It’s easy to assume that small businesses are immune from cyberattacks and cybercriminals only go after larger enterprises. However, these statements couldn’t be further from the truth. Businesses of all sizes and all industries are at risk — especially small businesses. In fact, according to research from Verizon, 61% of small to medium-sized businesses experienced a cyberattack in the past year.
As a small business owner, it can be difficult to determine what to prioritize when it comes to your IT needs. We understand every small business has different budgets and operational requirements, which can make it challenging to choose the right technology. In this blog, we’ll simplify the process and cover a few critical IT recommendations we believe every small business needs. Continue reading to learn more and, as always, feel free to reach out to us to discuss anything further.
As the cybersecurity landscape becomes increasingly complex, partnering with a trusted IT provider is an excellent way to support your business. Experienced MSPs will first assess your business to determine what’s working, what challenges you have, what your overall goals are, and what specific technology solutions can streamline your growth. From there, they’ll work with you to ensure your technology is implemented correctly and your team is supported every step of the way. Whether you’re looking to further assist your internal IT team or fully outsource your IT, the right MSP can work with both scenarios to create the ideal IT environment for your small business.
Most small businesses are concerned about the costs of working with a MSP, especially as prices everywhere continue to skyrocket. The reality is that working with an MSP is more cost-efficient (and time-efficient) than keeping your IT fully in-house. This is because you have an agreed-upon monthly rate for their services, rather than paying multiple vendors and/or paying an internal IT team. MSPs also have access to a network of quality, trusted vendors, which often translates to discounted technology prices. Plus, MSPs minimize downtime, which can save your business money in the long-run. And with Gartner finding the average cost of IT downtime is $5,600 per minute, you’ll want to ensure your downtime risk is mitigated.
Your small business needs a robust, multi-layered security strategy to keep your data and your team secure. From tools like Multi-Factor Authentication and Mobile Device Management to email security and cybersecurity awareness training, your business needs to implement a variety of security solutions to stay protected.
Here at AllConnected, we abide by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, which provides clear guidelines and practices that any business can follow to improve their cybersecurity posture. The Framework defines cybersecurity preparedness in a clear step-by-step process. Per the NIST framework, all businesses and organizations should:
According to NIST, “the Framework not only helps organizations understand their cybersecurity risks (threats, vulnerabilities and impacts), but how to reduce these risks with customized measures. The Framework also helps them respond to and recover from cybersecurity incidents, prompting them to analyze root causes and consider how they can make improvements.” This is why we utilize this Framework to help improve our clients’ cybersecurity defense. Learn more about how we use this framework.
Without your data, how would you run your business? Data is one of the most important aspects of all businesses, which is why data back-up and recovery solutions should be top of mind. Across the world, data breaches cost $4.35 million in 2022 according to the latest data breach report from IBM Security. Small Business Trends breaks this report down even further and warns that “small businesses are heavily impacted when a data breach occurs.”
In addition to strong data back-up technology, we recommend implementing robust data recovery solutions. Ensure these solutions are tested regularly to keep up with the changing threat landscape, too. Not only will recovery solutions prevent downtime, they will also prevent permanent data loss and compliance issues.
If you’re looking for a trusted IT partner who specializes in technology solutions for small businesses, consider AllConnected. We understand that IT services must be customized to fit your unique needs, which is why our smartConnect services can provide consultative approach for your small business, based on the industry-leading NIST 800-171 compliance mandate. We also offer webConnect to support your infrastructure, recoverConnect to protect and recover your data, and secureConnect to secure all aspects of your organization as supplemental solutions to complement your existing IT infrastructure.
Above all, our 20 years of experience and commitment to helping small businesses grow makes us the right choice for you technology needs. We look forward to customizing the best technology solutions for your small business. Contact us today to get started.