There’s nothing worse than investing in a top-of-the-line surveillance system, planning coverage, investing in the right NVR, thinking you’re doing everything right, only for it to fail you when you need it most.

Your cameras can be online, recording, and functioning exactly as intended while still missing the footage you actually need.

The cameras aren’t inherently bad, nor has the NVR run out of storage space. It’s usually as simple as not allocating the right camera to the right location.

Blind spots are hard to identify unless you’re regularly reviewing footage or looking for something in particular, only for it to be out of frame.

If there’s anything you need to remember when you’re planning a surveillance system, it’s this: Bad cameras are rarely the issue. Bad planning is.

In this blog, we’re going to help you cover your bases. Here are the top five surveillance blind spots we see most often, and what you can do about them.

Entrances and Exits Without Identification Coverage

One of the most common surveillance mistakes we see is assuming that because an entrance is covered, it’s automatically protected.

In reality, most entrance cameras are positioned way too high, too far away, or too wide to capture meaningful details. Sure, they can show that someone entered the building, but when it’s time to review footage, identifying that person becomes a lot more difficult.

This is especially common in parking lot entrances, gates, lobbies, and main access points, where the goal should be more than simple activity monitoring. These areas usually serve as the first (and usually the last) opportunity to capture a clear image of a person entering or leaving the property.

When planning surveillance around entrances and exits, camera placement should be designed with identification in mind. That means considering camera angle, distance, lighting conditions, and the level of detail you’ll need if you ever need that footage as part of an investigation.

Parking Lots With Coverage But No Detail

Another common area where surveillance systems fall short is parking lots.

You might have installed a wide-angle camera because it can see the whole parking lot. While it can absolutely capture vehicles coming and going, people walking through the lot, and activity across a large area, you won’t get the details you need if something happens.

If a car is damaged overnight or a hit-and-run occurs, you’ll be able to see that something happened, but not who was involved.

This is why parking lots usually need a combination of coverage and detail. Wide-angle cameras can help monitor overall activity, but they should be paired with cameras strategically positioned to capture identifying information where it matters most.

Loading Docks, Service Areas, and Side Entrances

When businesses think about surveillance, they tend to focus on the most visible parts of the property. The main entrance, the lobby, the front gate, and the pool.

And while those areas are absolutely important, they’re not always where incidents happen.

In a lot of environments, some of the highest-risk areas are the ones employees, vendors, and visitors use every day without a second thought. Loading docks, service entrances, delivery zones, maintenance areas, and dumpster enclosures often see a steady flow of activity but get far less surveillance attention during the planning process.

These locations can become blind spots where unauthorized access, theft, property damage, and other incidents occur outside the view of primary cameras.

Part of the problem is that these areas aren’t always customer-facing, so they tend to get deprioritized. But, from a security perspective, they’re some of the most important areas to monitor.

When planning your surveillance coverage, it’s worth asking a simple question: If something happened tomorrow, would you have the footage you need?

If the answer is no, it may be time to take a closer look at the areas behind the scenes.

Common Areas With Obstructed Views

Some of the most challenging surveillance environments are the spaces people use every day, like the pool, clubhouse, lobby, break room, and shared workspaces, to name a few.

These areas are usually open, active, and filled with architectural features that can interfere with visibility. A camera may technically cover the space, but that doesn’t mean it can clearly capture everything happening within it.

Columns can block key sightlines, for example, or landscaping can create hidden pockets of activity. These introduce unexpected blind spots that aren’t obvious until footage is reviewed after an incident.

This is especially common in shared spaces where people naturally gather, move around, and interact. What looks like comprehensive coverage during installation can leave important areas partially hidden from view.

That’s why your surveillance planning needs to go beyond simply checking whether a camera can see a room. The real question is whether the camera can see the areas that matter most within that room.

The Blind Spot Nobody Talks About: Retention

Not all surveillance blind spots are physical.

Sometimes the footage you need simply isn’t there anymore.

This is one of the overlooked aspects of surveillance planning because everything appears to be working normally. Your cameras are recording, and footage is being stored, right?

Then something happens. That’s when a lot of businesses discover their retention period wasn’t long enough, storage capacity was underestimated, or footage has already been overwritten.

Unfortunately, these problems often go unnoticed until it’s too late to fix them.

Retention planning should be based on a lot more than just available storage. It should account for the number of cameras, recording quality, frame rates, compliance requirements, and how long footage may realistically need to be preserved.

A Surveillance System Is Only as Good as Its Strategy

Surveillance blind spots don’t always look the way people expect.

Sometimes they’re hidden behind a building column, sometimes they’re caused by poor camera placement, sometimes they’re the result of choosing the wrong camera for the environment, and sometimes they’re sitting quietly in the background as footage gets overwritten day after day.

The common thread is that most surveillance issues aren’t discovered during installation. Unfortunately, they’re discovered when someone needs answers, and the system can’t provide them.

That’s why effective surveillance starts long before the first camera is mounted.

At NTS, we help businesses, communities, and multi-site organizations design surveillance systems around visibility, not just camera counts. From coverage planning and camera selection to storage, retention, and long-term support. Our goal is simple: helping you build a system that works when it matters most.

Contact us for a free consultation today.

For a lot of businesses, cyber insurance has become just another line item. You buy a policy, answer a few questions during renewal, and assume it’ll cover your bases if something goes wrong. If you don’t keep up with the cybersecurity space, it makes sense.

That’s exactly why we’re writing this. The cyber insurance process is starting to change, and not enough people are talking about it.

