Managed IT Services for Small Businesses: You Need Them

Summary: This article discusses how professional managed IT services for small business can help you maintain efficient day-to-day operations and help secure your hard-earned business data from cyberattacks.

Many SMBs are thriving and expanding post-pandemic. However, very few small businesses have the resources to employ full-time IT or cyber security staff. In fact, SMBs often put computer maintenance and cyber security tasks low on their priority and budgetary lists. Unfortunately, cybercrime is at an all-time high, and SMBs are hackers’ favorite and most vulnerable targets for these very reasons. Discover more reasons why SMBs need managed IT services.

Professional IT Support Services Improve Network Security for Small Businesses

Fortunately, excellent IT support services for small businesses can help manage many of your SMB’s IT functions efficiently and cost-effectively. The IT services outsourced by businesses are called managed IT services. The specialists who provide the services are called Managed IT Service Providers or MSPs. In the face of rising cybercrime, over 40% of small businesses use MSPs to supply the most vital support services. Managed IT services for small businesses can include:

• Planning
  • Regular Meetings to Discuss IT Issues and Strategies – By holding regular meetings with your management and MSP, IT issues can be addressed, and can be modified as needed to address new threats or changes to your business network.
  • Documentation of Strategies – It is important to carefully document all of your IT strategies and procedures to serve as a current and updated reference source for your employees and MSP.
  • Network Assessment and Inventory – Your IT experts should design a diagram of your entire network and all its connected devices. The diagram will serve as a road map for your whole computer system to speed repairs and ensure devices are fully protected.
• Server and Network Monitoring – MSPs have the tools and expertise to monitor the overall health of your computer network. Close monitoring can detect when components, such as servers and firewalls, are not functioning correctly and address those issues before they malfunction or fail entirely.
• Professional IT Experts Available 24/7/365 to Respond to Alerts – MSPs can set up alerts generated by security monitoring tools to help them respond promptly to suspicious behaviors within your network (such as large data downloads during off hours), workstations, servers, remotely connected devices and cloud functions.

Network Security Companies Work Closely With IT Managers

Ideally, MSPs should be knowledgeable about cyber security services because network security is of paramount importance. They should have dedicated cybersecurity experts on staff. It doesn’t matter if your computer system’s hardware and software function at peak performance. Without robust network security, all of your efforts can be for naught. If your network is attacked and you are unprepared, your SMB’s operations could be compromised, leading to financial and reputational losses. In the worst cases, a breached network can lead to ongoing liability or even bankruptcy in over 60% of small business cyberattacks. That is why it is essential to take strategic precautions to make your company less of a target for cybercrimes.

Most SMBs cannot accomplish this goal without help from network security companies. High-compliance companies must often supply proof of network security for cyber insurance policies, contracts and government requirements. Therefore, ongoing cyber security training in security protocols, phishing awareness and security best practices is vitally important to ensure compliance.

Employee Training

Comprehensive employee training and the establishment of detailed cyber security policies are integral parts of a robust managed IT and cyber security plan. Training should be ongoing and updated at regular intervals. Cyber security training must be required as a condition for employment for all new employees. If employees don’t know what to do to protect company data, they can’t be expected to follow policies and procedures. The liability and risk from breached data can be expensive and ongoing. Such liability must be addressed as part of the company’s overall IT management. Network security companies can ensure you have a comprehensive and specific training plan to improve your employees’ security awareness.

Cyber security provided by managed IT services for small businesses should also include:

• Malware, Virus and Spam Protection – Phishing and ransomware attacks are rising. A reputable network security company should install state-of-the-art antivirus and malware protection and monitor and update them as required.
• Firewall Installation and Monitoring – Most users know little about firewalls. However, firewalls are a time-honored first layer of defense against cyberattacks and must be included as part of IT support for your small business.
• Timely Software Updates and Installation of Security Patches – Software updates often include security patches created by developers to fix vulnerabilities in their software. Ideally, they should be installed as soon as they are released and updated promptly whenever new updates are available. Updates help your software operate properly and safely.
• Data Encryption for All Devices – Encrypted data is a powerful defense against hackers. It makes things difficult for cyberthieves, and as another crucial layer of cyber security, it can be enough to cause a hacker to move on.
• Password Management – Passwords are another front-line defense against attacks. Simple or reused passwords just do not cut it anymore. Passwords must be unique and use multiple characters, including upper- and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. There are many excellent password managers that can create and securely store all of your passwords. They are easy to use and take the worry out of creating and remembering passwords. Password managers also simplify onboarding and offboarding of employees for management.
• Data Backup and Recovery – Even well-protected business networks can fall prey to data breaches. The level of damage and disruption can be mitigated if you regularly back up your company’s sensitive data. By having a “clean” backup, if your data is breached or your system is held hostage by ransomware, your cyber incident response will be faster, and you might be able to get up and running with little disruption to your business’s operations.
• Remote Support for All Network-Connected Devices – Post-pandemic, more and more people are working from home or traveling for their jobs. Remote device security is essential because cybercriminals are always poised to exploit vulnerable endpoints. If any device connected to your network is breached, it can infect your entire computer system and possibly spread to clients and vendors.

Protecting your SMB’s data is a multi-layered process. Small business owners do not have the expertise required for robust cyber security and other vital IT support. Also, most cannot afford a full-time IT staff member or department. However, business data is the lifeblood of any company, and managed IT services for small business can be a very cost-effective way to ensure your network is always protected. Network cybersecurity protection costs a very small percentage of the cost of one cyberattack. Companies should do everything within reason to avoid the expense and devastation of a cyberattack.