Why HR Needs Their Own Data Storage
Every member of your company works together as a team. They collaborate and communicate in order to build the best product possible and to get the job done. All of these employees, however, have confidential data that needs to be protected. Their health information, job history, reviews, and other documents should not be open to prying eyes. So, how do you maintain confidentiality when you are all working together on the same network?
First and foremost, your Human Resources department needs to be able to access data securely. While it can be kept on the same servers as other company data, you need to ensure that the access to it is secure and very restrictive. Not only is protecting your employees’ privacy the right thing to do – it’s also the law. Making sure you protect the data will not only keep your employees happy, but it can keep you from being subject to fines or a lawsuit.
The printers your HR staff uses should also be off limits to the rest of the company, as well. These printers should be kept in a secure location so that if documents are printed, no one outside of HR can accidentally come across them. Other employees should not be able to use these printers for their own jobs for this same reason. Even if personal information is divulged on accident, it was your duty to keep it secure, and a breach can have serious consequences.
These days, it’s important to take the time to keep personnel information safe. You trust your HR people to protect the data, but they can’t do it without a little help from you.
The Past and Future of Domain Names
When you give your website an address, you can choose almost anything to name it. Sure, there are addresses that are already taken, but if you’re inventive enough you can label the site just about anything you want, “dot” something. It’s what comes after the “dot” that is a little more complicated. Despite pushes from various countries and groups, these domain names are limited. They are divided into categories like the familiar .com, .net, and .gov as well as a few others, and so far there aren’t very many more domains beyond these that can be used.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, is a non-profit group headquartered in the United States that oversees domain naming. They also oversee country specific codes that come after the domain, such as .ca for Canadian sites.
You may be wondering why sites in the United States don’t have a country code listed but all other countries do. It’s the same reason that British stamps don’t name their country on their paper mail stamps. The country that created the system doesn’t have to use their name; other countries have to list their name to differentiate themselves from the original British invented stamps. The same goes with country codes on an Internet address. The United States originated the domain names, and because of this, there is no country listed on American sites.
So what’s the wave of the future? Well, many groups and cities are asking for an increase in domain names, such as .sports or location names like .nyc. Other countries would like domains that aren’t just English only. With all of this clamor, there are sure to be changes in website addresses coming in the next few years, so pay attention. You may be able to get your business name .sports or just about anything else that makes your company unique.
Is a Poor Website Ruining Your Reputation?
Imagine you’re a customer. You’ve been hunting for a specific product, and you think you may have found it. There is quite a bit of information available on the Internet, however, and you have choices. You look through a few different sites, and end up choosing the competitor even though the prices are a bit lower at a less professional looking site.
The same thing can happen with client-based businesses. The Internet is a great marketing tool, and you can draw people from around the world to your company. Time and time again, however, people come to your site but you’re not seeing any business materializing. What on earth is going on?
Let’s face it, first impressions are important. A professional looking website makes a far better impression that a poorly designed one, no matter how great the company behind it is. It’s not fair, but humans are designed to weed out options, and one of the easiest ways we do it when we are looking for companies to give our business to is by grading the professionalism of the site. You have to admit, don’t you do this as well? If you see a poorly designed, hard to navigate site, aren’t you less inclined to give them your business? Don’t you make some assumptions about how the level of professionalism the company must have if the site is hard to navigate?
If your site has seen better days, don’t despair. It’s easy to sharpen your look, but it’s a job best left to professionals. They understand design, content, and site navigation. Not only that, but they know how to get traffic to your site – traffic that may be impressed by your new look and get you more business. Now, isn’t that worth thinking about?
Is It Time to Get New Software?
There’s a tremendous amount of software marketed towards businesses. From ways to organize data, to communicate, to process business, and to create new products, there’s a wealth of options. Sometimes, however, you find that the product you are using isn’t the best option for your company. Worse is when you realize that while you love the software, its creators are phasing it out and that you’ll no longer be able to receive support for it. Either way, you’ll need to find new software and implement it with the least possible disruption to your business.
