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10 Cybersecurity Myths & Misconceptions

As we celebrate the 2021 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, SWICKtech wants to help businesses learn to be safer and more secure online. Employees empowered with the resources and knowledge to protect organizations from cyber threats are one of the best lines of defense. Part of that training should involve breaking down often-quoted cybersecurity misconceptions. Employers and employees who believe any of the myths below could be opening their businesses to unknown risk.

10 Things You Didn’t Know an Off-Site IT Team Can Do For Your Business

There are plenty of reasons a company might consider outsourcing IT. Small- to mid-size businesses experiencing growth often need IT services, but can’t afford their own in-house department. Then there’s the company with an in-house IT department that can’t seem to get things under control. More and more companies are turning to off-site IT services to manage their technology needs.

3 Common IT Issues Every CEO Should Know About

The challenges of running a productive and secure company are more difficult and trying than ever before. When it comes to IT stability and security, whether you’re running a small business or a large corporation, it’s more important than ever to take responsible and proactive steps toward “running a tight ship.”

Protection from Crypto Attack

3 First Steps To Securing Your Company From Crypto Attacks

Multi-Factor Authentication, Password Management, and Secure Cloud Backup Are All Necessary In Today’s Crypto Security Landscape

5 Keys to IT Stability That Ensure “Business as Usual”

Imagine an entire week at work where everything operates smoothly. Your employees are all relaxed and working hard, services and orders are quickly and efficiently processed, and there’s not a whisper of a problem from your technology systems. Imagine a whole week—even a whole month—without a stressful work environment. Wouldn’t that be great?

IT Managed Service and Support For Your Business

6 Reasons an IT Managed Services Provider is Your Ticket to Network Security

For those companies unable to afford an internal IT department or for those who simply don’t want to deal with the hassle of maintaining a high quality IT team, IT managed services providers offer an alternative to going it alone. When choosing between in-house IT, managed IT services, or going with a lone IT guy, think about what your company needs for reliable, locked down network security.

6 Signs You're A Slave to Your Server

When to know it's time for Server infrastructure improvements for your business.

7 Questions to Ask Your IT Professional Every Month

Ah, the IT Department. Completely necessary—but sometimes their day-to-day duties are a bit of a mystery. As CEO, you understand you need them, but it can be hard to shake the nagging feeling at the back of your mind… You know, the question of whether or not your IT department is properly managed or entirely effective.

IT Managed Support and Technical Expertise for your Business

9 Questions to Ask Your IT Team Today

Good leaders understand the importance of delegation. Great leaders get feedback from their delegates and incorporate it into action. So, chances are you’ve hired your IT department to handle your technology because their expertise outweighs yours by a fair margin.

Addressing the IT Skills Gap: Selecting A Managed IT Solutions Provider

Finding the right IT professional to server your small or medium-sized business can be difficult. However, selecting a managed IT service provider can solve many of these headaches. Learn how to select a MSP to protect your IT infrastructure stability.

Technology Strategic Planning for your Wisconsin or Illinois Business

Building Out Your 2016 IT Strategic Plan

Outlining an IT strategic plan is one thing. Effective implementation is another. There are plenty of ways to get your IT strategy off the ground. Hiring an outside IT consulting firm can be a cost-effective approach. One of the best ways to save money is to invest in technology when there’s a window of opportunity—and Q4 is a great time for opportunity!

Cloud Migration and Your Bottom Line

Thinking about migrating your organization's IT infrastructure to the cloud? Learn about the economics and cost saving benefits associated with making the migration, including direct and indirect savings.

Communication – What’s best for Business?

Communication is an important part of any business. Email has long been a critical tool to facilitate communication. To reduce cost and ease management, many businesses are looking at hosted communications services.

Cyber Insurers Toughen Coverage Requirements to Include MFA

With the conclusion of the 2021 Vancouver International Privacy and Cybersecurity Summit one message is clear - all organizations applying for cyber insurance must add multi-factor authentication (MFA) to logins. Without MFA organizations won’t receive coverage.

Declare your Independence from IT Instability

Computer technology is about as close to magic as we’re going to get these days. It has revolutionized every aspect of our culture, from business technology to social communications. It’s changed the way we work, play and even the way we think.

Direct EDI vs EDI VANs graphic

Direct EDI vs EDI VANs

If your organization is transitioning to EDI, there are two options to choose from: direct EDI and EDI Van. Learn more about which option is right for you.

