For businesses with complex operations that rely heavily on technology, managing it all can take a lot of time and effort. Whether you employ staff in-house for your IT management or rely on external help, there are some tasks that should always be a priority. If the pressure is on and these tasks are neglected, you could run into trouble down the line.
Updates for Operating Systems and Servers
The makers of operating systems, such as Microsoft, regularly issue security and product updates, usually on the second Tuesday of each month. However, there may be extra patches and updates as well. It’s important that these are applied as soon as possible after they’re issued. Letting them build up can create software conflicts. We can’t emphasize enough how important these updates are for security and the correct functioning of your system. That’s why you should never give this task to individual staff members to carry out on the devices they use. It needs to be done system-wide.
Updates and Patches for Software
Companies like Microsoft issue updates regularly, but this isn’t the case for all software manufacturers. You may be using other software whose makers don’t operate a regular update schedule. It’s important to stay on top of all software being used, so that new updates can be flagged up and applied as soon as possible. Sometimes it’s advisable to have a testing bed for updates, to make sure that their application doesn’t cause problems and, potentially, damaging downtime.
Updates for Antivirus Programs
AV programs work partly by means of virus definition, which means identifying the ‘signature’ of a computer virus. For full protection against viruses and malware, the latest virus definitions are essential. That means regular updating. This usually happens automatically but sometimes users can stop or suspend it. For this reason, it’s best practice for antivirus solutions to be managed centrally, with regular scans conducted and checks to see that the program is combating viruses effectively.
Checking Backups
Your organization’s data should be backed up regularly – and it’s crucial to make sure the backup is actually happening. You’d be amazed at how many people – even IT professionals – don’t do this, but it’s vitally important. If something goes wrong and you need the latest backup, it will be a nightmare to discover that it doesn’t exist, especially if it hasn’t been working for weeks or months.
Backup logs need regular inspection to make sure there’s no corruption, and the backups need regular auditing. A random restore should be conducted weekly to check functionality, with a more thorough check once a month.
Server Event Log Checks
Server logs are an excellent source of information on problems that could escalate in the future. This should be done on a daily basis. This is proactive management, because identifying issues now protects you against bigger problems down the line, which can cause downtime and disruption.
Disk Space Checks
When a hard drive reaches full capacity all sorts of problems can arise and, depending on the device and its usage, they could bring your operations to a grinding halt. That’s why you should conduct regular checks, especially for mission-critical devices. With the correct monitoring tools it’s a quick process. It’s especially important if you can’t easily free up storage space.
Wi-Fi, Firewall, and VPN Access Log Reviews
Knowing who (or what) has been accessing your network is clearly important. If you know how your network behaves then you can more easily identify unusual events or spikes in traffic that could be signs of a problem. It could be that you have a bottleneck issue, or that there’s illicit activity happening. Again, reviewing these logs means you can protect and optimize your network proactively.
Support Your Staff
We all know that IT can throw up problems for end users. Making sure that your staff have the support they need when issues arise is a great way to ensure they can do their jobs without the frustration of computer glitches. Your IT staff, or the company that manages your IT for you, need to be ready to deal with support requests speedily.
Our IT professionals deal with these regular tasks, and others, so the businesses that entrust their IT management to us can keep running without technology-related interruptions. It’s one thing to have a staff member to deal with computer issues when they crop up. Having a company with a team of technicians to manage your IT comprehensively could take your IT to the next level. If your technology isn’t getting the attention it needs, call Quikteks today at 973882-4644.