Are PLCs Necessary in Today’s Automation Environment?

“It won’t happen to us.” That’s what many business owners think—until it does. Ransomware has quickly become one of the most costly and disruptive threats facing businesses of all sizes. Unlike other cyberattacks, ransomware doesn’t just steal information—it locks you out of your own systems until a ransom is paid, often crippling operations for days or weeks. In June, we discussed how “ Data Backup Is Not Disaster Recovery .” Today, we’re taking that conversation further. Cybercriminals have grown adept at evading old defenses. Many ransomware attacks now target and encrypt backups first , leaving businesses with no safety net if they don’t have a full recovery strategy in place. So how can you prepare your business before it’s too late? The Evolution of Ransomware Ransomware has evolved from crude encryption schemes into complex, multi-stage attacks. The collapse of major groups like Lockbit and BlackCat has fractured the ecosystem, giving rise to lone operators and hybrid threat actors that blur the lines between cybercrime, espionage and hacktivism. New tactics include: Phantom scams : Fake ransom notes sent by mail Living Off the Land (LOTL) : Using legitimate tools to avoid detection Double extortion : Encrypting data and threatening to leak it Human-operated ransomware : Attacks rely on social engineering techniques and insider manipulation Real-World Impact of Ransomware Colonial Pipeline (2021): A ransomware attack shut down the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. for nearly a week, causing fuel shortages and panic buying. City of Baltimore (2019): Attackers demanded $76,000 in ransom. The city refused—but ended up spending over $18 million recovering systems and services. Ingram Micro (2025): In July, IT distribution giant Ingram Micro suffered a global outage due to a ransomware attack by the SafePay group. The attack disrupted website access, order processing, and internal operations for nearly a week. Small Businesses (every day): According to the FBI, over 70% of ransomware victims are small and mid-sized businesses. Why? They often lack advanced defenses, making them easier targets. The message is clear: ransomware doesn’t discriminate . Whether you’re a manufacturer, professional services firm or municipality—if you use technology to run your business, you are at risk. How Humans Are Used to Execute Attacks Cybercriminals increasingly rely on human behavior to breach defenses: Phishing & Impersonation : Attackers impersonate employees and trick help desk staff into provisioning access. Groups like Scattered Spider use native English speakers to convincingly pose as internal staff. Credential Theft : Employees reuse passwords or fall for fake login pages. These credentials are sold on the dark web and used to infiltrate networks [1] . Employee Burnout : Tired or disengaged employees are more likely to click suspicious links or ignore security protocols. In one survey, 63% of employees admitted they’d open a suspicious email if it appeared to come from a colleague . Overconfidence : Despite training, many employees believe they can spot phishing—but attackers now use AI to craft flawless messages. “Human error is the biggest contributor to any data breach. Nearly three out of four incidents involved a human element like error, privilege misuse, stolen credentials or social engineering.” — Infosec Institute Ransomware Readiness Checklist Here’s a step-by-step framework to strengthen your defenses: Educate Your Team – Human error is still the #1 cause of successful ransomware infections. Regular phishing simulations and awareness training are critical. Teach staff to not click unverified links, avoid unknown USB devices and use VPNs on public networks. Patch and Update Systems – Cybercriminals exploit known vulnerabilities. Keep servers, applications and endpoints up to date. Use firewalls and endpoint protection. Segment Your Network – Don’t let attackers move freely inside your systems. Limit access and separate critical infrastructure from general-use networks. Secure Your Backups – Keep backups encrypted, offsite and inaccessible from the primary network. Test them regularly to confirm they can be restored. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Passwords alone are not enough. Require MFA for remote access, admin accounts and email. Monitor and Respond 24/7 – Early detection is everything. Proactive monitoring tools can identify and lock down suspicious activity before it escalates. Keep systems updated, and watch for LOTL tactics, blind spots and unusual activity—especially during nights and weekends. Develop (and Test) a Response Plan – Conduct regular tabletop exercises. Know who to call, how to isolate infected systems and how to restore operations quickly. From Readiness to Resilience Cybersecurity isn’t about eliminating every risk—that’s impossible. It’s about building resilience so your business can withstand attacks and bounce back stronger. Seifert Technologies designs ransomware readiness and recovery strategies with the right combination of prevention, detection and recovery strategies. Don’t wait until you’re locked out. Let’s build your defense plan today. Contact us to schedule a free consultation. Call 330.833.2700 ext. 113 or email sales@seifert.com .

When considering automation, the key question is Return On Investment (ROI): Will this pay off—and how soon?

