In 2020, it’s not just large and established businesses that are benefiting from the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend. SMBs (Small and Medium-Sized Businesses) and even startups have also embraced the BYOD trend with staff using their own personal devices such as their smartphones, laptops and tablets for work purposes.
However, this can leave a business’s IT network open to many digital threats like hackers if effective BYOD security solutions aren’t put in place. Turning to IT managed service providers (MSPs) for small business IT support provides many businesses with affordable and effective network security solutions that are tailored to their exact needs.
Staff using their Android and Apple mobile phones for work purposes involves having different operating systems connected to the business’s network. If your network isn’t secure, it means that every device connected to the network is vulnerable to a digital attack.
A common digital attack is having a hacker infect the network with malware. This typically involves sending a fake email to your staff pretending to be a company such as Netflix and asking the user to update their details by following an enclosed link.
However, upon clicking the link, the user is taken to a fake website that requests their personal details or asks them to download a file. This then initiates a malware infection that will spread through the entire network, infecting every connected device, file, operating system and program.
This can result in sensitive company data being stolen, corrupted or even being encrypted with ransomware and demanding payment, usually in the form of Bitcoin, to reverse the encryption.
Turning to a managed IT service provider for small business IT support gives you access to a team of IT security consultants who can first conduct an assessment of the entire IT network. They will then design, plan and implement the recommended security solutions according to the potential security issues they detect and identify.
This can involve integrating platforms to give you total control over the business’s network. You can control who is allowed to connect to the network, their level of access and what information they can access.
Through working closely with your business, a managed IT service provider will gain a clear picture of what your specific needs, goals and objectives are. Once equipped with this information, their team will then design and implement a variety of security solutions that are tailored to your exact needs.
This can involve hardware solutions such as next-generation firewalls or software solutions including virtual private networks (VPNs). A VPN has become a necessity as it will encrypt all data before it is transmitted over the network, preventing the risk of sensitive and private company data being intercepted and stolen.
Whether you are in need of BYOD security solutions or small business IT support, outsourcing to a managed IT service provider can ensure that your business is safe and protected 24/7. Search online for an MSP and explore your options today.