AM Exclusive Technicity Newsletter - A M Exclusive | Page 2

AN URGENT SECURITY WARNING
FOR SMALL BUSINESS LEADERS
Let’s walk through the fictions and facts of shifting
sooner rather than later:
FICTION #1: It seems like hackers mostly go after
giant corporations. I don’t think they’d bother with
my small company.
FACT #1: Actually, more than 50 percent of small
businesses have suffered a data breach. What’s
worse, each breach costs an average of $84,000.
Not to mention losing your most valuable assets:
your reputation and clients’ trust.
FICTION #2: New devices are expensive. It’s
cheaper for me to just keep what I have.
FACT #2: All those PCs that are more than five
years old can cost you more than you realize. A
PC over five years old can cost 2x more in repairs.
Maintaining and repairing those dinosaurs can add
up to a whopping $515 a year.
FICTION #3: I’m worried that my Windows 7 apps
won’t work on a new device.
FACT #3: Good news—99 percent of Windows 7
apps are compatible with Windows 10. It builds on
your current network and works with it. All of your
Windows apps and internal apps should also be
compatible (and familiar).
I
f your organization is currently running Windows 7 on one or more
computers in your office, and/or if you are running Windows Server
2008 R2, you need to know about a dangerous security threat to your
organization that must be addressed within the next six months.
Microsoft has officially announced that it will retire support on the
Windows 7 operating system and Windows Server 2008 R2 on January 14,
2020. That means any computer or server with these operating systems
installed will be completely exposed to serious hacker attacks aimed at
taking control of your network, stealing data, crashing your system, and
inflicting a host of other business-crippling problems you do not want to
deal with.
This is such a serious threat that all companies housing financial and
medical information are being required by law to upgrade any and
all computer systems running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008
R2 because firewalls and anti-virus software will not be sufficient to
completely protect them (or you).
Unless you don’t care about cyber criminals running rampant in your
company’s server, you must upgrade any servers or workstations running
these operating systems. And while January 14, 2020, may seem like a
ways off today, updating an IT infrastructure is a large task that takes
considerable time. It’s important you take action now, before it’s too late.
FICTION #4: I know that a new device would be
faster, but I’m not sure it makes much of a difference.
FACT #4: The best part of new devices is your
employees can multitask like a pro. They’ll get more
done with 2.1x faster multitasking than with a 5+
year-old PC.
Honesty and integrity is what our company values
most, and we wouldn’t be putting out this message
if we did not think that the security threat was
serious. As a Microsoft Certified Partner, we feel it
is our duty to inform all our clients about this, and
whether or not you choose us to help you avert this
threat, we hope this information urges you to take
action with someone. The sooner you get started
on this project, the better, because as we get closer
to the deadline, the demand on IT service providers
will inevitably increase. You’ll want to make sure
your company is scheduled for an upgrade prior to
January 14th.
We have put together a special program that
provides transparency and simplifies the costs
to upgrade your company’s computers. For more
information on this program and to request a
no-obligation, no-pressure consultation, visit:
amexclusive.com/windows7.