Backups protect your files. Disaster recovery protects your business. Most business owners understand the importance of backing up their data. Few realize that backups alone won’t protect them when disaster strikes. Relying solely on backups is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes business owners can make. If your organization hasn’t defined a full recovery plan, you could be at risk. Backup vs. Disaster Recovery: What's the Difference? Data Backup creates a copy of your files, folders and network systems. These backups can be stored locally or in the cloud, and they are meant to protect against data loss. Disaster Recovery (DR) is a comprehensive strategy outlining how to restore critical IT systems, applications, and operations after a major disruption. It defines key recovery processes, timelines, failover systems, resources and responsibilities. Having a backup is like having a spare tire; Disaster Recovery is having the right tools and knowing how to use them to get back on the road. Why Backups Alone Aren’t Enough Here are a few ways businesses get blindsided when they rely on backups alone: Restoration Takes Time: Just because files are saved doesn’t mean your system can be restored instantaneously. Restoring servers, reconfiguring networks and reinstalling applications can take days—or even weeks—without a recovery strategy. Lack of Prioritization: Not all data is equal. Without a recovery strategy, teams waste hours recovering low-priority files while other critical systems remain offline after a ransomware attack, server failure or natural disaster. Downtime Is Expensive: According to FEMA, 90% of small businesses fail within a year if they can’t reopen quickly after a disaster. Downtime can lead to thousands of dollars in lost revenue, damaged reputations, compliance violations and lost productivity. Cybercriminals Target Backups: Modern ransomware attacks often look for and encrypt backups first. If your backup isn’t isolated or secure, it could be compromised before you even know there’s a problem. What a Resilient Disaster Recovery Strategy Looks Like Build real-world resilience with a practical, right-sized recovery plan: Redundant, Automated Backups: Implement multi-layered backup strategies that include local and cloud storage, to ensure that even if one method fails, your data is still recoverable. Defined RTO and RPO Goals: Define Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) to determine how quickly your systems must be restored and how much data loss is acceptable. These benchmarks will guide the technology and processes used in your plan. Disaster Recovery Runbook: Outline the step-by-step process for restoring operations after a disaster. Include system dependencies, key personnel responsibilities and a communications strategy. Regular Testing and Validation: Conduct routine Disaster Recovery drills and simulations to ensure your systems and people are ready. Cloud-Based Recovery Options: For businesses that can’t afford extended downtimes, explore Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) options. This allows you to spin up virtual versions of critical systems from the cloud, often within hours or minutes, depending on business needs. Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late Data loss, cyberattacks, power outages and hardware failures are not rare events—they’re part of an everyday business environment in our always-on, always-connected world. The companies that survive and thrive through these events are the ones that plan ahead. Disaster recovery isn’t just for large enterprises. Small and mid-sized businesses have the most to lose from prolonged downtime. The good news is that with the right IT partner, recovery is more accessible and affordable than ever. Let’s Build Resilience—Together At Seifert Technologies, we specialize in right-sized, strategic disaster recovery solutions for growing businesses. Whether you're starting from scratch or want a second opinion on your current backup strategy, we’re here to help. We’ll evaluate your setup, identify vulnerabilities and recommend a path toward true resilience. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call 330.833.2700 ext. 113 or email sales@seifert.com .

PLCs are no longer just about control—they’re becoming your gateway to digital transformation.

