But, choosing the right IT solution and service provider can be challenging, especially when you’re not sure what your business needs. Companies around the world pump $2 trillion into IT each year—billions of which is actually wasted on unnecessary or ineffective IT “solutions.” So, how do you know if you need state-of-the-art IT, or just the basics?
To help you keep your IT spending under control, here are some indicators that “good enough" IT might be right for your business:
If you have a smaller budget. Knowing how much to spend on IT can be difficult for many decision makers. So, just recognize that IT costs can get very expensive — especially if you’re paying for all the bells and whistles that many IT vendors offer. If you don’t need cutting-edge equipment or 24/7 monitoring and service, don’t pay for it.
If IT isn’t a critical function of your business. Could your business survive for an afternoon if your system crashed? If brief downtime won’t significantly hinder your business, you probably don’t need to pay for IT services that guarantee repairs within a few hours. Determine what your business absolutely needs in terms of reliability and responsiveness, and select an IT solution in line with your critical needs.
If you have fewer than ten employees. When you’re running a very small business, you have less equipment and hardware to worry about. With very few employees, you probably only need basic IT support and hardware controls to effectively and affordably manage your team. You will still need reactive on-call service to support your network if you have a problem, but proactive maintenance tracking programs might be overkill.
Let Modern Office Methods IT Service Group help you to focus on your end user’s business continuity by keeping your employees working and productive with our Managed IT Services. Check out all of our Managed Network Services and contact us for more information at info@momnet.com.
Knowing which IT missteps are commonly made by small businesses can help you avoid making these same blunders. Here are some of the most frequently made IT mistakes to avoid:
• Failing to Protect Your Data – Your company’s data is invaluable, so there is no excuse for not keeping that information safe and sound. Is your confidential data safeguarded against potential security breaches? Are you prepared for an emergency, such as theft, fire, flood, or server failure? Are your files and records backed up for disaster recovery purposes? Adequately protecting your data includes physical security (a firewall), network security (anti-virus/spyware), and backing up your information. In addition, regularly educate and update your employees about Internet and mobile security and safety.
• Not Changing with the Times – Technology is always changing, and businesses must keep up on the latest innovations and products to stay ahead of the competition. Keeping current with the latest technologies can help prevent your company from ending up with outdated, inefficient equipment and software.
• Choosing the Wrong IT Provider – The right IT provider doesn’t just sell you equipment; they manage that equipment, as well. They have the goals of your company in mind and proactively provide solutions to help you achieve those goals.
• Employing Unreasonable Password Requirements – Passwords are essential, but your password policy must be reasonable to be effective. While weak or non-existent passwords are unacceptable, making your requirements so strict that employees must resort to writing passwords on sticky notes undermines your policy.
• Leaving Everything in One Employee’s Hands – You might be impressed that a single person in your office knows all of your passwords and how everything works, but you could be setting yourself up for an enormous problem. What would you do if that employee decided to leave, or became incapacitated due to illness or injury? As the saying goes, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
Don’t fall into the same traps that many small businesses do when it comes to managing their IT. Avoid these common mistakes to help keep your company up and running as efficiently as possible. For more information about MOM's IT Services, visit our website at www.momnet.com/Managed-Network-Services.
Cloud-based applications can be very convenient, especially for accessing or sharing information when working remotely. However, precautions must be taken to protect sensitive information.
Here are a few steps you can take to protect your cloud assets:
Educate the masses. Cloud services are often adopted at the top levels of a business or within specific workgroups, without consulting individual department managers or IT staff. But, it’s critical that end-users understand how to safely use cloud applications before they are adopted to avoid any potential threats. Proper employee training and frequent email reminders regarding secure use of cloud-based applications or files helps to ensure the safety and security of your network and your business.
Know your cloud use. Many companies are unaware of the cloud services their employees are using. According to cloud security firm Netskope, 90 percent of all cloud applications are not sanctioned by IT. This opens the door for data breaches, data loss, and account hijacking—which, are generally regarded as the top three threats to cloud computing. Organizations and employees should be aware that simple Internet registration systems, phishing, and fraud schemes can allow a hacker to take control of your account. Thankfully, keeping firewalls updated and teaching employees about best practices regarding cloud usage can easily prevent most of these threats.
Protect your files, wherever they are. You can lock down access on mobile devices, but this won’t protect your information if it’s synced to the cloud. Instead, focus on protecting the files themselves with consistent security encryption policies to ensure control. You decide who can view, modify, or print your files, whether they are on a laptop, mobile device, or desktop computer.
As hackers continue to experiment with new ways to attack, it's important for all businesses to mitigate the risks associated with cloud computing by educating stakeholders, investing in data protection, and using encryption safeguards when possible. Cloud security is serious business, so make sure you take the time to get it right.
Contact us today at info@momnet.com to learn about cloud-based applications that can help grow your business, and the security solutions that can keep them secure.
Modern technology has made many aspects of life more convenient. However, as with anything else, along with the pros there are inevitably cons. With so much of our lives conducted online, hackers are waging a non-stop war in attempt to gain access to your personal information. Strong passwords are your first line of defense against troublemakers, so make sure yours are up to par.
Strong passwords include:• At least eight characters
• Both uppercase and lowercase letters• One or more special characters (such as $, *, !)
To create a strong password, be sure to leave out:
• Names of any kind (your name, your pet’s name, your child’s name)
• Accessible personal information like your date of birth, social security number, etc.
• Numerical sequences, such as 12345
• Words that exist in dictionaries
• The word ‘password’
Finally, protect yourself even further by changing your passwords periodically, and by creating strong login names, as well. For more information regarding IT Security visit MOM at www.momnet.com/Managed-Network-Services.