Cyberattacks are becoming a lot more frequent; they’re just not making headlines unless the breached business is huge. This has led insurers to take a much closer look at the businesses they are covering, and the questions they’re asking are only getting tougher.

The good news is, you don’t have to completely reinvent your cybersecurity strategy right before renewal season. You just have to be more strategic about it.

In this blog, we’ll explore why cyber insurance providers are asking tougher questions, what businesses should expect moving forward, and how you can prepare for the increased scrutiny.

Cyber Insurance Is No Longer Just a Safety Net

For years, cyber insurance was thought of as a financial backstop. It was always black and white; if a business was breached, its cyber insurance policy would help cover recovery costs, legal expenses, business interruption, and other losses incurred.

This is how it used to be, to an extent. Today, that expectation is starting to evolve.

Cyber attacks in the 2020s are much more expensive, disruptive, and more difficult to recover from than they were just a few years ago. Ransomware can bring entire operations to a standstill, supply chain attacks can impact thousands of businesses at once, and even a relatively small security incident can trigger big costs.

Because of this, insurers are taking a much closer look at the risks they’re agreeing to cover. For example, instead of just evaluating whether your business might experience a cybersecurity incident, they’re evaluating how prepared you are to prevent and respond to one.

It’s a big shift from shopping around, signing a contract, and feeling secure. Now, the insurer is asking for insurance, and that changes things quite a bit.

The Difference Between Having Controls and Proving Controls

This is where a lot of businesses run into trouble.

Most organizations have cybersecurity controls in place, especially businesses with enough wherewithal to have a cyber insurance policy in the first place. But even if you have multifactor authentication, endpoint protection, and backups, can you prove that those controls are working the way you think they are?

For example, a company may have multifactor authentication enabled, but not for every single user. Backups may exist, but when was the last time they were tested? Endpoint protection may be installed, but alerts aren’t being actively monitored. Security policies may be immortalized on paper, but no one is reviewing them or enforcing them.

From a business perspective, when days are busy and long, these can feel like minor details, a “who wants to breach my small business, anyway?”

But from an insurer’s perspective, they are absolutely critical.

When a business is breached, insurers want to understand what controls were in place at the time, how they were managed, and whether they were functioning properly when the incident occured. The difference between “we had it” and “we can prove it was enforced” is incredibly important because it determines whether your losses will be covered.

It also determines whether you are insurable in the first place.

What Are Insurers Looking For?

While cyber insurance providers may differ in their underwriting requirements, most are looking for the same thing: evidence that you are actively managing cyber risk.

Here are some areas to spotlight:

Multifactor Authentication (MFA): Insurers want to know that critical systems are protected and that MFA is enforced across the board, not just enabled for a handful of users.

Endpoint Protection: Every laptop, desktop, and cell phone connected to your environment represents a potential entry point. Insurers want to see that you have visibility into your endpoints and that you can detect suspicious activity quickly.

Backup and Recovery Processes: Having backups is important, but knowing that they work is even more important. Insurers are placing greater emphasis on backup testing and business continuity planning.

Patch Management: Outdated software is still one of the most common attack vectors. Businesses should have a process for identifying and addressing those vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

Access Controls: Not every employee needs access to every single system. Insurers often look for evidence that you are managing user permissions and removing access when it’s no longer needed.

Third-Party Risk: Vendors, cloud platforms, and software vendors are now part of your security ecosystem. Understand who has access to your data and what risks those relationships may introduce.

Incident Response and Business Resilience: If a cyber attack happens tomorrow (knock on wood), what happens next? Insurers want confidence that you have a plan and can recover with minimal disruption.

The common thread across all of these areas is preparation. They don’t care so much that you have security tools in place; they want you to demonstrate that those tools and processes are actively working to reduce risk.

How To Prepare Before Renewal

The good news is that preparing for increased scrutiny doesn’t necessarily mean a complete overhaul of your cybersecurity strategy.

In a lot of cases, it’s just about understanding where gaps exist and addressing them before your next renewal, or worse, before a cyber attack puts your controls to the test.

Here’s a short checklist you can follow:

• Your MFA policies: Take the time to verify that MFA is not only available but is enforced across all critical systems and user accounts.

• Test your backups: Don’t sit on this one.

• Audit user access: Review user permissions to eliminate unnecessary risk.

But most importantly, work with your IT partner. A proactive review of your cybersecurity environment can help identify potential gaps before they become bigger problems down the line. It’s a lot easier to take care of any potential issues before renewal season than it is to explain them to underwriting after an incident.

And if you don’t have a security partner, we’d be happy to take a look under the hood and help you cover any unmanned bases. Contact us to schedule your complimentary cybersecurity assessment today.

New day, new cybersecurity headline.

That seems to be the cadence as of late. New cybersecurity warnings from regulators and security researchers have been making the rounds recently, with concerns ranging from political tensions to the growing capabilities of AI-powered tools.

It’s easy to read stories like this and assume they’re only relevant to governments, big banks, and Fortune 500 companies. Unfortunately, they apply to your business, too.

As attackers gain access to better tools and faster ways to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses, the time between finding that entry point and exploiting it just keeps shrinking.

The good news is that the fundamentals of protecting yourself haven’t really changed, even if the landscape has.

Which is exactly why we’re writing this article. We’re going to break down what the most recent cybersecurity warnings actually mean for your business and the practical steps you should be focusing on right now.

The Threat Environment Is Changing…Fast.

