Complying with regulations is something that many businesses must do. Regardless of whether your business is regulated by local, state, federal, or industry specific agencies—or even a combination of all four, your IT environment will be affected. While you can easily understand how regulations impact your general business practices, you might feel overwhelmed with how the rules apply to how your business uses IT. Instead of spending valuable time trying to determine how regulations affect your IT environment, hire an IT outsourcing provider such as VNET IT to make sure your IT systems meet regulations.
Regulations, in general
All regulatory programs affect how your business uses IT. IT consulting companies like VNET IT can help can help you create an IT environment that meets all of your vertical market’s regulations. An IT services provider such as VNET IT can help you with the following:
-
- Network assessment – Using the regulations that govern your company, IT companies such as VNET IT will assess your entire IT environment. Your business’ IT hardware, software, and systems configurations should be inspected annually to ensure that data is properly protected. Recommendations will be made if problems are found.
-
- Inventory – After a network assessment, an IT support provider will create an accurate inventory of all hardware and software. Your business’ inventory will also include all IT product warranties, software licenses, and security keys to ensure that you have a full accounting of everything that comprises your IT environment.
-
- Risk assessment – An IT company such as VNET IT will conduct a risk assessment after the initial network assessment and inventory are done. A risk assessment will outline all potential threats to data (from fires to hurricanes to hackers). Because every business faces different risks, an individualized risk assessment will help you identify and prioritize risks to which your business and data might be exposed.
-
- Usage policy – As part of regulation compliance, your business must have an acceptable usage policy that clearly states how users may use your IT systems. An IT consulting company can help you create a policy that protects data, enforces company policies, and doesn’t impact productivity.
-
- Documentation – An IT services company can help you create required documentation that demonstrates that your business meets regulations. The documentation will identify how your company’s IT environment is constructed, as well as outline security policies and practices that are in place to protect regulated data.
-
- Training – An IT consulting company such as VNET IT can help you create a training program to teach employees how to meet regulations. Most regulations require formal, documented training that educates users on the importance of safeguarding data and should also give practical hands-on training as to how security practices actually work. IT support companies can also help you schedule and present training at regularly scheduled meetings.
Learn more
If your vertical market is governed by state or federal regulations, you need to safeguard all electronic data in specific ways. VNET IT can help you build a secure IT environment that will meet your specific regulatory requirements. To learn more about how regulatory compliance affects your IT environment, please contact VNET IT at 866.4.VNET.IT.