Network Essentials: What Is No Longer Optional

Cyber-Necessities for your business

When we look at our enterprise expenses, oftentimes we tend to separate them between wants, needs, and luxuries. For example, we may want to have a brand-new trucking fleet, however we need to have our existing fleet maintain, and that pool table in the break room, well, that’s a luxury. What about when it comes to our networks? We know the networks themselves are necessities, but what about incidentals. Do we need an in-house IT guy? Must we have a help desk? Should we have a VCIO? While those are all logical questions, there are two main things that your business absolutely needs, proper security, and proper data backup, that not all MSP’s and IT personnel can properly provide.

It can not be stated enough that your data is the lifeblood of your business. It’s how you track your revenue, your employees, and your growth. It contains all of your important filings, from employee and customer records to your tax records. Therefore, it makes sense that you want to make sure that this important data is backed up on more than one device, just like in the paper days you would have multiple copies of all your important documents squirreled away in filing cabinets. Your managed services partner or IT personnel should be

aiding you in being on top of this.

Cloud technology is a necessity in this day and age as it not only allows your business to stay connected wherever you are, but it also allows you to keep your data offsite, and away from catastrophe. Onsite, you should be implementing backups as well. Utilizing external hard drives and other hardware, you want to maintain a proper backup protocol for

your data. There are reason these methods are what can be referred to as failsafe. Having a proper partner such as Delval Technology Solutions can help you avoid confusion and the hurdles that pop up to doing a proper failsafe data backup. They can not only advise you, but also implement proper systems, be it onsite hardware, or software-based solutions such as the cloud. This helps you avoid having excess downtime and anxiety over what happens if you lose your data. On top of implementing the system, they can also run maintenance and tests to ensure that if you ever do need to employ these backups, they are ready to go.

Ransomware, malware and other cyber attacks of all shapes and sizes are on the rise. You and your employees are most likely inundated with phishing emails, be it on your personal or business accounts. Hackers are fighting to turn company data into commodities on the dark web. Nowdays, cyber security can’t just be handled by basic firewalls and antivirus software. You need to be vigilant and treat security like you do HR, payroll, and everything else you need to succeed in business.

Consumer and employee trust is a vital component to a successful business. Breaches in your network can cause irreparable damage to your enterprise as well as your reputation. Cyber-crime has evolved. What used to be limited to highly skilled operators has morphed into an as-a-service network where everyone from computer experts to novices can partake in attacks on your network. For these reasons, you need to have someone in your corner that takes your cyber security as their full time job.

If you have IT personel in your company, take the time to ask yourself “What is this person’s expertise?” While some may be well versed in data backup, or fantastic at troubleshooting, they may not be experts in cyber security. This is why partnering with an MSP who focuses on cyber-security may be a crucial move for your business. These MSP’s, such as the good people of Delval Technology Solutions, don’t merely just check your network periodically. They can also train your staff on how to be security minded,

often with varied monthly training courses to keep them on the lookout for intruders. Also, they can test your system to see what holes can be accessed by cyber criminals.

Real time monitoring is also offered by security minded MSP’s. This means that not only are they maintaining your firewalls and anti-virus and anti-malware software but monitoring your network minute by minute to ensure that you are protected, and if there is a breach, it can be stopped before it wreaks havoc on your network. Finally, it’s important to realize that you must be on the right side of the law in order to properly run your business.

Compliance is a sector that can not be overlooked. Violating acts such as SOX, HIPAA and the like can cost you not only thousands if not millions of dollars, but also can

destroy consumer confidence. It’s not always an easy task. Compliance is an ever-changing thing. Each year, new laws and acts are passed, some federal and others on the

state level. Having someone watching out for you to keep your company compliant isn’t something that you can go without.

As a business owner, your eyes are always on the bottom line. However, you must not only look short term. Every decision you make in regard to what is necessary and what is optional can cause a ripple effect, be it positive or negative. Stay on top of your bottom line and on top of your game. Don’t cut corners on things that can be the difference maker between being a flash in the pan, or a long-term player in your industry.