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The Current Cyber Threat Landscape is Serious

by Mike Marlow | Dec 1, 2020 | Blog, OutSourced IT, Solutions

The FBI has made us aware of a “credible” ransomware RYUK threat to anyone in small and medium business institutions, especially anyone in or associated with healthcare. To keep this sort of disaster out of your network, consider the following: 1. Keep educating your...

October is National CyberSecurity Month!

by Mike Marlow | Oct 15, 2020 | Blog, OutSourced IT

In 2004, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance launched National Cyber Security Awareness Month as a broad effort to help Americans stay safe and secure online. Initially, advice was put out like keeping antivirus programs up to...

How to Protect Yourself from Phishing

by Mike Marlow | Sep 29, 2020 | Blog, OutSourced IT, Solutions

Protection starts with knowing what’s out there. According to Webroot research, ongoing security awareness training can help reduce breaches by nearly 70%! Here are a few tips to keep in mind to avoid getting phished: 1. Never click on links from unknown senders or if...

Common Types of Phishing

by Mike Marlow | Sep 26, 2020 | Blog, OutSourced IT, Solutions

Do you know all the ways you can be Phished? At ISM, we hold cyber security near and dear to our hearts. Our personal mission is to keep our clients safe and productive, and that means generating awareness of new threats and new ways of combating those threats. Like...

September Newsletter

by Mike Marlow | Sep 22, 2020 | Blog, Client Spotlight, Newsletter, Who We Are

This month, we welcome Lizzie to our team, equip you to better handle phishing, and more! Read the newsletter HERE. READ SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER Psst… Are you a sitting duck for cybercriminals? When you fall victim to a cyber-attack (through no fault of your own),...

10 Tips for Working from Home

by Mike Marlow | Sep 3, 2020 | Blog, Working Remote

Work-life balance is difficult when home, office, and school occupy the same space, and long-term remote work isn’t working out like we thought it would. Every day can seem like a marathon and although technology can’t solve it all, it can help. Try these 10 tips...

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Mike Marlow

The Grand Poobah, the Head Honcho, the notorious BossMan!

Mike moved to Helena in 1983 to attend Carroll College, eventually marrying his sweetheart Tammy and raising 2 daughters in Helena.

If you were fond of any genre of music in the 80’s and 90s, you may know Mike from several local music stores in Helena, including Music To Go, which he and Tammy owned and operated until 2002.

In 1994, Mike and his wife Tammy started Information Systems of Montana, as they saw an increasing need for technology and IT support for local Montana businesses.

Today in 2018, ISM has successfully been in operation for 24 years, currently with 15 employees, and has physical locations in Helena, Great Falls, and Missoula.

On days not spent in the office or on-site with clients, Mike enjoys plant based cooking and baking, woodworking, golfing, and skiing. He devotes a large part of his winter as a National Ski Patrol Northern Division Transportation Supervisor, where he plays a large part in training local ski patrol teams.

You may see Mike out and about at one of our local breweries, where he’s known to be a cognoscente of sundry adult beverages and other libations.

Matt Dalton

Field Engineer

It’s almost been 2 years since Matt joined ISM as a Field Engineer, after an intense recruitment period.

Matt first stepped into the tech industry, 3 yrs ago… “While in the oilfield, I saw how important technology is to business operations across all industries, even at remote locations in the middle of the Badlands during winter. I went back to school to learn more about the information systems supporting a wide range of industries… I was also looking for warm winters, cool summers, in a stable and growing industry with competitive compensation that required minimal travel.”

Matt was born and raised in Helena, and has resided here for 37 years with his wife and 6 children, Jacob (16yo – just got his driver’s license!), Jordan (12yo), Dylan (9yo), Patrick (5yo), Elizabeth (4yo), and Raagan (their 170 lb English mastiff, age unspecified).

Outside of work, Matt keeps himself busy with housework and education, but even has a hobby or two… these include winning office competitions (how about that steak, Rusty?!), various sports, spending time outside camping and rafting, and forging his arms of steel with carpentry and concrete/stone work.

We’ve been very lucky here at ISM to land such a hard-working, great employee, talented problem solver, all around wonderful human to be around, and top-tier athlete.

