Symbiosys

In celebration of Pride month, Symbiosys has curated a list of songs to mark the occasion. We hope you enjoy the music while working or relaxing! Happy Pride!

https://linktr.ee/symbiosys

Feeling spooked? Who ya gonna call?

Treat yourself to Halloween tunes from Symbiosys IT to keep you company while you work or play: https://linktr.ee/symbiosys

Symbiosys

We're excited to announce that Symbiosys IT is a partner of Tessian's Human Layer Security Summit.

Join us to learn first-hand from cybersecurity heavy-weights and industry-leading experts, and to share experiences and ideas with your peers.
Save your spot now: https://www.tessian.com/human-layer-security-summit-registration/?utm_medium=channel&utm_source=symbiosys&utm_campaign=HLSS-2111-Symbiosys

In the news today thank you to IT-Online. An insightful read on how to get your cyber-security basics right, by CEO Patrick Assheton-Smith.

"Once you have the key security basics in place, you can continue to improve by crafting a security posture with multiple layers. Don’t forget that cyber criminals are constantly evolving, and you should too."

https://it-online.co.za/2021/10/06/cyber-security-craft-a-back-to-basics-layered-approach/

Tessian

Hello all you Great Hearts, Special Stars and Doo Be Doos
Enjoy the South African 'Sounds of Symbiosys' for Heritage Day and a long Weekend Special.

Here is a selection of our favourite songs for you to enjoy as we acknowledge and celebrate the cultural wealth of our nation. Click away - it's The Real Deal: https://linktr.ee/symbiosys

Happy Heritage Month: celebrating our Nation's diverse culture and heritage

Enjoy the Sounds of Symbiosys

Our engineers love working to music if the situation allows…
To celebrate the start of Spring '21 in South Africa, we’ve put together Sounds of Symbiosys. These playlists are for you... our customers, fellow engineers and friends from around the World!

Download here: https://linktr.ee/symbiosys

PaperCut's Print Room management software is adding value across education, commercial and publishing sectors.

https://www.papercut.com/discover/print-room-workflows/

PaperCut Software Symbiosys

Wishing all women a beautiful day!

Network security needs a few new directions

Published by Arthur Goldstuck, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za

In the modern era of cyber-crime, ransomware and digital threat vectors, your infrastructure security is more essential than ever. After all, a successful attack against a company’s IT infrastructure can easily impact an organisation’s earnings, damage its reputation, and compromise its operations.

Therefore, it is important that your infrastructure security encompasses a full suite of solutions, says Patrick Assheton-Smith, CEO at SymbiosysIT. This would include perimeter, network, application, endpoint, data, and cloud security, as well as cryptography management and security architecture.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/dxYpjpV

Identity and access management is a key security measure businesses simply have to take, particularly in the digital era, where cloud identities create new security risks for the organisation.

Patrick Assheton-Smith, CEO at Symbiosys IT says that the key to successfully securing your organisation lies in the implementation of practical tools and processes that will allow you to keep the business safe and prevent problems occurring, rather than having to deal with difficult situations, such as breaches, after the fact.

Read more and gain further insights into Microsoft Active Directory, and identity and access management (IDAM).

www.symbiosys.it/news

One Identity
Heinrich Fourie David James Bell Debbie Whittaker Kyle Houghton Craig Rosewarne Patrick Assheton-Smith

Symbiosys IT on LinkedIn: Securing identities from the core of the business Identity and access management is a key security measure businesses simply have to take, particularly in the digital era, where cloud identities create...

Want to improve printing at your school?

Attend this informative PaperCut webinar and learn how to obtain visibility on your environment.

Topics for discussion include:
- The time required to manage printing support tickets and implementing flexibility for to print from home as well as at school
- Finding cost reductions
- Staying on top of print
- The need for safety protocols to keep staff and students safe
- Hear from others in the industry who have overcome these challenges.

Register today: https://bit.ly/3qCOIDJ

Patrick Assheton-Smith Heinrich Fourie David James Bell

Only pay for what you use!

Distributed by SymbiosysIT, Revoco is a cost recovery telephony solution; it tracks and bills time spend on telephone calls.

Watch the demo and learn about the benefits: https://lnkd.in/dYveCte



Heinrich Fourie David James Bell Patrick Assheton-Smith Kyle Houghton

Symbiosys IT Revoco Demo Video Symbiosys IT - Revoco Demo Video with David Bell, Heinrich Fourie and Kyle Houghton.

Thank you to all of those who attended our security webinar on Information Risk, Network & Data Security.

For those of you who missed catching the action live, here is a link to the video recording: https://youtu.be/8eC6FsGJuC0

Once again thank you to speakers Patrick Assheton-Smith and Craig Rosewarne for their time, dedication and knowledge sharing.

