TIME TO READ: 6 MINUTES

Hello everyone, this is Robert Douglas. 

This newsletter marks the 172nd issue of WOOF!  Started in 2007 to bring you "IT News You Can Use," WOOF! topics have run the gamut of business IT and cybersecurity.  I hope they've helped you.

The WOOF! Team has had the good fortune to cite or consult with many experts over the years, including cybersecurity experts, ISPs, C-Level business veterans, longtime customers, and our own engineers and support techs. They've amassed a lot of high-value content, which you can always find on our website.

Here are some samples of the most-read articles we’ve published:

• Where to Get Computer Components Made in the USA
• The Top 3 "Big Threats" to IT, According to You, and Their Solutions
• How to Choose Between a Cloud VPN and an On-Premise VPN
• How to Verify that Your Backups Actually Work
• IT Security Practices of the Pros: How Do You Rate?

Another article covered my appearance on Kevin Freeman’s Economic War Room Show on our cybersecurity guide, "The 7 Cyberattack Entry Points Cybercriminals Look For (And the Best Ways to Defend Them)." 

The copywriter behind WOOF! is Chris Williams, our longest-serving team member. Chris helps us convey simply what our real-world IT experience teaches us. Enjoyed the look of WOOF? That’s thanks to Mike Woodburn, a talented visual designer who's captured the PlanetMagpie brand in digital and print form for over 15 years.  We count ourselves lucky to have Chris and Mike on our team.

Now, out of more than 170 issues, I’ve never once written to our readers directly on topics near and dear to my heart.  Today, that changes—and I’m going to share a few thoughts with you.

At a time when political forces seek to push us apart, let’s not take the bait.  As Americans, we all live and operate within communities: cities, social groups, industries.  No matter which, I think we can all agree—these communities should strive to support each other. 

How do we do that?

• Buy locally whenever you can. Look for American-made products.
• Buy your produce from local farmers. Get your meat/fish from local sources. Some of the beef I've had in Texas…wow.
• Yes, I even include buying your IT services from local sources.
  

We've seen a disturbing trend in the past 10 years. An offshore company buys up an American IT company, fires most of the American workers, and moves their support to offshore labor. They keep salespeople in the U.S. to make it appear local, market aggressively, and deliver the lowest-quality IT support they can get away with.

Our businesses deserve better. Always do your homework when selecting an IT partner.

They should:

1. Employ American IT workers, so that your projects contribute to the American IT brain trust, and provide white collar jobs for the thousands of American graduates pouring out of colleges
2. Care about the success of your business and the communities in which they live
3. Use proven security measures and ethical business practices at all times
   

Build up your business and your community by supporting American IT.

Cyberattacks on American businesses have tripled since the pandemic began.  Cyberthieves take advantage of uncertain times. Expect cyberattacks to increase if the Russia/Ukraine situation escalates, or similar world events happen. 

At a bare minimum:

• Set up managed cloud backups of all your critical servers and workstations (no, a USB drive is not sufficient for backups)
• Provide cybersecurity training to your employees
• Have your network security reviewed ASAP
  

Hope is not a strategy—but these steps are a great start.

We've worked harder these past 2 years than at any other point in the company's history. I'm grateful to the PlanetMagpie team for toughing it out through COVID, and to each of our customers for working with us during that time.

We plan to continue offering the best IT services possible. Here's how.

PlanetMagpie's 2022 Plans

PlanetMagpie opened a Dallas-Fort Worth office in 2018. This year, we plan to open another in Charlotte, North Carolina. With three offices, we can cover all U.S. time zones for IT Support & Consulting. It also enables customer cloud backups to live in three geographically-separate locations, instead of two.

To support all 3 offices, we plan to expand our support team too. This way we can help develop the next generation of American IT engineers and technicians…as long as the work exists to do it.

Which brings me to one of two favors to ask.

Do you know a company in the Bay Area, Dallas-Fort Worth, or Charlotte areas who could use a dedicated IT team like ours? If so, I would appreciate a referral. You can reach me by email, LinkedIn, or my phone.

Help Us Keep Supporting Local Businesses' IT – Share WOOF!

Everyone needs to keep their computers secure and running at maximum uptime. Just one recommendation from a trusted colleague could make the difference between someone's business thriving…or the business collapsing from a cyberattack. 

That said, here's my second ask.

Please share this WOOF issue with just one other person you know, who's involved with business IT. We work hard to bring you great, usable content, and would like as many people to benefit as possible.

Hoping your 2022 is healthy and successful.  Thanks for reading! 

Robert