Small and growing businesses want to implement a road map for their cybersecurity journey to better understand where their network is currently at and how they can get to the level of security their network requires. This IT strategy does not need to be complex nor intimidating, and small businesses should work with a local IT consultant if they need knowledge or advice on how to improve their business’ cybersecurity posture further. In this article, we want to cover some of the initial steps business owners can take to start their IT journey, so you can begin taking control of your cybersecurity and protect your business’ future!
Catalogue the Network
The benefit to building an IT strategy early for a small business is that it is much easier to catalogue the devices and equipment on your network and grow that catalogue alongside the business. It is critical to know how many devices have access to your small business’ network and the kinds of machines needed to maintain operations. This catalogue can start simple and track the devices and their relevant information, but it should grow to include the current patches and relevant security information for important IT infrastructure, such as servers and switches. This catalogue can help a future IT team or IT consultant scope cybersecurity infrastructure changes and identify potential problems early.
Identify Risks
Once you know the devices on your network and the equipment needed to keep your business running, it becomes much easier to identify the risks to your cybersecurity. Perhaps your business doesn’t have any switches or servers because operations are still growing, and this means you need to focus your attention on endpoint protection, multifactor authentication, and next-generation firewall services for employee devices. Or, your business could have a single server that is critical to operations, and you realize the expertise of an IT consultant is needed to better secure that asset. By identifying potential threats early, your IT strategy can begin planning for better security, redundancies, and additional security services you need.
IT Strategy Growth
Cataloguing the business’ network and identifying risks are essential steps to secure the business as it currently operates, but your IT strategy should look towards the future to help mitigate the security risks associated with company growth. If you plan to onboard new employees in the near future, then you can work with an IT consultant to find security solutions that scale easily and enroll new users quickly. Your consultant can also help you procure new technology, such as switches, laptops, and networking equipment, at favorable costs, so that technology procurement doesn’t slow down your business’ growth.
Summary
Every small and medium business’ IT strategy will be different, and these strategies should change over time as the business grows and its operations change. Our team here at Robinett Consulting want to work with small businesses that are new and growing because we know the early stages of a business can be the most vulnerable. If your business needs help developing and implementing a strong IT strategy to improve and maintain its cybersecurity posture, then our IT specialists are ready to work with you today, so you have IT as it should be!
