Often times we begin working with many of our clients because of a mistake made within their organization. Whether it was an employee opening an attachment from an unknown source, someone forgetting to update the anti-virus or firewall software, or a disgruntled past employee. Mistakes happen but these are the top 3 mistakes we see happening that can easily be avoided.
- Not Backing Up Your Data
We hear this ALL THE TIME! “I didn’t think anything would happen to me, I’ve never had any technology issues before!” It doesn’t matter if you have purchased the top of line equipment or the best security software, you are defenseless without the proper back-up data. Backing up your data is much simpler than it was in the past. With services like Axcient you can create a carbon copy of your business that is stored safely in the cloud. Axcient will run automatically as frequently as you want to back-up your business. That way no matter what happens you will not face downtime should an issue arise.
- Compliance Assumptions
We work with many organizations bound by HIPAA and PCI Compliance standards. Often times these organizations assume the vendors they work with are PCI and HIPAA compliant. We cannot stress this enough to double check your vendor agreements and contracts. PCI and HIPAA Compliance mandates that the organization directly responsible for consumer interaction is responsible for ensuring ALL of its vendors and partners who interact with the organization abide by PCI and HIPAA Compliance standards. If you are ever unsure, ask your vendor to provide clarity, if they can’t then you have their answer. Also, Datasmith has the ability to provide a compliance check on your business. Contact us to make sure you’re protected.
- Not Asking Questions
We know you’ve heard the saying, “The only dumb question is the one you didn’t ask,” a million times. But it holds true for your IT plan. If you are unsure, confused, or don’t understand the terminology, ASK. Your IT professional should take as much time as you need to understand the services you are using. If you are feeling rushed or dismissed, ask someone else. You are never stuck with your current IT professional, even if they are an internal employee.
These may seem like basic mistakes that everyone should be aware of but most organizations make these mistakes on a daily basis. Finding the right IT company for your organization takes time. Whether it’s training, managed services, software, or equipment finding the right organization and partner is crucial to success. We hope these 3 tips help you find the right partner and prevent issues within your department.
