Information technology, also known as IT, plays a big role in nearly every sector and industry in the world today. In business, its impact spreads across all the many different areas that make up a functional and profitable business. Thanks to IT, businesses have been able to create and maintain an active web presence that gives them access to millions of potential customers around the world.
Also, with IT systems, companies can collate and store valuable data on many important business areas including customer behavior and their industry. With this information, the management can eliminate guesses when making important decisions for the business. Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/10/01/the-age-of-analytics-and-the-importance-of-data-quality/ to learn more about the importance of data to businesses.
Over time, the data being collected adds up to an enormous amount and becomes even more structured for easy usability and analysis. In short, it becomes a digital asset that no business would want to lose. Depending on the industry and the size of a company or organization, it could easily become a target for cybercriminals. These are individuals that scour the web in search of sensitive company information that they can steal and leverage for huge ransoms.
Businesses that leave their digital assets unprotected often fall prey to these criminals. Actually, even businesses that have put certain security measures in place also end up becoming victims of these criminal activities. For businesses to keep data and sensitive information safe from unauthorized access, they must have a team of highly trained IT security experts.
But not every company is able to finance or afford full-time specialists. For companies like this, it makes more sense to outsource this role to an IT security services company. This way, they can get access to specialists at a less expensive cost than financing an in-house team.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the steps that can be taken to hire a reliable IT security service provider. But first, let’s go over some of the ways IT security services can be of help to companies.
Contents
Basic Functions of IT Security Services
The following are some of the basic functions of these security experts:
- Reducing the risk of data breaches in IT systems
- Minimizing attack surfaces through vulnerability management strategies
- Preventing service disruptions
- Technical support for both clients and their customers (end-users)
- Preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information
- Increasing productivity by keeping downtime to a minimum
- Defending against ransomware.
How to Hire a Reliable IT Security Service
The company one chooses to protect one’s digital asset is just as important as protecting the asset. Businesses that outsource this role must ensure they do so to reliable companies that have a proven track record. Below are some of the steps you can take to hire a competent IT security service:
Draw Up a List of Potential Hires
There are hundreds of security service providers that are capable of getting the job done. However, you’d want to hire the most capable if your budget permits. So, the first step is to draw up a list of possible hires. A great place to start would be running a search on Google for such service providers in your area. If your business is in Cincinnati for example, you could simply search IT security services in Cincinnati to get started.
Narrow Down the List
Once you have a list, the next step is to cut it down to a number you can work with. The fastest way to go about this is to look up each company on popular review sites like the Better Business Bureau and Yelp. Companies that don’t appear on these sites are most likely new and may not have enough industry experience under their belt.
You can further narrow down this list by visiting their websites. Check to see whether they belong to relevant industry associations or boards and if they have any certificates displayed on the website. These say a lot about a company’s reputation and credibility.
Break the Ice
Once your list is down to about ten companies at most, you can break the ice by calling up each one of them. The most reliable ones would give you a brief overview of what they can do to provide you with trustworthy service. They may even take a step further and schedule another meeting where both parties can iron out the details of the arrangement. Those that go this extra mile should be given more preference.
Find Out if They are a Match
Some IT security service providers may have certain industries they specialize in. You’d want to know this before getting too invested in them. Explain your business to them and ask to know whether they have experience in your industry. You should also find out all the services they offer and whether these services are customizable to the client.
Meet the Team
This is one step many businesses overlook when outsourcing certain business operations. The above steps can be done from the comfort of your office. But before finalizing any arrangement, ensure you meet the team that’ll be handling this sensitive part of your business. This is important because by spending a little time with the team, you can better trust them to protect your company’s digital assets. Click here to learn more about the importance of trust in business and the workplace.
Final Thoughts
We should point out that not all established security providers are better than new ones. In fact, some of these new companies are often more aware of the latest trends in cybersecurity and the new tactics that hackers are employing to steal and compromise companies’ data. The cybersecurity industry is relatively still new, so, don’t expect to find many companies with decades of experience.
A company that has been in the industry for as few as five years may be as competent as one that has been there for ten years. It all bores down to how fast and well they are adapting to the changes in the industry.
