Monthly Archives: November 2018

Cyber Security

What is Cybersecurity and Why it Matters

Over the last several years, we have heard about high-profile cyber attacks and data breaches. However, large companies are not the only ones subject to such attacks. Small to medium businesses are at risk as well, and may not have the resources to overcome a data breach. According to Forbes, the question is not if a cyber attack will occur, but when. Read on to learn what comprises cybersecurity and why it is so important.

What is Cybersecurity?

The definition of cybersecurity is “the protection of Internet-connected systems–including hardware, software, and data–from cyber attacks.” It can be thought of as a constellation of equipment and practices designed to keep a company’s data and infrastructure safe from natural and man-made hazards. On the technical side, protections include operating system patches and current anti-virus and anti-malware definitions. Data encryption is another key protection, both on-premise and in the cloud. On the human side, employees need to learn how to protect the company’s data by recognizing attempts by hackers to get into the company’s systems. Phishing schemes are one such way cybercriminals attempt to steal passwords and other data. If an attack happens, employees need to be trained in how to report and escalate it. All of these aspects can make a difference in keeping your business, in business.

The Importance of Cybersecurity

With cybercriminals becoming ever more sophisticated, and technological innovations such as the Internet of Things developing quickly, there are more points at which a business’s systems and data can be threatened. And what does this mean for your company? If a data breach occurs, customer data can be stolen or lost, especially sensitive information. In this case, the business can lose clients’ trust and, in strictly regulated industries, be subject to steep fines. If nothing else, an outage can result in lost revenue and employee downtime. Natural disasters such as fires and storms can also put business continuity at risk. Of businesses suffering a disaster, many are out of business within two years.

Protection from cyber attacks is well worth the time and money. If you are unsure about your business’ protections, contact your technology advisor today.

Consider Infrastructure as a Service in Budget Planning

It’s about time for businesses to be setting up their 2019 budget and deciding what their IT expenditure will be. According to Forbes, a significant portion of IT budgets will be committed to the cloud. But what option will your business choose? Public, private, or hybrid cloud? And what services are best for your business? IaaS is a popular choice; read on to learn more about this option and its benefits.

Infrastructure as a Service and its Benefits

Infrastructure as a service is a class of cloud computing wherein the consumer can provision fundamental computing resources over the Internet without having to manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure. They reap the benefits of cloud computing–broad-based networking access, rapid elasticity, scalability, and on-demand access–without having to manage and update on-site infrastructure. The consumer enjoys cost-saving benefits because the utility-based pricing allows them to use as much or as little of the computing resources as needed.

CAPEX vs. OPEX

With Infrastructure as a Services (IaaS) and the Cloud Computing Model, the capital expense of managing and controlling on-site infrastructure is converted to an operating expense. According to COMPTIA, IaaS has technical, operational and even competitive benefits for small and medium-sized businesses. But how do you know if IaaS is right for your business?

Is IaaS Right for Your Business?

This particular class of cloud computing may be just right for your business, and a good first step is assessing which of your business needs that IaaS can satisfy. If your business is small and has a limited IT budget, you pay based on what resources you use. With the infrastructure under the control of the provider, there is no need to pay for on-site equipment. If your company is trying new or experimental technical initiatives, you can provision access to computing resources as needed. Even with all these benefits, cybersecurity is still very much a consideration. Within IaaS, you would still need to decide if a public or private cloud environment is best for your business. For example, private cloud might be best if your business is subject to industry regulations such as HIPAA.

Infrastructure as a Service provides many benefits. If you need help determining whether it is the right class of cloud computing for your business, contact your technology advisor today.