Tag Archives: Online Backup

Cloud Migration

Cloud Adoption and Software as a Service (SaaS)

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Most businesses today have adopted some form of  Cloud Computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) to run their business. According to a recent article by Forrester Research,“SaaS Improves Business Results Due To Greater Innovation and Agility — And Is Increasingly The Foundation for Business Opportunities.” Rather than investing up front in costly infrastructure, implementation and configuration, Cloud Computing using Software as a Service provides an economical and turnkey approach to access the latest technology at an affordable price. Here are some examples.

Cloud Computing to Improve the Customer Experience

Call Center, Chat, Unified Communications, VoiP and other customer-facing technologies can be rapidly deployed within your business using the SaaS model. Cloud Computing provides flexible deployment options based on your needs and an economical subscription approach instead of an upfront Capital Expense (CAPEX). Make sure your network and infrastructure is ready to handle the additional load that comes with increased Voice and Data traffic associated with these solutions.

Cloud Backup to Protect Your Business

Another popular use of Cloud Technology is for data protection in the form of Cloud Backup. Using Cloud Backup rather than antiquated tape or on-premise storage gives added protection and rapid recovery when things go wrong. What’s more, many Cloud suppliers of SaaS solutions include backup capability within their application so you won’t need to worry about business disruption in the case of a failure.

Hosted Business Applications

There is an ever-widening range of business applications including CRM, Accounting, HR, Email and more. You may be using these SaaS applications in your business and taking advantage of working anywhere and on any device (mobile, tablet and/or desktop). In many cases the subscription policies associated with these applications are flexible. Because you will rely on these systems for productivity, you will need to ensure you have reliable broadband network access to avoid loss of productivity due to slow connections.

If you are considering deploying more Cloud Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technologies in your business, contact your technology service provider and ask about a Cloud Readiness Assessment of your business today!

What’s Your Cloud Budget?

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Most companies rely on Cloud Computing for their business. Popular Software as a Service (SaaS) applications including Voice over IP (VoIP), Hosted Email, Sales Force Automation (SFA), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can all be rapidly deployed by a technology Advisor. In fact, a recent survey by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) confirms 80% of companies adopted some sort of Cloud solution for their business. Proper planning allows companies to get the most from their technology investment; so what’s your Cloud Budget?

What do Companies Spend on Software as a Service?

Leading technology research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) suggests nearly one dollar out of of every six is spent on packaged software; one dollar out of every five dollars is spent on applications that will be consumed via the SaaS model, a popular paradigm for Cloud Computing. This information could be useful in planning your technology budgets to see if your Cloud budget is in line with industry spending trends.

Infrastructure as a Service

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), including Cloud Backup, website hosting and other application hosting services, are also available as Cloud Services. Industry research firm Gartner predicts the highest growth will come from Cloud system infrastructure services (IaaS) which is expected to grow by 36.8% in 2017. Companies turn to IaaS as a way to stay nimble and to fix technology spending. The Cloud Service model is utility based, only charging you for what you consume. What’s more, Cloud Computing may be considered an Operating Expense (OPEX) rather than a Capital Expense (CAPEX) because there is minimal upfront investment in equipment and contracting terms are flexible.

Preparing Your Cloud Budget

To prepare your Cloud Budget, consider a number of factors including strategic growth initiatives and cost savings programs where technology can easily be deployed to improve business agility and employee productivity. Also look at your existing expenses to see if they match industry trends. For help preparing your Cloud budget, contact your technology advisor for an assessment to help migrate your business to the Cloud.

How to Avoid Being a Ransomware Hostage

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RansomwareRansomware, spyware, phishing schemes, and other Cyber attacks are commonplace in today’s world of technology. According to a recent article in Forbes, ransomware attacks grew at an accelerated pace in 2016 with reports of 638 million attacks, almost 200 times more than the number of ransomware attacks in 2015. Most experts agree that Ransomware attacks will continue to occur–so what can you do to avoid being a ransomware hostage?

