Interview with Mark London, President, Verity IT

This is an interview with Mark London, President of Verity IT.

Mark, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming an IT Support expert? What sparked your interest in this field?

My journey in IT began with a deep interest in technology and a drive to help businesses solve complex challenges. I initially started in a sales role, where I was focused on connecting clients with IT solutions tailored to their needs.

Through these interactions, I gained insight into the real challenges businesses face daily, from cybersecurity threats to the need for streamlined operations. As I worked closely with clients, my passion for the technical side of IT grew, and I became dedicated to not only selling solutions but ensuring they truly delivered value.

This led me to pursue deeper technical expertise and eventually take on leadership roles, where I could shape an approach that’s both proactive and client-centered. Founding Verity IT allowed me to combine my sales background with hands-on technical insight, creating a service that empowers businesses to leverage IT as a true asset for growth. Seeing technology drive success for our clients has been the most rewarding part of my journey, and it’s what continues to inspire me every day.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced early in your career, and how did those experiences shape your approach to IT support?

Early in my career, one of the biggest challenges I faced was understanding the disconnect between what clients needed and what IT solutions traditionally offered. Many businesses were frustrated by reactive support models that only addressed issues after they disrupted operations, rather than preventing them in the first place. This experience showed me the importance of a proactive, client-focused approach.

Another challenge was navigating the rapidly-evolving landscape of technology. Staying current with new tools, security threats, and best practices required constant learning and adaptation. This challenge instilled in me a commitment to ongoing education—not just for myself, but for my entire team. These experiences fundamentally shaped my approach to IT support at Verity IT. Today, we emphasize proactive monitoring, strategic planning, and continuous improvement to anticipate and prevent issues before they impact our clients. By focusing on these principles, we’re able to deliver IT support that empowers businesses to grow confidently with a stable, secure tech foundation.

Proactive support is a key aspect of minimizing downtime. What are some common IT issues you’ve encountered, and what steps can businesses take to prevent them?

Proactive support is essential in reducing downtime and ensuring smooth operations. Some common IT issues I’ve encountered include outdated software, insufficient network security, and lack of data backup—each of which can severely disrupt business.

Outdated Software and Hardware: Using outdated systems is a frequent cause of slow performance and compatibility issues, often leading to crashes or security vulnerabilities. Businesses can prevent this by implementing regular updates and hardware refresh cycles. Routine assessments help identify when systems are reaching end-of-life, allowing time to plan for upgrades without interrupting operations.

Insufficient Network Security: Weak security setups are a prime target for cyberattacks, leading to data breaches and significant downtime. To prevent this, businesses should implement layered security, including firewalls, multi-factor authentication, and regular vulnerability scans. Proactive cybersecurity training for employees also reduces risks from phishing and social-engineering attacks.

Lack of Data Backup and Recovery Plans: Many businesses overlook the importance of backup systems, leaving them vulnerable to data loss from hardware failure or ransomware. Regularly scheduled backups, combined with a comprehensive disaster-recovery plan, are crucial. Testing these backups periodically ensures that data can be restored quickly and accurately if needed.

By adopting proactive measures like regular updates, robust security, and solid backup strategies, businesses can avoid common IT pitfalls and maintain consistent uptime. At Verity IT, we focus on these preventive steps to keep our clients’ systems running smoothly and securely, enabling them to focus on growth without tech interruptions.

Data security is paramount in today’s digital landscape. What’s one essential cybersecurity practice that every business, regardless of its size, should implement?

One essential cybersecurity practice every business should implement is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through more than just a password, such as a code sent to a mobile device or a fingerprint scan. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if passwords are compromised.

Implementing MFA is especially critical because passwords alone are often weak and easily breached. With MFA, businesses can protect sensitive data, applications, and systems against phishing attacks, brute-force attempts, and other common cyber threats. Regardless of size, businesses benefit from this relatively simple yet highly effective security measure that keeps both company and customer data far safer. At Verity IT, we recommend MFA as a foundational practice for strengthening overall security.

