For new networkers, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) can be an intimidating topic. Many old-timers speak of spanning-tree in ominous tones, recounting the time when a “spanning-tree loop” brought down the network. Some managers strictly forbid anyone from changing anything related to the spanning tree, fearing a resulting service interruption. Some of the fear surrounding spanning trees is likely based on bad experiences, but some are based on ignorance—at least partly.

This month, I want to address a question I was sent from one of our MSP partners. As a smaller MSP looking to grow, they were wondering what they should focus on first: Marketing and lead gen to fill their sales pipeline? Or strategies to improve their organizational and operational efficiencies? They recognized that both areas are currently a source of weakness for their business.

Let me start by saying that spanning tree is a Good Thing. It saves you from loops, which will completely shut down a network. But it has to be configured properly to work properly. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had a client call me, desperate with a terribly broken network, and I’ve responded, “Sounds like a spanning tree problem.” There are many ways things can go wrong with spanning tree. In this article, I’ve collected six of the recurring themes.

With numerous options available for network monitoring, finding the right fit for your business can be a daunting task. It’s essential to sift through the noise and focus on what truly matters: a solution that meets your organization’s specific needs. PeerSpot, an enterprise buying intelligence platform, offers valuable insights into how various solutions, including Auvik Network Monitoring, perform in the real world.

IT management software plays a critical role in ensuring operational efficiency for businesses and supporting remote workers. IT management encompasses a wide range of tools designed to support IT professionals, help organizations enhance the security of their IT infrastructure, and optimize the use of all hardware and software assets. IT management software also equips businesses with tools like regular patching and backups to strengthen the security and resilience of their IT infrastructure.

Effective management of IT roadmaps is essential, as they orchestrate the alignment of technology initiatives with strategic business goals. This alignment ensures that technological investments directly contribute to an organization’s growth and efficiency. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of what an IT roadmap is, its significance in IT strategy, and step-by-step guidance on how to create one.

As you integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies into your business operations, you’ll notice the sophistication of cyber threats against these systems rising. Among these emerging threats, data poisoning stands out due to its potential to manipulate and undermine the integrity of your AI-driven systems. Understanding and mitigating data poisoning risks will help you maintain the security and reliability of your AI and ML applications.

Credential theft has long been a leading cause of network security breaches, leading many organizations to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) as a safeguard. It’s highly recommended that you enable MFA for all accounts as a best practice. However, the effectiveness of MFA depends significantly on how it’s set up because attackers are developing strategies to bypass it.

SaaS is everywhere. And that’s often a good thing (hello, productivity!). However, plenty of shadow IT statistics demonstrate why that’s not always the case and clarify the need for SaaS Ops. For example, Security Magazine found that 31% of ex-employees still have access to their old employer’s SaaS tools. That stat’s cybersecurity and compliance implications are enough to make a CISO shudder!