Not All Ransomware is Created Equal

Before you panic, find out what type of Ransomware you are up against. Scareware is a type of Ransomware that tricks you into thinking you have a bigger problem. A simple scan may quickly remove the pop from your browser cache and get you back on your way. Some ransomware is truly nasty — your entire system may be encrypted, meaning you will need to wipe your system and start over if you have a good backup. Otherwise, you may find yourself hostage to the cybercriminals to unlock your data.

An Ounce of Protection is Worth a Pound of Ransom

Data protection is an important element in minimizing the impact of Ransomware. Make sure your network security is fully compliant. Backup your data, update your antivirus definitions and make sure your security patches are up to date. Consider using Cloud Backup, Security as a Service, and Managed IT services to keep your network up to date. Having a strong offense to avoid ransomware is your best defense.

Don’t Forget the Human Element

Train your employees on a regular basis on the importance of staying vigilant against Cyberattacks and how to avoid being a hostage. There are many resources to get training for your team. Periodic updates about threats and security procedures serve as a reminder to your employees to ensure they adhere to best practices.

If you need security training or are interested in a review of your network, security vulnerability, or other technology infrastructure, contact your Technology Advisor today.

Reducing Business Risk with Backup and Disaster Recovery

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Business ContinuityDoes your business have a backup and disaster recovery plan? Businesses of any size should know which applications–and their associated data–they rely on and what the cost of interruption would be in the event of an unintended disruption. Cyber Threat, natural disasters, and systems failures may impact your business; however, human error is said to be the top cause of data breach (58%), ahead of technology errors. To avoid unnecessary downtime, here are some questions to ask to help assess your backup and disaster recovery plans.

Assess the Risks of Data Loss and System Downtime

With Backup and Disaster Recovery there is always a balance between cost and risk. To allocate your technology spending, it is important to focus on your areas of exposure. Maybe your business relies heavily on an order-processing and invoicing system, or perhaps a manufacturing and inventory control system. If these systems go down you may lose revenue and productivity from employee idle time.  

You may also have intellectual property that is important to your business. What would be the consequence if this data was lost and could not be recovered? You may also have compliance exposure, if you suffered a breach of privacy or other data that should be encrypted was exposed. Assessing your risks and ranking the exposure is an important step to evaluate your backup and disaster recovery plan priorities.

Not all Backup Plans are Alike

For systems you rely on heavily, you may consider having an offsite failover system in the event of a data loss. This can minimize your downtime by enabling you to rapidly cut over to a live system running in parallel to your production environment. Having daily (or even hourly) backups of these systems will minimize downtime for your mission-critical applications and their data.

Other information, including files and other productivity applications, may not need such rapid recovery. Many File Sync and Share applications also provide real-time recovery using Cloud Backup technologies. For productivity applications, this may provide a cost-effective way for you to keep your team productive in the event of a data loss. Some data that may not reside in the cloud, however, needs weekly backup. This regular backup would allow the information to be recovered on an as-needed basis, ensuring continuity in a cost-effective manner.

Testing your Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

Periodic testing of your backup and disaster recovery plan is suggested to ensure things are working, in order to minimize downtime and related business disruption. Size of data, network capacity, and other variables could extend your backup window beyond your time requirements. In addition, data may get corrupted during the backup process. So it is important to verify and test your backups to provide confidence in your ability to recover from a disaster.

Every business is different and will have different disaster recovery needs. To ensure that your backup and disaster recovery plan meets your needs, contact your technology advisor for an assessment.

Is Your Network Ready for Cloud Backup?

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Cloud BackupRansomware, Privacy Breach, Compliance requirements and Business Continuity make the case to protect your company’s data. Cloud backup and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaas) require reliable network access to ensure your IT assets are backed up and available for rapid recovery. Today’s networks also support a range of applications including Hosted Email, SaaS, VDI, VoIP and Call Center Solutions. Your network needs to be in top shape to accommodate these demands. Here are some tips to determine if your network is ready for Cloud Backup.

