Computer Talk Services Inc. Blog

Even if you’ve taken steps to ensure your business is protected against cyber threats, you can never really get too comfortable. Technology keeps evolving at a dizzying pace, and staying secure requires cybersecurity shifts for your business.

So, if you’re like most business owners, there’s always going to be that lingering doubt that you haven’t done everything you can to protect yourself.

Here’s what’s coming in 2025 that you need to know about so you can prepare accordingly.

Next Year’s Top Cybersecurity Shifts

• AI-powered attacks will become more sophisticated: Checking for bad grammar used to be enough to identify scam emails. But now, cybercriminals are using AI to come up with attacks that can fool even the most careful employees. We’ve seen more than one client almost lose thousands of dollars in scams involving AI-generated voice clones of their CEOs asking for urgent wire transfers. 

• Cloud security will be in the spotlight: More and more businesses are moving to the cloud. And as you might expect, hackers are following the money. Are your cloud applications truly secure? You might be about to find out the hard way. Start making your cybersecurity shift now

• Zero trust will become the norm: Zero trust has largely been an additional security measure reserved for situations where high-level security is needed, but now it’s going to become the standard. A strong password is no longer enough; every access request should require additional verification every single time.

What happens if you overlook these cybersecurity shifts?

Well, if you’re lucky, it might just cost you some money. 

But let’s be real: today’s cybercriminals are going all in. A small business cyber attack can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, and more than half of the victims will end up closing their doors for good within six months of an incident.

Yes, it’s a lot to process. But you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Trust the experts

Working with a managed service provider (MSP) can make all the difference. Instead of trying to stay on top of every new threat, you’ll have a team of experts who are always on top of it. They’ll be monitoring your systems around the clock, updating your defenses, and advising you on making necessary cybersecurity shifts if needed.

Don’t spend your weekends researching the latest cybersecurity shifts and solutions. Leave it in the hands of the pros while you enjoy time with your family, safe in the knowledge that your business is protected.

If you’re ready to get rid of this burden, download our End-of-Year Cybersecurity Health Check Guide to see where you stand right now. This is your first step in transforming cybersecurity from your greatest worry to your biggest strength.

It’s a crazy world out there. Don’t wait until disaster strikes. Let’s talk about protecting your business today!

Do you ever worry that your business isn’t fully protected from cyber threats? Is your IT budget not enough? We work with small business owners every day, and this is a common pain point that comes up again and again.

It’s an understandable position. After all, it’s hard to know how much you should be spending on tech and security. On one hand, you could be cutting corners that leave your business exposed, but if you err on the side of caution, you might be throwing money away on tools you don’t need.

Many business owners get a bitter dose of reality when they find themselves under attack. One local café owner we know skipped IT security updates to save money and then found herself losing three days – and thousands of dollars – in lost business, plus recovery expenses. As you can imagine, this cost several times what she would have spent on proper security.

Strategic IT Budget Planning

Here’s a general guideline for strategically planning your IT security budget.

Building Blocks (30% of your IT budget)

• Antivirus and firewall

• Secure backups

• Regular system updates and patches 

Critical Operations (40% of your IT budget)

• Cloud services and storage

• Network Infrastructure

• Applications critical to your business

Growth (20% of your IT budget)

• Employee training and security awareness

• Hardware upgrades

• Adopting new technology

Emergencies (10% of your IT budget)

• Emergency support

• Recovery efforts

• Planning incident response

Are you properly allocating your budget to cover all these bases?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Just think about how much time you’ve spent worrying about these matters when you could have been planning your business’s growth or enjoying time with loved ones.

No, you can’t just ignore this important component of business, but you can get help with it.

Working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a bit like having your financial advisor on call for your investments in technology.

From setting a realistic budget to planning for future growth and ensuring compliance, you can sleep better knowing that experts are monitoring your systems.

Make better decisions 

Do you want to know if your current IT spending is on track? We’ve developed an End-of-Year Cybersecurity Health Check Guide to help you assess your tech investments. Not only is it free, but it could save you thousands of dollars or more in preventing security breaches.

Don’t start the new year by wondering if you’re making the right IT decisions. Download our guide today, and let’s talk about creating a winning IT budget. 

How’s your end-of-year cybersecurity health check to-do list looking? Is it growing faster than your holiday shopping bills? 

From closing out Q4 to planning for next year while trying to spend as much time with your family as possible, I’m guessing you don’t have much time left to focus on cybersecurity.

That’s fair. We’re all in the same boat at this time of year. But when did you last do a cybersecurity health check to see if your business’s cyber defenses were bulletproof?

Many small business owners fall into the trap of pushing off their security audit to “next month”, which ends up becoming the next month, and so on. The next thing you know, your whole team is using the same passwords they had two years ago, and half of your software is outdated. 

Where do you stand on your cybersecurity health check?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you know which employees have access to what data?

• Are you confident your backup system is working, or do you just hope it will be effective if you ever need it?

• When was the last time you updated your security software?

• Are you still using the same passwords that you created months ago? 

If these questions are making you uncomfortable, channel those feelings into being proactive. After all, cybercriminals do not take holiday breaks. It is time to do a cybersecurity health check for your business. 

Many of them are counting on businesses like yours to be too distracted at this time of year to stay on top of their cybersecurity. Just one breach could leave you starting your new year out with stolen customer data, empty accounts, or worse.

