4. IT & Data Management

(The "If Tech Fails, You Fail" List)

4.1 Hardware & Infrastructure

(Or: "How to keep your office from turning into a tech graveyard.")

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4.1.1 Laptops/Desktops

The Lifeline of Your Business

💡 Smart Purchasing Guide

Need Recommendation Budget (₹) Why It Matters

Founders/Devs MacBook Pro/Dell XPS 1.5-2.5L Security + longevity

Sales/Operations ThinkPad/HP Elite 50-80K Durability for travel

Interns/Temp Staff Refurbished ThinkPads 20-35K Cheap but functional

🔥 Horror Story:

A Mumbai startup bought 10 cheap "gaming laptops" for ₹45K each. Within 8 months:

• 7 had keyboard failures

• 3 motherboards fried

• Total loss: ₹6.3L (would've been cheaper to buy premium)

Maintenance Protocol:

✅ Bi-annual cleaning (dust kills performance)

✅ Battery replacement every 2 years

✅ Encryption mandatory (BitLocker/FileVault)

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4.1.2 Printers & Scanners

The Office Divas

Buy vs Lease Decision Matrix

Factor Buy (₹15-50K) Lease (₹1.5-5K/month)

Best For Long-term use Frequent upgrades

Maintenance Your headache Vendor's problem

Tax Benefit Depreciation Full expense deduction

Pro Tip:

• Always get AMCs - Printer repairs cost ₹3-8K per incident

• Network printers > USB printers (enables secure printing)

💀 Nightmare Scenario:

An accountant left tax returns in the printer tray overnight. The office cleaner sold them to a competitor.

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4.1.3 Wi-Fi & Networking

Your Digital Front Door

Security Must-Dos

1. Change default passwords (Most hacks exploit this)

2. Separate networks:

o Staff WiFi (Password changed quarterly)

o Guest WiFi (No internal access)

o IoT VLAN (For smart devices)

3. Firewall Rules: Block torrents/RDP ports

Access Control Levels:

Role Access Device Limit

Founders Full network + VPN 5 devices

Employees Business apps only 2 devices

Visitors Internet-only (throttled) 1 device

🔥 Bloodbath Case:

A Delhi startup used "password123" for their WiFi. Hackers:

• Stole client proposals

• Installed ransomware

• Demanded 2 Bitcoin to unlock files

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🛡️ IT Health Check

"How vulnerable are you?"

Component 😱 Time Bomb 🛠️ Basic 🛡️ Fort Knox

Devices 7-year-old laggards Standard issue Encrypted SSDs + theft tags

Printers USB-only dinosaurs Networked + AMC Secure print release

Network Open WiFi Basic password Enterprise firewall

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🚨 IT Emergency Response

"When tech goes rogue:"

Disaster First Aid Surgery

Ransomware Attack Disconnect from network Restore from offline backups

Printer Meltdown Buy time at nearby cyber café Negotiate 4-hour SLA in AMC

Wi-Fi Hack Change all passwords Implement MAC address filtering

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📌 Founder's IT Survival Kit

1. The 3-2-1 Backup Rule

o 3 copies (Live + Local backup + Cloud)

o 2 different mediums (HDD + NAS)

o 1 offsite (AWS/GDrive)

2. The Password Vault

o Use Bitwarden/1Password (Never reuse passwords)

3. The Tech Will

o Document all:

 Admin passwords

 Vendor contacts

 License keys

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🎯 Final Thought

"Your IT infrastructure is like your immune system - you only notice it when it fails, and by then it's already a crisis."