As the year comes to an end, you’re counting down the hours until the end of the office work day. To ensure that there are no hassles or worries while away, it is good practice to go through the following checklist to ensure your IT is setup of the holidays and that you don’t come back to an IT disaster.
These are my 5 top tips to check through before the business doors are shut for the start of the silly season.
1. Backups.
If you have automated backups, test that they are working appropriately and data is being backed up.
If you dont have an automated backup, then run a manual backup.
Make sure you take your backup offsite. It is no good leaving the backup hard drive connected to your server at the work office in the case that there is a theft or fire over the break. An offsite automated backup system is ideal.
2. Out of office email response.
Make sure all employees have setup an autoresponder on their email account. For a guide on how to do this in Gmail or Google Apps take a look at http://www.onsitehelper.com/index.php/blog (scroll down a little)
3. Power off.
Turn off all computers. If your computer equipment is not connected to a surge protector, it is best that they are unplugged from the wall. This case if there a power surge your computer equipment won’t be damaged. If you plan to work from home over the break and need access to your computer, then best leave it on. The monitor can still be turned off.
4. Lockup your server.
It is best to lock up your server in a room or cabinet while away. This will protect the server in case there is a break in during the holiday period.
5. Review your network security.
If no one is working over the break then disable remote access to the network. Often you can close open ports in the router, which may be a vulnerability in the network. Also disable the wireless network in your office. If you want to be really secure, turn off your internet router.
If you need any help with any of these items, feel free to contact Onsite Helper before we go on Holidays on 03 9999 3106 [email protected].
