Why Hiring An Outsourced CIO Is A Strategic Move For Denver Organizations

Why Hiring an Outsourced CIO Is a Strategic Move for Denver Organizations

According to bizjournals.com, the average salary for technology professionals was $102,557 in 2019, the seventh-highest of all cities in the U.S. Due to the current unprecedented economic turmoil, your organization may find it tough to justify the cost of a full-time, experienced, skilled, and expensive senior technology executive such as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO), IT Director, or Chief Information Officer (CIO).

No matter your company’s financial situation, you still need someone to manage your entire IT department and diagnose any areas which require development – whether they are processes, your people, or business platforms. They should also provide an overarching tech strategy to help you achieve your business goals. The solution is engaging interim, contract, or part-time outsourced CIO services from a company like Elevate Services Group. This type of service is commonly known as CIO as a Service.

Outsourced CIO Services

Benefits of CIO-as-a-Service for Organizations in Denver

Elevate Services Group’s outsourced CIO in Denver is essential if you are to cut down on your costs while implementing the technology that aligns with your business strategy. The CIO as a Service helps your business to grow while fulfilling customer expectations in the following ways:

Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Projects

During an interview at Lockheed Martin, MIT researcher Liz Reynolds said, “Colorado is at the forefront of thinking about [Artificial Intelligence]. All jobs [in the state] will be affected by this technology.” Liz is just one of the tech experts who believe that AI is the next big step in business technology. Gartner’s CIO Agenda Survey 2020 that polled 1,070 senior IT leaders and CIOs found that 40% of them plan to deploy projects powered by AI in the next 12 months to enable them to achieve strategic organizational goals. Because Outsourced CIO is a role, not a job description, Elevate has experts to cater to each step of the implementation.

Planning For IoT

The reach of the world wide web expands every day. As a result, technologies that were unknown just a few years ago, like remote management of computers and automated functions through smartphones, are now commonplace. For the CIO, as users gain access to more sophisticated devices, more advanced controls are necessary to stop unauthorized equipment from connecting to internal networks. You require outsourced CIO to properly manage all devices, including those developed and sold by smaller manufacturers and requiring niche knowledge. CIO as a Service helps your business prepare for an environment with fewer on-premises employees.

Management of Your Cybersecurity

In the last decade, businesses in Colorado suffered almost 200 major data breaches, affecting more than 5 million people. Management of internet security is a crucial responsibility for many company boards and IT departments. Because of increasing threat vectors, and the potential loss of your employees managing your organization’s cybersecurity, you need to move CIO responsibility from an individual to a team of experts at Elevate Services Group. Outsourced CIO ensures your network, applications, databases, files, and devices are secure by constant remote monitoring, patching your mission-critical software, setting up and updating IDS/IPS or firewall hardware, software and rules.

Succession Planning

Although few organizations consider a CIO a significant player in succession planning, this tech role helps address specific potential staffing issues. Some of the areas that the CIO is concerned with include planning for the loss of people who work on data security and management, cybersecurity management, operations administration, network management, risk and compliance, governance, application development, and physical security.

However, if you have a single employee handling the CIO portfolio, they are likely to ignore strategic succession planning in favor of more traditional tech and cybersecurity duties.
However, outsourced CIO can handle the daily IT maintenance responsibilities while catering to succession planning by preparing a database of your key employees and their primary capabilities and skills. This information helps you identify internal training opportunities for employees who can support or take over from your key people.

Moving Corporate IT Focus from Operations to Innovation

A CIO is a critical cog in moving your IT department’s focus from strictly operational to working closely with your Line-of-Business (LOB) leaders. This transformation is to ensure the development of innovations that move your business’ strategic goals forward. Therefore, your CIO needs to be vital in facilitating solution development that supports your company’s growth. Although the software development lifecycle is still essential, CIO as a Service lets you transform traditional approaches to developing solutions into modern methodologies for better outcomes. Outsourced CIOs meet regularly with your LOB managers to gain a better understanding of what they need. The meetings also help identify the most cost-effective solutions based on the large number of technologies that are part of the CIO’s toolbox.

Taking Advantage of Edge Computing

A recent Gartner study found enterprises generate and process about 10 percent of their data outside of the cloud or central data center. The research indicates that the figure should rise to as much as 75 percent by 2025. By adding more computing power to your user’s edge devices, you quickly improve your overall efficiency by giving them capabilities that would otherwise be handled by your servers.
Although edge computing eliminates many latency issues that server communications suffer from, it requires a diverse skillset and expertise to implement securely.

Elevate Services Group will provide you with outsourced CIO services that will help you devise a strategic IT plan while giving you the leadership your business needs.

Elevate gives you an independent, experienced, and on-demand CIO to ensure that you efficiently and effectively utilize your IT assets to achieve your strategic aims. CIO as a Service looks at your existing software platforms, critical corporate stakeholders, and technology vendors when helping you to make purchasing decisions.

Does your Denver, Colorado-based company need to acquire the IT management expertise and experience your organization requires for a fraction of the on-premises tech management cost? Contact the Elevate Services Group to find out how outsourced CIO in Denver gives you a competitive advantage.

What Is The Modern Workplace?

Transforming Your Company Into A Modern Workplace

What is the modern workplace? To some organizations, it’s an office with a downtown street address, exquisite interior decor, or a fully stocked kitchen. While to others, it’s the integration of the latest technological advancements into their systems. However, transforming your Company into a modern workplace is more than having the newest furniture, architectural designs, or IT infrastructure in an office.

