What to expect from Information Technology in 2020

As we head into a new decade, we’ve turned our thoughts to what we can expect to be key priorities and emergencies within the IT sector over the next 12 months. From the closure of Windows 7 in January (and the anticipated launch of new Windows 10 upgrade) through to launch of new cyber threats and changing security priorities, it’s clear that we’ll continue to see many changes take place next year. 

Here are some of our thoughts on what we think will be important to our clients throughout the year.

The Windows 7 problem

Throughout the past year, we’ve been working closely with our clients to ensure that their systems are upgraded ahead of the end for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008R2 and SBS 20011. Whilst these systems will remain operable for those using these retired operating systems, Microsoft will no longer be releasing bug fixes and security updates. This means that those businesses and individuals who haven’t updated their software will be at significantly increased risk of cyber-attacks.

At Lucid Systems, we know that our clients will be secure and remain protected, largely in part due to our preventative measures and early updates, but in a wider context, we envisage many smaller businesses potentially being impacted by issues caused by the retirement of Windows 7.

Launch of Windows 10 upgrade

In addition to the retirement of Windows 7, we can soon expect to see the launch of Window’s latest upgrade “2004”. Whilst the upgrade name may indicate that it is due for launch in April 2020 (the 20 referring to the year, and 04 the month), the specific date is still unconfirmed.

As soon as details are released, we’ll be working closely with our clients to ensure that they benefit from the latest updates.

Changing cyber threats

As corporate IT experts, a significant part of what we do is working with our clients to provide essential cyber protection against a variety of security measures. As hackers and cyber criminals become more sophisticated, new techniques are required to ensure that businesses are continually protected. In recent years, most security techniques have focused upon preventing hackers from gaining access to confidential corporate data and educating employees about how to spot the signs of phishing scams, but 2020 could see the growing prevalence of a new type of security concern – ‘smishing’.

This is where phishing attacks happen via SMS and it can be a direct result of careless use of public WiFi access. For businesses providing employees with company phones, it’s imperative that careful attention is paid to data stored on phones and tablets. In fact, smishing is such a growth area that security firm Experian has predicted that it could be one of the biggest threats next year.

Improving employee awareness

If smishing is to become more mainstream, then we anticipate that in-house IT teams will spend considerable resources educating employees on the importance of adhering to internal IT policies. When it comes to online security, any organisation’s biggest threat will always remain its people – after all, it’s easy to open an email or clicking a suspicious link without checking its validity.

We anticipate that to combat these errors, businesses will need to increase the amount of time they spend educating their staff on matters relating to IT security.

If you need external support for your business IT needs, then please get in touch. We regularly work alongside in-house IT departments to help establish comprehensive IT policies and educate staff about the importance of paying due care and attention.

Increase in Disaster Recovery Drills

A key aspect that we believe will become more mainstream over the next twelve months is that of the humble disaster recovery drill. 

Disaster Recovery Drills are used to check your resilience to security breaches or any loss of corporate data. They can test how quickly you can get back up and running and function effectively. Whether you've experienced a security breach or you've been affected by a physical accident (such as a fire or flood), it goes without saying that you need to be able to feel confident that you can operate at full capacity as quickly as possible. That's why Disaster Recovery Drills are beneficial - they can give you assurance that your business will be protected, whatever the situation. 

If you are working with us under an informed agreement, we can provide proactive measures to check your resilience including disaster recovery drills to check for vulnerabilities.

To find out how we can support your business IT needs in 2020, please get in touch with us. We offer bespoke services to all of our clients throughout Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire ensuring that you have the right external IT support for your business needs.