Tag: managed IT services

Reason to use of managed IT services & boost business in 2021
Managed IT Services

Reason to Use of Managed IT Services & Boost Business in 2021

Written by Layer One Networks Published

2020 threw us a curveball and many of us were left scrambling to sustain our business in the new face of uncertainty. 

2021 brought in a lot of hope and opportunities with learnings from 2020. We’re presently at this crucial point in the industry where adapting to new technology and finding better ways to manage our IT systems can make a whole lot of difference.

This is when we need to make a decision — the best way for managed IT services to position for business growth.

In this blog, we’ll look at various reasons and ways to hire managed IT services to survive in the new normal in 2021 and accelerate your business development.

4 Reasons Says You Need Managed IT Services

The need for managed IT services is steadily increasing. In 2019, the global market size of managed IT services was $185 billion, while in 2020, it hit $207 billion. In five years, it’s expected to grow to over $356 billion.

Cloud Computing

This increase in the market size of managed IT services shows the demand it has.

There are so many reasons why companies look for managed IT services from external firms. As a top IT consulting firm, LayerOne Networks has worked with several businesses providing custom IT services to manage their business and remove bottlenecks. 

So, are there any specific reasons or situations when you need an IT service provider’s help? Yes, there is.

Reason 1: When You’re Risking Overrunning Your IT Costs

It’s a good thing when your business grows. But your IT system should also be capable of growing and accommodating that development.

When you don’t have a large budget for IT system management or when you’re registering unprecedented growth and you’re quickly overrunning your IT budget, then it’s a sign that you’re headed for some serious damages.

There are only two ways to go from here. One is to update your IT system quickly and invest loads of money in resources, technology, and workforce to compensate for the new needs. Or, you can hire an IT consulting firm that already can supply you with the workforce and technology to handle your current and future needs. 

The latter can be achieved with less budget and less accountability, while the former needs a heavy budget and lots of time to create such a system. 

This is when many companies go for managed IT service providers to make the work simpler and better with the best resources.

Reason 2: When You Want Your IT Infrastructure to Be in Its Best Shape

Installing a hi-tech IT system is only the start of the job. You need to constantly update it, maintain it and modify it to adapt to the changing business needs. 

And when your system is becoming outdated or not maintained adequately, it can run into several technical issues, all of which would deter your business operations.

Hiring an IT service provider to manage your IT infrastructure will make sure that your systems are always healthy and ready to manage your rising volume of IT operations. You wouldn’t ever have to worry about the capacity of your IT system when you’re planning a new business move. The IT consulting firm will take care of the expansions on the IT side while taking care of the rest.

IT Services Near Me

Reason 3: When You Want to Stay Ahead of Your Competitors

There’s barely any industry right now that’s not influenced by technology. From agriculture to teaching, technologies have taken over the progress and innovation.

So one of the best ways for companies to be at the top of their market is to be technologically advanced. And this is only possible with intelligent IT systems that can propel your business forward and implement new initiatives to stay ahead.

Having a reliable and experienced firm offering managed IT services would mean that you’ll always be kept informed of the new tech trends in your industry and how you can implement them fast before your competitors do.

Reason 4: When You Want to Minimize the Hassles of IT Management

As we discussed earlier, when your business grows, you need to keep hiring a bigger team to manage your IT needs. This would mean constant changes to the IT department in terms of employees, tools and technology. All of this takes a lot of money and, most importantly, your time.

If you want to focus on your core business objectives, you can do away with all of this work and just outsource to a local firm that can manage your IT needs as and when that happens. So, all you need to do is communicate your plans and your idea and the team can help you come up with the right technologies needed.

How to Choose the Right Provider for Managed IT Services in 2021?

Since the landscape of IT services are changing, you need a team that is:

  • Experienced enough to handle any complications.
  • Updated enough to keep you abreast of the industry tech changes.
  • Certified enough to provide you with IT services that are tangential to the current needs.
  • Resourceful enough to help you create backups and store your data securely .
  • Flexible enough to change with your business dynamics.
  • Skilled enough to manage any complications in the IT system and resolve them swiftly. 
  • Reliable enough to take charge and pitch in during emergencies. 

Conclusion

Getting the help of IT managed services for your business is the best way to handle your IT needs, prepare your business for future growth and position yourself at the top of the industry. Make sure to be aware of when you require the support of managed IT services and hire them before the critical point arises.

LayerOne Networks offers managed IT services in Corpus Christi. Reach out to us if you want to grow your IT system to support your business ideas.

