Who's Looking Out for Your Network?

Today I want to talk about the importance of using a consistent IT services provider.  Every business out there relies on some type of technology to make their business run, whether it is your phone system or your computer network.

At CMS, we work with a variety of customers both large and small.  Some customers employ their own IT personnel and simply rely on us as a provider of equipment and backup support, while others depend on us fully for managed services, using us as their "offsite IT department".  Regardless of your size and budget, having a local IT company that you consistently work with is important, and here is why.

Knowledge of your Network! 

Working each time with the same company, they will learn your network.  They will be better educated on the layout and design of your network, the applications that your employees use and the security policies in place.  If you're not using the same business to resolve your issues, each problem will cost you in additional time to pay for a learning curve.

 Elimination of Problems Before They Occur

 

Because there is a familiarity with your business and your network, your IT provider can help you eliminate problems before they occur.  They are more capable of seeing a device with declining performance if they are always the ones to work with it.  And as we know, fixing a problem is much quicker at the beginning than it is in the end, which can reduce your down time.

The Trust Relationship

 

Finally, it all comes down to trust.  Your IT provider should understand the nature of your business and only have your best interest at heart.  Your goal is to run your business as efficiently and effectively as possible, and your IT company should be up to the challenge to make that happen.

Sometimes, it may seem like it is salespeople just trying to make a sell, and we understand that getting your network up to standard can be expensive at first. However, we can say that customers who trust us and make the investment are more productive and suffer less downtime.

We encourage you to find a local IT provider in your area that you trust, check out their reputation with other customers, and build a relationship that will strengthen your business.  If you are in the Southeast Texas area and are looking for someone, visit with us and ask us questions.  We are always happy to meet new faces.

The Value of Managed IT Services

So, What is "Managed IT Services"?

We like to call it...your virtual IT department.  Imagine staffing an entire company just to be your IT support, but not having to worry about training, employees calling in sick, or any other issues with an in-house staff.  Managed IT services means that you have access to an entire technology company when you need it, staff who is watching and proactively protecting your business data and network.

Here's How Your Business Can Benefit from Managed Services.

Remote Support - Most managed services providers will offer some type of remote support. Here's your scenario....

It's the end of the month and Sally comes to work to get payroll done. She turns on her computer first thing in the morning, opens an email attachment from a "customer", and sees an alarming pop-up on her screen, warning her that her PC has been infected and to immediately click below to fix her computer.

Instead of clicking, Sally places a quick call to her IT support help desk so that her managed services support can gain remote access to her PC and verify that the popup is indeed part of the virus.  Being trained and familiar with this type of malware, they then properly remove any traces of the malware without the PC getting completely infected and Sally is able to go back to work.

If caught quickly before anything else was loaded into the PC, this call may have only taken 15-30 minutes of her time. Now, there are instances where things are worse and it does take longer, but Sally's issue was resolved without having to schedule an engineer to come out on-site, saving both money and time. After all, productivity in a business is what really matters.

Scheduling Priority - So what if Sally's PC was already infected beforehand. This may prevent IT staff from gaining remote access to her PC, because unfortunately, that is what malware does. Your IT company may offer their managed services customers a scheduling priority. Basically, your emergencies take priority over other minor IT calls from customers who may not subscribe to managed services.

Proactive Network Management - aka..."Stopping threats before they happen."

Monitoring software can help manage your network, notifying staff when your server is no longer connected to the internet or your business network.  They can also receive status updates on possible hardware failures, keeping your network running and preventing problems before they happen.

Let's not forget to include email services that not only block SPAM, but blocks malicious programs that may try to enter your network through a email link or fake attachment.  What if Sally's virus-infected fake email was blocked before entering her email client?  She would have never seen the threat.

Management of your network security through your firewalls, routers, and even your antivirus software can prevent threats from ever entering the playing field as well.

Other benefits of managed services can include:

• Disaster recovery planning & data backup management
• 3rd Party vendor management & assistance
• Software updates and Microsoft patch management 
• and more depending upon your IT company's profile

How many people would you have to staff to take care of everything mentioned above?  

Don't forget, along with salaries, there's employee benefits to include. And the larger your company network is, the larger your IT staff would need to be to properly secure it.  So just maybe using a Managed IT services provider is what your business needs. And if you're not sure, find a local IT company like CMS IP Technologies that is willing to do a free evaluation of your network.

The New IT Challenge: "Medical Industry vs. Technology"

As technology has grown by leaps and bounds, so has the threat of compromised data. Imagine your medical records at your doctor’s office…they contain all your personal information including your date of birth, your social security number and address, not to mention every medical condition that you may have had. Patient records are the “all you can eat buffet” of cybercriminals.

So Why Not Work With Technology

Using technology in a smart way can be your greatest ally. Properly controlled firewalls and anti-virus software can help prevent a majority of unwanted programs from installing on workstations. Firewalls with security policies in place can limit your staff from visiting website unrelated to the work environment, which is one of the leading causes of malware & viruses. A professional IT staff can work with you to create policies that provide both access and security.

Managing your network security must include your server. Your server is the hub of your network, but where is it located? Is it accessible to just anyone walking by? The same can be asked about your computers. When your staff walks away from their station, is the screen locked, requiring a password?

And that leads to the Ultimate Question, “How secure is your password?”

According to SplashData, a California-based security-app producer, the most common password for 2013 was ‘123456’. This entry moved up a spot, replacing the previous number one password, which is simply ‘password’. Others in the top 25 included ‘12345678’, ‘qwerty’, ‘abc123’, ‘123456789’, ‘111111’ and well… you get the idea.

A simple rule, the easier the password, the less work that needs to be done to gain access.

So what’s the Solution?

Using a managed services provider such as CMS IP Technologies can take a big load off your worries. You want an IT provider that is a HIPAA compliant business associate. They will know what is expected of your network security, how to manage the details, and can assist in educating your users in best practices.