Is your IT department holding you back?
3 minute read | June 22, 2016
This idea will be the making of your business; all you need is the latest software that will allow you to carry it out. The software is simple to use, unobtrusive and, best of all, free! You try and access the site and you are met with a firewall. IT….
The Berlin wall of the business
In any company, the IT department is probably the most important – in this day and age, companies are online more than ever before. With phone lines now connected to networks the chance of a rolling black out across your business is a real possibility. With this in mind, the IT department’s main responsibility is to ensure that things run smoothly. To do this, nothing must be tweaked, touched or even looked at.
In days gone by, this wasn’t an issue. Technology was more of an add-on to the business that ‘lifers’ tolerated. Today, technology IS the business; whether that’s the bespoke systems we use to log customer calls / queries / claims, websites that generate leads, or e-commerce functionality.
All complicated enough you’ll agree, but then add in the different operating systems, devices, screen optimisation, varying user skill and you’re faced with a veritable hotbed of potential pitfalls that could railroad your business.
But we want Facebook!
While some will use the biggest social networking success since MSN (look it up) at lunch time, others will fall victim to the quick snoop – scrolling through their newsfeed in search of a social fix while unintentionally shirking the responsibilities of their role. If that wasn’t reason enough, many companies hold sensitive customer information, be it name and address, NI numbers, or bank account details.
While you would hope your business isn’t harbouring a modern day Artful Dodger, it is important to remember that temptation isn’t always resisted and ill-gotten gains can be substantial. Often, discontent within the business or dire personal circumstances can give rise to actions otherwise unthought-of.
Cloud nine
Unfortunately, the rise of cloud sharing has made it easier for the light fingered to make their move, meaning that IT departments are forced to plan for more data breach opportunities than ever before.
Sites such as Dropbox may offer an opportunity to share information without using up valuable drive space, but they also present potential security risks for your business. Recent high profile hacks have included Sony, Facebook, and Netflix; forcing users to change their login credentials to safe guard themselves against data leaks.
What’s the harm?
A recent high profile hacking in America highlights the dangers posed by exposed software.
Andy Greenberg, a journalist for tech site WIRED, was ‘car-jacked’ wirelessly while driving his Jeep Cherokee along Route 40 in St. Louis. Greenberg had arranged with two hackers to remotely hack his vehicle while he was driving to highlight the ease at which it could be done by anyone with the determination and skill set.
The hackers, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, created a technique – dubbed a zero-day exploit, which is able to remotely access a vehicle’s software giving them full control over it. Greenberg had arranged for Miller and Valasek to attempt a hack on his vehicle. He would be unaware of the time or place, only that they would be using a laptop approximately 10 miles away.
It is because of this exploit, and subsequent article by Greenberg, that Chrysler were forced to recall 1.4 million vehicles, a big price to pay for such a minor software glitch.
So, is your IT department holding back your business?
The short answer is no.
The long answer is that while you may feel that your privileges are being taken away for the sake of it, the IT department is working hard to ensure that your business data is secure and that you are compliant and able to perform your role without interruption.
Now, I just need to go and collect some money from the IT manager….
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