Data backup and disaster recovery are both important elements of preserving your business in the long run. Data backup makes copies of your organization?s data infrastructure and, depending on the solution, backs them up to several possible locations. On the other hand, disaster recovery focuses on restoring your data following a crippling disaster. Combined, they make up what?s called a Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution, which is capable of taking regular backups throughout the workday and rapidly restoring data in the face of disaster. Here are three types of disasters that a good BDR solution can protect your business?s data from. Natural DisastersIt doesn?t matter where your office is located–the truth is that you?re bound to encounter a natural disaster in at least some capacity. Organizations on the coast might experience flooding or rain storms that damage their physical infrastructure. Locations prone to tornadoes or earthquakes could see their operations plummet (or soar–literally) in the face of nature?s awesome destructive power. Power outages and fires are two of the most common natural disasters, and they?re so dangerous because they can happen to any business. BDR can, at the very least, safeguard your data until the disaster has passed. Hardware FailureA notorious cause of data loss is an unexpected hardware failure. This can happen if you ignore the telltale signs of hardware degradation for too long, or if you?re using an old or outdated workstation or server. Thankfully, hardware failure is easy enough to avoid? that is, assuming you know what to look for. An outsourced IT company like White Mountain IT Services can remotely monitor your technology solutions to ensure that any hardware failure symptoms are quickly (and quietly) addressed. The idea is to keep an eye out for problems that hint toward an imminent failure, and to take action before it happens to smooth over the process of replacing the failed piece of hardware. User ErrorArguably one of the most common causes of data loss is user error. This occurs when a user makes a mistake that leads to either compromised data or the destruction of important information. Believe it or not, this happens more often than you?d think, particularly with employees who have access to information that they shouldn?t have access to. You can mitigate this issue by cutting employee permissions to data they have no business seeing, like human resources information or accounting files. If you want to protect your organization?s digital assets in the most convenient way possible, consider implementing a BDR solution from White Mountain IT Services. Our BDR can back up your data as often as every fifteen minutes and restore it in a matter of moments. BDR even allows you to restore data directly to the BDR device following a disaster, which minimizes downtime and lets you get back in action as soon as possible following a major data loss incident.
More specifically, the survey (run by data management firm Liaison Technologies) delivered results demonstrating that, of the 479 executives of medium-to-large-sized United States organizations surveyed, 47 percent of them were uncertain of which standards would even apply to their particular industry. This uncertainty could cause enormous problems for an organization of any size. If an issue were to arise that complying with industry regulations could have prevented, the company in question would have a lot of very difficult answers to provide. What?s more, the issue could very well cause the company to fail; either directly, by hindering its activities to the point of bankruptcy, or indirectly, if client and customer faith in the company were shaken enough by its lack of preparation. Look at it this way, if you had entrusted sensitive personal information to a company only to find out that their noncompliance with basic security standards had put you at risk, would you continue doing business with that company? It?s probably a safe bet that the answer is a resounding ?no.? However, the State of Compliance survey revealed that this very scenario could be happening all the time. For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was only reported to be ?applicable? in 3 percent of client responses, a number shockingly small when one considers that the PCI DSS applies to any and all entities that interact with cardholder data storage, processing, or transmission. Making an already alarming situation even worse, a full quarter of survey respondents admitted that they were ?unsure? of who in their operation held primary responsibility over information security and privacy. As a result, this full quarter of surveyed businesses could very easily have serious information security and privacy issues that have gone (or could later go) unnoticed. Perhaps most disconcerting was the fact that a full 85 percent of respondents still felt secure in their job, whether or not their company exhibited any compliance issues. We here at White Mountain IT Services think this is an unacceptable situation, and we would hope that you feel the same way. Moreover, we can help ensure that you are, in fact, fully compliant with any information-based regulations for your industry. For more information, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.