Assess Your Network for Cloud Backup Readiness

When adding Cloud Backup, it is important to understand possible points of failure on your network before they happen. Consider starting with a Network Assessment to stress your network in a controlled environment, in order to determine your backup window. Database and file information on a regular backup schedule may impact your network performance if not properly optimized. Make sure your initial backup and incremental backups run smoothly by simulating peak loads for voice and data on your network. In addition, test your backup and recovery scenarios to identify weaknesses in a controlled environment. Proactive network monitoring can identify potential packet loss and latency that can impact connection speed and uptime. This testing is critical to avoid failed backup and recovery.  

Proactively Monitor Your Network for Security and Compliance

In addition to network usage, Malware and other unauthorized network access can slow your network performance and disrupt your backup and recovery. Your backup may fail when you need it most. Worse, remediating malware during a recovery scenario may delay your ability to bring critical systems back online when restoring from a Cloud-Based Backup. Making sure your network is secure and in compliance may avoid unnecessary downtime.

Cost Effective Network Performance

Technological innovation consistently drives down costs to make systems more efficient. Software Defined (SD) solutions for Wide Area Network and Storage create affordable options to provide secure and reliable Network and Cloud Backup solutions. Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) provides centralized management and policy-based enforcement, making it faster to deploy and easier to manage networks across multiple remote sites. This helps ensure all your locations are ready for Cloud Backup.
Your network is the backbone of your systems infrastructure. If you are unsure if your Network is ready for Cloud Backup, contact your technology advisor today to find out more.

Cybersecurity is Everybody’s Business

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Cyber SecurityIt is no surprise, technology flattens the world for many businesses. What’s more, nearly every business sector finds it necessary to collect, maintain, analyze, and monetize user data. Many think Cybersecurity risks only apply to highly regulated industries, such as legal, healthcare and financial services.

Cybersecurity Risks Go Beyond Borders

Factors outside industry, including geographic considerations and sensitive consumer data, can create cybersecurity risks that need to be managed. These factors run the gamut of domestic and international laws, regulatory bodies, and private-party business agreements. Cybersecurity compliance can touch every business to some degree.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Cybersecurity

Adding to the list of concerns are non-traditional technologies entering your businesses network. IP-enabled technology called Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly being adopted in the workplace.  The Cybersecurity threat is moving beyond desktops, laptops and services. A new generation of mobile devices–Point of Sale (POS), IP video surveillance, embedded sensors, VoIP, and others–is just the first wave of emerging technologies that need to be secured.

How to Minimize Cybersecurity Risks

There are many things a business can do to reduce Cybersecurity threats. According to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the following elements are the building blocks for a cybersecurity program:

  • Documented policies, procedures & standards

  • Asset management

  • Identity & access controls

  • Risk management

  • Vendor management

  • Physical & environmental security

  • Compliance

  • Privacy

  • Remote access

  • Data backups

  • Data destruction

Cybersecurity threats are a reality of today’s world. The risks of data compromise and/or loss can cost more than dollars; such risks can cost your reputation. Your business is only as secure as your Network. If you have questions about your business needs, ask your technology advisor about how to manage Cybersecurity threats to your business.

Can You Afford a Data Loss?

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Business ContinuityAccording to the technology industry research firm Gartner Group, ninety percent of companies that experience data loss go out of business within two years. Countless studies indicate the longer the downtime, the greater the risk. More and more businesses are turning to Cloud Backup and collation to ensure their critical data is protected. But how long will it take to restore that data when a disaster strikes? Here are some points to consider to minimize the risk of downtime.