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Managed IT Services
Security

Stop Ransomware with Effective Backups

Written by Layer One Networks Published

It’s no news that ransomware is becoming one of the top issues in data security.

Ransomware is almost impossible to trace and so, once the hackers gain access, there’s very little we can do to restore without paying the ransom. Since it can potentially bring the organization down, many give in to the ransom demands.

So then, how can you stop the ransomware from wrecking your organization and gain access to sensitive information? Let’s find out.

What Can You Do in Times of a Ransomware Attack?

Stop Ransomware with Effective Backups

There are a few things you can do when you have become the victim of a ransomware attack.

  • You can take the matters in your hands and try to crack the ransomware code, delete it and save your information. This is the rarest solution. You will have to use a malware detection tool to find out the source of the attack and delete those files and leave the encrypted files out of it.
  • You can bring matters to the attention of law enforcement officials. The cyber cell would’ve seen many such instances of ransomware attacks and can, therefore, give you great pointers to handle the situation.
  • You can get an external agency to help you, like an IT consulting firm or a company specialized in ransomware prevention.
  • You can plug out the infected computers from the network and prevent the ransomware from spreading to the other systems. 

In many situations where you handle ransomware attacks, you would often be compelled to delete your computer’s information. So, what would happen when you lose out all your essential data?

This is when having a data backup pays off.

Protecting Your Important Data from Ransomware Attacks with Backups

At LayerOne Networks, we’ve seen many companies manage such cyberattacks in the best way possible due to our managed backup services. When you have all your essential information backed up, you needn’t worry about losing these data in the time of a ransomware attack, or for that matter any cybersecurity threat.

Our backup as a service (BaaS) will help you to create a foolproof strategy to keep your sensitive information safe and away from the hands of the hackers. Here are a few important tips to protect yourself from ransomware attacks.

  • Go by the 3-2-1 Backup Plan

This is one of the most effective and proven backup strategies that has been used over and over by many companies.

What is the 3-2-1 backup plan?

  • Have 3 copies of data; one is your main data storage while the two more are backups.
  • Have two different types of media storage.
  • Have one offsite backup storage.

When you have your data on two separate backups, both of which are in different formats and locations, you have high chances of accessing and restoring the information even when you’re attacked.

The offsite backup should be saved in a location that isn’t anywhere near your office. This is to ensure that your backup will still be safe in the events of any physical calamities.

  • Keep Your Backup Separate from the Main Network

If you want to protect the backup during a ransomware attack, you shouldn’t save your backup on the main network. This is one of the very first things you must take care of. 

In any cyberattack, the virus tries to branch out more to the other storages in the network. So when you have your main storage unit as well as the backup storage in the same network, it can lead to adverse consequences like losing all of your data, including the ones in the backup.

So always make sure to save your backup data in a separate network.

  • Provide Sufficient Recovery Points 

Backup Server

Generally, when you want to recover the data from backup storage, you should be able to access it in the same state it was in before the attack. However, in the worst case that your backup is also affected by the virus, you need to position numerous recovery points through which you can restore and access data at previous stages.

You can ask your IT consulting firm to provide multiple storage blocks and create a storage memory that can’t be altered once the value is set.

  • Implement High Security for the Backup Server

This is an area that many organizations avoid. While you enforce maximum security possible for your main server, you should also give equal importance to the backup server.

Why so? The hackers generally do not know what a particular server is until they hack it. They go by the server which is most easy to crack. And when your backup server doesn’t have high security than the main server, it’s more prone to be attacked. 

There have been many instances in the past where ransomware targeted backup files like the Ryuk ransomware.

  • Backup Often

The backup frequency will determine the data you can access if you’re attacked by a ransomware. When you’re backing up the data once in a few weeks, you’ll lose out on loads of work that you’ve done during those weeks. 

Depending on the importance of your work, increase the backup time to at least once in a few hours to make sure that your recent work is saved and kept safe.

Read More: Ransomware Vs. Malware: What is More Dangerous?

Summing Up

While there are several security measures to prevent the ransomware attacks, it’s best to always have a backup plan.

  • Follow the 3-2-1 plan for a multi-layered backup.
  • Your backup storage should be on a  separate server and should have multiple recovery points.
  • You should enforce high security for the backup plan to prevent the backups from getting attacked.
  • Make sure to increase the frequency of your backup to save your recently worked data.

If you’re looking to hire an experienced company providing managed IT services in Corpus Christi, then reach out to us now. Our IT experts will help you decide the best strategy for backing up your important data and protect it even during ransomware attacks.

