IT Horizons Blog

Being a Data Steward means protecting people’s information with care and transparency. As more of our work and lives move into the cloud, it’s important to understand where data lives, who looks after it, and what rules apply. In this blog, we’ll walk through the basics of the cloud, data residency and sovereignty, and why having a trusted data steward matters. What Is the Cloud? Whenever you use cloud services to save your photos or documents, back up your business information, or use online apps, your data is being stored on a real computer servers. The cloud is just a network of these servers that store, manage, and process your data so you can access your files and use software over the internet. When you use cloud-based services, your information isn’t floating in space. In reality, your data lives on physical servers, in multiple datacenters, somewhere in North America. Of...

How to Pass Your IT Insurance Audit with Flying Colours Preparing for an IT Insurance Audit (Without the Stress) One of our clients recently had to go through an IT insurance audit before renewing their policy. They scored an impressive 93%, and the insurance company was happy to continue coverage. We were equally happy because it meant we were providing excellent managed IT services. (The 7% was from a concern in their system that was outside our work!) That experience got us thinking: IT insurance audits can feel a bit intimidating, but they’re actually a great opportunity. They show how well your current systems protect your organization and where you might need to tighten things up. Let’s break it down in a simple, no-stress way. What’s an IT Insurance Audit, Really? In short, the insurance company wants to make sure you’re doing your part to protect your systems. The better...

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...