FAQ - IT Support

IT Support provides technical assistance & solutions to businesses. Managing a company’s technology infrastructure can include: Troubleshooting hardware and software issues, protecting network security and enhancing productivity by optimising IT Systems.

Businesses require their operations and technology systems to run smoothly! IT Support can help to improve efficiency, enhance security, and prevent expensive downtime. By investing in dedicated IT support services, it allows businesses to focus on core activities without the burden of dealing with technical issues.

Dedicated IT support provides small businesses expertise and resources that in-house staff may not have. Allowing businesses to effectively adapt to IT changes and updates, be competitive and have well maintained, reliable technology systems.

The range of services offered by IT support companies can include: 

• On-site and remote technical support
• Network management & monitoring
• Cybersecurity
• Data backup and disaster recovery
• Cloud computing solutions
• Procurement of hardware and software
• Plus IT consulting services.

Costs for IT support varies a great deal and depends on the level of support required, the size of the business and services included. Pricing structures can range from monthly subscriptions for managed IT services to on-demand support as an hourly rate.

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IT support models can include:

• Break-fix support (engineers will intervene when a problem arises)
• Managed IT services (proactive support model)
• Ad-hoc support (time & materials model).

IT models are designed to offer varied levels of proactive and reactive support dependant on the needs of the business.

When searching for IT support for your business, ask…

• Are they local? (you may require on-site visits)
• Do they have experience within your businesses industry?
• Look at reviews and ask for recommendations.
• The best way, is to arrange a face-to-face meeting to discuss your needs! Questions from both sides will help determine services required by your business that you may not have thought about, plus hone pricing.
  
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Some of the most common IT issues businesses face are network connection problems, system crashes, hardware & software failures, cybersecurity threats like Malware and Ransomware demands and data loss.

Implementing security measures such as firewalls, antivirus software, encryption, multi-factor authentication and ensuring proactive security updates and monitoring… As well as teaching best practices to company employees regarding possible cybersecurity threats.

It’s important to look for factors such as experience, expertise, responsiveness, reliability, scalability, and the IT support provider has a proactive approach to managing your business IT systems. Are they also able to provide bespoke solutions specific to your company’s needs.

Effective data backups and disaster recovery plans are vital for every business as insurance from events that could take your business down. An IT support provider will scope your backup requirements, provide onsite and cloud solutions for your data, and know what your recovery times and costs are.

Article on: What to do when Disaster Strikes

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Remote IT support would generally be a first line of assistance to a business requiring help. Technical assistance is given to users over the phone or internet troubleshooting computer system issues, using remote desktop software or other tools from a remote location, reducing the need for an on-site visit and therefore additional costs.

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Response times of IT support generally vary dependant on Service level agreements (SLA) with the IT support provider and client, availability of relevant support staff, severity of the issue and whether the IT support company offers guaranteed response times in case of emergencies.

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Start-up packages and pay-as-you-go plans are offered by IT support providers and can be tailored towards business start-ups with flexible support options and pricing, helping new businesses grow.

Businesses that don’t have the resources or expertise to maintain an in-house IT team, may find that outsourcing their IT support can be more cost effective and give access to a more on demand specialised skillset. This would also do away with the potential overheads of hiring and managing more employees.

IT support providers use a ticketing system! Best practices for managing these IT support tickets can include prioritising based on urgency and potential impact of the issue. Ensuring tickets are assigned to appropriate support experts, effective communication with clients, progress tracking and documentation of issue/s and solutions for future reference.

Setting up and managing cloud services can be tricky! An IT support provider would assess a business’s requirements, ensuring that the best cloud solution is selected, migrating data, optimising, and configuring for the cloud environment, plus providing ongoing maintenance.

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Whether cyber-attack, equipment failure or natural disaster… the role of IT support in business continuity planning is crucial! A proactive plan to ensure systems are resilient, with data backups, testing and disaster recovery strategies would be implemented, providing support during emergencies.

Article on: What to do when Disaster Strikes

More on Data backups and Recovery

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Assessing and identifying vulnerabilities would be the first step to an IT support provider optimising a business’s network infrastructure. Monitoring, then making network upgrades and configurations, troubleshooting problems to ensure reliability and gain optimal performance.

Industry-specific IT support solutions are available for sectors such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and retail environments, plus many more. Uniquely tailored for the needs and regulatory requirements in those sectors they can include such elements as, specialised software, compliance support and specific industry expertise.

Some of the most valuable assets a company may own are digital! Cybersecurity can help place safeguards against cyber-threats such as hacking, malware or data breaches to protect these assets. Strategies may include establishing policies, implementing various security measures, educating employees on best practice and vigilance to protect computer systems, vulnerable networks and software from online attacks. 

The loss of a business’s digital assets can be devastating! Resulting in a tarnished reputation, erosion of client trust, financial fraud and/or unrecoverable data. A cybersecurity strategy is crucial for a company to mitigate against cyber-attacks.