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Cyber Attack
Security

What Really Happens During a Cyber Attack?

Written by Layer One Networks Published

New technology. New cyber threats. New security breaches. 

Cyber threats have become a recurring occurrence and common news nowadays. Every year, new cyber security threats are coming up. And as we begin the promising year of 2021, we need to steel ourselves for the new cyber threats.

To protect yourself against such cyber attacks, you need to implement foolproof cybersecurity systems to keep the hackers out. However, it’s easier said than done.

To enforce a security system customized to sensitive data, you need to understand what really happens during a cybersecurity attack. This blog will take you through the journey of cyber attacks, the information that can be tapped, and the risks involved.

The Journey of a Cyber Attack – The Possibilities of Security Breaches

Anyone can be a victim of a cyber attack. Just last year, the hackers even stole from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and so there’s no telling when or who might be attacked next. 

Our cybersecurity service experts at Corpus Christi have prevented many such attacks with our firewall protection and data security support. We also offer data security along with managed IT services for businesses in Corpus Christi to protect themselves against cyber threats. 

Let’s jump right in and what the hackers do during a cyber attack and how you need to protect yourself.

Hackers Spot the Vulnerabilities

Hackers Spot the Vulnerabilities

Many cyber-attacks happen because hackers spot a security vulnerability and exploit it. This vulnerability can be in any form — by brute-forcing the password, eavesdropping on the communications, extracting personal information through phishing attacks, and many more. 

Often, such vulnerabilities are the silliest mistakes made by the employees, like using the most obvious password, accessing the official data from the home network that doesn’t have security, or leaving the system logged in at the end of the day.

The hackers find such loopholes in the website or the server and add a piece of their code to try and crack the vulnerability wide open. They may also inject malware or ransomware through the gaps in the system security.

Read More: Ransomware vs. Malware: What Is More Dangerous?

Businesses Panic & Lose Evidence

Businesses Panic & Lose Evidence

As the data security of a business is compromised, people begin to panic.

They make absurd actions that they would never do in full consciousness otherwise and this leads to even bigger problems. Some companies make the mistake of not assessing the level of attacks or prioritizing the wrong thing to do. Often, one common mistake many makes is deleting the evidence of the attack, which is most valuable to assess and prevent future attacks. 

This is why every business needs a cyberattack recovery plan in place. In times of panic, the security team can refer to this plan and start taking the steps one by one. 

This recovery plan should be detailed, containing the complete SOP to identify and fix the vulnerability as soon as possible. While we can never predict what the cyber attack can be, it’s important to cover all possible grounds for the threats in the recovery plan. The recovery plan should also insist on the team save the evidence before deleting the other files. 

There are often a few important people who must be informed when there’s a cyber attack. For instance, when a data manager is informed of the attack, the person will initiate a risk management plan to backup the sensitive data and increase the security around it.

Similarly, several people in the organization should be kept in loop about the cyber attack. However, many teams, in the frenzy of saving the situation, fail to communicate properly or be prejudiced in the communication. This could complicate and even open the data up for more risk. 

The best way to tackle this issue — train the team for clear, quick, factful communication of the situation.

The Hackers Meanwhile Try Penetrating Deeper

The Hackers Meanwhile Try Penetrating Deeper

See, there’s one thing about the hackers. Even if you keep enforcing more firewalls to keep the hackers out, they’ll keep trying and trying until they find another loophole. 

What can you do during such times?

Keep enforcing better security continually without resting for a minute even when it looks like the hacker is giving up. You may never know how and where the hacker can attack next. In the meantime, collect enough evidence about the attack which may give you an idea into the attack and take necessary steps. 

While not all cyber attacks have a direct impact on an organization, it can send the wrong message out to the public. The best way to do this is to analyze the attack once everything has calmed down and performed a complete, scrutinized security audit to identify and fix any other loopholes.

Final Thoughts

Doesn’t it look like a total mess in the face of a cyber attack?

Well, this is the common reality of many organizations when a hacker tries to gain access. You can avoid such frenzied mistakes and miscommunications during a cyber-attack by creating a risk management and recovery plan. 

Even better, you can improve your data security, conduct regular audits, and get the help of a company offering security services in Corpus Christi like Layer One Networks. Our managed IT services for companies in Corpus Christi provides a wholesome solution for maintaining security, identifying the cyber threats and loopholes even before the hackers do, and fixing them.

