A business of any size that fails to manage its ICT is a real threat to the data of individuals.  Small and medium businesses and not for profit organizations worldwide are being threatened with civil and criminal actions for decisions they make regarding protection of their ICT systems and the data contained within them.  You cannot pick up a newspaper without seeing a story about data breaches, compromised systems, malware and spyware attacks, or ICT security.  These stories are becoming commonplace in today’s global culture. 

The days when large corporations were the only type of business that needed to worry about who was accessing their network and potentially stealing their data are over.  Today, businesses of all sizes are becoming similar targets when it comes to civil liability and criminal culpability for a data breach. Organizations can no longer shrug off a data breach as simply a lesson learned.  Businesses can no longer be nonplussed when one of their employees misuses company technology.  Simply put, people are quickly running out of patience with businesses that fail to take even the most simple and basic steps to safeguard and manage their ICT.

The world community is becoming more and more frustrated with improperly managed ICT systems and the threat of personal data lost by even the smallest of businesses.  It is highly likely certain countries will begin to see widespread civil lawsuits against businesses who allow their ICT networks to become compromised without adequate protection in place.  

However, it has been difficult for SMEs to allocate the necessary financial or technical resources to secure their ICT. This is a severe a problem for any SME. Fortunately, a new option is emerging that allows SMEs to protect their ICT without straining their company resources.

The reliance on internal technical knowledge and/or  large consulting firms is decreasing and is now being supplanted by Managed Service Providers, who are not only diagnosing errors in ICT management, but  are also prescribing effective solutions for the ongoing protection of their clients’ ICT infrastructure.  The Managed Service Profession is experiencing great growth in their role in protecting and advising SMEs.  In fact, their abilities are likely to soon become highly prized.

Managed Service Providers possess the ability to identify not only technological problems, but also the business objectives those problems impact, which is becoming highly valuable in the SME community.  This is the fundamental difference between Managed Service Providers and other ICT providers.   This difference will continue to be a most favorable distinguishing characteristic of managed services professionals as they carve out a role for themselves in the global business economy.

Every business, no matter what the size, needs to secure its ICT.  Managed Service Providers provide the best way for SMEs to do just that.