Meet Chris Kays, IT Services Expert

Chris Kays founded F1 Computing Solutions, LLC, in July 2005. Having spent many years in the IT field and knowing just how difficult and frustrating it could be to find support in a timely manner, Chris decided his IT company would focus on high-quality, timely customer service.

Chris was honorably discharged as a disabled veteran after four years of service in the United States Air Force. Following that service, Chris became a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Springfield. After 15 years working his way up through the ranks into management while simultaneously putting himself through college at MSU, earning a bachelor’s degree in business, Chris decided to start F1 Computing Solutions. During Chris’s time at the Postal Service, he frequently put his computer and programming skills to use. He even cut the manager’s workload in half with a program he created; a program that was then implemented at post offices nationwide.

How can I protect my business from ransomware attacks?

Ransomware attacks are, unfortunately, here to stay. Here are some steps you can take to protect your business: 1) Host your systems with a reputable managed server provider. Partnering with a trusted provider ensures access to the latest technology and resources to protect your data and systems from ransomware threats. 2) Employee training is equally crucial. Your IT firm should offer regular security training sessions—ideally three or four times a year—to help employees recognize and avoid potential threats. 3) A robust disaster recovery backup solution provided by a reliable IT company is the most critical defense. This ensures that even if an attack occurs, your business can recover quickly and minimize disruption.

Can my small business benefit from using AI

Small businesses can totally level up with AI, streamlining everyday operations and saving serious time. With so many tools out there, start with a curated list of top-rated apps to find the best fit. Key areas where AI shines include: Customer Service: 24/7 chat and call bots to handle inquiries on the spot. Marketing: Smarter email campaigns, content creation, and automated social posts. Personal Assistance: AI helps with scheduling, emails, online orders, and proposal drafts. Embracing AI now means staying competitive and ahead of the curve!

What are the top ways to secure your company’s data?

Here are six things we highly recommend:

1. Buy security software.There are plenty of good choices out there like Avast, MalwareBytes, and Bitdefender (which is what we use). But make sure this software is installed on all devices used by your employees, even their home devices. Better yet, hire an outside information technology firm to monitor and ensure the applications are updated.

2. Set up online backup.Make sure your databases – cloud or otherwise – are backed up multiple times per day. Use cloud services like Barracuda, Carboniteor IDrive. This way, if you are attacked, you have the option to wipe everything clean and restore from your last good backup.

3. Get training.We need to be able to better identify phishing emails and other threats. The only way to do this is through regular training. Hire an IT firm to do this for your employees or consider using training software like KnowBe4, Infosec IQ and Proofpoint.

4. Revisit passwords.Require your employees to use password management software like Passportal, Keeper, LastPass or Dashlaneand to create long, complicated passwords. Most importantly, make sure there’s multifactor authentication to access anything on your network. That way, your employees will have to use a combination of passwords and random codes generated by text messages. The best way to accomplish this is to talk to your IT firm or company hosting your data.

5. Update everyone’s operating systems.This could be the most important item on the list. Why? Because Microsoft, Apple and Google – the top three makers of operating systems – frequently issue updates to their systems that include the most recent security protections. Unfortunately, people sometimes ignore these updates because they’re annoying. But don’t let this happen. Updates need to be required, and again, you may need the services of an IT firm to make sure this is being done.

6. Get cyber liability insurance.The sad fact is that none of the above actions is foolproof, and cybercriminals are always going to be one step ahead. So, when all else fails, having protection for the liabilities – and potential business interruptions – caused by theft or fraud is your best bet.

Is MFA enough?

Yes and no. I’m not talking about the feed store where all the old-timers gather and gossip—LOL. While the accessibility of quantum computing is still minimal, this will change drastically in the next few years. We need to be proactive about this, not reactive. While MFA (multifactor authentication) will continue to play a large role in our security, it must evolve significantly to keep up with the power of quantum computers. As time passes, you will notice MFA increasingly shifting toward biometrics instead of phone authenticators or emails to verify your login. Industry leaders are already evolving, preparing for hackers with access to quantum computers.

Is my password strong enough?

NO! Using a password just isn’t enough to keep bad guys out of your devices and apps. If you are not using multifactor authentication or MFA, either by receiving an email, text or using an authenticator on your phone, you aren’t safe. I know it is frustrating to jump through so many hoops just to login, but any extra protection is a good thing. Enabling MFA is like an extra lock on your valuables. Don’t miss next month’s Ask The Experts, where I’ll tell you why soon MFA won’t even be enough!

