Implementing a cost effective IT strategy will benefit your business in countless ways.
For starters, it gives your employees the productivity tools they need to be successful, keeps employees educated on IT security, and keeps your business protected against security threats – inside and outside your network.
The big question is, where do you begin? We’ve taken the guesswork out of it by laying out the services you need to build a foundation that supports your critical business applications.
SECURITY PROTECTION
You need protection from outside and inside sources to keep all devices safe. Email phishing and wire fraud are real threats that can be very costly; and ransomware is the leading risk for data loss and corruption. To avoid these headaches, executing an appropriate security solution is key.
1. Educate your staff – train employees on how to detect threats and phishing emails, use strong passwords, and always secure devices with a PIN
2. Purchase a cloud – managed firewall with integrated threat prevention
3. Use a layered security solution that protects all devices
4. Encrypt your drives and keep your systems up to date
5. Ensure your solution is actively monitored with reporting options that show your current security risk level
Pro tip when purchasing a security solution:
Always buy software that is user-based versus device-based. A user-based license can be used on multiple devices so that your employees are protected on every device they use.
DATA BACKUPS
Part of a great security policy is an even better data backup policy. Don’t keep your most valuable asset – your data – in one location. Implement a cloud-based backup and disaster recovery service that will provide in-house data backup and restore capabilities. It’s also important to confirm your backup solution is being actively monitored and you receive easy-to-understand status reports. Always regularly test your backups.
A properly configured backup solution should always:
1. Protect against accidental deletion, system failure, and Ransomware
2. Allow your business to keep running in the event of a loss
3. Encrypt the backups to prevent data theft
4. Follow or exceed the 3-2-1 rule – have at least 3 copies of your data, 2 of which are local and on different mediums and 1 copy that is stored offsite
Pro tip when purchasing a backup solution:
Tell your IT provider: “I want a backup solution that protects all my systems and data, regardless of where they are.” Also, make sure that you establish how often you want your data backed up and that the backup solution is compatible with your in-house infrastructure.
EMAIL SOLUTION
Everyone uses email but what about security and collaboration? Employees are working from everywhere and teams still need to come together to get stuff done. Your e-mail solution must allow you to securely communicate with your staff and customers from any device at any time.
1. Use a cloud-based email solution for the highest security, most features, and most cost savings. Moving from in-house email to Office 365 saves up to 90% in admin and maintenance costs.
2. Take advantage of the collaboration capabilities for both internal communications and with your customers – instant messaging, document sharing, video, instant meetings, etc.
3. You don’t have to do it by yourself – work with a certified Cloud Partner for ease of administration and maintenance.
Pro tip when choosing an email service:
Make sure it has built in security, encryption, secure access from any device, multi-factor authentication, the ability to set policies to control access to files, and user based pricing so that you can have the service on multiple devices.
If you have any questions, are looking for additional information, or would like to discuss your IT strategy, please reach out to our sales team or give us a call at 941.556.4460. We’re happy to be a resource for your business.
