Synapse Blog
- 5 min read
In 2025 the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) regulations will receive a significant update. These regulations apply to businesses that process, store, or transmit card data. Complying with these rules protects payment card information from theft or fraud.
As phishing techniques become more sophisticated, industry regulations evolve to address new challenges. To safeguard your clients’ and business’ data, verbal phone payments will not comply with PCI-DSS from March 31, 2025. This means without additional security measures, businesses cannot accept payment card information over the phone.
The rule is designed to protect businesses and customers from “vishing,” where scammers use AI or voice-changing software to impersonate trusted individuals or companies.
Failure to comply with these regulations by March 31 may result in significant risks, including hefty fines, legal action, and suspension of Visa/Mastercard payment processing networks.
Beyond PCI-DSS: Payment Best Practices
Beyond industry regulations, it’s crucial to follow best practices for your peace of mind:
- Do not answer calls from unknown numbers.
- Return calls to independently verified phone numbers.
- Never provide personal or company information over the phone.
- Hang up immediately if a call seems suspicious.
If you have any questions about the PCI-DSS updates or vishing scams, please contact Synapse IT.
- 5 min read
In today’s digital age, data breaches are an ever-present threat. Detecting these breaches early can significantly mitigate the damage of cyber-attacks and protect businesses’ sensitive information. While there are many tried and true methods of preventing cyber-attacks and responding to incidents when they occur, another layer of data security exists that focuses on detecting attacks immediately.
Many breaches are only detected after a significant loss has occurred, leading to difficult consequences for the victim. This is why businesses must ask, “If our system is breached, how would we know?” Do you know the minute an attack occurs, or weeks later when your entire system has been infiltrated?
Data Breach Detection Systems
Organisations can utilise a range of detection systems to ensure they know when attacks happen.
1. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) Designed to identify unauthorized access to your network. These systems can detect suspicious activities, such as attempts to exploit vulnerabilities or unauthorized data access.
2. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Endpoint Detection and Response tools monitor and respond to threats on endpoints such as computers and mobile devices. These tools detect malicious activities and enable rapid response to contain and mitigate threats.
3. Network Monitoring Network monitoring tools continuously analyse network traffic to identify abnormal patterns, unusual connections, and access from suspicious locations. These tools help detect potential breaches by monitoring for signs of unauthorized activity.
4.Identity Threat Detection can review access logs for Microsoft 365, enabling early detection of compromised cloud accounts.
5.24/7 Security Operations Centers keep watch over your IT systems to take immediate action when a potential breach is detected. Having all of the detection tools in the world is only helpful when people are there to react swiftly to alerts.
6.Security Information and Management Systems collects comprehensive logs from all of your systems to ensure cyber forensic investigations are easier in the event of a data breach.
Important Areas to Monitor
Areas that are commonly involved in cyberattacks must be monitored carefully. These include:
- Network activity: Detection systems will look for abnormal network traffic patterns, unusual connections and access from suspicious locations.
- User behaviour: Systems will analyse suspicious login attempts, unusual access patterns, and activity outside of regular hours.
- System logs: Systems will alert of error messages, system crashes and unusual configuration changes.
- Dark web monitoring: Some advanced systems will scan the dark web for evidence of leaked sensitive data related to your business.
Detecting data breaches early is crucial to minimising their impact on your business. By implementing these strategies and staying vigilant, you can protect your organization from the damaging effects of data breaches.
Synapse IT can help supply your business with trusted techniques that detect cyberattacks quickly. Contact our expert team today to learn more!
- 5 min read
Installing 5G networks is changing how businesses in Australia connect, run, and compete. 5G is becoming the unseen engine that drives operational efficiency, smarter communications, and completely new service models. It is no longer about having faster phones. From mining companies in remote WA to financial services in Melbourne’s CBD, organisations nationwide are starting to experience the difference that 5G-enabled mobile connectivity and high-speed internet can make.
While consumer excitement about streaming and gaming headlines the 5G conversation, its business applications are far more transformative. For companies willing to invest early and strategically, the opportunities are substantial and, often, already measurable.
Unlocking the Real Benefits of 5G for Business Communication
The benefits of 5G for business communication extend well beyond clearer phone calls or faster file downloads. Australian businesses use this technology to build strong operations, enabling hybrid workforces and culling innovations such as remote-machine monitoring and real-time data analytics. According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), 5G services cover 85% of the Australian population. This advancement exceeded speed; it encompassed reliability and the seamless integration of voice, video, and data services among teams and locations.