Managed Services Provider Milwaukee

Do You Trust Your Managed Service Provider?

In the wake several ransomware attacks on Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in the past year, particularly ones serving small governments and municipalities, do you have trust in the people holding the keys to your castle?

SWICKtech SafetyNET Backup Plans for Business

Don’t Be An April Fool, Backup Your Data!

SWICKtech SafetyNET provides reliable, secure, and stable cloud backups for your company data. SWICKtech will ensure nightly backups succeed by utilizing automated alerts and daily checks to assure the integrity of your data. Every night your data will be backed up to SWICKtech’s Managed Private Cloud in downtown Milwaukee.

Elevating Business Potential with Microsoft 365 Copilot

In today's fast-paced business environment, every organization aspires for an edge. Imagine if your team could get a digital helping hand, ready to transform the mundane into the magnificent. Enter Microsoft 365 Copilot: the next-gen AI assistant poised to redefine our interaction with office applications and offer unparalleled advantages, especially for small and medium enterprises.

Increase performance and productivity with Windows 10

End of Service for Windows 7 Ahead

Windows 7 systems will no longer have security updates

Microsoft Azure provides industry leading security and privacy

End of Service for Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008

Improved reporting will greatly benefit accounting, operations and sales departments.

Firewall Best Practices

Your network firewall is the gatekeeper and a key layer of defense for your overall network security strategy. This layer must be managed, maintained and monitored to insure its optimal performance. This article will go over a few fundamental best practices that will help insure that your network firewall stays stable, secure and protects your network from malicious attacks.

Firewall Security for your Business

Firewall Security in Plain English: A Clear-Cut Guide to Firewall Security

Simply put, you need a strong firewall. Viruses, spyware, phishing emails, Trojan horses, worms, malware, bot armies, ransomware, scareware, hackers and cybercriminals…yeah, there’s all kinds of dangers lurking out there. You’ll hear these top network security terms used nearly interchangeably—and while they’re not all the same, the reason for this is because every one of these threats attempts to do essentially the same thing: steal sensitive data for criminal activity.

EDI for Manufacturers Graphic

Getting Started with EDI

Getting started with a new EDI system can seem like a challenge, but it doesn't have to be. Learn more about how to get started with EDI.

HiveNightmare aka SeriousSAM Vulnerability

Microsoft has issued an urgent security notice regarding HiveNightmare (also known as SeriousSAM), which is a vulnerability that can allow a regular user unintended administrative access to an organization’s network.

How Do I Monitor My Computer Systems?

Computer systems are vital to the daily operations of any company, monitoring to prevent issues is the key to keep businesses running. A proactive versus a reactive approach makes a lot of sense. Overlooking or postponing maintenance because of a lack of monitoring can turn into huge issues.

How to Seamlessly Integrate Artificial Intelligence into Your Manufacturing Business for Unparalleled Efficiency and Innovation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just the domain of Silicon Valley startups or tech behemoths. In the manufacturing sector, we're witnessing a groundbreaking paradigm shift where AI technologies such as generative design, intelligent automation, and predictive maintenance are driving efficiency like never before. In this journey towards digital transformation, it is crucial to go beyond merely implementing technologies. Leaders must navigate the labyrinth of workforce readiness, skills upgradation, and ethical considerations to unlock AI's full potential. Here, we lay out a robust roadmap to help your organization not just adopt AI but embrace it wholeheartedly, driving unparalleled efficiency and fostering a culture of innovation.

IT Infrastructure and network system support

How Your IT System is Like the Human Body

Both your body and your IT systems are made up of multiple layers of defense. These layers consist of many varied tools, system monitoring devices and recovery strategies. There are elements that focus on detection and identification, others that learn about new threats and evolve to destroy them, while others fight the problem head-on or work to repair the damage caused.

EDI for Manufacturers Graphic

How Your Organization Can Benefit from Manufacturing EDI

Manufacturers can benefit from implementing EDI, improving accuracy and efficiency, while saving money and time. Learn more about EDI for manufacturers.

Importance of Electronic Communication in Business

Improve your business communication. Moving from paper to electronic communications can actually help your business connect easier while saving time and money.

Important! Cryptolocker Security Alert to Protect Your Files

An especially troublesome virus called CryptoLocker (aka ransomware CryptoLocker) has recently made the news and is something you should take steps to protect yourself and your data against.