The first thing you need to know is how much downtime you will have in implementing the software, as well as if this downtime can be minimized. Even if the transition can occur after hours, it may affect your web presence, and you want to make this as easy on your customers as possible. Are there ways of keeping both running until the switch? Do you have a backup plan in case things don’t go smoothly? How many people will you need on hand to handle the switch, and will these employees be enough?
No matter what, it’s probably time to call in the IT experts. Not only can an IT consultant help you find the best software for your needs, but they can help you implement the changeover. They have helped many other businesses with the same issues, and have streamlined processes to make the transition as easy as possible. Switching software is never fun, but with a little help, at least you can be assured it will happen smoothly.
Training IT Staff
You’ve found the best IT people out there. You hunted for them, perused resumes and found the cream of the crop. You’ve done the best you could possibly do to get your IT department staffed, but you have a worry in the back of your mind. What if you need them to do something they have never done before? Can they handle it?
IT people tend to be bright, creative problem-solvers. If you have a need, they can probably find their way through data and procedures and accomplish the task. The real question is will it be done as well as it could be, or will it just be a patch? That’s a real worry for a business owner. Chances are you leave IT matters to your tech staff for a good reason, and aren’t sure what to do in this situation.
Have you ever considered getting them some outside training? You’re probably already helping them to stay current on their certifications, and you may be sending them to classes so that they can hone their skills. Did you know that you can bring outside help in?
IT consultants don’t just take care of your technological needs. They can also work closely with your permanent staff and help educate them on tools and techniques they’ll need to keep your system running in an optimal fashion. Your permanent staff does IT because they love it, and they’ll welcome the chance to learn new skills and chat up an industry expert. Not only is it a winning proposition for your employees, but it is for your business, as well. They’ll put what they’ve learned back to work for you, and the fabulous hires you made will continue being at the top of their game.
Just How Compatible Is Your Website?
It’s a common newbie error — you build the perfect website only to find that not everyone can access it. You’ve checked everything on your end and it looks fine, so what on earth is the problem?
Well, every search engine interprets data a bit differently. Firefox presents pages differently than Safari, or Chrome, or Internet Explorer, for example. Even different versions of the same software sometimes have differences, and it’s important that your site be accessible and look great from any browser. After all, your clients and customers find you through a variety of programs.
Another thing you should think about is which browsers you want to be compatible with. It takes time, money, and effort to make a site compatible with a browser. If your site is compatible with 99 percent of users on the Internet, just how much money do you want to throw at the other 1 percent? You’ll need to make some choices about how cost-effective it is to allow these potential consumers to access your site. It may be worth it, or it may be too much of a headache.
If these concerns are new to you, chances are you could use a little help. If you’ve built a good site, you probably just need a small amount of back-end assistance to get it running and compatible with all of the major browsers. Why not hire an IT expert to take care of this? You can delegate the task to a consultant and be confident that it’s being taken care of. Your customers will be impressed by your professional site, and you can do what you do best — handle your business.
Moving, Rearranging, and the Hazards of Reorganization
As your business grows, your space needs grow, as well. Sure, your data storage needs change over time, but we’re referring to your actual, physical space needs. Whether you are switching office space, warehouse space, or just need to rearrange the office, chances are you’re going to have to shift some vital computer bits as well. Moving your servers and your infrastructure around can be complicated. Are you ready?
The first thing you need is a game plan. Just how do you intend to accomplish this, anyhow? By developing a plan of action, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort. Knowing what connects where and how close the infrastructure needs to be to other parts is essential. Knowing what you plan to do, however, is only the first step.
No matter how well you’ve planned, sometimes things go wrong. While you probably already have a disaster plan in place for your company, it’s a good idea to have a mini plan for the move. What will you do if you drop a server? What if you don’t have the power available to run all of the equipment in the new location? Every moment your system is down is money out of your pocket. By planning for emergencies ahead of time, you can have the preparation already done if something goes wrong. This way you can implement the fix as quickly as possible, and get back to business.
Moving your infrastructure is never fun, but with a plan you can be sure that even if something goes wrong, you can handle it. Take a little time to do this before you start disconnecting, and you’ll be sure to complete the move and be back up and running in no time.
