On-Site vs. Remote IT Support: Which is Right for Your Business?

IT problems can bring your company grinding to a halt. Without the proper IT support, anything from rogue emails to a computer error message could prevent your team from meeting deadlines - or even spell complete disaster!

But which type of IT support is right for you?

On the one hand, you might feel on-site IT support would fit your business structure. On the other hand, remote support can be more flexible.

With IT playing such a huge role in the productivity of your business, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by this important decision.

But don’t worry, we’re here to walk you through the benefits and downsides of both remote and on-site support.

Benefits Of On-Site Support

On-site support means having an engineer or consultant - or even a team of IT personnel - on your physical premises. We’re talking specifically about outsourced on-site support, not internally hired support as that can function very differently.

On-site technical assistance is best suited to companies that only require IT help during specific hours and within a small site area. Smaller companies will likely find on-site support the most useful, as their IT expert will be on-hand and able to deal with queries as they arise.

One of the most obvious benefits of having on-site support is the human aspect.

Sometimes you just need someone there in person to be able to explain what the problem is! If you’ve found it difficult to define your IT problems in the past, then an on-site technician may be best.

Finally, the most obvious bonus to having your support on your premises is that they can fix hardware issues. Remote support can always deploy other measures to help with hardware issues, but an on-site engineer will already be there ready to help.

Benefits Of Remote Support

Now you know when on-site support could work for you, let’s take a look at remote support.

This could look like an individual or a team of IT experts who help with your technical issues in a remote format only. They would provide support through telephone calls, instant messaging, video calls or dedicated software.

Remote support like this is ideal for large companies with more than one premises. If your business has employees in multiple locations, working remotely or in other countries, then remote help will be right for you.

The biggest benefit to remote IT assistance is that you often get more for your money. When it comes to affordability, a remote team will often cost you less than an on-site IT technician.

Downsides To On-Site Support

On-site support has its plus points, but it also has a few drawbacks that are worth noting.

One of the biggest culprits is that paying someone to be there on your premises in person will undoubtedly cost more than even a full team of remote IT specialists. This is because they’ll need to account for their travel costs and ensure they have all the equipment they need on-site.

Along with that comes the issue of availability. Having someone on-site to help during peak office hours may work fine, but for companies that operate around the clock or in different time zones, an in-person technician can only be on your property for so many hours of a day.

Another thing to think about is where your team is based. If your employees aren’t office-based, then it doesn’t make sense to hire someone to stay on-site when you require remote support.

Downsides To Remote Support

Remote IT services are invaluable to modern businesses, but there are two sides to tech support.

While we can swiftly take control of your computer, mouse and keyboard on a call, remote support can’t be there in person for hardware issues.

Luckily, if you discovered a problem with a physical device, such as a laptop being dropped and broken, we can help you get the right replacement ordered or arrange a repair. Our experts can even use instant messaging or video calls to guide you in fixing simple hardware issues yourself.

Many businesses opt for remote IT support, with ad hoc in-person support as and when it’s needed as this gives the best of both worlds.

Which Is Right For You?

The right IT support for you will depend on multiple factors, but whatever your needs Data Innovations can help. Our expert team can help you to get the IT support that’s right for your needs and budget.

As a small company, you’ll get to know us so we’ll end up feeling like part of your team too. The longer we work with you, the more we’ll know about your processes and systems - making our job of managing your IT all the quicker.

Ready to find out more about our remote support service? Then contact us to get your IT support in place.

5 Reasons 2FA Is Crucial For Your Cyber Security

Did you know 43% of cyber attacks are against small businesses? And that 60% of small companies go out of business within 6 months of a cyber attack?

On average, small businesses that experience a cyber attack spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair the damage. They lose even more money because of the disruption to their normal operation. Wish it was avoidable?

It is!

Cyber security is one of those things that many people only really pay attention to once it goes wrong. Other things take priority in your daily schedule and somehow your cyber security takes a backseat.

Once something’s happened - you’re hacked or compromised - then you have no choice but to do something about it. But… by then it’s too late.

One of the simplest things you can do to protect yourself from the worst? Implement 2-factor authentication within your company.

What Is 2FA?

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a simple method of verifying your identity in addition to using a password. It strengthens your login security by requiring two authentication methods (otherwise known as factors) in order to get access to an account or system.

Usually this involves first imputing your password as normal, and then receiving an additional code by text, email or through an app. It’s only with this code you can gain access.

Why 2FA Is A Must Have For Any Business?

If you want to stop hackers from stealing or accessing your sensitive company data, then two-factor authentication is a must.

Passwords alone can be guessed, stolen in phishing scams or taken in malware attacks. 2FA gives you peace of mind from this.

1- Prevent Hackers

2FA prevents people from getting access to things like your website and emails. If they try to hack your website for any reason, sometimes to steal your data or host inappropriate content, they will be blocked from doing this.

This means only the people you want accessing the backend of your website will get in.

2- Protect Your Data

Since the introduction of GDPR, people have tightened up on their data protection. We’ve always had the data protection act but GDPR brought this front and centre for businesses of all sizes.

People are more cautious with their data these days, so businesses have a duty to protect the data of their clients and prospects.

As you probably found out during the roll out of GDPR, you can get fined pretty heftily if you fail to do this. 2FA is one way you can ensure everywhere you’re storing data is kept secure and less likely to be hacked or stolen.

