One of the most important reasons to engage a competent outsourced IT vendor is to protect yourself against emergencies. When earthquakes, floods, and other tragedies strike, the data that is lost in damaged drives and servers is often more valuable than the real estate and other physical holdings that need to be replaced.
It’s entirely possible that your technology – and the information it holds – represents your biggest vulnerability. Even worse, it doesn’t take a huge unforeseen event to lose it instantly and permanently.
Illustrate this point, we want to highlight a few all-to-common IT emergencies that can cause fatal harm to your business if you aren’t prepared for them.
Phishing and Hacking Schemes
These can take a number of different forms, from stolen identities to ransomware attacks. What they all have in common, however, is that you and your team are unlikely to see them coming. You think you’re just conducting normal business, or browsing the web, when a hacker is busy worming their way into your website or bank accounts behind the scenes.
There are lots of different ways to fight cyber attacks, of course, but simple prevention is the most important first step. With the right software, firewalls, and education in place your small business can become a hard target for online thieves. There still a small chance you could be affected, but it’s more likely that hackers will turn their attention to your less-prepared competitors.
Employee and Vendor Theft
We know you only want to hire the best people and give your employees the tools they need to succeed, but American businesses lose billions to employ and vendor theft every year. And, in the digital age these crimes of opportunity are becoming more technologically savvy.
You can fend off these kinds of losses by restricting access to sensitive hardware and data. Furthermore, you can put protections in place that make it difficult or impossible for unauthorized persons to see files they shouldn’t. You can even manage security permissions in real time, so you can restrict the flow of information (and money) when you’re trying to find answers or dealing with a newly-released staff member.
Equipment Damage and Data Loss
You could lose physical computers, phones, and other pieces of hardware in a fire or flood. You could also see them ruined by power surges, dust storms, heat buildup, and a number of other physical causes that might not be detected until it’s too late.
A good IT provider guards you against these possibilities by monitoring your systems 24/7. Additionally, they can tour your facilities, assist with installation, and put the right safeguards in place. And finally, your IT team will offer different warranties and protection plans so you always have the option to get up and running if you suddenly lose access to equipment you rely on to run your company.
Is Your Small Business Really Protected?
At Fantastic IT, we don’t just provide our clients with friendly and responsive help desk service. We also prepare them for the challenges of running a modern company, which include detailed backup and disaster recovery plans. To see how we can help you to protect your company from unknown threats, natural disasters, and every day emergencies, contact us to schedule a free consultation.