JMA Consulting

Most ransomware attacks start the same way:

• One email.
• One click.
• One major problem.

That's why security awareness training remains one of the most effective investments a business can make.

Technology helps.

Educated employees help even more.

👉 Discover the controls that dramatically reduce cyber risk in our latest blog:
https://jmachicago.com/chicago-it-security-basics-the-10-controls-that-stop-most-small-business-attacks/

If there's ONE security control every business should implement today, it's MFA.

Multi-factor authentication can stop the majority of credential-based attacks before they start.

Yet many companies still rely on passwords alone.

That's like locking your front door and leaving the key under the mat.

Learn why MFA is one of the most important controls in our latest blog:
https://jmachicago.com/chicago-it-security-basics-the-10-controls-that-stop-most-small-business-attacks/

Many small business owners imagine cyberattacks as something out of a movie.
The reality?

Most attacks succeed because of missing basics:
❌ Weak passwords
❌ No MFA
❌ Unpatched systems
❌ Poor email security

The good news is that most attacks can be prevented with a handful of proven controls.

👉 Read the full blog to learn the 10 security controls that stop most small business attacks:
https://jmachicago.com/chicago-it-security-basics-the-10-controls-that-stop-most-small-business-attacks/

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Top IT providers track:

• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction)
• Ticket resolution quality
• User experience trends

This is what separates reactive support from reliable support.

👉 Learn what metrics actually matter in an SLA:
https://jmachicago.com/it-help-desk-support-services-what-a-good-sla-looks-like-response-times-escalations-csat/

Every IT issue starts small… until it doesn’t.

The real question is:
👉 What happens when your provider can’t fix it quickly?

A strong SLA includes:
✔ Clear escalation paths
✔ Defined severity levels
✔ Senior engineer involvement when needed

Without this, small issues become business disruptions.

👉 See what escalation should look like:
https://jmachicago.com/it-help-desk-support-services-what-a-good-sla-looks-like-response-times-escalations-csat/

This is one of the biggest traps in IT contracts 👇

A vendor can respond in 5 minutes…
…but take 2 days to fix the issue.

That’s why your SLA must define BOTH:

• Response time
• Resolution time

If it doesn’t, you’re exposed.

Learn how to read between the lines:
https://jmachicago.com/it-help-desk-support-services-what-a-good-sla-looks-like-response-times-escalations-csat/

“Fast support” sounds great… until you realize it means different things to different providers.
Do they mean:
✔ First response in minutes?
✔ Resolution in hours?
✔ Or just acknowledgment?
A strong SLA clearly defines expectations and protects your business from delays.
Read what a real SLA should include:
https://jmachicago.com/it-help-desk-support-services-what-a-good-sla-looks-like-response-times-escalations-csat/

Make monitoring routine: do these 5 quick checks each week to reduce incidents and catch problems early. One hour of checks now saves days of downtime later. Full checklist & tooling recommendations in the blog.

Read the full blog → https://jmachicago.com/network-monitoring-tools-what-chicago-smbs-should-track-before-users-notice-problems/

Users blame apps, but often the network is the culprit. Learn the hidden causes (congestion, interface errors, misconfigured QoS) and the monitoring checks that spot them early. Step-by-step suggestions in the blog.
Read the full blog → https://jmachicago.com/network-monitoring-tools-what-chicago-smbs-should-track-before-users-notice-problems/

Latency, packet loss, and throughput can warn you before users call the help desk. Learn how to measure realistic thresholds and set alerts that actually matter.

Read the full blog → https://jmachicago.com/network-monitoring-tools-what-chicago-smbs-should-track-before-users-notice-problems/