Do you need a CIO in your business?

Adding a CIO to your business can be a great way to take control of your technology and keep your business safe from data breaches. Fortunately, there are plenty of outsourced CIO services available that can help to keep your information protected, and to ensure your business has the right policies and procedures in place. In addition, you don't always need to hire a direct employee as a CIO.

Please continue reading to learn everything you need about a CIO and business and whether it would benefit you. In addition, we will discuss the difference between a CIO and a CEO and their roles.

Differences Between CIO and CEO

Despite the name similarities, a CIO and a CEO are entirely different jobs within a business. However, both jobs are important to keep the business afloat and business information as safe as possible. The following are the roles that each person plays in a business so you can understand the difference between a CIO and CEO.

CIO Roles

CIO stands for Chief Information Officer, and it handles the technological aspect of your business. A CIO will relay information about your technology to the CEO and oversee the IT team.

• Handles IT employees
• Manages data
• Keeps track of business goals
• Updates technology
• Handles data security issues
• Relays important information to the CEO
• In charge of Cybersecurity policies

Having a CIO in your company is the best way to keep your business cyber safe.

CEO Roles

A CEO is a person in charge of the entire company. This person oversees all of the little details and hires people under them to manage aspects of the business. The following are roles a CEO needs to perform in a business.

• Set goals for the business
• Handles larger-scale problems
• Hires and fires employees
• Makes major business decisions
• Expands business

A CEO is a person at the top whom the CIO needs to report whenever anything goes wrong with technology. For example, when a company experiences a data breach, the CEO needs to get involved in handling the situation. The CIO and CEO of the business can work out a resolution together to manage this difficult task.

What are vCIO Services?

Hiring an employee to overlook your IT team can be expensive, and only some businesses can afford this option. Fortunately, you can use Powernet to hire a virtual CIO (vCIO) to manage your technology. This method is a fantastic way to save money while taking care of your business technology. The following are the benefits of using vCIO services through Powernet.

• Helps businesses create and manage their IT budget.
• Create and monitor IT policies and processes
• Manage recovery from a data breach
• Create and implement mitigation strategies for cyber breaches
• vCIO services through Powernet are more affordable than hiring a CIO on staff.

Using vCIO services is a great way to manage your business IT operations affordably. It's best to ensure that someone oversees the technical operations of your business to protect your company from malicious software and cyber criminals.

Adopting your CIO to Microsoft 365

For many of our clients, our vCIO's recommend utilising Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure. The following are the benefits of adopting Microsoft 365.

• Microsoft 365 makes it easier for your employees to collaborate.
• Most vCIO services recommend Microsoft 365 for better data encryption.
• Adopting your software to Microsoft 365 is a great way to save money on other services through your business.
• Microsoft 365 automatically updates when you connect to the internet to enhance your security.

There is a reason that most businesses use Microsoft 365 to manage their tasks. This platform is reliable and easily streamlines information.

Benefits of using CIO in Business

Adding a CIO to your business is a great way to make your technology efficient and safe. Your vCIO will recommend changes to your policies and how you currently run technology to ensure you're running at it's best.

Lower Your Financial Risks

Using vCIO services through Powernet can reduce your financial risk by minimising your chances of a data breach and in turn, going through a recovery process and potential legal ramifications. For example, data breaches are a common issue for large and small companies that can compromise customers’ important personal information.

When you have people on your team familiar with technology, you can worry less about phishing scams and malware. Cybercriminals use these methods to access your business bank accounts and steal money.

Keep Your Data Secure

Your business has tons of personal information at stake. This information includes but isn’t limited t the following:

• Identification cards
• Banking information
• Credit cards
• Addresses
• Employment information

People can access this information through data breaches if you don’t have a CIO or use CIO services for your business. Cybercriminals rely on people scrolling through emails and websites and clicking links to access sensitive data.

Keep Your Business Consistent

When you use a CIO in your business, you help keep technology as streamlined as possible. This makes it easier for your employees to exchange documents, information, and other important things within your business. Keeping your business consistent can help you keep your business cyber-safe, manage files and maintain a positive reputation.

Streamline Your Corporate Needs

A CIO will streamline your corporate needs and make them easier for you to manage. These needs can include hiring, inventory, and data management. If you don't have a CIO for your company, it can be difficult to manage your IT operation and keep things together. The more streamlined your information is, the easier it is to manage when things happen.

Despite the advancements in technology, tech still isn't perfect and it's always changing. You need a person to manage your technology and ensure nothing goes wrong with your business.

Final Thoughts

Contracting a vCIO to your business is the best way to manage your data and technology. Keeping customer and employee data safe is an important part of managing an efficient business that people trust. You can use vCIO services through Powernet to optimise your business and keep it afloat for an affordable price.