Aug 14, 2024 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
As we saw two weeks ago, our entire world is dependent on technology. The global technology outage precipitated by a faulty software update rollout by Crowdstrike illustrates how a small problem can have enormous repercussions. The recovery will likely be difficult and expensive for many companies but especially for small to medium-size businesses. Read on to learn about how a technology advisor can help your company mitigate damage from and even prevent technical issues The Outage and its Impact On July 19, 2024, a global technology outage resulted from a faulty software update from technology firm CrowdStrike upended operations across multiple industries. Flights were canceled and delayed, medical care interrupted, and businesses large and small were unable to operate. Large businesses will have a difficult time recovering, but what about small to medium-size businesses with less technical support? Smaller businesses dealt with missed deadlines, possible loss of customers and the inability to pay workers. What lessons can companies learn from what happened? How a Technology Advisor Helps Although some incidents are out of a company’s control, they still need to be prepared for the consequences of technology problems. A technology advisor is an expert in their field who advises, guides and supports businesses needing help with technology-related decisions. These decisions can include strategic ones, such as how to implement automation and develop a framework for cybersecurity. Or the advisor can assist in planning and navigating software updates to smooth the rollout process. Training and support of workers to give them the knowledge and skills to effectively and safely use technology tools. The software update...
Aug 5, 2024 | SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, SMB Technology, Technology News
Doing business in today’s world doesn’t come without risk. Anything can happen, from a brief power failure resulting in two hours of downtime, to a days-long global technology outage precipitated by a CrowdStrike software update. How will you know what risks your business is most subject to, and how to mitigate those risks? Read on to find out what types of risks can threaten your company, and how to protect yourself. Multiple Risks to Your Business According to an article from CompTIA, risks come in various forms. Some are within a company’s control, and others come from outside. But all pose some threat to productivity, security or reputation–or all of these. Types of risk include: Strategic: These have to do with deviations from a company’s strategy or model. Using automation, for example, can benefit operations, even facilitating software updates. However, problems can occur if human oversight isn’t part of the process. Competitive: negative consequences of a competitor’s actions, which can cause a loss of business for your organization. Even a competitor’s offering of a better product or service can negatively impact your business. Compliance: This involves failure to comply with government data security regulations, and can consist of data storage and even data breaches. Reputational: Events that can damage your image, and public perception of your brand. Perhaps a too-quick rollout of a product or service, a data breach, or a compromised website, can affect trust from customers and other stakeholders. Financial: This type of risk is anything that might cause loss of revenue. Loss of customers due to compromise of your company’s reputation, or downtime...