Identify Critical Data

If you are an online business or rely on retail systems to keep your registers ringing, you could easily calculate the hourly loss due to system downtime. Similarly, manufacturers, distributors, healthcare organizations, and financial services firms all rely on mission-critical systems to keep employees productive and customers happy. How long could your business survive without email? More than likely, not very long. While more difficult to quantify, communications and collaborations are mainstays to employee productivity and interactivity. In addition to direct financial impact, consider the public relations consequence related to data loss.

Other files and productivity applications are also important to ongoing operations. However, there is a cost to rapid recovery. Understanding the tradeoffs between costs and how much time it takes to recover will help you balance the risks with the financial constraints.

Bullet Proof Your Network

Your network is a critical component for data backup and recovery. Some systems may have a backup window of several hours. A high-performance network can reduce the time it takes for backup and recovery. What’s more, an optimized network has less chance of downtime and connection loss. A flaky connection may reduce the integrity of your backup and impede progress during data recovery.

By monitoring your network you can identify performance bottlenecks, bandwidth constraints, and poorly performing hardware. Keeping your network up to date also reduces unforeseen risks from intrusion that can also impact your recovery time.

Test Your Backups Periodically

Data loss can occur for a variety of reasons. Unprotected systems may be stolen or become corrupted from Malware. Natural disasters including fire, earthquake, tornados, cyclones, and hurricanes may make data unavailable. Your data may fall victim to human error or hardware failure. Regardless of the reason, recovering from a data loss isn’t something any business wants to face.

Backup is really about recovery. Testing your backup provides a number of benefits. Missing files or systems components could cause delays during the recovery process. Data corruption may occur, leaving your backup useless. Network failure during backup may also add to the time it takes for your business to fully recover. By periodically testing your backup you can identify these issues before they occur and avoid common pitfalls associated with disaster recovery scenarios.

If you feel you cannot afford a data loss, research indicates you are not alone. Take the time to consult your technology advisor to minimize business risks from losing your critical data.

What is Ransomware and How to Protect Against It

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RansomwareRansomware is a type of malware designed to block access to your computer until a sum of money is paid. Ransomware issues have impacted many individuals with home computers; however, it is only a matter of time before this malicious software attacks business. Starting with Cryptolocker in 2013, Ransomware exploits have become increasing sophisticated and have cost individual companies thousands of dollars in ransom.

Here are some tips to take to help your business avoid being held captive by Ransomware.

Backup to the Cloud to Recover from a Ransomware Attack.

An inadequate backup strategy without real-time backups or offsite backup could hamper your ability to recover from a Ransomware attack. Being able to recover data from your Cloud Backup could get your systems up and running in a hurry, avoiding the need to pay ransom.

Keep Your IT Assets Up to Date and in Compliance

If your systems get behind in operating system and applications patches and updates, you may create a security hole that can be compromised by Ransomware. Many managed security and managed service offerings include proactive management and delivery of these important updates so your network will not be held hostage by ransomware.

Training Your Employees to Detect and Report Ransomware

Your employees are your front line of defense when it comes to your systems security. Make sure your employees know how to identify a phishing email and understand the risks of opening documents and attachments (including unfamiliar file extensions or .exe file formats) from unauthorized sources. Ensure your employees understand what Ransomware is and how it can impact your company’s productivity and drain financial resources. Make sure employees are clear on procedures to quickly report any security breach to avoid widespread distribution of a Ransomware attack.

To avoid unnecessary downtime and costs associated with Ransomware, it is important to proactively protect your computer systems. If you have any questions about steps to take to avoid Ransomware in your organization, contact your trusted technology advisor.

Business Continuity Essentials

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Business ContinuityBusiness owners know there are a number of threats to business continuity. Next to employees, your IT systems and their data may be your most valuable assets. Your business may fall prey to Cyber attack or Data breach. Other factors, including adverse weather, fire, or interruption to utility supply, may also cause business disruption. Can your company recover from a catastrophic data loss? Use this Business Continuity Essentials guide to reduce the risk of downtime:

Business Continuity: Understanding Cost of Downtime

How much data do you need to recover to bring your business back from a disaster? Not all data may be essential immediately. However, some systems–including email–support other mission-critical systems and processes within your company. It is also important to know how long it will take to recover your data. Factor in your employees’ wages, plus overhead and potential loss of revenue, to get a sense of the overall risk of not having a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan.