BYOD Bring Your Own Device for Business Computer Usage

Is BYOD Putting Your Network (and Your Business) at Risk?

Choosing or creating the right BYOD platform is essential to your company’s success. Your BYOD policy should include set and enforced components, including: password enforcement, automatic update requirements, mobile device management services (MDM), and employee accountability.

Microsoft Windows 10 for Business

Is your Business ready for Windows 10?

Windows 10 offers some great enhancements that will benefit your business. Ensuring your business is ready will greatly reduce the risk of compatibility issues for applications and hardware and potentially save your business money. As they say, free is not always free.

Network and Data Protection for Your Business IT Environment - SWICKtech

Is Your IT Environment In Your Comfort Zone?

From system security and disaster recovery to everyday efficiency and reliability, are you confident your IT environment is working, balanced and harmonious? If you’re feeling uncomfortable, it’s time to get back to your IT comfort zone—and that means getting back to consistently reliable IT stability.

Is Your IT Guy Dangerous?

Just how dangerous is an IT department operated by just one person. If your company puts all their trust in one person, a lot more than you realize may be at stake. We’re not suggesting that all IT personnel are dangerous—we wouldn’t have a functioning world if that were the truth.

New Technology for business owners and businesses

IT Advice CEOs Should Never Ignore

Working with your IT professionals here is very important; you’ll both need to do your research and be open to alternative solutions to determine how your day-to-day business processes will be affected by technology changes.

Boosting_Employee_Productivity_and_IT

IT and Employee Productivity

For many organizations, employee productivity has been decreasing for years. However, partnering with the right IT team can reverse the trend while increasing employee productivity and your bottom line. Learn more about these solutions.

It's The End of the Road for Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer to retire after more than 25 years.

Keep your computer cool in the dog days of summer

Summer has finally arrived! The snow is gone and the heat of the summer is here. However heat isn’t good for everything. Heat is kryptonite for computers. It can make your computer go from working fast and efficiently to slow and unresponsive. What causes computers to overheat and what can be done to prevent your computers from overheating?

manufacturing industry technology growth and ERP implementation projects

Leveraging Technology to Accelerate Growth in Manufacturing Industry

SWICKtech IT Consultants and Engineers connect people, processes and Line of Business applications to automate and streamline business workflows which would otherwise be time-consuming, error-ridden, and non-compliant.

Love Technology

Love is not always what comes to mind for a business owner when thinking about technology. Frustration, dread and fear can be common words associated with implementing technology.

Microsoft Office 365 Case Study: Staying Open in Frigid Temperatures

Don't let the cold Wisconsin winter weather impact your day to day operations, leverage Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Teams to enable a mobile workforce

Microsoft Teams collaboration inter-office communication

Microsoft Teams: What You Need to Know

Microsoft Teams is only the tip of the iceberg in regard to everything Office 365 has to offer to enhance daily office communications, collaborations, ability to sell and extract data in ways you never knew plausible.

Most People use the same password and its a disaster waiting to happen

Most People Still Use The Same Password For Multiple Accounts and its a Disaster Waiting To Happen

Most people understand that using the same password for multiple accounts compromises online security, but many continue to use the same password anyways

Network and System Security for Your Business

Last month’s article touched on several scenarios making a case for securing business networks. Today we will focus on what you can do as a business or technical decision maker to better secure and stabilize your business network and system security.

Payroll Diversion Fraud is Targeting Employees

Cyber criminals are after employee paychecks that use direct deposit. Using phishing and other attack types, threat actors are tricking employees (including HR) into typing their usernames and passwords into fake payroll or “company” websites.

Network Security for your Milwaukee or Chicago Business

Proactive Network Security, Backup & Recovery, and More

When left unchecked, changes to your systems can turn into problems, both long and short term. Any complete IT solution should include constant, proactive monitoring of your entire network’s systems and operations. Proactive monitoring involves watching and documenting all incoming/outgoing data and activity so potential system threats like computer viruses, hacking attempts, and more can be caught before they result in catastrophic destruction.

RIP Windows XP

Windows XP, Wikipedia and the first Harry Potter movie were all released in 2001. Over a decade has passed and technology is among the many things that have changed. Back in 2001 Windows XP was the twinkle in Microsoft’s eye, their shining star, their flag ship operating system. It has been the most widely used operating system for quite a while, even surpassing some of Microsoft’s other operating systems like Windows 98 and Vista. But every good thing must come to an end and technology keeps growing by leaps and bounds.

