Why are Companies Moving to Managed Services?

The managed services industry is growing rapidly, driven by the adoption of cloud computing, digital transformation, and the desire for organizations to focus on their core business functions. According to a report by Markets and Markets, the global managed services market size is expected to grow from $223 billion in 2020 to $329 billion by 2025.

Managed services offer numerous benefits in addition to allowing businesses to focus on what they do best. Here are five key advantages:

1. Predictable Costs: Managed service providers offer fixed, monthly fees for their services, making it easier for businesses to budget for their IT needs.
2. Expertise: Cybersecurity, cloud computing, and IT, in general, can be complex. Managed service providers have teams of experienced professionals with expertise in security, physical and virtual servers, cloud technologies, networks, and workstation support, providing businesses with diverse skills that are not cost-effective to hire in-house.
3. Proactive Maintenance: Managed service providers use advanced tools to monitor systems and detect issues before they become major problems, minimizing downtime and potential business disruptions.
4. Increased Efficiency: Managed service providers can optimize IT systems and processes to improve efficiency, reliability, and uptime, which can increase productivity and reduce costs in the long run.
5. Scalability: Managed service providers can quickly scale services up or down as needed, allowing businesses to adjust their IT needs to meet changing business demands.

Managed service companies, such as Eaton & Associates, can provide your organization with the diverse expertise, tools, and processes of a large, sophisticated IT department without the associated costs. Our approach is flexible, with a focus on customer service, and we welcome the opportunity to tell you more.

Eight Best Practices to Combat Ransomware:

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that can infect computer systems and encrypt critical files or data, effectively locking them until a ransom is paid. To protect your company from ransomware attacks, here are some best practices to consider:

1. Regularly Back Up Your Data: Ensure that your company’s critical data is regularly backed up, encrypted, and stored both onsite and off-site in secure locations. This can help you quickly recover data in case of an attack and reduce the likelihood of paying a ransom if you are successfully attacked.
2. Do Test Restores: Regularly do test restores of your local and remote backups to ensure everything works as planned and there are no unpleasant surprises when you need to recover data.
3. Keep Software Up to Date: Regularly update your company’s software and operating systems to ensure that known vulnerabilities are patched and cannot be exploited by attackers.
4. Use Anti-Malware: Use anti-malware software on all workstations and servers, scan regularly and ensure the anti-malware software is up to date.
5. Implement Firewalls: Firewalls act as a barrier between an internal network and the Internet, or other external networks, to prevent unauthorized access, protect against cyber threats and protect against malware.
6. Implement Security Awareness Training: Educate your employees on how to identify and avoid phishing emails and other common attack vectors. Train employees to recognize suspicious links, emails, and attachments, and to report them to IT personnel immediately.
7. Implement a Security Plan: Develop and implement a comprehensive security plan that includes regular testing, monitoring, and updating of security measures. Ensure that your plan covers all aspects of your company’s IT infrastructure and includes procedures for incident response, recovery, and communication with stakeholders.
8. Use Multi-Factor Authentication: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access to your company’s applications, systems, and services. This will add an effective extra layer of protection against unauthorized access.

By implementing these best practices, you can help reduce the likelihood of a ransomware attack on your company and minimize the impact of an attack if one does occur. E&A is here to help with any cybersecurity and ransomware mitigation questions you may have.

Eaton & Associates is pleased to announce we are expanding into San Diego! We’re here to support your organization with world-class IT services.  Elevate-IT ® with E&A’s full suite of IT support, including cybersecurity, cloud management, network & server monitoring, remote access, system upgrades, vendor management, and much more! 

Explore some of our popular IT services below:  

Elevate-IT® Services: 

• Server Monitoring: Physical & Virtual Servers 
• Network Monitoring: Proactive Monitoring & Issue Remediation 
• Workstation Management: Remote Access & Endpoint Protection 
• Cloud Management: Single & Multi-Cloud Environments  
• Cybersecurity: Penetration Testing & Security Strengthening  
• System Upgrades: Migrations, Upgrades, & Technology Refreshes 

Organization We Support: 

• SMBs and Emerging Enterprise Organizations 
• Professional Services Organizations 
• Public & Private Schools 
• Local Governments 
• Municipalities 
• Law Enforcement Agencies (explore our DOJ-Approved IT Tools) 

Our experienced team is ready to support your IT infrastructure. Contact us today! 

Locations 

Oceanside   •   Carlsbad  •   Solana Beach  •   Encinitas  •   Escondido  •   San Marcos  •   Poway  • 

Rancho Santa Fe  •   Fairbanks Ranch  •   4S Ranch  •   Rancho Peñasquitos  •   Temecula  •    

Mira Mesa   •   Miramar  •   Carmel Valley  •   Sorrento Valley  •   Kearny Mesa  •    

Del Mar  •   Torrey Pines  •   La Jolla  •   University City  •   Clairemont  •    

Pacific Beach  •  Mission Beach  •   Ocean Beach  •   Point Loma   •      

Hillcrest  •   North Park  •   Downtown San Diego  •   Coronado  •    

Mission Valley  •   El Cajon  •   Santee  •   Chula Vista