5 Essential IT Moves You Can Make Today

When most business owners think about IT, they picture expensive consultants, confusing tools, and wasted time and money. Many owners have even said to me "Hackers have no interest in my small business" But the truth is, "Over 43% of all cyberattacks target small businesses." (Source: Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report) However, there are simple moves you can make right now - that will improve your productivity, protect your data, and save you real money.

Here are five essential IT upgrades that every small or midsize business can implement today.

1. Set Up DMARC & DKIM to Protect Your Email Domain

Did you know that hackers can send emails that look like they came from your business - even though they didn’t?

It’s called email spoofing, and it’s how scammers trick your clients or staff into clicking dangerous links or sharing sensitive info. The worst part? You might never know it’s happening… but your business' reputation is on the line. The good news is... the fix is easier than you think.

By turning on two settings for your email - called DMARC and DKIM - you’re basically telling the internet, “Only we (employees of the business) are allowed to send emails from our domain.” It’s like adding a security badge to every email you send that email servers can recognize and make actionable things happen like sending fake spoofed emails to spam folders or making them entirely undeliverable to your clients and staff.

✅ I’ve already written detailed guides to help you set up both DMARC and DKIM - and it only takes about 15 minutes of your time.

These simple changes help stop impersonation and protect your company’s name. No tech background required - just follow the steps in my two articles here:

Guide to setting up DMARC

Guide to setting up DKIM

2. Replace Old, Slow Computers That Waste Your Time

That 6-year-old laptop your office manager is using? It’s probably costing your business more than you realize.

Slow boot-ups, crashing apps, and frozen screens aren’t just technical hiccups - they kill productivity, frustrate your team, and quietly damage morale. (Let’s be honest: your employees absolutely notice when they’re working on outdated tech and old hand me down monitors - and some may even feel like you’re too cheap to give them the tools they need to succeed. I've heard the complaints directly from employees who quietly murmur about the management teams failures in this regard.)

The reality: a sluggish computer can waste 30+ minutes of work time per day per employee. If you’re paying someone just $25/hour, that’s over $3,000 per year - per person - in lost productivity costs. Multiply that across your team, and the impact can be massive! Upgrading that slow system can quite literally save you $15,000 in lost productivity per employee over a 5 year period.

Our recommendation: Replace workstations every 4-5 years with a target budget of $1,000 - $1,500 per system. It’s one of the smartest investments you can make in your business.

Instead of patching up old hardware, consider retiring any machine:

✅ Over 4 - 5 years old.

✅ Any machine running an outdated operating system (Yes, even Windows 10 is outdated now.)

✅ Any machine equipped with 8GB or less of RAM.

✅ Any machine using slow mechanical hard drives instead of newer SSDs (Solid-state drives (SSDs) offer a major speed boost over traditional hard drives, but because they use chip-based storage, they do have a limited lifespan.)

Pro Tip: For smooth day-to-day business operations, we recommend systems with at least 16GB of RAM and a minimum of a 500GB SSD. Most CPUs now a days will be able to handle normal business day-to-day, however, you should endeavor to buy the fastest you can within your budget.

Bonus Tip: Modern systems with up to date operating systems also support better security tools and run more efficiently with cloud software.

3. Turn On 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) Everywhere

If you only do one thing on this list - make it this.

2FA requires a second piece of verification (like a code sent to your phone) before anyone can access your account. That simple step can stop 99% of account-based attacks, even if your password is leaked or guessed.

Enable 2FA on:

✅ Email accounts

✅ Cloud file storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox)

✅ Banking and finance apps

✅ Your website and admin portals

You can use apps like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator to manage your codes. Both apps are available on Android and iOS. See the links below:

iOS App Store: Google Authenticator | Microsoft Authenticator

Google Play Store (Android): Google Authenticator | Microsoft Authenticator

4. Get Better Endpoint Protection

Traditional antivirus software was designed to catch known threats - the kind that had already been identified, logged, and added to a database. But today’s cyberattacks don’t play by the old rules.

Modern threats like ransomware, zero-day exploits, and fileless malware evolve rapidly, often bypassing signature-based antivirus programs entirely. These attacks can slip through unnoticed, encrypt your data, steal sensitive information, or shut down your systems - and for many small businesses, that damage is devastating. In fact "60% of small businesses go out of business within six months of a cyberattack." (Source: U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance)

Worse, most business owners don’t realize their protection is outdated until after they’ve been hit.

That’s why we strongly recommend next-gen endpoint protection instead of relying on outdated antivirus software.

Next-gen endpoint tools use advanced techniques like:

✅ Behavioral analysis

✅ AI-driven threat detection

✅ Real-time monitoring

✅ Automated response to isolate threats instantly

It’s a proactive, layered defense designed to keep up with modern threats and stop them before they cause harm.

At CRCIT, we deploy fully managed endpoint security backed by a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC), so our clients are protected at all times - all without having to lift a finger by your team.

Note: Don’t wait until it’s too late. Old antivirus software is reactive. We can help you stay protected before the damage is done with proactive tools.

5. Use a Password Manager - Stop the Spreadsheet Madness

If you’re still storing passwords in a spreadsheet (or worse - using the same password for every account), it’s time to upgrade.

Password managers like Bitwarden, 1Password, LastPass can:

✅ Generate complex passwords

✅ Store them securely

✅ Auto-fill them into websites

✅ Share credentials with team members securely

And yes - you can use them across multiple devices. Avoid bad password practices of old and use a secure password manager.

Bonus Tip: Many of these tools offer free or low-cost business tiers, perfect for teams.

Next Steps:

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