Don’t Sweat the IT: Stay Secure with IT Services Management

At some point, every organization will experience unplanned and unavoidable expenses. For instance, the company vehicle might blow a tire on the far side of town or the air-conditioning might break in the heat of summer. Similarly, the server can fall prey to malware, paralyzing operations at a moment’s notice. However, while the first two may make a day more stressful, the last can prove fatal. Here’s how to avoid cybercriminals year-round with IT services management.

What is IT Services Management?

Just like when the air conditioning quits on a 100-degree day or when a network goes down on a busy workday, it gets people’s attention. It is an urgent problem, and many companies will pay whatever it costs to get their core business functions up and running again.

However, that is an expense which is entirely avoidable – even preventable. IT services management, also referred to as managed IT services, is one strategy many companies adopt to avoid a server going down in the first place. In other words, a managed IT service is the introduction of a third-party team of experts to develop and maintain a company’s IT infrastructure.

RJ Young provides managed IT services for one flat monthly fee to provide typical IT services to businesses, including strategic IT planning, monitoring, incident management, anti-virus protection, backup/disaster recovery, cloud storage software, and help desk support. This flat monthly fee is to avoid any unexpected disasters and to help take care of smaller matters as they arise.

The chief benefits of managed IT services are:

• Predictable and reduced IT expenditures. Clients will enjoy strategic IT planning, monitoring, cybersecurity, and service requests at a fraction of the cost of developing in-house infrastructure.

• Reduced downtime. IT services management helps make sure that the infrastructure stays up and running to reduce disruptions in business operations. Having a managed IT network means your network downtime is handled immediately, and systems are restored rapidly.

• Internal focus on high-value initiatives. A managed IT service provider takes care of the routine tasks of keeping software up-to-date, servers patched, and data backed up so that internal employees can stay focused on high-impact activities which drive continual improvement.

• Strategic technology planning. Businesses grow and change—so do their technology needs. Managed IT services build custom solutions with growth in mind to ensure that a company will always have what it needs as well as planning for the future.

• Enhanced security. Every breach event may seem like a new, creative attack on an organization. However, there are few things seasoned cybersecurity professionals have never seen. Managed IT services mean businesses get the right tools with the best security to keep valuable company data safe. Route audits can help your company reduce the risks of potential security breaches.  IT service management can also help businesses stay IT compliant with government mandates including Sarbanes-Oxley, FERPA, HIPAA, and other industry privacy regulations.

Cyber Security Tips for the Holidays

Most cyberattacks happen between the dates of Black Friday and New Year’s Eve. In many industries, summer is the slow season for cybersecurity, as fewer major breaches have historically been documented. Here are a few tips to help your organization or business prepare for the holidays.

• Do a little late spring cleaning. Change old passwords, update the antivirus, and remove any user accounts which are no longer used.

• Get a shadow IT assessment. If employees have been installing or utilizing IT resources outside the view of the IT department, now is the time to rein it in and make sure no unnecessary security risks exist.

• Develop plans for increased security around holidays. Take the time to understand what sort of attacks typically occur during the holidays and develop a strategy to defeat them.

• Take time to educate staff on phishing attacks and cybersecurity. An educated staff is the best frontline defense. Make sure staff understand how to stay safe online and when handling data.

• Stay vigilant. Even during the holidays, cyberattacks are possible. Make sure your security team is adequately staffed during the holidays and that your organization or business is prepared for the increase in cyberattacks.

Get Started with an IT Assessment Today

With the holidays quickly approaching, businesses should start preparing. Now is an as better time as any to reconsider an organization’s IT budget, strategy, and long-term trajectory – as well as prepare for the expected rise of cyberattacks during the holiday seasons.

Let RJ Young’s Managed IT Services team take care of your company’s security so that you can enjoy the holidays. Contact us today for an assessment of your IT infrastructure.