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Tag Archive for: bdr

Posts

Disaster recovery plan

How To Create an Effective Disaster Recovery Plan

June 6, 2019/3 Comments/in BDR, Business Continuity, Cloud Hosting, Disaster Recovery /by James Wagner

You don’t have to increase spending to improve cybersecurity, but every business can be more strategic about what they spend where.

Read more

Disaster Data Recovery Is Not Optional

July 5, 2017/in BDR, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery /by James Wagner

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.

Disaster Data Recovery Is Not OptionalThe 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

June 21, 2017/in BDR, Disaster Recovery /by James Wagner

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.

Debunking 4 BDR MythsThe 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.

The ITeam Security Bulletin: WannaCry Ransomware

May 17, 2017/5 Comments/in Security Alert /by James Wagner
Important information about WannaCry ransomware

You may have seen the news this weekend.
WannaCry Ransomware

Criminal hackers have released a new strain of ransomware that spreads itself automatically across all workstations in a network, causing a global epidemic.

If you or a co-worker are not paying attention and accidentally open one of these phishing email attachments, you might infect not only your own workstation but immediately everyone else’s computer too.

The initial infection was stopped on Friday, but it has since been rewritten and is again spreading in the wild.

There are 200,000 confirmed infections in over 150 countries as of this afternoon.

While most of the damage has been in Europe, Russia and Asia, there are over 6000 confirmed incidents in North America.

According to CrowdStrike’s Vice President of Intelligence Adam Meyers, the initial spread of WannaCry is coming through phishing, in which fake invoices, job offers and other lures are being sent out to random email addresses.

Within the emails is a password protected .zip file, so the email uses social engineering to persuade the victim to unlock the attachment with a password, and once clicked that initiates the WannaCry infection. Microsoft confirms this in a blog post.

Be very careful when you get an email with an attachment you did not ask for. If there is a .zip file in the attachment, do not click on it but delete the whole email. Remember: “When in doubt, throw it out!”

At The ITeam we work hard to ensure your networks are protected. Technology cannot stop every threat, and the last line of defence is alert and educated users.

Please share this information within your organization and outside your organization as you see fit. If your company requires IT support in Calgary, call us for a quote.

Offsite Backup Is a Crucial Component of IT Support

March 24, 2015/in BDR, Disaster Recovery /by James Wagner

Offsite Backup Is a Crucial Component of IT SupportCalgary businesses should have necessary IT Support in place to ensure continuity.

One of the most crucial elements to put in place is offsite backups.

Offsite backups are a must for every business.

They help to protect organizations from the loss of data that occurs with onsite server failures or as a result of physical catastrophes such as fire, flood, theft, or vandalism.

How Do Offsite Backups Work?

Recording data to tapes and physically transporting them to a secure storage facility have been replaced by remote, cloud-based backups.

Offsite backups are not complicated.

Once the initial setup is complete, data is backed up automatically and continuously.

Image-based backups provide near-immediate recovery for virtual machines, and online backups ensure that an organization’s valuable data is securely stored in the cloud, accessible from anywhere in case the business is displaced.

This data is fully recoverable and restorable so that an organization can continue to remain operational regardless of the issue.

What Factors Are Necessary for Offsite Backups?

No business is immune to the risk of data loss or disruption from an unexpected disaster.

Your IT Support services should include offsite backup that offers:

  • Immediate disaster recovery services
  • Safe, secure storage of data
  • Local hosting and support
  • Customizable solutions
  • 24/7 monitoring
  • Virtual machine backup and replication
  • Fully managed recovery services

What Should Be Backed Up Offsite?

One of the most important considerations in creating an organization’s offsite backup and disaster recovery plan is determining what information is crucial to keep the business operational.

From client data to secure processes, from account detail to current project notes, the offsite backup should include all of the information needed to continue operating if returning to the business location is not an option.

Such information may include emails, documents, contracts, images, tax records, applications, and other rudiments necessary to conduct the day-to-day operations of the business.

What Are the Benefits of Offsite Backup?

There are a number of benefits to offsite backup, not the least of which is peace of mind.

Knowing that business data is stored safely and securely so that it is accessible no matter what happens allows business leaders to focus on achieving business objectives rather than worrying about what-ifs.

Offsite backups are:

  • Reliable
  • Efficient
  • Cost-effective
  • Easy to use
  • Secure

Your IT Support provider should be able to offer fully managed and customized offsite backup services with secure storage in a Calgary-based secure facility with 24/7 monitoring.

Offsite backup and disaster recovery is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

The ITeam will work with your Alberta business to customize a cost-effective solution and help you develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that will ensure the continuity you need.

Contact us for a free consultation.

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