Don’t stop fortifying against risk. Four ways to mitigate risk in a tough economy
reprinted with permission from HP
Every business deals with risk. But medium-sized businesses, with smaller IT staff and tighter operating budgets are often more exposed to risk than larger companies. This reality is never more evident than in a down economy: When the repercussions of a business disruption are as grave as they are, how do you insulate your business from risk?
“For mid-sized businesses, the financial impact of business disruptions is tremendous,” said Anil Miglani, senior vice president, AMI-Partners. “We estimate that through security breaches and data loss alone, medium-sized businesses worldwide lost approximately US$4.7 billion in 2008.”
According to strategy consulting firm AMI-Partners, in 2008 medium-sized businesses worldwide lost approximately US$4.7 billion due to security breaches and loss of data.
However, taking the right precautions with your IT infrastructure can help you steer clear of danger. Here are four steps you can take to mitigate risks to your revenue, your reputation, and your investment – all the things that keep you awake at night as you wait for this storm to pass.
1. Reduce the probability of downtime
Your order system goes down, leaving your e-commerce customers unable to place orders. In addition to lost revenue, this downtime can derail employees, leading to productivity loss. While you’re focused on fixing the problem, your competition has a chance to poach your customers. Worst of all, failing to detect and fix the problem means it may happen again.
High availability of critical systems is the medium-sized business’s highest IT priority, and it’s attainable with a few key changes:
2. Protect your data
Data breaches might not happen as often as network and application downtime. But when they occur, they can be catastrophic. Implementing a few key protections can greatly minimize the chances of data loss.
3. Secure the network
4. Reduce disruptive changes
If your own planned maintenance and management tasks are the biggest cause of downtime, opt for automated solutions. Automation simplifies management so you focus on the business.
How HP can help
You may not be in a position to deploy every possible solution to prevent every conceivable business risk. But when a bad economy narrows your margin for error, you can’t afford unnecessary exposure to business risks.
Making things happen is the art and science of project management. The process involves managing…
In today's fast digital life, website performance is important, as it holds visitors and ensures…
The FBI reported that cyber attacks against government facilities saw an increase of almost 36…
In today’s fast-paced, technologically advanced world, businesses of all sizes increasingly rely on digital systems…
You likely hear terms like "blockchain," "machine learning," and "cloud computing" without considering their real…
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses cannot thrive without effective collaboration. Microsoft continues its unwavering…