Thanks for the wonderful 2 years, Matt!!

Cody Cloepfil

Digital Marketing

Cody grew up just over the hills in rural Augusta, and began his career in the IT industry working with a commercial bank in Chicago. In 2009, he moved back to Montana to start a tech position with ISM, when we were just a few employees strong!

This winter, he’ll have been with ISM for a whopping 10 years, making him the elder statesman here at the office. He must be getting old, folks!

Over the past 10 years at ISM, Cody has jumped around to almost every position here, from technical work, to sales, to finally landing his role in digital marketing. His main duties these days consist of managing social media and website updates, marketing campaigns, and writing newsletters (like this one!).

Lucky for him, he found a wonderful boss in Mike Marlow, who has always worked hard to keep his employees challenged and happy. Thanks a million, Mike!

Cody is pretty much an outdoors junkie, letting the season and weather dictate his activities. Whether it’s splitboarding in the winter or alpine climbing in the summer, he’s always in pursuit of adventure amongst the beautiful mountain ranges of Montana.

When he’s not in the office, you can usually find him cavorting with friends around town, playing music, or seeking cheap thrills somewhere outside with his feet in the dirt or snow.

Aaron Morris

Service Desk Technician

At a glance, Aaron appears as an ordinary human being – but if you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Aaron, you now know that’s not the case.

Growing up in Missoula, Aaron cultivated his love for the local requisite activities of floating rivers, raising chickens, geocaching, hiking with his two pugs (both loud and overly confident), and tasting local microbrews.

While initially attending the University of Montana for a degree in Sociology, it wasn’t long before his nerdom won out. A self-proclaimed professional couch potato and tech nerd, Aaron is in his natural setting when surrounded by computers, video games, and what others commonly refer to as “tech junk.”

While daylighting as our Great Falls office Service Desk Technician, it may come as a surprise that you’d most likely find Aaron locked in his garage, when not in the office.

Here, he exercises hobbies of wrestling wrenches, grease, cars, and motorbikes – commonly know as “mechanic-in.” Aaron insists he employs many of the same troubleshooting and problem solving skills here in the garage, as he does in the office.

Aaron made the move to the Electric City in 2015 to pursue his career in IT, and joined ISM in March of 2018.

If you can’t tell, Aaron is an absolute blast to work with. His sense of humor is matched only by his technical skills – thanks for everything you do Aaron!

You’re a big part of ISM and we’re very lucky to have you on the team.

David Sain

Service Manager and Senior Engineer

David was raised in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in Western Montana, leaving to pursue a 4 year career in the military. You could say his extensive IT career began here, when he first worked on an early computer.

Since then, some of his more interesting IT jobs include his introduction to telephony in 1988, and an early start with networking in Los Angeles, where he built his first Server and Cisco router all the way back in 1992! Later, a career based in Chicago with Motorola provided the opportunity to work as a traveling engineer around Europe and Asia.

As David’s coworker, I tend to point towards these experiences to credit his technical and managerial prowess, as well as his cultured personality (insert Bitteroot-er joke here!).

It’s been 10 years since David’s been back in MT, with 2 of those spent here in Helena at ISM. As Service Manager and Senior Engineer, David not only handles projects on the advanced end of the technical spectrum, but helps shape our service department and technicians – which he does a wonderful job at!

In his time not spent at ISM, you can find David fixing things (anything that breaks), or enjoying the outdoors with a pair of skis, mountain bike, hiking boots, or gardening gloves.

Thanks for everything you do for us at ISM, David!

Connie Carson

Accounting Manager and Chief-Keep-Our-Office-Functioning-Officer

We really can’t say enough wonderful things about Connie and what she’s done for ISM in the 1.5 years she’s been with the team.

While we obviously love her diligent work ethic, it’s her personality that really shines around the office. If anyone has ever heard Connie mutter a negative word – we won’t believe it!

Growing up in Denton (and a bit of Butte!), Connie has called Helena home since 1974, where she’s made her career of over 40 years in accounting, supporting companies in the insurance and healthcare industries.