Secure Your Social Media Accounts With Multi-factor Authentication

Why you should put MFA on your social media accounts

IT Managed Support and IT Consulting for Wisconsin and Illinois

Selecting A Managed IT Solutions Provider

When consulting organizations to undertake the development of a network infrastructure, it’s imperative to inquire further about the degree of its team’s expertise and knowledge within the industry. Those with employees having only a basic understanding of IT support and maintenance may not be in accordance with your company’s needs.

Slow IT Got You Stuck in the Dog Days of Summer?

We all know the pain of slow IT: websites taking too long to load or timing out, your OS is out of date and makes everything a headache. Printers don’t want to print. Anti-virus scans take days to complete and you can’t run other programs while it scans your systems. Uploads/downloads never seem to finish. Frustration and irrational anger abound.

Strategic Planning How

For every company there are different ways to perform the ‘how’ of strategic planning. While I can’t speak for every industry, I can provide general guidelines as they relate to technology. We specialize in technology planning for many industries and these guidelines are universal across the different business segments.

IT Support and Project Management Consulting for Northern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin

SWICKtech 2016 New Website Launch

SWICKtech is rebranding ourselves with renewed focus on IT Project Consulting and Business Application Management. Our Engineers and Analysts have all the expertise needed to integrate those tools into your company.

BizTimes Print Publication of SWICKtech Future 50 Award Winner

SWICKtech Future 50 Winner Featured in BizTimes Media

Presented by MMAC's Council of Small Business Executives (COSBE), the Future 50 Award celebrates the success of fast-growing regional companies!

SwickTech Stability Cube

SwickTech Stability Cube is six key steps necessary for achieving stability in your business computer systems.

SWICKtech’s New Cybersecurity Agreement Makes Implementing New Cyber Insurance Requirements Easy

The landscape of Information Technology (I.T.) has changed greatly in the past few years. One area that most organizations continue to be concerned with is security. Specifically, they are concerned with the seemingly never-ending ransomware attacks that receive constant news coverage.

Technology Best Practice and Industry Standards – How

As you know, in manufacturing and business in general there are sets of recognized standards and procedures on how to effectively conduct business and operations. For example, if your company is creating a part that another company will use in their finished product, it’s even more important to get things right so the parts fit properly.

The ABCs Of CMMC

Beginning in 2025, all defense contractors will need to be assessed against the 5-tiered cybersecurity standard known as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). CMMC is a complex topic that cannot be summarized in a single blog post. So, what fundamentals does your organization need to know in order to stay or become compliant?

Benefits of Microsoft Windows Office 365

The Benefits of an Office 365 for Business Upgrade

Our experienced team of technical business IT providers can comprehensively advise your company based on specified requests and requirements. We plan and execute the upgrade process to ensure the safety and security of existing files, software programs, etc., as well as mitigate or eliminate any company downtime.

Three Big Reasons to Choose Microsoft Azure over other Cloud Providers

Why Microsoft clients are choosing Microsoft Azure for their cloud solution.

Three Easy Tips to Avoid Stimulus Payment Email Scams

[Video Tips Included] Now, with the IRS getting economic stimulus checks to all Americans, a new wave of scams are attempting to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.

IT Managed Support for Wisconsin

Too Busy To Bolster Your IT? It Could Already Be Too Late…

Network security is of critical importance these days. The first step to ensuring your IT is working and protected is to analyze how your IT is currently set up, then identify areas that could be bolstered to prevent security breaches.

EDI

Understanding Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Many businesses still rely on phone calls, emails, or fax to complete everyday transactions. EDI gives businesses the opportunity to share documents via computer-to-computer interactions in a standardized format. Learn how EDI can help your business.

Urgent Security Notices Issued for Microsoft’s PrintNightmare

Early the week of July 6th, US-CERT, CISA, and Microsoft issued urgent security notices regarding PrintNightmare.

URGENT: Support Is Ending for Windows XP

After April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. If you continue to use Windows XP, your computer might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.

Web Filtering for Business

Web Filtering Explained: How to Filter the Web without Affecting Employee Productivity

Protecting your company’s sensitive information from data loss or data compromise is paramount. Employees can (whether knowingly or unwittingly) expose your organization to viruses and malware just by surfing the web. Unfortunately, this leads to weak points in your network security—plus, your employees can become a liability to your company’s integrity, which in some cases, can lead to legal trouble.