For years, businesses have operated under the assumption that they have time to react. You learn about a vulnerability, security teams check it out, patches are scheduled, systems get updated, end scene. Everyone goes about their days, and everything is fine.

It doesn’t work like this anymore. That timeline is getting much shorter, and fast.

Recent warnings from security regulators and researchers point to a future where attackers can identify, weaponize, and exploit vulnerabilities much faster than they could just a few years ago. In some cases, AI is helping to fast-track parts of that process.

So, what does this mean for your business?

It means the gap between “we know the problem” and “someone is actively taking advantage of it” continues to shrink.

This is one of the reasons we’re seeing a bigger emphasis on vulnerability management, visibility management, and incident response. The businesses that can quickly identify risk and act on it are in a much stronger position than those relying on slower, reactive processes.

In the very recent past, cybersecurity was mostly about reducing risk. Today, it’s becoming a race against time.

You Don’t Need “Frontier AI” to Be Impacted

When conversations turn to frontier AI models, nation-state threats, or advanced cyber abilities, it’s easy to think “That has nothing to do with my small business. Why should I care?”

Valid. What does this have to do with a property management company or a growing business, anyway?

The reality is, you could be indirectly threatened. Attackers don’t need to use cutting-edge AI against your organization specifically. They can use it to scan for vulnerabilities faster, identify targets more efficiently, automate parts of their attacks, or increase the number of phishing campaigns they send.

At the same time, think about how much more connected businesses are in 2026. Everyone uses a cloud platform; you can’t function without your software vendors, third-party providers, and tech partners have become critical parts of your daily operations, whether you realize it or not.

When risks creep up within any of the above, the impact can extend far beyond the big companies that regularly make headlines.

This is why cybersecurity isn’t just an enterprise problem. Businesses of all sizes need to pay attention to the fundamentals and make sure that their environments are prepared to respond.

Let’s get into the recommended actions.

Operational Readiness Matters More Than Ever

One thing stands out in these warnings: the recommended actions aren’t really full of bells and whistles, or overly complicated cybersecurity jargon that most people don’t understand.

The key takeaway is that there is no magic tool, no big revolutionary new tech you need to implement, no AI-powered silver bullet to stop the big bad monster in its tracks.

Instead, the guidance focuses on the same fundamentals cybersecurity experts have been talking about for years.

• Patch known vulnerabilities

• Reduce unnecessary exposure

• Test your backups

• Understand what’s happening in your environment

Why? Despite all of the attention surrounding AI and new/advanced cyber threats, most successful attacks come down to basic security gaps. Systems that haven’t been patched, for example, or exposed services that no one realized were still accessible.

But the most important of all is operational discipline. The businesses that know what they have, understand what their risks are, and have a process in place for responding to them will always be in a stronger position than those operating without visibility or a plan.

In other words, when it comes to cybersecurity, it’s always best to be ready for attacks instead of trying to do damage control when an attack happens.

Why Backup Testing and Visibility Matter

Most businesses in 2026 have backups. Not very many businesses, however, know with confidence that those backups will work when they actually need them.

This is exactly why a lot of the latest cybersecurity recommendations focus not just on having backups but on testing them. A backup that can’t be restored won’t be much help during a ransomware attack, system failure, or a wrench in your operations.

This same principle applies to visibility.

You can’t lock doors you don’t know are there. You can’t patch vulnerabilities you haven’t identified. You can’t respond quickly to threats if you don’t have a clear picture of what’s happening inside your environment.

As attack timelines shrink, visibility becomes your competitive advantage. The faster you can identify a problem, the faster you can contain it.

What You Should Do Right Now

If there’s one takeaway from the latest cybersecurity warnings, it’s this: Now is a really good time to revisit the fundamentals.

Start by reviewing your patch management process. Make sure critical vulnerabilities are being identified and addressed quickly. Take inventory of internet-facing systems and confirm that unnecessary services and ports aren’t exposed.

Next, test your backups. Seeing that they’re there and exist isn’t good enough. Test whether they can be successfully restored if something goes wrong.

It’s also worth evaluating visibility across your environment. Do you know what systems are connected to your network? Are critical assets being monitored? Would you know if something unusual happened tomorrow?

Finally, take a close look at your incident response process. When a new threat creeps up, who is responsible for evaluating it? Your team needs to be able to respond quickly, and they can’t do this without clear escalation paths in place.

Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be overly complicated, but it does need good preparation. The businesses that take the time to strengthen these foundational areas will be much better positioned to handle whatever comes next.

If you need help implementing any of these, or just want to take a look under the hood, contact us to schedule your free cybersecurity assessment.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Network Thinking Solutions Renews SOC 2® Type I Compliance Commitment, Reinforcing Our Commitment to Data Security.

[Westlake Village, CA] — [May 21, 2026] — Network Thinking Solutions (NTS), a trusted managed services provider (MSP) specializing in secure and streamlined IT operations, is proud to announce the successful completion of its latest SOC 2® Type I compliance audit. This milestone reinforces the company’s ongoing commitment to the highest standards of cybersecurity, operational integrity, and the protection of client data.

SOC 2® (System and Organization Controls 2) compliance is a widely recognized auditing standard designed for technology and cloud computing organizations.