Contact us to find out how we can make your systems secure.

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voip services
VoIP

How Does a VoIP Work?

Written by Layer One Networks Published

Gone are those days when you have to worry about keeping your phone timeless to watch your bill. With VoIP services or Voice over Internet Protocol, you only need an internet connection to make free phone calls. When you use the internet for calls, you’re actually bypassing the phone company, and therefore, the call charges completely.

As businesses who’ve been paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in phone bills every month, this VoIP is a great option to explore. Many small business owners are still confused and unclear about how an internet connection is sufficient to make calls.

So, in this blog, let’s take a deep dive into how VoIP works and how small business owners can benefit from it.

What is VoIP and How Does it Work?

In VoIP, the basic principle is the conversion of analog audio signals into digital data that are transmitted over the internet. Fundamentally, the digital data of the calls is considered similar to the message data or email transmission data over an IP network. 

With VoIP technology, you can make and receive calls from landlines, smartphones, and computers. 

As a small business, all you need is a high-speed WiFi connection available for high-quality VoIP calls.

How Can I Make VoIP Calls?

voip services

There are three main ways by which you can make VoIP calls depending on the device you’re using it.

  • Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA)

When you want to use VoIP with your landline, you need a special adapter to send data over the IP network. The ATA is actually an analog to digital converter. It converts the phone signals from your landline into digital signals that can be transmitted over the internet. You can just plug in the ATA to the router or the wall socket and start making calls. You’ll need to configure VoIP software on the computer to make use of this feature.

  • IP Phones

The IP phones are different from the normal phones we use. They have an ethernet connection that connects with the router and transmits the data. You can also make calls through WiFi phones by using a WiFi network. 

  • Computer to Computer Calls

Making VoIP calls on a computer is very simple. You can use any of the applications available to make free calls over the internet. Some applications even allow VoIP calls to landlines and phone numbers.

How to Activate VoIP Calls for Your Business?

From these three options of using VoIP calls, you can choose anyone that’s most suited for your business. 

  • First of all, you require a reliable, high-speed internet connection. 
  • Make sure to have high bandwidth and large data capacity to make uninterrupted calls.
  • If you want to connect your computer or landline, then you need to get a router.
  • After making the required connections, you can simply download the software, connect with the WiFi, and start making calls. 

If you’re unsure about how to set up VoIP in your office, you can reach out to any of the top VoIP service providers in the market. They’ll help you with equipment, set you the VoIP network, and guide you to start making and receiving VoIP calls. 

You can further reach out to an IT consulting firm to find out how you can integrate VoIP calls with your existing business operations. There are two main ways to enable VoIP for your business:

  • 1. Hosted VoIP Network

This hosted network for VoIP is perfect for businesses to simplify the management of VoIP and improve operational efficiency. This network consists of IP phones, desktops, network switches, and routers. 

The employees can call using the IP phones similar to how they normally would. The network switch establishes the path to the VoIP provider and connects with the particular number, be it landline or smartphone. This is best for companies who want to implement VoIP over the entire network. 

  • 2. SIP Trunking

If you’re already running a business with traditional landlines and have since then progressed into a hybrid phone system, then it can be hard to break out of it. 

In that case, you can use the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to accept VoIP calls and also manage the traditional analog calls. Such a connection is most useful for companies who want to mix analog phone systems with the new VoIP technology. 

How Is VoIP Beneficial for Businesses?

voip services

Many businesses have adopted VoIP technology due to the immense advantages it has in terms of cost, efficiency, and productivity. 

  • You can call anywhere in the US and Canada for an unlimited number of times and hours.
  • You can create automated professionals attendants to redirect your phone calls without any receptionists.
  • You’ll save money on the call charges and pay only a minimum amount for the internet connection.
  • With the IP phones, your employees can call from anywhere, anytime with no additional calls or procedures.
  • You can have a central communication system with VoIP that lets your team use calls, videos, and messages to collaborate from any location.
  • You can make clear phone calls with HD voice quality. 
  • You can also integrate VoIP software with your CRM for quick access to contact numbers and a one-click calling feature.

Switch to VoIP Now!

At LayerOne Networks, we’ve helped many businesses in Texas to move to VoIP technology and enjoy great scalability at reduced rates. As a part of our managed IT services for Corpus Christi companies, we customize our VoIP services to suit your business scale, budget, and location requirements. If you want to opt for high clarity voice calls that aren’t tied down by wires, then call us at 361.653.6800.

