IT Risks
Don’t Makes These Mistakes
Many IT problems from minor inconveniences to major catastrophes are preventable if you avoid some common mistakes. Information Technology risk management is the study of what might go wrong and what you can do about it. This site is small but growing collection of articles. It is dedicated to helping organizations avoid common mistakes related…
Read MorePrevent surprise hardware service costs
Computer hardware breakdowns can be expensive to fix. Some computer components, such as motherboards and laptop screens can cost more to replace than buying a new computer. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is the labour cost of the technician to replace the part. The other is that service parts are expensive…
Read MoreMistake: Let your technology environment evolve on its own
It’s so easy to just add a new PC or piece of network equipment as needed and be done with it. Life goes on, and you’re okay (for now). The problem is that as you continuously do this, your technology environment grows into an unmanageable hodge-podge. Offices often try to add new equipment and find…
Read MoreMistake: waiting for old equipment to fail
Many crises are preventable, and this is one of them. When you decide to keep old equipment until it fails, the failure will happen at a time of the equipment’s choosing, not a time of your choosing. This leaves you scrambling to replace equipment in a hurry, with little time to evaluate alternatives, and delaying…
Read MoreMistake: Leaving people’s obligations unclear
Many IT departments have trouble getting support for measures they take to keep things running smoothly and securely. A typical example is a security measure where users are required to have passwords of a particular length and to change them regularly. This may increase the security of the organization, but it causes inconvenience for users.…
Read MoreMistake: assign everything technology-related to IT
It can be tempting to give responsibility for any initiative involving technology to the IT department. For example, this often happens with websites and social media initiatives. However, these are communications technologies. The purpose is communication, but the method is technology. When the IT department is running an initiative, the purpose can become secondary to…
Read MoreMistake: Allowing software to be installed illegally
Computer software is typically licensed per computer, which means you have to pay for the software for each computer it is installed on. Installing software without paying is illegal. Even in well-meaning companies, this can happen unintentionally. For example, can you be sure that every copy of Microsoft Office installed at your site has been…
Read MoreMistake: Buying technology because it’s trendy
This is the flip side of the technology laggards who consider technology a necessary evil. Buying a particular technology because it has a lot of media buzz is the cause of much friction between technology managers and senior executives. It is difficult to show value for money spent. Best Practices Have a technology plan that…
Read More9 Hidden IT Risks (video)
Most people know about big risks like hurricanes and floods, but most IT problems are caused by things you might not think of. We will look at 9 of them and see what you can do about them.
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