Business
Top 4 Qualities to Look for in a vCIO

Discover the essential traits to look for in a Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) to unlock greater business growth.

Business
Decoding the Four Chief Information Officer (CIO) Archetypes

Navigating the sometimes-seismic shifts in technology is no small feat, and that's why companies turn to a CIO to guide the way.

Strategy
Boosting Business Success with a Virtual CIO (vCIO)

A full-time CIO comes with a high salary that is not practical for a small business. What can a business do to close the gap?

Business
Why You Need Technology Business Reviews

Technology Business Reviews play a powerful role in enabling decision-makers to limit unnecessary expenses and reallocate resources to promising IT initiatives.

Business
Pro-Tips for the SMB's Digital Transformation Journey

Digital transformation is no longer exclusive to enterprise organizations seeking a competitive edge; SMBs are embracing it to improve core business functions.

Cybersecurity
How to Protect Your Business While on Vacation

You've worked hard and deserve your vacation time. However, cyber threats are on the rise & bad actors don't take time off. Here's how to stay secure while OOO.

Business
5 Business Decisions to Make Before Your Azure Deployment

Creating a new Microsoft Azure deployment is a relatively straightforward process. However, a business needs to consider a few key decisions first.

Cybersecurity
Top 7 Questions to Ask a Cybersecurity Provider

Are you in the market for a new MSSP? Here are the top screening questions you need to ask when shopping for your next cybersecurity partner.

Cybersecurity
How We Developed Our Approach to Security

Our cybersecurity culture is deeply informed by our vision for Universal Safe Networks and our commitment to help businesses fortify their security.

Cybersecurity
My First Cybersecurity Incident

You never forget your first cybersecurity incident. It was the summer of 2001, & I was working as a field tech, supporting several medical research departments.

Managed IT Services
Top 7 Signs You Deserve Better IT Support

How do you know when to cut ties with your IT provider? You watch for these warning signs that indicate low operational maturity.

Cybersecurity
Zero Cost Security Improvements to Protect Your Business

Nearly 1 out of 4 small businesses suffered at least one cyber attack last year. Discover cost free protections you can implement now to improve your security.

Business
Top 4 Tips to Prepare Your Technology for Hurricane Season

With an above-average hurricane season ahead of us this year, now is the time to prepare for any adverse weather that could impact your business.

Managed IT Services
Top 7 Signs That Your IT Isn't Working

The drive to be a dominant player in your market requires leveraging the latest tech innovations. Your IT should make you more competitive, not hold you back.

Managed IT Services
6 Critical Factors Overlooked When Choosing a Managed Services Provider

Hiring a Managed Services Provider (MSP) is a significant decision. Most businesses take one of three approaches, yet overlook a few key consideration factors.

Managed IT Services
Patch Management: Why Your Business Needs It

Patch management is crucial to ensure business continuity. Learn more about how software patching can safeguard your organization.

Managed IT Services
Top 5 Reasons Why Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) is Critical to Anywhere Operations

Anywhere Operations is the new preferred work model. Let’s explore how zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) facilitates quick, easy, and safe remote work processes.

Business
How to Update Your IT Budget When Switching from CapEx to OpEx

Companies are switching their mode of IT investments from CapEx to OpEx. Discover how to adjust your IT budget to support the switch to OpEx.

Managed IT Services
Top 7 Reasons Businesses Switch to OpEx for IT Investments

Anywhere Operations requires significant IT investments. Explore why businesses prefer Operating Expenses (OpEx) for powering Anywhere Operations.

Business
Top 5 Reasons a Business Continuity Plan is Critical

A business continuity plan is crucial for your company’s risk mitigation strategies. Let’s consider the top benefits of this risk management tool.

Managed IT Services
Solving the Cloud Transition & Security Challenge

Learn more about NetForce Architect, our solution for IT projects that assist in cloud transitions and modernizing your operations to improve business.

Technology
Top 12 Technology Buzzwords Every Small Business Should Know

Every SMB needs to innovate to thrive in the marketplace. Technology buzzwords also hold value in helping SMBs position for greater competitiveness.

Cybersecurity
What is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)?

As more companies adopt cloud applications, there is a need for greater cloud security. Discover how a CASB can help with your IT security policies.

Business
5 Ways for Small Businesses to Invest in Sustainable IT

Green IT helps businesses save on costs while preserving the environment. Let’s consider a few sustainable IT projects that companies can implement.

Business
Beyond the Hybrid Work Model with Anywhere Operations

By 2023, approximately 40% of organizations are predicted to transition towards Anywhere Operations.