It evaluates how effectively a service organization manages customer data based on five “trust service criteria”: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

“Cybersecurity and operational trust are ongoing commitments, not one-time milestones. Successfully completing another SOC 2® audit reinforces the processes, controls, and accountability standards we continue to maintain across our organization and for the clients who trust us with their environments.”-- Wally Hass, CEO, Network Thinking Solutions

The audit was conducted by Advantage Partners & Vanta, an independent third-party CPA firm, which confirmed that NTS’s internal controls and processes meet the stringent requirements set forth by the AICPA.

This compliance assures clients that NTS is equipped to handle their sensitive data with industry-leading care and rigor. It evaluated the design and implementation of controls related to security, availability, and confidentiality across NTS’s operational environment.

As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, NTS remains focused on continuously strengthening its internal processes, security controls, and operational standards to help support clients across increasingly complex technology environments.

For more information about Network Thinking Solutions and its managed IT services, contact us today.

When people think about cybersecurity risks, they usually picture ransomware, phishing emails, or a dark room with a bunch of screens and a guy in a hoodie creeping on an unsuspecting business.

But sometimes, some of the biggest risks are much more stealthy than that.

Recently, reports surfaced that a public GitHub repository tied to a CISA contractor exposed plaintext credentials, cloud keys, internal systems, and other highly sensitive operational data. The story is shocking on its own, but the bigger takeaway goes far beyond GitHub or this specific incident.

Think about how easily internal processes and temporary workflows can become serious security risks over time. That’s the real takeaway.

It might surprise you to hear that in a lot of cases, cybersecurity failures don’t start with super-advanced hacking techniques on the part of the attacker. It’s more subtle than that.

They usually start with little ingrained habits in your business that no one stopped to question.

In this article, we’re going to dive into how your internal workflows, operational shortcuts, and overlooked processes can become some of the biggest cybersecurity threats facing your business, and what you can do about it.

CISA, The Contractor, and GitHub: What Happened?

According to reports, a public GitHub repository tied to a contractor for CISA exposed a significant amount of highly sensitive operational data, including plaintext credentials, cloud keys, internal system information, and development-related assets.

Security researchers also noted that GitHub’s secret scanning protections had been disabled on the repository, while some credentials appeared to follow weak or predictable password patterns.

This might sound like just a GitHub problem, but the underlying issue was actually operational on the contractor’s part.

The failure point was the workflow surrounding the tools, not the tools themselves.

Before we get into how exactly internal processes become security risks, we need to look a little deeper into what happened here.

The Real Problem Wasn’t GitHub

The thing to keep in mind is that GitHub was just the environment where the exposure happened. The bigger issue was everything happening around it.

• Plaintext credentials

• Weak password practices

• Disabled security protections

• Convenient workflows, not secure ones

This happens way more often than people realize. Over time, businesses will build shortcuts, and what is supposed to be “temporary” becomes a permanent process. Teams need to move fast, and as systems grow increasingly complex, no one stops to ask whether a workflow still makes sense from a security perspective.

Even businesses with advanced infrastructure and dedicated cybersecurity teams can still create major exposure risks without realizing it.

So, let’s talk about what happens when internal processes fall to the wayside in favor of convenience.

How Internal Processes Become Security Risks

Mature cybersecurity means continuously evaluating your operational processes, not just deploying more and more tools to cover as many bases as possible.

Modern environments are deeply interconnected. One domino falls, they all fall. One exposed credential, one overly permissive account, or one insecure workflow can create open doorways for attackers to move in and gain access.

Think about a developer at a fast-moving startup. They have way too much going on to think about those credentials they stored temporarily. Or the admin who created a quick workaround to save time. Or a team that ignored a security warning because that particular workflow is so convenient.

These are the decisions that stop becoming temporary when work piles up, and teams move on to the next priority. These are also the decisions that leadership may not even realize exist at all.

But most importantly, this is how security risks happen, and it’s not always because of malicious intent.

Why This Should Matter to You

It’s really easy to assume that you’ll never be targeted.

Why would you?

Cybercriminals want the biggest fish, not your small or medium-sized business. This is exactly what moves security hygiene to the back burner, and these are the famous last words of so many businesses before they are breached.

Attackers do want the big fish, but they care more about achieving their goal with minimal resistance. They know that the big fish have really big defenses. Smaller businesses then become a very easy and very convenient target.

This is exactly what makes operational security so important. You can invest in the best firewalls, endpoint protection, monitoring tools, and cloud security platforms, but if the underlying workflows aren’t secure, those risks become much harder to see.

And, in modern environments, those workflows don’t always live completely within the four walls of your business. How many vendors do you work with? What about contractors, developers, and third-party platforms? These third parties typically become extensions of your operational environment, too.

What To Do About It

Stories like this are scary, but they’re also a great reminder that cybersecurity reviews need to go beyond the tools you have in place to protect your business. It’s just as important to set aside the time to evaluate your workflows and the operational habits surrounding your environments.

Here is a great place to start:

1. Review where credentials and sensitive information are being stored

2. Audit administrative access and permissions regularly (set a quarterly reminder)

3. Identify legacy workflows or outdated authentication methods

4. Monitor your repositories, cloud environments, and internal tools

5. Look for “temporary” processes that may have unintentionally become permanent

6. Limit third-party access

But most importantly, create space to question how things are done, not just whether they’re working.

And remember, when it comes to cybersecurity, operational convenience and operational security are not always the same thing.

If you need help evaluating legacy workflows, reviewing your operational security risks, or finding potential exposure points in your environment, contact us for your complimentary cybersecurity assessment today.

A manufactured housing operator came to us with one of these challenges. They wanted to create a scalable way for their custom CRM platform to handle email communication across 100 properties.

