January 28th 2025
5 SIGNS IT'S TIME TO OUTSOURCE YOUR IT REQUIREMENTS
The dark web, a hidden part of the internet, is often associated with illegal activities like the sale of drugs, personal data, weapons and other high-risk materials. While some people may use it for legitimate reasons, most of its traffic poses significant risks to businesses.
If your information ends up on the dark web, it can easily fall into the wrong hands, increasing your organisation’s chances of being attacked. This blog will explore practical steps to protect your data and reduce the risk of it being compromised.
How to Check if Your Data Is on the Dark Web
You can conduct a dark web scan to see if your business and personal details have been compromised. To do this, you’ll need a monitoring tool like Cyber Shield Dark Web ID Protection, which allows you to uncover what information is on the dark web, like login credentials or financial data.
How Does Data End Up on the Dark Web?
Many SMEs cannot keep up with the demands of digital transformation. Whether it’s resources, budgetary concerns or something else, businesses are losing control of their IT functions and putting their operations at risk.
But why is this happening? Often, SMEs will manage IT in-house to save costs, only to realise they do not have the skills or time to invest in it. Below, we go through five signs you may need to outsource your business IT support to a professional.
Reason 1: Internal Resources Are Stretched
As business becomes increasingly digital, it can be easy to let day-to-day responsibilities become overwhelming.
These demands will often overstretch in-house IT resources, with teams drowning in trivial IT issues that leave no time to focus on strategy. Your IT resources - whether that be an entire team or a single person - are there to help your business grow, not just get by.
Outsourcing your IT support will increase productivity and allow your team to focus on specialised projects, such as achieving an ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials certification.
Reason 2: Your IT Security Is Slipping
Cyber security is often the first expense to cut during periods of high costs, but without this defence, how can you expect to grow safely?
IT security protocols such as patch management, anti-virus implementation and dark web monitoring are just a few ways that keep businesses safe. If these measures take a back seat, you put your business at greater legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risk.
So, the real question is: How secure are your systems? If you don’t know the answer, it’s time to hire a managed IT service provider.
Reason 3: Downtime & System Reliability Is Low
We all know too well the frustration of system downtime. It can put your operations at a halt and, even worse, cost your business thousands. The average cost of IT downtime can be between $2,300 to $9,000 per minute - can you afford this risk?
When system reliability becomes substandard, it’s a sure sign to outsource your IT operations. A managed IT provider will monitor your entire IT infrastructure, uncovering ways to maximise uptime and keep teams productive all day long.
Reason 4: Costs Are Too High
Recruiting in-house IT support has a lot of overhead costs, which most SMEs cannot afford to upkeep. Not only are salaries rising, but you may also be paying off several IT vendors to keep your business running.
While these costs add up, your yearly budget gets tighter, leaving no room for future investments. A Managed Service Provider, like Lily, will consolidate your IT needs so all your bills are covered - without any extra costs.
Reason 5: Digital Transformation Is on Standstill
By now, you know the importance of digital transformation, but you don’t have the resources to make it happen. Holding off on this will limit your growth, leaving you behind while competitors gain an advantage.
Outsourcing your IT support will elevate your day-to-day operations and free up resources for your IT strategy.
Outsource Your Managed IT Services to Lily
If you’re experiencing one or all of these signs, it’s time for you to outsource your IT to Lily. As your Managed Service Provider, we’ll handle all your IT and telco needs so that you have time to focus on what matters most: your business.