In the dynamic world of technology, the only thing you can rely on is change. Your company must always be one step ahead when it comes to protecting your assets from the rising tide of cybercrime and innovating quickly to seize new opportunities. And since the new year has already begun, it is now high time to reassess your technology strategy. At least that's what I recommend. And take a look into the future.
HOW THE IT STRATEGY CHANGED IN 2020
For many business leaders, 2020 was a difficult year in which
the main aim was to overcome the often crippling uncertainties. Still,
it's also important to acknowledge the fact that Covid-19 has exposed the
pre-existing lack of adaptability in many companies. As such, it served as
a catalyst for change, accelerating the adoption of scalable digital technologies
and the era of remote working. These trends will no doubt continue into
the next year and beyond, helping companies create a more sustainable and
disaster-proof future.
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the New Year IT
resolutions that you should make:
1. FOCUS ON REMOTE WORK
Remote work or teleworking was already an established trend
before the virus made it practically mandatory for many companies. After
realizing the benefits of flexible work environments, many companies have
decided to extend their remote working policies well into 2021, with some even
planning to make them permanent.
While things may return to normal in the coming months,
companies should consider sticking with their remote working guidelines. Many
employees have become used to working from home after the technology has made it
easier than ever. Also, companies have invested a lot in things like cloud
computing, so it makes sense to focus on remote work over the long term too.
2. ELIMINATE DATA SILOS
Today's businesses have a practically unlimited choice of
different apps and platforms. That sounds like a good thing, but the fact
that the typical company now has dozens or even hundreds of apps in its
portfolio inevitably leads to a variety of problems. Incompatibilities
lead to data silos that can stifle efficiency and communication between
branches and departments.
To better prepare your company for future unknown circumstances,
it needs to be adaptable and have a robust disaster response strategy in place. In
addition, employees must be able to easily share data. Eliminating data
silos will help you protect your resources and get the maximum value out of
them.
3. STRENGTHEN YOUR DEFENSES AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS
Cybercriminals have tried to take advantage of the pandemic
over the past year. Many companies had to adopt remote working
environments and new technologies in a very short time, which also made
vulnerabilities almost inevitable. Cybercriminals often take advantage
of remote workers and poorly secured connections and endpoints.
It's never too early to think about stepping up your defensive
efforts, not least because security will remain a major issue through 2021 and
beyond. In addition to preparing for the worst with an adequate civil
protection plan, you should also think about critical measures like endpoint
encryption and multifactor authentication.
Check out the best free antivirus to prevent cyber attacks.
4. RE-EVALUATE YOUR COMPLIANCE
Compliance, too, is constantly changing to adapt to evolving
threat landscapes and growing consumer concerns. For example, several US
states are introducing new data protection laws, in addition to international
rules like the GDPR.
Business leaders should always be careful to keep up with
regulatory compliance requirements, taking a proactive approach wherever possible. If
you have strong civil protection strategies in place, combined with security
and privacy as a foundation, then you should be ready for future compliance
assessments.
5. DELEGATE TECHNICAL ISSUES
Technology is evolving at a pace that is difficult for many
companies to keep up with, and few smaller companies can afford to have a full
in-house IT department. Sometimes they end up trying to take care of
everything themselves, even though they don't have the necessary in-house
expertise and technical resources.
In order for you to focus on your business and its core
objectives and operations, the last thing you want technology to be a burden
is. Therefore, it is often best to leave IT management to a managed
services provider (MSP) who can act as your outsourced IT department. That
way, you and your team will have time to focus on what they do best.
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