The upcoming decade will witness 5G technology becoming essential for smart farming and precision agriculture because these advancements will optimise resource management and boost production levels. Integrating 5G technology with IoT sensors across their fields enables real-time monitoring of soil moisture, crop health and machinery status. We can now manage the same tasks that required multiple site visits and days of delay through a single dashboard in real-time. The future of business communication has arrived and is happening now.
Implementing 5G in Business Operations: A Strategic Shift
For most organisations, implementing 5G in business operations is not merely an upgrade of SIM cards or purchasing new handsets. It requires a deliberate rethink of systems, workflows, and opportunities for automation.
Manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and financial services are leading the way. Logistics hubs, for example, are deploying 5G-enabled tracking solutions to optimise warehouse flows and vehicle dispatch in real-time. Australian hospitals are also looking into 5G technology-based telehealth platforms allowing almost instantaneous patient consultations, which are essential in emergencies.
Implementing this technology allows businesses to embrace the ability to harness more efficiencies, reduce operational downtime and add more agility to the business model. Businesses that strategically embed 5G into their operations are finding they can move faster, serve customers better, and make decisions with more real-time data at their fingertips.
A Telstra report highlights that 5G and edge computing are key combinations for creating new value. At the same time, they expect new advantages to come from 5G for their businesses. Those who treat 5G as a foundational business asset rather than a simple telecom upgrade will lead the next wave of innovation.
Why Mobile Connectivity and High-Speed Internet Are the New Business Essentials
Australia’s business landscape has always been defined by distance, from cross-country freight logistics to connecting branch offices across regional areas. Mobile connectivity and high-speed internet are no longer optional; they’re the backbone of day-to-day business operations.
5G also transforms the landscape in this regard. It enables secure, ultra-fast, and low-latency connections where traditional fixed-line internet might be too expensive, unreliable, or unavailable. Rural businesses stand to benefit from the broader 5G rollout. The Australian Government’s Regional Connectivity Program aims to fund further expansion of 5G into underserved areas, recognising its potential to bridge the urban-regional business divide.
Consider a construction firm operating across multiple remote sites. With 5G, they can equip teams with rugged tablets that are connected directly to cloud-based project management tools, allowing instant collaboration, video calls, and site updates without complex infrastructure. The result? Faster project timelines, fewer errors, and better client service.
For customer-facing sectors like retail and hospitality, 5G enables more innovative payment systems, immersive customer experiences via AR/VR, and dynamic digital marketing strategies, all powered by the bandwidth and speed that high-speed internet over 5G makes possible.
Looking Ahead: 5G as a Business Differentiator
Early adopters are gaining a significant advantage over their competitors. When you combine mobile connectivity, low latency, and reliable high-speed internet, you can start completely new types of businesses. For example, financial institutions can run real-time fraud detection and algorithmic trading, while logistics companies can instantly reroute deliveries based on traffic or weather.
As private 5G networks and edge computing become more common, businesses will soon be able to customise and control their speedy and safe digital environments. This opens possibilities for hyper-personalised customer experiences, autonomous operations, and instant scalability.
The critical factor to ensuring 5G technology operates at its peak is strategic planning. Simply upgrading devices won’t unlock the full benefits of 5G for business communication. It requires expert insight, clear goals, and integration with broader IT and business strategies. Australian companies that act now to develop a cohesive 5G roadmap will be best positioned to thrive in this next phase of digital transformation.
At Synapse IT Consultants, we help Australian businesses unlock the full potential of 5G technology. Whether it’s smart city operations, improving mobile workforce productivity, or simply future-proofing your communications, our expert team can guide you through implementing 5G in business operations for maximum impact.
Contact Synapse IT today to start crafting your organisation’s more connected and efficient future.
- 5 min read
For many consumers, sustainability is a business requirement. In Australia, businesses are being pushed to be more eco-friendly by government rules, investor expectations, and changing customer values. However, how can we achieve significant, measurable change? That requires more than moving to LED lights or banning plastic cups from the break room. For many companies, the real potential is in implementing sustainable IT solutions. This is when professional IT consulting becomes invaluable.
The Environmental Cost of IT Infrastructure
There’s no way around it: the IT industry uses massive amounts of energy. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres contribute approximately 1% of all energy-related greenhouse gas pollution. This is also a concern in Australia. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) says that data centres here use about 5% of all the electricity in the country. That amount is expected to increase to 8% by 2030.
