Is Your Tech Support Rep Acting as Your IT Security Consultant?
Tech support exists on a spectrum. On one side of the spectrum, you have transactional help desk IT support. This type of service offers the essentials; if something breaks or needs service, you call the help desk for support. On the other end of the spectrum, you have full-service advisory and strategy.
This type of service includes help desk support, but takes things significantly further by partnering with you to develop your business’ IT strategy, including your approach to security. Some organizations opt for something between these two, such as help desk support with occasional strategic support. Is your tech support rep acting as your IT security consultant? Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of IT security advisory and whether your tech support team should be consulting you on your overarching IT strategy.
What You Might Be Missing With Help Desk Support
Help desk support typically offers on-demand support with periodic patches and updates. This level of support works well for businesses that are confident in their IT architecture, strategy and security plans.
Many businesses contract with help desk support to realize cost savings. While it’s often true that help desk support offers lower monthly rates than advisory services, a full-service approach can cost significantly less in the long run.
For example, a security breach is expensive. It may cause unexpected downtime and potential damage to a business’s reputation. Taking a strategic approach to security with the guidance of your full-service advisory IT support rep minimizes the chances of a security threat taking hold. This translates to considerable cost savings over time.
Who’s Handling Your Security Strategy?
When it comes to your IT security strategy, you have two options: addressing it in-house in a systematic way or through outsourced IT services. Businesses that aren’t using one of these two options run the risk of leaving themselves vulnerable to a breach.
Not every small to mid-size business has the resources to designate an in-house IT security strategist. Organizations that aren’t equipped to handle IT security in-house should use a tech support rep and plan that includes security consultation.
Moving to Advisory Services
Does your tech support rep act as your IT security consultant? If it doesn’t, it might be time to upgrade to advisory and support services to cultivate a holistic and reliable IT security strategy.
IT Advisory & Managed IT Services
At Hungerford Technologies, we offer various levels of technical support and advisory to help you meet your business goals. Our Advisory Services include expert support and strategic and security planning.
We offer a predictable pricing model that includes regular meetings to discuss your short- and long-term IT and security goals. We become your IT security consultant, taking a proactive approach to minimize cybersecurity risks. Are you getting enough value from your IT support?
To learn more, read our blog on the difference between tech support and full advisory services.
