Two weeks ago, Canada took part in trilateral talks with the United States and Mexico to discuss ways to strengthen cybersecurity ties between the three North American countries. The meeting, which took place as part of the North American Leaders Summit, sought to improve the exchange of information on hacking threats, military cybersecurity tactics, and international norms for operations.
The meeting came at a tough but potentially beneficial time for the three neighbors—earlier this month, the United States announced that over 14 million federal employees, families, and friends had their information compromised in a massive data breach. And on June 17, the Canadian government revealed a cyberattack on its own systems, which rendered dozens of departmental websites and email accounts inaccessible.
So what does this say about technology for the small and medium-sized business community? That working together is often better than going it alone. Below are five strategies that, when implemented with the help of a trusted advisor like CMIT Solutions, can increase productivity, enhance efficiency, and improve operations for your business:
1) Go proactive, not reactive. A good remote monitoring and maintenance solution should keep an eye on your systems 24/7, identifying and resolving problems before they affect your business. With this kind of approach, software updates and security patches are deployed automatically, IT support can start working on issues immediately, and resolution can be achieved before a crisis sets in.
2) Stabilize IT costs. Outsourcing IT responsibilities to a trusted advisor transforms the variable costs of the break-fix or reactive approach into a more predictable budget. You can also save money by not having to hire, train, and maintain your own IT staff—and maximize your cost-benefit by gaining access to the kind of enterprise-level solutions that very few small businesses can afford.
3) Work faster and smarter. Remember what we said about increasing productivity and efficiency? Companies that handle IT duties in-house have to devote precious time and resources to keeping up with technology. With proactive services, you can reduce risks, boost competitiveness, improve security, and stay focused on what you do best: running and growing your business.
4) Fulfill compliance standards. In the last few years, government and industry regulations like HIPAA, FINRA, PCI, and Sarbanes-Oxley have increased exponentially. Employing an IT provider that understands these rigorous standards can remove the guesswork from compliance and keep you safe from harsh consequences—all while increasing the security of your data.
5) Supplement your team with proven senior management. CMIT’s franchise partners hail from a variety of IT, corporate, and entrepreneurial backgrounds. And it’s precisely the diversity of our system—and the camaraderie shared between our 140 North American offices—that allows us to serve as the best virtual CIO, CTO, or business advisor you can find.
Technology is integral to the success of every business. Contact CMIT Solutions today so that we can make that technology work for you, not against you.