Your IT infrastructure is comprised of your hardware, software, network equipment, operating systems, and the facility where your hardware and cabling are housed.
Here are 5 crucial changes you should make to your IT environment in the new year. If you don’t manage your IT or don’t have these things already, you should work with a managed service provider who can implement these changes for you!
Get a Dedicated Help Desk
Having a team of IT specialists ready to assist you at any time is a necessity for any business. Employees can submit issues they are having via email, phone, or app and track the progress of their ticket until resolution.
For issues that can’t wait, a technician can be reached by phone and can talk you through the issue or remote into your computer to further investigate for themselves. Some help desks even offer 24/7 support.
At Shartega IT, we offer a US based help desk that is always ready to assist, even on weekends!
Implement Security Awareness Training
Your employees are your first line of defense against malicious attacks. Phishing emails have gotten more and more sophisticated, and it can be hard to know what to look out for when everything seems legitimate.
Having a yearly training program with phishing simulation is a great way to ensure your employees will not let their guard down when dealing with an organization’s private information.
Beef Up Security with Breach Detection
A breach detection tool is something that can detect malicious activity on a network in real time and alert you before any data theft goes too far. Of course, there are plenty of prevention methods to lessen the chance of a breach in the first place, but they are not perfect. Breaches still happen and your business must have a plan in place if one should ever happen to you.
Shartega IT has a partnership with Perch Security to offer breach detection in our Complete IT™ plan for our clients. Perch’s threat detection employs the use of a security operations center (SOC). We can tell you right away if someone has breached your network, endpoints, or email platform.
Upgrade Your Antivirus to Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
With more and more people working from home, endpoint security is now a critical component for cybersecurity. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is a security tool that goes beyond the typical reactive approach of a normal antivirus program.
Instead of scanning and comparing files to find ones that might be considered threats, an EDR program analyzes the behavior of users. When the program detects activity that is not typical, it can then take action to eliminate the threat.
Replace Your Aging, Outdated Hardware
Hardware doesn’t last forever. Some of us hang onto our personal computers and phones for longer to avoid spending the money for a new one. In the business world, computers and other IT equipment should be replaced according to a schedule depending on the age of the hardware and when support for the device will end.
If you can’t update your operating system to the newest version anymore because of the age of the computer, that creates a security vulnerability. Operating systems like Windows 7 and Windows 8 are no longer supported by Microsoft and should not be used in an office environment anymore.
If you’d like to get a survey of your IT environment and how it can be improved, have a chat with us!
