business continuity · 4 Corner IT

Disaster Recovery Services Every Florida Business Needs

Massive data loss can destroy a business. Ransomware, fires, floods, and physical theft are just a few of the ways that your data could be wiped out. The irrecoverable loss of business records is worse than any physical loss. Insurance can cover the harm to furniture, equipment, and even an entire office, but it can’t bring back lost information. Research has shown that half of all organizations haven’t implemented the data protection and recovery processes they need to survive a disaster. Without disaster recovery services, a business will take weeks to put its data back together, and some data will be impossible to get back. Downtime means lost revenue, and it will eventually lead to bankruptcy.

The Causes of Data Loss

Physical disasters are a leading cause of on-site data loss. A fire, electrical surge, or flood can make disk drives inoperable. Combined with other damage from the event, the inability to continue normal data processing seriously disrupts business operations.

Online crime targets a company’s most valuable data. Ransomware encrypts files, making them unusable, and demands a payment for restoring them. It attacks backup files if it can reach them. Giving in to the extortion demand doesn’t always get the files back.

Burglars can break into an office and steal computers. The chances of getting them back are low. Break-ins cause damage beyond what is physically carried off.

User error can wipe out or corrupt important files. It might be a long time before you notice, making it hard to restore them.

The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy

A widely recommended approach to protecting data is the 3-2-1 strategy. This means having at least three copies of your data, on two or more devices, with at least one of them in a remote location.

The three copies include the active version of the data, a local backup, and a remote backup. The local backup is the easiest to keep up to date, since you have a high-bandwidth connection to it that doesn’t depend on the Internet. The remote one is safe from events that affect your office and could damage the local backup.

Backup vs. Disaster Recovery

Having a backup is important, but it’s not the same as a disaster recovery plan. Saving files isn’t enough. Configuration data, user account information, and license keys are vital to operations. To get back up and running quickly, you need procedures for restoring data and operations when your hardware fails. If you lose an entire disk, can you install a fresh one that will let employees use business applications just as they did before?

To do this, you need not just a file backup but a disk image or a failover system. A complete disk image lets you get everything back into place — files, directories, accounts, and databases. A failover system goes a step further; you turn it on, and it runs everything just as the old system did. Cloud-based failover systems are within the reach of many IT budgets.

Setting up a disaster recovery plan isn’t something you can wing. It starts with an analysis to determine all your requirements. The backup mechanisms need to cover all your essential data, and the recovery process needs to operate with an acceptable amount of downtime. Once it’s in place, the plan needs testing. If a crucial system isn’t being backed up, you want to know about it and correct it before you experience data loss.

Having expert advice will make sure your recovery plan works. We offer backup and recovery plans for businesses throughout South Florida, letting you run your business in confidence that a data-loss incident won’t be more than an inconvenience.

Get in touch with us to discuss the plan that is best for your business. Or if you’re not ready yet, grab the Comprehensive Guide to Disaster Recovery eBook from WheelHouse IT to learn more.

6 Simple Steps to Business Continuity Planning in a Disaster

Disaster can strike anytime, anywhere. No business owners likes to think of what may happen in the event critical processes and information are compromised, but creating simple steps for business continuity planning is the most proactive approach a company can take. Consider how your business might preserve core functions and integrity in the event of:

Data loss or damage
Flood or fire
Downtime of critical technology systems
Loss of key members
Loss of access to software and accounts
Hacking and data theft

Many companies tend to focus on the recovery stage, once the damage has been done. While coming back from a disaster is undoubtedly an important component in any business structure, at 4 Corner IT we are firm believers in active data protection and core process defense. That’s why we’ve put together 6 Simple Steps to Business Continuity in a Disaster. With your business is facing a cyber breach or a more tangible crisis, be sure to have a backup plan ready and waiting.

Prepare a Business Impact Analysis

Think of a business impact analysis, or BIA, as a fire drill for your company. A concise, predictive model simulates the likely impacts that may result from a potential loss scenario. Risk assessment may include any scenario from a direct loss of resources to failure of a major vendor or service. Items to consider when mapping a BIA include:

Lost sales and income
Delayed sales or income
Increased expenses (e.g., overtime labor, outsourcing, expediting costs, etc.)
Regulatory fines
Contractual penalties or loss of contractual bonuses
Customer dissatisfaction or defection
Delay of new business plans

Determining the financial and global impacts of each gives businesses direction when it comes to investing in recovery and mitigation.