Consider IT Consulting to Save Time and Money
When you consider hiring an information technology consultant, you’re really thinking about ways to streamline the way you do business. After all, there is no better way to get an outside and professional opinion on your network and IT infrastructure, especially from a results-oriented approach designed to save you time and money.
Time and money are what businesses today are really all about. And while IT consultants can certainly help you find ways to lower your carbon footprint or increase job satisfaction among staff members, the most important thing is that they do it with an eye on your bottom line.
For example, building a “greener” company from an IT standpoint might just help you reduce your paper needs and even increase sales among a more youthful, environmentally-friendly demographic. When Starbucks turned its focus to using free trade coffees and offering their used coffee grounds for gardens, they weren’t doing it just to give back to the planet – they’re working at building an eco-friendly brand others will recognize and appreciate around the world. It’s a business move just as much as it’s a moral one.
At the same time, implementing new technologies that allow employees to do their work more efficiently (and without the hassles commonly associated with the IT field) can boost overall morale, which in turn increases employee retention. Consider an IT support staff member who gets a midnight call whenever the system goes down – while this might be in his or her job description, it can get pretty irritating to always be the one responsible for those late-night emergencies. Relying on an automated system or a consulting firm can be your way to give that employee the rest – and respect – he or she deserves.
There are other ways IT consulting can save you time and money, as well, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s done by filling a temporary staffing need or creating an information security network to protect your business and its assets. Like any type of business consulting, information technology support is about taking the work you do and making it better, easier, and more aligned with where you want your company to go.
On the Lookout for Virus Hoaxes
Most of the time, businesses are on the lookout for ways to keep viruses out of their systems, not the other way around. From firewalls to email restrictions, the tools company leaders put in place have become fairly commonplace in today’s work environment.
However, there is another side to virus protection: virus hoaxes. While virus hoaxes take on a variety of forms, they are almost always warnings about hoaxes that don’t actually exist. Instead of sending you an email containing a dangerous link, these types of emails either send you a warning about a virus that isn’t really a virus at all, or they’ll send you a “virus” or “tracking option” that will allow you to forward a message on in hopes of receiving some sort of unrealistic prize.
As far as information security goes, virus hoaxes are fairly benign. After all, it never hurts to be over-cautious about potential viruses, and forwarding on a message that tells you Bill Gates is going to give you $1,000 free of charge doesn’t do much more than make you look like a fool.
This doesn’t mean virus hoaxes can’t affect your business, however. For example, spending too much time on these types of emails can be bad for employee productivity, and having access to personal emails like this during work time is one of the leading causes of virus problems in the first place. Another major problem is that some clever virus designers actually turn virus hoaxes into real problems. A hoax virus warning might be enough of a challenge for someone to attach a destructive trojan and see what kind of damages ensue.
At the end of the day, the most important thing for workplace information security is to remain on top of what your network – and your employees – are capable of. No matter what your business is, your best bet is to keep protective barriers in your infrastructure and incorporate policy management that limits the amount of access employees have to potentially damaging emails.
Can Your IT Staff Really Find Your Vulnerabilities?
Your IT staff was handpicked from a variety of applicants. You chose the people with the best training and the most experience, and they’ve come together to form a formidable team. They’ve built your network and keep it running while maintaining the security of your data and resources. But just how secure are your systems? No matter how experienced your staff is, is it really wise to leave security in the hands of general IT staff?
Network security is complex. It requires constant training and experience. New loopholes are being regularly exploited. Original viruses are being created every day.
Is your staff up for the challenge?
One solution is to find an experienced security consultant. Day in and day out, these specialists work with companies to streamline and strengthen security. They are constantly trained to meet the challenge of securing networks and keeping data safe.
Think of your IT staff as a local baseball team. Sure, they’ve got more skills than most people. They keep the ball moving and score the runs. Put them on a team in the Majors, however, and you can really see the difference.
It’s not that your IT staff isn’t skilled or that they can’t learn. The issue is that they specialize in building networks and keeping your company running, not in security. They’re simply playing at another level, and don’t have the experience to initiate a comprehensive security protocol. IT security consultants, on the other hand, do nothing else. Let experience be your guide, and let a consultant work with your IT staff. You’ll get better security and a more streamlined system, and then you can really start hitting it out of the park.