The study, performed by Digital Strategy Consulting, found that mobile technology, like mobile devices and apps, boost worker productivity by a whopping 34 percent! This is a huge number that any growth-minded business can?t afford to ignore. Consider for a moment the math behind a 34 percent increase in worker productivity. For the average office worker, this translates to a gain of 240 hours of work per year. If you switch just a few employees from desktops to mobile devices, then it?s essentially like you?re adding a new full-time staff member–and at significantly lower cost than what it would take to hire and onboard new talent. For business owners who are only clinging to desktops due to the perceived cost savings of not having to upgrade just yet, it should be painfully obvious that this money-saving strategy no longer applies. In fact, thinking along these lines, it stands to reason that a business owner is actually losing money by not switching to mobile devices right now. Essentially, any time that a worker spends chained to their desk by their PC equates to them being 34 percent less productive than they could be. Therefore, even if you?re holding on to a fleet of desktops simply because they?re already paid for and they seem to be in good working order, the productivity you?re missing out on by using them will quickly add up and make these machines more costly to keep around than what they?re worth. To take this hard look at the advantages of mobile technology even further, consider the fact that younger workers, namely Millennials, prefer using mobile technologies, and they?re skilled at it. Next, consider the fact that by 2025, Millennials are set to make up three quarters of the workforce. This means two things: 1) that if you have an affinity for desktops, it?s a preference that soon won?t be shared by the vast majority of the workforce, and 2) going mobile now, will reap major productivity dividends in the future. If you?re now convinced that switching from desktops to mobile technologies is the way to go, then call White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800 for assistance. Due to the complexities and security concerns of ?going mobile,? you?re going to want to have a secure plan in place to help ease the transition–one that covers your needs and protects your business from mobile threats. Helping your business in this way is a task that White Mountain IT Services is well equipped for. Call us today and don?t lose another day of productivity due to desktops!
VirusesViruses are a common occurrence, even by normal computing standards. It doesn?t take much to contract one. Even clicking on the wrong link or downloading the wrong file could infect a computer with a virus. Viruses are known to cause PC performance issues, in particular slowdowns. In fact, viruses are often symptoms of deeper-rooted problems, and should be handled as such. MalwareIf you?ve contracted a virus, it?s worth checking for infections by other malware. Malware, or ?malicious software,? is designed to fulfill a certain task. The task? well, that can vary. Some types of malware will steal data or destroy it, while others will run scripts that make it more difficult to do your job. Regardless of its function, it?s clear that malware is not something you want to take lightly, and you should always be running an antivirus program to promptly eliminate any infections. TrojansTrojans are a specific type of malware that work in much the same way that the Greek?s Trojan Horse worked. Trojans will install backdoors on your devices to allow remote access for future campaigns. Trojans are often installed on devices while the organization is suffering from another type of breach, like a virus or malware issue, effectively making use of a diversion tactic to ensure future access. It?s most often the case that only the most powerful antivirus or antimalware systems can detect trojans. RansomwareThis is the cream of the crop in terms of major threats that your business needs to watch out for. Ransomware is exactly what its name implies–it?s malware that locks down your data using encryption and demands a ransom for its safe return. In most cases, unless the organization has a backed-up copy of the data, businesses have no choice but to pay the fine. Since ransomware spreads in many of the same modes as normal malware, like spam and malicious links or attachments, it?s best to implement a spam filter and to educate your team on how to avoid clicking on the wrong link. Phishing and Spear PhishingThese types of threats leverage technologies like email to find those foolish enough to download viruses and malware on their system or hand over sensitive data. These spam messages are called phishing attacks. More targeted attacks tend to include personalized messages that could include the victim?s phone number, physical address, and so on–all to make the message seem legitimate. Phishing attacks often come disguised as messages from law enforcement or special government agencies, threatening ?legal action? for a supposed crime or unpaid fine. A spam filter can cut your organization?s phishing and spear phishing messages down considerably, and it can save you plenty of time in the long run. To learn how you can protect your business from all manners of threats, reach out to White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800.
People, unfortunately, are never level costs. Add in the 38 to 41 cents on the dollar full-time employees cost over and above their salaries and bonuses, and it can make CFOs start popping antacids pretty fast. There is one way to level some of your costs. Flat rate IT services allow you to predict your information technology costs from March to April, Q1 to Q2, and one year to the next. They allow you to finally nail down that budget for your IT expenditures. Flat rate IT services are the insurance every company needs. There are no sick days that delay project completions. White Mountain IT Services can supplement a large IT subdivision with specialized support, or be there to make sure that one guy that is your IT department has help any time he needs it. Our data center in Nashua, NH, can add backing up your data securly offsite, into your flat rate plan. Been thinking about getting rid of your servers, moving to a fully cloud-based system? We’ve done that. Just ask our clients. We’ve taken over IT services for entire companies, from servers to networks to firewalls to employee training. We understand your frustrations, and know how many problems a little proactive maintenance can solve before they ever become a major issue. Contact us for more about our flat rate IT services, managed services, project services, or our expertise in your area, including legal and medical IT, among many others.