At first glance, the request seemed straightforward, but as the project evolved, it became clear that the underlying email workflow would have significant implications for security, scalability, long-term maintenance, and cost.

Rather than going ahead with their original design, they came to us to evaluate the bigger picture and build an approach designed to support their business long-term.

Here is how we did it.

The Challenge

We knew that our client’s CRM platform needed to send emails to leads, monitor inboxes for responses, and support communication workflows across nearly 100 properties.

The challenge was that the original design relied heavily on individually licensed Microsoft 365 mailboxes connected through IMAP. On paper, it worked, but operationally, it created some major concerns.

First, there was the cost. Licensing nearly 100 mailboxes adds up fast, especially when you also have to factor in third-party mailbox costs.

Second, there was the long-term technology concern. Microsoft has been steadily moving away from legacy authentication and older email protocols in favor of more modern, secure workflows. Continuing to build around IMAP raised questions about scalability, maintainability, and future compatibility.

The bigger issue wasn’t “Can we make this work?”

It was, “Can we build this in a way that still makes sense three years from now?

Our Approach

Instead of moving forward with the original design, our team worked with our client to create a more modern approach built around Microsoft Graph API and OAuth-based authentication workflows.

The goal was to reduce unnecessary licensing overhead while aligning the environment more closely with Microsoft’s long-term security direction.

Rather than relying on individually licensed mailboxes tied to legacy protocols, the proposed approach leveraged shared mailboxes and Graph API permissions to handle communication between the CRM and Microsoft 365.

Our client was already familiar with Graph API workflows from previous Outlook integrations within their software, which helped push conversations around feasibility and implementation.

Just as importantly, both of our teams agreed not to rush a full deployment immediately across all properties.

Instead, the plan was to start with a single property to test the workflow, validate the integration, and identify any unknowns early, before scaling the solution further.

Building the Integration

To support the new workflow, the proposed design centers around a secure App Registration in Microsoft Entra ID. This would allow the CRM platform to use Graph API permissions to securely send and receive email activity without relying on traditional mailbox authentication workflows.

The CRM itself would connect directly to the inboxes to manage outbound communication and monitor for customer responses. This would take away the need for more forwarding workflows or more complicated mailbox management processes.

We also worked closely with our client to review authentication requirements, discuss implementation options, and align the technical workflow with how the CRM already operated internally.

At the same time, the project was approached pragmatically. While Graph API was the preferred direction, the team also talked about contingency options, including the possibility of leveraging a third-party email server if we ran into any issues during testing.

Our ultimate goal was to modernize the workflow by building something flexible, scalable, and realistic for long-term operational use.

Why This Matters

Projects like this are becoming more and more common as businesses try to modernize older workflows while balancing security, operational efficiency, and cost.

For our client, the conversation evolved past simply creating mailboxes. It became an opportunity to reevaluate how the environment was being designed from the ground up.

In the end, we were able to reduce unnecessary licensing overhead, move away from legacy authentication methods, and build a workflow that was better aligned with Microsoft’s long-term ecosystem.

It also reinforced the value of slowing down before scaling.

By testing the integration with a single property first, both of our teams created the space we needed to validate the workflow while identifying potential speed bumps early. It also built confidence in the approach before expanding it across the business.

Sometimes the best solution isn’t the fastest deployment, it’s the one designed to remain secure, scalable, and maintainable long after the initial rollout.

Still relying on legacy email workflows or evaluating how your applications integrate with Microsoft 365? We help businesses like yours modernize these environments with scalability and security in mind. Contact us today for a complimentary evaluation.

Most of our clients have us fully manage their IT, which means computers, switches, firewalls, access points, and more. This client, however, chose not to have us manage their community networks. Fair enough, but when you’re asked to provide an inventory without network monitoring, it quickly becomes a challenge.

The buyer sent over an Excel spreadsheet for our client to complete. Now, for those who know me, sending spreadsheets back and forth as attachments in 2025 makes me cringe. That was common in 2010, but it’s not 2010 anymore. There are far better ways to handle this today. When I see IT professionals use this method…ugh

At first, I considered importing the spreadsheet into Manus and having Manus spin up a website for the project. That is an interesting idea, and one I may revisit. But instead, I threw it into Lovable. We had rebuilt our website entirely using Lovable (with Cursur and Claude Code) a few months back, so it felt like the right place to start. Lovable did a great job. It turned the Google Sheet version of the spreadsheet (I avoid Excel whenever possible these days) into a clean, well-structured web form.

The form was lengthy and detailed, so I realized users would likely need to start, pause, and return later to complete it. Questions like, “What brand is that router?” or “Can we get the exact model of the printer?” naturally came up. Photos were also being collected, which added complexity.

While working in Lovable, I encountered a menu issue that had been bugging me, so I switched to Cursur (easy to do since our site runs through GitHub). Lately, I have found myself hopping between tools, and GitHub integration makes that seamless. Once the menu was fixed, I worked on form functionality.

Because the form originated as a spreadsheet, both sides wanted the data to still live in a spreadsheet format. The submissions were already being saved into Supabase, but I set up an Edge Function to automatically sync everything into a single Google Sheet. That way, the sheet refreshed in real time anytime a new community was added or updated.

I also built in email notifications for users when their form was created, including a code so they could return and update it. SMTP2Go made that easy. I deliberately kept the emails simple, avoiding large, messy data dumps. The data itself is cleanly stored in Supabase and the synced Google Sheet.