News
Net Friends Receives SOC 2 Type II Attestation for Third Year, Adding Confidentiality Trust Services Criteria

“By engaging in the SOC 2 Type II audit every year, we are motivated by transparency and accountability,” said John Snyder, CEO of Net Friends.

Business
Top 5 Strategies for Managing a Hybrid Workplace

Anywhere Operations and the hybrid work model are the new normal. Let’s explore the top five management strategies for today's hybrid workplace.

Business
How to Budget for Anywhere Operations

The new normal requires adopting an Anywhere Operations model. Let’s explore the top budget areas that will help your company work from anywhere.

Business
Top 5 Policies to Consider for Anywhere Operations

Anywhere Operations represent the new normal for business operations. Let’s explore the top five critical policies necessary for its adoption.

Business
18 Questions to Ask When Adopting Anywhere Operations

Anywhere Operations has emerged as a leading work model. Discover the key questions to ask your stakeholders before you adopt it.

Business
Are You Ready for Anywhere Operations?

While "Work from Anywhere" is a common term, let's explore the future of "Anywhere Operations" and its implications for small businesses.

Business
Top Creative Uses for Your Technology Roadmap

Leverage your Technology Roadmap in new ways by exploring its greater potential and unlock even more business growth.

Business
How to Maximize the Value of Your Technology Roadmap

Your Technology Roadmap is only as powerful as you allow it to be when you regularly consult it with your internal stakeholders to advance your goals.

Business
How to Capture IT Costs on Your Technology Roadmap

The Technology Roadmap should be a close companion to your IT Budget. Discover pro-tips from Net Friends on how to better capture your IT spending.

Cybersecurity
Why You Need Technology Specialists

Far too often, IT companies are stuck in the generalist hiring loop with no formal strategy to develop their technical staff beyond being break-fix technicians.

Business
How to Leverage Lists to Build Your Technology Roadmap

When targeting your desired outcomes is too difficult, try this brainstorming exercise to help you move forward with building your Technology Roadmap.

Technology
The First Cornerstone to Safe Network Design: Technology Stack

By cementing your Technology Stack from the onset, you dodge disruptions such as frequently recycling technology solutions and upending operational processes.

Business
Why Your Business Needs A Technology Roadmap

A Technology Roadmap will help any decision-maker capture a visual reference of the technology plans and enhancements that will drive their business forward.

Business
The Ultimate Guide to Technology Roadmaps

Discover a powerful tool that can help you capture your technology goals and scale your business. A Technology Roadmap is your IT Budget's missing companion.

Cybersecurity
How An MSP Helps You Prep for HIPAA Audits

Net Friends is a SOC 2 Type II certified IT partner with a long history of expertise in HIPAA compliance and Information Technology Risk Management (ITRM).

Cybersecurity
What Does An MSSP Do For Your Business?

A mature MSSP is your preferred strategic partner for implementing a robust cybersecurity program that aligns with your business operations.

Technology
Why You Don't Need Another On-Prem Server

Cloud providers are constantly upgrading their services to adhere to the latest industry standards and regulatory requirements to offer unprecedented security.

News
Castra Taps NetForce to Fill IT Positions as Demand Surges

Net Friends announces that Castra, an award-winning leader in MDR, has signed the largest NetForce IT staffing agreement to date.

Cybersecurity
Net Friends' Response to the Kaseya Breach

A message from Net Friends CEO John Snyder on the Kaseya Breach

Cybersecurity
How Do We Get to Universally Safe Networks?

It starts with a professional standardized certification for those who practice safe network design and operation.

Cybersecurity
How to Eliminate RDP Vulnerabilities

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) vulnerabilities are often easy targets for cyber criminals and they are too expensive to appropriately secure and monitor.

Business
IT Grants 101: How An MSP Can Help You Secure IT Grants

Do you need grant funding for your IT? Unsure about how to acquire and maximize IT grants? Explore how a Managed IT Services Provider can help you!

Cybersecurity
How We Sustained Our Security Culture

At Net Friends, we have a long history of improving our cybersecurity posture and applying it to our services to promote secure environments for our customers.

Technology
Creating a Media Disposal Policy for Remote Workers

Treatment of end-of-life devices requires policies for thorough data sanitization before e-waste recycling and disposal, especially with a remote workforce.

Cybersecurity
MDR Case Study: REvil Ransomware

The security vendor Cybereason describes REvil (aka Sodinokibi) as “the Crown Prince of Ransomware.”

