The modern data environment has changed, and with its evolution, the importance of keeping copies of important data has increased exponentially.
The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a European law coming into effect on 25 May 2018. It aims to provide a single set of data protection rules across Europe.
New rules mean new compliance headaches. One way of minimizing these is to engage a Managed Services Provider (MSP). Utilizing managed services can be cost efficient for an enterprise, but reduced costs is just one the benefits of managed IT services.
GDPR compliance is designed to protect personal information of EU citizens. Bringing an existing setup in line with the new regulations will be a complex and time-consuming undertaking for most organizations. The challenge is interpreting the regulations and incorporating the appropriate processes and technologies to protect personal data of EU employees.
MANAGED DESKTOP SUPPORT IS IMPORTANT, NOW MORE THAN EVER
Not everyone may have realised it yet, but having an effective managed desktop support service is of paramount importance, now more than ever before.
Downtime costs your business money but having your own people working around the clock trying to prevent it costs even more. This presents a catch-22 to many companies, which cannot afford any downtime at all, and yet they’re not sufficiently protected against it because consistent maintenance of computer systems also requires significant time and money.
Smart Technologies assists with any issues your team might be having with their desktop computers whenever a simple reboot won’t do, either through the phone or by delivering support on-site, so that you can focus on running your business instead of running cables.
WHAT IS A MANAGED IT SERVICE AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
In tandem with the growth of data, methods of keeping critical data safe have evolved.
Outsourcing your company’s technology needs by choosing a Managed IT Services solution can provide benefits that go beyond simply having tech support on call. Choosing the right Managed IT Services provider: one that understands your industry, your business and its goals, can drive you toward your business’ goals in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
It’s important to remember that an MSP is vastly different compared to the traditional, in-house IT staff that most of us are accustomed to. That’s why it’s so important that everything like scheduling of maintenance, end-user interaction, data storage procedures and data sharing processes be investigated and thoroughly thought-out and documented.
Having access to an outsourced IT department is often the first benefit that comes to mind when businesses evaluate Managed IT Services, but when you choose an outsourced solution, you get more than just day-to-day IT support.
Organizations that choose Managed IT Services get support and strategic guidance from IT professionals who can help identify future needs. It means your business will have proactive support rather than taking a reactive approach to technology risks.
DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY CAN SAVE YOUR BUSINESS
Disaster can strike any commercial enterprise at any time, resulting in extra expenses, misplaced sales, lost revenues or even having to shut the doors.
24% of companies have experienced a full data disaster.
Prevention is key and to mitigate this threat, smart enterprise owners put disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) plans in place before it’s too late.
Some aspects to consider:
1. Data Exposure – Can a virus damage or steal customer information?
2. Data Location – Where is your cloud data being stored?
3. Secure Backups – Can non-authorised people access your backups?
4. Data Encryption – Have you encrypted all data leaving the premises?
5. Password Management – Who’s sharing easily guessed passwords?
6. Device Management – What data is being stored on mobile devices?
7. Security Awareness – Do colleagues understand email and USB drive security issues?
8. Network Segregation – Who is accessing your wireless network?
9. Security Updates – How quickly are critical software updates being applied?
That’s a lot to bear in mind, but luckily, all of these can be expertly handled by your managed IT service provider.
MANAGED IT SERVICES: A HANDS-FREE SOLUTION AGAINST CRITICAL DATA LOSS
For the reasons explained above, avoiding data loss should be a major concern when deciding to use one or more MSP’s within your organization. The first and most important issue is to always know where your data is, verify that it’s safe, and ensure the MSP is has proper backup and disaster recovery procedures in place.
Regular audits and DR tests must be scheduled to verify all the necessary steps are taken to protect your sensitive data. Using an MSP that directly controls your company’s most sensitive information requires a huge leap of faith, so choose wisely.
RISK MANAGEMENT IS SIMPLY GOOD GOVERNANCE PRACTICE
Data safekeeping is one of the central tenets of Maltese regulations and a critical factor to comply with MFSA requirements.
Whenever data processing is undertaken by a data processor on behalf of the data controller, this processing is regulated by a contractual agreement which requires the data processor to take the relevant security measures relating to the processing of the data.
It’s a no-brainer: good governance needs to encompass proper risk management by its very nature. Using managed services can be a cost-efficient way of filling the risk management-shaped hole in your business, but be sure to look beyond cost to how you manage those managed service providers.