It’s beginning to feel a lot like… time to turn everything off before you high-tail it for the snowy hills. But have you ticked off your end of year office IT checklist?
Before you sign off for Christmas, make sure you’ve done all of the following:
Your end of year IT checklist
1) Turn off the obvious
It sounds silly, but businesses waste a lot of money every year by leaving office lights and equipment on over Christmas.
If you’re the last one out (or you know who will be), create a “power down checklist” and make sure all key hardware and office IT infrastructure is switched off until it’s needed again.
It’s a waste. It doesn’t offer extra security. There’s a climate crisis. Get the last one out to turn them off.
Check lights, fans and heaters, thermostats, and close curtains or blinds to keep the heat in.
2) Confirm your cybersecurity setup
Cybercriminals love Christmas.
- Lots of people struggling to buy gifts, less averse to risking special offer emails that are actually phishing attacks?
- Innocent team members not securing their accounts in the rush to get projects signed off before the break?
- People working from insecure devices and locations to avoid a last trip to the office?
Ho Ho Ho, it’s Hacker Christmas too!
First off, this means you need to educate your team about being doubly cautious about “refund” and “special offer” emails received during the festive season.
If you don’t have a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or IT department to handle it for you, go over basics like confirming everyone uses secure passwords and all software is up-to-date too.
Before you sign off, you should probably also block Microsoft 365 sign-ins from abroad to help reduce unauthorised access.
3) Set out-of-office replies
Make sure there’s a pleasant and informative message set on all relevant communication channels so clients know when they can and cannot contact you over the Christmas break. Do this for:
- Business email accounts
- Office phone lines
- Your Google My Business profile
- Your website
It should be clear how to get in touch with you if there’s an emergency or when clients can expect a response from you.
Don’t be afraid to notify people of your opening hours multiple times. Which actually reminds us…
4) Talk to your MSP about your break
If you’re planning to be away over the festive season, it can be worth a quick chat with your MSP to let them know you don’t expect any activity.
You should also be aware that your MSP is probably going to have some time off too. Don’t worry – if you’re on a Dial A Geek contract, we’ll still have your back even when our office is closed.
But if you want us (or your other Managed Service Provider) to do something before the break, now is the time to let them know.
If you are with us, just so you know, our opening hours over the festive period are:
- Christmas Day – shut*
- Boxing Day – absolutely closed*
- New Years’ Day – totally unavailable to anyone*
From the 27th to 29th December though, there will be a stand-by Geek ready to support you with critical issues (we’re talking “my company cannot function without help” not printer set-up support).
If you’re on a Managed Service though, rest assured that this support is there via helpdesk.
* We’ll still monitor your devices for any issues but we won’t be able to resolve them/notify you about them until the next day we’re open.
5) Get ready for the New Year
Finally, it’s not just the bubbly you need to get in for the celebrations. You’ll only kick yourself later if you can’t get up and running smoothly in the New Year.
Got a new starter coming in at the beginning of January? Make sure your IT department or MSP has their devices set up, secure, and ready to go for them.
Otherwise, all your new hire will be able to do on their first day is sit around and admire the décor.
Merry Christmas from the Dial A Geek team!
Happy Christmas to everyone celebrating and general good wishes even if you’re not!
Make sure to complete your end of year office IT before you lock the doors. Then get on with enjoying some well-earned time off.
Is there something you absolutely need us to get done as part of your Managed Service before the Christmas break?
Get in touch as soon as you can. We’ll be working right up until the days and times listed above.