Put an “air bag” around your computer network

image-airbagWould you let your son or daughter get into a car and drive away without fastening their seat belts?  Would you let your husband or wife buy a new car that did not have air bags?    Would you think nothing of going off on a long trip knowing that your front tires are bald or your brakes are in dire need of replacement?    The answers to all those questions are obvious:  Of course you would not!  A reasonable man or woman would certainly not.  Why?  Well because you care about your life and those of your family.  Those people are all irreplaceable.

Then why do some reasonable men and women not take similar precautions with the hardware, software and data that make up their computer networks?  Well, if they really considered it, they would not.  Of course, we are not comparing or equating a human life with business data.  But if lost, both are irreplaceable.   So we encourage business leaders to be proactive in protecting themselves, their businesses and the technology they use to operate their business.

The fact is that too many organizations, big and small are taking enormous risks every day with their businesses.   Either they are not keeping their computer hardware and software up to date or they are forgetting how much they rely on their computers for the successful functioning of their business.   Many are not preparing plans on what to do when a business or technology disaster strikes.  

We have seen too many instances where business owners have taken those risks and lost. The most recent instances we are seeing relate to businesses that have not taken action to rid themselves of outdated computer workstations that still run the Windows XP operating system.   This OS is no longer supported by Microsoft as of April of this year.   That meant from that point on, it was “open season” for hackers and criminals to scour the internet, find XP machines, and attack.    Do not think that your business is too small to be a target. We have seen small organizations get hit and lose all their data due to virus and hacker attacks.   The result:   lost time and expense to try to recover data which incredible cost pressure on the P&L.

Our intent is not to scare you, but to prepare you and encourage you to be proactive in protecting yourself and your business.   We can help, even if it is just to have a conversation to learn more about what you are doing and identify risks.  Our intent would be to provide you with a set of ideas and tools that can be that safety belt or air bag that can protect your businesses, wherever the road may lead.    Please feel free to reach out to us at IT Radix anytime. We are dedicated to your success.