Employ the services of cybersecurity experts for an audit of potential weaknesses in a company’s digital security would be a first step to improving a businesses cybersecurity. They would identify and put in place solutions to the flaws in security. These could include the use of strong password management, multi-factor authentication, software updates, regular audits, employee training… plus bolstering security with firewalls, encryption and antivirus software.

Common cybersecurity threats to businesses that can compromise sensitive information or disrupt a business’s operations are:

• The use of fraudulent emails, text messages, phone calls or websites to trick users into sharing sensitive data is called a ‘phishing’ attack.
• Malicious software designed to damage a business’s computer or network systems without the knowledge of the user is known as a ‘Malware’ attack.
• Another type of malware is called ‘Ransomware’! whereas a company’s data can be locked or threatened with destruction unless a ransom is paid to the attacker.
• Denial-of-service attacks are designed to shut down a machine or network! Accomplished by flooding the intended target with traffic that causes the server to crash making it inaccessible to its intended users.
• Insider threats, typically originate from within an organisation! Current or former employee, contractor, partner’s that have access to sensitive information can misuse this access to the detriment of organisation’s networks and data causing major disruption.

Create an incident response and recovery plan, set up firewalls, antivirus software, encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), schedule regular software updates, educate and train employees in best practices and vigilance will go a long way to protecting a business from cyberattacks.

Small businesses are just as at risk as larger corporations! Practicing strategies such as using strong password management, setting up multi-factor authentication, having security audits on a regular basis and educating its staff about potential cyber-threats like email phishing and suspicious websites is a must. Also ensuring that Wi-Fi networks are protected, and data has scheduled backups.

A business must know what its specific cybersecurity needs are! Source a reputable cybersecurity company that can perform an audit that will determine the businesses needs and suggest solutions to the highlighted risks. Solutions should offer comprehensive protection, be scalable to expand with the growth of the company and have scheduled updates to ensure no gaps are left allowing for possible attack.

A cybersecurity risk assessment identifies and evaluates risks to your business’s digital assets. Conduct one by identifying assets, assessing potential threats and vulnerabilities, determining the potential impact, and implementing measures to mitigate risks. Regularly review and update the assessment.

The ability for staff to recognise potential cybersecurity threats is a very important one! Generally, the weakest link in any cybersecurity strategy is ‘human’ in nature. By conducting awareness training to help staff understand these online threats, using phishing simulation tests and creating policies to encourage vigilance within staff and to report any suspicious activities to the IT support team.

Whether you employ the services of an in-house or out-sourced team to manage cybersecurity. The benefits of having a dedicated team of experts that have the time to monitor your online security, be up to date with the latest technology, and the expertise to deal with, or reduce the risk of cyberattacks, can free up internal resources to focus on core business activities.

Firewalls act as a barrier between your internal network and external threats. They help prevent the unauthorised access and potential cyberattacks. The firewall works on a set of security rules that monitor and control the traffic to and from your network.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) places more than one form of required verification when signing into a network or connecting device! This extra layer of security in the form of password and code sent to a phone or similar device acts to reduce the risk of unauthorised access, even if the primary password is compromised.

Strategies such as data encryption, scheduled and regular backing up of data, managing and limiting access to view or edit important data, educating employees with training on security best practices and auditing all these strategies, reviewing and revising Data recovery and Disaster plans on a regular basis. This will help to ensure the security of a business’s data.

If you have an in-house or out-sourced cybersecurity team, they should already be aware of a breach. If they aren’t, contact them straight away. If you are dealing with a data breach yourself! Act quickly to stop the breach, assess the potential impact and make affected users aware. Analysis how it occurred, then take steps to prevent future breaches. If you are required to report the data breach, you should do so, to the relevant authorities within 72 hours of finding the issue.

Legal requirements for cybersecurity vary by industry and location. Common requirements include data protection laws, industry-specific regulations (e.g., HIPAA for healthcare, PCI DSS for payment card data), and general cybersecurity standards. Consult legal and regulatory guidelines specific to your industry to ensure compliance.

Ideally, a business would need the expertise of a qualified IT support team to compile an effective incident response plan! The plan would consist of defining the roles and responsibilities within the company, establishing protocols for communication, auditing the critical systems and data, placing effective monitoring to detect and respond to incidents that may occur, and ensuring that protocols are set in place for regular updates and testing of the plan are adhered to.

Encryption protects data by converting it into a secure code that can only be accessed by authorized parties with the decryption key. It is essential for safeguarding sensitive information, ensuring data privacy, and protecting data during transmission and storage.

Business cybersecurity policies should be updated, at a minimum annually. If your company has any changes to its IT infrastructure, processes or perceived level of threat… protocols should be looked at again to identify any weaknesses in the policies as to remain effective and in keeping with best practice and regulatory requirements pertaining to the businesses industry.

Yes, cybersecurity insurance can help protect your business by covering financial losses resulting from cyber incidents, such as data breaches, cyberattacks, and business interruption. It can also provide resources for incident response and recovery.