The IT landscape is constantly evolving. How do you stay updated with the latest technologies and trends, and what resources do you recommend for IT professionals to stay ahead of the curve?

To keep up with the constantly evolving IT landscape, I make it a priority to engage with industry-leading resources, network with other professionals, and continuously pursue certifications. I regularly attend webinars, tech conferences, and workshops, which provide first-hand insights into emerging technologies and best practices. Staying connected with industry associations also helps me keep a pulse on the latest developments.

For IT professionals looking to stay ahead, I highly recommend resources like Gartner and Forrester Research for comprehensive reports on industry trends, as well as TechCrunch and ZDNet for daily tech news. LinkedIn Learning and Coursera offer courses on new tools and skills, while Reddit and Tech Twitter are great for real-time discussions on evolving challenges and innovations. Engaging in these resources allows IT professionals to continuously learn and adapt, which is key to driving innovation and value in this field.

Remote work and cloud computing have become increasingly prevalent. How has this shift impacted the way you approach IT support, and what advice would you give businesses adapting to these changes?

The shift to remote work and cloud computing has fundamentally changed our approach to IT support at Verity IT. With teams now working from various locations, we focus heavily on cloud-based security, remote monitoring, and scalable infrastructure to ensure seamless connectivity and data protection. We’ve adopted proactive-support strategies, leveraging cloud tools that allow us to monitor systems, prevent issues, and quickly address any technical challenges that arise remotely.

For businesses adapting to these changes, my advice is to invest in robust cloud-security measures like multi-factor authentication, encryption, continuous monitoring, and possibly a SASE solution. It’s also essential to have a well-defined remote-access policy to secure connections and prevent unauthorized access. Training employees on secure work-from-home practices, like using VPNs and recognizing phishing attempts, is equally important.

By building a secure, scalable, and flexible IT infrastructure, businesses can confidently embrace remote work, ensuring productivity and security regardless of where their teams operate.

Customer service is crucial in IT support. How do you ensure a positive experience for users when resolving technical issues, especially in stressful situations?

We prioritize empathy, communication, and responsiveness to ensure a positive customer experience, especially during stressful technical issues. When users are facing challenges, we actively listen to their concerns, reassure them, and clearly explain the steps we’re taking to resolve the issue, creating a calm and supportive environment.

We also focus on keeping users informed throughout the process by providing regular updates on the status and estimated resolution time, which helps manage expectations and builds trust. Our team is trained to simplify technical language, making solutions easy to understand, which reduces frustration for non-technical users. To continuously improve, we use Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) feedback on each ticket. This allows us to gauge the client’s experience and immediately address any concerns.

For tickets with lower satisfaction scores, a service manager reaches out directly to understand the feedback and make necessary improvements. Additionally, we follow up after resolving issues to confirm satisfaction and offer preventive tips to avoid similar problems in the future. By focusing on clear communication, proactive support, and using CSAT feedback, we turn potentially stressful situations into opportunities to build trust and enhance client relationships.

Looking ahead, what are some emerging trends or technologies that you believe will significantly impact the IT support landscape in the near future?

Looking ahead, several emerging trends and technologies are set to reshape the IT support landscape. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will play a major role in enhancing support efficiency, allowing for predictive maintenance, faster ticket resolution, and automated responses to common issues. AI-driven chatbots, for instance, can handle routine requests, freeing up human support for more complex tasks and enabling 24/7 assistance.

Another key trend is Zero Trust Security. As cyber threats continue to grow, this model—which requires strict identity verification for all users and devices—will become essential, especially with the rise of remote work. IT support teams will need to manage more complex security protocols to keep company data secure across distributed environments.

Finally, cloud-native solutions and hybrid cloud infrastructure are transforming IT support by increasing flexibility and scalability. With more businesses adopting cloud services, IT support teams must be adept at managing and optimizing these environments, ensuring seamless integration and minimal downtime.

Together, these trends signal a shift toward more proactive, efficient, and secure IT support, allowing teams to anticipate needs and provide enhanced support for business environments.