Do you have a grip on your IT or does it have a grip on you? Don’t let the common, everyday problems and frustrations of IT run your business ragged. Instead, get a grip on your IT with this proven formula to improve your IT management- The IT Operating System.
The IT Management System
Backup and Recovery – The first layer of the IT Operating System is backup and recovery. To ensure that your business’s data is safe you must have a regular backup and recovery process in place. A good rule of thumb is to use the 3-2-1 rule. This means that you should have three copies of data, in two different storage media and one off-site copy. This will go a long way in eliminating the single point of failure. To read more about the best backup and recovery practices, click here.
Security – The second layer of the IT Operating System is security. This might sound obvious but ensuring that you have firewalls, routers, wireless and unified threat managers in place is extremely important in today’s digital environment. Another key point to security is making sure that your staff has next-generation antivirus protection. Lastly, compliance such as HIPAA, PCI, etc., is more important than ever. We would love to help you navigate your security management! Ready to assess where you stand? Click here for a free technology assessment.
Infrastructure Management – Infrastructure management is the third layer of The IT Operating System. To operate your business to maximum efficiency, you must have switches, UPSs, printers, scanners and network storage up to date. It’s also vital to have constant monitoring to avoid all downtime possible. Here are a few additional tips for managing remote infrastructure.
Network Administration – The fourth layer of the IT Operating System is network administration. Managed IT service providers serve as a liaison between a client and their other vendors. Your time is valuable, so you shouldn’t have to worry about the extra time and stress of managing your vendors and network.
Help Desk – Do you have an IT team that has your back 24/7/365? What happens when something goes wrong? Or do you need a software update immediately? The fifth layer of the IT Operating System is having a help desk that provides end-user support and employee security training. You can learn more about the importance of employee awareness and training in preventing cyberattacks here.
CIO – Ultimately the IT Operating System boils down to the leadership and guidance of your business’s Chief Information Officer (CIO). Your CIO is responsible for providing a strong and secure technology strategy and roadmap, as well as helping you budget for technology and security upgrades and improvements.
After working with clients for 26 years, we have seen that the proven formula to improving cybersecurity is having a multi-layered approach that is secure and reliable. Want to learn more? Reach out to us here.