What to expect from Information Technology in 2020
Posted 09 Dec 2019
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.
by
Amy Dawson