IT Horizons Blog

IT services and IT consulting are often used interchangeably. But there are some important differences between the two that will influence which your business needs—or if you need both. If you want the short answer, it’s this: IT services does stuff, and IT consulting tells you what to do. Regardless of which one your business needs, we all agree that IT (Information Technology) as an essential component of nearly every business. IT includes everything from computers to software, the internet, technical support, security, data protection (backups), and internal and external networks. If you’re reading this, you are accessing information courtesy of IT. Fix What’s Broken vs Find What’s Broken When your computer, server, or network crashes, you probably want to call IT services to get your site up and running again as soon as possible. Very much the ‘if it’s broken, we can fix it’ department. So, IT services are...

Hello! It’s us, your friendly Grande Prairie IT services company, here to answer some of your questions about all things ‘IT’.   Do you help individuals with computer problems? No , IT Horizons works with small to mid-sized businesses. Although much of our work is with individuals at those businesses, our work is only through these organizations. We always get the latest software and upgrades so we don’t need an IT consultant, right? That depends. Are you confident that you’re getting only what you need, and that what you’re purchasing is saving time and money? If not, we can help. An IT consultant is not a salesperson. Our job is to analyze your organization, your current systems, and your needs, and then decide what solutions will suit you best (and actually save you time and money). If your IT strategy is to always buy and upgrade, then you’re using excess...

With all the positive advancements in information technology, the growth of cyber crime has been a notable drawback. Cyber crime refers to committing theft or any other criminal act through the use of computers or any other tech gadget. In the past five years, Ransomware has been a major source of cyber crime activities. Ransomware is a malicious software that does not allow you to access your files if it takes over your computer. The creator of the software demands ransom (as the name suggests) from the victim, if they want to gain access to their files again. The payments are normally made in non-traceable transactions through a cryptocurrency (normally Bitcoin) to ensure the attacker’s safety. The victims get so confused and scared that they immediately agree to pay the amounts without considering if the hacker will grant them access or will not do it again. The hacker prevents you...

Have you ever received an email that does not look familiar or looks suspicious? Be wary of it, as it might be malware or any other form of cyber-attack, also commonly known as a phishing attack. If you ever come across any such email, that asks you to log in somewhere, the only logical thing to do is DO NOT LOGIN! The term ‘phishing’ comes from ‘fishing,’ only that in this case the victim is the “phish” and the hacker is the ‘phisherman’. It may (generally) ask you to allow access to an application or attachment sent in the email. And, if you follow the attacker’s instructions whether intentionally or unintentionally, you might get into serious trouble. The hacker can do anything, ranging from something less harmful like installing a simple virus in your system that handicaps certain applications, to attacking your computer with something as dangerous as ransomware. Ransomware...

It can be difficult to accommodate even occasional changes for new hires, terminations, or staff changing jobs within your organization. If you’re like many other businesses in Grande Prairie and are dealing with seasonal highs and lows or high turnover, if your business has frequent staff changes it can be a nightmare on the IT side. When poorly managed, such moves, adds, and changes can be extremely painful, costly, and time-consuming to your business. You need to make sure your previous employee’s security access is neatly revoked on time. What should you do with their email? Who is taking over their responsibilities? Does your new hire have a computer assigned to them? Do they have the right printers? Are email list memberships and shared contacts in order? Do they have the documents and applications they need? Will it take a day, two, or even more before the IT changes are...