Backup and Disaster Recovery for the Very Small Business is Just as Important as Big Businesses

backup and disaster recovery for the very small business is just as important as big businesses

Backup and disaster recovery systems were once only available to larger companies that had deeper pockets to pay for it.

In more recent years, however, these services have been made more available to the small business while maintaining reasonable prices and the same security features. But what about the very small business, as in a home office?

Here at 4 Corner IT, we understand the potentials of things going wrong in your home office, no matter that your database is smaller and simpler. We offer superior backup and disaster recovery services in these cases that can assure your information is secure and easily available again when you need it.

Regardless, you might wonder what could potentially go wrong in your home office when you already have an in-house backup system and no company-sized big data.

The Failures of In-House Security

While some commercially available backup systems might be mostly reliable, there’s always a chance they might fail. Even well-known backup tools have had stories of having meltdowns and losing data when it was needed, despite saving data in real time. Home offices that invest in these aren’t aware of how powerful cloud-based systems have become in assuring data is always there when it’s necessary.

As well, the cloud has become affordable for the small business. That’s because what you pay is based on how much data you have. You can pay that price and still expect to have your data backed up in real time as you create it. This way, when a disaster occurs, it’s retrievable in short order so you don’t wait weeks to gain it back. You can’t say that about other backup companies who used to use tape to save business data.

4 Corner IT offers the cloud and its ability to keep your data both safe and quickly accessible when disaster happens. And what kind of disaster could happen to a small, home office? Those who work from home may not stop and ponder the realities.

The Emerging Threat of Natural Disasters on Small Businesses

There isn’t a day that goes by when we don’t hear about a natural disaster occurring somewhere in the United States or abroad. These increasing threats also threaten businesses more than ever. Unfortunately, far too many of those businesses don’t look into well-planned backup and disaster recovery systems.

Those who have their office at home might assume they’re better off having everything consolidated. They don’t stop and realize that when a disaster strikes their home, the home office is also affected.

You can be sure we’ll have everything backed up for you in the event this happens. Our backup systems also include sending your phone systems to the cloud so everything you had that made your office function can be restored to you during the worst of times.

Contact us so we can tell you more about what we offer in backup and disaster recovery. At 4 Corner IT, we have the small business in mind so you can maintain peace of mind within a disaster-plagued world.

Backup and Disaster Recovery: How Storing Data to a Cloud Can Benefit You on a Rainy Day

backup and disaster recovery how storing data to a cloud can benefit you on a rainy day
Value Of Network Support

Backup and disaster recovery of your business’s data should be a top priority, no matter how small or large your business is.

Anyone who doesn’t have some kind of backup system for their data in today’s time is playing as much risk as driving without car insurance. Regardless, deciding which method to use in backing up data might be nearly as challenging when so many options exist.

The trend seems to be honing in to one system away from the office that may become standard before the end of the decade. That’s because it’s usually the most reliable in how quickly data is saved and in the data retrieval time.

Cloud-Based Backup as Most Reliable System

Saving business data to a cloud means taking your data to an outside hosted server that manages it for you. It’s a solution that’s much more manageable than the era when all data had to be transferred to tape or disk and then stored in another location for security purposes.

This isn’t to say most decisions behind using cloud-based backup aren’t going to vary depending on assessment of a business’s data recovery objectives. Because of those usually more convenient aspects, it explains why cloud-based systems are predicted to become the main solution to most backup issues in companies.

The Cost and Security Aspects are Becoming Attractive

The affordability of cloud-based systems is likely one reason why they’re becoming so popular. That’s because they usually charge a flat rate for the data storage and only charge you more when you need to use their services to recover lost data. Other outsourced backup systems don’t work that way, so it’s a cost-effective strategy for any upstart business.

Plus, with new advanced encyption methods on cloud systems, you don’t have to worry as much about your data being hacked. Each cloud-based server will allow a particular security setting depending on the requests of that business.

Retrieval During Disasters

Companies that live in disaster-prone areas are particularly starting to turn to cloud systems to ensure data can be recovered.

In locations where hurricanes or earthquakes are increasing, the destruction of a business and loss of data can disrupt any chance of a business getting back on its feet. Clouds are known for backing up data often and running recurring tests to make sure everything will be there when it’s desperately needed.

How long it’ll take to get your data back is also a major selling point. Because cloud-based systems are managed so well, it won’t take months to retrieve your data as you’d find with other outsourced backup plans.

