Spring IT Health Check: What Our Assessments Reveal

April 10, 2025

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your office space – your IT infrastructure needs seasonal attention too. After 25 years of conducting comprehensive IT assessments, we’ve identified clear patterns in the issues that emerge during our spring health checks. Here’s what we typically find and why addressing these problems now can save you significant headaches later.

The Most Common Issues We Discover

1. Outdated Software Creating Security Vulnerabilities

What We Find: Nearly 70% of the businesses we assess are running outdated software with known security vulnerabilities. This includes everything from operating systems to business-critical applications.

Why It Matters: Cybercriminals actively target known vulnerabilities in outdated software. Each unpatched system is a potential entry point for ransomware, data theft, or system compromise.

Our Recommendation: We create a prioritized update schedule that addresses critical security patches first, followed by feature updates that can improve productivity.

2. Backup Systems That Haven’t Been Tested

What We Find: About 60% of businesses have backup systems in place, but only 30% have actually tested their ability to restore data from these backups.

The Reality Check: Having backups isn’t enough – you need to know they work when you need them. We regularly find corrupted backup files, incomplete backups, or systems that backup old data locations.

Our Testing Process:

  • Verify backup completion and integrity
  • Test data restoration procedures
  • Document recovery time estimates
  • Identify any gaps in backup coverage

3. Network Performance Issues Flying Under the Radar

What We Find: Many businesses have adapted to slow network speeds without realizing the impact on productivity. Network congestion, outdated equipment, and poor WiFi coverage are common culprits.

The Hidden Cost: Slow networks mean employees spend more time waiting for files to transfer, applications to load, and emails to sync. This “death by a thousand cuts” approach to productivity loss often goes unnoticed until we measure actual performance.

Our Assessment:

  • Network speed testing throughout your office
  • WiFi coverage mapping
  • Bandwidth utilization analysis
  • Equipment performance evaluation

4. Inadequate Cybersecurity Measures

What We Find: Despite increased awareness of cyber threats, many businesses still lack comprehensive cybersecurity protection. Common gaps include weak password policies, insufficient employee training, and missing security software.

Current Threat Landscape: Cyber attacks have increased 600% since the pandemic, with small businesses increasingly targeted. The average cost of a data breach for small businesses is now over £200,000.

Our Security Review:

  • Firewall configuration assessment
  • Anti-virus and anti-malware evaluation
  • Email security analysis
  • Employee cybersecurity awareness review
  • Multi-factor authentication implementation check

5. Aging Hardware Approaching End-of-Life

What We Find: Many businesses push their hardware well beyond recommended replacement cycles, leading to increased failure rates, security risks, and productivity issues.

The Replacement Reality:

  • Computers over 4 years old become significantly less reliable
  • Older equipment often can’t run current software efficiently
  • Repair costs for aging equipment often exceed replacement costs
  • End-of-support hardware creates security vulnerabilities

The Benefits of Proactive Assessment

Prevent Costly Emergencies

Issues identified during health checks can be addressed during planned maintenance windows, avoiding emergency call-out fees and business disruption.

Improve Performance and Productivity

Addressing network bottlenecks, updating software, and optimizing systems can significantly improve daily operations.

Enhance Security Posture

Regular assessments help identify and close security gaps before they can be exploited.

Plan for Future Growth

Understanding your current infrastructure helps plan for expansion, new software implementations, or office relocations.

Budget Predictability

Knowing what needs attention allows for better IT budget planning and prevents surprise expenses.

What Our Spring Health Check Includes

Comprehensive System Review:

  • All servers, workstations, and network equipment
  • Software licensing and update status
  • Security configuration and policies
  • Backup and disaster recovery testing
  • Network performance and coverage analysis

Detailed Reporting:

  • Priority-ranked list of issues and recommendations
  • Cost estimates for suggested improvements
  • Timeline for addressing critical items
  • Long-term IT strategy recommendations

Follow-Up Support:

  • Implementation assistance for recommended changes
  • Ongoing monitoring and maintenance options
  • Regular check-ins to ensure optimal performance

Special Spring Offer

This spring, we’re offering comprehensive IT health checks at a special rate for new clients. Our assessment includes everything mentioned above, plus a detailed written report and one-hour consultation to discuss findings and recommendations.

What’s Included:

  • Full infrastructure assessment
  • Security vulnerability scan
  • Performance optimization recommendations
  • Detailed written report
  • One-hour consultation
  • 30-day follow-up support

Ready to Give Your IT Systems a Spring Clean?

Don’t wait for problems to find you. Our spring IT health checks have helped hundreds of businesses improve their technology infrastructure, enhance security, and prevent costly downtime.

Contact us today at +44 (0)1746 325326 or hello@sedd.co.uk to schedule your assessment. Your IT systems work hard for you – make sure they’re ready for the busy months ahead.