How often do you think companies should refresh computer hardware when talking about this from a security standpoint? Well, before we get into that, you should be aware that most companies do not carry out this sort of task anywhere near as often as they should.
People Treat Computer Hardware Like Their Vehicle
Part of the problem is that people have a tendency to treat their computer hardware like their vehicle. All they do is put in some gas, and they never check anything. Then, their vehicle suddenly breaks down, and it’s all because it was sort of neglected for some time.
Computer hardware is viewed in the same way. Companies buy it, install it, and then forget about it until something goes wrong.
But, your hardware is not your vehicle. Things can go wrong, but we are going to look at it purely from a security angle.
Computer Hardware Develops Problems
Have you ever noticed how often your cellphone says it has to update things? While this can be related to major upgrades, it will mainly be due to patches being created that will counteract some issue that has been noticed after release.
Of course, we are talking about hardware here, so things are slightly different. So, think about it from this perspective.
If you purchase a piece of hardware, and the warranty lasts for five years, then you can be pretty sure that the hardware will be good for that length of time. However, if you cannot get a warranty for after those five years, then that tells you something.
At that point, the hardware may very well still work, but it will often prove to be far more problematic. After all, if that wasn’t the case, then the manufacturer would have the confidence to offer a longer warranty.
The Warranty is Important
This issue of the warranty is more important than most people realize. In fact, the warranty you are offered when buying computer hardware should then act as a guide for determining how often you then need to refresh the hardware itself.
Now, we aren’t saying that the item is going to blow up and expire as soon as the warranty has come to an end, but like we said earlier, the chances of something going wrong will increase. Do you want to run the risk of never knowing when something major could go wrong? Could your company cope with the fallout that would then happen if your hardware simply gave in?
From a security standpoint, you want everything to run smoothly. You don’t want to worry about old hardware with flaws or anything being outdated. That is just asking for trouble.
Keep in mind that malware can affect hardware. The number of attacks on IoT devices continues to climb as more and more items are connected to the Internet.
But what do you do if you struggle to deal with the costs associated with refreshing your computer hardware? Well, there is one answer, and that answer is to rent it.
By renting your hardware, it means the service provider is the one that has to deal with the very idea of keeping the hardware up to date. That stress is no longer on your shoulders. This can be huge, and then there’s the fact that you are only faced with a smaller monthly payment to deal with instead of laying out a large sum of money at the one time.
Basically, what we are saying is that you need to refresh computer hardware to keep your business running smoothly. Don’t treat it like your vehicle and then wonder how you are going to cope when everything blows up. Take action to prevent that from happening in the first place, and you will be glad that you did.
Contact The Purple Guys today for stress-free IT support.