Are you being scammed? Below are the six most common scams and one new one you might not be aware of:

1.  Tech Support - Be cautious if someone randomly reaches out, requesting either payment or remote access to fix computer defects or malware (especially if they claim to be Microsoft!).
2.  Social Media - Social media online ads with eye-catching sales are being created that impersonate a reputable store. The ad’s link will take you to a website that appears legitimate, but will potentially steal your information. Selling fake puppies is a big one. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
3.  Impersonation - Make sure you’re speaking to someone legitimate, as scammers pose as companies (like Capital One) to request personal info or payment. Banks and financial institutions will rarely call you for your own information.
4.  Business email compromise scams - We deal with this every day. You receive an email from your supplier/vendor requesting you send money to a different account. The supplier/vendor email appears to be familiar. But this could be a fraudster who obtained access to the network of your supplier/vendor.
5.  Employment - Beware of deceptive job applications promising enticing perks like fully remote work that ask for your personal information.
6.  Romance Scams - Beware if you are asked for financial support from a partner in a relationship that’s been exclusively online.
7.  Voice cloning - Because of AI, it is now possible for scammers to duplicate your voice with just a couple of seconds of your recorded voice. Confirm their identity if they are asking for personal info, requesting money or payment in gift cards. Ask questions that only they would know the answers to.

Is investing in technology a wasted investment for my business?

Short answer is a big NO. It takes more money to protect your business these days, especially when it comes to cybersecurity, but ask yourself what your business is worth to you. There are some larger managed service providers (MSPs) that will try to oversell what a business needs so be wary of that, but for the most part true MSPs are very ethical as they have access to nearly all a business’ information. As a business owner you don’t have to understand all of it, but you do have to hire a company that does and can take care of your business.

Technology must be kept up to date, otherwise there is no point in having it at all. There are many requirements by insurance companies now that can’t be overlooked. There are also new technologies that as a business owner you may not even be aware of having to maintain compliance within your insurance. If you are not being protected by a reputable MSP your business is at a very high risk of being attacked by hackers. It’s a scary world out there because of technology. The question isn’t will you get hacked but when will you get hacked. If you do not have an MSP that takes care of your business’ technology, please get one.

How can your business avoid costly downtime due to IT failure?

Hiring a managed services technology company for all your company's technology needs can virtually eliminate any downtime that could occur due to technology failure. A managed services IT company will monitor your systems 24/7, and seek out issues, often implementing a solution without you ever knowing there was a problem. Your IT managed services provider can also provide a disaster recovery backup system, which protects your data and systems in the event of a disaster.

What should I know when choosing an IT firm?

The number one thing to do is to ask for referrals from someone you trust. Ask other business owners or other members of a networking group you belong to.

So, what does a good IT firm do? In a nutshell, they make sure that your data is secured, backed up, and accessible, and that your software is updated. They’ll also be on top of all your employees’ devices, whether mobile or at home, to ensure they’re updated and secure. They’ll offer service contracts to support any remaining hardware left in your office like printers.

Today’s IT firms provide a critical service. Most of them now are partnered with the big tech hosting platforms provided by Microsoft, Google and Amazon.

Even after you’ve received a good referral there are still questions you need to look at. I have compiled my top 10 questions that I would expect to be asked by a potential client:

1. How long have you been in business?

2. What is included/not included in your support contract?

3. How is support provided and what are your response times?

4. Who are your staff and what is their experience?

5. What’s the monthly fee?

6. How accessible and available are you when I have a problem?

7. Where is my data stored and how often is it backed up?

8. How are you protecting my data?

9. Does your backup include true disaster recovery?

10. How are you protecting my network from viruses?

Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) just for nerds?

From a development standpoint, yes, but not from a business perspective. AI is everywhere we look and work now. Even as I type this, the software I’m using is learning how I speak and trying to predict what I’m going to type next. As business owners we must stay ahead of the curve. Talk to your software vendor this year to discuss your accounting software, your customer relationship management software, your project management software, your inventory software, any software in which the vendors are using AI and developing new features. You want to be first in line and all over those new features so you can be as productive as possible in your business and get the most value from new tech using the software that you’re already paying for.

To shut down or sleep?

This has been a controversial subject amongst computer experts for years, and they still argue about it. Turning your computer completely off* doesn’t wear it out as long as it is not done multiple times a day, but turning your computer off does help it in many ways. Every time you boot up a computer it does many checks and balances. It will clean up unneeded files, and only start up programs that are needed or ones you have selected to start at start up. When there are errors within the operating system, turning it off and turning back on often does a soft reset of the system and clears out any minor errors. A good rule of thumb is don’t turn off your computer more than once a day. Turn it off at the end of the day or whenever you know you won’t be using it for at least 12 hours. Even shutting down just once a week is fine. When your computer goes into sleep mode, it is using very little power and allows you to wake the computer up a lot faster than if you were starting it from a complete shutdown.

*Always shut your computer down gracefully, don’t just push and hold the power button as this can easily damage the operating system.

It's a new year. Do I need new technology?

It’s definitely a good time to do some tech tidying. Here are ways to start off the new year on a good foot.

If your computer is more than three years old or your server is more than five years old, now is the time to upgrade.
If you’re still using Windows 7 you need to upgrade to Windows 11 immediately, for security reasons if nothing else.
Windows 10 will be end of life within a few months so it’s time to upgrade to Windows 11. Currently you can upgrade for free. Ask your local computer technician for details.