Do you need help with IT services? I am going to say what no one wants to hear. Help me help you! What does this mean?
Protect your network
Any provider wants to help with IT services, but if you are a medical practice, and you have a network, you have to help us help you by protecting your network. Decommission old servers, replace Windows XP workstations even if you can’t find new software to work on later versions. Purchase good A/V (or let Tier3MD provide it), install OpenDNS, CryptoPrevent and Malware bytes. All of this will help you.
Invest in backups
Don’t skimp when it comes to backups. Put in a good solid solution. Most of the cost to a good solution is up front. You may have to purchase a storage device, and then a small monthly recurring charge, but believe me, it is worth it. How much is a system crash going to cost you?
Educate your users
The biggest problem you have, it uneducated users. Believe me, they don’t want to be responsible for something bad happening to your network. Teach them. Let them understand with cybercrime is, phishing, hacking, etc. Let them know how the hackers are trying to get in so they can understand it enough to protect themselves. Schedule a lunch and learn and bring someone in for training. It certainly won’t hurt!
On a daily basis at Tier3MD we have clients that we encourage to protect their networks, invest in their backups and educate their users. What happens to the practices that don’t have a good solid IT group? What happens to the practices that use the break/fix model? Is there anything proactive being done? Again, help us help you. Get some really good help with IT services. You won’t be sorry.
Medical IT Support group headquartered in Atlanta
