It’s 2020, and it’s no secret that we live in a digital world. Did you know that in 2017 alone, almost 200 million records were exposed because of hackers?
Most of us have heard about the big data breaches. Yahoo, Marriott, and Facebook are 3 major companies that have suffered significant security breaches accounting for hundreds of millions of affected records.
Do you think you’re safe because you’re one of the little guys? Think again. Most people are shocked to hear that small businesses are big targets for hackers.
In 2018, small businesses accounted for 58% of cyber attack victims. Luckily, business IT services can help to identify and eliminate your company’s weak spots.
When a company doesn’t invest in IT services or consider the importance of cybersecurity, there are many potential risks. Over half of small businesses that are forced to suspend operations after a cyber-attack end up shutting down for good.
Are you not yet convinced of the vital need for IT services? Here’s a guide that breaks it down for you.
In This Article:
- Cyber Attack Methods Aren’t Always Cut and Dry
- Benefits of Outsourcing New Jersey IT Services
- Don’t Wait on Business IT Services
Cyber Attack Methods Aren’t Always Cut and Dry
Remember that big Target hack in which tens of millions of customers had their credit card information stolen?
Here’s what’s interesting about that scenario. In the Target breach, the hackers infiltrated a small HVAC company. That company had access credentials to Target’s network, and that’s how the hackers gained access too.
Small businesses are typically more exposed than larger companies, and hackers have a variety of methods for getting access to sensitive information.
Hackers have time to spend on finding weaknesses. Plus, they’ll even go through your employees.
Sometimes all they need is a full name or an email, and for an employee to open that email within your business’ wireless network, and the rest is history. If your equipment and software aren’t updated, and if you don’t have the right IT services to protect your business, you run the risk of exposure and significant monetary loss.
Let’s take a look at how NOT having a relationship with an IT vendor could put your business at risk.
Without an IT service, there are many ways in which your business could suffer. Let’s take a look at what some of those risks are.
Data Breaches Are Much More Likely
Nobody thinks it’ll happen to them until IT DOES. Data breaches are becoming increasingly common amongst small businesses, and as we mentioned earlier, many of those businesses end up out of business as a result.
The money you’ll spend on outsourcing IT pales in comparison to the money you could lose without it.
You Could Lose Your Business’ Money
Have you ever had your debit or credit card information stolen? It’s awful, but if it’s a personal card, your bank will almost always refund what’s been stolen.
Business accounts work a little bit differently, though. If your equipment or software isn’t up to date in your business, and a hacker steals your account information, your bank could very easily deny your request to reimburse those funds.
When you opt to outsource IT services, they’ll make sure all your equipment and software are up to date, and that you’re current on bank regulations for keeping your information safe.
A Disgruntled Employee Could Take You Down
When security and password encryption and customer information are all in the hands of your employees, you’re banking on their loyalty and contentment with their jobs.
Even if you have your own IT department, you run the risk of a disgruntled worker opting to leach sensitive information. In today’s world, it’s becoming increasingly common for hackers to target individual employees.
When you outsource IT, you don’t have to worry about making sure employees are pleased enough to protect what’s sensitive.
You’ll be Without Mobile Security Solutions
Mobile breaches are growing exponentially as well. Every business, small or large, needs to implement mobile security solutions to protect company and customer data.
A New Jersey IT consulting company can help to control and encrypt sensitive information accessible through phones by adding a strong layer of defense to those vulnerable points of entry.
This way, you don’t have to worry as much about an employee accidentally exposing company data.
Just remember, it’s still vital to educate your staff about the simple ways in which they can help your business data stay secure. Penetration testing, not sharing passwords, and changing passwords are a few of the many ways you can get rid of vulnerabilities in your small business’ network.
You Could Lose All Your Data
Did you know that an overloaded router can result in a loss of all your data?
IT does, and they’ll make sure it never happens.
Every company needs a solid backup strategy to ensure data doesn’t get lost. Even if you opt to take this venture on yourself, you could be taking away valuable time from other areas of your business.
Does your business have a backup strategy?
You’ll Probably Always Be Outdated
In an age where cybersecurity is as important as remembering to walk by a construction site with shoes on, innovation is of the essence.
Hackers are constantly finding new ways to infiltrate small businesses. The best way to combat any chance of an attack is to outsource your IT because an outsourced IT business is continuously learning new tricks of the trade and figuring out how to combat them.
If your New Jersey IT is in-house, all that weight is on you as a business owner. When it’s outsourced, however, you leave it up to us to make sure we’re on track with all the new and improved ways to keep your data safe.
