Securing, Managing and Maximizing Your IT Security Budget

To say that an IT security budget in today's modern environment is important is something of an understatement. You don't just need to be able to leverage the power of modern technology to give yourself a competitive advantage in the marketplace - you need to be able to do so SAFELY so that you don't expose yourself, your clients and ultimately your business to harm. In order to make the most of the money that you've been given, you'll need to keep a few key things in mind.

Keep This in Mind When Stretching Your IT Security Budget

Security is Not a Silo

One of the key steps to securing the IT security budget you need comes by way of education. You need to make it clear to the decision makers within your organization that when you set up the idea of security as a silo, meaning that you are relying on one specific solution for all your needs, it becomes incredibly difficult to raise funding in that regard. After all, if X is set up as your "IT security solution," how can you make a valid argument that you also need products Y and Z? Isn't X working just fine?

Remember that IT security is essentially akin to playing a game that will never finish. You HAVE to actively work to stay one step ahead of the latest and greatest threats or you risk falling behind, which is bad for everyone.

Maximizing That Budget

Once you've secured necessary funding for your IT security budget, the next most important step involves stretching the value of those dollars as far as they will go. This means improving efficiency. Pursue any and all avenues that require less hardware and that support consolidation. Increase the visibility of your network - always know where your external and internal threats are. Don't rely on "one size fits all" solutions to security and instead take a niche approach - use specific solutions to address specific challenges as they arise.

You should also work hard to embrace automation, but not at the expense of the overall security infrastructure you're trying to build.

Above all else, one of the most important considerations you need to make with regards to securing, managing and maximizing your IT security budget involves investing in a secure file sharing solution like an FTP site for your business. Not only does it help generate the type of productivity gains you need by making file sharing easier than ever, but it also goes a long way towards adding an additional layer of security to your infrastructure that allows you to get mission-critical files into the hands of employees WITHOUT worry about accidentally sending files to the wrong person, a catastrophic data breach and more.