Data breaches can be devastating to any company. Because of persistent cyberattacks on the more vulnerable small and medium-sized businesses, data backup and disaster recovery are essential. Traditional methods no longer make sense when the benefits of Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solutions are considered.
Before cloud technology began offering better solutions, the job of data backup and disaster recovery fell to IT departments. The expense of backup equipment together with a lack of scalability made traditional methods of data security feasible only for large companies with big IT budgets. With DRaaS from third-party Managed Service Providers (MSPs), companies of all sizes can afford to have data backup and disaster recovery in place.
When recovery data is stored in the cloud, the need for costly on-premises hardware is reduced. Even the management of traditional disaster recovery strategies is difficult to manage. DRaaS solutions provide the benefit of fewer necessary resources and yet limited operations can resume much more rapidly.
Instead of purchasing hardware for a growing volume of data backup for disaster recovery, the investment is in DRaaS from a third-party. Initially, the cost is small compared to purchasing hardware.
Cyberattacks come in many forms, and innovative strategies are constantly launched. In 2017, for example, a new type of ransomware attack called “WannaCry” held the data in 300,000 computers across the world for ransom. Presumably, any companies that already had DRaaS in place were able to get all of their data back in pre-attack condition and avoid paying a ransom.
Contact Aperio IT to learn more about the benefits of Disaster Recovery as a Services (DRaaS) for your business.
Hurricanes, floods, fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, even ransomware — these devastating events can strike almost without warning. Does your business have a plan to not only safeguard sensitive data but contingencies for recovery should a catastrophe occur?
Management should acknowledge their company’s potential exposure to disasters, natural and otherwise. These events can endanger the accessibility and support of an organization’s IT systems and networks.
It’s trite but true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So how does a business protect the integrity of its IT processes before cataclysm strikes? An effective option is to collaborate with a reputable data center, one with the resources to protect valuable data while keeping it secure and accessible.
Now that you recognize the utility of a data center, what should you look for? Below is a laundry list of essentials your DR service should provide.
An effective disaster recovery plan starts long before storm clouds gather. You want your IT partner to customize a comprehensive and ordered strategy that maintains and monitors network infrastructure and ongoing processes. Too, your employees should be trained and evaluated on how to reduce or avert system downtime.
Proactive planning also encompasses preventive maintenance. Your DR provider should regularly schedule tests of fire detection/extinguishing systems, power supplies/generators and HVAC systems.
How do fiber optic networks provide such outstanding redundancy and protection? In large part, due to bidirectional line-switched architecture. This means that in the event of network element failure, optical signals can be rerouted, either with “protection” spare fibers or by backhauling.
You want the same from your DR provider. Does it offer alternative facilities should its primary data center be offline? Are their data centers sited to prevent damage from floods, fires, winds or earthquakes?
Power failures and loss of environmental cooling can wreak havoc on vulnerable infrastructure elements. Look for facilities with redundant uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), supported by generators that switch seamlessly online if utility power fails. Seek the same redundancy within the data center’s HVAC configurations.
Redundancy also includes instantaneous access to multiple “core” or “Tier 1” long-haul networks should the primary carrier interrupt service.
Is the DR provider’s data center monitored at all times? Are employees required to wear visible ID whenever onsite? Nowadays, constant surveillance of network assets is a must to maintain network integrity and data security.
Your DR provider should have a cross-trained and experienced emergency ops team in place, ready at a moment’s notice to restore operational functionality to networks and systems in case of a disaster. They are the “cavalry” riding to the rescue, freeing local employees to see after their families and homes.
Now that you know, consider Aperio IT as your partner in disaster recovery planning. We provide cloud hosting and backup services to small and mid-sized businesses like yours. It’s never too early to prepare before catastrophe strikes.
Contact us to learn more about planning your Disaster Recovery Plan with Aperio IT.
It doesn’t take much to make the case that modern technology has improved the way we do business. Consider just a few decades ago we were without cell phones, e-mail, and the Internet. Tasks today that take minutes used to take hours. That said, there can be many headaches that come with modern software solutions, but a good partnership with a strong technology support company can ensure that your business IT solutions are running smoothly.
