August 2020 - Why NOT Investing in IT Security Can Cost Your Business 

These days, it’s easy to take technology for granted when things are working well. When everything is humming along, why spend more time or money on things like backups and cybersecurity? Many business owners reason, “it will never happen to me,” when it comes to cyber threats. While they may be great at running their businesses, they may choose to overlook their IT security. It’s an unfortunate fact that threats like data breaches, malware and hacker attacks are a lot closer than you think. A simple antivirus or firewall just isn’t enough because hackers and cybercriminals are relentless. When businesses don’t hire talent, or work with an experienced IT services company, who prioritizes their network security, it can end up being very costly in the long run. Although it’s true there is a financial cost to prioritizing network security, backups and data protection, in the end working with an MSP (Managed Service Provider), can be remarkably cost-effective (and smart!). Interestingly, one challenge MSPs have is that when clients’ network security solutions are running smoothly, the client won’t know it. It all happens in the background and they don’t experience any problems or breaches. And because it’s not something they “see” the benefits of on a daily basis, business owners might wonder if they’re really getting their money’s worth. You actually may not hear much from a good IT services company because they are doing a great job at taking care of your network and data. Along with regular reviews that include educating you on the best options for your business, they should be providing great IT services and security solutions, freeing you up to focus on your clients and growing your business. True peace of mind! Here’s why it can be so costly to NOT invest in IT security: SCENARIO 1: Imagine you’re hit with a malware attack, and it takes your network out of commission. Your business comes to a screeching halt. You have to call in IT experts to fix the problem ASAP. This is a break-fix approach to IT services. To get your business up and running again, the IT specialists will have to scrub your network and make sure everything can be recovered. It will be a pricey job to get your network cleaned, while your staff will wait around to get back to work. Not only are your clients not being taken care of, but you’ve put their sensitive data at risk. SCENARIO 2: You’re hit by a data breach. Hackers are looking for information they can exploit, such as credit card numbers, passwords and other identifying information. They often sell this information to other cybercriminals. This means you have to take action FAST to make sure stolen information cannot be used. This includes changing credit card information and changing passwords. In the event of a data breach, the sooner you inform your customers, the better. But this is a double-edged sword. Your customers need to know so they can protect themselves. At the same time, your customers may lose trust in you because you didn’t protect their data. These are just two examples out of many IT nightmares that play out every day. When you don’t make IT security a priority, it can end up costing you BIG in the end. Work with an IT security company that will work with you to protect your business the right way – and help you avoid scenarios just like these. Not sure where to begin or where your business currently stands when it comes to their IT Security? Give us a call at 613-817-1212 or email support@allcareit.com for a free Network Security Assessment.