Audit time again!
How fast the year went by! And, yet again, it is
time for my yearly reminder to do an audit of
your software licenses, backup procedures, and
theft-prevention practices.
Software licenses: Do you have the correct
number of Autodesk software licenses for the
number of systems on which the software is
loaded? Now is a good time to confirm that all
of your systems are fully legit. The potential
professional and criminal penalties are simply
too costly to not be 100% in compliance with
license agreements. Autodesk’s lawyers will
demand 1.5 times the suggested retail price of
any software licenses you have neglected to buy
– that’s over $7500 per AutoCAD license!
Backup procedures: Ask yourself this: “If I
come in tomorrow and my hard drive has
crashed or my computer is stolen, will I be able
to work with the data I created today?” If the
answer is ‘no’ to this question, examine your
data backup procedures. Ideally, you should
have at least two copies of any important data.
Computer, software and data theft: At least
twice a year, we get a call from a client who has
just had all of their computers stolen. Make sure
your computers are secured to desks, and you
have a good alarm system! Also, make sure
your software license information is recorded
and your CDs are stored under lock and key. It
is amazing how quickly they can walk away!
Finally, double check that any people who have
left the company don’t have access to your
email system or network from outside – often
your data is worth much more than the computer
equipment on which it is stored, and it could be
very damaging if it fell into the wrong hands.
While your workplace is quiet over the holidays
is the perfect time to do your internal audit and
protect your company’s assets!