This year a number of emerging trends in technology have had an impact on how people do business. Cloud service and data management providers have been running the show, due to the increased threat to cybersecurity. Advances in production have been made with the introduction of artificial intelligence, and many fields have benefited from automated transactions.
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No matter how big or small our business, or what sector we are in, IT is vital to keep us running. When it’s going well, we take it for granted but the second something goes wrong, we realize the impact on our business is enormous. In some cases bringing our whole company to a standstill.
There are lots of ways this can happen. Your server could crash, or you could have a massive power cut. Data storage can malfunction, leaving you with a monumental crisis on your hands. The impact can cost you a fortune, and your business could permanently lose vital data.
When your IT fails, the stress between it going down and coming back online can make time almost standstill. Even if you were offline for a few hours, it could feel like days. You won’t be able to work on essential tasks, and if you have employees, they will be sitting around struggling to do any work. This isn't easy if you are about to reach the end of a deadline for a client. Stress levels go up along with financial costs, and productivity goes down.
One of the worst issues is data. If you have an outdated server or an overloaded server, then you could end up with a complete system freeze or even full crash. This could lead to corrupted or lost data which is a disaster. There is a lot of pressure for Healthcare IT providers to keep systems, like pacs systems, alone because a loss of data in the healthcare sector could be fatal for patients. Additionally, any company that has payment information for clients online would have huge issues in the event of a crashed server.
There are legal issues too. You could be prosecuted if you lose your client's data. This would add even more costs to the mounting problems that have already come your way.
Avoiding IT failures is something you need to hire a professional for. There are things you can do yourself, especially if you run a small business. Make sure you have a secure cloud-based infrastructure. This will ensure everything is backed up and stored in a safe place. You can access this from anywhere in the world at any time. You should also ensure you are up to date with all cybersecurity systems to avoid failure due to someone hacking your systems or accessing all your data.
Research all the possible issues that could affect your business and build a solid contingency plan. Prevention is always better - and cheaper than a cure. You need to understand everything that could go wrong, why and how. Once you have that knowledge, you feel a little less lost when things go wrong. If you don’t use an IT management team, get to know someone local and reliable that can get to your business in an emergency. That way, you will limit your staff's downtime and get back up and running as quickly as possible.
In this day and age, the majority of us are technically sound. Over the past decade, pieces of hardware and the applications they hold have slowly crept into our society. Those that were vehemently against the idea of making everything mechanized are even taking part in the advanced world we’re living in. The 21st Century is well and truly remarkable.
That said, as a business person or an aspiring entrepreneur, you’re going to want to take full advantage of the digital age. You might be able to get away with making money the old fashioned way, but these days you’ll get to where you want to financially much quicker with the help of technology. There are even firms out there with one purpose: to help you out technologically – and you might want to consider soliciting a few of these!
So, what’s on offer? What kinds of businesses or freelancers can you acquire that can send your business (or potential business) on an upward trajectory? Well, here are five for you to think about:
Web Designers
All businesses need a website. Sure, not all of them do, but those are dying breeds – they’ll be swallowed before long by companies that are well into the 21st Century. That said, it’s good to have an experienced and accomplished designer backing up your businesses with a gorgeous website. You’ll be able to create a simple one yourselves using modern software, but would you rather get a pro to help or use your own amateurish efforts? Easy answer.
Marketing Agencies
Marketing is what’s going to get people staring at your work. You can have the most attractive and necessary product/service, but if nobody will see it, then there’s no need to even bother creating it. Everyone has a spot of creativity in their arsenal, but it’s not exactly something we can ALL accomplish. That’s why marketing agencies that want to help us are around. They’ll specialize in helping you build your brand and get yourself noticed. Social media, banner ads, SEO, and all kinds of different strategies are part of their collective repertoire.
Managed Support
You’re not completely invincible, and your computer systems are not exactly the most impenetrable pieces of equipment on the planet. You are susceptible to malicious online attacks whenever a hacker sees fit, unfortunately. That’s why it’s probably wise to get some high-quality i.t. support to supplement your business – especially when the business has grown a little. Managed IT support from an established IT firm will basically mean you’ll have guardian angels watching over you. The payments may be a put-off at the start, but it would be worth it – and, as we mentioned before, the bigger and more valuable you become, the more of a target you become.
Graphic Designers
As well as web designers, graphic designers would also come in handy. The brand itself, the logo, and everything that needs to be nice on the eyes should be taken into account. Humans are picky and judgmental – if they don’t like what they see initially, then they can be put off for good. Make sure those first impressions are great by using an artist that has honed their craft.
It’s all well and good knowing about the different kinds of IT threats you can come across and how to deal with them, but before you can do that, you must first be able to detect them on your servers.
Spotting a threat early, or even just a vulnerability that can lead to a threat means that you can consistently keep your systems safer and more secure. Detecting them soon is integral to maintaining servers and systems that remain immune to the effects of threats and can keep running smoothly without any issues.
Even the most secure of security systems can have small things slip through the cracks, so it’s essential that you know to spot them.
There have been many cyber-attacks and security breaches over the years, and you can use the information on these attacks to your advantage. Technologies like antivirus protection utilize this information to detect and inform you of any known threats.
This type of data is perfect for detecting attacks from known sources or threats, but you will need to combine it with other detection techniques to be able to identify unknown threats.
EDR, Endpoint Detection, and Response is an effective security tool and solution which detects and analyses suspicious activity on a host or endpoint. It not only analyses individual threats but as an ongoing solution, it also identifies patterns within risks to better detect other threat activity. This allows it to detect threats faster which means you can resolve the threat before it becomes a real issue for your data.
Installing EDR from McAfee to your network is a great way to detect oncoming threats. It will even send you an automated response to notify you of any threats that it does detect.
Unfortunately, sometimes waiting for a threat to appear in your system can be too late. If you actively search for a threat, you can test it against your current protection method, and you will know if your detection methods are working accurately. However, this is an advanced tactic and it should be approached with caution.
A firewall is probably the most common and well-known type of threat detection and prevention and it is worth making use of one. It is an appliance that screens for dangerous activity or unauthorized access and automatically undertakes the appropriate reaction and solution. This type of detection is perfect for protecting the network itself and actively blocking any potential threats that it comes across.
Individual threat detection components will not be able to cover your entire network and servers by themselves, which is why it is important that you employ a combination of technologies to make sure that all of your bases are covered and prepared for any kind of attack.
Speed is integral to detecting and blocking all types of cyber threats, which is why protection systems that also possess the ability to automatically notify you or operate a counterattack towards detected threats are an essential part of your security system.
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