Now that we’ve covered some of the main risks let’s take a look at some of the many benefits for outsourcing your IT.
Benefits of Outsourcing New Jersey IT Services
The benefits of implementing IT into your company go hand in hand with the risks of not having it. Let’s take a look at some of these awesome benefits!
You’ll Save Money
IT personnel are expensive due to the rarity and significance of their skills. For many small businesses, the costs of hiring and supporting IT staff are too expensive.
Building your own IT staff takes a lot of time too. Plus, there are many areas of implementation and development that require extensive understanding and tools, all of which cost money.
With outsourced IT, however, the cost is much less, but the benefits are still there. You can save that time and money to invest in other core areas of your business, and not have to worry about an entire department, that quite frankly, is complicated.
You’ll Have Access to Unmatched Expertise
Say you do hire your own in-house IT department. The more skilled employees are, the more expensive they are to hire.
Regardless of how talented and knowledgeable your staff is, everyone has limitations. That’s not to say you wouldn’t hire the best talent.
It is to say, however, that at any given time, an issue could arise where you have to hire an IT tech pro.
When you outsource, your in-house needs are never restricted to the staff you have onsite. You have access to the best New Jersey IT, without having to pay extra for it.
You’ll Pay for Reliability and Quality
When you hire someone new, you’re always taking a risk. No matter how great someone looks on paper or fares in an interview, it’s still a risk. And when it comes to cybersecurity, the fewer the risks, the better it is for business.
Training IT takes time and money that could be allocated to other areas of a business. When you outsource, there’s little to no risk. We’ve already trained and vetted all of our employees for you.
You don’t have to worry about IT staff turnaround, nor do you have to make time for in-house IT training. You don’t have to worry about the quality of the people you hire or the extent of their knowledge and skillset.
IT is a complex and demanding job. If you’re a small business owner, how can you be expected to know the right answers to the right questions when you’re interviewing potential candidates for an in-house team?
Small businesses don’t have the resources or money to hire top-level talent. And they don’t have to!
Outsourcing is the perfect way to get the quality and reliability your business deserves, without the headache or the hassle.
IT Implementation Is Immediate
Say you’ve decided it’s a smart choice to build an IT department. That process alone could take months, which leaves your business exposed for even longer.
With outsourced IT, you don’t have to put a hold on your business’ operations or spend time and money finding the right team and equipment. The implementation is almost immediate when you outsource business IT services.
You’ll Maximize Productivity
When you outsource all the IT responsibilities to a third-party, you and the rest of your staff can focus on more pressing matters of your business.
IT doesn’t make you money. Thus, if you spend all your time hiring and handling IT, you’re taking valuable time away from the business demands at hand.
Do you already have IT personnel at your company? Our IT consulting in NJ can work with them! In addition to providing the entirety of a company’s IT needs, we also work with companies to supplement and provide maintenance and management for your IT team.
Your IT personnel can focus on their core strengths while we fill in the blanks and cover the full range of any and all IT needs.
You’ll Improve Customer Service
We don’t have to be in-house to know what’s going on. That being said, we stop in and visit all our clients regularly for maintenance requirements and to make sure security and productivity are maximized.
When we’re not with you, we’re working behind the scenes to make sure everything’s running smoothly. Service interruptions and downtime will become a thing of the past, and your customers will notice!
You won’t have to worry about unresponsive online sales portals or customer-support lines going down.
You’ll Keep Your Business, Your Employees, and Your Customers Safe
Hackers have found a sweet spot in small and medium-sized businesses. Every year, those companies lose over $2 million to cybercrime.
Plus, only 22% of small businesses encrypt their databases! It’s no wonder hackers are targeting those companies more and more.
The same source reveals that, by 2021, cyber-attacks will cause $6 trillion in damages!
If a breach does happen to your small business, it often costs upwards of $15,000 alone, just to figure out how it happened. And when customers and potential customers hear about a cyber-attack, they’ll be much less likely to trust you and your business.
It’s safe to say that the cost of outsourcing IT for your company, PALES in comparison to how much you could lose, should you become a victim of hackers.
Don’t Wait on Business IT Services
The word is out. Hackers are the real deal, and they can wipe out any business, especially smaller ones.
Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly necessary as hackers continue to find sweet spots in which to infiltrate company data.
Many small businesses don’t have IT personnel for one simple reason – they can’t afford it. Luckily, opting to outsource business IT services is a fraction of the cost.
Plus, it’ll help protect your business, your money, your customers, your data, and you!
If you’re looking for New Jersey IT Consulting to protect your business, contact us to find out how we can help.
Not ready to reach into your pockets? Take advantage of our FREE IT checkup!