more cost-effective to monitor your whole premises as you can have sensors installed in all vulnerable areas like windows and doors around your house. The same goes for cyber security. With the development of new solutions, you can cost-effectively monitor and secure all your devices at once, mitigating all your cyber security risks.

The threat can come from many sources

Where traditionally the threat comes in form of a phishing email, now hackers also use existing companies to execute their malicious plans. Just a few days ago a business consultant contacted us telling that she was contacted by a US-based company enquiring about her services on LinkedIn. The person who had either hacked into the actual marketing manager’s profile or had created a fake profile sent the consultant a folder link that seemed reliable and legit. Once the business consultant downloaded it, her cyber security system alerted her of Trojan viruses in that folder. She took appropriate action that saved her from harm being inflicted on her devices. This shows how important it is to have proper cyber security installed on your devices and how smart cybercriminals have become.

What can you do to stay safe?

It’s surprisingly common for organisations and especially for SMEs to think they won’t become a victim of a cyber-attack until they experience it. This results often in losing valuable data and in the worst case can also lead to a recovery time of weeks or even a month. So, what can you do to stay safe? If you’re already using Microsoft’s products, it’s a good idea for you to also leverage Microsoft Sentinel which is a SOC platform that gives you a bird’s-eye view across your whole organization. It detects, hunts for threats and responds accordingly, giving you peace of mind. Sentinel leverages AI in hunting and identifying cyber threats and attacks which makes it an extremely efficient tool for protecting you, your team, and your customers.

Book a cybersecurity risk assessment today.

Are You Prepared for a Cyber-Attack?

Posted on April 3, 2023July 18, 2023 by Tom Finnis

By March of this year, there had already been around 300 million breaches and attacks worldwide. This goes to show that criminals are becoming more active and leveraging different tools and strategies to get what they want. This raises the question “ARE YOU READY FOR A CYBER ATTACK”? The reason it is best to rely on a cybersecurity company is due to the fact they have teams of cybersecurity experts who have the extensive education and experience needed to combat the various types of attacks. If you have some kind of cybersecurity product installed on your network of devices, you are going to be able to prevent a good number of attacks, but without an expert that constantly reads reports and anticipates the different threats, you are at risk. Experts do not need to turn to a manual every time there appears to be a threat. Companies need a team to be on the constant lookout for things such as zero-day attacks and other unseen threats that may appear.

Just look at all the different kinds of cybersecurity companies and products that exist, it’s because attacks can come from your cloud, servers, firewalls, SDS systems, personal devices and more. With a SIEM solution, you will not only get preventative software, but real-time notifications on serious threats, not false positives. In addition, if an attack is detected, your hired team of experts will start working with you to find a solution within minutes of an attack.

What are hackers using now?

As cyber security evolves, so does cybercrime. Now hackers don’t only rely on crafting phishing emails and malicious payloads by themselves, they leverage AI to generate them. They also use alternative methods to lure business owners like you into their trap. Social media is becoming one channel they use to execute their plans. Hackers can take over a person’s account and pretend to be the person and then once initial communication has been established and they enquire about your product or service they send you a Cloud folder link that contains a virus. So, the threat can come your way from many directions. A third one is a direct hack into your system. This is a commonly used tactic, especially against governmental and public institutions but sometimes can be used against businesses as well.

What can an attack cost you?

According to Statista, the cyber-attacks cost UK businesses between 861GBP and 8040GBP depending on the size of the business. This goes to show that considering a cyber attack an accident and not being prepared can be a costly mistake. Fraudulent emails and websites were behind 80% of the attacks that resulted in financial loss for businesses. If you want to minimize the risk of suffering a financial impact due to an attack, it’s vital that you take preventative measures before it happens to you.

Do you want to mitigate your risks? Contact us today for a free initial risk assessment.

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Month: April 2023