Do you have the right systems in place to prevent an IT disaster over Christmas? With many businesses closing over the festive period and staff taking time off, it’s easy for IT systems to get forgotten about. The last thing anyone needs though, is a problem come January, when it’s back to business. This year there will be the added issue of people working from home, so it is not only workplaces, but also IT equipment and connectivity within employees’ homes that you will need to protect in order to avoid an IT disaster over Christmas.
At Matrix IT we want your business to start the New Year on a high, so we’ve put together our top tips to help you prevent IT disasters during the festive break.
Create An IT Disaster Recovery Plan
If you do one thing before you head for home this Christmas make sure you have a disaster recovery plan in place. Even if it’s just a short term plan to detail who is looking after what over the holidays and who is responsible for checking systems, it will give you peace of mind that everything will be ready for your return in January.
We blogged recently on the importance of having a disaster recovery plan so this is well worth a read before you create your plan or ask your IT support provider (us!) to create this for you.
Create Backups Of Your Important Data
Back ups go hand in hand with a disaster recovery plan, because if the unthinkable happens over the Christmas break, you should be able to restore your important data from the back ups you have made, enabling your business to continue. Remember that the winter weather can be harsh so the risk of flood, water and ice damage to buildings could spell disaster for IT hardware at this time of year. Make sure you have regular back ups in place for your important data and that it is backed up offsite, for example in the cloud, for added security.
Use Multifactor Authentication
At a time when many businesses have employees working from home, restricting unwanted access to systems has never been more important. Aside from ensuring that your teams have fully logged out of all systems before they break up for Christmas, and requesting that hardware is only used for work purposes, it is wise to enable Two Factor Authentication. 2FA or MFA (Multi Factor Authentication) adds an extra layer of security when logging into systems and applications by sending a one time code or password to your mobile device. Our recent blog explains why your business needs Two Factor Authentication.
Check Your Physical Security
Keeping your IT systems and data safe isn’t just about the cyber security element. It’s also important to ensure good physical security is in place. Over the Christmas period, if your business premises are going to be empty, make sure you have taken the necessary steps to secure the building.
Let The Experts Help
Contact Matrix IT to find out how we can help you prevent an IT disaster this Christmas. Call us on 01329 888 444 or click here to get in touch to find out more about the IT support services we offer to businesses across Hampshire.
