RiverTrail Technology Blog

When you first started your business, chances are you were the “keeper of the keys,” so to speak. You registered the domain, set up the billing accounts, and held the master login for every piece of critical software your business uses. But as your business has grown, how useful has that model been? Has it turned into an operational bottleneck where your attention is pulled away from your important founder work?

Evaluating how to support your business technology is no longer just an administrative task. It is a core business decision that directly impacts your daily operational efficiency, cash flow predictability, and cybersecurity posture.

Historically, many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) relied on the traditional "break-fix" IT support model. However, modern operational demands have led to a major industry shift, with over half of all SMBs transitioning to outsourced managed IT services.

Let’s examine why this shift should come as no surprise.

During July and August, planned employee absenteeism reaches its annual peak as team members take well-deserved time off to enjoy the summer weather. For small and medium-sized businesses, operating with a skeleton crew introduces severe operational and security challenges that are difficult to manage with limited staff. The most pressing hazard during these months is the "only one person knows" problem, where critical system access, passwords, or vital administrative knowledge resides entirely with a single vacationing employee.

It is more than likely that, whether you realize it or not, your employees are using artificial intelligence tools to do their jobs.

They are using free, public tools like ChatGPT or Claude to draft client emails, clean up spreadsheet data, write marketing copy, or summarize long meeting notes. They aren't doing it to be malicious; they are doing it because they are busy, and these tools help them squeeze a little more precious time out of an already hectic day.

Nevertheless, there is a major problem with this trend: what we in the industry call "shadow AI."

As small and medium-sized businesses expand their remote work capabilities, the technical systems that once supported them must evolve. For many years, virtual private networks served as the standard tool to connect remote employees to physical office servers. However, relying on a legacy VPN is no longer a sustainable long-term strategy for growing organizations. Approximately 88 percent of companies report being concerned that traditional VPNs jeopardize their overall security posture.   

When your business expands, a legacy VPN will eventually fail to meet your operational, compliance, and security requirements. Understanding the technical limitations of this older framework and preparing for modern upgrades are critical steps for every growing business.