# Guides — plain-English explainers on IT & cyber security > Short, plain-English guides to the IT and security work we do day to day, grouped by topic: penetration testing, networking and Wi-Fi, and the Technology Success Program. *Source: https://panoptic.ie/guides* # Guides to getting the IT right. Short, plain-English explainers on the work we do every day, grouped by topic so you can read the ones that matter to you. ## Choosing an IT partner [About this service](https://panoptic.ie/services/managed-it) - ### [Holistic managed IT vs break/fix](https://panoptic.ie/guides/holistic-managed-it-vs-break-fix-ireland) [How a holistic managed IT provider differs from a break/fix shop — the pricing model, response times and security posture, and what Irish SMEs should expect.](https://panoptic.ie/guides/holistic-managed-it-vs-break-fix-ireland) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/guides/holistic-managed-it-vs-break-fix-ireland) - ### [Switching IT provider without downtime](https://panoptic.ie/guides/switching-msp-ireland) [A step-by-step framework for switching managed IT providers in Ireland without downtime or losing data — the onboarding phases, and what to put in writing.](https://panoptic.ie/guides/switching-msp-ireland) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/guides/switching-msp-ireland) - ### [How to choose an IT provider](https://panoptic.ie/guides/how-to-choose-msp-ireland) [A vendor-neutral, 12-criteria framework for choosing a managed IT provider in Ireland — response SLA, security baseline, compliance specialism and vertical fit.](https://panoptic.ie/guides/how-to-choose-msp-ireland) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/guides/how-to-choose-msp-ireland) ## Managed IT [About this service](https://panoptic.ie/services/managed-it) - ### [Every device, set up and watched](https://panoptic.ie/blog/devices-set-up-and-watched) [Laptops, phones and servers don't look after themselves. Managed devices are set up the same way every time, kept patched and watched — so ransomware is boxed in the moment it lands.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/devices-set-up-and-watched) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/devices-set-up-and-watched) - ### [Email and data you can get back](https://panoptic.ie/blog/email-and-data-backed-up) [A deleted file or a compromised mailbox shouldn't cost more than a few minutes. Independent backup of Microsoft 365 and your files makes recovery quick — and provable.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/email-and-data-backed-up) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/email-and-data-backed-up) ## Penetration testing [About this service](https://panoptic.ie/services/penetration-testing-vulnerability-scanning) - ### [What an attacker sees from the internet](https://panoptic.ie/blog/external-attack-surface-testing) [External attack-surface testing looks at your business the way an outsider would — what's reachable from the public internet, and where the soft spots are.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/external-attack-surface-testing) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/external-attack-surface-testing) - ### [How far a breach could spread inside](https://panoptic.ie/blog/internal-network-penetration-testing) [Getting in is only step one. Internal testing measures how far an intruder could move once they have a foothold on your network.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/internal-network-penetration-testing) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/internal-network-penetration-testing) - ### [Testing the software your business runs on](https://panoptic.ie/blog/business-application-security-testing) [The portals, line-of-business apps and logins your team depends on hold a lot of trust — and a lot of data. Here's what testing them looks at.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/business-application-security-testing) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/business-application-security-testing) - ### [Whether your team can be tricked](https://panoptic.ie/blog/phishing-and-social-engineering-testing) [Most breaches start with a person, not a server. A simulated phishing exercise shows whether realistic approaches can fool your team — and turns the result into training.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/phishing-and-social-engineering-testing) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/phishing-and-social-engineering-testing) - ### [Your Microsoft 365 and cloud setup](https://panoptic.ie/blog/microsoft-365-cloud-security-review) [Microsoft 365 and Azure are where a lot of business now lives — and their default settings are rarely the safest. A cloud security review surfaces what's quietly exposed.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/microsoft-365-cloud-security-review) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/microsoft-365-cloud-security-review) ## Networking & Wi-Fi [About this service](https://panoptic.ie/services/networking) - ### [Wi-Fi designed from a survey, not a guess](https://panoptic.ie/blog/wifi-designed-from-a-survey) [Wi-Fi that drops in the back office usually comes down to guesswork at install time. Designing from a proper site survey puts coverage where it's actually needed.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/wifi-designed-from-a-survey) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/wifi-designed-from-a-survey) - ### [A business connection that stays up](https://panoptic.ie/blog/business-connection-that-stays-up) [When the line drops, the business stops. Business-grade gateways and automatic failover keep you online when a connection or device fails.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/business-connection-that-stays-up) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/business-connection-that-stays-up) - ### [One network you can see](https://panoptic.ie/blog/network-visibility-one-dashboard) [A network you can't see is a network you can't fix quickly. Bringing every device onto one dashboard makes faults quick to find and quick to fix.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/network-visibility-one-dashboard) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/network-visibility-one-dashboard) - ### [A network with room to grow](https://panoptic.ie/blog/networks-with-room-to-grow) [Adding a floor, a unit or a whole new site shouldn't mean starting again. A network designed with headroom extends cleanly as you grow.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/networks-with-room-to-grow) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/networks-with-room-to-grow) ## Technology Success Program [About this service](https://panoptic.ie/services/technology-success-program) - ### [Knowing where your IT stands](https://panoptic.ie/blog/it-alignment-audits) [It's hard to plan when you can't see where you are. Regular alignment audits measure your setup against best practice, with prioritised findings.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/it-alignment-audits) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/it-alignment-audits) - ### [An IT plan that runs ahead](https://panoptic.ie/blog/it-roadmap-that-runs-ahead) [Technology that's only dealt with when it breaks always feels like firefighting. A rolling roadmap keeps decisions planned, not panicked.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/it-roadmap-that-runs-ahead) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/it-roadmap-that-runs-ahead) - ### [Making the right technology decisions](https://panoptic.ie/blog/making-the-right-technology-decisions) [Choosing the wrong tool is expensive twice — once to buy it, and again to switch away. Independent guidance helps you get the right fit first time.](https://panoptic.ie/blog/making-the-right-technology-decisions) [Read the guide](https://panoptic.ie/blog/making-the-right-technology-decisions) ## Want this applied to your setup? Book a discovery call and we'll look at where you stand today, find the gaps, and point you to what actually fits. We keep it plain, with no obligation. [Talk to us ](https://panoptic.ie/contact)[Read the field notes](https://panoptic.ie/blog)