Connie is a true Montana Woman! Her love of the outdoors is obvious in the time she spends outside with her currently expanding family. Connie’s 2 sons have blessed her with 3 grand daughters – and we’re happy to announce – Connie will also be a Great Grandmamma this summer 2019! Congratulations Connie!

Connie devotes much of her time to volunteering with Montana FWP’s “Becoming an Outdoor Woman” program, where she organizes and assists with trips focused around fly fishing, snow shoeing, kayaking, etc.

Grace Morris

Business Development Lead

Grace has been our Business Development lead since August 2017. She came to ISM after working for the City of Helena as a 911 Dispatcher, so there isn’t much that seems very daunting after having a job like that!

Grace and her husband reside in Helena, and have a couple of horses and an 80 lb lap dog, Tatonka, who frequents our dog friendly office, and has a rather large fan base himself. (Tatonka has quickly become an office favorite!)

Grace is a published writer and editor, and in her spare time, enjoys horseback riding, running with her dog, hiking, photography, drawing, reading, movies, and traveling. Grace also likes cooking and baking, especially around the holidays, and visiting local breweries and coffee shops.

She has been to 48 states and 4 countries so far, and is planning on adding to that list soon! She’s a loyal Green Bay Packers fan, and her favorite movies are Lord of the Rings, Father Goose, The Princess Bride, and Disney’s Emperor’s New Groove (among others). Grace is a nerd at heart, and loves both Star Wars and Star Trek, so it’s only fitting that she works for an IT company.

She loves her job at ISM, and is extremely thankful to work with such a great team!

Barrett Meyer

Level 2 Field Engineer

Although you won’t detect an accent, Barrett Meyer was raised in Kirchweidch, Germany, until moving to the USA when he was 15 years old. After a couple of years in California, Barrett moved to Helena, where he has lived since.

Barrett joined our team at ISM in December of 2015, when he impressed us all with his extreme work ethic and capabilities for learning. As a Level 2 Field Engineer, Barrett spends around half of his days on-site with our clients, working on advanced software applications and server hardware.

When he’s not in the office, Barrett enjoys getting his ‘geek’ on playing video games, such as Far Cry, Destiny, and No Man’s Sky. When he’s not traveling the many galaxies of No Man’s Sky, you can find Barrett amongst the great outdoors with his two pups, Penny and Poh (pronounced “Poe”), and his lovely wife, Becca.

His favorite outdoor activities include hiking, fishing, and finding steep hills and deep mud pits to rally his Jeep through.

Barrett has had a big year in 2018, getting married in the summer and, most recently, becoming a first time home owner! Congratulations Barrett!

We’re lucky to have Barrett on-board with ISM – and if you’ve had the pleasure of working with him, we’re sure you feel the same way!

Kim Mesimer

Accounting Assistant, “Room of Doom” Manager

In Kim’s first year with ISM, she’s been a big strength to our company, and specifically, our accounting team. Originally hired as our Accounting Assistant, Kim not only has taken on much of the day to day duties in the department, but has extended herself to so many other areas around the office – including product receiving, inventory duties, assisting the Operations Manager, and keeping a stern watch over our immaculate storage area, nicknamed the “Room of Doom.”

Primarily hailing from the Magic City, Kim has hopped all over the state before landing in Helena in 2007. Kim resides here with her husband Zen, two children Emma and Arthur, two dogs (Mozey Mae and Lady the Dog), 8 chickens (Sandy, Noah, Carl, Lulubelle, Octavia, Gracie, Dawn, and Lily), one snail (Spike) and a kitten (Sabot Kiddy).

In her time not spent at work, Kim can be found gardening, hiking, fighting the good fight against crooks and villains, drinking only the best coffee, out with her kids, camping, and drinking more of the best coffee. She also spends her time teaching self-sufficiency practices, such as canning, building structures, and Eco-agricultural projects!

Aric Hjort

Service Desk Technician

As a Service Desk Technician, Aric works with both remote and walk-in clients in fixing their day to day issues. Aric has been a great fit for ISM and our Great Falls location for the past 9 months, where he’s done a fantastic job putting-up with/guiding/managing our resident wonder child, Aaron.