If you’re a business that is due for an upgrade, don’t let lack of technical knowledge or the fear of the unknown deter you from capitalizing on all the ways these new innovations can improve your business. Check out just a few ways technology can advance your business position in the marketplace, and help give you a leg up on your competition.
Marketing
Marketing has changed more in the past 15 years than the previous 100 years combined. New innovations have created many new media options that have expanded our reach and ability to interact with our consumers. Whether you’re installing an upgraded customer relationship management (CRM) system, blasting out an e-mail campaign, managing all of your social media through a program aggregate, or hosting a webinar, new technology is the driving force behind the campaign. Remember, a technology support company will offer services to help you understand how your system can handle this load, and will work with you if you need assistance installing the software to launch some of these exciting campaigns in your business.
Communication
It is hard to imagine there is an entire generation of workers in place who have never had to do business without emails and cell phones. Modern advances give us access to unparalleled communication not only with our consumers, but internally within our own organizations as well. Modern businesses are expected to have comprehensive communications platforms, and a technology support company on call to manage all of the servers should anything go wrong. While a 24-hour turn around used to be acceptable in terms of customer service, those rules have changed; modern advances give us the tools we need to meet the expectations of our consumers.
Productivity
The right hardware running updated software solutions is the key to productivity in your business. In this era, our employees wear many hats and it’s incredibly important to give them the right tools to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Tools like voice to text, online chat, and teleconferencing, are just a few ways to improve productivity in the workplace. Whether it’s in your customer service department, giving customers an online chat option to get instant access to a service representative, to your internal communications and company meetings, working with a technology support company to have the right software solutions for your business is your key to having a productive, efficient workplace.
Modern IT solutions offer an abundance of opportunities for better ways to do business. These are just a few of the improvements you can look forward to when you utilize new solutions. Coupled with a good relationship with a technology support company, you can be sure that your business with survive and thrive for years to come.
It becomes easy to decide to replace a computer when it no longer runs the same way as the first time it was used. With developments and upgrades constantly appearing in the market, some people simply do not bother doing maintenance on their computers and simply dismiss slow computers as “past their prime” and immediately look for a better model.
Although buying a new computer can instantly solve an aged computer, this option is not available to people on a budget, but this does not mean they have to put up with long boot times, blue screens and instant shutdowns. A simple process known as defragging can improve performance and somewhat postpone decisions to buy another unit.
Defragmenting is known as the process of reversing the fragmentation of files on a hard drive. Fragmentation occurs with prolonged use and poor maintenance. This is when PCs tend to end up with plenty of files scattered across the free spaces within their memory, thus causing slower process executions and file opening and other bugs and errors. Defragmenting counteracts these issues, and in turn restores efficiency to the computer in several ways:
1. Faster Boot Times -This phenomenon occurs when the startup system takes too long to find certain files that are needed when the computer is started. These are known as boot files. Defragmenting organizes these files into a cluster and makes it easier for the computer to find and access them. The faster the processor finds the boot files, the faster the starting time.
2. Less “DLL, SYS and EXE” errors – The most common error associated with these file types are the ones wherein the computer cannot find them. This could be due to the possibility that these files could be hidden in inappropriate folders or duplicated in several locations. A good example will be.exe files. Sometimes, applications and programs take too long to open or do not open at all because the.exe file is missing. Defragmenting sorts out the files on the computer and allows the computer to access these files faster.
3. Discover problem areas in the hard drive – After defragmentation, the system provides a report of the changes that were made during the process. It will also report what areas it could not defragment due to corrupted files. These broken files take up space on the drive and may even affect processing performance just by simply being there. With this information, a computer owner can look at the program files for that specific area. The owner can then get rid of the problematic areas.
4. Less Effort on the Hardware – With easier to locate files, the internal workings of the hard drive do not have to go such lengths to reach and access the data they need to. This means a reduced exposure to wear and tear on account of exerting less effort and resources to complete certain actions. This immediately adds more time to the lifespan of your hard drive and in turn, the whole computer.
