by Sharon Jones
More than ever before, businesses are reliant on technology to survive. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only increased this pressure; with more staff working remotely and business having to find ways of adapting existing business practices to make them both safe and accessible to employees and customers.
The problem with technology is that no matter how sophisticated it is, no matter how helpful it is, it occasionally goes wrong. And, when this happens, it can bring your entire business to a total standstill.
In this article, we look at some of the most common technology disasters and the things you can do to avoid them.
Photo by ThisIsEngineering from Pexels CC0 License
Cyberattacks
Unfortunately, cybercrime is becoming more and more prevalent as we move into a digital world. A cyber attack can take many different forms. It may be in the shape of a virus, which can either slow down or completely wipe your computer and IT system. More worryingly, it can steal confidential data, which can be devastating to the reputation of your business and can cost a lot of money to get sorted.
By investing in the best protection you can afford for your IT systems, you can reduce the chances of a cyber attack from taking place. For small and medium-sized businesses, managed IT services, which you can find detailed information here for, can also be an excellent way to keep your company safe. Make sure that you regularly back up data as well - if it is encrypted or stolen, you have another copy to fall back on.
Hardware failure
By hardware, we mean the computers, the printers, the routers and so on. If one of these stops working, it can be a nightmare for your business. You either have to pay to have it repaired, which takes time and money, or pay for it to be replaced and set up - which also takes time and money.
The good thing is that in many cases, premature hardware failure can be avoided.
It is always important to remember that no matter how good or how sophisticated and expensive your technology equipment is, it will always have a shelf life and replacing it before it comes to that point is vital to prevent unnecessary disruption to your business. Of course, to prolong that shelf life,r regular maintenance is essential. If it is something that you cannot function without, it may be worth investing in a spare if your budget allows, so you are always ready to go.
Software failure
Software is the programs and applications that you use every day to keep your business ticking over and again, these can be vital to operating efficiently.
To ensure that software does not become corrupt or slow, it is important that you do regular updates and make sure that you are running the most up to date and compatible form of the program. If you begin to experience any issues,c contact your services provider or the software developer as soon as possible so they can rectify any issues their end.