But those are just a few of the advantages of using a cloud for your data storage. If you’re looking for the most cutting edge cloud system, consider 4 Corner IT as your source in finding the right one.

Contact us and we’ll connect you with many of our partnered cloud vendors that provide the most robust backup solutions while saving you considerable money.

Digital Doomsday

a mushroom like structure is in the middle of a city

While it would be easy to write, this is not another article about the importance of anti-virus and security. The threats that lurk on the Internet have been well-communicated over the years. Connecting an unprotected computer to the Internet or to an  office network is digital Russian roulette. It is critical to have each inter-connected computer up-to-date with anti-virus software. Maintaining updated computer and antivirus software helps to protect you from 1,000s of online threats including… DOOMSDAY!

Digital Doomsday is July 9, 2012. Before stockpiling food and water it is important to understand the history of Digital Doomsday. The story behind Digital Doomsday reads like a modern day spy story.

In late 2011, the FBI – working in coordination with international authorities – arrested six people responsible for creating and distributing a new Trojan/virus named DNS changer. Unfortunately, the group was very successful in spreading this virus globally to more than 100 countries and possibly millions of computer systems. This virus changed computer DNS settings – the settings which guide you on the Internet – on each infected computer system. This group used the changed settings to direct the computers to their own systems. Instead of using good, reliable settings to lookup technical information on the Internet, the  infected computer used the “bad” settings to search. The “bad” settings directed people to incorrect web pages and many less-than-desirable locations on the Internet. This one little change means an infected computer system can be mis-directed to anywhere the cyber criminals desire.

Once the criminals were in custody, the FBI came up with a plan to help temporarily fix the situation. The “bad”
servers providing DNS were converted to “good” servers. This conversion meant that the correct, validated information was being sent and received across the Internet. Websites were connecting and computers were communicating properly.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Effective July 9, 2012, the “good’ replacement servers are scheduled to
be taken offline. That means each infected computer will no longer be able to find or connect to ANYTHING on the Internet. Essentially, it will be an Internet blackout on each computer system that has been infected. The key is to understand the problem and to take the necessary steps now – should a system be infected – by correcting the DNS settings. You don’t want to be taken by surprise on your home computer system and find yourself in an Internet black hole next month. Some resources are listed below about the DNS changer and Digital Doomsday. – Jeff Eisenhower, Director of Technical Services

Predictions for 2013

predictions for 2013

What will 2013 hold for information security professionals? Certainly a lot more serious incidents as we’ve been incubating a raft of potential crises for the past two decades. But what specifically can we expect? Will it be more of same? Or could we see the dawn of a new era? The answer is likely to be a little of both. Here are my top five predictions for 2013.

Attacks get nastier

Data breaches are bad enough, but at least they don’t disrupt business operations. Long term data damage is much worse. I’ve been forecasting this as a future risk for the last decade. It will begin to hit home during 2013, with rapid growth in cyber extortion and vandalism, perhaps coupled with the emergence of real cyber terrorism. Expect much nastier attacks and watch out for the beginnings of organised protection rackets.

Big challenges from Big Data 

Big Data is the latest technology in a long term trend of increasingly powerful user access, enabling new dimensions in data mining, fusion and navigation, as well as new opportunities for big data breaches. Only compliance and expensive licence fees stand in the way of a user free-for-all in data access. But it spells the end of the ‘least privilege’ principle.

Final death of corporate perimeters 

Many enterprises, including big banks, still cling to the fig-leaf protection provided by private infrastructure. It’s an illusion of course because Internet and email access provides a massive back door for attackers. BYOD is the final nail in the coffin for traditional corporate perimeter protection. The users have left the building, the applications are following and the enemy is already inside.

Security speeds up

Growth in the frequency and impact of attacks will at least persuade security managers to forget the achingly slow Deming cycle and respond to vulnerability alerts and incidents in real time. Patching will get faster, vulnerability scanning will become more frequent, and security staff will become more empowered.

SMEs discover security

In recent years I’ve researched and written extensively about the lack of interest and awareness in security in the small and medium enterprise sectors. The reality is that SMEs aren’t concerned and nobody has bothered to educate them. They remain the soft underbelly of big business and critical national infrastructure. 2013 will see the start of a slow change in this sector, starting with small retailers, as compliance requirements gradually cascade down supply chains. It won’t happen overnight but it will open up new markets for security vendors.