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9 Pitfalls of Do-It-Yourself IT
There's something rewarding about being able to do something yourself that other people often pay to outsource. After all, you're saving money while expanding your knowledge on the subject matter for future use.
However, when it comes to something as technical as IT, it can be dangerous to throw yourself into this unfamiliar area and expect adequate results. In fact, there is a chance you could do more harm than good.
Before trying to accomplish complex IT tasks yourself, review the list of pitfalls below so that you know what to avoid.
- Damaging or Ruining Data. Without extensive IT experience, you may not realize how or when your data is being tampered with. For example, if you are working on a public network, someone may access your data and compromise it without you even knowing what's going on. If your data is not protected and secure, it can be damaged or even ruined completely, which can negatively affect your overall technological infrastructure.
- Panicking During Emergencies. When dealing with an IT emergency, it's hard to not panic. Especially if you don't have the experience or expertise required to handle it. Panicking during IT emergencies only adds to the time required to resolve the issue by increasing stress levels.
- Making Problems Worse. Trying to solve an IT problem without the right experience can have an adverse effect. For example, if you are inexperienced with IT and have a problem with your computer that you are not sure how to solve, you can complicate the situation by following improper or ill-advised procedures.
- Information Security. Similar to the data damage example listed above, if you don't understand all the necessary security measures to safeguard confidential information, it can be accessed and stolen. Information security starts with network security. If someone can access your network, they can potentially access proprietary data as well.
- Personal Liabilities. When you are taking on all IT responsibilities yourself and not outsourcing them to an IT service provider, you are liable for any damage or data loss that occurs. If your system is compromised or your server crashes, the cost of recovery can be significantly higher than preventing such situations with a professional IT provider in the first place.
- Loss of Valuable Business Time. Monitoring and solving your IT issues takes more than just expertise; it can be time consuming as well. While outsourcing this work may save on upfront costs, you may be losing money on the backend by taking valuable time out of your workday.
- Overlooking Potential Threats. Without a strong IT background, you may overlook a potential threat to your computer infrastructure. If you are not aware of all potential threats, they may sneak up on you and throw you back into panic-mode.
- Poor Hardware/Software Decisions. There could be long-lasting consequences of using hardware or software that is either outdated or not compatible with that of your clients. Also, if your software or hardware vendor goes out of business, your purchases go to waste.
- Staying Ahead of IT Developments. The IT world is constantly changing. It is important to stay ahead of this curve in order to stay ahead of your competition and maintain your business. Without an expert IT service provider, you may be missing out on updates and suggestions regarding IT developments that may benefit your business.
For more information regarding the difficulties of do-it-yourself IT and the services that can help you avoid them, click here or call Christo IT at 800.211.8657.