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How Kerberos Authentication Workss
Security

How Kerberos Authentication Works

Written by Layer One Networks Published

If you think that having a strong password is enough for your data security, think again!

Every time you log in to a host using your password, you are exposed to attacks and security threats. If the hackers can get their hands on your password and login as ‘you’, they will have complete access to all your data.

Kerberos is an authentication protocol that prevents unauthorized access. It authenticates the service requests between the users and the hosts through unsafe networks. Kerberos authentication is being used by top global companies like Microsoft Windows, Apple OS, Linux, and Unix.

Kerberos was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a protection protocol for its own projects in the 1980s. Kerberos was named after Cerberus, which is a Greek mythological creature with three heads. Kerberos was inspired by this name and the three heads signify the client, server, and the Key Distribution Center (KDC).

What are the Components in the Kerberos Environment?

Before we move on to the actual working on Kerberos, let’s take a look at the basic components.

Agents

The agents are the principal entities involved in a typical Kerberos workflow.

  • The client is the person who initiates the request for communication.
  • The application server hosts the service that the client requests.

Key Distribution Center (KDC) consists of three parts for authentication: A database (DB), the Authentication Server (AS), and the Ticket Granting Server (TGS).

Tickets

The tickets are the communications of permission sent to the users for performing a set of actions on Kerberos. There are two types:

  • Ticket Granting Service (TGS) is encrypted with the service key and used to authenticate a service.
  • Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT) is issued by the authentication server to the client for requesting the TGS.

Encryption Keys

Kerberos handles several keys that are encrypted securely to prevent The authentication server issues ticket Granting Ticket (TGT)corruption or access by hackers. Some of the encryption keys used in the Kerberos are:

  • User key
  • Service key
  • Session key
  • Service session key
  • KDC key

How Kerberos Authentication Works?

How Kerberos Authentication Works

The prime purpose of Kerberos authentication is to secure the access of a user in service through a series of steps that prevent security threats and password access. Essentially, the user needs to access a network server to get access to a file.

You can go to any company offering managed IT services to implement Kerberos encryption. Even so, it’s essential to have a basic idea of how security is implemented and how the data access is encrypted. So, here’s are the steps of Kerberos security and authentication:

1. Initial Authentication Request from the Client

As the client tries to login to the server, they send an authenticator to the KDC requesting a TGT from the authentication server.

This authenticator has information like the password, the client ID, as well as the date and time of authentication request. Part of the message with the password is encrypted, which the other part is plain text.

2. KDC Checks the Credentials

KDC is the Kerberos server that validates the credentials received from the client. The server first decrypts the authenticator message and checks against the database for the client’s information and the availability of the TGS.

After finding both these information, the server then generates a secret key for the user using the password hash. It then generates a TGT that contains the information about the client credentials like client ID, date and time stamp, the network address and a few more authentication details. Finally, the secret key is encrypted with a password that the server only knows and sends to the client.

The TGT is then stored in the Kerberos for a few hours. If the system crashes, the TGTs won’t be stored anywhere.

3. The Decryption of the Key by the Client

The client decrypts the message received from the KDC by using the secret key. The client’s TGT is then authenticated and the message is extracted.

4. Using TGT to Access Files

If the client wants to access specific files on the server, it sends a copy of the TGT and the authenticator to the KDC requesting access.

When KDC receives this message, it notices that the client is already authenticated. So, it decrypts the TGT using the encryption password to check if it matches.

If the password is validated, then it considers it to be a safe request.

5. Creation of Ticket for File Access

To allow the client to access the specific files requested, KDC generates another ticket. It then encrypts the ticket with the secret key and the method of accessing the files is included in this ticket.

This ticket now lies in the Kerberos tray for the next eight hours. This means the client can access the file server as long as the ticket is valid.

6. Authentication Using the Ticket

The client decrypts the message using the key and this generates a new set of client information, including client ID, date and time stamp and network address.

This is sent to the server in the form of an encrypted service ticket. The server decrypts the ticket and checks if the client’s details match the authenticator and within the file access validity. Once the details match, the server sends a message of verification to the client.

Wrapping Up

Kerberos authentication is regularly updated to meet the new security threats. It is one of the top-used authentications by the tech giants, which means it’s been authenticated against rigorous security attacks. If you want to protect your server and your user data from the prying eyes of unscrupulous people, then go for Kerberos encryption.

Our data experts at LayerOne Networks can help you implement such security and authentication protocols to protect your data. Reach out to us for managed IT services and securing your company from any online security vulnerabilities.

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