Things Your IT Staff Isn't Telling You

If your IT department is understaffed, you’re hardly alone. Staffing shortages are everywhere. Slower responsiveness, poor customer service, and workplace frustrations are universal. So…what’s the big deal about having those same issues in your IT department?

Your IT team may be carrying on valiantly despite the heavy burden on their shoulders. But it’s probably in your best interests to find out what they’re not telling you. And it would be even better to find a single solution that could solve just about everything, right? Right.  

In this blog, I’ll illuminate what you should know, and how you can fix it.

They Aren't Changing Default Passwords

40% of IT security leaders have admitted that they don’t change default admin passwords, and nearly 90% of IT security professionals say that managing privileged passwords has been a big challenge. However, every networked device is another potential point of entry into your organization’s network, so it’s critical to change default manufacturer passwords immediately.

To be fair, your staff probably updated the passwords on your modem and router. But did they do the same for your networked printing equipment? Printer security has become a hot topic these days, but even companies that use a Managed Print Services (MPS) provider underestimate the risk printing equipment represents to their data, or make assumptions that their provider is taking care of it.

Unfortunately, most MPS providers don’t have a dedicated print security team. It’s rare that an MPS provider will update passwords for you, take care of applying security-related patches to your printer’s software and firmware, and erase your printer’s memory when it’s decommissioned.

Marco’s print services are far more inclusive. Every piece of printing equipment that leaves our facilities will have its password updated; when it’s returned to us, we will make sure none of your organization’s data remains stored on it. Our print security experts will also take care of applying security patches for top (and most frequently updated) brands.

They Aren't Applying Patches

For the most part, software manufacturers are doing a good job of creating patches to fix known vulnerabilities. But it’s also common knowledge that applying patches can take time, and every now and then, patches can contain bugs that then disrupt work.

Many organizations that are already struggling to keep up with daily IT needs put off applying patches in a timely fashion, but every day that software goes unpatched is another day your system is extremely vulnerable to cybercriminals. Unpatched vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks go hand in hand.

If your IT department is working long hours, it’s likely that patching isn’t happening on a timely basis, and many of your systems and apps are sitting ducks for cybercriminals.

They're Thinking of Leaving

Most of us are dealing with extra stress now, so it’s hard to summon up much pity when you hear about stress among IT professionals. But theirs is especially bad lately. A recent study of over 36,200 tech workers found that 42% want to quit within the next six months, and 62% report feeling “physically and emotionally drained.” They’re literally losing sleep over your organization’s cybersecurity issues, so the more they aren’t able to keep up with best practices (like patching), the more their quality of life is affected.

There’s also intense competition for top tech talent. If your team is highly skilled, other organizations are probably trying to poach them. If those organizations also offer better wages and a higher quality of life, you can’t blame them for being tempted.

It Won't Be Easy To Replace Information Technology Jobs

If you’re already noticing talent attrition in your IT department, you probably have also noticed that recruiting their replacements is a challenge. It’s likely to get worse in the coming years as demand continues to outpace the supply of newly trained talent.

The more talent you lose, the more of a burden you place on the rest of your team. If they’re already overworked, your organization’s cybersecurity will remain woefully inadequate, and your IT staff will lose more sleep, which will make them even more likely to seek greener, less stressful pastures. See the spiral?

Your Cybersecurity Luck Is About To Change

75% of organizations have now fallen victim to a ransomware attack; if yours hasn’t, it may be because you’re keeping up with modern cybersecurity best practices, or it may mean you’ve just gotten lucky. If it’s the latter, you probably won’t remain lucky for long.

Here’s another sobering reality. Lightening may seldom strike the same place twice, but hackers do. If you have already been successfully targeted by a hacker, they’re likely to try it again. In fact, 50% of organizations experience recurring attacks from the same hacker that targeted them originally. If your cybersecurity isn’t up to par, and a hacker successfully makes off with a lot of sensitive data, you’ll probably spend your next years with a big cyber target on your back.

Outsourced IT Services Are an Elegant Solution

Outsourced IT, also known as Managed IT, can get you out of your downward spiral, and start reducing stress, improving responsiveness, and resolving cybersecurity vulnerabilities quickly.

Outsourced IT saves precious time, and it also saves companies money. One recent study by the International Data Corporation (IDC) found that benefits to user productivity had an annual benefit of $203,111 for every 100 users.

Outsourcing some of your IT needs is also a great way to attract the additional talent you need. For example, if you outsource your cybersecurity needs or other facets of the job that cause more frustration for your staff, you’ll be able to provide the better work-life balance that more top IT talent is seeking.

Marco’s Managed IT Services Make IT Easy

Marco’s Managed IT offering is called AmplifyIT. Our experts can provide end-user support, tackle cybersecurity, provide backup and disaster recovery services, and much more. Our services are priced per user, so we can scale up or down with you.

Many companies that haven’t worked with an IT provider lately might assume that an outside provider may be less responsive than on-premises staff. But it’s actually the other way around. For example, at Marco, we have a US-based staff of over 650 certified systems engineers and technical representatives that make working with an IT provider as simple and streamlined as possible.