Can PTG assess power quality?

Yes. PTG performs assessments identifying voltage, grounding, and load issues.

Power Protection

10 Symptoms of Power Problems That Damage IT Equipment

Name: Petronella Technology Group, Inc.
Address: 5540 Centerview Dr., Suite 200, Raleigh, NC, 27606
Telephone: 919-348-4912

Power quality issues silently degrade your servers, workstations, and network equipment. PTG helps Triangle-area businesses identify and resolve power problems before they cause data loss, hardware failure, or extended downtime.

Get a Power Assessment Call 919-348-4912

UPS Solutions • Surge Protection • Power Conditioning • Generator Backup

Warning Signs

Recognize These Power Problem Symptoms

Frequent System Crashes & Reboots

If your servers or workstations reboot unexpectedly or crash without clear cause, power sags and surges may be the culprit. Dirty power delivers voltage outside the range your equipment expects, causing processors to fault and systems to restart. This is common in older commercial buildings across Raleigh-Durham where electrical infrastructure has not been updated to support modern IT loads.

Data Corruption & Disk Errors

Hard drives and SSDs are particularly sensitive to power fluctuations. Sudden power loss during write operations causes data corruption, file system errors, and potentially unrecoverable data loss. If your business experiences recurring disk errors or corrupted files, power quality should be investigated immediately. PTG deploys UPS systems that provide clean, uninterrupted power to protect your data.

Premature Hardware Failure

Power surges, voltage spikes, and electrical noise degrade electronic components over time, shortening the lifespan of servers, switches, and workstations. If you are replacing hardware more frequently than expected, poor power quality may be aging your equipment prematurely. PTG evaluates your power environment and recommends surge protection, UPS systems, and power conditioning solutions to extend equipment life.

Flickering Lights & Buzzing Equipment

Visible signs like flickering lights, humming transformers, and buzzing equipment indicate voltage fluctuations that affect everything on the same electrical circuit — including your IT infrastructure. These symptoms are particularly common during summer months in the Triangle when HVAC systems draw heavy loads and utility demand peaks.

Network Equipment Resets

Switches, routers, and firewalls that reset unexpectedly disrupt your entire network. A single power event can take down connectivity for your whole office. PTG ensures all critical network equipment is protected with appropriate UPS and surge protection to maintain network uptime through power disturbances.

Slow Performance After Storms

Lightning strikes and storm-related power surges can damage equipment subtly without causing immediate failure. If your systems run slower after a storm, components may have been degraded. PTG recommends whole-building surge protection combined with individual UPS units for critical equipment to protect against storm-related power events common in North Carolina.

FAQ

Power Protection Questions Answered

What UPS should I buy for my server?

UPS sizing depends on the power draw of your equipment and the runtime you need during an outage. PTG calculates your actual power requirements, recommends appropriately sized UPS systems, and manages battery replacement schedules. Under-sized UPS units provide false security; oversized units waste money. PTG gets it right.

Do we need a generator?

If your business cannot tolerate extended downtime during power outages, a generator provides indefinite runtime beyond what UPS batteries can deliver. PTG assesses your uptime requirements and recommends generator solutions for Triangle-area businesses that need continuous operations during utility outages.

Can PTG assess our power quality?

Yes. PTG performs power quality assessments that identify voltage issues, grounding problems, and load imbalances that threaten your IT equipment. We recommend and implement solutions including UPS, surge protection, power conditioning, and dedicated circuits. Call 919-348-4912 to schedule an assessment.

Why Choose Petronella Technology Group

Petronella Technology Group has been a trusted IT and cybersecurity partner for businesses across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, and the Research Triangle since 2002. Led by CEO Craig Petronella, an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License# 604180-DFE), CMMC Certified Registered Practitioner, Cybersecurity Expert Witness, Hyperledger Certified, and MIT-certified professional in cybersecurity, AI, blockchain, and compliance, PTG brings deep expertise to every engagement.

With BBB accreditation since 2003 and more than 2,500 businesses served, PTG has the experience and track record to deliver results. Craig Petronella is an Amazon number-one best-selling author of books including "How HIPAA Can Crush Your Medical Practice," "How Hackers Can Crush Your Law Firm," and "The Ultimate Guide To CMMC." He has been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and WRAL, and serves as an expert witness for law firms in cybercrime and compliance cases.