Business
Top 8 Things to Include in Your IT Budget in 2021

Does your company have an IT budget? What are your tech spending categories? Keep reading for great insights on what should be included.

Business
What Should A CFO Know About IT? Q&A with Fourlane CFO Cynthia Hemingway

We interviewed Cynthia Hemingway, the Chief Financial Officer for Fourlane, about her perspective on being both a provider and consumer of IT.

Managed IT Services
How A Managed Services Provider Can Help You Manage Your IT Budget

Trying to keep IT costs low, or prioritize a fixed monthly cost? Let’s discuss how a managed IT services provider can help you manage your IT budget.

Managed IT Services
Why You Need An Annual Infrastructure Assessment

Without an annual assessment, most businesses have no visibility over their assets, resource constraints, or other critical insights about their environment.

Business
How Your IT Partner Contributes to Your Operational Maturity

What does the primary focus of your IT company say about the operational maturity of your IT environment?

Business
Part III: How Your IT Partner Contributes to Your Operational Maturity

What tools do you have in place and optimized to support your risk-informed responses?

Business
Part II: How Your IT Partner Contributes to Your Operational Maturity

Does your business have a Technology Roadmap for your Digital Transformation journey?

Business
Part I: How Your IT Partner Contributes to Your Operational Maturity

Are you focused on minimizing network downtown or avoiding unnecessary disruptions?

Cybersecurity
MDR Case Study: Ryuk Ransomware

Ryuk is a sophisticated strand of ransomware that not only encrypts network drives, but it also deletes shadow copies on the endpoint. Here's how to prevent it!

Cybersecurity
How We Became HIPAA Experts

The story of how we went from a scrappy group of six technicians at Duke to a radically innovative IT partner that brought HIPAA expertise to the table.

Managed IT Services
Choosing Your IT Decision-Maker and Making the Outsourcing Decision

Who should be the IT decision-maker in your business? How do you decide whether to outsource or hire for your IT needs?

Managed IT Services
Identify Critical Data Missing from Your Backup Strategy

Line-of-business (LOB) software is the Achilles heel of small business backup strategies. Don't forget to secure critical data from your LOB tools too.

Managed IT Services
The Benefits of Hiring An Outsourced IT Company

Small and medium-sized businesses often hire managed IT service providers to reduce costs and leverage external expertise, assets, & direct vendor partnerships.

Cybersecurity
The Best Detection & Response Tools Against Internet Attacks

Net Friends selected a potent combination of tools that allows us to offer our small business customers enterprise-grade security without enterprise pricing.

Business
Top 5 IT Budget Questions to Consider in 2021

A typical small business' IT budget should be somewhere between 3-7% of its total revenue. Here are 5 key questions to consider before investing in your IT.

Strategy
Our 6-Month Head Start on the Pandemic

How on earth did we “predict” the pandemic? All “Back to the Future” jokes aside, the simple fact is we didn’t predict anything. What we did was more practical.

Managed IT Services
Palo Alto Networks Leads in Gartner's 2020 Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls

In November 2020, Gartner released its Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls with Palo Alto Networks securing the top position yet again in the Leader quadrant.

Managed IT Services
Why Use Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

The “Business Premium” plan is affordable and gives us access to powerful cloud-based security tools that we could call upon to keep your data more secure.

Cybersecurity
Identifying Point-in-Time Risks with Kirkpatrick Price

The top three reasons why we selected Kirkpatrick Price as our SOC 2 Type II auditor and how that led us to a powerful risk assessment tool.

Cybersecurity
Net Friends' Risk Assessment Video Series

After our SOC 2 Type II audit, we started engaging with new risk categories that led us on a journey towards discovering a powerful risk assessment tool.

Cybersecurity
Discovering a Next-Generation Risk Assessment Tool with Axio

How the Axio360 tool helped us quantify risks and give key stakeholders the power to make informed decisions in response to potential risk events.

Cybersecurity
Quantifying Risk Scenarios with Axio360

How the Axio360's quant tool helps us explore various risk scenarios and directly quantify the costs for those events should they occur.

Managed IT Services
Introducing NetVisor Cloud Account Security

Have you heard that over 90% of data breaches begin with an attacker sending email? This statistic is unfortunately about four years out of date.

Managed IT Services
How We Built Our Technology Stack: A Palo Alto Networks Case Study

Establishing our Palo Alto Networks partner status allowed us to differentiate ourselves as an MSP and MSSP in the local and regional market.

