4 IT Goals Every Business Should Set for 2023

In 2022, many businesses faced a variety of technology-related challenges involving data security, automation (i.e., finding the right automation tools), and keeping a hybrid workforce well supported, to name a few.

As 2023 begins, it’s important to take a proactive approach when managing technology tools to ensure uninterrupted productivity while meeting the unique challenges posed by current market conditions. This involves putting in place an IT strategy that will address the technology challenges of the past year and prepare your business in Salt Lake City for the year ahead.

Here are some IT goals to consider integrating into your strategy this year.

1. Strengthen security protocols

In 2023, businesses should make it one of their IT goals to strengthen their cyber risk protocols to better secure customer and company information. IT threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and businesses need to be proactive with their cybersecurity.

A recent report by Cybersecurity Ventures predicted that global cybercrime damages costs will keep rising exponentially — from $3 trillion in 2015 to $10.5 trillion in 2025. And the current global economic landscape isn’t helping, with inflation and supply chain disruptions taking their toll on businesses. Cybercrime has simply become more expensive for companies due to the rising cost of preventing and remedying attacks.

Worse, many technology companies even had to reduce IT staff or freeze hiring, leaving security teams struggling against limited resources. To adequately protect organizations from threats, it’s crucial to ensure that budgets increase alongside inflation or risk being unable to build up a strong enough defense.

2. Review your backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan

This year, it is essential to inspect your company’s BDR capabilities and make any necessary improvements. Regularly assessing the effectiveness of your BDR plan will help ensure that your organization can cope with a range of issues that may arise, such as natural disasters or other technical difficulties.

The lack of a strong BDR strategy could lead to financial losses due to lost revenue, decreased productivity, and delays in delivery times. Thus, one of your 2023 tech goals should be to implement comprehensive BDR solutions tailored to your specific needs.

It also pays to stay abreast of new backup technologies and data storage trends, which can make data backup more efficient and offer more robust safeguards against cyberthreats.

3. Increase efficiency with automation

Another worthwhile IT goal is to achieve operational efficiency with automation. Automation has the potential to reduce business costs, increase accuracy, and speed up processes, making it an invaluable asset for any company looking to maximize its operations.

Automation can eliminate the need to manually perform repetitive tasks, enabling organizations to reduce their operating costs. It can also streamline processes so tasks can be completed faster and more accurately. Automation can also improve customer service and engagement with AI-enabled processes, allowing businesses to respond quickly and accurately to customer inquiries.

4. Link technology with profitability goals

Finally, if you’re purchasing new tech or undertaking a major IT project, remember that technology adoption should always link back to a business goal or need. Research shows that businesses that use tech strategically are likely to earn twice as much revenue per employee compared to those that don’t.

Carefully consider the expenses involved. When formulating the annual IT budget for your business, account for all technology-related costs, including application usage (i.e., how many employees will use a particular software program) and availability of other, less costly tools.

By including these four goals in your overall IT strategy, your business can stay ahead of the competition and position itself for success in the years to come. Get started today by setting some achievable IT goals for your Salt Lake City/Utah business in 2023 with the help of NetWize’s IT professionals. Call us today.

Why you should kick-start 2023 with an IT audit

The new year is a time for reflection and resolutions. It’s also the perfect time to conduct an audit of your business IT. Many business owners put off this important task, but there are many benefits to be gained by doing an IT audit at the start of the year. For one, it is a great way to ensure that your business is in its best shape heading into 2023, and it can help you gain an edge even before Q1 ends.

Scheduling one now for your Salt Lake City business, and having it done either by your IT team or outsourced IT consultant, means having more time to tackle challenges as they come up throughout the year ahead. In this article, we will discuss what an IT audit is, its purpose, and the benefits of conducting one.

What is an IT audit?

An IT audit is an assessment of the security, compliance, and efficiency of a company’s IT systems and infrastructure. It helps businesses identify weaknesses in their cybersecurity or data protection measures and any potential risks that could arise from these vulnerabilities. Some of the main purposes of a technology audit is reducing the risk of data loss or theft, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and industry standards, and improving overall organizational performance.

There are many different types of IT audits that a business can perform, but these are the most common ones:

General control review – involves assessing the effectiveness and accuracy of existing policies and procedures

Application control review – done to spot issues related to software applications such as viruses or other malicious code

System integrity review – focuses on detecting any problems with an organization’s operating systems

Vulnerability assessment – used to discover any known vulnerabilities in the system that attackers could potentially exploit

Penetration test – entails simulating an attack on the system in order to further examine its security posture

Configuration review – aims to ensure that user accounts follow best practices for authentication and authorization according to organizational policy

Benefits of an IT audit

Conducting an IT audit right at the start of the year can benefit your business in the following ways:

Improved security

An IT audit can help your company detect and mitigate threats early in the year. By being proactive, you can identify weaknesses in your data protection measures, as well as any potential risks associated with these vulnerabilities, before operations get busy. It’s interesting to note that the beginning of the year is when retail businesses, in particular, traditionally experience a slump, with sales and foot traffic usually dropping.

Increased efficiency

By conducting an IT audit, you can identify areas where your business’s processes are inefficient or outdated. This helps to reduce costs and improve overall organizational performance by streamlining operations and enhancing user experience. Clients feel valued and respected when a company swiftly tackles areas of improvement and addresses them early in the year.

Strengthened reputation

There’s also no better way to build trust with customers and business partners than by conducting an IT audit at the start of the year. This is a good way for your company to demonstrate your commitment to cybersecurity and data protection and showcase your dedication to compliance with legal requirements and industry standards. In highly regulated industries such as legal, healthcare, and finance, this is crucial.

Greater efficiency

A thorough IT audit enhances your team’s workflow efficiency by streamlining processes. The audit should be tailored to your organization’s specific needs, size, industry type, and geographic location so that it provides meaningful insights into operational risks while creating minimal disruption during the process.

If your business in Utah is facing IT security and data risks, invest in an auditing service custom-made to your business’s needs. Doing so will ensure that all of your company’s assets remain secure and uncompromised. Get in touch with NetWize’s team of IT professionals to get started. Call us today.