PTG holds certifications including CCNA, MCNS, Microsoft Cloud Essentials, and specializes in CMMC 2.0, NIST 800-171/172/173, HIPAA, FTC Safeguards, SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, and ISO 27001 compliance. Our forensic specialties include endpoint and networking cybercrime investigation, data breach forensics, ransomware analysis, data exfiltration investigation, cryptocurrency and blockchain analysis, and SIM swap fraud investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does managed IT services include?

Managed IT services from PTG include proactive network monitoring and management, help desk support, server and workstation maintenance, patch management, backup and disaster recovery, cybersecurity monitoring, vendor management, hardware procurement, and strategic IT planning. Our managed services are designed to provide businesses in Raleigh, Durham, and the Research Triangle with a complete IT department at a predictable monthly cost, eliminating the overhead and risk of managing technology infrastructure in-house while ensuring your systems remain secure, updated, and optimized for peak performance.

How is managed IT different from break-fix IT support?

Break-fix IT support is reactive, meaning you only call for help when something breaks, and you pay per incident or per hour. Managed IT services are proactive, with continuous monitoring, preventive maintenance, and strategic planning designed to prevent problems before they occur. Managed IT typically results in significantly less downtime, better security, more predictable costs, and improved technology alignment with business goals. PTG managed IT clients experience up to seventy percent fewer emergencies and greater productivity compared to break-fix arrangements, with flat monthly pricing that eliminates unexpected repair bills.

What is the average response time for IT support requests?

PTG provides tiered response times based on issue severity. Critical issues affecting business operations receive immediate response, typically within fifteen minutes. High-priority issues are addressed within one hour. Standard requests are handled within four business hours. Our help desk is staffed by experienced technicians who can resolve most issues remotely, with on-site support available throughout the Research Triangle when needed. We maintain detailed service level agreements with transparent reporting so you always know how your technology environment is performing and how quickly issues are being resolved.

Can PTG support both Windows and Mac environments?

Yes, PTG provides managed IT services for Windows, Mac, and Linux environments, as well as hybrid environments that include multiple operating systems. Our technicians are certified and experienced in managing diverse technology ecosystems, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Apple Business Manager, and various line-of-business applications. We also support mobile device management for iOS and Android devices, ensuring comprehensive coverage for modern business environments. Whether your team uses desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones, PTG has the expertise to keep everything running smoothly and securely.

What is included in backup and disaster recovery services?

PTG backup and disaster recovery services include automated daily backups of servers and workstations, encrypted offsite and cloud backup storage, regular backup verification and testing, documented disaster recovery plans, and rapid restoration capabilities. We use enterprise-grade backup solutions that support both image-based and file-level recovery with retention policies tailored to your business and compliance requirements. Our disaster recovery planning includes business impact analysis, recovery time and recovery point objectives, and regular tabletop exercises to ensure your organization can recover quickly from any disruption.

How PTG Managed IT Services Work

PTG managed IT services provide businesses with a complete technology management solution that replaces or supplements in-house IT staff. Our approach begins with a thorough technology assessment and documentation of your entire IT environment, including hardware, software, network infrastructure, cloud services, and security controls. This creates a comprehensive baseline that enables proactive management and rapid troubleshooting when issues arise. We document everything so that your technology environment is never dependent on a single person's knowledge.

Our proactive monitoring systems watch your servers, workstations, network equipment, and cloud services around the clock, identifying and resolving potential problems before they impact your business. Automated alerts notify our team of hardware failures, software errors, security events, backup failures, and performance degradation. Many issues are detected and resolved automatically through our management platform, while others are escalated to our technicians for manual intervention. This proactive approach typically prevents more than eighty percent of the IT problems that plague businesses relying on reactive support models.

When your employees need help, our help desk provides responsive support through multiple channels including phone, email, chat, and remote desktop assistance. Our technicians are experienced professionals who resolve most issues on the first contact, minimizing downtime and keeping your team productive. For issues that cannot be resolved remotely, we dispatch on-site technicians throughout the Research Triangle area. Our ticketing system tracks every request from submission to resolution, providing full transparency into support activities and response times.

Beyond day-to-day support, PTG provides strategic technology guidance through our virtual CIO and virtual CISO services. Our technology advisors work with your leadership team to develop IT roadmaps, evaluate technology investments, plan for growth, and align technology strategy with business objectives. Regular technology reviews ensure that your infrastructure remains current, secure, and capable of supporting your business as it evolves. This strategic partnership ensures that technology serves as a competitive advantage rather than a source of frustration and unexpected costs.

