Technology enterprises often speak about being proactive. The core concept of proactivity is valuable despite its buzzword status. It is better to avoid reacting to everything that may affect technology today.
An exclusively reactive strategy leads to system failure, data breaches, and complex technology upgrades. What does the term “proactive” mean in the realm of IT? What are the specific things every organization should do? When is it more prudent to take proactive measures? A technology solutions company’s effectiveness can be determined by how proactive they are compared to those that only make lip service?
Here, I will discuss the proactivity approach from multiple angles:
- The Monitoring Process
- The Maintenance Procedure
- Backup Management
- Strategic Planning
- Security and Compliance
● The proactive maintenance process
Proactive IT management should be based on this simple, measurable aspect, and it should be the baseline for all service providers. However, we have listed some proactive maintenance tasks below, such as identifying and patching newly discovered vulnerabilities. Depending on your technology, the methods for completing these tasks will vary, but these principles will work in most environments.
- The patch management.
- The lifecycle & version management.
- The antimalware/antivirus/endpoint security management.
- Configuration management.
Technology maintenance can prevent many security threats and system failures. As you can see, the following list of tasks involves a lot of discipline and consistency.
● The proactive monitoring process
The monitoring process is a broader subject that is dependent on the technology used. An all-in-one solution is impossible. Here are a few areas where proactive monitoring may benefit your organization.
● The network monitoring process.
● The system monitoring process.
● The web application monitoring process.
● The user monitoring process.
● The strategic planning process
Technology isn’t only about monitoring and system checkups. Technology proactivity involves future-oriented planning. Plan your proactive strategy around the following areas:
- The standards review.
- The maintenance review.
- The budgeting review.
- The business satisfaction & productivity review.
● The security & compliance management
Technology plays an increasingly important role in both business and our everyday lives, but it has inherent risks. A proactive management approach can mitigate risk and minimize the possibility of data breaches and security incidents. The following are some areas where Security and Compliance can be managed proactively:
- The security assessment.
- The security monitoring approach.
- Endpoint detection & threat management.
- Security awareness training & phishing testing.
Wrapping Up
If you develop an IT management plan that integrates the majority or all of the items discussed in this blog, you should be able to minimize the risks associated with technology and maximize productivity. Ultimately, proactive IT means different things to different organizations, but it is important to recognize that you cannot wait for an incident to occur before taking steps to protect your valuable technology assets. Obtain exceptional proactive IT services support by partnering with a technology solutions company, IPS Technology Solutions.