Keep an eye out as we return to your screens with a one-hour Live Question-Time special event, where you can ask our panel of security experts further questions about how to secure your company's 'crown jewels', with drill downs in identity management, micro segmentation, network security, cloud security, etc.

Remember data is your most important asset; protect it!

Guardicore One Identity Wolfpack Information Risk

Information Risk and Network & Data Security Recording Join our expert presenters as they discuss and unpack the key elements facing information risk, business governance and compliance.About this eventData is th...

Don't let destroy your business. Join Patrick Assheton-Smith and Craig Rosewarne next Wednesday, 9 June as they address and unpack the best insurance policy for your business, namely prevention. They will address the right policies, procedures and tools to put in place to avoid your business being crippled. Register here: https://security-webinar.eventbrite.co.uk

It's no longer a matter of 'if'' but rather 'when'... don't let this happen!
Cybercrime could destroy your business: https://lnkd.in/dZEPzt2

David James Bell Heinrich Fourie

Canadian insurance company lost nearly US$1M in ransomware attack Computers at a Canadian insurance company were disabled for more than one week due to a ransomware attack that resulted in a payout of nearly US$1 million.

Choosing an Enterprise Development Partner

By Andre du Plooy, executive consultant for Symbiosys IT

A look at some of the numerous factors to consider when choosing an SME partner to join your organisation’s enterprise development scheme.

The ongoing push to stimulate enterprise development (ED) and grow the number of smaller businesses servicing the enterprise space is huge. Not only does this approach provide large organisations with access to companies that boost their B-BBEE credentials, but on the flipside, it helps to grow the skills and abilities of those smaller suppliers in the chain.

Therefore, it has never been more important to ensure that you choose the best and most appropriate suppliers to join your ED programme, and there are certain key factors you should consider when doing so.

Due diligence
One of the key criteria is to bring in business consultants to undertake a full due diligence process. This involves assessing the ED business, getting a handle on its business track record, verifying its credentials and references, speaking to past and present customers, and thoroughly combing through its financials and skills sets.

With access to this information, it is possible to determine any constraints they may face and to identify issues that may get in the way of them performing at the highest level. You can then recommend assistance, such as skills training that may help them overcome obstacles.

From a business consultant perspective, the correct way to approach ED businesses is to determine exactly where they are right now, where they want to be in future, and to then unpack and examine the gap between the two, as this is what needs to be closed to achieve success.

Due diligence helps your enterprise determine whether that gap is one that can be bridged or whether you should rather seek out another supplier. Remember too that while due diligence may be more costly, it is better to spend more to ensure you choose the right partner, than to fail and have both your businesses’ names dragged through the mud.

Large versus small suppliers
Whether you choose to go with one or two large suppliers, or a multitude of smaller ones, there are benefits and challenges to both approaches. To begin with, there are extra costs associated with using multiple smaller service providers, most notably in respect of economies of scale, but on the other hand, they are more flexible than a larger entity.

Remember that the larger the supplier, the more likely it is to be carrying large overheads. Furthermore, the larger they are, the less likely they are to be agile, so if agility is a prerequisite for your business, working with smaller suppliers that can adapt more quickly to accommodate your own changing needs is probably the best approach.

Either choice puts you in a position where you are reducing some risk but increasing others, so ED is always something of a balancing act. While the economies of scale offered by a single larger provider may make financial sense, the minimising of risk by spreading the load and not putting all your eggs in one basket looks better from a compliance perspective.

The other factor to consider is that economic growth only comes from distributing the wealth and spreading it around as widely as possible. Therefore, it is worth bearing in mind that the more businesses you can bring into your supply chain, the greater will be your contribution to the Nation’s economy.

Job creation
There is no doubt that in South Africa we have a desperate shortage of jobs. This means that if you turn to the smaller suppliers, your agility, price points and contribution to economic stimulators will become more prevalent all around.

The reality is that if we do not do something significant to stimulate the job market in SA, we will rapidly find ourselves up the creek without even a boat, much less a paddle.

The only way to grow jobs properly is to diversify the supply chain into a broader base, creating jobs and opportunities, which leads to increased innovation. After all, the increased agility and flexibility within smaller businesses raises the potential for those ‘light bulb’ idea moments far higher than you would find in a stifled corporate environment.

Such diversification and growth mean that not only are you spreading the available money around and helping to stimulate the economy, but you are also playing a part in creating jobs and in educating employees through upskilling and training programmes.

Governance and ethics
Lastly, it must be understood that government views the SME space as the key driver for the economy. However, while this may be the fulcrum for stimulating the economy, it must be done honestly.