Our Approach to Cybersecurity

At Petronella Technology Group, cybersecurity is not just about installing antivirus software or setting up a firewall. We take a comprehensive, layered approach to security that addresses people, processes, and technology. Our methodology is built on industry-standard frameworks including NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, and MITRE ATT&CK, ensuring that your security program is aligned with the same standards used by Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Every engagement begins with a thorough assessment of your current security posture, followed by a prioritized remediation roadmap that addresses your most critical risks first.

Our security operations team provides continuous monitoring through our Security Information and Event Management platform, which correlates events across your entire environment to detect threats in real time. When a potential threat is identified, our analysts investigate and respond immediately, often containing threats before they can cause damage. This proactive approach dramatically reduces the risk of successful cyberattacks and provides the rapid response capability that is essential in today's threat landscape.

We believe that employee awareness is one of the most important layers of defense. Human error remains the leading cause of data breaches, and no amount of technology can fully compensate for untrained employees. PTG provides comprehensive security awareness training programs that educate your team about phishing, social engineering, password security, data handling, and incident reporting. Our training programs include simulated phishing campaigns that test employee readiness and identify areas where additional education is needed, helping organizations build a strong security culture from the ground up.

Beyond prevention, PTG prepares organizations for the reality that breaches can occur despite the best defenses. Our incident response planning services help businesses develop, document, and test response procedures so that when an incident does occur, your team knows exactly what to do. From tabletop exercises to full incident simulations, we ensure that your organization is prepared to respond quickly and effectively, minimizing damage, preserving evidence, and meeting all regulatory notification requirements within required timeframes.

Additional Questions and Answers

What are the most common cybersecurity threats facing businesses today?

The most common cybersecurity threats include ransomware attacks, phishing and social engineering, business email compromise, insider threats, and supply chain attacks. Ransomware alone costs businesses billions of dollars annually, with the average ransom demand exceeding two hundred thousand dollars. Phishing remains the primary attack vector, responsible for over ninety percent of successful breaches. PTG helps businesses in Raleigh, Durham, and the Research Triangle defend against all of these threats through layered security controls, employee training, and continuous monitoring provided by our managed security operations center.

How often should a business conduct cybersecurity assessments?

Best practices recommend conducting comprehensive cybersecurity assessments at least annually, with vulnerability scans performed quarterly or monthly. Businesses in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government contracting may need more frequent assessments to maintain compliance with frameworks like HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC, and SOC 2. PTG provides ongoing security assessment services that help organizations identify and remediate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by threat actors, using industry-standard tools and methodologies aligned with NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines.

What is the difference between a vulnerability assessment and penetration testing?

A vulnerability assessment systematically scans your network, systems, and applications to identify known security weaknesses and misconfigurations. A penetration test goes further by actively attempting to exploit those vulnerabilities to determine the real-world impact of a breach. Both are essential components of a mature cybersecurity program. PTG offers both services, providing detailed reports with prioritized remediation recommendations tailored to your specific environment and risk profile. Our penetration testing team uses the same techniques as real-world attackers to give you an accurate picture of your security posture.

How can small businesses afford enterprise-grade cybersecurity?

Small and mid-sized businesses can achieve enterprise-grade security through managed security service providers like PTG. Rather than hiring a full in-house security team costing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, businesses can leverage PTG's expertise, tools, and twenty-four-seven monitoring at a fraction of the cost. Our managed security packages are designed specifically for SMBs in the Research Triangle, providing comprehensive protection including endpoint detection and response, SIEM monitoring, email security, and compliance management at predictable monthly costs that fit small business budgets.

What should a business do immediately after discovering a data breach?

Upon discovering a data breach, businesses should immediately activate their incident response plan, isolate affected systems to prevent further data loss, preserve all evidence for forensic analysis, notify legal counsel, and begin documenting the timeline of events. Depending on the type of data compromised, regulatory notification requirements under HIPAA, state breach notification laws, or other frameworks may apply with strict deadlines. PTG provides incident response services and digital forensics to help businesses contain breaches, investigate root causes, fulfill all notification obligations, and implement measures to prevent future incidents.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact Petronella Technology Group today for a free consultation. Serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the Research Triangle since 2002.

919-348-4912 Schedule a Free Consultation

5540 Centerview Dr., Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606