4 of the Biggest Challenges Facing IT Professionals
The IT industry is one of the fastest moving, and this means that IT professionals tend to face more challenges on a yearly basis than professionals in other industries such as finance and healthcare. From data breaches to BYOD schemes, below are four of the biggest challenges that IT professionals in the United States are currently facing.
1. BYOD Device Schemes
For years, it was the company’s responsibility to provide the equipment needed to complete a job. However, in recent years, employees have been encouraged to bring their own technology to work. From smartphones and tablets to laptop computers, all manner of personal devices now enter the workplace every day. The problem with this is that companies are no longer able to control the data and viruses that are on these machines, and one sitting virus on a personal computer could lead to catastrophic consequences for a business. While employee training is a very important part of prevention, having a recovery company like Secure Data Recovery on hand is also key to fixing any issues that do arise quickly.
2. Cloud Systems
Although we hear a lot about the benefits of the cloud, many businesses are still reluctant to use it, choosing instead to store all their information and data on-site and manage everything in-house. The issue with this is that it’s holding companies back, making tasks take longer than they need to, and leaving the company open to risk should in-house systems fail. Many IT professionals are currently struggling to enforce the importance of moving to cloud systems, not only as a form of data backup, but also for convenience when employees work in the field. The solution here seems to be more training and awareness.
Although we hear a lot about the benefits of the cloud, many businesses are still reluctant to use it, choosing instead to store all their information and data on-site and manage everything in-house. The issue with this is that it’s holding companies back, making tasks take longer than they need to, and leaving the company open to risk should in-house systems fail. Many IT professionals are currently struggling to enforce the importance of moving to cloud systems, not only as a form of data backup, but also for convenience when employees work in the field. The solution here seems to be more training and awareness.
3. Data Breaches
Data breaches can have a serious impact on a company, especially in Europe with GDPR regulations now in place to protect consumer data. However, breaches are something that are still occurring in businesses of all sizes, and IT professionals face constant challenges when it comes to keeping this data safe. Not only do technological solutions need to be put in place in order to prevent attacks from happening in the first place, but staff members also need to be educated on how to reduce the likelihood of them doing something that could cause a breach. As we continue into 2019, more awareness still needs to be made in businesses across the country.
4. Outsourced Providers
Finally, IT also seems to have a pretty poor image inside organizations, with many business owners preferring to outsource their IT needs to outside companies. The reason for the poor image may be software challenges, perceived slow response times, or a misunderstanding of the technology. Rather than speaking to an IT professional directly, many business owners are instead choosing to bypass them in favor of third-party software and other independent arrangements. In order to remain needed, it’s important for IT professionals to have open communication with department heads and understand how they can better help the needs of the organization.
If you work in IT, let us know about any other challenges you face in the comments.
