What is a managed IT service provider (MSP)?

A managed IT service provider (MSP) is a third-party company that remotely manages a business's IT infrastructure and systems on an ongoing basis under a service level agreement (SLA). Unlike traditional break/fix IT support, MSPs proactively monitor, maintain, and secure your technology to prevent problems before they cause downtime.

How much do managed IT services cost for a small business?

Managed IT services are typically priced on a per-user or per-device monthly basis. For small businesses in the Raleigh-Durham area, costs generally range from $75 to $150 per user per month depending on the services included. Benchmark Network Solutions offers transparent, flat-rate pricing with no hidden fees — contact us for a free assessment and custom quote.

How quickly does Benchmark Network Solutions respond to IT issues?

Benchmark Network Solutions typically responds to all support tickets within 15 minutes. Our team provides 24/7 monitoring and proactive maintenance so many issues are resolved before you even notice them.

What industries does Benchmark Network Solutions serve?

Benchmark Network Solutions primarily serves small and mid-sized businesses in healthcare, local government, engineering firms, and building services companies. We also support a broad range of industries across the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle in North Carolina.

What is the difference between managed IT services and co-managed IT services?

Managed IT services means Benchmark takes over all aspects of your IT operations — ideal if you have no in-house IT team. Co-managed IT services is a partnership where Benchmark works alongside your existing IT staff to fill gaps in coverage, expertise, or bandwidth — ideal if you have an internal IT team that needs additional support.

Does Benchmark Network Solutions offer cybersecurity services?

Yes. Benchmark provides multi-layer cybersecurity services including firewall management, endpoint protection, intrusion detection, security awareness training for employees, and vulnerability assessments. Cybersecurity is included in our core managed IT plans.

Where is Benchmark Network Solutions located and what areas do they serve?

Benchmark Network Solutions is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. We serve businesses throughout the Research Triangle, including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Garner, and the greater Research Triangle Park (RTP) area.

AI Risk Assessment for Research Administrators

📋 Step 1 — Traffic Light Risk Gates Task risk

Check everything that applies to the task you’re considering. The app will automatically determine whether you should STOP, CAUTION, or PROCEED.

Task name (optional)

AI tool context

🔴 Red Light: STOP (High Risk) Any checked = no public AI

Proprietary IP: Unpublished research, patent-pending ideas, or novel methodologies.

Risk: inadvertent disclosure of IP or competitive research content.

Restricted Data: SSNs, health records (HIPAA), student records (FERPA), or equivalent.

Risk: regulated data exposure + reporting obligations.

Export Control: ITAR/EAR-related restricted technologies or sensitive defense data.

Risk: severe compliance consequences; requires specialized controls.

Conflict of Interest: Confidential faculty financial disclosures.

Risk: privacy + institutional policy violation.

🟡 Amber Light: CAUTION (Moderate Risk) Proceed with anonymization + review

Third-Party Drafts: Uploading a proposal draft written by a PI to clean up grammar (requires PI consent).

Risk: consent + confidentiality + authorship concerns.

Policy Interpretation: Asking AI to interpret a complex federal regulation.

Risk: hallucinated citations; legal/compliance errors.

Reviewer Feedback: Summarizing peer review comments (remove reviewer names / project identifiers).

Risk: deanonymization; protect confidential review content.

🟢 Green Light: PROCEED (Low Risk) Generally safe for vetted tools

Summarizing Public RFPs: Summarizing a public grant solicitation.

Note: avoid adding internal notes with identifiers.

Administrative Outreach: Drafting general newsletters or routine emails.

Avoid embedding sensitive internal information.

Data Formatting: Cleaning up a spreadsheet of publicly available publication titles.

Confirm the dataset is truly public.

Brainstorming: Generating ideas for a workshop title or department agenda.

Avoid internal sensitive strategy/personnel issues.

🛠️ Step 2 — Administrator’s 5-Point Verification Control readiness

After AI produces output, check the controls you will actually perform. More controls = lower residual risk.

Hallucination check: Verify any citations (e.g., 2 CFR 200) against official sources.

Confirm section numbers and text are real.

Hidden bias review: Ensure summaries/screening don’t favor prestige keywords or disciplines.

Watch for proxy criteria and unequal treatment.

Human-in-the-loop signature: You accept 100% responsibility for the final document.

AI output is a draft; you own the final accuracy and compliance.

Disclosure note: Apply required university footer (“AI-assisted; human-verified”).

Use institution-required language and placement.

Data hygiene closeout: Delete prompts/conversations if using a non-enterprise tool.

Minimize retention; follow institutional policy.

Notes (optional)

Intended use (optional)

AI Risk Assessment Checklist

for Research Administrators