Getting to Know Your IT Admin

IT admins play a vital role in the day-to-day running of a business. However, because IT admins work behind the scenes, you may not realize everything they do to make your job easier. From keeping software up to date to protecting the company from cyber threats, IT admins often juggle many responsibilities while also fixing tech problems for company users every day.  With the third week of Cyber Security Awareness Month underway, here's what you need to know about IT admins, how they use LastPass, and how you can help them better protect your company. A day in the life of an IT admin An IT admin's day is a constant balance between the urgent and the important. They’ll first check email and company chat to see if any new and critical issues have cropped up. They'll also review the to-do's for the long-term IT projects in the works - whether maintenance, upgrades, or rollouts of new hardware and software. But there are inevitably fire drills, sometimes multiple times a day. Unexpected tasks can include anything from a senior executive having trouble with a login to a DDOS attack taking the company's website offline.  As the day unfolds, IT admins prioritize any urgent issues alongside their meetings and longer-term priorities. An organized, efficient, and proactive IT team that leverages technology with centralized administration and proactive alerts can more easily stay ahead of issues before they become significant problems.  For example, software like LastPass Business enables admins to put safeguards in place to protect company accounts, standardize company password policies, and significantly reduce helpdesk tickets from password and login issues. Centralized password management saves IT time and reduces employee issues that suck up valuable IT resources. Inevitably, the end of the day comes too soon. Time-sensitive tasks often can't wait until the next day, meaning late nights for IT admins. Plus, routine system maintenance frequently requires overnight installs when the IT team can minimize disruption to employees and customers.   But an IT admin’s day is never really done. As Alan Quinteros, an IT Support Specialist at LogMeIn, jokes, “what if something breaks while I’m asleep?”  An IT admin's top priorities For Heidy Castaneda, Senior IT Service Desk Engineer at LogMeIn, her top priority is “understanding our employees’ technical needs and aligning solutions that improve their efficiency and technical knowledge. If a colleague is locked out of their computer or their computer crashes, I want them to feel confident so they can get back on their feet with minimal down time.” While every company is different and the particulars of an IT admin's role can vary, other priorities include: 

• Keeping the company's hardware and software running smoothly
• Protecting the company from threats, internal and external
• Becoming a subject matter expert on the use and administration of the company's tech

• Working with tech vendors to maintain and upgrade systems
• Researching and implementing new tech
• Monitoring general trends in their specific industry and IT at-large

In summary, an IT admin has a lot on their plate. They juggle the tech needs of everyone in the organization while also determining what most needs their attention on any given day. For Quinteros, time management is imperative to ensure he can “handle every single incident and request with the utmost care.” Senior IT admins may need to delegate specific tasks to help desk admins, which helps balance the daily workload. When delegating tasks, however, IT admins must ensure the proper permissions are given with the appropriate level of access to do those tasks. That also means understanding and using advanced features, so admins can get the most out of the technology and save themselves as much time as possible. How to be a partner to your IT admin IT admins love helping employees and will happily explain how something works or why they do something a certain way. A culture of transparency is important to Castaneda: “Creating an environment where people can openly discuss password hygiene and security protocols can help us stay on top of our game.”  Here are a few ways you can make their jobs easier and show that you appreciate all that they do:

• Complete required cyber security and tech training on time
• Be as detailed as possible when reporting a tech issue
• Use company-approved technology and devices
• Report any suspicious activity, like phishing or unrequested login links

• Learn about and implement good password security habits and two-factor authentication
• Be patient and remember that IT admins are human, too!

An IT admin's job can certainly be demanding and stressful. Unfortunately, they often hear more about what's wrong than about what's going well. Make it a priority to be more cyber aware and follow your IT admin's recommendations, including using a password manager if your company makes one available. (And if they don't, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect time to bring it up!) You'll not only make their job easier, but you'll also be helping your company be more secure and more productive. It's a win-win for everyone!