Life At Net Friends
How Our Joint Venture with Castra Began

I first met Grant Leonard back in 2002. We hired him at Net Friends as a contractor to help with all sorts of IT security projects and initiatives.

Managed IT Services
How We Apply Continual Improvement to IT

This battle-tested process is what lets us give our NetVisor customers a single monthly rate, guaranteed for up to three years.

Cybersecurity
Net Friends on Managed Pentesting in PenTest Magazine

Ransomware simulation and mitigation is likely to be the element of MPT that even companies with limited security awareness find most compelling.

Cybersecurity
Top 5 Takeaways for NIST 800-53 Rev 5

Just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released an update to Special Publication 800-53.

Managed IT Services
What Is A Technology Stack & Why Should I Care?

If your current IT provider isn’t operating within a defined Technology Stack, it means they are not supporting you optimally.

News
Net Friends Recognized by Palo Alto Networks as a NextWave MSSP Partner

Net Friends is introducing NetCore Elements, a monthly subscription service featuring Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall and security protections.

Managed IT Services
Top 4 Technology Stack Questions to Ask Your MSP

Your MSP must be willing to make difficult commitments in order for their Technology Stack to help customers produce returns on the investment.

Managed IT Services
The Next Big Thing: Technology Stacks

Net Friends is the first managed service provider (MSP) in the Research Triangle region to deploy a complete Technology Stack for local businesses.

News
Net Friends Joins Axio360 Partnership Program

Net Friends announced as first strategic partner in Axio360 Partnership Program featuring Axio's industry-leading platform for assessing cyber risk exposure.

Technology
Top 3 Reasons Why Palo Alto Firewalls Are The Best

Net Friends is partnering with Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader, to deliver true next generation firewall security.

Business
Office 365 Collaboration Tools: A Telecommuting Response

Net Friends is ready to help you get the most out of your existing Office 365 plan or upgrade to one that meets your new telecommuting needs.

Business
Securing Email & Cloud Data: A Telecommuting Response

Over 90% of all cyberattacks begin via email. Within minutes, Net Friends can implement a full suite of security controls that can protect you against exploits.

Business
Securing Identifications: A Telecommuting Response

Protecting your credentials is a challenge in the best of times. There are so many clever tactics malicious attackers use to get your staff’s passwords.

Business
Our Telecommuting Response Packages

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we are announcing special packages designed to help you transition to working remotely with minimal loss of productivity.

Business
Dust Off Your Business Continuity Plan for Your Telecommuting Response

As Rahm Emanuel once said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”

Business
Top 5 Requirements for a Telecommuting Policy

Many small business owners have not performed the due diligence that will ensure their telecommuting policies are ready for a significant shift.

Business
The Remote Drills That Prepared Us For A Pandemic

Our managers designed a practice drill that put each staff member in their preferred remote environment to verify they could perform their duties.

Business
Are You Prepared to Work Remotely?

Many businesses are encouraging/requiring employees who can work remotely to do so because of the current pandemic. Here are some questions you should consider.

News
Net Friends Receives SOC 2 Type II Attestation

Net Friends, a North-Carolina based IT service and solutions provider, today announced that it has completed its voluntary SOC 2 Type II audit.

Life At Net Friends
College Freshman Job Shadows at Net Friends

Angel Knight, a freshman from Claremont McKenna College, joined us at our HQ this week to shadow Colin Cannell, an alum of her school.

Business
The Creative Outcome of SOC Audits

“I’ve never seen a network diagram that didn’t require a guided tour by the person who made it,” said Randy, our SOC 2 auditor, back in March 2019.

Business
Why Strategic Partners Are Key to Your SOC 2 Type II Audit

Any business interested in becoming SOC 2 Type II compliant will need top-notch partners in their corner to bring the expertise and focus necessary. 

Cybersecurity
MFA = Multi-Factor Awesome

Passwords have repeatedly proven to be insufficient on their own to prevent targeted hacking attacks or misuse of our password-protected information.

Managed IT Services
Five Questions to Answer Before You Sign A Managed Services Contract

When shopping around for a Managed Services Provider (MSP) to handle your IT needs, you might be inclined to skim the contract they give you...

Cybersecurity
Top 5 Cybersecurity Steps to Take in 2019

From your Net Friends IT Security Experts: The Top 5 Cybersecurity Steps you can take to improve your IT security for 2019.

News
Announcing A Significant Leap Forward In Our Security Services

Strategic partnership with Castra Consulting and Bandura results in a major boost to Net Friends’ perimeter security and managed security services.

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