Microsoft recently released an update to the Microsoft Security Assessment Tool which we reckon is well worth a few minutes of your time if you are an SME. This free software is simply an on screen questionnaire that asks the questions you should be asking yourself if you want to understand the risks to your business IT.

Aimed at businesses with 50 to 1000 users the tool is a risk assessment questionnaire which in straightforward steps asks how technology is deployed and used in your organisation. It works on the principle of "defence-in-depth" and deals with usage policies and physical environment as well as IT infrastructure issues. The questions are as non-technical as they probably could be, but even so the concepts may be unfamiliar to you if IT is not your thing. In my view every small business owner / manager should have the answers to all the questions in the guide. The results of the survey indicate whether you have the right policies, procedures and infrastructure in place to protect your business. If you don't know the answers then you need to find out.

The Microsoft Security Assessment tool can be downloaded for free from Microsoft here .

Business Link IT Risk Assessment Tool 

If you don't want to download and install another piece of software, an online IT risk assessment tool (also free to use) is available from Businesslink. The tool steps through the basics, people, processes and technology with half a dozen questions in each section. At the end of the questionnaire a results page suggests remedial actions that should be taken with links to useful resources. The BusinessLink tool covers the same territory as MSAT but in less detail, so if you want a quick overview try this first  - click here to access it.

Help is at hand!

For independent help in gathering and verifying answers to the questions asked by either of these tools, or advice on implementing remedial actions as a result of issues raised by the tools, contact me at estm by phoning 01746 708114 or use the e-mail contact form.

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