IT risk assessment sounds so intimidating. The truth is, though, there’s a lot of plain common sense involved in the procedure. Whether you opt to carry out the risk assessment in-house or you decide to hire a pro to do it, you should understand the process. So, here’s what goes on during an IT risk assessment.
IT risk assessment is just what it sounds like: an evaluation of the risks that come with using technology, like computers, routers, and mobile devices, while you do business. For most of us, these tools are a fact of life; the assessment isn’t whether we use them, but whether we use them safely.
IT risk assessment is part of a larger overall strategy called IT risk management. It entails—you guessed it—minimizing the inherent risks of using technology for conducting business.
The usual risk management and assessment process entails at least four steps. If you’re IT-savvy, you may feel comfortable doing them on your own.
Technically, the fourth step begins the “risk management” process. But are you really going to do the first three and then ignore the information you’ve gained? We doubt it. And we sincerely hope not!
Don’t think that because you’re a small business, you’re immune from computer-related risks. You may delude yourself with the (common) idea of It’s not like I’m some big, rich target for people to hack. That’s not the point of IT risk assessment.
The loss or theft of sensitive information—like credit card and bank account numbers—is only one of the risks involved in using technology. The list of known computer disasters is much longer than the 600 or so words in this post. It includes everything from picking up a disruptive virus to a full-scale system failure. It’s a risk you’re going to have to take if you so much as use a spreadsheet or pound out a document on a word processor.
So what does IT risk assessment look like for a small business? Let’s imagine you want to install wireless Internet access for your office and for your customers.
IT risk assessment doesn’t have to be scary. If you’d like a second opinion, contact TechSperts Services today and we’ll discuss your needs.
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