You don’t ever want to have to contact your entire client or prospect list and tell them the data they have stored with you is compromised! It reflects badly on you and can lead to a lot of damage to your company’s reputation.

3- Save Money

2FA is generally free.

Simply install an app on your phone and set it up with whatever you’re adding it to - your client database, your company software, whatever you need to protect. 2FA essentially has no cost associated with implementing it, making it accessible to companies of all sizes and positions.

This means there’s no excuse to leave your valuable data vulnerable.

2FA can also prevent you from paying out big costs recovering from a cyber attack - and the ensuing loss of earnings during your downtime.

4- Neutralises The Risk From Compromised Passwords

If your passwords do get stolen or if your team members are using weak passwords (think 1234 or birthdays), normally you’d be in a pickle, to put it politely.

You would be totally open to attack. However, with 2FA you’re protected. Even if hackers do get passwords, they still can’t get access. Unless they have the actual device being used for the 2FA (usually an individual's phone or tablet), then they won’t be getting into your system, your money, your bank or your emails.

It’s simple and effective.

5- It's Super Simple

2FA is a no-brainer. It’s simple to put into action, it’s free, and anyone can use it on a daily basis regardless of whether they’re in the office or working from home.

If you want to know where to get started, some of the most widely used 2FA apps are Google Authenticator and Authy. You install them on your phone and set them up in one sitting and you’re ready to go.

Is 2FA Right For You?

It doesn’t matter what size your company is or what industry you’re in. It’s essential that you’re putting in place even the simplest of cyber security measures. Cyber attacks can come at any time and that means the best time to start using 2FA was yesterday!

There are other things you can do as well as 2FA to make sure hackers can't get hold of your data and can’t put a hold on your entire business. If you’d like to know some more of the super simple and highly effective ways to protect you and your company from cyber attacks, get in touch with us here.

Data Loss - 5 Signs Your Back Up & Recovery Plan Isn't Good Enough

Back up and recovery planning isn’t all that exciting or interesting. The problem is, you won’t know yours isn't strong enough until it’s too late.

It’s likely that you often ignore little signs that your plan has problems. We bet updating it goes to the back of your to-do list, because frankly, who has time? But then one day, you turn on your computer and you’ve got the blue screen of doom or ransomware bargaining for your private data and files.

Only then do you realise how important it is to find the holes in your back up and recovery plan and make sure it is watertight.

So is your back plan good enough? Let's find out.

Here are 5 signs that your back up and recovery plan needs some attention.

1 - You Don't Have A Back Up Plan

Failure to plan is planning to fail - or so they say. Not having a plan at all is an obvious sign of an issue. If you’re not taking adequate steps to back up and protect all of your important files for your business, then you’re just waiting for disaster to find you.

It’s possible you’ve been lucky up to this point. But it’s also possible that all it will take is just one corrupt hard drive or accidental malware download before losing everything your company needs to operate day-to-day.

With a good back up plan you can be back up and running in a matter of hours if disaster strikes. With a bad back up plan, it could be weeks or months before you recover. And no back up plan at all? You can probably kiss your data goodbye for good.

2 - You Don't Have Team Training

You might have a back up plan in place, but if you don’t have team training on how to implement it, then your team won’t be using it properly.

This makes it incredibly easy for mistakes and mishaps, and when you need it most, your back up plan will fail.

The worst may happen and you need to recover your lost data, but poor implementation will mean it will be like you didn’t have a plan at all.

3 - You Didn't Do A Back Up In The Last Week

If you haven’t backed up in the last week, then it’s a sign that your strategy isn’t working. Your recovery plan is only as good as your last back up, since anything added after your last save date won’t be stored.

If you’re creating new data on a daily basis with documents, emails and client projects, they won’t be saved unless you’re fully up to date.

The best thing is to revisit your back up plan to see why you’re not backing up more frequently and make appropriate changes. This way you’ll be protected should disaster strike.

4 - You're Reliant On Hardware Only

A more traditional approach to a back up and recovery plan is to store everything on hardware. This simple drag and drop style likely involves copying your most precious digital information to an external hard drive.

Unfortunately - or fortunately! - the world has moved on from this practice. This is no longer safe enough and leaves you at high risk of a corrupt hard drive ruining everything you’ve tried to save.

The strongest and most reliable back up plans are not only hardware-based, but also involve cloud-based back up.

We know creating strong back up plans can be intimidating because they are complex. That's why it’s a good idea to bring in the experts to help you, so you know you’re covered.

5 - You Don't Have A Plan In Place For When It All Goes Wrong

You may well have a back up plan - you may even be backing up your data regularly using the cloud. But you’re in trouble if you don’t actually know what to do when the dreaded day comes.

Your company could grind to a halt unnecessarily while you figure things out after the fact.

Imagine if you turned your PC on to discover your files were all lost. What’s your first step to recovery?

If you don’t know what to do in that exact moment, then you’ll be at a huge disadvantage.

What Can You Do To Protect Yourself?

Back up and recovery planning is something you should do before you need it.

If you wait until the moment you need your files recovered, then it’s too late. We don’t need to tell you that the impact lost data can have on a business is huge.

It can stall your business and cost you both time and money. It may even cost you your clients!

The only way to ensure you do have a reliable back up plan is to bring in back up and recovery experts to help you.

At Data Innovations we know what the back up pitfalls are and how to avoid them. So, if you’d like peace of mind and to keep your data safe, get in touch with us to create a back up and recovery plan you can depend on.