Cybersecurity attacks continue to rise, and law firms of all sizes have become a prime target. According to Coveware, 24.9% of all ransomware attacks in Q1 2021 targeted professional services firms, especially small and midsize law firms. With the surge in cyberattacks, firms have begun to shift how their IT is managed, with an increase in the use of managed IT services versus in-house IT professionals.
Managed IT services offer a host of benefits for law firms in need of direct and proactive IT support. By using managed IT, firms can lighten the workload of in-house teams, supplement teams that are unable to meet IT demand, or even entirely replace in-house teams. Here are four advantages to switching to managed IT services.
Help Desk and On-Site Support
One of the benefits you receive when making the switch to managed IT is an increased level of support. Most managed IT services have a dedicated help desk to provide support during and after business hours. The function of the help desk is to rectify issues by supporting the end user. The help desk does everything from day-to-day technology support and troubleshooting to proactive maintenance and servicing of your systems and equipment. Here at Tabush Group, we offer afterhours support for business-critical issues, nd on-site support is also available.
Better Security
According to the 2019 Kaspersky Global Corporate IT Security Risks Survey, the total cost of a cybersecurity data breach for small and midsize businesses is $108,000. With a proper security plan in place, you can do your best to protect against a cyberattack. Managed IT services often result in better security because you get access to an entire team of specialists with dedicated areas of expertise versus one or two in-house people to cover all areas. In addition, managed IT service providers make it their business to keep up to date on the latest technical developments and security practices.
Proactive Maintenance
Traditional IT departments operate on a break/fix model: when something fails or breaks, it needs to be replaced or repaired. A good managed IT partner takes a proactive approach. Through ongoing system monitoring, managed IT support teams can notice early indicators to prevent a small issue from becoming a big issue, thereby reducing disruption and downtime. A red flag when considering a managed IT service provider is when a company claims to provide “100% uptime” for its services. Every service will have an issue at some point.
Cost Effective
Saving money is something every firm likes. According to Mordor Intelligence, it is estimated that successful deployment of managed services will help reduce IT costs by 25-45% and increase operational efficiency by 45-65%. The savings are seen across the board in the areas of human resources, infrastructure, and even floor space. Most managed IT service firms operate on a monthly service fee model, so you know exactly what your costs are going to be, which helps reduce variable costs.
Educate Employees
Cybersecurity requires a team effort between companies, their technology provider, and every employee. With the increased risks associated with a hybrid work environment, companies should impress upon employees that they share responsibility for keeping the company’s systems and data secure. Employee training is not a “one-and-done” endeavor; every worker needs to be educated on an on-going basis about the latest threats, trends, and schemes. Employees also need regular reminding about the basics, such as the dangers of clicking on a link or downloading an attachment from an unknown source. They should be reminded to check for deceptive URLs or email addresses that are similar to familiar names and to only visit secure websites, whose URL begins with https rather than http (the “S” stands for secure). All it takes is one weak link to break the security chain and wreak havoc on your entire company.
The Takeaway
Law firms rely on the confidentiality and integrity of their data and the availability of their systems. When selecting a managed IT service partner, it is imperative that you choose one who can provide access to pooled talent and expertise, cutting-edge security protocols, proactive maintenance, and better allocation of expenses. Learn more about managed IT services at Tabush Group.