If you’re growing a business and expect it to be prosperous and successful, then you need to seriously consider having an IT managed services provider overseeing your network security. It’s been true for many years, but especially these days, with all the instances of hacking, which have included ransomware. These can be very costly situations for any business venture, and you really can’t have “too much cybersecurity.” Different levels of disaster recovery (DR) preparedness exist, and it’s important to know where your company is on that DR readiness scale. If your confidence level as a whole is not high, then you are likely not at a pro-active or resilient stage of DR preparedness. A good IT partner will analyze your readiness state, and suggest and implement the proper amount of upgrades required to get your IT network and data centers up to speed.

Business Growth Parallels IT Network Strength

Business growth parallels IT network resiliency. Your ability to weather disasters like fires, floods, power outages, as well as ransomware or other cyberattacks will predict or prescribe your company prosperity level. This is so because it has been well-documented that businesses at low levels of DR readiness waste comparatively large amounts of time scrambling for data backup and recovery methods — even in the event of power outages. Those companies who can skate right through disaster scenarios and continue to do business where others have no recovery time objectives or recovery point objectives (RTO and RPO) will see higher profitability.

Don’t Put Off Optimum IT Security

Many startups, SMEs and even larger corporations will wait or defer the expense of optimizing their IT network systems and DR plan. This is a categorical mistake, like driving 100 miles per hour without a seat belt. Disaster can strike anytime, in various forms, including:

• Cyberattack — malware, spyware, ransomware
• Natural disasters like fires, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes
• Technological failures and power outages
• Employee impropriety (lack of mobile device management, or MDM)

Letting your business venture be vulnerable to these and other kinds of disasters, with no viable DR plan in place, is akin to doing business without an accounting or sales department. IT security is an integral part of doing business in 2016, as the continuing news stories inform us.

Outsourcing IT Security Experts as Team Members

Reputable IT services can be easily outsourced, and their IT professionals act as company team members who will advise you on every aspect of your network configuration, data center set-up, and cybersecurity measures. A good IT team will work with senior management, including CISOs and CEOs to custom-make a security grid to fit your particular company needs and objectives. The right IT experts will be able to answer any question you have, and won’t hide things from you or hide costs. They will come to be trusted team members, just like accounting, sales, and production are. It’s a mistake many business owners and executives make — thinking that IT services and security constitute an extraneous cost, and therefore “winging it” and hoping no disaster strikes.

If the Big Ones Can Be Hit, Anyone Can

In 2016 alone, we have seen the FBI, IRS, NASA, Sony, and Apple all become victims of malicious hacking, along with a growing number of hospitals and other large corporations. Don’t do business without a disaster recovery plan in place, with periodic tests of a comprehensive DR plan. {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.