In the past, small to medium sized businesses (SMB’s) have considered having an IT department a luxury and only something needed by large organizations. However, nowadays it is an essential part of every organization.
Today, most organizations cannot function without at least some technology. From your network to your point-of-sale and phone systems, all technology necessary for conducting business must be secure and running smoothly. This is why an IT department is now essential.
Large companies have had IT departments since the PC became a normal part of business. But SMB’s have historically been slow to adopt IT, seeing it as not justified or not in the budget. 20 years ago, they were correct. Internet access was slow and only 40% of homes in the U.S. even had a connection. Not that long ago, computers and the internet were only an ancillary part of doing business. Contrast that with today where broadband internet is a critical part of an organization’s day-to-day business.
As the internet became faster and more ubiquitous, there was an explosion of security issues. In the past SMB’s couldn’t justify the cost of IT management alone, today it’s needed to keep their systems secured; this justifies the workload of an IT department even for SMB’s.
Impact of universal broadband internet
In a world before broadband internet, the average small business could forego the cost of an IT department and only address issues as they arose; like a computer crash or a server going down. Because of slow or limited network access, an organization’s IT could withstand little to no management and a lot of neglect without serious security issues.
The introduction of broadband internet changed everything. It not only made business faster and easier, but it increased the reach of criminals. For a cybercriminal whose effectiveness is based on their ability to target as many networks as possible and get in-and-out quickly; universal broadband internet made this possible. Today, attackers can use bots and custom software to target as many computers and networks as possible simply looking for any vulnerability.
Security makes IT a necessity
Cybercriminals are organizing and introducing “ransomware-as-a-service” by creating software and nefarious tools available to almost anyone. From DDOS attacks to backdoor malware to ransomware, the vulnerability to cybercrime has proliferated exponentially. Because cybercrime is becoming a big business it threatens to disrupt all organizations in any industry.
A study conducted at the University of Maryland was the one of the first to quantify the actual threat of cyberattack. They found that, on average, hackers attack computers connected to the internet every 39 seconds or approximately 2,244 times per day. These attacks were simply looking for any vulnerability and not targeting any specific person, organization, or industry. This means that today everyone is at risk.
Recently, there has been widespread news coverage of vulnerabilities that could potentially shut down a business. Two of the biggest vulnerabilities in recent news allowed a criminal to potentially have administrative control over a network by gaining local SYSTEM privileges.
One of the main functions of IT is to manage the network so potential vulnerabilities are not exploited. Without an experienced IT department, many SMB’s could fall victim to ransomware and other attacks that could potentially shut down their business.
IT keeps your business running
What would a security breach like ransomware cost your organization? How would your reputation be impacted? What is the cost of downtime on your business? Cybercrime is on the rise and security is no longer a luxury. Good cybersecurity requires regular maintenance and is essential to future success.
The main role of an IT department is to prevent downtime and ensure business continuity. In today’s world, next to the President/CEO, IT is arguably the most important role any organization can have because it will keep you in business.
Contact tca SynerTech today to learn more about how we can become your IT department.
