Dec 8, 2022 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
When it comes to cybersecurity, tools and technology help. What can help even more is making cybersecurity a part of company culture, to the point of safety becoming second nature. Read on to learn more about establishing a culture of cybersecurity. The Vital Importance of Cybersecurity The attacks just keep coming. In recent years, SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline are just a couple of well-known incidents. According to statistics, more than half of cyber attacks result from human error–weak or poorly managed passwords, susceptibility to phishing schemes, perhaps even ignorance of company policies and of best practices. The cost of attacks is supposed to continue increasing, to over $10 trillion by 2025. The Cybersecurity Conversation It’s never too late–or too soon–to openly discuss cybersecurity in your organization. Your executives, both in your IT department and outside of it, can set the tone for your company’s cybersecurity culture. For example, sharing learning from past experiences can show your workers that anyone can learn from mistakes. More than technology and tools, cybersecurity training needs to be an integral part of company culture–it saves costs, preserves your company’s reputation, and keeps your company in business. You can freely discuss cybersecurity in team meetings and everyday work conversations. Ideally, this will get workers of teams talking about ways to keep your company safe and may reach the individual level, encouraging them to evaluate their cybersecurity savvy and improve it. Regular training and retraining should also be part of the organization’s culture of cybersecurity. Staging mock “phishing” attacks to test workers’ knowledge and ability to act, will help to make training...
Dec 2, 2022 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
What if you could deduct technological expenses, reducing your taxes and availing your business of new technology? According to the IRS, you can deduct a portion of your tax expense for products (sometimes even services) if you deploy the tech in the current tax year. Read on to learn more about defraying expenses and even gaining a competitive advantage, too. Tax Deductions for Technology Purchases Your company may be considering what technological purchases to make in the near future. What if you could get the technology assets you need, while lightening your tax bill? According to the IRS tax code, Section 179, small to medium-sized businesses can deduct the entire purchase price of both new and used equipment from what they pay in taxes. To be eligible, the business must meet any one of three requirements. The business must be in operation, or set to start operating, and have purchased IT assets throughout the year. Types of purchases to which the deduction applies are on-premise improvements like security systems and security systems; devices like computers and laptops, tablets and phones; and software, servers and networking equipment. A business must earn no more than $2.5 million annually, as well as deploy the technology within the same tax year as purchased. Equipment purchases arising from an IT services contract can be deducted, but not the service itself. Business Benefits and Considerations Who doesn’t want to pay less in taxes? Aside from this obvious benefit, the budgetary burden for purchasing even new equipment is lightened. Your company can perhaps even launch a new initiative like unified communications (allowing...
