Top 5 IT horror stories: 2024 edition

Skeleton hands typing on a white laptop surrounded by pumpkins and an orange background.It’s Halloween Eve, which means it’s prime time to share spooky stories. In honor of the holiday, we’d like to share some ghastly tech tales. When the best-laid IT plans go awry, the results can be more chilling than any ghost or ghoul.

So, settle in for five spine-chilling yarns of IT horrors. Note: These are fictional accounts based on the real tech risks businesses face daily.

1. The AI-generated phishing attack.

An office worker logs in one morning and sees an urgent email from the company’s CEO asking the recipient to transfer a substantial amount of funds. The employee’s initial skepticism disappears after a video call with the CEO confirming the request.

However, after he completes the transaction, the worker learns from his bosses that both the email and the video call were fraudulent. Scammers pulled off the ruse with generative AI and deepfake technology.

Scenarios like this are unfolding in real life as bad actors utilize artificial intelligence to supercharge their phishing schemes. Learn how to combat AI-fueled fraud in this blog entry: How to identify AI-generated phishing emails

2. The severely understaffed call center.

A midsize pest control company is overwhelmed with calls from customers looking to schedule extermination services. Because their contact center is short-staffed, callers end up spending up to 30 minutes on hold.

Many prospective customers hang up out of frustration before they even speak to an agent. The non-stop barrage of calls is also driving high stress levels for call center employees; some are on the verge of quitting, exacerbating the staffing issue.

These problems are common in call centers today. Solutions like Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), AI for self-service, and business process outsourcing can help combat high turnover rates, burdensome call volumes, and less-than-stellar customer experience (CX).

Visit our CCaaS page for details. You can also jumpstart your search for top contact center solutions with this free assessment.

3. The disastrous technology purchasing decision.

A technology buying group that consists of eight stakeholders from different departments has struggled for months to identify the best Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform for the company. With so many options on the market and conflicting priorities in the group, it’s been an uphill battle.

They finally select a UCaaS platform. However, before they can even complete the implementation process, many stakeholders have already expressed buyer’s remorse. The solution they selected doesn’t have all the features and integrations they wanted. Switching to an alternative will come at a steep cost in terms of time and funds.

Gartner has found that 73 percent of tech buyers expressed high levels of regret before they even implemented the solutions they purchased. To avoid lamenting your decision and wasting valuable resources (in addition to dampening your team’s morale), work with experienced technology advisors to minimize uncertainty and make the best choice for your business the first time.

For details, visit our trusted advisor services page.

4. The downtime-causing disaster.

A severe storm strikes a small business with on-premises IT infrastructure. Flash flooding destroys vital equipment. Without backups, it’s not clear whether the company will be able to bounce back from this disaster, especially after clients turn to competitors as the company struggles to get vital systems back online.

This scenario could happen to any company. Don’t let a catastrophe close your doors. Ensure you can bounce back fast with backup, business continuity, and disaster recovery solutions.

5. The painfully slow internet.

A midsize business is struggling to maintain productivity due to slow internet. Call quality (both voice and video) is horrendous, and vital line of business applications are lagging severely. Employees can barely complete essential tasks, and customers are becoming frustrated.

High-speed internet is a necessity for modern businesses that want to maintain optimal operations and deliver great customer service. Our team can help you explore your options, including fiber internet services. Our advisors can utilize a fiber locator tool to quickly discover top providers in your area.

If you want to minimize your chances of being haunted by technological terrors like these, our trusted advisors are here to help. With our vast network of best-in-class suppliers, the latest market data, access to niche solutions, and a tool that rapidly generates detailed comparison matrices, we can efficiently identify the best IT products and services for your business.

Start today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contact Us

We will handle your contact details in line with our Privacy Policy. If you prefer not to receive marketing emails from Stratosphere Networks, you can optout of all marketing communications or customize your preferences here.