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Losing your I.T. administrator isn’t a matter of if…it’s when. Here’s how to make sure your business keeps running when it happens.
If your I.T. administrator quit tomorrow, could your business still function?
Most SMBs rely on a single technical expert who keeps everything running. Often, for cost reasons. To put things into perspective, the median annual salary of a network and system administrator is $96,800, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
That means hiring just one of these pros leaves SMBs little else to devote to expanding the “I.T. department,” given budget constraints. It’s totally understandable.
But here’s the problem with the single I.T. guy approach: When that person suddenly leaves or becomes unavailable (permanently or temporarily), there’s no one else to take his place.
As an SMB owner, you know firsthand how stressful and time-consuming finding the “absolute right person for the job” can be.
Workable, a software platform that helps businesses source and onboard new employees, estimates it takes at least 30 days to fill an I.T. role.
That’s tough enough.
The bigger problem, however, occurs when the previous tech guy holds all the institutional knowledge, and there’s no succession planning before their departure.
Imagine what such a scenario could mean for your business. Could you afford it?
Every company needs an I.T. continuity plan, not dependence on a single person. And today, it’s easier than ever with the help of a reliable managed service provider.
Here’s all you need to know.
What’s my action item? Audit your current I.T. access. How many systems rely on one individual for credentials or updates?
Why Losing Your I.T. Admin Is a Business Continuity Threat
Make no mistake. I.T. isn’t just a department. It’s your business’s operational backbone.
Everything from your data to network securityy depends on it.
Without solid I.T. continuity planning, an I.T. administrator’s loss can be catastrophic.
Imagine:
- Getting locked out of your systems because no one knows the previous admin’s passwords or credentials.
- Stalled infrastructure projects due to a lack of documentation.
- Or, losing critical data because you have no clue where backups are, or how to access them.
It would be nerve-racking, to say the least.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to come to that.
Here’s how to stay proactive.
What’s my action item? Ask yourself: If your I.T. lead disappeared for a week, could anyone else manage a security patch or restore a backup?
Step #1: Document Everything (No Exceptions)
Documentation is the single most effective protection against single-person dependency.
Create and maintain a record of the following:
- Administrative passwords (store these securely).
- Backup locations and procedures.
- Software license keys and access credentials.
- Hardware inventory and network maps.
- Incident response protocols.
With that, you will considerably protect your business against the downsides of I.T. administrator loss. But it’s just the first step.
What’s my action item? Store all credentials in an encrypted password vault accessible by at least two authorized leaders.
Step #2: Build an Immediate Access-Removal Protocol
Does your current setup allow you to promptly revoke access following an I.T. administrator loss?
When an admin leaves (voluntarily or otherwise), you must be able to.
Why?
If they left disgruntled, they could intentionally misuse the unretired access for financial gain, revenge, or both.
As terrifying as it is to think that someone you trust today could become a malicious insider in the future, such a scenario is not outside the realm of possibilities.
For instance: At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christopher Dobbins was fired from his role as vice president of a medical packaging company.
Just weeks later, the disgruntled Mr. Dobbins, who had access to admin credentials, created a second fake account and used it to delete 2,371 records and edit 115,581 records. As a result, many personal protective shipments to healthcare facilities were either delayed or halted.
Even if you part ways on good terms, your former employee could still get hacked or mishandle unrevoked credentials, leaving your business’s digital keys out in the wild.
Here’s how to stay protected when your I.T. guy leaves:
- Reset all passwords with administrative privileges.
- Disable remote access accounts.
- Remove phone or email forwarding.
- Review VPN and MFA access logs.
What’s my action item? Draft and test a “departure protocol” checklist with HR and your I.T. team before you need it.
Step #3: Ensure Your Data Backup Plan Is Independent
What’s next? Your data backups.
An I.T. administrator loss shouldn’t mean losing your ability to restore data.
Do you know:
- Your backup frequency and retention policies?
- Whether data is stored on-premises, in the cloud, or using a hybrid solution?
- How quickly can it be recovered?
- Who has access?
Establish and test your data backup strategy and ensure you, as well as someone else (other than your I.T. guy), understand it.
What’s my action item? Verify quarterly that at least two people can perform a full data restore using your current backup system.
Step #4: Stay Involved in I.T. Operations
Don’t be in the dark about matters I.T.
You don’t have to know the technical details, but ensure you understand the direction your technology is taking.
Schedule quarterly I.T. strategy meetings to review:
- Current projects and timelines.
- System performance reports.
- Upcoming budget or compliance needs.
This way, I.T. administrator loss doesn’t leave you clueless. Plus, staying involved allows you to keep business and I.T. aligned.
What’s my action item? Require quarterly I.T. status reports summarizing issues, project progress, and infrastructure health metrics.
Step #5: Partner with a Managed Service Provider (MSP)
Lastly, if you want to take insurance against I.T. administrator loss to the next level, partner with a reliable managed service provider.
A managed service provider supplements your internal I.T. with a team that provides:
- 24/7 monitoring and remote support.
- Redundant system knowledge to eliminate single points of failure.
- Scalable I.T. continuity and documentation management.
That way, you’re completely covered against I.T. administrator loss.
What’s my action item? Engage an MSP like Attentus to build redundancy into your support model before an unexpected turnover happens.
Stop Relying on “One Person I.T.”
SMBs risk costly downtime, data loss, and compliance issues when one individual holds all institutional knowledge.
Yet, this is the current predicament of many. Luckily, it can be mitigated through a partnership with a managed service provider.
At Attentus, we “own the problem,” ensuring that none of our clients’ success depends on one person’s availability. We can help you build an I.T. continuity plan that protects your systems and peace of mind, too.
Ready to safeguard your business from I.T. disruption?
Start with a continuity audit to review who has access to your network and ensure those keys aren’t in a single set of hands.
Book Your Continuity Review today.