First question, and I am sincere when I ask: Is your business network secure? Do you know that for sure, or are you thinking that must be the case because nothing has gone wrong for a while? I ask because it’s my business to know if my managed IT service clients are vulnerable to this latest and most frightening cyber-attack, and I’m pretty confident they are all protected. Folks, it’s going to happen to you someday. I think we have moved past the point of “it only happens to the big guys” or “it only happens in the cities”. This constant barrage of cyber intrusions into business networks has become as constant and as predictable as pickpockets in tourist areas.
Second question: How do you make the changes necessary to keep your now-all-important networked business system secure? It’s not necessarily just a one-time quick fix, like putting a deadbolt on the front door. Cyber security is now a major line item in the budget of every business that relies on computers to be successful. I think that by now, that includes just about everyone in business.
Managed IT service experts can help
But this current threatening situation does not have to be overwhelming, nor does it have to mean an SBA loan to pay for it. You start with an assessment from a reputable IT management company, like Aptica LLC, and you let the experts determine your starting point to safety. All companies like Aptica understand working with a budget and there are no lofty expectations that any business owner will run out and buy state of the art everything all at once. The key to successful IT management is the ability to predict what will happen next, based on what the situation is right now. When will you need new hardware? When should you upgrade your software? How do you keep your employees from blowing up your network from their offsite devices like smart phones and tablets?
Computers are no longer office equipment like typewriters used to be. As the use of the internet continues to grow and to become more complex, the world keeps getting smaller and smaller. Someone in the Ukraine can now access all your valuable data and your confidential client information. Someone from North Korea can capture your systems and demand payment before a possible release. Ransomware. It’s here to stay, and if you open for business of any kind, you can be assaulted. And assaulted more than once.
We start with a conversation
At Aptica, we are masters at planning and budgeting. We not only handle a crisis when it arises, we work hard to predict them and prevent them. We can walk you through what you need to protect what you have now and what you will have. Let us help you understand the threats and the defenses. It can start with your questions about what to do next. Call me. 260.243.5100, ext. 2001.
Jason Newburg, 260.243.5100, ext 2001, is the founder and owner of Aptica LLC. This IT support and management company has been serving small to medium sized businesses for 15 years in the area that includes Angola, South Bend, and Fort Wayne, IN and Battle Creek, MI.