According to Gartner, network downtime costs businesses an average of US$5,600 per minute. If that figure doesn’t make you feel weak at the knees, then keep in mind that it’s just an average. When Facebook went down in 2021, it cost them a staggering US$100 million – and that’s not to mention the damage it did to their brand’s reputation and the cost to businesses in lost advertising revenue and customer service. And for small businesses, the monetary cost may be lower, but the consequences are much higher. After all, it’s easy as pie for customers to move to a competitor if your business isn’t available online, but the cost of losing those jobs can be a huge portion of your revenue.
So, it’s clear that network downtime is something no business can afford. But why does it happen – and how can you prevent it?
The most common reasons why network downtime occurs
- Human error – We all make mistakes, but many of these everyday errors can be prevented through basic, consistent staff training. From placing a router near the microwave or unplugging a network cable to clicking on a link in a suspicious email or failing to update software, human error can quickly cause a network downtime nightmare. Regardless of whether your staff work onsite or at home, or what department they work in, all of your employees should have IT and cybersecurity training that helps them to keep the network secure and running.
- Server and hardware/software glitches – IT infrastructure and software isn’t infallible, but there’s a lot that can go wrong when it’s installed incorrectly, systems are incompatible, tech is outdated or old, and when networks aren’t monitored for bugs and instability. The best way to prevent this is with a thorough IT audit that will reveal any areas of vulnerability, where maintenance or repairs are needed and develop a proactive preventative maintenance plan. It’s also important to have experienced IT specialists upgrade, instal, and run your network to ensure many of these issues don’t occur in the first place.
- Security breaches – Cybersecurity attacks are more sophisticated than ever before, making them more difficult to detect and more damaging to the systems they infect. Small businesses, as well as large organisations, are high-value targets, and comprehensive IT security measures need to be in place to manage these risks. This includes securing your network, high-value data, and devices, as well as developing policies to secure remote workers and personal devices, and training to help staff recognise and prevent attacks.
- Internet outages – Today’s businesses run online and you’re dead in the water if your internet goes down. These disruptions cause significant loss of sales and damage to customer relations, as well as problems with supply chains, project or service delays, and much more. Having a reliable internet service provider and website hosting solution is worth the higher price, especially as they can leverage technologies and strategies to increase security, manage potential attacks, store data for disaster recovery, and load balancing to ensure high-speed connectivity.
At Otto, we’re here to protect your organisation against network downtime and internet outages. We’ll help you educate your team, ensure you have the best IT security solutions for your business and provide guaranteed internet services. Whether you have remote teams, need a backup solution, or aren’t sure what provider is best for your business, we can help you out. Just think of us as your new IT department.
