Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) in 2020
Ransomware attacks are on the rise in Canada. Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) is a critical protection against ransomware for any organization.
How To Create an Effective Disaster Recovery Plan
You don’t have to increase spending to improve cybersecurity, but every business can be more strategic about what they spend where.
What Can Data Breaches Teach Us About Cybersecurity
What Breaches Tell Us About Cybersecurity
Every breach offers both the organization experiencing the breach as well as everyone else a reminder of the importance of proactive security measures.
Any time a breach occurs, it reveals any weaknesses in security exploited by hackers.
The following lessons can help prevent further cybersecurity disasters.
Vigilance is necessary
Hackers become more technologically savvy each day, making vigilance essential.
Breaches in cybersecurity will occur, but as demonstrated by the many large corporations, including Equifax, that has been rocked by massive breaches, many of them are likely preventable.
Breaches in security are often exacerbated when organizations ignore basic security measures.
Only when businesses recognize that information is always at risk can they take a more proactive approach in employing measures that can mitigate the losses associated with, if not entirely prevent, data breaches.
A shared economy creates a higher risk
As the sharing economy continues to gain traction and disrupt, organizations must recognize that along with the benefits that may be realized, there is also a risk.
As the shared economy grows, it’s not only consumers who are at risk from data breaches but the companies they work for.
The reality is, breaches are costly and can result in more than simply financial loss.
Stakeholders and investors are wary of businesses that have experienced breaches, as well as are consumers.
A shared economy demands that there are strong cybersecurity protocols across channels.
Third-party vendors can be a risk
Target and Home Depot were both victims of the same malware, and investigations proved that their primary security systems were not the main point of failure.
Granting access to third-party vendors, like offsite HVAC vendors, can allow hackers to embed malware and exploit system vulnerabilities.
Breaches have taught organizations that their vendors must be carefully vetted and should not be given more access than necessary to complete their jobs.
Security connections, passwords, logs, and more must be consistently monitored to find evidence of and prevent breaches.
Everyone is responsible for cybersecurity
Cybersecurity professionals are gaining knowledge from every breach, to help them prevent loss of critical information in the future.
The most important lesson we can learn from data breaches is that everyone within an organization is responsible.
The organization must invest not only in proper security measures and infrastructure but also in policies and procedures that encourage safe practices.
Every person on the staff must be trained to be vigilant, to recognize phishing, to report irregularities.
Companies must develop an entire culture of cybersecurity awareness; otherwise, weaknesses in systems will continue.
The ITeam understands IT Service and all security issues facing Canada. We are committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive, cost-effective Managed IT strategies that minimize risk and maximize efficiency. Contact us to learn more.
Disaster Data Recovery Is Not Optional
One of the most sobering news reports of this year for businesses was the announcement that approximately 190,000 organizations in over 170 countries had been hit by a massive, coordinated, ransomware cyber-attack. Not all of these businesses were disrupted, but many faced significant losses, and it is doubtless that some will go out of business as a result. Such an incident highlights something we have said repeatedly:
Disaster data recovery is critical to all businesses, no matter their size, and the former causes of such recovery efforts no longer define the parameters of business need. Simply put, in our new technological age, each and every organization faces the real possibility of a catastrophic event that could compromise its data integrity and threaten its very existence.
The key issue is expeditious data and IT systems recovery. The businesses that were not impacted significantly by the recent cyber-attack were those that had robust protection and data recovery systems in place; those that suffered the most damage lacked one or the other critical component. Importantly, it is not just financial loss or blackmail that causes difficulty and irreparable harm. It is also the blow to a business’s reputation and the attending fear and anxiety generated among customers and employees.
The following are common misperceptions that hinder companies’ ability to take the necessary measures to strengthen their cybersecurity and survive catastrophic events of various kinds:
Solid Cybersecurity is Cost-Prohibitive
In the past, even only a few decades ago, implementing system improvements robust enough to provide solid data backup and recovery might have been exorbitant. Deploying and maintaining additional, physical data centers and managing redundant networks, servers, print materials, storage centers, and all other necessary measures was daunting, if not completely overwhelming. Advances in technology have increased the likelihood of cyber-attacks, but they also have provided solutions that are affordable and manageable.
In particular, cloud-based data recovery provides an excellent option for all businesses, but it is particularly advantageous for smaller companies that might not have been able to dream of cybersecurity only a few years ago. Disaster-recovery-as-a-service (or DRaaS) is a remarkably secure option.
Since DRaaS allows for payment based on storage units, you have the ability to contract only for the amount of assistance you need – meaning smaller businesses can recover data at a proportionately lower cost. Given the costs of traditional, physical data backup and recovery, DRaaS is a much more cost-effective alternative, and it is often more secure, since it is administered by professionals in the field.
On-Site Server Backup is Adequate
Traditional, physical backup presents serious problems for a number of reasons. The most common are:
- They are subject to the same natural disasters that would compromise the primary data systems if housed locally.
- They are subject to the same cyber attack vulnerability if administered internally.
- Recovery and restoration generally take much longer to complete, and every hour, day, and a week without data is significant for most businesses.
