Tulsa’s economy is growing faster than a convertible cruising down Route 66.
Indeed, the Tulsa metro area saw an 8.1% increase in new business formation between 2021 and 2022, according to the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce in 2025, outpacing both the state and nation with nearly 1,500 new businesses started in that timeframe. Like I said, fast.
From energy to tourism, aerospace to manufacturing, T-town's economy is booming.
Here’s the thing, though: all this growth is built on a foundation — in some places firm, in other places shaky — of IT, technology, and cybersecurity. At TekTrendz, where we support Tulsa-area businesses with managed IT services, we say, “your IT is your business.” Most Tulsa businesses — and their assembly lines, oil derricks, service desks, ticket queues, etc. — would come to a screeching halt without reliable IT systems + secure data and networks.
Which leads to a pressing question: what do Tulsa businesses commonly get wrong about IT and cybersecurity — mistakes that could quietly slow growth or even bring it to an abrupt standstill?
This article will walk you through seven of the most common myths Tulsa businesses and their leaders have about IT, technology, and cybersecurity — and why fixing them now matters more than ever.
Too many Tulsa businesses think this way. A common variation we hear all the time is:
“We’re too small to be a target.”
But here’s the truth: small businesses are often the easiest targets for cybercriminals because they typically have weaker defenses. Hackers don’t always go after the biggest firms first; they often go after whoever is easiest to infiltrate. Yep, small businesses.
In fact, 43% of all cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses. And, yet, many SMBs still ignore these signs.
And if you’re thinking, “But not here in Tulsa,” well…think again.
Tulsa has seen its share of high-profile incidents. In May 2021, the City of Tulsa was hit by a ransomware attack that forced municipal systems offline, disrupted services, and exposed more than 18,000 city files — including police citations — to the dark web.
I use the City of Tulsa example because it’s low-hanging fruit — city governments, like Tulsa’s, are forced to report such incidents and there’s usually a lot of news coverage. But the truth is, most cyberattacks on businesses happen right next door. It’s just that private businesses aren’t obligated by law or necessity to report being victimized by cyberattackers, as governments are.
The reality is that cyberattacks happen everywhere, everyday, heck, every hour. And they’re costly – even business-closing costly. For SMBs, cyberattacks cost on average $255K. Yeah, it’s bad.
Bottom line: Tulsa's businesses — even those with just a handful of employees — are at risk. Thinking “it won’t happen to us” is exactly what leaves companies exposed. The good news? You can take concrete steps to secure your systems, protect your data, and dramatically reduce your risk before it becomes a real disaster.
As Nike says, just do it. Maybe we should say, just do IT. Your business is at stake.
Tulsa-area businesses take pride in their productivity. From energy companies keeping pumps online to manufacturers hitting deadlines, every minute counts. So it’s easy to see why many business owners worry: “If we pause operations for IT or cybersecurity upgrades, we’ll lose precious time — and revenue.”
Here’s the truth: most IT and cybersecurity improvements don’t require you to stop operations. Modern managed IT services allow you to:
But, alas, sometimes upgrades or fixes do require a temporary pause.
To that we say: It’s not a pause, it’s an investment.
Think of it like sharpening your saw: a brief stop now lets you work faster, safer, and more efficiently once systems are back online. Whereas a dull saw — outdated IT, unpatched systems, or weak cybersecurity — slows everything down.
Bottom line: If you’re really productivity-minded (and you are), then prioritize IT, technology, and cybersecurity upgrades and fixes. After all, there’s nothing more debilitating than a cyberattack, offline system, or major data compromise.
Prioritize productivity by prioritizing IT.
I know, I know. It gets old. All the lectures about strong passwords, multifactor authentication, and the like. Hear about it enough and you start to wonder if it’s just noise. Especially when you’ve “never had a problem before.”
Yet despite all the preaching, many businesses — especially SMBs — still ignore this basic first aid of cybersecurity. They reuse passwords, skip MFA, store credentials in spreadsheets, or think a sticky note on a monitor is “secure enough.”
Here’s the kicker: the vast majority of cyberattacks involve some form of human error — whether it’s weak credentials, phishing clicks, or compromised accounts. According to one security report, human error was the cause of 95% of data breaches in 2024. Gulp.
But just like basic hygiene is crucial to human health — brushing your teeth, washing your hands, getting enough sleep — basic precautions are crucial to IT and, by extension, business health. In the IT‑o‑sphere, the fundamentals really matter. Things like:
And, training (and evaluating) your team on such precautions. Remember, "your IT is your business."
Tulsa may be known for its strong, rugged, independent individuals — and that’s one of the things that makes this community great. But when it comes to cybersecurity basics, going it alone or thinking you’re exempt is exactly where trouble starts.
Bottom line: Strong passwords, MFA, and other fundamental precautions aren’t optional “nice‑to‑haves.” They’re the first, most crucial line of defense.
Remember the anecdoate about Toy Story 2? During development in the late 1990s, over 90% of the film’s work‑in‑progress files were accidentally deleted. The team thought their backups were fine — until they weren’t. It looked like the entire movie might be lost forever. Luckily, an engineer had a secondary copy at home, and that copy saved the day.