I started this project around 6 a.m. and wrapped up around 11 a.m. Realistically, the focused work was 2–3 hours — the rest was split with emails and other projects.

In the end, it was another reminder of how quickly technology is moving. It’s not about passing around Excel files in 2025; that went out years ago. It’s about leveraging modern tools that let you build fast, flexible solutions without needing off-the-shelf products like Typeform. I like Typeform, but it costs money. These days, more and more can be built from scratch in just a few hours, and we’re seeing that across our daily work.

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the 2025 Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association (WMA) Convention & Expo in Reno, Nevada. It was a fantastic event that brought together community owners, operators, and technology partners from across the country to discuss innovation, operations, and the growing role of cybersecurity in our industry.

What We Covered

My session focused on Cybersecurity and IT for 2025, specifically designed for manufactured housing and RV community operators. We discussed practical, real-world steps that community owners and management teams can take to strengthen their technology foundations. Key areas included:

• Microsoft 365 Security Best Practices – using conditional access and built-in tools to reduce phishing risk and improve compliance.

• Desktop and Endpoint Cybersecurity – ensuring every device is monitored and protected under a SOC 2-aligned framework.

• Camera Systems and Physical Security – integrating network-connected surveillance systems safely and efficiently.

• AI Tools for Everyday Use – exploring how artificial intelligence can help reduce manual work, improve communication, and support resident engagement.

• Building a Simple Website with Lovable – a short demo showing how property managers can create professional websites in minutes. You can try it yourself at lovable.dev.

• Windows 10 End-of-Life – what every operator needs to do before Microsoft ends support in October 2025.

You can view my full presentation slides here: WMA 2025 Presentation Slides

Email Security Findings at WMA 2025

Throughout the conference, our team at Network Thinking Solutions spoke with and tested the email-security configurations of more than 75 companies using our Mail Security Check tool.

The results were eye-opening:
Only one company had a fully correct setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.

This highlights just how far the industry still needs to go to strengthen protection against spoofing and phishing attacks. Email remains one of the most common entry points for security breaches, and proper DNS configuration is one of the simplest and most effective defenses.

Looking Ahead to TMHA 2025

Next up, Network Thinking Solutions will be at the Texas Manufactured Housing Association (TMHA) Annual Convention this week.
We’ll have a booth on the expo floor and are looking forward to connecting with community owners, vendors, and technology partners to continue the conversation about cybersecurity, IT automation, and AI tools shaping the future of manufactured housing.

Learn more about the event here: TMHA Annual Convention

Final Thoughts

Events like WMA and TMHA underscore how vital technology has become to the manufactured housing sector. Whether it’s email security, camera networks, or AI-driven automation, every step toward modernization makes communities safer and more efficient.

At Network Thinking Solutions, we’re proud to help operators across the country build secure, connected, and forward-looking communities.

Visit networkthinking.com to learn more about how we support MH and RV operators nationwide.

Background

Our initial goal was to provide a seamless remote support experience by embedding the BeyondTrust (Bomgar) support portal directly into our website, networkthinking.com. However, BeyondTrust explicitly prohibits embedding its portal into third-party sites to mitigate cross-site scripting (XSS) risks. They typically have customers use an external page, which has served us well, but prevents integration into a standard website. Your limited what you can do on that page.

Because of this limitation, we pivoted to using the BeyondTrust API, which allowed us to securely recreate the support workflows on our own platform.

About BeyondTrust Remote Support (Bomgar)

BeyondTrust Remote Support, formerly known as Bomgar, is an enterprise-grade remote support solution designed for IT teams, help desks, and service providers. It allows technicians to securely access desktops, laptops, servers, and mobile devices across multiple platforms—whether users are on or off the corporate network. Key features include session recording for compliance, support for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, seamless integration with ticketing systems, and advanced security controls such as granular permissions and audit trails. The main benefits are faster problem resolution, reduced downtime, enhanced end-user satisfaction, and compliance-ready security that meets enterprise and regulatory standards

Technical Approach

Phase 1 – Local Node.js API Server

I began with a lightweight Node.js server that handled communication with the BeyondTrust API. This server:

• Fetched available representatives in real time.

• Generated session keys on demand.

• Provided API endpoints to the frontend for listing reps and starting sessions.

The first version was a simple HTML page (support.html) where reps were listed and clients could start sessions directly

Phase 2 – Extending for Flexibility

Our support team needed more options than just a rep list. They also required:

• A “General Support” session that automatically generates a session key.

• A manual session key entry for clients provided with keys.

I extended the backend and frontend to support both flows, giving clients flexibility in how they start sessions.

Phase 3 – AI-Assisted Migration to Supabase

To reduce overhead from hosting a separate backend, I used AI-powered tools to accelerate development:

• ChatGPT was used to troubleshoot API flows, refine Node.js logic, and assist in translating backend code into Supabase Edge Functions.

• Cursor (AI coding environment) helped convert the Node.js server into a Supabase Edge Function, making the system fully serverless.

• Lovable (AI UI generator) was used to modernize the frontend. It transformed the original support.html into a branded index.html consistent with our website’s look and feel.

This AI-assisted workflow let us move quickly from prototype to production without a large development investment

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Final Implementation

The finished version provides a smooth, branded support experience:

• Real-time technician availability pulled from BeyondTrust.

• A “General Session” option that instantly generates a session key and launches the support client.

• Manual session key entry for pre-created sessions.

• Modern UI aligned with our brand, powered by AI-assisted frontend design.

