Hostage Taking In Toronto – Passwords Held Against Their Will

Hostage Taking In Toronto – Toronto IT Company Holds Password Hostage

Is Your Current IT Company Holding  Your Passwords Hostage?

Even if you’re happy with your current IT support, you shouldn’t let them hold your passwords hostage. Make sure you have an up-to-date copy of your login info, just in case.

Maybe you have a great relationship with your current IT support provider—they’re responsive, effective, and not too expensive.

On the other hand, maybe you’re less than satisfied with how long they take to respond to support requests, and how problems never seem to get fixed for good.

Whether you’re in the market for a new IT support provider or not, there’s one thing you can’t overlook—could your IT support provider use your passwords to hold you hostage?

Don’t Let Your IT Company Hold That Power Over You

This was the case for one of our newest clients. They began transitioning to our services and requested a full set of passwords from their previous IT company. The IT company refused to do so, drastically delaying the transition, and causing extensive issues for the client.

This is more common than you may think. A client will attempt to change providers, but the old one hangs on to their passwords and admin rights for their software, server access, cloud platforms, etc. They do this for any number of reasons whether it’s while they wait for final fees to be paid, hardware to be returned, or even just out of spite, to disrupt the transition process.

Regardless of the motive, it’s important for you to make sure the same can’t happen to you.

You Need Copies Of Your Passwords…

• Your cloud platform (Microsoft Office 365, etc.)
• Server and Domain Admin access
• ISP Admin access
• Wireless Device Portal
• Firewall Login
• Web Hosting Account
• Any other systems that store your apps or data

Don’t wait until you’re switching IT support providers to see if yours will cooperate. Do your due diligence today to ensure your peace of mind for tomorrow.

Don’t Rush Your Migration From One IT Company To The Next

When you know you need a new IT partner, it can be difficult to approach the process patiently. Every day you and your staff struggle with ineffective IT and unresponsive support will be frustrating.

Understand that by approaching the process carefully, you’re avoiding a range of issues that can crop up during the switch. In order to avoid unnecessary downtime, configuration issues, and other problems that can stem from a poorly planned transition, make sure to follow these five steps:

1. Don’t cancel your service from your current IT provider until you have everything in place with your new IT provider.
2. Make sure you have admin access to all accounts, data and applications, along with a master list of passwords and other login info.
3. Make sure your new IT company performs a cybersecurity assessment to confirm that no backdoors exist.
4. Once your new IT company is in place, you can cancel the service with your previous provider.
5. Make sure your staff knows about the change in IT support, and how to make use of the new service.

The bottom line is that you don’t want to rush the process. If you know you need better IT services, but don’t know where to begin, get in touch with Tektonic today—our team follows a carefully developed migration plan to make sure you don’t encounter any obstacles.

Special thanks to our friends at Orion Networks in Columbia, MD.