5. Tighter Security – With defragmented files, the efficiency of anti-virus programs increases as well. These applications take less time to scan areas of interest on the hard drive. It also allows for a higher chance of isolating and deleting viruses before the integrity of other necessary files and data is compromised. Detecting these problems also becomes less of a task because an unwanted virus is sure to stand out after defragmentation. The system is trained to sort files that it normally uses. A foreign element such as a virus that has no specific classification under the defragmentation will show up as unmoved.
These consequences make disk defragmentation a necessary step in making sure any desktop computer lasts a considerable amount of time. What makes defragmenting even more ideal is the fact that it is simply another command that is given to the computer. Windows Operating Systems allows users to start a defragmentation under the System Tools section found within the Accessories Menu.
A simple click will prompt the process. Depending on how much data is on the hard drive, the whole process should take a few hours to complete. This is why defragmenting is mostly done during off-peak hours when the computer is usually not being used.
Along with registry cleaning and anti-virus scans, disk defragmenting stands as another tool through which owners can take care of their units. Because these methods are both free and easy to use, owners have no excuse not to perform their responsibility to properly maintain their desktop computers.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pete_F_Morgan
Hurricane Sandy, Black Forrest fire, 6.0 earthquake hits Napa Valley – major catastrophes strike large population centers, business are damaged and even destroyed. Even after these major events, many of which make international news, numerous companies have all of their corporate data in the same building, and, in many cases, the same room.
No matter what the business goal or high level requirements, organizations must take action, intelligent action, to protect critical data. While this may seem like common sense, it’s amazing how often companies fail to perform even the most basic protection.
Nearly every business has a policy in place to cover disaster recovery, a catch all phrase to cover the need to restore data should trouble occur. In reality, disaster recovery is piece of a larger concept that includes high availability and business continuity. All of these concepts revolve around two basic ideas: recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO).
There’s a tradeoff between potential for data loss, duration to recover, and cost. Certain businesses require high availability, the idea of near zero data loss and near zero downtime. Examples include financial industries, healthcare, and most organizations that utilize transactional actions in data processing. In other words, anytime one has a need to trace an action from start to finish there needs to be a way to have near zero data loss and more times than not, no downtime.
Business continuity is a step down on both RPO and RTO from high availability. The idea here is not about instantaneous recovery, it’s about making sure the business can continue to function after catastrophe hits. VMware and similar technologies using redundant infrastructure do a great job of providing business continuity; the key, how this environment is set up and over what distance, if any at all.
Disaster recovery covers both high availability and business continuity. Disaster recovery can also simply include a copy of data that sits on tape or a storage area network. The key here, where does that data reside. Having a copy of the information in the same location as the source data won’t offer protection against nearly every major catastrophe. This “old school mindset” really only protects a business from power outage, data corruption, or system related outages. Does your business implement this simplistic disaster recovery method?
Hurricane Sandy devastated the east coast in 2013 and a number of hospitals were directly impacted. One facility, a client at the time, shut their doors after the storm due to massive damage. I recall their data center was in the basement and water rose to the 5th floor; everything in the data center was destroyed. Without offsite data storage, not only would this hospital be out of business, they would have no way to run down their accounts receivable to obtain payment for services rendered.
While working with a global storage provider that was within a couple miles of the most devastating fire in Colorado history, I found out they have zero data protection outside of their server room. If the building burned down, as did so many others during this catastrophe, this company would’ve gone out of business. Data is key, protecting it is fundamental.
The recent 6.0 earthquake in Napa Valley shows the need for not only private industry to understand and implement realistic and attainable disaster recovery, Government must do the same. When certain disasters strike they can impact our infrastructure including gas, electricity, and transportation. Computer systems run large amounts of critical systems including transportation signals, lighting, and gas and electric power to the populace. Without proper disaster recovery with the necessary RPO and RTO in place, a community can suffer major impact. Government cannot only consider physical infrastructure when preparing for disaster, they have to understand the information technology impact as well.
A major impetus in creating this article revolves around the discrepancy between what a business believes they have in place versus what truly exists. So many organizations, often up to and including board of director requirements, create extensive disaster recovery plans. Unfortunately, oftentimes significant variance exists between what the business says they want, and what’s actually in place. Third party audits are critical to help close this gap. Before that audit can occur though, leadership has to know about and acknowledge the gap. Education is key; know there’s a problem and act!
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