The business world is continuously evolving, and specific aspects of the workplace, such as office spaces, the 9-to-5 work schedule, and emails as the primary source of communication, are slowly becoming extinct. These advancements have made having a modern workplace to be essential to every business.

Both emerging and established organizations are continually looking for ways of creating modern working environments for their staff. This can be achieved by advancing communication mediums and providing more digital collaborative methods to remain competitive, innovative, and relevant in their fields.

Here is a short video on what a modern workplace entails:

What Aspects Define the Modern Workplace?

How can your Company’s working environment develop into a modern workplace? Below are some elements of a modern workplace that should be integrated into your Company to attain this status:

Having a Mobile Workforce

In today’s business environment where your employees are continually on the move and working different corners of the globe, it’s expected that you should support them by enabling them to have access to company data from anywhere, at any time, and on any device. Allowing employees to work remotely is an arrangement that many businesses are currently adopting.

According to IBM, the worldwide mobile workforce is predicted to reach 1.87 billion workers by 2021. To cater for this, companies need to provide their employees with the means to securely access company files, the Company’s networks, and communication systems from any device. This way, employees can access the latest technology being used by the Company and an updated database.

Having immediate access to this data enhances team member productivity and expands the Company’s reach. The ability to work remotely introduces a more flexible working schedule for employees, meaning they take less time off work vacationing.

Microsoft 365 provides employees with the opportunity to bring-your-own-device (BYOD) support.

Having A Collaborative Workforce

Another essential aspect of a modern workforce is a collaboration among team members. A survey conducted concluded that 86% of employees and executives cited the lack of cooperation as a reason for workplace failures. For employees working remotely to do so efficiently, their companies need to provide them with the ability to communicate with each other anytime, from anywhere, and via several communication mediums.

Thus, companies are turning to cloud-based computing solutions such as Microsoft 365 that provide employees with suitable and straightforward collaboration toolkits. This cloud-based software offers employees a storage system that enables employees to upload and edit large amounts of data online, share documents with colleagues, and access this data from various locations.

It also supports high definition videos, shared calendars, content sharing, and team chats to help teams collaborate in real-time and stay in-sync around the clock. Such applications provide organizations with a central network that enables them to work on projects together, know who is working on what project, and collaborate effectively.

That’s the whole idea behind collaborations, working together seamlessly to improve your Company’s productivity.

Improved Data Security And Accessibility

Companies collect vast amounts of data from their clients every day. This flow of data requires businesses to have reliable, secure storage systems. With cases of cyber-attacks becoming more frequent and sophisticated, physical data servers are easily being compromised. Therefore, companies need a more secure way of storing data.

For this reason, organizations are embracing cloud-based computing solutions to modernize their workplace. The cloud provides more storage security and is much more economical compared to traditional physical data storage. One of the benefits of using the cloud is the ability to access client data and customer files from anywhere and anytime.

Microsoft 365 simplifies security by providing holistic security strategies to businesses. It secures devices, apps, users, and data across a company’s digital platform. Organizations can, therefore, detect, protect, and respond to cyber-threats using access and identity management, security management, information protection, and threat protection capabilities.

Improved Process Automation

Most of the tasks that your employees are doing are repetitive. These tasks eat up their working time and distract them from more high-impact duties. Automation of some of these processes will enable the Company to offload these time-consuming, repetitive tasks so that your staff can work on more responsibilities aligned with the core of your business.

This automation allows your employees to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. As a step to modernizing your workforce, find aspects in your Company that should be automated.

Microsoft 365 automation solutions give your Company the ability to automate time-consuming tasks, thereby optimizing system operations and improving the efficiency of your Company.

Being Up To Date With The Latest Technological Advancements

With technology consistently advancing, your employees need to be acquainted with these updates. Providing training and these technological tools to your employees will help increase motivation, engagement, and productivity. More so, not having access to this technology will bar your business from remaining competitive.

What Are The Benefits Of Having A Modern Workplace?

  1. Your Company’s Productivity Is Increased: The main benefit of a modern workplace is increased company productivity. Employees’ ability to work from anywhere, at any time, and on any device, the flexibility it brings, plus the ability to effectively collaborate with colleagues, leads to improved productivity in the long run.
  2. Your Data Security Is Enhanced: Moving your data to the cloud improves security and reduces your risk of experiencing a data breach.
  3. Your Company Gets A Competitive Edge: Having a modern workplace gives you an edge of attracting more clients and employees than a company that doesn’t have one.

The secret to attaining a modern workplace is investing in the right IT infrastructure and training employees.

Elevate Service Group is an IT firm that has been servicing businesses in Denver with modern workplace solutions. With years of experience and expertise in managed IT solutions, security systems, and cloud-based computing solutions, we are your trusted IT company.

Click here to get started or call us at (888) 586-2863 to schedule a consultation.

Is Switching IT Companies In Denver Difficult?

Factors That Will Make Switching IT Companies in Denver Easier

Digital transformation is a vital part of running an enterprise. It offers scalable yet robust business operational tools that streamline every process. These effects trickle down to every level of your organization. So, finding a way to reign in the risks they present is essential to organizations that seek to make an impact in their industry.

However, you probably have many things to deal with to ensure that your business delivers consistent services to its clients. Outsourcing IT services is a sure-fire way of getting cloud migration. Digital integration strategies go off without a hitch.