The challenge remains that there are people and organisations willing to buy their way into doing business, which is why it is vital to have levels of governance in place that will ensure you do not compromise in respect of fraud and corruption.

Governance and ethics are key to ensuring that potential suppliers do not compromise their business model to obtain your business. To this end, it is recommended that you have a shortlist of suppliers, you discuss your governance requirements with them and help them understand the fit, so that they are aware from the outset of what measures will be taken to ensure ethical standards are maintained.

You could say that your real investment here is in people – helping them to understand the importance of honesty, ethics and correct principles. Achieve this and you will have helped to assure the longevity and success of their business, since honesty and ethics ultimately tie directly back to a superior level of customer service.

Patrick Assheton-Smith David James Bell Heinrich Fourie

Data breach is not a matter of if, but rather when… How secure is your organisation really?

Let us help you to protect your 'crown jewels' and to secure any blind spots.

Symbiosys works with a number of vendors to help our customers keep their networks and data safe, whether they are traditional on-premise or hosted in the cloud.
Guardicore Trend Micro Microsoft Azure CrowdStrike Senseon

Risk management is a vital aspect of enterprise development

By Andre du Plooy, executive consultant for Symbiosys IT

When large businesses implement enterprise development plans, they do not always consider how critical risk management and due diligence are to the process.

Supplier and enterprise development is a vital issue, ensuring that large enterprises ‘pay it forward’, by helping to grow the skills and abilities of those smaller suppliers in the supply chain that may otherwise never have had such opportunities for improvement and growth.

While technically beneficial for both organisations, the enterprise that takes an SME on board as a supplier faces several unique risks, which is why the issues of risk management and due diligence are crucial.

Read more: https://it-online.co.za/2021/05/05/risk-management-a-vital-aspect-of-enterprise-development/

WE NEED YOU! Symbiosys IT is currently hiring for the following positions.

- Lead Generation Specialist
- Technical Engineer

Find out more by visiting the careers section on our website. https://symbiosys.it/careers

Guardicore: a new security approach for the modern network

Micro-segmentation is the security answer to modern, agile, and dynamic networks.

In a digitally transforming world, where a large portion of an organisation’s crucial data and applications reside in the cloud, the traditional firewall is no longer as effective as it used to be. Firewalls have been ‘gatekeepers’, preventing cyber-criminals from accessing the corporate network, however, these have become ineffective on their own and cannot protect businesses from rapidly evolving cyber-threats. Security breaches are now becoming a question of ‘when’ and not ‘if’.

Read more: https://symbiosys.it/news/guardicore-a-new-security-approach-for-the-modern-network

Patrick Assheton-Smith Debbie Whittaker

Managed Print Services is incomplete without Fleet Management

The right Managed Print Service ensures that consumables never run out, machines are proactively maintained, and costs are reduced - thanks to remote fleet management via the cloud.

There are two parts to Managed Print Services (MPS). The first is around controlling wastage and identifying who is printing what, but the second is just as important, ensuring you get the maximum performance and potential out of each print device in the business.

Heinrich Fourie, COO at Symbiosys IT, says that this is known as fleet management and involves using agents to enable proactive management of these devices.

Effective management of print devices helps decrease the organisation’s carbon footprint – making it more environmentally friendly – while also reducing wear and tear on individual machines and cutting down on the cost of peripherals and maintenance.

Read more:
https://symbiosys.it/news/managed-print-services-is-incomplete-without-fleet-management


Heinrich Fourie Patrick Assheton-Smith PaperCut Software David James Bell KPAX

Managed Print Services is incomplete without Fleet Management — Symbiosys IT The right Managed Print Service ensures that consumables never run out, machines are proactively maintained, and costs are reduced - thanks to remote fleet management via the cloud.

How Managed Print Services reduce costs in today’s work environment

By controlling wastage and identifying who is printing what, Managed Print Services reduces costs by up to 65%.

Despite much talk of the paperless office, printing continues to play an important role in most business operations. It is a costly one too, which is what makes Managed Print Services (MPS) a logical solution.

Read more:
https://symbiosys.it/news/how-managed-print-services-reduce-costs-in-todays-work-environment



PaperCut Software Coolcumba Communications Oxbowsa Heinrich Fourie Patrick Assheton-Smith David James Bell Debbie Whittaker

How Managed Print Services reduce costs in today’s work environment — Symbiosys IT By controlling wastage and identifying who is printing what, Managed Print Services reduces costs by up to 65%.   Despite much talk of the paperless office, printing continues to play an important role in most business operations. It is a costly one too, which is what makes Managed Print S