Year in Review: 3 MORE Pieces of IT Wisdom from NSG

Ready for more IT support wisdom?

At Network Services Group, our IT support specialists have spent the year helping small Ann Arbor businesses stay secure, efficient, and prepared for change. Continuing from our last blog, here are THREE MORE newsworthy topics from 2025:

Smarter Security Through Partnership: NSG + Huntress

This year, we announced our exciting partnership with Huntress, a leader in managed cybersecurity solutions. Their 24/7 email monitoring and security awareness training help our clients protect against phishing and other cyber threats. Together, NSG and Huntress deliver powerful, enterprise-level protection designed for small businesses.

Remote Monitoring and Maintenance (RMM)

Prevention is the best protection. Our RMM plans automatically monitor your systems for issues like low disk space, failing hardware, or high CPU usage. That means we often fix problems before you even know they exist—keeping your business running without interruption.

Don’t Wait: The End of Windows 10 Support is Here

One of the most critical updates this year has been Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10, which officially took place on October 14, 2025. As of that date, Windows 10 systems have stopped receiving security updates, leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks.

If your business still runs Windows 10—or older servers like Windows Server 2016—now is the time to act. We can help you:

• Upgrade to Windows 11 or replace outdated systems
• Explore extended support options (like 0Patch)
• Plan ahead to avoid supply chain delays and year-end rushes

Don’t wait until the deadline—upgrades and replacements take time, and late-year demand can make scheduling more difficult.

Read more in our latest article.

Run a Small Business in Ann Arbor? We’re Your Local IT Support Specialists!

Ready to plan your upgrades or security improvements before the year ends? Contact us today to schedule your consultation and get ahead of the busy season.

Year in Review: 3 Pieces of IT Wisdom from NSG

The year is almost over! Is your business ready for 2026?

At Network Services Group, our IT support specialists have spent the year helping small Ann Arbor businesses stay secure, efficient, and prepared for change. Here are three newsworthy topics from 2025:

Data Protection: Cloud Storage Isn’t a Backup

One of our most important reminders this year: redundancy is not the same as a backup. Cloud services like Microsoft OneDrive and AWS offer convenience, but they don’t guarantee full data recovery after a cyberattack, accidental deletion, or account issue. We’ve helped clients put true, independent backup systems in place to protect their valuable data.

Cybersecurity Takes Center Stage

Cybersecurity has been one of the biggest themes of 2025—and for good reason. From global ransomware incidents like the Ingram Micro SafePay attack to the growing threats facing small businesses, we’ve seen how vital proactive protection really is.

Clients rely on NSG for:

• Multi-layered cybersecurity defenses
• Expert system monitoring and maintenance
• Seamless upgrades from outdated software
• Employee training and phishing awareness

IT + Cybersecurity: A Powerful Combo

We know that IT and cybersecurity aren’t separate—they work best together. Our support specialists take a comprehensive approach that includes system patching, firewalls, antivirus protection, disaster recovery, and more. Because keeping your tech running smoothly also means keeping it safe.

Read more in our latest article.

Run a Small Business in Ann Arbor? We’re Your Local IT Support Specialists!

Ready to plan your upgrades or security improvements before the year ends? Contact us today to schedule your consultation and get ahead of the busy season.

Partnering with Huntress

 How can Huntress help with your cybersecurity?

In today’s digital landscape, email remains one of the most common—and vulnerable—channels for cyberattacks. From phishing to malware distribution, attackers continuously find ways to exploit email to compromise data, steal credentials, and damage organizational reputation. In response to this growing threat, businesses must adopt proactive email security measures that go beyond traditional filters and antivirus software.

To tackle these issues head-on, we’re excited to partner with Huntress, a leader in managed detection and response (MDR) solutions. Through this partnership, we’re offering Office 365 protection plans that include active monitoring and threat detection. Huntress brings specialized knowledge in detecting threats that standard antivirus tools miss. Their monitoring solutions identify potential compromises early, allowing rapid response before they escalate into serious incidents.

By integrating Huntress into our Office 365 protection plans, we’re able to offer:

1. Active Monitoring: Around-the-clock vigilance for suspicious activities within your Office 365 environment.
2. Advanced Threat Detection: Identifying hidden threats, malicious code, and abnormal activity across your network.
3. Rapid Response: Immediate alerts and actionable steps to address and contain security incidents.

Read more in our latest article.

Strengthen Security with a Multi-Layered Approach with Computer Service Plans from Ann Arbor-Based NSG

Email security isn’t just about avoiding one type of threat; it requires a comprehensive, multi-layered approach. With Huntress’ advanced protection solutions and our targeted employee training programs, we’re able to address both the technological and human elements of email security.