Do you feel as if you could get more from your outsourced IT services provider? Maybe they only show up when something breaks down and offer minimal systems monitoring services. Or, it could make you feel as if your business needs are not a priority to them. Then, it might a good time to consider switching IT companies.

It may sound challenging, but Switching IT companies in Denver is easier than you assume. And, the following considerations will make it a walk in the park.

Experience

Technology keeps on changing, and IT services providers keep up with each leap. They’ve always been there to help businesses remain operational and updated. In the process, services providers gain an insight into the exact needs of companies in various industries.

Therefore, the number of years and companies that an IT service provider has under its belt is an important factor. A high level of experience can be leveraged to ensure your core systems remain operational.

An experienced service provider will know exactly the exact deliverables your company seeks. This saves you a lot of time and money created by the latency of a less experienced option. Therefore, ensure that you maintain a key focus on experience when switching IT companies in Denver.

Customization

There are no cure-all solutions when it comes to integrating technology into your enterprise. Therefore, IT services come as a bundle of specialty options. Why you’d want to switch services providers is understandable if they came with few specialty services. In such a case, you’d need to go for a company that can deal with a wider range of solutions.

More importantly, such solutions should be customizable. After all, you don’t want to pay for services that you don’t need.

Scalability

Did your company’s IT needs outgrow your current service provider? In that case, it may be advisable to shift to another IT company. This will help you expand your business through clear-cut solutions that optimize your core processes.

If all factors remain constant, your IT need will continue growing as your business expands. This could present a problem in the future in your IT solutions where not modeled on scalability. But what makes IT solutions scalable? Scalable options are solutions that can be adjusted to address the changing needs of your business as it expands or contracts.

And, with the current global uncertainties, scalable IT solutions can cushion your enterprise from the splintering effects as it builds towards a sustainable future.

Business Models

IT companies in Denver come in various shapes and service scopes. There’s the breakdown/fix solutions provider and managed IT service companies. As the name intones, Breakdown/fix companies show up only when something has gone wrong.

Such companies’ business models are based on response with few countermeasures. This could be frustrating, especially when they take time to react to your company’s technical issues.

On the other hand, managed IT firms are always on the clock to ensure nothing goes wrong in the first place. They have a proactive approach to your business needs and constantly monitor it for errors.

This allows them to react to issues before they spiral out of control. The contrast between the two models can help guide your ultimate decision when switching companies. It also allows you to pick an option that fits into your company’s business model.

Risk Mitigation

An IT company’s risk mitigation capability is pegged to various factors. Such qualities include experience levels, tactical adaptability, and their grasp on the latest technology. Technologies such as CRM, cloud computing, and anything can frustrate your employees if not expertly handled. So, always look at the reviews before settling on a new IT company.

Strategic business planning also calls for effective contingencies to various plausible scenarios. Let’s a DDoS attack or latencies in your cloud drives wipe out your core data. It such a case you’d suffer a manageable inconvenience if your IT services provider made sufficient data backups in anticipation.

Cost-Effectiveness

Switching IT services in Denver could ensure they deliver a higher ROI value. It’s more than cutting down on taking related expenses. Your preferred IT service provider should be able to break down the value each of their services delivers to your enterprise.

A cost-benefit analysis is crucial since every IT company has a different operational procedure. Some IT companies may even charge less than their competitors charge but deliver better services. So many factors go into settling on the most affordable option. But, it’s always wise to shop around before setting.

Are You Shifting IT companies in Denver? Consider Elevate.

Now you can create a checklist that will help you make the right choice when switching IT companies in Denver. You can start by from the recommendations of your associates. A Google search can make the task easier, just be sure you read the reviews to avoid any disappointments.

But, why scour the mean streets of Denver looking for IT service companies? When you could settle for the best, Elevate!

Elevate was founded by business owners, corporate executives, and IT professions who were fed up with the way IT companies address operational concerns. We understand the shifting needs of your enterprise as they try to fit into a technological landscape.

Our zeal for technology, skilled crews, and excellent monitoring tools will ensure your business systems experience fewer latencies.

Click here to get started or call us at (888) 586-2863.

How To Combine Multiple PDF Files

In many cases, you might want to combine multiple PDF files to create a single document. Disseminating information is often easier when you share one file instead of many. If you have Adobe PDF Pro, it’s easy enough to combine more than one document. You can also make several documents out of one large document. This is often common when you need to upload a file, but it’s too large.

 

Combining Two or More PDF Files

  • STEP 1: Open Adobe PDF Pro.
  • STEP 2: Open the first document you want to combine.
  • STEP 3: Click “Document,” then “Insert Pages.”
  • STEP 4: Choose “From File.” The dialog box will open. Choose the file you want to append to the first file by double-clicking it. A new dialog box will open. You can also choose “From Clipboard” if you copied something and need to paste it into the current file.
  • STEP 5: Choose the location from the drop-down box. Your choices are “Before” and “After.”
  • STEP 6: Choose “First,” “Last,” or “Page.” If you choose “Page,” you will need to enter a page number. Thus, you can insert a new file at the very beginning by choosing “Before” and “First.” you can insert a file at the very end of the first document by choosing “After” and “Last.” Or, you can insert a file in the middle of a document by choosing ‘before’ or ‘after’ and entering a page number.
  • STEP 7: Scroll through the document to ensure the second file is where you expected it to be.
  • STEP 8: Save the file with a new filename.