• No backend server to maintain—Supabase Edge Functions handle the API logic.

  

  
  

Key Benefits

• Security-first design: Compliant with BeyondTrust restrictions while avoiding XSS risks.

• AI-accelerated development: ChatGPT, Cursor, and Lovable enabled rapid prototyping, troubleshooting, and design alignment.

• Client-first experience: Multiple entry points into support sessions (general, rep-specific, or key-based).

• Operational efficiency: No more dedicated backend server; Supabase handles scaling and availability.

• Brand consistency: The interface matches our website, creating a seamless client journey.

👉 This project shows how combining APIs, serverless functions, and AI-powered development tools can transform a vendor’s restricted support portal into a custom, branded, and modern client experience.

Viktoriia Krasikova did a great job on this project, taking on the lion's share of the work.

Recent advancements in AI are reshaping IT service desk automation in ways that are especially valuable for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Beyond writing assistants like Grammarly, AI now enables automation of tasks that once required hiring developers or making significant investments.

At Network Thinking Solutions, we’ve been experimenting with these tools and building them into our workflows. Having a strong internal team gives us a unique advantage, but what excites me most is that some of the biggest long-standing pain points in IT support are finally solvable.

The Ticketing Pain Point Every MSP Faces

One of the most time-consuming parts of IT support has always been finalizing tickets after remote support sessions. Documenting everything thoroughly is critical, but it pulls technicians (myself included) away from helping the next client. Skipping documentation creates bigger problems later, yet doing it right has always been tedious.

Why We Still Use Bomgar (BeyondTrust) for Remote Support

For over a decade, we’ve relied on Bomgar (well before BeyondTrust acquired them). We initially chose it because it provided features our RMM couldn’t:

• Recorded sessions for accountability

• Linux support for technicians

• Built-in chat for client communication

• Safe Mode with Networking for reboots

While our RMM has remote access, Bomgar’s screen recording feature remains invaluable. It helps technicians remember what was done, gives clients visibility, and allows us to quickly review mistakes and retrace steps. After each client session, the details of the session and a link to the recording are put into an Autotask ticket via API. The client then waits for our team to update the recording ticket with our notes and summary of the resolution.

AI and IT Service Desk Automation: The Breakthrough

When OpenAI first launched ChatGPT, my immediate thought was: could AI watch our session recordings and generate ticket summaries automatically?

The challenge: AI tools could summarize transcripts, but our Bomgar recordings didn’t produce transcripts. I tested ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, DeepSeek, and others, with no success.

That changed when I discovered Google AI Studio, which can summarize YouTube videos. Uploading a Bomgar session video produced accurate, concise summaries. From there, the team went further:

• Upload Bomgar recordings directly via Google AI Studio’s API (no YouTube needed)

• Generate session summaries instantly

• Feed those summaries into Autotask tickets

• Notify technicians in Slack for quick review

How We Integrated Google AI Studio, Autotask, and Slack

Because we already had Slack and Autotask integrated, connecting everything was straightforward. Now, here’s how the process flows:

1. Record session in Bomgar (as always).

2. Send to Google AI Studio API → AI generates a session summary.

3. Automatically attach the summary to the correct Autotask ticket.

4. Send Slack notification so the technician can review and finalize.

The result? Remote support ticket automation that saves time, improves accuracy, and keeps both technicians and clients happy. The upload to Google AI Studio is automatically done in the background, and the team member is sent a DM (Direct Message) in Slack when done.

For those wanting to dive deeper, we use Google AI Studio, Gemini (gemini-2.5-pro), Bomgar (Beyond Trust), FFmpeg, SQLite, Slack, Autotask, Python, and GitHub to create the solution we wanted.

Version 2 of this, we plan to merge what we already do today with Slack and Autotask. Once the tech receives the DM, they will be able to adjust Issue Type, Ticket Status, and other key fields in Slack, add any notes, and update the ticket within Slack, without ever going to Autotask to interact with the ticket.

The Results: Faster Ticket Closure and Happier Clients

The impact has been tremendous:

• Clients get immediate, detailed updates after remote sessions.

• Technicians save time by focusing on support instead of tedious ticket notes.

• Documentation is consistent, transparent, and always tied to session recordings.

In short, AI is no longer a “nice-to-have”; it’s becoming essential for MSPs looking to scale IT service desk efficiency.

Here is a screenshot of the completed summary posted to the Autotask ticket. We do a lot of work with Manufactured Housing and the property owners. The example below uses the website manageamerica.com and shows how we help our clients in all facets of support, such as troubleshooting a website and then helping to open a ticket. The details pulled from the recorded sessions are invaluable.

👉 If you’re interested in how we’re applying AI automation for MSP workflows, or want to see what’s possible in your environment, visit Network Thinking Solutions to learn more.

Start a Substack

Rent Manager Users Conference 2024: Key Takeaways on IT Security Posture in Small and Medium Businesses

The Rent Manager Users Conference 2024 in Palm Desert gathered a few hundred professionals from diverse companies to explore the latest advancements in property management and IT security. Throughout the four-day event, I engaged in insightful discussions on technology practices, IT security, and digital infrastructure with industry peers.

One of the most eye-opening observations came from my examination of domain security among attendees. During the conference, I tested over 200 domains for SPF, DMARC, and DKIM records—crucial standards for email authentication and security. Surprisingly, only two companies had their email systems configured correctly. This widespread gap in proper email setup is a major concern, as it leaves most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) vulnerable to phishing, spoofing, and other email-based threats, despite requirements set by platforms like Google and Yahoo.