As part of a military upbringing, Aric grew up all over the place – such as England, Germany, Texas, North Dakota – and the past 12 years here in Great Falls.

Aric considers himself lucky to reside in the same area as his parents, Rob and Cindy Lundberg – both retired Master Sergeants with over 20 years in the Air Force.

Outside of work, Aric’s interests include technology, science, and gaming! Rumor has it, there’s some real competition taking place amongst several of our team members in the gaming multiverse. It’s a great feeling and a testament to our work environment, when several of your co-workers now consider themselves close friends.

Rusty Linden

Chief Operations Officer

Rusty was born and raised in Helena, Montana and after a 16 year hiatus, returned to his hometown 3 years ago. Interested in a career shift to technology, Rusty joined ISM in February 2017, and has been an office favorite ever since.

“I have a passion for creating healthy, highly efficient systems, and making people’s lives and businesses more enjoyable and profitable, which is pretty much what ISM is all about! I‘m happy to bring a long history of human capacity development, leadership skills and organizational psychology, from my former work experiences, to the realm of IT!”

As our Chief Operations Officer, Rusty has brought a world of change to ISM. His unflappably positive attitude and ability to connect with employees of all levels has allowed Rusty to dramatically improve our operations, on both the technical and human resources sides.

Rusty spends most of his time outside of the office with his lovely family and wife: Onawa (high school sweetheart-turned-wife), Eveyanna (12yrs), Salome (9yrs), Magdalene (7yrs). Rusty and Onawa will be celebrating 20 years of marriage this year!

Rusty can usually be found ripping around town on his BMW motorcycle, ssnowboarding, refilling growlers every Wednesday and Sunday at the Blackfoot Brewery, or making slime at home with his kids.

We can’t thank you enough for what you’ve added to our team here at ISM, Rusty!

Ethan Kessel

Help Desk Technician

Ethan Kessel is our primary Help Desk Technician in our Helena location. If you’re a client, you’ve probably spoke with, or even had Ethan solve one of your computer issues remotely. In addition to his Tier 1 service duties, Ethan is an authorized expert in Apple and Lenovo repairs. As a “true nerd,” you can really get Ethan going by stirring up conversations on Apple OS vs Windows, or iPhone vs Android operating systems 😉

Ethan was raised in the charming and heavenly oasis, beautiful Bakersfield, California! If you spent a few minutes with Ethan, you’ve likely heard him mention how much he misses the extraordinary heat back home. Ethan’s resided on and off in Helena for around 5 years, with the past 1.5 years being spent here fulltime with his wife, Sienna, and 15 month-old, Cayde. Before Helena, Ethan lived in Durango, Colorado, where he worked on an IT help desk for 4 years.

In his time not spent here in the office, Ethan enjoys playing video games, working on vehicles, fishing, and playing golf when it’s not too cold out!

Tammy Marlow

CXO (Chief Experience Officer), a.k.a. The Real Boss!

Throughout her 25 years here at ISM, Tammy has held about every position imaginable: Founder, Owner, Manager, Finance, Operations, Party Planner – pretty much whatever role she’s ever needed to be in!

Born in Missoula and raised in Helena, Tammy is proud to have called Helena home for the majority of her adult life, as have her parents who still reside here.

Tammy is the proud momma of two wonderful ladies, Tanya and Megan, and an EXTREMELY proud grandmother (grandson Jaxson), who’s she’s lucky to have close by.

Tammy has always been the heart of Information Systems since it’s start on February 15th, 1994, as well as several local businesses in the past. If you grew up in Helena in the 90’s or 2000’s and ever bought a music album – chances are you remember Tammy from the legendary Music-To-Go!

Outside of ISM, you’ll find Tammy traveling, quilting and drinking wine, spending time with friends, visiting wineries – or locally, enjoying her favorite dinner at On Broadway (and drinking wine?).

To say Tammy is an integral part of ISM would be such an undersell – we simply don’t have enough room here to talk about what she has done in her 24 years here, and continues to do here for our business and workplace. Thanks a million, Tammy!!

In turn, Tammy would like to mention how fortunate she feels to have the team that we do here at ISM. “Couldn’t do it without all their dedication and hard work! They all rock!”