There’s no denying that marketing is a big deal for smartphone manufacturers. They spend a lion’s share of their money pushing one or two devices on the public, when they build many more that sell as well or better. The thing is, not everyone has $1,000-to-$2,000 to drop on a cellphone every couple of years. To wrap up our look at the smartphone market, we thought we’d introduce you to some phones that won’t bust your budget and that can still provide users some value.
Being an authority in small business IT, we have to suggest a lot of different solutions to our clients. One thing we are sure to do is to suggest implementing cloud platforms, whether public or private, as a way to extend the reach of your business. The problem becomes that once some people are bit by the cloud bug, they go all out. Today, we’ll take a look at cloud computing’s cost, and whether or not access to cloud applications can actually be hurting your business.
A report by Gartner has provided evidence that security considerations are anticipated to see investments in 2018. So, if you were planning on focusing on your business’ information security this year, you certainly aren’t the only one.
An analysis of businesses around the world shows that increasing attention has been devoted to security essentials that have always been given a relatively smaller chunk of the budget to work with. Furthermore, security spending has been going up across the board.
This means that, while identity access management receives the smallest investment, there is still an anticipated 9.7 percent rise in spending on it when comparing 2017 to 2018. There is also a 6.7 percent anticipated rise in spending on network security, an 11 percent rise in investment into security services, and a growth of 7.7 percent where infrastructure protection is concerned.
For an explanation as to why this increase in security investments is taking place, one only has to consider what 2017 offered cybersecurity.
To be frank, it wasn’t pretty.
There were security events with global impact, including NotPetya and WannaCry, as well as the news of the Equifax security breach. With these events and more only providing more evidence of the value that proactive and comprehensive network security preparations can provide, businesses are learning that it is better to be forearmed, than it is to just be forewarned.
Yet many projections suggest that even the overall spending increase we have seen of 8.8 percent may not be enough to keep up with the trajectory that is anticipated for cybersecurity. There are countless examples of how the increased reliance we have on technology in everyday life can lead to increased risk as well. Consider what today’s botnets use for ammunition. Instead of attacking PCs and workstations, phones and IoT devices are being targeted--and that’s just one way that the way we consider cybersecurity will have to change.
On a more positive note, businesses are seeing the value in outsourcing their growing security needs to professionals with the necessary experience to implement them. Spending of this kind is projected to see an increase of 11 percent. Will any of that come from your investment?
If so, make sure you reach out to BEI. Our professionals understand how to use IT solutions to improve your business’ security and performance. For more information, call (844) BIZ-EDGE.
It makes sense that your organization would want the best security possible and to mitigate the risks that it faces, whether they are physical or virtual. However, there is no definition for “perfect” security, as there isn’t one solution that can completely meet all of your business’ specific needs. As a result, you want to set realistic goals for yourself so that security doesn’t become difficult to gauge.
Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity to implement security, it’s more beneficial to take a look at your measures and ensure that they are indeed what your business wants and needs to meet the immediate threats you face. Below are three ways that the modern business fails when implementing their security initiatives.
Setting Your Standards Too High
While many of the security measures that you research might sound great on paper, it’s unlikely that your organization’s IT isn’t the same as the ones outlined in the marketing material. If you don’t implement measures that meet your specific needs, you are doing yourself a disservice; but, you also have to consider what those needs are. Sure, you need certain protections (which any number of solutions can provide), but to get comprehensive security coverage for your network and technology, you need to know what your threats are, and how the solution you choose to implement is going to protect your technology. If you aim too high and get a solution that is just too much for you and your projected company growth, you may waste significant amounts of workable capital
Conversely, every solution you consider will offer more or less protection, and you shouldn’t take much time looking for problems in a solution that does exactly what you need it to do, as this could make for a long and drawn-out implementation; and waste more time and money.
Waiting for the Perfect Moment
Project implementation can be intimidating, and extraordinarily costly. You may have to move resources around, and you will likely be paying more to get it done. Lots of businesses will look for a small, more manageable fix rather than taking on large projects. Since any security implementation would have to be installed and tested every which way, they most likely will drastically affect organizational data access, presenting you with operational downtime that just boosts the cost of implementation. That’s the reality, but ultimately would you accept a little downtime to keep your network and infrastructure safe? The answer is a resounding affirmative.
If you are going to implement new security solutions, strategize how it will cost you the least amount in time and materials before you start. This will go a long way toward getting the solutions you need in the time frame and cost that you need it to be at. If you wait and wait and wait to implement a crucial piece of IT, whether it be security or otherwise, you could be caught in an unenviable situation where you have no protection when you need it most.
You have to know going in that there is rarely a perfect time to implement a new project, so with a solid strategy and thorough implementation plans, you can get what your business needs, without hedging your decision to implement it. You’ll thank yourself when catastrophe is eliminated later.
Having the Wrong Priorities
We get it, network security is not a glamorous thing. You are going to spend time and money that could go elsewhere to defend your network and infrastructure against a threat that may never come. Conversely, if you are worried about everything it can be easy to overestimate how dangerous certain scenarios are. To get around this oversight, it’s critical that your organization take a realistic look at potential threat scenarios.
You wouldn’t build a retaining wall to keep flood waters out when your building is in the desert, tight? Why then would you spend a huge chunk of your IT budget on network security if you don’t need to. Make sure you understand the situation your organization is in and prioritize from there. It will go a long way toward allowing you to properly manage risk.
Does your business need help with implementing an IT security strategy that is right for it? BEI can help. To learn more, call us today at (844) BIZ-EDGE.