Businesses today use technology now more than ever. We know how valuable technology is for completing business processes, communicating with customers and team members, as well as for financials. So, our question today is: when was the last time you reviewed your technology infrastructure to see what can be improved? Technology is constantly changing, and any time you upgrade your technology, you heighten your business’s efficiency, productivity, and security.
When was the last time you evaluated your technology? Here are 3 items you should evaluate on a regular basis:
1. State of Your Hardware
If your computers are several years old and performing slowly, it might be time to purchase new hardware. A good practice for businesses is to get into the habit of buying a few machines each year to prevent having to replace all your computers at once. This will improve your business performance and keep employees happy.
2. What Protections are in Place
Every business should have anti-virus protections in place, as well as computers and software that are up to date. If these protections are already in place, you should be looking at reports for your anti-virus and operating system updates regularly. These will show problems with certain machines or users, as well as any vulnerable PCs that are behind on updates.
3. Firewall and Backups
The policies on your firewall should be reviewed to ensure there is no unwanted access to your network. The logs for your firewall can also be reviewed to determine if employees are visiting websites they should not and if there are certain threats continually trying to breach your network. Most importantly, be sure to test your backups. It is important to know your backups can be restored so you can get your business back up and running after a cyberattack or natural disaster.
If you take the time to perform these routine technology checks, you will increase your ongoing business productivity and security. Taking these precautions will also minimize your costs in the case of a virus or other unexpected technology issue you may encounter in the future.
If you have questions on any of these items, be sure to talk with your IT provider, or contact Imagineering. Remember, technology support shouldn’t be difficult, it should be local.