Thankfully, you don't need to deal with this holiday headache alone. Think of your managed service provider as your personal cybersecurity elf who can update all your systems and check for vulnerabilities while you focus on meeting your business's year-end targets – and fitting in those holiday celebrations you've been looking forward to.

Are you ready to cross “cybersecurity stress” off your holiday list? 

Download our End-of-Year Cybersecurity Health Check Guide for a clearer picture of where you stand. Better yet, let's talk about how we can handle this for you so you can focus on ending the year on a high note.

Don't let cybersecurity concerns destroy your holiday spirit. Take the first step toward a secure 2025 today!

Do you feel like you’re the only person in your company who thinks about a data security culture? Are you worried someone on your team is using “123456” as their password or clicking on suspicious links? 

Lots of business owners share these fears, and it can be exhausting. But there’s no need to let these worries take over your life. Yes, a breach could cost your business thousands of dollars – if not more – and damage your reputation, but there is something you can do.

The secret? Building a strong data security culture in your business, even if your team is small. After all, it only takes one wrong move to put you in danger.

What would change if everyone at your business treated data security with the same care you do? You’d get valuable peace of mind.

Data Security Culture: How can you get there? 

Here are some helpful steps.

1. Educate your workers. Your employees aren’t trying to create problems; they often just don’t know any better. Raise awareness with regular training sessions.

1. Set a good example. If you are lax when it comes to security protocols, your team will follow suit. Take every opportunity to show them that data security culture matters at all levels.

1. Make it easier. Security is a complex matter, and it can be intimidating. Work with an MSP (managed service provider) to put some user-friendly security processes and tools in place.

1. Celebrate the small victories. When an employee spots a phishing attempt or follows proper procedures, look for ways to provide positive reinforcement.

1. Create accountability. When you outline clear policies and consequences for security breaches, everyone will better understand the role they play in protecting your business and having a data security culture workplace. 

When you first started your business, you were probably full of optimism and driven to succeed. Try to recapture that same energy and apply it to data security. 

It’s a Team Effort

Of course, getting everyone on board is not an overnight process. It’s going to take time, and it’s going to take expertise. This is where partnering with an MSP can help build a data security culture.

They can:

• Develop a solid security training program

• Set up automated security measures

• Create and enforce proven security policies

• Offer ongoing monitoring and support for your team

Are you ready to create a stronger data security culture? Take our complimentary Data Breach Response Plan Template. This ready-to-use plan offers peace of mind so business owners can stop worrying about worst-case scenarios and feel confident they’re prepared for anything.

Let an MSP take over the technical details so you can focus on growing your bottom line. Take action now and set your team up for success!

5 Business Data Security Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss

You’ve worked hard to build your business, and the last thing you want is for a data breach that could have been prevented to ruin everything. Sadly, even small mistakes in data privacy can quickly create big problems. And there are a lot of small mistakes just waiting to be made. Let’s walk through five important data security tips all business owners need to know.

1. Data Security Tips: Stronger Passwords

If you’ve ever used “password123”, we’re talking to you. It’s tempting to choose something memorable, but weak passwords make it so much easier for cybercriminals to cause problems.

What if a hacker gets in? They could access your financial information or sensitive client data.

The solution? Use password managers to create intricate passwords and store them. Or go one step further and have an MSP set up multi-factor authentication for you. Following data security tips like these will make it harder for hackers to penetrate your systems.

2. Update Your Software

We’re all busy, and dismissing those annoying update notifications means you can get right to business. But this could cost you a lot of time in the long run.

What happens if you skip updates? Hackers are constantly looking for outdated software as it has lots of known vulnerabilities they can take advantage of.

The solution? Set up automatic updates, or better yet, let an MSP make sure everything is updated at all times. Staying current with updates is one of the simplest data security tips you can implement today.

3. Data Security Tips: Backup Your Data

We don’t like to think about this, but all those years of business data you have stored on your system could be gone in an instant under the wrong set of circumstances.

What could happen? Anything from a ransomware attack to a simple hardware failure could force you to start from scratch.

The solution? Set up a thorough backup strategy, and have an MSP set up offsite backups for that extra layer of security. Implementing backup systems is not just smart; it’s one of the most critical data security tips for safeguarding your business.

4. Do you have a solid data breach response plan?

What would you do if a breach happened? When every second counts, a roadmap can make all the difference. 

What if you’re caught off guard? Panic, confusion, and a slow response could just make your problems even worse and lead to more data loss.

The solution? Set up a clear response plan – and download our free Data Breach Response Plan Template to get started! This plan, combined with essential data security tips, ensures you’re ready for the unexpected.

5. Do your employees know about data security?

Your employees aren’t all cybersecurity experts, and they don’t need to be. But they do need to know how to avoid common vulnerabilities.

How can they cause problems? Just one click on a convincing phishing email could take your whole network down.

The solution? Regular security training makes all the difference. Let your MSP provide ongoing education so no one falls victim to the latest tactics.

Conclusion on Data Security Tips?

Are you ready to strengthen your data security? Take the first step by downloading our free Data Breach Response Plan Template, a ready-to-use plan that offers peace of mind so business owners can stop worrying about worst-case scenarios and feel confident they’re ready for anything.

Don’t leave your business’s security to chance. Reach out to an MSP to place your data in safe hands and implement these data security tips effectively.