As IT professionals, we have seen our fair share of IT hiccups that can slow down your business. The good news is that many of these mistakes can easily be prevented with planning and some key strategies.
Let’s explore five frequent IT mishaps we see and how to avoid them.
- Data Loss due to neglecting backup solutions:
Things can go wrong with hardware failures, human error or cyberattacks, all causing a serious risk to your critical data. Data loss can be detrimental for many modern businesses as their data is their most critical asset. Regular data backups of all onsite and cloud software are a staple security measure for businesses to access their data in case of disaster.
When configuring backup software, consider the following: your data requirements, the necessity of continuous access, the choice between local and cloud backups, and the frequency of your backup schedule. - Ignoring Employee Security Awareness Training:
Even with the most locked-down infrastructure and robust security software, human error remains a significant security risk.
Team members who aren’t aware of phishing scams, password hygiene or social engineering tactics can accidentally cause a cyber breach for your business.
Investing in regular cybersecurity training and awareness can be critical for businesses and is a key factor in threat protection. Our Cyber Wise programme is designed from the ground up to be accessible for your team and designed to educate you on the best practices for the secure use of modern technology all whilst being unintrusive, providing training in bite sized chunks. - Falling behind on digital trends
The IT industry moves rapidly, with key business technologies constantly evolving. Clinging to outdated methods is leaving many businesses behind.
Emerging technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and automation can revolutionise your workflow and give your business a competitive edge.
It is critical to stay informed with dedicated resources that will benefit your business. Experimenting with new tools and exploring how they can streamline your operations is also another essential element.
CTRL-S dedicates extensive resources to keeping both our business and our clients updated on the latest trends, ensuring you are informed on how these trends can impact your operations, leading to a more productive and streamlined workflow. - Underutilising Existing Solutions
Many businesses have a wealth of feature-rich applications that they only use some of.
A common example of this is the Microsoft 365 suite, which provides a huge range of applications, from the basics such as email via Outlook to document and spreadsheet creation through Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and video conferencing via Teams. However, there are many lesser-known applications, such as Microsoft Booking for automated calendar booking or Microsoft Power Automate for automation and efficiency. Check out our previous blog, Maximising Office 365/SharePoint for Business Efficiency, for more details.
Harnessing the full functionality of your applications can not only increase efficiency and productivity but also reduce cost as you consolidate applications into a smaller overall suite. - Lacking a comprehensive disaster recovery plan
Despite making every effort to stay protected, IT incidents can still occur for any business and severely disrupt your operations. From a key application being unavailable to hardware failure or a cyber-attack, there are many different incidents that could plague your business’s operations. A well-defined disaster recovery plan will outline the steps your team will take to get back up and running quickly, with critical services prioritised, in the event of a cyberattack, natural disaster or other unforeseen event.
Developing a comprehensive disaster recovery plan can be resource-intensive but is essential for ensuring a swift resolution. Your plan should include detailed recovery procedures, communication protocols, and business continuity strategies to minimise downtime and ensure a smooth recovery. For further details, check out our previous blog, Preparing for the Unexpected: Building a Robust Disaster Recovery Plan.
By avoiding these common mistakes and implementing these solutions, you can ensure that your business has a strong IT foundation to support growth and protect your valuable assets.
Need a helping hand?
CTRL-S has a team of seasoned professionals on hand to aid your business with any of these common IT mistakes and prevent any further. Get in touch today to speak to our expert team.