Removing Pages

  • STEP 1: Open the PDF document you need to break down.
  • STEP 2: Click “Document,” then “Extract Pages.” A dialog box will open.
  • STEP 3: Enter the pages you want to extract. For example, if you want to extract pages 2 and 3, you would enter ‘2’ in the first box and ‘3’ in the second.
  • STEP 4: Choose one of the boxes: “Delete Pages After Extracting” or “Extract Pages as Separate Files.” If you choose to delete the pages, the system will remove the pages from the document and then delete them. If you choose to extract pages as separate files, the system will open the pages in a new PDF document.
  • STEP 5: Choose “Yes” or “No” when the “Are You Sure?” dialog box pops up.
  • STEP 6: Save the newly edited document. If you chose to save the extracted pages as another document, be sure you save that document.

Additional Functions

You can also replace pages, delete pages, and split a file. One of the most useful functions is to split the file. Often, when you need to upload a PDF that is too big, instead of guessing how many pages make a certain file size, you can tell Adobe PDF Pro what size to split the file into. This is extremely helpful for law offices who upload PDF files to the clerk – county and federal clerks often put a file size restriction on files and pleadings often exceed that file size, especially when you have several attachments.

  • STEP 1: Open the file you want to split.
  • STEP 2: Choose “Document,” then “Split Document.”
  • STEP 3: If you know the number of pages you want in each file, choose the radio button for ‘Max Pages’ and enter the number in the box. If you want to divide the file into several files that are a specific file size, choose the ‘File Size’ radio button and enter the file size in megabytes in the box. You also have a third choice to split the file by top-level bookmarks.
  • STEP 4: Click “OK.” Adobe will split the file. A new dialog box will pop up telling you how many documents the system created. Click “OK.” You can find your files in the folder where the original document is located. They will have the same file name and ‘Part X’ appended to the file name.

Adobe Pro makes it easy to create files from files and to manipulate the files if you need to break them down, or if you need to add another file in the middle of your original file.

Managed IT Services vs. IT Outsourcing (Comparison)

 

IT Managed Services vs. IT Outsourcing: What’s the Difference?

 

While there are some similarities between IT outsourcing and partnering with an IT managed service, there are also important differences that could spell the difference between a highly successful business and one struggling to move ahead and reach core goals. Read on to discover which IT management model is the best option for your business.

 

 

What are the Advantages of IT Outsourcing?

 

Outsourcing means trusting a third-party service provider to handle one or more IT jobs with minimal supervision on your end. The most commonly outsourced tasks are software application, software application maintenance, and running a data center. These specialized jobs often require skills that are in short supply, leaving a business with no choice but to find a company or individual in another city, state, or even country that can provide needed technical services.

 

Gaining access to specialized expertise is one of the biggest advantages of IT outsourcing. However, it’s not the only one. Many companies have found that it’s far cheaper to outsource certain IT functions than it is to hire full-time experts to hire these tasks in-house. The average annual salary for an IT technician in the United States is well over $74,500, and this sum does not include expected benefits such as help with repaying student loans, relocation assistance, professional development assistance, and parental leave. Given this fact, it’s not surprising that many companies turn to outsourced IT services and even overseas IT professionals to get expert help at a reasonable cost.

 

Two other important advantages of working with an outsourced IT service is flexible and scalable service options. You can avail yourself of IT expertise in a particular field when you need it, without having to hire a full-time employee for a set period of time. If you need additional help at certain times of the year, your outsourced IT company can bring in extra technicians to help you out for a limited time period.

 

What are the Disadvantages of IT Outsourcing?

 

At the same time, outsourcing some or all your IT services has its downsides. One big problem with many IT outsourcing companies is that they don’t conduct preventative maintenance or regularly assess your IT set-up to improve your services. Rather, they are simply on call in case something breaks down or goes wrong. Relying on a company with a “break it/fix it” service model will limit downtime and keep your IT department running reasonably well but won’t help you use technology to its full potential or empower you to get ahead of the competition. Furthermore, outsourcing IT services to a company located in a distant city, state, or even country can be problematic if misunderstandings arise and/or you need in-person assistance.

What are the Advantages of Partnering with an IT Managed Service Provider?

 

IT managed services are outsourcing companies that partner with you to provide a range of IT tools and services, including cybersecurity services, business continuity planning, IT consulting, cloud storage and support, software development, IT training for employees, and IT monitoring and support. IT managed services can either handle all your IT needs or partner with your in-house IT technician or department to offer specialized services as needed.

 

IT managed services, unlike outsourced IT services, specializing in providing proactive IT assistance to improve your overall IT set-up. IT managed service providers routinely monitor your whole network to ensure that there are no cybersecurity vulnerabilities or potential problems that could lead to data breaches or downtime. They offer advice on IT upgrades to help you save time and money, improve customer services and overall operations, and get to know new technologies that could help you take your business to the next level. What’s more, many IT managed services specialize in certain industries, making it possible for you to get IT support from someone who is familiar with your business needs and industry requirements.

 

IT managed service providers offer scalable, flexible services to suit your needs and budget. In fact, many of these companies offer complimentary IT system assessments to help you better understand your IT set-up and how to improve it to meet your current and future needs. IT managed services are essentially an extension of your business. You don’t have to put the IT technicians on your payroll but you can count on them to provide both virtual and in-house support. They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They’re there for you no matter what.

