If you work in a small business, you know that employees usually wear several hats. With most small and medium sized businesses without a dedicated IT support department, that leaves one question: who is running your office network?

Many business owners get a network going, either by setting it up themselves or hiring someone to install and configure it. When it’s up and running, they expect it to keep going, sort of like an air conditioner. They rarely give it any thought unless something goes wrong. Networks however, need consistent and reliable maintenance to stay productive and keep a business running smoothly. In fact, business networks require maintenance in three critical areas:

1. Security – You’ve likely seen headlines in the newspapers about various companies being hacked or new security vulnerabilities found in various operating systems. Yet time after time, surveys of small business owners show that they have no system in place for updating their antivirus software, firewall, or operating system. Updating software on a regular schedule can help to keep the company’s network safe from security breaches.
2. Access Control – Network access is an often overlooked part of network security and maintenance. If all employees have full access to everything on the network, it becomes easy for employees to access information like their coworkers’ salary, medical claims, and performance evaluations. It also means plans for new products are vulnerable because anyone with access to a company computer could access and share the files with someone outside the company. Limiting employee access to just the files and folders they need to do their job can strengthen the security of your business’s network.
3. Data Protection – Backups are the final area where maintenance really matters. We tend to set up backups and then forget about them until we’re in a real jam and need them. Yet some people are surprised to find that their backups stopped working at some point, and they’ve lost files for the past six months. This can happen if the backup hard drive becomes full, or if there are new directories for projects that weren’t included in the original backup schedule. It’s important for someone in your company to be responsible for regularly checking to make sure backups are being made and that there is a disaster recovery plan in place in case of an unforeseen circumstance.

Just because you are a small business, doesn’t mean you have to skip having a dedicated IT staff. While in-house IT staff can be expensive, it can be affordable to outsource your IT needs to a reliable and professional company. With on-site and 24 hour support available, you can rely on their knowledge and expertise when you come across a problem that you are unable to fix on your own and can rest assured that your technologies are being monitored properly.

Learn more about managed IT services today by calling Syndeo Communications at 760-650-3300 and safeguard your business’ technology and infrastructure.