Information technology blog, cybersecurity blog

During tax season, documents with social security numbers and other private information on them are exchanged at a much higher rate than any other time of year. In addition, employers and employees are highly engaged in tax-related tasks, making this an especially busy time for finance people and business leaders alike.

Editor’s note: This article was originally written in 2019, but has been updated to include the most relevant information and ideas. 

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2019, but has been updated to include new content.

We get it: finding an IT consultant or managed service provider (MSP) can be stressful. You’re likely at a place where the technology in your environment isn’t working as you need it to. Or perhaps you're in a more dire situation such as following a cyber attack, data breach, natural, or other disasters. Between cold emails from possible partners, Google searches, industry referrals, and advertisements, narrowing your search can be overwhelming.

You’ve consulted with an IT firm or managed service provider (MSP) and decided that a technology refresh could help your business. Your old Windows 7 workstations are limping along anyway and were creating security concerns on top of that. By switching from desktops to laptops you’re also meeting the needs of your more mobile workforce. But what now? You’re staring down a 30-workstation hardware refresh all at once. You already know that it’s a valuable and worthwhile investment. You’re just not sure what your options are for funding this IT purchase. You’re not alone in having these kinds of thoughts at this moment. Across my nearly two decades in finance and as Kelser’s vice president of finance, I’ve worked with a ton of businesses that are where you’re at right now. I’ve helped them navigate those unknowns to get them where they need to be.

See this article as it originally appeared in The Hartford Business Journal. When I read last year that employees at layoff-and-buyout-battered Tribune Publishing newspapers (including the Hartford Courant) received mock phishing emails promising bonuses of $5,000 to $10,000, my heart sank. I can only imagine how the journalists themselves felt.

A version of the following article ran in the August 10 edition of the Hartford Business Journal under the headline "What part of your pandemic business should you keep?" As your organization scrambled to adjust to COVID-19, you may have implemented temporary solutions that could continue to be of value to the business going forward. With restrictions lifting, companies can pause to identify any positives that came out of this experience that may lower expenses or boost revenues on a long-term basis. In doing so, it’s also important to assess if your business may have gotten by with technology practices in the short term that could pose cybersecurity risks if left in place permanently.

As businesses continue to struggle with the economic fallout of COVID-19, many leaders are looking for ways to reduce costs, including technology. When implemented strategically, technology is a business enabler—an investment, not an expense. However, it’s always good to eliminate inefficiencies or redundancies in the IT department whenever possible. I recently had the chance to contribute to a TechRepublic article called “CIOs: 8 ways to trim IT budgets”. My tip, which focuses on telecom costs, is number 6. Below is more detail on how companies can potentially find savings in the IT budget.