Accucom Blog

The biggest security risks to your business often come from within your own office. This doesn’t mean your employees are criminals; in fact, the problem usually starts because your staff is hardworking and helpful.

When people are determined to do a great job, they often develop habits that unintentionally put your data at risk. Here is how that happens and what you can do to fix it.

Does your leadership team follow the same security rules as everyone else, or are there special exceptions made for the executive suite? One of the most dangerous vulnerabilities in a business is the CEO who’s too busy to adhere to the multi-factor authentication policy or who insists on having administrative access to every file in the company. This is precisely why cybercriminals target high-level executives; the likelihood that they have access to data they shouldn’t is much higher than the average employee.

Most people treat office tech like a kitchen appliance: if it turns on, it’s "fine." But in business, a computer becomes a problem long before it actually breaks.

When you wait for a total failure, you aren’t saving money. You’re paying for lost productivity, emergency rush fees, and the risk of losing your data.

Tell me if you can relate to this statement: “My IT provider makes money when my business is struggling.” With the old way of managing technology, this is called the “break-fix” model, where the incentives of technology management are completely backwards. If your server crashes or your network grinds to a halt, the provider’s billable hours start to tick, and they start making money off your misfortune. This creates a conflict of interest and poses a question: “Why would a vendor work hard to prevent problems if those problems are their primary source of revenue?”

Running a small business is a lot like spinning plates while riding a unicycle. It’s exhilarating, but the moment one plate wobbles, the whole act is at risk. While many entrepreneurs worry about the big economic crash, the truth is that most businesses don't fail because of the economy—they fail because of internal operational leaks.