Beyond data centres, IT asset manufacturing and disposal have significant adverse environmental impacts. Old hardware, faulty cooling systems, and outdated network designs release more carbon emissions.
What IT Consultancy Firms Bring to the Sustainability Table
An expert IT consulting partner optimises systems for performance and the environment simultaneously. IT consultants can help businesses use less energy, reduce pollution, and lower costs by looking at their current infrastructure, finding inefficiencies, and suggesting innovative enhancements.
Such outcomes are happening more often as businesses look into green IT strategies to make their operations more secure for the future. At the same time, without help from specialists, many leaders find it challenging to figure out which projects will have the most significant impact on the environment and their business goals.
Key Areas Where IT Consulting Drives Sustainable Change
Sustainability in IT requires a thoughtful, expert-led approach. Here are key methods IT experts use to make technology ecosystems more eco-friendly:
1. Cloud Migration and Virtualisation
Cutting down on physical infrastructure is one of the most efficient ways to make an IT system greener. IT experts help companies migrate to cloud providers that primarily run on clean energy, such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric power.
For example, Australia’s AWS and Microsoft Azure data centres use more renewable energy sources to help companies meet their environmental goals. Consultants assist businesses with the technical side of moving and the legal side, cost modelling, and carbon tracking.
Virtualisation also plays a part. Businesses can reduce their use of machinery and energy by increasing the rate at which they use servers and combining resources.
2. Sustainable Procurement and Lifecycle Management
IT consultants are increasingly assisting procurement teams to select sustainable technology that meets performance and environmental requirements. This includes using ENERGY STAR or EPEAT-certified energy-efficient hardware and ethical sources with recycling available.
It’s not over when you buy it. Effective consultants create lifecycle strategies for reducing e-waste through refurbishment, donation, or certified recycling schemes. In Australia, the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) provides a structure for experts to help businesses easily integrate.
3. Energy Monitoring and IT Carbon Footprinting
Measuring emissions is essential because you can only control what you can measure. IT consultants have the tools and knowledge to check how much energy different IT systems use and determine how much damage they do to the planet.
Accenture’s 2024 Sustainability Technology Vision study found that only 7% of Australian businesses have integrated their technology and sustainability goals. That difference is significant.
Consultants might suggest emissions reductions by identifying high-impact areas like underused servers or redundant software.
4. Digital Workspaces and Remote Infrastructure
Sustainability is not limited to backend systems. A trend toward remote and hybrid work has created fresh opportunities for clients to implement sustainable IT solutions.
Experts suggest setting up safe online workspaces that cut down on the need for actual travel and office-based equipment. Additionally, they assist IT departments in establishing and enforcing BYOD rules to minimise infrastructure leasing while ensuring control and compliance.
As much as 54% less carbon dioxide was released into the air by companies that let their workers do their jobs from home, according to a study from 2024 by Deloitte Australia. With that effect, digital workspace support is a compelling environmental protection tool.
Navigating Compliance and Certifications
As concerns about greenwashing grow, regulators are increasing pressure on Australian companies to support their sustainability claims with verifiable data, ensuring their efforts are genuine rather than misleading.
IT consultants help companies navigate climate risk disclosures and sustainability certifications. Consulting services ensure the tech side of a company meets ISO 14001 standards and ESG reporting requirements.
They also help the company evaluate third-party partners and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers to ensure the IT supply chain supports its green goals.
The Long Game: Why Sustainable IT Is a Strategic Advantage
ESG compliance and aesthetic appeal are not the only factors that matter in this context. Sustainable IT helps businesses in the long run by lowering costs, making personnel more fulfilled, and making them less vulnerable to changes in regulations and the market.
Partnering with the Right Experts
Sustainable business practices require strategic direction, technical expertise, and a profound awareness of technology and environmental responsibility. Internal teams, already under pressure, cannot realistically undertake such a task.
That’s why plenty of companies hire eco-friendly technology consulting from Synapse IT Consultants.
Synapse IT Consultants creates effective green IT strategies based on real-world results to assist Australian businesses in reducing emissions, improving systems, and future-proofing operations.
Contact Synapse IT Consultants today to see how we can help you move toward smarter, greener corporate IT.
- 5 min read
Recent events have forced several Australian organisations—spanning healthcare, education, and essential services—into sudden and severe disruption, halting operations entirely. While some described it as a systemic failure, others viewed it as a natural disaster or a costly service outage.
