It’s almost the new year! While we’re knee-deep in the holiday fun and hopefully some post-holiday relaxation, the New Year will be here before you know it.
Though there’s no wrong time to act on intentions to improve the security and organization of your business, there’s something poetic about starting on Jan. 1. The new year brings new opportunities to revamp some business processes to help you stay streamlined, secure and ready to scale productively.
As with crushing any goal in life, the first step to optimized business practices is identifying the resolutions you want to set for the next twelve months. Goals around customer creation and retention are fantastic, but only if you already have the foundation to foster that relationship.
While we can’t accurately predict what 2023 will bring, some resolutions can help every company become more efficient and improve its processes from the inside out.
Here are the top 10 company data protection resolutions you should have on your list of intentions for 2023!
Set achievable data protection goals
If resolutions are the first step you take to reach the top of the peak, then your final goal is the summit!
Setting initial goals for the year is the best way to identify whether or not your resolutions were successful. Deciding on the milestones you want to reach throughout the year will help you stay on track and outline which parts of your processes need to improve to stick to your business game plan, timeline and vision.
The best types of goals to set at the beginning of the year are called SMART goals, and establishing these early on will keep your eyes on the prize as you work through your resolutions. The acronym SMART stands for the following:
Specific — Make sure your goal describes something specific enough that you can see the steps you need to take to reach it.
Measurable — You need to be able to analyze the success of the goal by creating quantifiable milestones to track progress.
Attainable — Make sure it’s a goal you can reasonably reach within the set timeline. Otherwise, you will set yourself or your team up for disappointment and unnecessary stress.
Relevant — Choose annual goals to help your business grow efficiently in the short and long terms.
Time-bound — Set an end date for your goals to ensure you finish promptly or understand what speed bumps stopped you from finishing in the set time.
Examples of a SMART data protection goal could look like this:
Plan and execute monthly employee data protection training sessions in 2023, totaling 12 training sessions before 2024.
Whatever your goals are, using this template will allow you to track your progress and maximize your success in reaching them.
Understand your data and the status of your system
You can’t improve until you know what you need to improve upon. Taking a deep dive into the efficiency and security of your system will uncover many objectives and goals for the coming year.
Tools like network monitoring will help you peek under the hood of your system and identify your strengths and areas for improvement as you work toward your business data resolutions. This process of observing and tracking problems or potential problems that could impact your network will help you identify slow, malfunctioning or failing aspects of your network before they cause costly problems. Nothing will slow your roll on crushing your goals like downtime or successful attacks on your computer systems.
Prioritize optimizing time-saving business processes
Does sticking to resolutions take some time out of your schedule? Yes. But when taken seriously, the goals you set can save you time for years. You probably already have some specific tasks pop into your mind that fall under the “I know I need to do this, but I just haven’t found the time” category.
It could be setting up an automated drip email strategy, cleaning and consolidating your contact lists or finally setting up an annual content calendar. These tasks take some significant upfront work, but they will feel so good when they’re done.
Our resolution recommendation? Block out one day each month (no meetings, no tasks, no calls) and call it your clean-up day. Then, take on one of those tasks and dedicate the entire day to getting as far as you possibly can in completing the assignment.
Confirm that your network is compliant
The worst way to start the year? On a regulation org’s naughty list. Find some time toward the beginning of the year to confirm that your Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA compliance is well within the parameters of acceptable data protection.
We recommend initiating a revamp as early into the year as possible and setting up regular compliance audits to ensure you always reach the ever-increasing expectations of regulatory groups — especially before tax season when all eyes are on compliance.
Luckily, MDL offers compliance audits so you can grow your business with confidence that your system can safely house all the sensitive information required.
Implement automation into your processes
Humans are essential, but they can only handle so much. Why not delegate the busy work to AI? From customer retention funnels to system health scans, automation is a smart tool to leverage for creating more efficient processes. There are only 24 hours in a day — make sure you’re not wasting hours on something a platform can finish in a few seconds!
Update your data organization and storage
Are you storing your data in the most secure way possible? Set a resolution to determine if your data storage is up to snuff. Spoiler alert: If you aren’t yet using cloud computing to house your data, the answer is no.
Cloud storage can protect your company from user error and internal threats with a tiered access system, location flexibility and a simple user experience. Cloud storage safeguards your data from external threats by housing your data in a secure, compliant data center. On top of that, team members can access the cloud from anywhere while keeping the data secure.
Confirm your data Plan B
Plan A will always be the healthiest version of your network and all the data it stores. But unfortunately, even the best systems can be impacted by natural disasters, cyberattacks and simple user errors. That is when you will be endlessly glad that you established a data protection Plan B.
With a secure and dependable disaster recovery plan, you will always have access to your most important data. Off-site backup options keep your data safe and secure if something happens to your mainframe or data collection tools. Automation ensures that the secure backup always includes the most current version of your data. Advanced encryption tools confirm no one can access your data without your knowledge.
Look at your data protection from a client’s perspective
When was the last time you took a journey through your customer funnel? If it has been a while, there is a good chance you’ll find multiple areas for improvement as you move through the process. Especially when you are asking clients to share sensitive data — such as medical data, banking info or credit card numbers — ensuring that the messaging and user experience communicates security as the top priority will instill trust in your company. So set a resolution to step out from behind the magnifying glass and look at the big picture of what your clients, customers and partners see as they interact with your system.
Establish a 2023 cybersecurity plan
Is your company ready to combat a cyberattack? If not, you are not alone. Only 50% of small businesses have a cybersecurity strategy for when they get attacked. While that percentage is higher for larger companies, it’s not close to where it should be.
Creating training programs for employees, having set security precautions that everyone upholds and building great security habits are your strongest tools to fight against cyber threats.
Ensure you have the team you need to meet your goals
Reaching 10 resolutions can feel like a lofty goal on top of the endless list of tasks you need to take on — so the final resolution is investing in a team that can take care of them for you.
MDL’s Managed Services team can work with you to build and leverage the tools you need to crush your business goals. From a 24/7 help desk to assistance in setup, implementation and monitoring, you can reach your data protection resolutions and set your system up for success in the new year and for many years to come.
MDL managed services can help grow your business securely
MDL offers full-scope managed services to help protect your business and give it room to grow.
At MDL, we make it a priority to implement the best practices for your business when it comes to managed services. From training your employees to spot the warning signs of cyber threats to data recovery, your most valuable assets will always be secure with MDL. Learn more about our managed services or reach out to our team to discuss any recommendations for your company.