Having a Business Continuity Plan May Avoid Violation of Industry Regulations

Depending on your industry, backup and disaster recovery might be the law. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) makes business continuity and disaster recovery an imperative. Failure to comply could mean fines and even jail time. Other industries, including health services, must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which requires backing up data and making sure it is consistently available, even in a disaster. Understand regulatory requirements placed on your business, to avoid unnecessary consequences of a business interruption and data loss.

Data Protection with Belts and Suspenders

Relying on a local backup is not enough. The risk to your business resulting from a data loss is too high to rely on one backup method alone. Complement your local backup with Cloud Backup to ensure rapid recovery. Offsite archives of tape backups may not recover fast enough to avoid business interruption. It is also important to ensure your network supports a timely backup from a local source as well as from a Cloud backup and recovery system.

Test Your Backup to Ensure Rapid Recovery

Backup is all about recovery. Verifying your backup in a timely manner, and ensuring it actually works, is a critical step in your business continuity and disaster recovery plan. You should verify your backup periodically and check to make sure all data needed is included. By testing the recovery, you can identify any corrupted data along with network bottlenecks to restore your business to full operation.

If you have any questions about your business continuity and disaster recovery plan, contact your trusted technology advisor. If you are uncertain about your cost of downtime, compliance with industry regulations, or your company’s ability to recovery from a disaster, do not delay but seek guidance today.

Does Your Business Have a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan?

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Backup and Disaster RecoveryMost businesses need a Backup and Disaster Recovery plan.  Disasters like fire, flood, earthquake, and more can bring your systems to a halt. Systems including order processing, invoicing, emails, call center, and business phone are critical for daily operations. Without a Backup and Disaster Recovery plan, organizations that encounter a disaster run the risk of going out of business. Here are some tips for getting your Backup and Disaster Recovery plan in place.

Consider Risk of Downtime

Understanding your business risk in the event of a disaster–and related downtime, data loss and other factors–is a good place to start. Factor in loss of productivity from your employees. This can be quantified by calculating employee salaries, wages and overhead for every hour of downtime. You can also calculate loss of revenue if you are unable to process orders, have to disrupt manufacturing, or lose the ability to fulfill customer demand. Also, add in any long-term damage from loss of reputation if you were to suffer a long-term outage. These costs easily add up to impact your company’s bottom line in the case of a disaster recovery scenario.

Build  Your Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

Not all data is mission critical. Some systems may be more critical than others to get your company back operationally. Determine which systems are most important to your daily operations. Decide how much risk you are willing to take in terms of hours, days or weeks of downtime. Systems that keep your employees productive and revenue flowing in your business may need to take priority. You may need redundant failover for phones, email and order processing to ensure maximum employee productivity and minimum loss of revenue. Other data, including shared files, may not be as critical and could be restored from an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly backup with minimal disruption to productivity and little economic loss.  Review and document your decisions to guide your planning. Also factor in the human element to train your employees what to do in a disaster.

Implement, Test and Monitor Your Backup

Once you understand your risks and have a documented plan, you can align your goals with a backup and disaster recovery solution. You can now begin to implement real-time redundancy for Cloud Backup for mission-critical systems. Where possible, consider having alternate sources of backup in case one system fails. Depending on the disaster recovery scenario, this could be worth the investment. Test your backup before you go live, and be sure to test the restoration and recovery processes as well. You should also monitor your backups regularly to identify and remedy failures as they occur.

Being prepared with a solid plan for backup and disaster recovery ensures employee productivity and safety. It can also make the difference between business recovery and business failure. Contact your trusted advisor to discuss your needs for backup and disaster recovery.