Here are four topics that you will want to consider when designing and implementing a data backup system. Know What Data You?re Backing Up The biggest question that you will have to ask yourself is how much of your data you?re going to back up. Of course, the answer should always be ?as much as possible.? Having said that, any legal obligations you have for specific compliance regulations must be prioritized, as left unchecked they could cost your business even more in lost revenue as you may be subject to fines and other expenses. Ensure Adequate Security Practices One of the most dangerous backup security practices is to keep them stored on an in-house infrastructure that?s vulnerable to being compromised by external threats. If a hacker can infiltrate your network, it?s likely that they can also infiltrate any unprotected data backups that you have in place. While it?s helpful to have an on-site backup that can be used in the heat of the moment, it?s more effective to keep your backups stored in an off-site data center that is encrypted and protected properly. Know Where Backups Are Stored One of the most critical parts of data backup is where you?re storing your backups. While it?s convenient to store them on-site, you risk damages to them. We recommend that you follow the 1-2-3 data backup rule. You keep three copies of your data in total–one on-site for easy access, and two off-site, either in a secure off-site data center or in the cloud. Remember, the best failsafe for your business? data infrastructure is to have copies of it somewhere where they can reliably be restored. Test the Reliability of Your Systems Speaking of reliability, your backup systems are useless if they don?t work as intended. The last thing you want is to experience a data loss incident and then fail to restore your data when it?s needed most. You should frequently test your business? backups so that you can be confident that they work as intended. Otherwise, you?re simply flirting with disaster, at the mercy of what boils down to luck and hope. White Mountain IT Services can equip you with a Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution that is designed to take frequent backups and store them in safe and secure off-site environment for rapid recovery in a moment?s notice. To find out how you can take advantage of this great solution, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

What is Big Data? The modern-day data revolution is often referred to as big data. Big data is much more than just the data itself; rather, it?s the analysis of this data that matters. If you keep track of how your data changes over time, you?ll be able to better adapt your business practices to meet the changing needs of the industry. These changes mean that businesses are going to have to take an analytical approach to improve operations, and data is the key to unlocking this untapped potential. By taking advantage of big data, you?ll be able to get the most out of your budget and workforce, as well. Small organizations are finally starting to understand data analytics and why they are so important, even if their needs are somewhat simpler than large corporations. Small businesses just simply don?t have the assets to implement strategies as effectively as a large company, or they just don?t have the processes put in place to properly analyze and quantify the data. Even if they are using similar solutions as larger enterprises, it all comes down to whether they know what they are getting out of the solution. There are two questions that need to be asked before you commit to big data, and they are the following: Why haven?t more small businesses implemented big data initiatives? What would it take to get your company?s data to work with you? Small Businesses with Big Data Small businesses have traditionally been major proponents of new technologies, and the reason for this is that they often need them to stay competitive. Thanks to innovations in data analytics, smaller organizations are looking at alternative ways to ensure that their technology efforts aren?t wasted on solutions that don?t offer value. Instead of investing in technology solutions just because it?s a major hit in their industry, they are instead looking at services that provide more practical and customized use for their particular organization. By taking advantage of the right technology, small companies can implement solutions at a moment?s notice. Since they are flexible enough to make decisions on the fly, they don?t have to worry about stepping on anyone?s toes because they didn?t go through the proper channels to implement a new solution. This type of agility allows small businesses to look at data and make decisions much more quickly and efficiently. It just goes to show that you don?t have to be a large organization or enterprise to effectively listen to the what the data tells you. Make Investments in What Matters While it?s great to identify that you need to implement a full-scale big data solution for your organization, it doesn?t matter unless you actually do it. No matter what your business decides to implement for analytics, you?ll inevitably need to invest a considerable amount of time and capital into it. Big data can help your business know when to run promotions, how to react to consumers, and how to judge the value received from your technology investments. Numbers make things much more cut and dry, and allow for a better way to measure value. White Mountain IT Services can help your business better take advantage of technology solutions. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

What the Hard Drive Does The hard drive is one of the computer?s primary devices. Without it, there could be no data storage on the device–at least, not permanently. The computer?s operating system and hardware drivers will typically be installed on the hard drive, as well as any programs, data, and media. Having a large hard drive means that you?ll experience fewer issues with storing all of your data on it. Hard drives typically come in two different types: the traditional hard disk drive (HDD), and the solid-state drive (SSD). How Hard Drives Work The details of how hard drives work will vary depending on which type of drive it is. They are as follows: HDD: A hard disk drive uses several internal components to store data, including the disk controller, the platter, the read/write arm, and the actuator. The disk controller communicates with the rest of the device as to how the data coming in and going out will be dispersed. Guided by the controller, the actuator will position and maneuver the read/write arm over the spinning platter. The platter is where all of the drive?s data is stored in binary code based on the platter?s magnetic polarities. These polarities are then rewritten and read according to the read/write arm. SSD: A solid state drive runs not on moving parts, but on flash memory. This means that they are less prone to damages, much quieter overall, and able to function without nearly as much power. They are the favored memory device found in laptops and mobile devices. Of course, these benefits generally come with a higher price tag, but this inconvenience has lessened somewhat in recent years. What?s the Difference? The biggest difference between HDD and SSD comes from their origin stories. The HDD first hit the market back in 1956 through the ingenuity of IBM, while the SSD was initially developed by SanDisk in 1991. Flash-based SSD also became a thing in 1995 thanks to the developers at M-Systems. There is also a major difference in the overall longevity of each storage method, as the moving parts of the HDD make them more prone to a shorter lifespan. Which One is Better? Depending on your needs, you?ll need to pick one of the two types of devices. The HDD needs stability more than anything else, but it?s more affordable than the alternative. On the other hand, SSD is primarily used for mobile devices like laptops due to their overall durability. In general, if you can afford SSD, you want to go with it. Do you need further help understanding the major differences between SSD and HDD? Give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800.