Yet only a few have managed to maintain continuity and bounce back fast from the disruptions. Their secret? These organisations had their core systems run on cloud infrastructure, enabling their adaptation and recovery when others struggled to get online.
Businesses are bound to be disrupted by a cyberattack, natural disaster, hardware failure, or random disruption. An organisation’s resilience is closely tied to its level of preparedness—especially as uninterrupted operations increasingly rely on cloud computing.
Why Cloud Computing Matters for Business Continuity
As a general term, “business continuity” refers to how an organization keeps running during times of disruption so that there is little downtime and important data is kept safe. Traditional business continuity plans often revolve around on-premises servers, offsite backups, and manual failover procedures, which are slower, more expensive, and less scalable.
Enter cloud computing.
Cloud computing removes many infrastructure constraints that have historically hindered disaster recovery efforts. It provides firms with secure, scalable, and geographically distributed environments where they can safely keep their data and applications accessible anywhere.
Practical Ways Cloud Supports Business Continuity
The real power of cloud computing in business continuity lies in its versatility. Let’s break down some key ways it helps businesses stay resilient.
Instant Data Backup and Recovery
Data loss is a significant pain during disruptions, which can happen because of cyberattacks or equipment malfunctions. Should you lose access to even a speck of critical data, it can immediately cease operations.
Cloud environments allow data to be automatically backed up in real-time or on schedule. In the case of a disaster, businesses can recover data almost immediately without any interventions or physical backup tapes. This drastically lowers downtime and recovery time objectives (RTO).
Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery
Cloud disaster recovery is another landmark in disaster recovery. Companies can quickly set up virtual machines, apps, and systems in the cloud instead of buying more expensive data centers to get back to normal. Considering pay-as-you-go, the significant capital cost burdened on conventional disaster recovery is lifted.
62% of all priorities of businesses regarding a disaster recovery system are cloud backup.
Remote Accessibility and Workforce Continuity
Not all disruptions will arise from cyberattacks or natural disasters. Regional power outages, pandemics, and transportation strikes could prevent employees’ access to work.
Cloud solutions empower businesses to maintain workforce productivity from anywhere. Even if the office doors are locked, employees who have access to the Internet can still access files, programs, and tools for working together.
Scalability and Cost-Efficiency
Here is another practical edge: cloud computing is scalable by nature. The cloud allows businesses to ramp up their computing resources during crises to support remote workings, additional backups, or temporary infrastructure shifts.
Instead of sinking money on expensive hardware that lies idle for most of the year, businesses can dynamically scale their cloud usage with pay-as-you-go pricing based on requirements.
This scalability isn’t just cost-efficient. It’s a more innovative way to manage risk.
The Benefits of Cloud Computing for Business Continuity
Beyond these tactical advantages, the broader benefits of cloud computing for business continuity can’t be overstated. Here are a few key takeaways:
- Reduced Downtime: A cloud-based platform would restore operations in minutes, not hours or days.
- Improved Data Security: These major cloud providers invest heavily in advanced cybersecurity, which most small and middle businesses can afford independently.
- Geographical Redundancy: Cloud providers distribute data across multiple regions, protecting against localised disasters.
- Compliance and Governance: Many modern cloud services tend to have built-in compliance capabilities to enable companies to comply with regulations even in times of crisis.
No wonder, according to Statista, 94% of all enterprises report suddenly improved security and business continuity post-migration to the cloud.
Common Misconceptions About Cloud and Continuity
Despite the clear benefits, some business leaders hesitate to lean fully into cloud-based continuity solutions. Let’s quickly address a few misconceptions:
- “The cloud isn’t secure.”
This is because reputable cloud providers have enterprise-grade encryption, access controls, and compliance certifications. The actual security gap often lies in how businesses configure their cloud environments.
- “Cloud solutions are too expensive.”
Not at all. When considering the long run, considering the probable cost of downtime, loss of revenues, and damage to reputation, they are way cheaper than traditional setups. - “We have backups, so we’re fine.”
Backup is only a tiny part of the situation. Without a clear recovery plan and the right infrastructure to get services back up and running quickly, even the best backup systems will not help during a power outage..
Backup is only a tiny part of the situation. Without a clear recovery plan and the right infrastructure to get services back up and running quickly, even the best backup systems will not help during a power outage..