If it can happen to Pixar, it can happen to any business — even right here in Tulsa.
Take natural disasters, for example. In May 2024, an EF‑4 tornado tore through areas north of Tulsa, damaging homes, offices, and businesses. For companies that relied solely on local servers or on-premise systems, this kind of event could have instantly wiped out critical data.
Businesses that experience data loss — whether from natural disasters, equipment failure, cyberattacks, or human error — almost never think it can happen to them…until it does.
This is personal to us at TekTrendz. In May 2024, our own offices and local IT systems were hit by a tornado. We had to relocate, but thanks to rigorous data backups and a solid business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) plan, we didn’t lose a single file and only lost about a day of productivity.
Needless to say, we were really glad we had prioritized backups and disaster planning.
Best practices for protecting your data:
Bottom line: Data loss is never “someone else’s problem.” Tulsa businesses face real risks every day. Protecting your data with backups, BCDR plans, and redundancy isn’t optional; it’s insurance for your business, your employees, and your peace of mind.
It’s one thing to check a box and say you meet compliance requirements. It’s another thing entirely to actually be secure.
A lot of Tulsa businesses fall into this trap: “We’re compliant — so we must be safe.”
But this misconception can be dangerously misleading.
Take healthcare, for example. Tulsa and the greater Oklahoma region are home to many HIPAA‑regulated organizations — local clinics, imaging centers, specialty practices, and larger health systems. HIPAA compliance is required for these businesses, and it covers a long list of privacy and security obligations they must meet.
Yet even compliance with laws like HIPAA doesn’t guarantee that every vulnerability is covered. Integris Health, one of Oklahoma’s largest health systems, suffered a massive breach in which hackers accessed the records of roughly 2.4 million patients — despite being HIPAA‑covered. Smaller providers aren’t immune either. PET Imaging of Tulsa reported a data breach in mid‑2025 affecting thousands of patients.
The lesson? Compliance is a baseline, not a shield. It ensures you meet legal minimums, but it doesn’t cover all modern threats or guarantee that your systems are relaible and secure. True security requires going beyond compliance: proactive risk assessments, layered defenses, regular testing, and continuous monitoring.
Bottom line: Being compliant doesn’t automatically make you secure. Tulsa businesses — from private practices to hospitals — can meet the letter of the law and still be exposed to real risk. Don’t confuse “meeting requirements” with “being protected.”
“IT and cybersecurity are expensive,” you say?
Yeah, we get it — it’s never fun forking out dollars…for anything. (We’re a small business, too.)
Many business leaders think of tech budgets as something to minimize — a necessary evil, a monthly bill you grit your teeth and pay.
But, strategic IT investments aren't just expenses…they're growth-drivers. According to Gartner, global IT spending is expected to grow nearly 8% in 2025, reaching over $5.4 trillion — because technology fuels productivity, innovation, and competitive advantage.
Tulsa itself is catching on. The region has been designated a “Tech Hub” by the U.S. Department of Commerce, attracting federal investment for advanced technology initiatives — from autonomous systems and cybersecurity research to workforce development.
Imagine you’re at a Saturday “growth” workshop, and the facilitator asks, “What are the key differentiators between you and your competitors — that will give your business a true competitive advantage in the marketplace?” Most business leaders wouldn’t say, “Our IT.” And, yet, IT — with its implications for productivity, efficiency, security, communication, service, and more — most certainly is a source of competitive advantage for businesses that can see beyond price tags.
Bottom line: Companies that treat IT as an investment, not just an expense, outpace competitors because they’re not constantly firefighting — they’re creating opportunities. Efficiency gains, improved customer experience, new capabilities, and risk reduction all flow directly from smart tech spending.
Some Tulsa businesses — especially in manufacturing, energy, or logistics — run on the “we’ll fix it if it breaks” mentality. It feels practical, even efficient: Why spend time planning for problems that might never happen?
Here’s the harsh truth: reacting only when something goes wrong is expensive, risky, and stressful. Systems fail, data is lost, cyberattacks strike, and downtime costs real money — sometimes tens of thousands per hour for SMBs.
Tulsa companies can’t afford surprises. Imagine an energy contractor whose pumps go offline, a manufacturing line halted for hours, or a service desk that can’t access client records because a ransomware attack hit. Without a proactive IT plan, businesses scramble, lose productivity, and risk damaging their reputation with customers and partners.
The good news? Planning doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With managed IT services, you can:
Bottom line: Tulsa-area businesses that wait until disaster strikes are playing catch-up — and probably wasting money. Proactive IT planning protects revenue, reduces stress, and turns technology into a growth driver, not a constant source of crisis.
Misconceptions about IT and cybersecurity abound — in Tulsa and beyond. But by reading this article, you’re already a step or two ahead of many other businesses.
Whether you’re ready to outsource your IT and cybersecurity to a trusted managed services provider, or you just have some IT questions and need some free, no-obligation answers...we're here to help.
Click below to contact us. And take action on your IT, T-town!