The Business is Too Small to Be a Cyberattack Target
If there is one thing that has become apparent with the most recent cyber-attacks, it is that many hackers view small to mid-sized businesses as excellent sources of moderate income (enough to keep their operations running while they target bigger corporations) and also as good testing grounds for development of strategies to attack larger companies. Company size simply is not a reasonable factor in this day and age.
Minor Downtime is Manageable
Downtime, particularly when it occurs somewhat regularly, can impact businesses in multiple ways, many of them tied directly to revenue. Of particular concern in our modern economy is the increasing customer expectation of immediate communication, input, delivery, etc. In survey after survey, more than half of the respondents (in some cases nearly 70 percent) state that they consider even small amounts of downtime to be their top frustration and would consider frequenting a different business. This is certainly true of potential, new customers, but it also applies to established customers, particularly if even minor downtime occurs more than once.
Conclusion
Modern businesses no longer have the luxury of ignoring disaster data recovery. They simply must consider how to incorporate such systems into their core business plans. Fortunately, DRaaS is available to address this new reality, and The ITeam stands ready to help make disaster data recovery an affordable part of your enhanced business model. Contact us today for more information.
Debunking 4 BDR Disaster Recovery Myths
One of the most sobering news reports of this year for businesses was the announcement that approximately 150,000 organizations in over 150 countries had been hit by a massive, coordinated, ransomware cyber-attack.
Not all of these businesses were disrupted, but many faced significant losses, and it is doubtless that some will go out of business as a result.
Such an incident highlights something we have said repeatedly.
Disaster recovery is critical to all businesses.
No matter their size.
The former causes of such recovery efforts no longer define the parameters of business need.
Simply put, in our new technological age, each and every organization faces the real possibility of a catastrophic event that could compromise its data integrity and threaten its very existence.
The key issue is expeditious data and IT systems recovery.
The businesses that were not impacted significantly by the recent cyber-attack were those that had robust protection and data recovery systems in place.
Those that suffered the most damage lacked one or the other critical component.
Importantly, it is not just financial loss or blackmail that causes difficulty and irreparable harm.
It is also the blow to a business’s reputation and the attending fear and anxiety generated among customers and employees.
The following myths hinder companies’ ability to take the necessary measures to strengthen their cybersecurity and survive catastrophic events of various kinds:
Myth 1: Solid Cybersecurity is Cost-Prohibitive
In the past, even only a few decades ago, implementing system improvements robust enough to provide solid data backup and recovery might have been exorbitant. Deploying and maintaining additional, physical data centers and managing redundant networks, servers, print materials, storage centers, and all other necessary measures was daunting, if not completely overwhelming. Advances in technology have increased the likelihood of cyber-attacks, but they also have provided solutions that are affordable and manageable.
In particular, cloud-based data recovery provides an excellent option for all businesses, but it is particularly advantageous for smaller companies that might not have been able to dream of cybersecurity only a few years ago. Disaster-recovery-as-a-service (or DRaaS) is a secure, cost-effective option.
Since DRaaS allows for payment based on storage units, you have the ability to contract only for the amount of assistance you need – meaning smaller businesses can recover data at a proportionately lower cost. Given the costs of traditional, physical data backup and recovery, DRaaS is a much more cost-effective alternative, and it is often more secure since it is administered by professionals in the field.
Myth 2: On-Site Server Backup is Adequate
Traditional, physical backup presents serious problems for a number of reasons. The most common are:
- They are subject to the same natural disasters that would compromise the primary data systems if housed locally.
- They are subject to the same cyber attack vulnerability if administered internally.
- Recovery and restoration generally take much longer to complete, and every hour, day, and a week without data is significant for most businesses.
Myth 3: The Business is Too Small to Be a Cyberattack Target
If there is one thing that has become apparent with the most recent cyber-attacks, it is that many hackers view small to mid-sized businesses as excellent sources of moderate income (enough to keep their operations running while they target bigger corporations) and also as good testing grounds for development of strategies to attack larger companies. Company size simply is not a reasonable factor in this day and age.
Myth 4: Minor Downtime is Manageable
Downtime, particularly when it occurs somewhat regularly, can impact businesses in multiple ways, many of them tied directly to revenue. Of particular concern in our modern economy is the increasing customer expectation of immediate communication, input, delivery, etc. In survey after survey, more than half of the respondents (in some cases nearly 70 percent) state that they consider even small amounts of downtime to be their top frustration and would consider frequenting a different business. This is certainly true of potential, new customers, but it also applies to established customers, particularly if even minor downtime occurs more than once.
Conclusion
Modern businesses no longer have the luxury of ignoring disaster data recovery. They simply must consider how to incorporate such systems into their core business plans. Fortunately, DRaaS is available to address this new reality, and The ITeam stands ready to help make disaster data recovery an affordable part of your enhanced business model. Contact us today.
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The ITeam
Suite 200, 1210 8 Street SW
Calgary, AB T2R 1L3
(403) 750-2540
Suite 200, 1210 8 Street SW
Calgary, AB T2R 1L3
(403) 750-2540
Office Hours:
(Mountain Standard Time)