 

What are the Disadvantages of Partnering with an IT Managed Service Provider?

 

Sadly, some IT managed service providers offer sub-par service or are simply unable to keep up with the demands of your growing business. In such instances, it can be difficult to switch over to a new IT managed service as your current service will have full access and control over your IT set-up. It’s important to select an IT managed service with care and caution to ensure it’s the best fit for your business now and in the future.

 

It’s also worth noting that IT managed services may not be able to provide specialized forms of assistance that can only be obtained by outsourcing or hiring an in-house technician. Thankfully, IT managed service providers offer the flexibility you need to partner with any expert who can help you grow your business. Your IT managed service can even work directly with your outsourced IT company, freeing you to focus on business growth rather than IT development, repair, and maintenance.

 

Do you need a specific, specialized IT job done for your business? If so, IT outsourcing could be your best bet. However, if your goal is to keep your IT department running smoothly and securely at all times, partnering with an IT managed service is the way to go. Getting professional outside help and support for your IT set-up will not only enable you to focus on other important aspects of your business but also provide you with expert advice and support to improve operations and use technology to reach your business goals faster than would have otherwise been possible.

Stop Intruders From Breaking Into Your Business With Network Penetration Testing

The Value Proposition of Deploying Network Penetration Testing in Denver  

Data security vulnerability has escalated exponentially with the evolution of network technology. The 2019 Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Reports indicate that 52% of breaches involved hacking, 21% engineered by human error, 15% involved misuse by authorized users, and 33% involved social engineering. This points to a severe need for data security arrangements.

For this reason, is it practical to question the efforts put into place to curb such vulnerabilities? Has the veracity of security testing developed since its discovery? Have our systems adopted new approaches to the measurement of data security and tools to counter the problems? What do you understand by network penetration testing? Read further to get a more profound understanding of this testing procedure and how it protects from intruders.

Deploying Network Penetration Testing in Denver

What is Network Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing or pen test is deployed to identify systemic vulnerabilities in a network. Necessarily, a pen test interferes with an attack or attempts to surpass the controls in place. It also provides a report on areas of weaknesses for appropriate action to follow.

A pen test is a configured and active action to evaluate network security through a careful examination to counter any form of foreign attack. This process helps to endorse the reliability of the defensive system and adherence of end-users to security requirements.

What Are the Two Types of Network Penetration Testing?

Network Penetration testing in Denver is split into internal and external pen test. An external penetration exploits any critical attacks that could be engulfed by an adverse compromise disrupting daily operations, damaging and stealing private information.

On the other hand, an internal test usually assumes a system has in-house network access. It alerts the business owner in case an employee attempts to get data without official authorization. It can also forecast the magnitude of damage an attack can cause if an employee lays their hands on a phishing attack. Additionally, it reveals how deep your network users could go to obtain privileged information by linking their computers to the network.

An internal pen test is deployed to establish, compile, and report vulnerability areas. The implementation of both methodologies provides a clearer insight into IT-related business risks, including recommending appropriate mitigation measures.

Which Industries Require Network Penetration Testing?

Most hackers, whether amateurs or expert, shares similar goals; stealing valuable resources away from your business. Their focus also shifts to sabotaging workflows in your corporation. Noteworthy, a single hacking attack may result in downtime, hence, harming your company’s image.

Business partners and clients may worry about their security due to ties with your organization. Therefore, any entity, small or large, that depends on IT must have a firm grip on network testing and update its security topography. This forestalls the negative impact of system sabotage and hacking.

How HackerProof is Your System?

The striking difference between an actual hacking event and penetration test is the safety preserved throughout the penetration test. It emulates a hacking activity and interferes with the attacks to reveal the potential damage of a malicious attack. Crucially, a company can gauge the timing of the test and get its IT department notified on any active intruder. Unearth your system vulnerabilities with network penetration testing in Denver.

If you are looking for the safest method of testing how secure your system is against foreign cyber-attack attempts, then the pen test is a certain way to go. In case a potential hacker tries to compromise the system, it models every action arising from bugs, code errors, insecure settings, or operational infiltration.

Most companies undertake penetration tests during the post-acquisition period of novel IT infrastructure or right after administering changes on the computer systems. This process allows for the identification and validation of underlying security loopholes ahead of cybercriminals.

What is the Cost Implication of a Data Breach and Can Network Penetration Tests Intervene?

The redemption expenditure of breaches drains millions of company resources, including enforcement penalties, business loss, and client protection mechanisms. Research proves the expenses of reversing data breaches can take up to $3.86 million and an upshot of 6.4% in subsequent years. Network penetration testing in Denver offers professional advice on significant steps and interventions for building a highly secure business environment.

Can Network Penetration Testing Assure Efficient Security Standards?

Report of a penetration test is a vital component for evaluating the present level of safety of the IT system. The organization’s executive team gets equipped with relevant information on existing security issues and their possible effect on the network system’s performance. Additionally, a robust penetration tester comes with a wide range of remediation strategies. Moreover, the tester can also form a dependable data security system.

What is the Compliance Demands of Network Penetration Testing in Denver?

Apart from guarding your company data, frequent penetration maneuvers ensure that organizations remain compliant with regulations. The standards are stipulated by the highest safety standards, like PCI, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. The set standards expect system proprietors to do consistent penetration tests as well as conducting security audits assisted by certified security analysts. This way, hefty fines arising from non-compliance can be easily avoided.

