Using AI Safely: A Growth Guide for SMEs

In an exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Booki Yakobi, Principal of Infinity Network Solutions Inc., shares how proactive IT management, responsible AI adoption, and stronger cybersecurity can help SMEs protect their data, reduce disruptions, and support business growth.

Booki Yakobi is the Principal of Infinity Network Solutions Inc., a Toronto-based managed IT services and cybersecurity firm dedicated to helping businesses leverage technology as a strategic advantage.

With more than three decades of experience in information technology, Booki has built a reputation for delivering innovative, secure, and reliable IT solutions that enable organizations to operate more efficiently, reduce risk, and achieve sustainable growth. His expertise spans managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud computing, network infrastructure, business continuity, and technology strategy.

Throughout his career, Booki has partnered with businesses across a wide range of industries, serving as a trusted advisor who understands that technology is about more than systems and software. It's about empowering people and driving business success. His consultative approach focuses on understanding each client's unique objectives and delivering tailored solutions that align technology with business goals.

Infinity Network Solutions has supported Canadian businesses for more than 27 years. What makes your approach different from traditional “break-fix” IT support, and why should SMEs view technology as a strategic growth tool rather than simply an operating expense?

For many years, the IT industry operated on a "break-fix" model: something stops working, a technician is called, the issue is repaired, and business continues until the next problem occurs. While that approach may solve immediate issues, it does little to prevent future disruptions or support long-term business growth.

At Infinity Network Solutions, we believe technology should be an enabler of success, not just a utility that needs fixing when it fails. Our approach is built on proactive management, continuous monitoring, cybersecurity protection, and strategic planning. Instead of waiting for problems to impact our clients, we work behind the scenes to identify risks, optimize performance, and ensure systems remain secure and reliable.

For small and medium-sized businesses, technology is no longer simply an operating expense. It influences productivity, customer satisfaction, employee collaboration, business continuity, and competitive advantage. When implemented strategically, technology can help organizations scale more efficiently, reduce operational costs, strengthen security, and make better business decisions through improved access to information.

Our role extends beyond providing technical support. We act as a trusted technology advisor, helping clients align their IT investments with their business goals. Whether it is supporting cloud adoption, enhancing cybersecurity, enabling remote work, or planning for future growth, every technology decision should contribute to stronger business outcomes.

After more than 27 years of supporting Canadian businesses, we have learned that the most successful organizations view their technology partner as an extension of their leadership team. When technology is managed strategically rather than reactively, businesses gain stability, resilience, and the confidence to focus on what they do best: serving their customers and growing their organization.

AI is giving small businesses new ways to improve productivity, automate work, and make decisions. Where are you seeing the most practical opportunities today, and what does responsible AI adoption look like for a business that wants the benefits without losing control of its data?

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future technology reserved for large enterprises. Today, small and medium-sized businesses can leverage AI to achieve meaningful gains in productivity, efficiency, and customer service without making significant investments in specialized infrastructure.

The most practical opportunities we see today are in areas such as automating administrative tasks, enhancing customer communications, improving knowledge management, and accelerating decision-making. Businesses are using AI to summarize meetings, draft emails, generate reports, analyze large volumes of information, assist with customer inquiries, and help employees quickly find answers within company documentation. These applications allow teams to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time focused on serving customers and driving growth.

However, successful AI adoption is not simply about implementing the latest tool. Responsible adoption begins with understanding how data is collected, stored, accessed, and protected. Many organizations are understandably concerned about sensitive business information being exposed or used inappropriately. That concern is valid, which is why governance and security must be part of every AI strategy from the beginning.

At Infinity Network Solutions, we encourage clients to approach AI the same way they would any critical business system: with clear policies, proper security controls, and a thoughtful implementation plan. Businesses should establish guidelines for employee usage, identify what information can and cannot be shared with AI platforms, and ensure solutions align with their cybersecurity and compliance requirements.

The goal is not to replace people. The goal is to empower them. When implemented responsibly, AI becomes a valuable assistant that helps employees work faster, make more informed decisions, and focus on higher-value activities that require human expertise, creativity, and relationship building.

We believe the organizations that will gain the greatest advantage from AI are not necessarily the ones adopting it the fastest, but the ones adopting it strategically. By combining innovation with strong governance, businesses can unlock the benefits of AI while maintaining control of their data, protecting client trust, and ensuring technology continues to support their long-term objectives.

After more than 27 years of supporting Canadian businesses, we see AI as another powerful business tool, much like cloud computing or cybersecurity solutions before it. The key is implementing it with purpose, security, and a clear connection to business outcomes rather than simply adopting it because it is the latest trend.

The same AI tools that help businesses are also giving cybercriminals new capabilities, from more convincing phishing attempts to deepfakes and automated attacks. What AI-related threats should business owners be most concerned about, and what steps can they take now to protect their people, systems, and information?

