2022 Year-End Technology Checklist - SIMA Financial Group

Our Chief Technology Officer, Kelly Davis, wants to ensure you wrap up 2022 knowing that your networks and hardware are secure for the near year! Check out his tips below:

1. Review your backup devices and services

Business backup solutions are as simple as having an external hard drive connected or a cloud backup for documents. While this is suitable for retrieving single documents as needed, bigger issues could include theft, natural disasters, or user error. Documents can be saved, but not software and business applications. The biggest factor with a network failure is downtime incurred which leads to loss of productivity and potential business revenue. Assessing your backup services should include assessing the real cost of downtime and reviewing options to ensure full business recovery.

2. Clean Up Local Area Network (LAN) Drives

Most businesses have network-based records storage for easy access by multiple employee users. As time passes, irrelevant or outdated information accumulates. You need an effective cleanup plan that occurs at least annually and that your team members clearly understand. Cleaning up your network drives of outdated files and archiving important documents will make all new information more readily accessible and create a more efficient and streamlined workflow.

3. Complete a technology inventory assessment

Have a full technology summary on hand that not only includes your servers, computers, and laptops, but every piece of tech hardware that employees use such as monitors, keyboards, and printers. This technology summary should also help identify what is needed for user productivity, the age of the hardware, and what should be serviced or replaced. Having the inventory list will also help budget any future needs for replacement or upgrading.

4. Assess all your technology performance levels

As your business grows, so are the demands for today’s fast-paced technology growth. Performing an analysis of your business’s everyday technology-based communication tools can help drive your productivity and efficiency. Having a computer with high-performance specs is only as good as your internet speed. Assessing the technology performance levels of your website, social media efforts and any other levels of your customer interfacing will help improve customer visibility as well.

5. Complete a network security assessment

With cybersecurity threats still at their highest since the spike during the pandemic, businesses need to prepare for potential harm to connected devices on their network. Access to the internet includes network devices like computers and mobile devices. It is important to be aware of all potential threats on both computers and mobile devices. Awareness is vital and can save your business from the disastrous aftermath of a security breach. While a security assessment will not protect you from a cybersecurity attack, it will help ensure best practices are met at your weakest points of entry and prepare your business’s disaster recovery plan.

6. Evaluate for hardware and software upgrades

You might not need to stay current with every new release of tech or software. However, monitoring updates of each version will go a long way. Ensure that you are up to date on the latest in data and systems security by utilizing modern equipment and software. Waiting too long to upgrade, what is referred to as being version locked, can spell disaster for you down the road.

7. Consider security policies for travel and working remotely

With work-from-home becoming more prevalent due to COVID-19 and standard corporate travel, remote work is now a more significant part of how companies conduct business. As technology has become increasingly integrated into our work lives, we have had to bring it along with us as we incorporate our work lives into our personal spaces. Most don’t think twice about utilizing their phone or laptop at home or when traveling, but company devices are veritable treasure troves of sensitive data. We really should be proactive about protecting this data. A practical corporate travel and work-from-home policy takes IT and security into account, so your data can be just as secure in the office as it is remotely.

8. Review documentation

Documentation is vitally important, especially where information technology is concerned. They are the policies that your employees are following, the reasoning why the rationale for why things are done as they are done, and the signposts guiding your way when people are uncertain.

Documentation makes for consistency in work (and your expectations of that work), but consistency also makes for good documentation. That’s why you should make sure you are periodically reviewing everything to ensure they don’t show outdated policies.

So what should you be reviewing? The list is long and might differ from company to company. Some good places to start might be anywhere pertaining to onboarding and offboarding procedures, new user setups, a bring-your-own device/kit rental policy (if anything), password guidelines, vendor contracts, and website maintenance policies.

9. Consider tax advantages

Now is a good time to upgrade any computer hardware in your office, including monitors, desktop systems, or servers. Be sure to review your business’s needs to create a cost estimate for these upgrades. You can review the estimate with your accountant to see if you can take advantage of a Section 179 depreciation deduction on your 2022 taxes.

10. Consider cloud services

Common programs that many businesses use, such as Office 365, Microsoft Azure, and SalesForce, already are or are becoming cloud-based platforms. Having your company information in the cloud should come with extra layers of cybersecurity and protocols to protect your network. Check this off your list by having your IT service provider conduct a cybersecurity audit to ensure there are no weaknesses a hacker could take advantage of if trying to breach your network. We recommend your company’s protocols adhere to the National Institute of Standards framework which has been developed as a cybersecurity standard for all businesses. Additionally, it is important to note the multidisciplinary IT landscape. Many times, this is affected by other technological advances, such as the “internet of things” and artificial intelligence. Due to the current complexity of the digital landscape, more companies contract “IT as a service” either as a supplement to their current IT provider or as a replacement for the entire department. Wrap up 2022 knowing that your network and hardware are secure and ready for the new year.