What We Mean by Bias? Although this in no way should legitimize the biases that many feel against other groups, there are a few theories that suggest that bias is a survival tool. First, a healthy skepticism of ?the other? likely saved quite a few of our ancestors from dying before they were able to perpetuate the species. Maureen Berkner Boyt, an expert in examining bias, offers another theory that explains the root purpose of bias in an ironically inclusive way. According to Boyt, our biases are a tool that our brains use to protect us from information overload. The world is filled with stimuli and an increasing amount of information for our brains to process. Boyt suggests that our biases allow our brains to process and sort the information as quickly as it comes in, serving as a filter. Otherwise, our considerably powerful brains wouldn?t be able to process all of the input they receive, creating an overload issue. Putting it simply, our biases allow us to categorize the stimuli of our environment easier, preventing us from breaking down. Boyt?s theory suggests that biases are more than just certain feelings being associated with particular events or input, they are mental shortcuts that allow us to function. As a result, a safe conclusion to draw is that we are all biased – and that doesn?t mean we?re necessarily bad. How This Can Create Issues in the Business World These biases can cause some problems, however, and unfortunately, many are associated with some form of prejudice, even though this prejudice isn?t always immediately obvious. Rather, these prejudices were simply a subscription to stereotypical beliefs. Think about an industry that is notably populated more by one gender than another. This may not be easy at first, as it won?t likely stand out, but once you see the disparity, it can be hard to unsee. This is why the stereotypical beliefs that drive these biases and prejudices can be so dangerous to the decision-making process in many industries. For example, take the tendency for an orchestra to be primarily filled with male musicians. It isn?t that these musicians are hired by the orchestra because of the fact that they are male, but if auditions were held blindly, with no indication of the auditioners? genders, the male/female balance suddenly becomes much closer. A study of GitHub coders showed the same preferential lean. While the industry has historically been male-dominated, a blind review of the code produced favored code that female coders had developed. Have You Been Biased in Your Business Decision-Making? The scary thing about bias is that, until it is pointed out to you, you can continue perpetuating it without realizing it. Again, these shortcuts are exactly that – shortcuts – meaning that the thoughts they produce aren?t coming from a rational place. Fortunately, there are tools available to help you evaluate yourself for bias. If you don?t mind anonymously sharing your feelings, Harvard?s Project Implicit has quizzes that reveal your biases to a variety of factors. That being said, awareness isn?t enough. To paraphrase G.I. Joe, knowing is *only* half the battle. Once you can recognize that you hold biases, and where they are factoring in and influencing your business, you can learn to stop yourself and reexamine your viewpoint. Boyd calls […]

This situation is far too familiar, and with the rising use of personal devices for work purposes, it has led to too many businesses becoming vulnerable to threats. Fortunately, there are steps to help mitigate the damage if your devices are ever absconded with. 1. Suspend any Financial Permissions to the Device One of the biggest benefits of mobile and online banking and finance management is the security that financial institutions enforce before allowing access. However, many of the security measures are easily circumvented by a user and their device?s password management. If a device is stolen, there?s a good chance that the thief will still be allowed to access many online accounts and make purchases on your (or your company?s) dime if password management is activated. If your online accounts show signs of unauthorized use, reach out to the bank or lender immediately and explain the situation. They should have a fraud department whose job it is to handle exactly this kind of circumstance, and they will most likely refund the lost money. You should still babysit your finances, however, as the bank might not initially pay attention to smaller transactions. 2. Wipe ALL Passwords Yes, ALL passwords. Whether it was a mobile device or a laptop that was stolen from you, you need to access all accounts literally as soon as humanly possible and change every single password you have. On a second device, log into your browser and access any password manager you may be using, including the browser?s native capabilities or a utility like LastPass. This is unfortunate, but necessary: you need to systematically go through and delete every password from the password manager, uninstalling it. You also need to go to every site you have an account with and change your credentials to it. While this in undeniably a pain to deal with, it is less of a pain than a stolen account. 3. Make Sure Browser Sync is Deactivated If you happen to use a browser like Chrome or Firefox across multiple devices, you need to disable it before you start changing your passwords and credentials. Otherwise, any of your changes will automatically transfer over to the stolen device, rendering any of your efforts to block access thus far useless. So, once you?ve wiped the password for each account you have, turn off syncing. In Chrome, you can do this by accessing Settings > Advanced sync settings > Choose what to sync. Deselect everything and set a new password to encrypt your synced data. Then you are safe to start the password resetting process. Secondary Measures When it comes to finding a device that has been stolen, there are a few ways to make it easier to recover afterwards. Note Your Serial Numbers One of the most difficult parts of recovering a stolen laptop (or other device) that the police have recovered is proving that it belongs to you. However, if you keep a record of all of your devices and their serial numbers, you will be prepared to stake a claim to your devices once they are recovered. To find your device?s identifying information, access Control Panel > System and Security > See the name of this computer. From there, you can take a screenshot that you can keep for your records. You […]