In today’s technologically-driven society, IT security is becoming more vital to businesses. When your employees can’t work due to network issues, this leads to costly downtime and low levels of productivity. Fortunately, with the right IT solutions in place, it becomes possible to keep your network safe and running with optimal effectiveness and safety. For now, let’s take a look at how your office equipment may serve as a weak spot in your network security.
Printer Vulnerabilities
Every business should have a reliable technology infrastructure. Did you know your printers can be a weak spot for your network? In fact, according to research, 61% of companies have encountered printer-related attacks. Instead of categorizing printers as an IT asset, many businesses label printers as business equipment. Because of this, they forget to password protect their printers. Hackers are smart, and they will find any way they can to get inside of your network. When your printer is connected to your network, and it doesn’t have password protection, this is a prime opportunity for hackers to access the network via your printers.
Old Hardware
Many pieces of older hardware aren’t compatible with some of today’s more advanced security protocols. When you can’t protect hardware with the latest security practices, this makes those pieces of business equipment a vulnerable point of a potential attack. This is why you should have an IT security team that can assess your hardware regularly and make recommendations as to which pieces need updating. Not only do you gain security benefits when you use newer equipment, but you also gain the ability to speed up productivity. When your workers use new computers, you can take advantage of apps and programs that facilitate automation.
Piecemealed Network
When you first started your company, there was a good chance you had only a few pieces of equipment. As your business grew, you likely added more equipment to your network. The more you grew, the more business equipment you added, and you eventually (without realizing) built a piecemealed network full of mismatched pieces of equipment. With mismatched equipment, you likely have pieces that aren’t configured correctly. And when this happens, your network becomes vulnerable to hackers. With an IT team in your corner that specializes in network security, you can rest assured your entire network is secure.
If you’d like to learn more about IT security in Parsons, contact Hart Office Solutions today!