IT Support for Small Business: 5 Ways It Can Help Avoid Network Design Flaws to Prevent Cyber Security Breaches
With cybercrime estimated to cost $6 trillion worldwide by 2021, it is become the biggest threat to businesses and everyday people. Small businesses with no in-house IT department can find themselves at greater risk for these types of crimes because of outdated software and no knowledge of the latest threats.
IT support for small business is an essential service to keep your business safe. As cybercrime becomes more lucrative, it also becomes more sophisticated. No longer will you discover a virus by seeing pop-ups. Most of the time, you will not realize an attack has happened until it is too late.
You do not have to spend a lot of money to hire an in-house IT team, though. Outsourcing your security to experts gives you the peace of mind you need to run a business. With external IT support, you can enjoy the latest technology, 24/7 protection, and fast response times to any potential threats.
If you run a small business and want to protect yourself and your clients from cyber breaches, check out these five ways that IT support can help.
1. Centralize Security
When you start a business, it is common to buy services as you need them. When it comes to your IT network, this process might mean you end up with services from many providers.
When your firewall comes from one provider, your VPN (virtual private network) from another, and your email security from a third, you are putting your business at risk.
Cyber-attacks frequently attack several parts of your IT system at the same time. With IT services from different companies, it becomes much harder to track and identify cyber threats.
When you use one IT support service for all your security and system needs, you can take advantage of their Unified Threat Management (UTM) system.
A UTM contains everything your business needs to stay safe in one console. It will offer:
- Anti-spam
- Anti-malware
- Antivirus
- Firewall
- Intrusion detection and prevention
- VPN
By covering all your security bases, a UTM is a powerful tool that can identify threats and prevent them from accessing your network.
2. Keeps Software Updated
Remembering to keep your software updated is vital to network security. Outdated software can contain weak spots. Software companies regularly issue updates when they become aware of new cybersecurity threats to fix these weak spots.
Staying on top of updates is difficult, especially if you have different types of software and outdated operating systems. Manually updating each machine takes time and requires an IT professional to ensure it is done correctly, which is a challenge for small businesses everywhere.
An IT support provider will manage your updates, keeping your systems safe.
3. Email Monitoring
No matter how aware we all are of phishing emails and strange-looking links, it is still common for workers to open email viruses. Emails and links are becoming harder to recognize, and it is easy to believe they are legitimate.
When you download or click a link in a spam email, a virus has free reign to infect not only that machine but your business’ entire network as well. With access to client emails, Microsoft Office files, financial sheets, and more, these types of viruses can be dangerous.
You might think that cybercriminals would aim for larger companies with higher turnovers, but the studies disagree. It is reported that 43% of cyber-attacks are aimed at small businesses. This reality is partly because small businesses are easier targets due to a lack of IT support.
IT support services monitor your network and emails to check for cybersecurity breaches. This option enables you to have an extra layer of protection when accessing emails and helps you protect your clients’ privacy.
4. System Backups
We have all heard that we must back-up our work in case our computer crashes or the broadband goes down, but what about business data?
Security breaches and physical disasters, such as fires, can compromise your data. While proactive cybersecurity is essential to minimize the risk of attacks, criminals are constantly creating new methods to hack into business systems.
Even small cyber-attacks can cost businesses a huge amount of money. These attacks can also cause consumers to lose trust in your business. With comprehensive off-site data back-ups, you can still access your business’ data if something goes wrong.
Having IT support that includes secure back-ups will prevent you from losing your data.
5. Disaster Recovery
Whenever there is a disaster, either natural or from a cyber-attack, you need to know that your business can continue to operate. Creating a disaster recovery plan is essential, no matter how small your business is.
When it comes to IT services, having an IT support provider who can implement a disaster recovery plan could save your business. You need a plan that involves data recovery and business continuity, so disasters have a minimal effect on your business.
A solid disaster recovery plan from an IT support provider will include the resumption of access to all the systems you need to keep operating. From software and data access to servers and connectivity, a professional plan means you will not have to shut down.
Should a disaster happen, be it a cyber attack or not, your IT support provider will implement the recovery plan within the plan’s timescale and get your business back on its feet.
Stay Safe with IT Support for Small Business
As a small business, there is no need to have an in-house IT department. It can be far more efficient to outsource to an expert IT support company to keep your business safe.
From centralizing your security systems to backing up your data, IT support will help you keep your business safe. Malware and viruses are always changing, requiring expert management and the latest prevention technology. By using IT support for small business security, you do not have to spend your time worrying about what updates you need.
If you are looking for expert IT support services that will help keep your business safe, get in touch with us today. We offer comprehensive IT support that suits your exact needs at a price that works for your budget.
Sagacent Technologies offers technology management and support, including proactive/preventative maintenance, onsite and offsite data back-ups, network and security audits, mobility solutions, disaster planning and emergency business resumption services. The company serves clients of 10 to 150 employees within the Silicon Valley region.
