IT Assessment: Evaluating Your Business Tech for Optimal Performance

Strategically assessing your IT setup is crucial to optimizing business performance and mastering all tech-related processes in your organization. Unleashing the full potential of your company’s technology infrastructure is possible through a comprehensive IT assessment, like our free IT risk assessment, to secure your IT infrastructure and guarantee that you’re following the best, safest practices for all things IT.

With 50 percent of small to medium-sized businesses being the victims of cyber attacks–and with 60 percent of these companies going out of business following the attack–there’s no denying the need for a comprehensive assessment. But how does an IT assessment evaluate your infrastructure for potential threats, and what are the advantages of this assessment? Read more to find everything you need to know about a thorough IT assessment to take your organization’s IT security to the next level.

What is an IT Assessment?

An IT assessment analyzes and determines the safety of various corporate IT practices to identify your unused, inactive, or risk-prone accounts to implement updated security practices, mitigating risks associated with hackers or ill-intended employees who can gain unauthorized access to your inner network.

An unsafe IT infrastructure prevents several risks. With the average cost of a data breach worldwide totaling a massive 4.35 million USD, there’s no doubt that an IT assessment can save your organization big time. These assessments efficiently identify risks in your IT infrastructure by testing the following:

• Your cloud solutions
• Backup systems
• Servers
• Active Directory
• Network configuration
• Network security
• Firewalls
• Workstations
• Group policies
• Software and hardware

What Methods Does an IT Assessment Include?

IT Consultation

This first step in the IT assessment process is crucial whether you need an on-site or remote consultation. This consultation ensures that you’re on the right track to safeguard your business and prepare to assess your IT risk profile.

Network and Data Security Analysis

Designed to identify cyber security threats on your network before they can be exploited, this step uses automated and manual testing to target network vulnerabilities and take steps to protect your data.

Dark Web Scan

Your company’s information ending up on the dark web is a major security threat that can compromise your organization’s data and credentials. A thorough IT assessment prevents this risk by scanning the dark web for possible risks and mitigating these vulnerabilities before they cause massive organizational damage.

Virus Scanning and Protection

Hidden viruses and malware are difficult to identify without a comprehensive IT assessment. Assessments like the one provided by Integrated Computer Services ensure that your system is safe and up-to-date to guarantee maximum security and reduce the potential for data breaches.

Email Spam and Malware Assessment

Avoid massive errors through a comprehensive IT assessment that scans your email system for hidden spam or malware. These assessments guarantee that your email security solution is thorough and in working order.

Backup Systems and Disaster Recovery Assessment

How secure are your endpoint devices, and can you trust your current backup and recovery system to operate properly in a disaster? If you’re at all questioning whether your system is up to par–and even if you think it is–a thorough IT assessment is vital to prevent data loss in a cyber attack.

Power Protection System Assessment

A plan during a power outage is vital to protect your data and keep your organization running. An IT assessment reviews your power protection system to ensure they’re up-to-date and have no coverage gaps.

Disaster Prevention and Business Continuity Plan Inspection

An IT assessment prepares your organization for the worst by reviewing your current disaster prevention protocol and continuity plan to ensure it’s thorough enough to handle any attack or disaster.

Internet Speed and Reliability and WAN Failover Analysis

Practically no business can operate without a stable internet connection. An IT assessment tests your connection’s speed and reliability while assessing your WAN failover plan to guarantee it’s configured and up-to-date.

Checking for Aging Hardware

You need to ensure that your software and hardware are properly configured and prepared to function properly. Our IT assessment reviews your systems, identifies aging hardware, and configures your system to improve continuity and prevent downtime.

Secure Remote Access and VPN

Proper remote access and VPN solutions are critical for any modern organization. We review your solutions to identify gaps in coverage that could leave your system vulnerable.

Cloud Computing Assessment

Does your organization rely on cloud computing technology? In that case, an IT assessment can ensure everything is configured and updated properly while helping you make the best decisions within your budget to move your business forward.

Active Directory User Account Auditing and Group Policy Security Auditing

A comprehensive IT assessment analyzes your corporate directory to identify unused and weak accounts that present threats and vulnerabilities for hackers and malicious third parties.

External Vulnerability Scan

This scan is performed outside your network to determine vulnerabilities in your perimeter defenses before a hacker exploits these weaknesses.

Patch Management Assessment

This IT assessment process applies crucial patches to reduce your network’s risk and vulnerabilities while protecting your business-critical data against hackers and malicious parties.

Missing Security Updates Checkup

A comprehensive IT assessment identifies missing security updates to establish a patch management program and ensure that your systems are updated routinely and promptly.

Endpoint Protection Review

Reduce the risk of breaches and the spread of malware in your network by securing your endpoint devices through a thorough IT assessment. This assessment identifies areas of improvement to prevent system attacks.

Managed Detection and Response Checkup

Finally, our IT assessment reduces the risk of data breaches to guarantee that your response solutions are properly configured, up-to-date, and effective.

What are the Advantages of an IT Assessment?

So, how can an IT assessment optimize your business? Here are some of the primary advantages of this assessment:

• An IT assessment enhances organizational security.
• IT assessments boost efficiency by addressing risks and organizational inefficiencies.
• IT assessments guarantee regulatory compliance.
• An IT assessment is critical for risk management practices and helps organizations create effective risk mitigation strategies.
• Assessments guarantee that an organization’s technology aligns with its business goals and best practices.
• IT assessments enhance data storage and management processes to promote data quality.
• Assessments give organizations a competitive edge in the industry.

How ICS Helps

Integrated Computer Services guarantees that your organization is prepared for whatever comes its way with a comprehensive assessment of your crucial systems. Our free IT assessment reviews your systems to ensure they can handle the worst.

With our comprehensive assessment, you can instantly optimize your business and enhance organizational processes. As a trusted IT consulting service, we have what you need to address cybersecurity risks and mitigate attacks. Schedule An IT Assessment today and discover the ICS solution, or contact us for more information!