A good IT Plan not only helps an organization reach its business goals, but it also helps prevent issues. Read through 6 Considerations for Your 2019 IT Plan to help you get started.
Protect the identity
Stolen credentials are to blame in most security incidents today, so it is vital to ensure that only the right people are accessing company resources and users are who they say they are.
Consider Information Protection to share data safely internally with coworkers and outside your company with customers and partners. To authenticate identities, consider using multi-factor authentication (MFA). Evaluate your data to see what you need to consider sensitive and assess the likelihood of an MFA solution in 2019.
Collaborate like a champ
It is essential to equip your users with the tools they need to stay connected and be productive. Applications like Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint can bring major benefits to your organization like the ability to work remotely and access files from anywhere.
Take the time to talk to your users about their collaboration challenges and begin to evaluate tools, like Office 365, that will help them be more productive.
Don’t ignore end of support
Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 extended support ends on January 14, 2020. If you are still on Windows Server 2008 and have not started planning your upgrade, you need to make that your first action item for 2019. Learn your upgrade options in this blog post. Plus, if you’re running Windows 7 that is also reaching end of support on January 14, 2020.
End of support means the end of security updates. Without new security, hackers have ample opportunity to find new penetration points and exploit them.
Streamline manual process
In 2019 start to build efficiency around your data. Take a look at all those manual processes that you are managing by spreadsheets and document forms. Next year, make the technology work for you. Read through our list of 20 ways SharePoint can be used to streamline day-to-day business operations.
Security Awareness Training
Many of the most destructive breaches are initiated because of a lack of understanding on the part of employees. Keeping your confidential data protected is the responsibility of every department, not just IT, and must be taken seriously. Today, having an effective security awareness training program is just as important as your firewall in defending against security threats.
Our Security Awareness Training Content Bundle has content you can use right now to get your program started.
Don’t face it alone
It is nearly impossible for an organization to have the skillset to maintain, secure, and innovate an entire IT environment. Get help creating your IT Strategy Plan or implementing a comprehensive security program that satisfies regulatory requirements from an IT provider you can have a true partnership with.
iV4 identifies improvements and opportunities for IT investments based on business goals, future initiatives, market drivers, and technology requirements.