How Does Network Penetration Testing in Denver Impact Your Reputation?

A severe security attack can lead to long-term reputation damage and loss of loyal customers, once a business-sensitive data is compromised. Such unforeseen occurrences can be avoided with regular penetration testing. Companies can advance their pen tests with time, in case demand for an in-depth scope of the analysis becomes an essential requirement.

Call Elevate To Schedule A Network Security Review

One may presume that regular firewalls and ordinary passwords are sufficient to ensure watertight security. Hardcore hackers may easily bypass the internal security system and get away with volumes of essential details without your knowledge.

Ultimately, network penetration testing in Denver is the surest guard to a company’s data troves. It also reveals how effective and ineffective a hacking attempt can be. An organization that embraces penetration tests will habitually prioritize its security investment, keep abreast of industry regulations, and formulate defensive mechanisms to safeguard the business space from intruders.

To get schedule a pen test, click here to get started or call us at (888) 586-2863.

Microsoft Support In Denver (Tips & Tricks)

Finding Reliable Microsoft Support In Denver (Tips/Tricks)

Are you struggling to keep your business current? Perhaps you are terrified at the thought of losing data because of an inconsistent and outdated backup schedule. It could be worse. Such concerns can be very disastrous, especially for corporate business. A study revealed at least 20% of corporate companies that experienced data loss said it cost them between $50,000 and 5million dollars to recover.

Whether you are dealing with viruses, data security, or just mere slow internet connectivity, getting a reliable Microsoft support should be a top priority. A lot is at stake and therefore, you can not contain any incompetence, let alone underperformance.

How do you confirm you are dealing with only the best in the industry with so many IT solutions providers in Denver? How can you confirm that your business can fully enjoy the benefits of cloud services throughout the organization?

More importantly, how do you ensure you are not losing essential clients over minor problems?

In this guide, we will outline solutions corporate businesses can use to acquire reliable Microsoft support in Denver. Besides, we will go a step further and discuss how Elevate can come in as a managed IT service company and help.

Reliable Microsoft Support In Denver

What Are The Solutions?

  • Variety: Microsoft support will often entail a variety of IT services essential in the day to day operations of any business. Being a big organization, your concerns may vary from security optimization to IT project services. Therefore, you must ensure your managed IT services company can handle a variety of issues as effectively as possible. You want access to a range of services all under one roof in case either is needed at any time.
  • Reputation: Being a prominent and well-known organization, you have a reputation to keep. Therefore, by all means, please do not allow a managed IT service company to come in and destroy what you have worked very hard to build. Take enough time to ensure that your support provider is well known for its expertise and quality services. Ensure they have the in-depth industry knowledge and a relatively unique model set that will guarantee results. What’s more, make sure the team is made up of passionate business owners and corporate executives who correctly understand the changing landscape of technology. This way, they will be better positioned to relate, understand, and effectively solve your problems.
  • Local area: One of the best measures to prevent and address any IT downtime issue is to choose a managed IT service partner in your local area. This way, they will be able to offer 24hrs monitoring and assistance through localized IT MSPs. In case of any problem, you need to make sure your experts can immediately come to your aid to fix it and prevent it from reoccurring. Unless you are ready to pay a whopping $5600 for every minute that passes after a downtime occurs, find a team within your local area.
  • Lower IT expenses: In every business, the upmost goal will always be to reduce costs as much as possible so the company can grow. Managing can, however, get very expensive and quite overwhelming to the business and the staff as well. To help you ease the pressure, find a reliable IT service company that can offer services at a reasonable price. Feel free to compare alternative options available and make sure you do not compromise on quality. Sometimes, quality does not have to be expensive. Don’t you agree?

How Can A Denver Microsoft Support Company Help?

  • Training: Microsoft is always growing and its technology will continue to grow and update every day. Therefore, despite using the platform, your employees can lag with the updates and new features that will always be coming up. In addition, your employees must be able to make use of shortcuts and familiar enough to work as fast and efficiently as possible. In general, all of them should have a good understanding of the entire process. Therefore, it is vital to allow regular and comprehensive training from a reliable managed IT service company. At Elevate, we offer ample training to all our clients at absolutely no cost. Unlike other companies, our sessions are done via webinar so your business can train anywhere and at any time. That is, depending on the need and time that suits you best.
  • Cyber, IT, and network security: At Elevate, we help our clients stand out by ensuring their security infrastructure, policies and practices are designed to minimize risks. Using our proprietary DART methodology, which includes a complete security audit, you can rest easy knowing your physical access, network and IT infrastructure are safe against malicious attacks. Being a corporate business, we will help you detect any vulnerability before an attack and provide the necessary support needed. This way, your business can remain current in a fast-changing environment.
  • Strategic IT services: Lastly, it will be wise to partner with professionals like CEO’S and CIO’s to gain direct access to IT leadership and experience in technology strategy. Having been in the same positions and perhaps managing similar issues, they will be better positioned to offer strategic IT services. Our leadership team will provide a complete technology assessment and analysis to determine where your company stands in the Technology Maturity Model. This way, creating a clear roadmap to move forward and effectively continue to expand your business.

Engage With Elevates Microsoft Support Team

Managing a corporate business can be a challenge without the appropriate technological implementation and support. With so much to do, your finance, marketing, and other functions may not be able to quickly any technical emergencies.

