Introduction
There are so many things to think about when setting up a new business. For most entrepreneurs, your business plan and securing new business is where you’re spending your time, but cybersecurity and IT infrastructure are important things to set up the right way the first time, or it could result in costly fixes later.
In this guide, we’re going to outline the key areas to focus on when setting up a new business from scratch.
Keeping things simple so you can focus on winning new business is the goal of this guide.
1. Website & Email
When a new business is being formed, typically one of the first steps is selecting a business name and doing a quick visit to a website host to purchase a domain name.
Usually, this is the same place that will offer to host your website and provide some form of email solution.
The problem with website hosts for email is that there is limited functionality when it comes to business email. The tech behind most of these email hosting solutions is called POP or IMAP. Both POP and IMAP have their limitations, which will become very apparent as the business grows.
That’s why this is the first key point in our business guide, getting your email upgraded to the right service provider is crucial as we all know how much we rely on email for day to day tasks.
There are currently 2 main choices when it comes to having a business email service, either Office 365 or G-Suite (formerly Google Apps). For now, it’s worth paying that little bit extra for one of these two services.
Note that you may require an IT professional or IT company to move your current domain to Office 365 or G-Suite as it does require some technical expertise, but the level of service you get once on the platform is well worth the investment.
2. Spam & Virus Protection
Spam protection is part of both Office 365 and G Suite as a standard.
You won’t get any form of spam protection from regular website hosts email service, so again, this is another selling point when migrating to a business email system.
Now you might not think much of spam when you’re first starting, but as time goes on your email address will more than likely get added to a few email lists where it can become a real problem. This will clog up your inbox and distract you from the real emails that need addressing.
It can also be a security issue as some of the incoming spam will have attachment invoices and PDFs which are meant to look genuine, but in fact are malicious and more than likely a form of email phasing.
Both Office 365 and G Suite will protect your email from security threats, but there’s also the wider internet where having business grade virus protection on your main computer systems is well worth the investment. There are multiple antivirus suppliers on the market all with their own unique benefits but the one-word advice I would give you here is do not go down the free route for your anti-virus protection.
We can’t count the number of times we’ve seen systems infected that have previously been secured with “free anti-virus software”.
For a breakdown on which Anti-Virus software to choose, just send us a note and we’d be happy to discuss.
3. IT Support
The topics we’ve discussed so far in this article have all been technical in nature and you might not feel comfortable jumping and performing the tasks we’ve outlined, from configuring your email service to implementing spam and antivirus protection across your devices.
This is where you’ll call upon an IT Support company to assist in the setup of your new business.
What can you expect from an IT provider?
Usually, they’ll offer a form of proactive monitoring of your IT systems. In the form of a software tool, it will monitor your desktops & laptops and alert them to any problems that might be going on in the background. The proactive monitoring works well for most businesses and complements the reactive IT support that most IT providers offer.
A help desk can be called upon to help you remotely or onsite when necessary to assist with technical and IT support issues is a life saver.
If you are in the process of setting up a new business or know someone that is, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation.
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Secutor Cybersecurity is a trusted partner comprised of industry leading experts in the fields of Cybersecurity and Governance, Risk and Compliance. We partner with our clients to deliver on-demand solutions tailored to expertly navigate the regulatory demands of their specific industries.
Our proven track record of successfully exceeding client expectations is achieved through the combination of our methodical approach, advanced technologies, subject matter experts, and synergy with client team members.
Secutor is your team of world-class problem solvers with vast expertise and experience delivering complete solutions keeping your organization protected, audit-ready, and running smoothly.
