Network Assessment: Show Your IT & Network Some Love
Valentine’s Day is a time to show the ones you love how much they mean to you, so why not extend that sentiment to your IT and network? Just like any relationship, your IT and network need attention and care to thrive. One of the best ways to show your IT and network some love is by conducting a network assessment.
Think of a network assessment as a doctor’s office checkup. Just like you visit the doctor for a physical examination to ensure your body is functioning well, a network assessment examines your IT systems to ensure they are running smoothly and identify any potential issues that could cause problems down the line. A network assessment can prevent minor IT issues from turning into major disasters.
Here are three things worth checking during a network assessment:
1. Aging hardware and infrastructure
First, let’s talk about checking for aging hardware and infrastructure. In today’s fast-paced business world, technology is constantly evolving, and it’s essential to stay up-to-date to avoid any potential issues.
For example, the Southwest Airlines incident during the holidays was caused by aging systems that couldn’t handle the high volume of flight cancellations. Regularly updating and repairing your hardware and infrastructure can prevent similar issues from happening to your business.
This includes things like servers, routers, and switches. All these items have a lifespan, and it’s essential to stay on top of their replacement schedule to ensure optimal performance and avoid unexpected downtime.
2. User access management and backups
Second, it’s vital to check user access management and backups. As a business owner, you must ensure that your users only have access to what they need and that your backups are in working order. If outages occur for any reason, you need to be able to recover quickly.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) incident on January 11 resulted from user error, where deleted files brought down the airline system, causing chaos across the airline industry. Human error is a common culprit and contributes to 95 percent of cybersecurity breaches.
By regularly reviewing user access, ensuring that you have the proper security measures in place to prevent unauthorized access to your network, and checking your backups are recent and tested, you can avoid similar issues from happening to your business.
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3. Procedures and policies
Finally, it’s crucial to review your procedures and policies. A lot can change in a year — not just internally but also externally. For example, ransomware attacks increased by 13 percent in 2022, more than in the previous five years combined.
In light of these changes, your policies and procedures may need to be updated. This is essential to ensure that your network is secure and that you comply with regulations.
This includes things like incident response plans, disaster recovery plans, and compliance with data privacy regulations like HIPAA or GDPR. By regularly reviewing and updating your policies and procedures, you can ensure that your network is secure and that you are prepared for any possible issues.
The examples above reinforce that no one is immune to the consequences of poor processes and aging technology. Damaging your reputation, downtime, and more are all possible if you don’t take the necessary actions to keep your IT infrastructure in good shape. Be proactive and conduct a yearly assessment to get a complete picture of your IT infrastructure and help prevent possible downtime.
At CTSI, we understand the importance of keeping your IT and network in top shape, and our number one goal is to transform your business with solutions that give you a competitive edge.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. By conducting regular network assessments, you can stay ahead of potential issues and protect your business from devastating consequences. Schedule your network assessment today with CTSI and give your IT and network the love it deserves.
