How to Create Your 2021 Business Technology Plan

Almost every business is happy to turn the calendar. It is important to back up your business goals with a strong business-IT plan. This plan will impact your ability to deal with the current situation. Most businesses have learned the lessons due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There is still some uncertainty in the air due to the new coronavirus strains. However, you still create your IT plan. In this article, we are going to share some tips that will help you in creating your 2021 business technology plan.

1. Optimize remote workers

Most companies have shifted to a remote work arrangement. Employees are using their personal devices for completing their work. Thus, data integrity and visibility have become huge issues for businesses.

You should create data access policies. These policies will ensure that your employees can retrieve their data. You should also follow the best policies for protecting your data.

You need to enforce these policies properly. Also, you should provide your employees with important technologies like fast connectivity and VPN access.

Most companies have allowed their employees to use their personal devices. However, it is a good time to revisit MDM or mobile device management. You should ensure that your employee’s networks and systems are protected. Remote working is great for your employees. It is also great for your business.

2. Secure your network

The coronavirus pandemic has also increased the frequency of cyberattacks. According to a report from BitDefender, more than 60% of emails in June 2020 were fraudulent.

You can’t rely on basic filters and firewalls as attackers are using complex attacks. They are using the latest technologies like AI and ML for making their attacks more targeted. The best way to deal with this is by using AI. You can use advanced tools like Threat Detection and response systems for dealing with these attacks.

TDR uses AI for detecting traffic patterns in your network. If there is any suspicious activity happening in your network, then it will immediately stop it.

You should try to put in as many security layers as you can. This will help you in preventing most of the cyber attacks. You should always work on improving your security strategy.

3. Enable MFA

According to a report from Verizon, more than 81% of data breaches occur due to lost or weak passwords. Attackers are becoming smarter with time. However, it is still very hard to crack MFA or multi-factor authentication. The attacker needs access to your employee’s device for breaking MFA.

Humans are probably the weakest link in your security strategy. Thus, almost every attacker is using social engineering and phishing for attacking businesses.

MFA will ensure that attackers can’t access your systems. They might steal your employee’s password but they can’t access your systems until they authenticate their identity. You can use a one-time code for providing protection to your systems.

MFA is the most effective way to protect your account as it can’t be copied by the attackers. Sometimes companies forget to enable MFA. Thus, attackers will actually enable them after taking control of their systems.

4. Conduct a security assessment

Cyber attacks are only going to increase in 2021. Attackers are even targeting small startups for earning quick cash. Thus, it is important to ensure that you are ready for these kinds of attacks. You should conduct a 3rd-party security assessment. This will help you in finding holes in your network and systems.

These assessments are very helpful as it will help you in identifying vulnerabilities in your systems.

A 3rd-party security assessment will be neutral in nature. They will tell you about the gaps present in your network and systems. Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire can help you in performing these assessments. They will try to find vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your systems. Bleuwire has access to experienced security professionals. Thus, they will tell you about the best ways to mitigate vulnerabilities.

5. Replace your old phone systems

Many companies are still using old Toshiba phone systems. These phone systems are going to be useless after October 31, 2021. However, most companies are thinking that they can use these phone systems for 10 more months. You should start planning now if you want to replace your phone systems as it can sometimes take 90 days to replace your old phone systems.

If you think that you can use old phone systems even after support ends, then you are just inviting problems for your business. Your old phone system can fail at any time. If it fails after the support date, then you need to replace it with new phone systems. It will become a big headache for your business.

You should update your phone systems as soon as possible. It will help you in empowering collaborating and expanding your communication options. A new phone system will help you in boosting and enhancing your employee’s productivity.

6. Replace MS SQL 2008

Many companies are using MS SQL 2008 as their ERP software. However, MS has already stopped supporting it. You should replace it in 2021 as it is never a good idea to run unsupported software.

If you are using unsupported software, then your data will be at a risk. Attackers can easily use known vulnerabilities for attacking your business. Also, it will put you out of compliance. Thus, you might need to deal with fines and penalties.

You should consider your business needs before replacing the current software. Also, other factors like new system infrastructure and application architecture are going to play a major role.

Conclusion

These are some tips that will help you in creating your 2021 Business IT plan. You should also consider working with a good MSP in 2021. Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire can help you in creating your own custom business IT plan. They will help you in meeting your business goals by supporting your IT part. Bleuwire will help you in managing the risk of cyberattacks. If you need more information regarding IT services, then you can contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™  services and solutions in how we can help your business.