Putting It All Together: Cloud as the Backbone of Resilience
Business continuity is about agility, speed, and peace of mind. Cloud computing delivers all three. It empowers businesses to withstand disruptions without scrambling for manual workarounds or suffering costly downtime.
Whether you seek a healthcare facility, financial institution, or growing SMB, getting cloud solutions based on your continuity strategy is no longer just brilliant; it is essential.
When the next cyberattack, server crash, or severe weather event strikes, the threat won’t wait for your business to catch up. Instead, your organisation’s resilience depends on how prepared you are to respond.
Ready to Strengthen Your Business Continuity Strategy?
Synapse IT is where enterprises will forge future-proof continuity plans based on strong, secure, and scalable cloud solutions. Do not wait until disaster strikes before you realise how critical the cloud is to your operations.
Contact Synapse IT today to discuss how we can keep your business running cost-effectively, no matter what.
- 5 min read
Over the past ten years, managed IT services have evolved quickly from conventional break-fix models to proactive AI-driven solutions. Businesses must be ready for the next wave of technological developments redefining IT service management as we enter 2025. The future of IT outsourcing in 2025 will be more flexible, efficient, and intelligent, with AI-driven automation and cybersecurity protection.
Key Trends Shaping Managed IT Services in 2025
This year will bring significant developments redefining how companies handle IT management. These developments will shape managed IT services, enabling businesses to improve productivity and security through automation, security, edge computing, and remote workforce assistance.
AI and Automation Take Center Stage
Deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in IT service management marks one of the most critical future IT trends. New cutting-edge services may include, predictive analytics, automatic remedial actions, and AI-powered service desks. Robotic process automation (RPA) cuts time spent creating management reports from several days to just one hour. It also cut the time to make trip expense reports from three hours to ten minutes, making things run more smoothly.
Consider AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants—they can now go beyond creating support tickets by identifying and resolving IT issues in real time. Australian businesses, particularly banks and healthcare providers, invest heavily in AI-enhanced IT service management to streamline processes and cut costs.
The Rise of Zero-Trust Security Models
Cybersecurity is still critical, and the move towards zero-trust security models will be more substantial in 2025. Businesses cannot rely on perimeter-based protection due to ransomware assaults and sophisticated cyber threats. To reduce risks, managed IT companies will instead apply strict access limits access limits and constant authentication.
Studies project that by 2025, cybercrime will cost the world economy $10.5 trillion a year. According to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), cyber incidents have increased by 13% yearly, meaning attacks on Australian businesses are highly likely. Managed IT services help companies deploy next-generation encryption, EDR, and AI-powered threat hunting.
The Expansion of Edge Computing
Dependency on edge computing will rise dramatically as companies adopt hybrid working environments. Upcoming IT management service trends for 2025 will prioritise processing data close to its source to reduce latency and increase performance. Edge computing will become a necessary part of IT infrastructure as the Internet of Things (IoT) devices multiply over several sectors.
Australian mining and logistics companies use edge computing to process remote data in real-time, improving efficiency. Managed IT service companies will be significant for setting up and keeping these distributed networks secure and compliant.
The Growth of IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS)
The conventional outsourcing framework is developing into a more adaptable, on-demand method. More and more businesses are using IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS), in which managed IT providers offer flexible, subscription-based solutions to fit each business’s needs. This change lets companies guarantee they have access to the newest technologies while avoiding sizeable upfront IT costs.
Statistics indicate the worldwide IT outsourcing market will reach $591 billion by 2025. Australian businesses, especially in retail and healthcare, need agility.
Enhanced Remote Workforce Support
Flexible work arrangements and working from home are here to stay, so managed IT service providers will need to provide more help for teams that work in different places. Businesses will want flawless remote IT solutions by 2025, including endpoint management systems, cloud-based collaboration tools, and VPN security.
Based on an independent research firm, 66% of companies fund remote work infrastructure. To boost employee productivity, managed IT providers must improve network performance, secure data, and integrate cloud-based communication tools.
Preparing for the Future
Keeping up with these technological changes will be important for businesses as they plan for the future of IT outsourcing in 2025. Working with a managed IT service company at the forefront of technology allows you to seamlessly transition to AI automation, stringent cybersecurity, edge computing, and ITaaS models.
Synapse IT Consultants specialises in helping businesses adopt the most recent and upcoming managed IT services trends. Our skills ensure that your IT infrastructure will work in the future, no matter what. Contact Synapse today to learn how we can help you with your digital change in 2025 and beyond.
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