Protecting your business means staying ahead of cybercriminals with proactive tools and informed employees. Investing in both technology and training creates a resilient defense against cyber threats. By choosing our Office 365 protection plans with Huntress, you’re taking a significant step toward ensuring the security of your business's most essential communications.

If you need more information regarding computer services in the greater Ann Arbor area, please feel free to call (887) 815-6974 or submit a contact form.

Why Email Security is Critical for Businesses

Why is email security so important?

Emails have become a universal tool for business communication, and, unfortunately, an ideal target for cybercriminals. Phishing scams, where attackers attempt to deceive employees into revealing sensitive information, are a leading tactic in cybersecurity breaches. According to recent studies, phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, with many employees unaware of what phishing attempts might look like.

Without adequate email protection, businesses expose themselves to data breaches, financial losses, and potential regulatory fines. It’s clear that a robust email security strategy is not just beneficial—it’s essential.

Read more in our latest article.

Strengthen Security with a Multi-Layered Approach with Computer Service Plans from Ann Arbor-Based NSG

Email security isn’t just about avoiding one type of threat; it requires a comprehensive, multi-layered approach. With Huntress’ advanced protection solutions and our targeted employee training programs, we’re able to address both the technological and human elements of email security.

Protecting your business means staying ahead of cybercriminals with proactive tools and informed employees. Investing in both technology and training creates a resilient defense against cyber threats. By choosing our Office 365 protection plans with Huntress, you’re taking a significant step toward ensuring the security of your business's most essential communications.

If you need more information regarding computer services in the greater Ann Arbor area, please feel free to call (887) 815-6974 or submit a contact form.

6 Steps for Backing Up Your Data

How often do you back up your data?

In terms of backups, you will want a reliable and comprehensive backup plan that meets the following metrics:

1. Identify all important data, and ensure it is stored in approved places that are included in your backups (e.g. shared network drive) as opposed to in your local “my documents” folder.
2. Business class backup software such as Veeam or Acronis that can make full system images, perform incremental backups, offer encryption, and feature granular restore capability (ability to restore the whole system or individual files).
3. Local backups are stored on separate network storage device that only your backup software knows about.  External drives plugged into your server or mapped network drives are just as likely to be encrypted as your server itself.
4. Off-site backups.  Make sure you have off-site backup capability, either to removable media that is regularly swapped and taken off-site, or cloud storage.
5. Off-line backups.  Sure, cloud backups are great and provide off-site capability.  But by definition, cloud backups mean “on-line,” and there is at least some possibility that anything that is online can be discovered and hacked.  Off-site backups (such as removable media that has been physically disconnected) cannot be hacked because they are physically unplugged and off-line.  This will save your day if all of your other backups get encrypted.
6. Make sure your IT support is competent and has experience backing up and restoring customer systems and data.  How does it work?  How long will it take?  Have you ever had to do it before?

Read more about protecting your data with backups here.

Reach Out to a Computer Service in Ann Arbor

If you miss even one of these, you are setting yourself up for a bad day.  But don’t despair – NSG can help.  If you aren’t 100% confident that you are fully protected, please reach out and let us know.  We’d be happy to review and discuss and come up with a plan to keep you safe and your data secure.

If you're ready for comprehensive computer service in Ann Arbor, contact NSG here!

Backups: The Last Line of Defense

Are you concerned about your company getting hacked?

You’ve read about it in the news.  Big companies and government agencies getting hacked with ransomware and being down for days, and having to pay exorbitant ransom in order to get their data back. Don’t let is happen to you.

I’m going to let you in a little secret.  The best way to protect yourself from ransomware is…. With backups!  I know it sounds simple, but stick with me here.  It’s more complicated than it sounds.

Yes – you should have business class antivirus software.

Yes – you should have a business class firewall.

Yes – you should have a maintenance and monitoring plan in place to keep all of your systems up to date with security patches.

Yes – you should be training your users to be cautious and not just click on attachments and links in random emails.

Yes – you should have strong passwords and multi-factor authentication enabled.

All of that stuff is important, but none of it is foolproof.  Antivirus and firewalls can only protect you from known threats.  Same with system updates.  It’s critically important to keep your systems patched and up to date with the latest security updates, but even so new threats are discovered each and every day.

Even with all of your precautions it’s possible that some hacker/scammer somewhere will trick someone into clicking on something and then… Bam!  You’re infected.

It would absolutely be better to not get infected in the first place, but there are no guarantees, so your last line of defense are good backups and a disaster recovery plan.

Read more about protecting your data with backups here.

Get Protection with an Ann Arbor Computer Service

Network Services Group provides comprehensive computer service in Ann Arbor, including backups and disaster recovery. To discuss a protection plan, call (877) 815-6974 or submit a contact form here.