How Working with An IT Company Can Help Improve IT Risk Management

Businesses today are more vulnerable than ever when it comes to the possibility of their network getting breached. News stories of enormous corporations having their security compromised and invaluable data stolen or destroyed are all over the news these days and are a more common occurrence than anyone would want to see. 

Naturally, this is a horrible thing. The good news for you and your business, though, is that IT companies, such as House of I.T, are skilled at working with companies of all sizes to ensure their network is as secure as it possibly can be. They do this through a process which is called IT risk management. 

There are several ways an IT company can assist your company in reducing risk through IT risk management and reducing the chance of a network breach. If your company is at risk of a potential cybersecurity breach (it is), read on to learn about IT Risk Management and a few of the ways House of I.T can assist you. 

What is IT Risk Management and What Does it Consist of? 

IT risk management can best be described as determining and removing (or at least mitigating) cybersecurity risks using hardware and policies.   

This is mainly done through three steps: 

• Identifying a threat or threats.
• Assessing the situation.
• Taking the needed action to remove or mitigate the issue.

The most effective IT risk management plans help businesses minimize the amount of uncertainty in a network and better make decisions while being aware of all possible risks. 

IT risk management is vital because it helps prevent and minimize a cybersecurity attack's effects on a business. Not only will a data breach have an impact on your business's privacy, but it will also result in damaging your public image. 

Some of the Ways an IT Company Can Help Your Business with IT Risk Management 

Your business always has the potential to be the target of malicious attacks. However, it does not have to be entirely at risk. There are several ways to reduce risk and minimize damages to your business. Here are three of the most effective ways to reduce your business's risk against damaging scenarios.

Perform an IT Audit 

One of the most direct ways to identify potential vulnerabilities and opportunities to invite risk is by conducting an IT audit. An IT audit's primary purpose is to evaluate a business's IT assets, processes, data, current effectiveness, security, and more to improve its current IT situation. 

During an IT audit, four general steps are performed: planning, studying, testing and evaluating, and reporting. Once these steps have been taken, any issues regarding a company's network architecture, in addition to numerous other IT-related topics, will come to the surface, and changes can then be implemented. 

House of I.T can provide your business with an IT audit. The audit can lead to potentially enormous benefits for your business beyond just improving risk management, so we highly encourage it. 

Utilize Cloud Computing Solutions

Losing all your company's data would be an absolute disaster. Storing confidential and critical data in readily accessible areas can also lead to it being misused or maliciously stolen from a third party. These are just two very possible situations that can happen to any business that is not adequately prepared. 

One great way to eliminate these two scenarios is through the usage of cloud solutions. Utilizing off-site hardware to secure and back up your data effectively ensures that your private information will not get lost or in the hands of an ill-natured individual. Through enhanced security protocols, expertly set up firewalls, and data-backup procedures, your data will be more secure off-site than directly inside your building. 

This is another service that House of I.T can provide. We understand that all businesses are different; because of this, we are experts at understanding and catering to businesses individually to meet their needs. If utilizing the power of the cloud is something that intrigues you, please feel free to contact us for more information. 

Installing New Equipment, Specifically Related to Security

Thieves and malicious individuals are all over the place, and in today’s world, they can often operate remotely. Having the right equipment can make all the difference in minimizing risk or eliminating damages from their attacks. 

There are several excellent technologies around to help protect your company from threats regarding physical attacks or thefts. 

First, biometric authentication will assist you and your employees by limiting access to certain areas while keeping a written record of who enters each room. 

Additionally, swipe cards will provide an alternative method of accessing restricted areas for anyone who has the right card. 

Finally, consider getting a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system installed to monitor and review situations that appear suspicious directly. While many instances of data theft occur outside an organization, much of it also arises from directly within.

Regarding remote attacks, however, this equipment will not make much of a difference. In this case, having proper network security hardware and policies in place will make all the difference in protecting yourself from attacks. Investing in a managed firewall, for example, is an excellent way to prevent unwanted inbound traffic from reaching the inside of your network. 

Once again, House of I.T can assist you in purchasing and implementing this hardware and equipment. If you think your hardware is not up to speed, we can let you know for sure.

Final Thoughts and Suggestions 

The thought of having to close your business due to an unsalvageable situation is a scary thought for any business owner. Today's number of cyber threats and attacks is more threatening in size and scope than they have ever been at any time in history. 

Despite all this, there is help available for all. We at House of I.T are committed to assisting companies like yours with improving IT risk management and preventing as little damage to your company as possible. 

We are ready and willing to help you mitigate the risk of potential attacks on your business whenever you are. Our expert consultants have years of experience and know what it takes to provide the security and procedures to reduce inbound threats. Whenever you are ready, feel free to contact us to consult regarding IT risk management.