The most important thing in running a business is, well, to keep it running. This may sound like a piece of cake, but it’s not. On top of ensuring a healthy cash flow and building a loyal customer base, you have to be prepared for anything that can threaten business continuity.

Practically every business in Charlotte, North Carolina experiences downtime due to tech malfunctions. But while not having 100% uptime is normal, experiencing recurring interruptions can adversely affect your organization. Here are the most common ways IT-related dowtimes hinder your business from achieving its potential.

As a business owner, you know that data security is one of the most important aspects of business, especially now that cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated. You're likely using antivirus software, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and the like to protect your Charlotte business.

Today, a data breach can be a business’s worst nightmare. The average cost of a data breach even for small businesses is $3.92 million. Incidents have become all too common, especially in healthcare, manufacturing, and finance, as sensitive data from these industries have become appealing targets for cybercriminals.

Cloud technology is rapidly transforming the way companies do business. According to Right Scale’s 2019 State of the Cloud Report, 91% of businesses are using the public cloud for their processes, with 72% using private cloud and 69% using the hybrid model.

Data security remains a hot topic among enterprises across all industries. This is because many companies still need consumers’ personal data to improve customer experience and tailor ads to their preferences. However, customer information has become more susceptible to data breaches and other unethical use cases.

Businesses, from healthcare to finance to retail to manufacturing, must all comply with data security and privacy regulations. Not only is compliance mandatory, but it also helps companies achieve better integrity, and information systems security and availability.

Cybersecurity used to be relatively simple. However, long gone are the times when the only way to get your computer infected with malware was to run a malicious program. As the stakes get higher every year, cybercriminals are getting smarter, using everything from zero-day malware to advanced social engineering tactics.

According to data released by Ponemon Institute in 2014, 60% of companies experienced at least one security breach within the preceding two years, with cases costing businesses an average of $201 per stolen record. Yet, despite these alarming statistics, many businesses still take their IT resources for granted, particularly when it comes to everyday systems such as email.