These days, doing business often involves offering products and services with the help of the internet. While the net has opened up businesses to far more consumers than ever before, it has also presented unique challenges. Threats such as hackers, viruses, malware, corporate spies and cyber criminals are serious issues. According to CBS News, 80 percent of businesses have been hacked. The simple fact is that you have to protect yourself. Here are some strategies you can use to identify and address your most pressing IT issues.
Data Loss
These days, most of a company’s competitive advantages can be found in its data. Unfortunately, according to statistics, 66 percent of data recovery attempts by businesses fail. Make sure your most important data is backed up in multiple locations including in the cloud. Even a simple lighting strike can wipe out data stored in one location.
Careless Employees
Human error is still a huge risk in regards to technology. There’s a lot that employees can do to expose a company to serious digital security threats. For example, employees may use passwords that are easily cracked or respond to phishing scams in a company e-mail. Overall, the only way to deal with such vulnerabilities is through cyber security training.
Lack of Encryption
Another serious problem occurs when hackers manage to make it into a company network and access important customer information such as credit card data. This often results in customers being fleeced for thousands or millions of dollars. One way to stop this from occurring is to ensure that such data remains encrypted while stored on company servers and while in transit.
Lack of Tech Support
IT professionals can be very expensive to employ full time. They are in high demand and ask for generous salaries and benefits. As a result, many business owners go without tech support and try to do it on their own. Without expert knowledge, however, your digital security can suffer. Instead, consider outsourcing to Ottawa managed services or other local IT businesses that may be available to you.
Poor Website Design
You also need to consider website design. Poor design can certainly hurt sales. Make sure your website design is aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. Ensure that your website is mobile optimized as well as search engine optimized. If it isn’t, users may have trouble browsing or even finding your site.
Overall, IT is extremely important to running a successful business these days. Make sure all your bases are covered. If you don’t, the price for your company’s bottom line can be severe.
Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.rn
