Tip of the Week: 9 Tech Practices That Make Work Better

Each worker within an organization is delegated some sort of responsibility based on their role. Managers are responsible for managing, while human resources keep all workers accountable for their responsibilities. Yet, there are multiple responsibilities designated to all employees who use technology for their everyday duties.

Here are nine of the most important responsibilities of all employees utilizing business technology.

1. Take Advantage of the Network
Saving to the network is much more beneficial than saving locally on your PC. This is because the network is likely better equipped with the necessary redundancy to handle data loss disasters. It is also better for sharing information with others in your organization. If you store data on the network, you’re more likely to avoid a data loss incident, as it will be secured even if your workstation breaks down.

2. Be Mindful of Your Email
If you receive a lot of email messages throughout the day, it’s tempting to just quickly go through them without actually absorbing what they contain. Worse yet, it’s sometimes difficult to judge how secure a message is, as it could be nothing but a carrier of malware or viruses. Always be aware of who is sending you messages and why, and be sure to keep an eye out for unfamiliar senders or unexpected attachments.

3. Keep Data In-House and Backed Up
You want to ensure that your data is being kept on your network and not spread out across multiple devices, like mobile devices or portable media storage. Without the necessary protections and security protocol, your data could be at unnecessary risk--especially on unsecured devices that are outside your network.

4. Use the Cloud
If there is a reason to access data while outside the security of your network, you should be using a proper cloud solution that does all it can to protect your data. It’s also important to consider the use of a virtual private network to minimize the risk of your data being compromised while in transit.

5. Implement Strong Passwords
Secure passwords are trickier to implement than you might think. That’s because secure passwords are difficult to remember. With letters, numbers, and symbols, you might be hard-pressed to figure out what you made your password in the first place. Thankfully, password managers make this easier to do, as you’ll only need to remember one major passphrase compared with remembering multiple complex passwords.

6. Don’t Share Passwords
Don't share your passwords with anyone in your organization. You know what they say; the more users of a password or account, the more likely it is to become compromised. You never know how careful someone will be with credentials that aren’t their own. Think of your passwords like you would your Social Security number or credit card number.

7. Lock Down Your Workstation
If you have to step away from your computer for any reason, be sure to lock it, even if you’re in the office. You never know if someone will feel feisty enough to steal data from your computer, be it a stranger or an employee on his or her way out. Plus, you never want to go through your settings undoing the pranks of your coworkers.

8. Report Any and All Issues
You can take all of the preventative measures in the world and still encounter problems with your technology. If you suffer from an issue, you need to take note of it and inform your IT staff immediately. This gives them the opportunity to resolve it before it gets out of hand. In instances like these, screenshots can be exceptionally helpful.

9. Leave it to IT
Your technology will naturally have to be replaced as time goes on, but you don’t want to take this task into your own hands. It’s best to leave this task to IT, as they are the professionals--and, well, it’s their job.

While these tips will be a great way to help you make the most of your technology, you’ll still want a professional IT department on-hand to help. To learn more, reach out to SMART Services at 586 258-0650 .

Let Smart Services position your agency for tomorrow’s technological challenges. For more than 25 years, Smart Services has helped agencies across the U.S. face a changing environment by providing innovative technology solutions that allow agencies to focus on growing their business. MyAgency Cloud, our complete cloud solution, covers all your technology needs in the cloud or at your agency. In today’s competitive environment, it’s time to make your agency technology a strategic asset, instead of a liability. Let us show you how. To learn more, please call our expert agency technology advisor at 586-258-0650.