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Do you STILL have The Right IT Support Provider?

theProfessor|Apr 22, 2021|Business, Cyber Security, IT Support & Management

So you had decided that outsourcing your IT support was a good idea. You then did your due diligence and found a company that checked all your boxes, and you hired them. That provider offered to support your users, replace the firewall when it got old, update your servers, maybe even get your email to Exchange Online and back up your files… They had a pretty good mousetrap. But, do you STILL have The Right IT Support Provider?

The Reality about many IT providers

This has to be 80-90% of the providers out there. Most are smaller, capable folks who have been doing this for maybe 7 or 10 years and were able to support a small business running a successful operation with basic IT needs – in 2018.

It’s a new world.

In 2021 and beyond, the need for more is not an option – it’s an imperative. The checkboxes have changed but many providers have not flexed with the times. As a result, many small business owners are stuck with a less than capable network, little cloud, basic protections and high risk. Perhaps you don’t know what risks you are facing and, if not, you probably are unaware of the solutions required to mitigate them.

I’m not talking about the pandemic per se (though that certainly changed the business IT world for good) I’m talking about hacks and intrusion.

I would challenge you to take a look at the solution set you are being offered. If there is not a regular dialog to get you to change and adapt and protect yourself then you should look around a bit. It might be time to move on. If your provider is not bugging you to buy more stuff, they actually might not have a good bead on today’s IT needs in your small business.

How the right provider can help

To be sure, there is an amazing set of tools around that will protect you from hackers and from your own internal weaknesses. Software that is cloud-based that will tell you before a virus, that is already downloaded and about to go active on your PC, gets into the network. Software that can test and educate your users, and gently pester them into NOT CLICKING on that link. Software that will enable you to replace a failed server in minutes, if you do get compromised. Software that will detonate a suspect email in a datacenter hundreds of miles away and only let safe, healthy email and attachments into your network.

Yes, these things cost money but the calculators are out there that will tell you that a business loss from breach is far, far worse. It’s like health insurance; you hope you never use it – but you know you need it.

Back to my original point – if your IT “healthcare” provider is not advocating for you, advocate for yourself and seek quality care and a better mousetrap. The mice are now rats and there is a lot of cheese at stake…