Tip of the Week: Three Steps to Policing Your IT Policies

Tip of the Week: Three Steps to Policing Your IT Policies

Small businesses are presented with the challenging prospect of monitoring and policing various IT-related policies that you might have for your network infrastructure and workplace technology use. The difficulty of this notion does little to lessen its importance, however. You need to take action to protect your assets, data, and reputation from the countless threats out there, and ensuring that your employees are properly using technology is paramount to this endeavor.

Today, we want to cover three helpful tips for policing your IT policies and ensuring technology is used appropriately.

Ensure Clarity and Transparency of IT Policies

However you want to approach IT policies on your network, it needs to come from a place of transparency and clarity. Be firm with your policies and informative whenever someone asks you about them. Information on your policies regarding acceptable technology use and security measures should all be clearly outlined to employees, management, your technicians, and other stakeholders within your organization.

Monitor and Audit Devices

Technology plays a serious role in policing your IT infrastructure, especially when it comes to preventing employees from accessing certain types of content that could expose your network to unsavory threats and wasteful practices. A Unified Threat Management tool, or UTM, can protect your organization’s network by blocking certain types of content, like pornographic material, free download websites, and so on, that could potentially open a gateway on your network for further threats to strike. It should be able to whitelist and blacklist various websites and apps, as well, so that problem employees can be addressed while appropriate behavior can be rewarded.

Educate Employees on Why These Measures are Important

Policies and procedures are all well and good, but only when the people they govern understand why they are in place. Otherwise, any infractions that are met with resistance will just create more friction than necessary. Take some time to work with your employees and identify where their knowledge of various policies is lacking. Then, you can design and deliver training materials in an ongoing process to help them learn more about why you implement policies the way you do and how they benefit the organization at large.

IT Governance is Important for All Businesses, Yours Included

We know that you may not have the time, energy, and resources to handle IT policing to the degree you might want to. That’s why White Mountain IT Services offers a comprehensive suite of technology solutions that can aid your organization in securing its IT infrastructure. Learn more today by calling us at (603) 889-0800.

White Mountain IT

Related Posts

Did You Trade Your Data for a DVD Rental?

In June of this year, publisher Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, best known for its book series of the same name, filed for Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcy and had many of its assets liquidated. One of these assets was the movie rental service Redbox and its eponymous scarlet rental kiosks, rendering the service defunct. However, many kiosks remain standing outside businesses even now...

Small Businesses Should Keep it Simple

To maintain a healthy and thriving business, it's essential to have a team that can effectively manage spending. For small businesses, this often means making strategic choices. Let’s focus on why a simple approach to technology might be the best strategy. Practical Steps for Embracing “Less is More” in Technology The key to successful business technology decision-making is investing in tools ...

Can Your Business Benefit from Practical IoT?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term you’ve probably heard by now but may not completely understand. That’s normal, as there are a lot of things that could be labeled under the IoT. This month, we thought we would go through some ways the average business can use the Internet of Things to its advantage. The IoT is made up of Internet-connected devices that may or may not have practical applic...

Tip of the Week: 4 Ways to Save Money on Your IT Solutions

Are you paying attention to where you spend your IT dollars and whether or not you are making the most of your budget? It’s important to assess your needs before making any major technological purchase, including the goals, challenges, and pain points you are trying to solve. With the right approach, you can increase the value you get out of your IT—particularly with the following strategies. C...