Unless you want any IT issues interfering with your business operations, acquire reliable Microsoft support in Denver to handle any technological tasks. From data security to cloud services, our IT experts will be ready to respond to the issues accordingly.

Our round the clock responsive support will ensure your business operations run as usual and consequently detect risks before they can cause damage.

For any enquires or concerns, schedule an initial consultation with the IT consulting team and we will always be happy to fulfill your needs.

Click here to get started or call us at (888) 586-2863.

Who Provides IT Security In Denver To Lock Out Intruders From Breaking Into Corporate Networks?

IT Security In Denver: Lockout Intruders Now

In this modern age, a business is considered as robust as its system architecture and security framework. You need to easily access your most sensitive data and keep it away from prying eyes. Such a measure makes your enterprise more competitive and trustworthy to your clients.

However, most businesses have a casual approach to their cybersecurity and system architecture. Who can blame them? There’s so much to else that goes into keeping an established business in the green. Your schedule is probably full of other more immediate and noticeable concerns.

IT security may not be as noticeable as these other factors. But any lapse could have catastrophic consequences for your entire enterprise.

IT Security In Denver

Benefits of Maintaining IT Security

There are many benefits to maintaining a formidable architecture and IT security in Denver. Let’s delve into some of these benefits and why you should reach out to Elevate:

It’s A Proactive Measure Against Security Threats

Cyber attackers use the most basic strategies and tools to exploit the vulnerabilities in your cybersecurity setups. The number of such attacks is on the rise because many companies share the same lax protocols and tools to secure their data. Strengthening your IT security is the best way of overcoming such vulnerabilities. It might not stop future attacks, but it costs less than what you’d need to recover from a successful one. IT security service providers continuously monitor networks and provide 24/7 support. They also provide logs detailing the frequency and methods by attackers. This provides a safety net against further attacks and proves the ROI that such services deliver to your enterprise.

Elevates A Business’s Level Of Trust

There is an unspeakable power to leading by example. Having a robust IT security in Denver positions your enterprise ahead of the rest. It’s not just your clients, even potential sponsors and partners are influenced by how seriously your enterprise approaches cybersecurity. Security breaches are too common these days. Over 3.5 billion people have lost their data in only 15 of the most massive data breaches in the last 20 years. Just imagine the inconvenience that such a breach would cause to your customer’s lives. Not to mention your enterprise’s credibility. Incorporating the best practices in system architecture and cybersecurity shows your enterprise’s trustworthiness. It also ensures clients that have fallen prey to previous security breaches are more likely to transact with you.

Secures Your Business Against Loss

Businesses require adequate amounts of capital and skilled labor to get them off the ground. However, it’s trust and credibility that sustains and gets them more customers and partners. In this sense, security breaches have a more adverse effect on your enterprise’s credibility than you may assume. Let’s consider the effects of yahoo’s data breach. In 2013 every yahoo account was hacked, and 500 million accounts were stolen from their users. Consequently, the US Securities and Exchange Commission fined yahoo’s parent company $35 million for their failure to disclose the extent of the attacks to their investors. Such an action lead to the erosion of trust between the company’s board, it’s investors, clients, and the general public. That’s just one cautionary tale. But, you can see the potential legal and financial consequences of having a vulnerable security architecture. What’s worse than such a scenario? Imagine if the same happened to your enterprise, and you had no way to detect or contain the damage. You’d have a hard time retaining the trust invested in your company by its customers. Taking on more proactive steps can prevent such breaches or at least limit the scale of damage in the event of a critical breach.

Ensures Businesses Meet Data Compliance Standards

Every business needs to conform to a set of data compliance standards. Such measures ensure that all your sensitive client information and the company’s digital assets are safe from theft or misuse. Some of these security standards include:

  • CCPA: The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation is one of the strictest regulations on data. It grants the subject of the data, exclusive rights to how their data is collected and used. This law applies to any business that operates within the EU’s jurisdiction.
  • GDPR: California Consumer Privacy Act is as far-reaching and new as the CCPA. It takes a broader distinction to what constitutes private data. But, it applies to businesses that gross over $25 million.
  • PCI DSS: Every business that handles their client’s financial data must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
  • SOX: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 seeks to protect investors and the public from accounting scandals such as Enron. However, it has more to do with accounting than data security.
  • HIPAA: This standard protects the personal information of patients and clients of insurance agencies from loss, theft, or misappropriation.

These are just a handful of regulations that your business needs to satisfy to gain the trust of regulators and clients. Having a robust IT security in your core infrastructure makes it easier for your business to conform to such high standards.

Improves Employee Morale And Corporate Culture

Implementing tighter IT security protocols involves your entire business. This is not just the IT staff but every department and process. It rapidly becomes part of your corporate culture to embrace and adapt more effortlessly to any changes or security breaches. Your staff can dispense with their duties with the confidence that your enterprise is safe from attacks. They’ll also know whom to call or what to do in the event of a breach.

Elevate Your IT security in Denver

Businesses face a severe challenge in keeping up with their clients’ needs while ensuring that their data remains safe. Finding IT security in Denver that will deliver excellent results consistently can be challenging.

Enter Elevate

Elevate was founded by IT professionals and business thought leaders who understand the specific IT needs of companies.