What Is the Log4J Vulnerability?

Log4J is a free and open-source logging library widely used by companies large and small. Officially designated CVE-2021-44228, the 0-day vulnerability was first publicly disclosed on December 9th, 2021.

What Should You “BE” in 2013 to achieve success

Swick Technologies jumped into 2013 as a continued Silver Sponsor at ActionCOACH’s quarterly GrowthClub workshop for the third year running. ActionCOACH of Elm Grove held this quarter’s GrowthClub at the Majestic Cinema of Brookfield which provided a welcoming venue for sponsors and motivated business owners alike.

What will downtime cost your business?

Do you ever stop to think of how much your business depends on computers? How about the costs that you would incur if your business computer network failed? Many businesses do not fully understand how dependent they are on their computer network, until they experience some type of network downtime. Depending on the type of industry your business is in, the cost of the network downtime will vary.

What You Need to Know About Skype for Business End Of Life

In July 2019, Microsoft first announced its plan for the retirement of Skype for Business, and the transition to Microsoft Teams. Nearly two years later, this plan will become reality in a mere 2 months. Here’s a refresher on what this may mean for your business.

What’s Your IT Plan B?

It’s another day and business is in full swing, as usual. Everything is running smoothly and your office is abuzz with activity. While at your desk responding to a few emails, you notice your internet has frozen and stopped responding.

When Are Cyber Criminals More Likely To Attack?

According to a 2021 report from IBM and the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a data breach among companies surveyed reached $4.24 million per incident in 2021, the highest in 17 years. The shift to hybrid or remote work was certainly a contributing factor, but what was the top contributor to these numbers? The answer: compromised credentials that led to compromised data.

Why do my computer systems need monitoring?

Computer systems are vital to the operations of any sized company. While employees PC’s and printers are important, typically the main “nuts and bolts” of the computer system are the servers, storage systems, network equipment, backup system, etc. that sit behind the scenes.

Why IT needs to be involved in your business’s strategic planning

One of the most undervalued components of a successful Information Technology department is strategic planning. Involving the IT department in strategic planning allows organizations to align technology needs with its mission and vision. This helps create a road map for future resource, time and energy needs.

Virus Protection for Network and Server Environments

Why Plain Ol’ Antivirus Isn’t Enough

With digital attacks looming all over the internet, how exactly can you be certain your antivirus protection is enough? Whether you have an internal IT department, an outsourced managed IT services provider, or you’re operating with only a paid (or even free) antivirus security suite, you must be certain your company’s data is protected.

Why you need Network Security

How much is your company’s data worth to you? What is the cost to your business if either of the following occurred?

Microsoft Windows 10 for your workstation

Windows 10 Security

Battling against cyber-threats is constant and requires frequently updating protection services. Windows 10 is the latest operating system to include features that directly address global cyber security compromises. In this blog, we explore how this system can directly apply to your business and preserve secure information.

Windows 7 or Windows 8?

Now that Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft, people are debating between Windows 7 and Windows 8. You may be asking, what is the difference between the two operating systems? or which one is going to be the best for me? Here is a breakdown between the two Windows operating systems. You may find that with a better knowledge of the operating systems you will be more comfortable when making the choice between the two.

Determine the advantages and disadvantages of a wireless-only office

Wireless-Only Office

Pros and Cons of a Wireless-Only Office

You Need IT Stability: Why Unstable IT is Like Feeding Your Company to the Lions

What do we mean by IT stability? IT stability means your systems, your data and your network are all up-and-running, and stable and secure, so you can go about your day-to-day business without IT hassles. Sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?

IT Stability for your business

Zen and the Art of IT Stability

IT problems and their solutions can be broken down into a few categories. All hardware, software, information management, security concerns, and recovery after a disaster situation fall under at least one of these categories. Your trusted IT management team understands these issues intimately and should have multiple solutions in place, should you experience any of these problems.

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15700 W Cleveland Ave New Berlin, WI. 53151

Sales: (262) 333.0222
Help Desk: (414) 257.9266

© 2021 Swick Technologies, LLC.

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Swick Technologies

15700 W Cleveland Ave
New Berlin, WI

Sales: 262.333.0222
Help Desk: 414.257.9266