Adding to this issue, very few companies had effective mail filters in place to capture and quarantine modern phishing emails. In today’s digital landscape, robust email filtering is essential for blocking phishing attempts that have grown increasingly sophisticated. Without these filters, many SMBs are exposed to higher risks of malicious email content making it to employee inboxes.

Further conversations with attendees revealed that many companies also lacked a comprehensive IT security posture. When asked about their IT security infrastructure, most representatives struggled to provide specifics or referenced outdated antivirus solutions like Norton and McAfee. While these tools once served as standards, they no longer provide the defense capabilities required in today’s EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) environment, where advanced, proactive threat detection is crucial.

Key Takeaways and Where Network Thinking Solutions Can Help

1. Proper Setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in DNS for Email

Many companies lack the proper configuration of essential email authentication protocols. NTS can help ensure these are correctly set up in DNS, significantly improving email security and reducing vulnerability to phishing and spoofing attacks.

2. Modern EDR Solutions Are Not Widely Used

Many SMBs rely on outdated antivirus products, leaving systems vulnerable to sophisticated threats. NTS offers advanced EDR solutions that provide proactive endpoint protection, enhancing threat detection and response capabilities.

3. Lack of Mail Spam and Phishing Protection

With few companies implementing effective spam and phishing filters, many are unprepared for modern email threats. NTS can deploy and configure robust mail filters that catch and quarantine suspicious emails, protecting employees from phishing attempts.

4. Zero Trust and DNS Filtering as Key to Endpoint Management

Tools like Zero Trust architecture and DNS filtering are vital for secure endpoint management. NTS can help organizations adopt these strategies, limiting unauthorized access and adding critical security layers to prevent external threats.

5. SIEM Tools for Security Logging and Alerts

Many companies lack centralized logging and alerting solutions for endpoint, email, and cloud services like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. NTS provides SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) solutions that enable real-time monitoring, alerting, and analysis of security events, enhancing an organization’s ability to respond to threats.

These insights from the conference underline a significant need for SMBs to prioritize and enhance their IT security frameworks. By adopting robust security practices, businesses can safeguard their operations against evolving threats. Network Thinking Solutions remains dedicated to equipping the manufactured housing, RV, and real estate industries with comprehensive security solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each business.

Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to expand on!

The move signifies a new chapter in the history of NTS, which began in 1998 as a solo entrepreneurial venture. NTS has since grown significantly, currently employing a talented team of 18 across offices in Westlake Village, Diamond Bar, Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Kennebunk, Maine. The new location at 1 Baxter Way in Westlake Village will enable NTS to better serve their clients, providing a more centralized base for their comprehensive suite of IT solutions.

“Our new office in Westlake represents the growth and evolution of our company over the last two decades. We are thrilled to continue to expand and better serve our valued clients from this new location,” said CEO Wally Hass, founder of Network Thinking Solutions.

NTS specializes in offering a full suite of IT services, including Help Desk, DevOps (AWS and Azure), Inventory Management, Surveillance Cameras, VOIP, and public WiFi solutions. With a particular focus on RV and Manufactured Housing communities, they can provide a tailored solution to match those industries.  NTS supports over 85+ accounts with their AWS and Azure DevOps workloads.

“Our move to 1 Baxter Way reinforces our commitment to providing top-tier IT support and solutions,” added CEO Wally Hass. “The expanded space of over 5,000+ sq ft will allow us to continue to scale our operations, develop our team, and enhance our ability to deliver excellent service to our clients.”

As they move forward in their new location, Network Thinking Solutions remains dedicated to their mission of using technology to enhance business operations. They look forward to the new site's opportunities for their clients and the local community.

About Network Thinking Solutions:
Founded in 1998, Network Thinking Solutions is a seasoned Managed Service Provider (MSP) offering comprehensive IT services to a diverse range of businesses. With a particular focus on RV and Manufactured Housing communities, they offer end-to-end IT, VOIP, Cameras, and Public WiFi support to over 85+ accounts on their AWS and Azure DevOps workloads. Network Thinking Solutions is headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, with additional offices in Diamond Bar, Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Kennebunk, Maine.

Website : https://www.networkthinking.com

I recently decided to make the push to get it done and though the website is completed and on WordPress now, I was surprised at how quickly the website was attacked. We have a fairly robust set of tools to monitor, patch and maintain the site but it was enlightening to see the attacks roll in. Our old site did not provide any details but now with WordPress we receive much more visibility.

I was quite surprised though about the patterns of the attacks. For example, my son worked here last year for the summer. My son, being a gamer, has a certain online persona that he uses. Within days, I noticed attempts to login to our site using that persona that only could be used if you somehow knew he worked here and also knew something about him. Kind of scary. In subsequent days I noticed attempts to login using my daughters name who has never worked here. All of these were denied but it was eye opening. It’s also not as if someone was using every name in the dictionary to hit us. Very few logins attempts have been made using names (under 5) and most related to our family.

What can we learn? Your digital footprint is real and if someone is malicious then they will use it against you.

Thanks,
Network Thinking Solutions

sudo snap install teams

After completion I launched again and then was taken to a different login screen for Teams and then it worked fine. Well, as about as fine as Teams goes on Linux but it worked.

I then decided to clean up and remove the old Teams version

sudo apt remove teams

The Deb version of Teams was removed and all good.

Thanks

Network Thinking Solutions

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