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way businesses operate, but it is also changing the threat landscape. Cybercriminals are now using AI to make attacks faster, more convincing, and more difficult to detect. As a result, business owners must recognize that cybersecurity is no longer just a technology issue. It is a business risk that requires ongoing attention from leadership.

One of the most significant threats we see today is AI-powered phishing. In the past, fraudulent emails often contained spelling mistakes or obvious warning signs. Today, attackers can use AI to create highly personalized and professional-looking messages that closely resemble legitimate communications from executives, vendors, clients, or trusted organizations. This dramatically increases the likelihood of employees being deceived into revealing credentials, approving payments, or downloading malicious files.

Another growing concern is the rise of deepfake technology. Criminals can now generate convincing voice recordings or videos that appear to come from senior executives, business partners, or trusted contacts. Imagine receiving a phone call that sounds exactly like your CEO asking for an urgent wire transfer, or a video message that appears to be from a supplier requesting banking changes. These scenarios are becoming increasingly realistic and represent a significant risk to organizations that rely solely on trust and verbal confirmation.

We are also seeing AI being used to automate reconnaissance and attack campaigns. Threat actors can rapidly identify vulnerabilities, gather publicly available company information, and launch highly targeted attacks at a scale that was previously difficult to achieve. This means businesses of all sizes are now potential targets, not just large enterprises.

The good news is that organizations do not need to fear AI. They need to prepare for it. The most effective defense begins with people. Ongoing security awareness training helps employees recognize suspicious requests, understand emerging threats, and develop the confidence to verify unusual communications before taking action.

Beyond training, businesses should implement multi-factor authentication, strengthen email security, maintain regular software updates, and enforce strong access controls. Equally important is having clear verification procedures for financial transactions, banking changes, and sensitive requests. A simple policy requiring a secondary confirmation process can prevent a costly mistake caused by a phishing email or deepfake impersonation.

At Infinity Network Solutions, we encourage organizations to adopt a layered security approach. No single technology can stop every threat. Cybersecurity requires a combination of security tools, proactive monitoring, employee education, backup and recovery planning, and ongoing risk assessments. When these layers work together, businesses are far better positioned to detect, prevent, and recover from modern cyber threats.

After more than 27 years of supporting Canadian businesses, one thing remains true: attackers will continue to evolve, whether they use AI or another emerging technology. The organizations that succeed will be those that build a strong security culture, remain proactive, and treat cybersecurity as an ongoing business priority rather than a one-time project. AI may be changing the methods attackers use, but preparation, vigilance, and strong security fundamentals remain the best defense.

What is the difference between reactive and proactive IT management, and why is waiting for technology to break often far more expensive than investing in continuous monitoring, maintenance, security, and planning?

Reactive IT management follows the traditional “break-fix” model. A problem occurs, employees are unable to work, and the business calls for help. Although the immediate issue may eventually be resolved, the organization has already experienced disruption, lost productivity, and potentially lost revenue or customer confidence.

Proactive IT management takes a very different approach. Instead of waiting for something to fail, systems are continuously monitored, maintained, secured, and reviewed. Potential issues can often be identified and addressed before they interrupt business operations. This includes monitoring system health, installing critical security updates, managing backups, reviewing cybersecurity risks, maintaining hardware, and planning for future business needs.

Waiting for technology to break is often far more expensive than preventing the problem. The true cost of an IT failure is rarely limited to the repair itself. It can include employee downtime, delayed projects, missed customer commitments, emergency service costs, data loss, reputational damage, and, in the case of a cyber incident, significant recovery expenses. A server failure that might have been prevented through monitoring and maintenance can quickly become a company-wide business interruption.

Cybersecurity also makes the reactive approach increasingly dangerous. Businesses cannot afford to wait for a breach before improving their protection. By the time an organization realizes that its systems have been compromised, sensitive information may already have been accessed, encrypted, or stolen. Security must be managed continuously through monitoring, employee education, access controls, software updates, backup testing, and regular risk assessments.

At Infinity Network Solutions, we view proactive IT management as a form of business continuity and risk management. Our responsibility is not simply to repair technology. It is to help keep our clients operational, secure, productive, and prepared for what comes next. That requires understanding each client’s business objectives and developing a technology plan that supports both their current operations and future growth.

After more than 27 years of supporting Canadian businesses, we have learned that predictable technology is far more valuable than emergency technology. Proactive IT management provides organizations with greater stability, more predictable costs, stronger security, and fewer unexpected disruptions. Most importantly, it allows business owners and employees to focus on serving their customers and growing the organization instead of worrying about the next IT problem.

Cloud computing can improve collaboration, flexibility, business continuity, and scalability—but it is not automatically secure. What should SMEs understand before moving systems or data to the cloud, including backups, security controls, and provider oversight, and what final advice would you give an owner looking to build a more resilient technology foundation?

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.