Why Network Monitoring Is a Core Facet of Managed Services

It is important to be proactive and not reactive in managing your network. This last year in tech was writhe with the unimaginable – everything from the first ransomware Mac virus to over 500 million accounts being stolen from Yahoo, and then there was the fast food chain Wendy’s Point of Sale security breach.

It is more clear now than ever that network security, data backup and disaster recovery, and network monitoring are of the utmost importance for your business.

Here are a couple stats that shed more light on this…

An IBM-Ponemon Institute Study 2015 says that “On average, a data breach has been studied to cost $6.53 million to a company.” These estimates do not cover losses to brand image and lost business opportunities. Another scary statistic – approximately 80 percent of small businesses that experience a data breach go bankrupt or suffer severe financial losses within two years of a security breach, according to John Sileo, a professional identity theft consultant.
Why risk massive financial loss, or bankruptcy when it can be easily prevented?

Network Monitoring And Management Options

For infrastructure management and network monitoring, many small business turn to software solutions such as Datadog, ManageEngine OpManager, Spiceworks Network Monitor, or any other readily available software based solution.

The problem with this type of solution is that oftentimes single software implementation can quickly become out of date, licensing can be costly depending on the size of your network, and many of these solutions will work only on networks that are 100% Windows based.

Onsite IT support is another service to consider, however it can quickly become costly when hiring either an hourly contractor or full time employee.

The best solution is a combination of software and personnel solutions to ensure you have well rounded protection and monitoring of your network. One way to have the best of both worlds is to utilize managed services. This service allows you to have benefit of onsite IT support without the massive overhead cost that can come with hiring a full time IT staff, or risk of using an outsourced hourly solution.

It is important for SMB’s to implement a data security plan that not only covers data protection but also includes an action plan in case of a breach.

A couple of questions to ask yourself:

– Does your company have a policy surrounding two-factor authentication and email encryption?
– Is 100% of your data encrypted and backed up on a remote, preferably cloud, server?

If your answer is ‘no’ to any part of these important questions, your business is certainly at risk.

Ways you can help secure your business NOW:

  • Segment networks
  • Patch systems
  • Secure browsers
  • Encrypt data
  • Protect against internal threats
  • Establish data security policy
  • Implement cloud storage solutions

Will Cloud Based Network Monitoring Work For You?

One of the hurdles to modern day IT support services is Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD. Many employees connect their own personal devices to the network of their employer, opening up a business to further risk. Even with basic security precautions such as two-factor authentication and email encryption there is still great risk for data loss or a security breach.

Furthermore, each device may have a different mobile operating system, such as Android or iOS, and each OS could be on a different version based on the age of the device or even by negligence of the device owner in applying the most recent software updates.

The solution? Cloud based network monitoring. Not only does cloud based network monitoring ensure BYOD is secure, but it also works for larger traditional networks or those running on virtual machines. Software as a service IT monitoring services offer several upsides, including cost, scalability, ease of deployment and customization.

If your business is conscientious of cost, looking for a flexible solution that can adapt to your specific network, and wants to easily be able to scale in the future, cloud based network monitoring is hands down the best option for your technology management.

Spam & Antivirus Problems Solved with Managed IT Services

Unsolicited commercial advertisements sent by e-mail and dangerous malware and virsuses are a common plight in today’s business world. About 90% of all emails are infected with some type of malware, and every month over 7,000 new computer viruses are created. Having a software program designed to identify and remove known or potential computer viruses as well as spam-blocking software are two important pieces of a solid technology management package.

With managed IT services your business will have spam blocking, anti-spyware, virus and malware protection via proactive technology management through centralized services. It also provides the added benefit of data backup and disaster recovery, so you will be able to grow your business without worrying about a potential data security breach or nasty computer virus.

Managed Services Keep Your Network Secure & Costs Low

Technology management problems can seem like an insurmountable hurdle to overcome, especially with considerations to cost, scalability and security. Fortunately, there is no need to figure out a piecemeal solution to your IT support service needs. Managed services allow you to customize a plan to suit your current business needs, and can grow with you as you scale your business all while offering the data protection and security you need.

Whether you are looking for only data backup and disaster recovery services or a complete patch management, anti-spyware and malware management program, TVG consulting has an option for you. We often hear the question, “What determines Managed IT Services pricing and how are those fees established?” While most managed IT service agreements are based on the number of full-time employees you have, TVG’s pricing is typically much lower than if you were to hire in-house for those same capabilities while also granting better coverage than hourly contractors.

Learn more about your network monitoring and management options with our Business Guide to Managed IT Services.