Elevate Services Group is located in Denver and offer the following services to companies across Denver and the Front Range:

  1. IT Security optimization
  2. Cloud migration solutions and support
  3. Responsive technical support
  4. Personalized IT services
  5. Consulting on budgeting and IT decisions

Elevate’s workforce is highly skilled and experienced at providing highly impactful solutions that can ease the way you do business. They use the latest technology to help enterprises to leverage their services and bridge the competitive gap. Reach out today to find out how we can help you with all your IT needs.

Click here to get started or call us at (303) 672-8008.

Are You Still Using 123456 as Your Password?

Using 123456 as Your Password?

Is your company’s cybersecurity repeatedly swept under the rug? While reinforcing passwords and setting up firewalls can seem daunting, you may not realize the severe risk of neglecting these and other routine security practices. Unfortunately, as the Internet evolves to meet our needs and desires, the same can be said of malicious hackers and programs. Ill-intentioned parties are constantly becoming more adept at accessing private information and what is meant to remain secure data.

 

Despite this growing threat, many of today’s Internet users and company employees have not reacted accordingly to increasingly well-equipped hackers. In fact, a 2019 Forbes article cites that ‘123456’ remains the most commonly used Internet password in the US and the UK. By maintaining such basic passwords, cyber-intruders are granted easy access to personal or professional information, and quickly cash in your data for billions per year. It’s officially time to protect your business’ sensitive information and data. This article will detail the importance of ramping up your company’s cybersecurity measures as well as a few simple ways to get started. Discover the following achievable strategies to significantly decrease your company’s risk of hacking and intrusion.

 

 

Eliminate the “Not Much to Steal” Mentality

 

An extremely common line of reasoning within mid-size companies is that cyber hackers probably won’t bother taking advantage of them because “there’s not much to steal.” This statement could not be further from the truth and it tends to lure employees and leadership alike into a false sense of security. The fact remains that 43% of all cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses. Hackers can just as easily sell a smaller company’s information as they can a larger corporation’s. However, the major difference is that larger businesses tend to allocate funds to cybersecurity, whereas smaller or mid-size companies might not prioritize this cost. Many professionals hesitate over the cost of cybersecurity but may not consider the potentially catastrophic costs of not having it.

 

To remain vigilant, employees should keep an eye out for attachments from unknown accounts. These documents could be in the form of a Microsoft Office attachment that initially appears legitimate. As a rule of thumb, do not open emails or messages from accounts you’re not familiar with. Because it takes a company 6 months on average to discover a security breach, it is well worth your time to evaluate your company’s current cybersecurity situation and consider where there might be room for improvement.

 

Prioritize Employee Education

One of the easiest ways to head off potential security threats in your mid-size company is to thoroughly educate team members on cybersecurity practices and procedures. If there currently aren’t any, create and enforce protocols that can be communicated through online training, checklists, and seminars. Make sure to discuss the specificities of your company as it applies to Internet safety and data protection. Without this crucial step of employee education, your company will waste time and resources trying to rectify security issues that could have been resolved through open communication.

 

Keep in mind that cybersecurity is frequently evolving. Therefore, employees should be updated regularly on the best ways to protect company information. An easy measure to increase employee cooperation is to ask them to sign a document attesting that they have understood and will abide by your business’ security practices. The document can also mention that should the cybersecurity measures be disregarded, there could be repercussions for the employee involved. All in all, if leadership takes the time to discuss cybersecurity, making it relevant and applicable for all employees, your company is much better equipped against a potential security threat.

 

Invest in Cybersecurity Measures

If your mid-size company has yet to invest in cybersecurity measures, there’s no better time than the present to start protecting your valuable information and data. It’s not difficult to get started — begin by setting up a firewall that serves as a barrier between your sensitive information and potential hackers or intruders. In a time when remote workers are becoming more common, your company’s “work from home” staff should also implement a firewall within their personal networks. After all, they regularly access the same important information and data as your in-office employees. Consider providing remote workers with a complementary firewall to eliminate any potential hacking risks.

 

It’s worth noting that many businesses now allow employees to BYOD (“bring your own device”) to work. In this regard, BYOD calls for the same security measures as a remote worker, since your employees likely transport their laptop, tablet, or other electronics to and from the office each day. On top of that, those who bring their own computer to work are probably using it for personal tasks after hours, which increases the chances of a possible breach. Most importantly, employees should respect the cardinal rule of cybersecurity: do not use the same password for multiple sites, especially as a universal password between personal and professional sites. Urge company leadership to enforce automatic security updates on employees’ devices and inform all staff about your password policy.

 

Consider Using a Password Manager

An effective solution to your company’s password creation and storage problems is a password manager. A password manager helps your business manage your team’s passwords within a centralized digital “vault.” The primary advantage of a password manager is that your business’ IT team can create intricate, long and random passwords for various sites or accounts that employees gain access to just by logging into the password manager. By streamlining password storage, you can make massive amounts of information secure and basically eliminate the need for staff to create their own passwords. This quickly limits the possibility of a cyber attack and keeps company leadership in control of who can access what information.

 

Ultimately, password managers dramatically improve cybersecurity in businesses. Research shows that employees often keep their sensitive passwords written down on a Post-It note that could easily be accessed by any passing visitor or coworker alike. Reduce the risks of cyber threats both from internal and external sources by implementing a system that keeps track of who logs into company sites and when. Without this kind of accountability, it can be much more difficult to pinpoint the source of a security breach. Gone are the days of the ‘123456’ passwords — reach out to a local IT managed services provider to implement any of the previously mentioned tactics to strengthen your company’s cybersecurity.