Managers and staff within any organization often find themselves handling tasks outside their core responsibilities when the need arises. Taking care of simple tasks can save time and money, and maximising operational efficiency is crucial.
There are even a lot of IT tasks you can do without expertise, but others have serious consequences if handled incorrectly, including security breaches, downtime, compliance problems, or data loss.
Here are four IT tasks you can handle alone, as well as four jobs that are better left to the technology professionals if you want to maximise productivity while avoiding unnecessary risks.
4 IT tasks you can and should do yourself
These routine technology tasks require little technical expertise and can become part of your normal business management process.
1. Review user access lists
Employees come and go, and sometimes they change roles, departments, and responsibilities over time. For security purposes, periodically review who has access to systems, files, and applications.
Look for situations where former employees still have active accounts or current employees have access they no longer need, and revoke it. This will reduce the risk of credential theft and reduce the blast radius of potential attacks.
2. Monitor software licences and subscriptions
If you subscribe to multiple software products, chances are there are applications that your employees no longer use. Review software subscriptions regularly and identify:
- Unused licences
- Duplicate applications
- Expired subscriptions
- Unnecessary premium features
Removing unused services like this is an easy way to reduce your expenses and simplify your operations.
3. Encourage password and security best practices
To reinforce good security habits, you should remind employees to:
- Use strong passwords
- Enable multifactor authentication (MFA)
- Avoid suspicious links and attachments
- Report unusual activity quickly
Include these practices in your security policy and employee handbook, and ensure they are taught during onboarding.
4. Schedule basic employee security training
Human error remains the leading cause of data breaches, so hold regular security awareness training to educate employees on cyber risks and best practices. They need to be brought up to speed on the current threats and tactics of cybercriminals so they can spot attacks as they happen and avoid them.
Some key points your training (and refresher courses) should include are:
- How to spot a phishing email
- Dealing with scam callers
- Safe web browsing practices
- Securing personal and company data against theft
4 things you should always leave to IT professionals
Technology tasks that involve high complexity typically have steep consequences for errors. Mistakes can cost far more than professional assistance, so don’t be lured by the prospect of saving a few dollars.
1. Network security configuration
Firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, virtual private networks, and network segmentation require careful setup. A small configuration error can accidentally expose your sensitive systems or create vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.
Cybersecurity professionals understand how these tools work together and how to tailor them to your infrastructure.
2. Backup and disaster recovery planning
Creating data backups is easy, but creating reliable backups that don’t affect your performance and actually restore correctly during an emergency is much harder.
If you don’t have the time or expertise to implement redundant storage locations, configure security protections, or perform recovery testing, bring in the pros instead of just hoping for the best. Without expert testing and planning, backups may fail when you need them most.
3. Cybersecurity incident response
When you’re hit with ransomware, network intrusions, and other cyberattacks, every second counts. Trying to investigate and contain attacks without proper experience leads to slow response and mistakes, which can worsen damage or destroy evidence needed for remediation. A cyberattack is no time to be proud or stingy, so ensure you have cybersecurity professionals to call on when needed.
4. Major infrastructure upgrades
Replacing servers, redesigning networks, or deploying new business platforms affects your entire organization, so you want to get it right the first time.
Poor implementation can lead to:
- Downtime
- Performance problems
- Security gaps
- Unexpected costs
Professional IT teams help with your technology strategy and planning based on your goals, then implement and configure IT that drives these goals instead of creating problems to fix later.
If you need a reliable and skilled team of IT professionals to handle the important technology tasks at your business, contact XBASE. You’ll be able to focus on your core operations, confident in the knowledge that the experts are keeping everything running at peak performance.