Technology is all over, no matter where you look. Schools utilize smart boards and tablets in more effectively teaching children than with traditional, outdated methods. Hospitals use them to save confidential patient information and manage appointments. Businesses put computers into action for communicating with customers, tracking inventory levels, and virtually every other function imaginable.
Companies — which most likely includes yours, too — have in-house networks of computers. Rather than managing programs and activities on individual computers, networks allow for a centralized means of doing so. Unfortunately, company networks are often subject to data breaches that harm reputation and cause financial loss. Nearly 1,000 breaches were publicized, meaning important customer, employee, and associate information was spread across the Internet by cybercriminals for inappropriate, illegal use.
Monitoring your company’s network comes with more benefits than beefing up security. Let’s look at the four most common reasons companies should have their networks monitored, including security.
1- Increase the Performance of your Company’s Computer Systems
Computers aren’t cheap. Although they’re significantly less expensive than many years ago, companies are often overburdened with the price of multiple computer towers, monitors, cords and cables, software, and everything else associated with systems of computers. Because simply purchasing new equipment is exorbitantly expensive, it makes sense for companies to engage in monitoring their in-house networks. Besides, purchasing new equipment isn’t equivalent to repairing and troubleshooting existing problems in computer outlays.
Network monitoring programs and services from third parties help boost the performance of companies’ interconnected systems of computers and related equipment.
2- Beefs up Defense Against Cybersecurity Breaches
Network monitoring is able to detect abnormal behavior and activity through digital internal controls. Business owners, administrators, employees, and other parties of importance are informed of data breaches before or as soon as they happen through email, text message, phone calls, or alarms.
While responding to cybersecurity breaches is important for companies to engage in, it’s not as effective as preventing them from occurring in the first place. Company computer networks under active monitoring are able to suggest means of breaching up security. They can identify lacks of internal controls to keep employees from committing fraud. It’s silly for your organization not to engage in network monitoring, as doing so can prevent security problems before they even happen.
3- Helps Implement Tools that Haven’t been Used Before
When individuals or organizations install air conditioning systems, for example, it doesn’t require much analysis to test the effectiveness of installed systems. Workers or residents can physically test increases of cold air flow, whether every event has air blowing form it, and the like. Conversely, when companies use new computers, cables, cords, monitors, and other technological equipment, it’s difficult to determine the value they add to existing computer systems.
Network management tools, particular monitoring programs, provide companies with a number of metrics to gauge their systems’ performance. Guessing how well computer systems are performing is ineffective and out of the question for companies whose likelihoods depend on the welfare of their technological outlays.
4- Helps Measure Satisfaction of Customer Contracts
Using network monitoring, companies are better able to fulfill promises and obligations they make to customers. Organizations that provide Internet service to customers, for example, usually offer a set amount of gigabytes transmitted per months or promise a certain Internet speed. Because they aren’t physical goods, computer technology must be utilized to measure them. Without having computer systems running up to par, it’s difficult — if it’s even possible — to measure exactly how much Internet access customers are getting. It’s important for your company to monitor its network either in-house or through the use of contracted third-party information technology (IT) services as it clears the proverbial muddy waters of identifying how much Internet access customers get. This is equally true for mobile phone providers, or any purveyor of ongoing digital subscriptions.
Seemingly every company relies on computers in one capacity or another, with many organizations utilizing them for virtually every business function imaginable. As such, it’s worthwhile for organizations to beef up their computer systems and have them run at full efficiency. While the above four reasons are among the most popular companies rely on network monitoring, there are many others that may benefit yours, in particular.
