THE AUTHOR
Manoj Bonam
Chief Technology Officer
Tips on IT Help Desk
It happened again. Your computer is on the fritz and now your whole day has been thrown off because you need to spend the next hour on the phone with your IT help desk in order to try, and possibly fail, to get it in working condition again. Or maybe even worse – you don’t have an IT help desk to fall back on and now you need to self-diagnose your problem before catching up on the work that’s falling behind.
If this happens to you on a regular basis you’re wasting invaluable time that you can never get back. The question becomes: How can employees of SMBs resolve IT conflicts without the presence of an actual help desk in office and/or how can you minimize your dependence on your probably already very busy help desk? Here are a few steps that anyone can take to ensure control over your IT so that it doesn’t control you:
Prevention is key
Prevention is the best way to make sure that you don’t need to rely on your IT Help Desk. After all, if you’re able to prevent a problem from happening, there will be no reason for you to go to your help desk. Here are a few best practices to help you prevent relying on a help desk:
- Make sure all your software is up to date.
- Think twice before opening a suspicious looking email.
- Do not use public Wi-Fi.
- Regularly back-up your files.
Make Sure There Are No Chinks in Your Armor
For IT to run smoothly without any glitches, it is essential to keep the system intact. The software of the system is the armor that protects it. Some of the easy ways to keep tabs on the performance of the system are:
- Conducting regular anti-virus scans.
- Removing outdated and unnecessary applications.
- Monitoring memory, storage, and usage of RAM for efficiency.
Multi-Level Safety
The Internet and technology are now an essential part of our everyday life. As much as they make life easier, it is also absolutely essential to be cautious with the information in these devices. Mobile devices ranging from phones and tablets to laptops have more than enough data to create a security breach – both personally and professionally. To ensure the safety is secured, follow a thorough safety protocol including:
Emails
- Refrain from using office e-mail id for personal use.
- Scrutinize sender id and subject before opening any e-mail.
- Double check downloads and attachments.
- Use anti-virus to scan documents.
Internet access
- Minimize use of public Wi-Fi at airports, cafes, and malls.
- Read all internet pop-ups to avoid a breach of data.
- Look out for an SSL certificate while accessing confidential and bank details.
- Check the information on a page before providing personal details, even e-mail ids.
Mobile devices
- Run antivirus scans frequently to understand system health.
- Enable screen lock.
- Check hotspot connections.
Better Password Habits
Hackers can easily obtain information and data from the system if they are not protected effectively. Therefore, it is essential to have a strong password and a password system that takes all the necessary precautions to make your security as impenetrable as possible. As part of infrastructure protocol, ensure that the employees:
- Change passwords every 3 month.
- Use passwords that are more than 8 characters long and must contain at least 1 capital and symbol.
- Do not use one password across all systems and gateways.
- Use 2-step verification as and when available to enhance security.
Following these best practices, you should cut down your dependence on your IT help desk. However, if you want to replace your current IT help desk or support with a more personalized IT presence in your office request a free consultation with Korcomptenz today in order to reconnect with the human side of IT support!