No longer considered a luxury, a well-rounded IT department is essential to remaining operational for every organization, even small businesses. Today, a good IT department is needed to stay in business because all other functions rely heavily on secure information technology. Without that technology being secure and working correctly, an organization cannot function.

Just as the computer evolved from an expensive luxury to an essential part of business, the need and affordability of an IT department has taken a similar path. Now, for less than the cost of a single employee, many organizations can hire an entire team of well-qualified IT professionals.

Large companies have had IT departments since the PC became a normal part of business. However, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have historically been slow to adopt an IT department, seeing it as not justified or not in the budget. Twenty years ago, the prevailing thought was that IT management was not essential to an SMB’s viability or success. Many SMBs saw an IT department as a luxury they could survive without. However, with hybrid work here to stay and cyberattacks the new normal, every organization needs to make IT a top priority to remain secure, connected, and productive.

Cybersecurity makes an IT Department essential

SMBs saw a 424 percent increase in cyberattacks last year. What’s more, the average cost of a successful attack surpassed $200,000 per incident.

According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 47 percent of ALL SMBs were hit by a successful cyberattack, 42 percent were hit by ransomware, and of that number, 60 percent never recovered. This means 28 percent of all SMBs in the U.S. were forced out of business because of a cyberattack last year alone.

What would a security breach like ransomware cost your organization? How would your reputation be impacted if you had to tell your clients their sensitive information was compromised? What is the cost of downtime on your business?

A global research study conducted by Cybereason showed that organizations affected by ransomware had the following impacts to their business:

Lost Revenue: 66 percent of organizations reported a significant loss of revenue following a ransomware attack.
Ransom Payments: 35 percent of businesses that paid a ransom demand, which cost them between $350,000-$1.4 million, while 7 percent paid ransoms exceeding $1.4 million.
Brand and Reputation Damage: 53 percent of organizations indicated that their brand and reputation were damaged. This type of damage is difficult to quantify but can have a significant impact if customers and clients begin to view an organization as “unsafe.”
C-Level Talent Loss: 32 percent of organizations reported losing C-Level talent as a direct result of ransomware attacks.
Employee Layoffs: 29 percent reported being forced to lay off employees after a ransomware attack. The financial impact of a ransomware attack could cost employees their livelihood.
Business Downtime: 26 percent of organizations reported that a ransomware attack forced the business to cease operations for some period of time. According to Gartner, the average cost of IT downtime is $5,600 per minute.

Without an experienced IT department, many SMBs will fall victim to ransomware and other cyberattacks that could shut down their business. Ransomware may be one of the most detrimental and widely reported types of attack today, but the list of threats is ever-growing. There are many types of malware, hacks, account takeovers, phishing, and others in the world today that could cause untold damage if proper cybersecurity is not in place.

Hire an entire team for less than a single IT general practitioner

Every organization needs a team of specialists. In today’s complex IT landscape, it’s not enough to have a single IT “general practitioner.” A single IT person cannot provide the well-rounded, quality of service that an entire team can offer.

Hiring an entire department for the average small to medium-sized business is a daunting task and likely cost-prohibitive. The other option is hiring a single, in-house IT person; however, that can cost an organization $60,000+ per year and leaves you with only a general practitioner rather than a team of specialists.

tca SynerTech has a qualified team of IT professionals to fit every budget. We believe every organization should have access to an IT Team, you know by name and feel like part of your team.

An IT Department for every organization is our mission

tca’s mission is to make an IT department affordable to organizations of any size; by offering even the smallest organizations access to an entire team of qualified IT professionals for less than the cost of a single minimum wage employee. It’s more important than ever not to settle when it comes to IT because it keeps your organization secure, operational, and ultimately in business.

Explore your IT options and find a solution that’s right for your organization. Contact tca SynerTech today to learn more about how you can hire a well-rounded, affordable, turn-key IT department without impacting your budget.