Anatomy of a Technology Body
In our modern technology-reliant world, there are some core tools and services that are used by nearly every organization, and many individuals as well. This is the foundation of what I call the Technology Body. It's composed of the tools used to support business administration and operations, as well as the technologies used to secure, support, and access those tools.
Need Support?
This is a great place to start when you are organizing your business technology, and you can contact Zeke Cato Enterprise for consulting, configuration, or ongoing services and support on any of these topics.
Domain Registration and DNS
Your domain name often serves as the basis for your organization's identity on the internet.
Web Hosting
Web Hosts vary widely in features, support quality and pricing. Choosing the one that's right for you and your organization is important.
Consider if you need something that's easy for you to manage, or if you will be hiring someone to manage it for you, what does your web manager prefer.
Password Management and Multi-Factor Authentication
You might have handfuls, dozens, scores, HUNDREDS of internet accounts and sensitive bits of data that you need to keep track of. And if you are following best practices, every password is unique and randomly generated. For that, you will need a password manager. Your password manager, over time, can also become a useful archive of accounts you forgot you even had!
For those accounts that require the best level of security, pair that with some kind of multifactor authentication (MFA). Depending on your use case, some of those MFA keys may be stored in a password manager that supports it.
Email and Identity Provider
Email and identity often go together. You use your email address to send, receive, and archive important information. And you use it to identify yourself when making accounts with various web service providers.
You might go with a local email provider, or combine email and identity services under one of the Big Two in productivity software — Microsoft or Google. Whatever you choose, you want to make sure this is set up properly and that you have the support you need when changes need to be made.
Other Communications Services
There is an abundance of ways to get your message to your intended audience.
- Chat Services (Slack, Teams, etc.)
- Video Conferencing (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.)
- Telephony (VOIP services)
- Email Marketing, newsletters, and transactional mail.
File Storage and Sharing
This might be on a local device or server, but increasingly this is in a cloud service with file sharing capabilities.
Local Network and Workstations
This is your computer, or fleet of computers, and the network devices that connect them to each other, and the wider internet.
Local Network Maintenance and Security
There are some considerations to be made for upkeep and security on your local network. Including:
- Endpoint Protection Software
- Software Patch Management
- Firewall and access point configuration and updates
Backup Systems
Computer systems fail. And I want you to have backups for when they do.
- Backups for Email and Cloud Storage
- Backups for your local files if needed.