A lot of businesses wait until something breaks before they fix it. And even then, they may take a “patchwork” approach to fixing the problem. They are reactive rather than proactive. Sometimes taking a reactive approach is fine, but other times, and depending on the circumstances, it can lead to even bigger problems.
When it comes to network security, for example, being reactive to problems can be downright dangerous. It’s not just hackers you have to worry about. There are power outages, data loss, equipment failure and more. In IT, a lot can go wrong. But if you’re proactive about cyber security, you can avoid many of those pitfalls.
Reactive IT support (sometimes disguised as a ‘Managed Service’) used to be the norm. Most network security specialists went to work after something went wrong. Unfortunately, some businesses still have this reactive mindset when it comes to their IT and network security. They have an “it won’t happen to me” attitude. The truth is that these are the people most at risk. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Hackers and cybercriminals are more active than ever, especially through this period of Covid-19 pandemic.
More and more IT services and security firms have the tools and resources to protect you BEFORE the worst happens. However, there is something missing in what they do that means they don’t always prevent issues from happening.
What if you could be assured that 99.9% of your vulnerabilities are identified PRIOR to any issues arising? If so, would you change to partner with them? But before we consider that why partner with an IT company anyway?
There are many reasons why it’s a good idea. One great reason that doesn’t often get talked about is that working with an IT services company is an added value for your customers. When they know you’re taking IT security seriously – and when they know their data is safe – their trust in you is boosted.
When you build trust, you build loyalty, and customer loyalty is getting harder to come by these days. Plus, happy, loyal customers are much more likely to refer you to others who may be in need of your services. That alone makes investing in proactive IT security worth it.
Here’s another reason why working with a proactive IT services firm makes sense: it’s MUCH easier than trying to do it yourself. Many small businesses simply don’t have the resources to hire an internal IT specialist or a team. Not only can that be very costly, but it’s also rarely practical. Think of it this way: if you hire an IT specialist to handle your network security, manage cloud backups and provide general IT support, then what happens when they take a day off or take a vacation?
Having a dedicated IT specialist on your team isn’t a bad thing, but they can be stretched thin very easily. You could be left with gaps in your support should anything go wrong. Suddenly, you don’t have anyone you can call. Working with a dedicated IT services firm solves these problems.
To take that a step further, a Technology Success company, like Vermont, focus on preventing issues before they become problems. They can catch things that might not have even been on your radar. For example, if you don’t have the basic Office365 security protocols in place, they’ll catch that. Maybe you’re saving data that’s not properly encrypted. They’ll catch that. Maybe you have an employee using software that’s months out-of- date. Again, they’ll catch that.
When you call up an IT services company and say you want to take a proactive approach to your network security, they should be willing and able to provide just that. But more importantly you’ve got to ask them HOW are they going to be proactive and they’ve got to be able to prove they can do it. An experienced firm will have a team with the training and experience required to tackle today’s cyber threats. But you just can’t rely on skill and experience, there has to be something more, otherwise you are leaving it to CHANCE!
The thing that 99% of IT companies don’t include in their service is any indication on HOW they are going to prevent vulnerabilities from happening. They might get back to you quickly when you call them for support for your Cyber Breach, but what if you didn’t have to call them at all?
Put an end to the outdated way of thinking about IT security and IT support. It’s time to be proactive and to recognise your company’s weaknesses before they become vulnerabilities. You just have to make the call to us to find out how we do it.