AI isn’t just a buzzword anymore, and it’s not just for Fortune 500 companies. It’s quietly reshaping how businesses—especially small and mid-sized ones—manage their IT, protect their data, and improve productivity. Yet for many business owners, AI still feels like something out of reach. Maybe you’ve heard of ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, but you’re not quite sure how it fits into your world. That’s where we come in! We’re breaking down what AI means for your IT operations today—and how Managed IT Service Providers (MSPs) like us are helping businesses like yours get ahead without getting overwhelmed. What AI Is Doing for IT Management at SMBs (Right Now) From cybersecurity to automation, AI is already making IT faster, smarter, and more secure. Here’s how: 1. AI-Powered Cybersecurity AI tools are becoming essential to detect and stop threats to your business before they become disasters. 24/7 threat detection : Tools like SentinelOne and Microsoft Defender use AI to monitor your systems in real-time and spot suspicious activity—even before a human could. Phishing protection : AI analyzes emails and links to catch impersonation attempts and scam messages. Automated response : If a threat is detected, AI tools can automatically isolate infected systems and prevent spread—within seconds. This is key, pairing your 24/7/365 threat detection with 24/7/365 action! 2. Smarter IT Automation AI isn’t just about fighting cybercrime—it’s helping businesses save time, reduce manual work, and operate more efficiently. Here are some examples of how AI is automating key IT functions behind the scenes: Predictive maintenance : AI can flag hardware or software issues before they cause downtime. User behavior analysis for better permissions control : AI tools can monitor how employees use systems and flag risky access patterns—helping prevent accidental data exposure or insider threats. Intelligent alert prioritization: Instead of flooding your IT dashboard with noise, AI filters and ranks alerts by severity—so real issues don’t get buried under false positives. Self-healing systems : In some cases, AI can detect and fix common problems (like restarting a frozen service) without any human involvement. These aren’t hypothetical tools—they’re already in use by MSPs and IT platforms supporting businesses like yours every day. 3. Productivity Gains with Tools You Already Have If your business uses Microsoft 365, you already have access to AI—and probably aren’t using it fully yet. Microsoft Copilot (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams): Draft emails, summarize meetings, or create reports with just a few clicks. Summarize long threads and documents Build presentations or clean up Excel data without formulas or formatting headaches. Outlook Suggestions : AI can suggest meeting times, draft responses, or flag important messages. Teams AI features: Transcripts, highlights, and action items from meetings—delivered directly after the call. These tools don’t require a tech degree to use—they just need someone to turn them on, configure them properly, and show you how to use them. That’s where we come in. Our job is to make it easy, secure, and practical for you so you can focus on what you know best…your business. Why Business Owners Shouldn’t Wait AI isn’t going away. And for businesses that get ahead of it, there’s a real opportunity to: Outpace competitors with faster decisions and smarter tools Protect against modern cyber threats Reduce costs through automation and efficiency Empower employees with tools that make work easier, not harder The good news? You don’t need a full-time IT team or a PhD in machine learning. You just need the right partner to guide you. Let’s Talk About AI for Your Business Curious about what AI could do for your business? Overwhelmed by options and don’t know where to start? Let’s fix that. Schedule a call with our team to discuss your business, your systems, and where AI could make the biggest difference—today and in the future.

The Real-World Benefits of Keeping It All In-House

For many businesses with up to 100 employees, in-house IT management is a constant balancing act for leadership. You need reliable technology, strong cybersecurity and fast support, but hiring an in-house IT team can be expensive and difficult to scale. Plus, simply making a quality IT hiring decision can be challenging when you or your team don’t possess excellent IT skills yourself. The key decision to keep IT in-house vs. outsourcing is often a financial one. Many business owners assume that keeping IT in-house is more affordable than hiring an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP)—but that’s not always the case. In fact, outsourcing IT to an MSP can provide real cost savings while also delivering substantial incremental value. Let’s break down the numbers of the outsourced MSP vs. in-house IT decision so you can make the best choice for your business. The True Cost of Hiring an In-House IT Team If you're considering hiring an internal IT person, it’s essential to understand the full cost of employment, not just the salary. Here's what you can expect to pay for a single IT manager (estimates only, may vary by geographic location):

In today's competitive market, efficient design and build processes are crucial for manufacturing and maintenance success. Partnering with an engineering services firm that utilizes the latest technology, software and tools can offer significant advantages.

Seifert Technologies recently partnered with the Stark Education Partnership (SEP), Fairless High School and Perry High School and provided a career day for the students. The objective was to provide an insight to local area high school students on the careers and opportunities available right here in Stark County. Our presentations focused on the services which we provide to our clients related to Engineering, IT, and Staffing. We featured interactive displays on Robotics, Machine Design, 3D CAD, PLC Motion Control, IT Infrastructure, Power BI, Software Development, and Career Services. Jaecey Hudson holds the position of Career Champion at Stark Education Partnership (SEP). Her role places her within several local High Schools including Fairless and she counsels the students on their career paths. Jaecey was instrumental in scheduling the day with Fairless High School. SEP is a catalyst, engaging and collaborating with education, business, civic and community stakeholders to drive sustainable improvement and innovation to provide all students with education and career success. SEP serves education, business, and community organizations in the Stark County region as a connector and partner. SEP collaborates with local foundations to ensure a continued focus on meeting emerging needs and works in complementary fashion with other nonprofits throughout the region. Stark Education Partnership’s vision to build generations of successful individuals who fulfill their potential and grow roots in Stark County is brought to life by engaging students in real-world workplace experiences. We also worked closely with the Robotics / STEM department at Perry High School to plan the day for these students. Stephanie Laskey and her team from Perry were the high school coordinators for the event. The Perry Local Project Lead the Way classes emphasize various engineering aspects, spanning from introduction to engineering design, computer manufacturing, digital electronics, aerospace engineering, to principles of engineering. Students were enthusiastic and actively involved in witnessing engineering principles in action at Seifert Technologies. They gained insight into the structure of engineering firms and the key attributes of successful engineers. They left Seifert Technologies with new information, eager to apply their newfound knowledge in the world of engineering. To learn more details about the services of Seifert Technologies, contact us at (330) 833-2700 or sales@seifert.com. Please visit www.seifert.com for more information on our full range of capabilities. For more information related to SEP, please visit www.edpartner.org .