Rate Your Readiness

Look for the weak links in your company chain. Grading your performance is never fun, but a thorough audit allows us to identify vulnerabilities before they become threats. Give your large or small business a health check by evaluating firewalls, network security, corporate protocol for sensitive information such as passwords and data, and overall readiness should a disaster strike. Assign a numerical grade to each item, with 1 being not at all prepared and 5 being fully ready to withstand a crisis.

Construct a Plan

Now it’s time to work out a plan. An effective disaster recovery plan should closely mirror the BIA you’ve prepared. For each scenario, include a triage approach to how your business will handle a crisis based on the severity and magnitude of the threat. A solid plan should include:

Communication
Delegation
Plan for hard assets (office equipment, electronics, furniture)
Plan for digital assets (data, passwords, accounts and software)
Backup check
Detailed asset inventory
Vendor communication and service restoration plan

Specific details of each can be aligned to your business’ needs and priorities.

It Takes a Team

Do your employees know what to do in the event of a disaster? Is there a clear chain of command to delegate tasks if key members of the team are suddenly absent? Will key processes be able to continue in the event of a delivery delay or supply shortage?

These are the kinds of questions effective leaders need to be asking their team. Disaster recovery and preparedness is a company wide effort. Communicate a consistent protocol to all departments and be sure each member of your team understands the company’s plan of action when it comes to preserving business continuity in the face of a crisis.

Evolve Alongside Your Growing Business

Because your company is constantly growing and evolving, be prepared to review, test, and update your disaster preparedness strategy. A dynamic plan should be reevaluated every six months to take into account changing processes and functions. Make a checklist and involve department managers in the auditing process so that everyone is on board with a proactive approach to loss prevention and recovery.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Even the most disaster savvy businesses rely on experts to fill the gaps in their plan. Trusting in knowledgeable professionals allows you and your staff to focus on your own expertise — the success of the company.

Our IT team is available whenever our New York business owners need us with active solutions to data recovery and disaster preparedness. From managed IT services to support and consulting, we take the stress out of protecting your company’s valuable digital assets.

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Backup Data Offsite to Thwart Cyber Criminals

Time and time again, managed service providers have stressed the importance of completing regular data backups, even for very small businesses. As even these small businesses have come to rely on their data more and more, most companies do understand why backing up their data is a very smart move on their part. Unfortunately cyber criminals are always on the lookout for additional targets and they do seem to target businesses much more than simple personal users. While performing regular backups is still a must, it’s important to discuss one additional aspect of backing up data that can make or break a company if the worst should happen and they become a target of a cyber thief.

Onsite Backups

If a company never encounters a threat from a cyber criminal, an onsite backup would still be an invaluable asset to have in the event of equipment failure or some other internal failure. All a company would have to do is restore their most recent backup, check for any issues, and once given the all clear sign, employees could continue their work.

The problem with onsite backups is that once a cyber criminal gains access to a company’s network, they likely can gain access to their onsite backup as well. In the case of a ransomware attack, a cyber criminal could hold the data of an entire company hostage, including their onsite backup. Either the company pays the ransom or they face potentially losing all their vital business data.

Offsite Backups

The above scenario is precisely why service providers not only encourage regular backups, but they also encourage companies to store a copy of their backups in an offsite location. As everyone becomes more dependent upon their business data to function, it’s a perpetual race to see whether the cyber criminals will take advantage of vulnerable institutions, or whether companies will start taking their business data seriously and take concrete steps to protect this vital asset.

If you would like to know more about establishing an offsite location for your data backups, please contact us.

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Computer Upgrading

Holding onto an old computer that’s maintained until the wheels fall off can be a good thing — a way to save money which is part of the battle in running any kind of business. Sometimes, however, businesses are compelled to upgrade or buy new computer equipment even though old equipment can still be used. A compelling to upgrade computer equipment can come from a variety of avenues, but let’s look at what is probably the three most important reasons businesses upgrade their computer equipment:

Security
Usage
Budget

Businesses change over time and so the capabilities of computers running those businesses must be able to handle the general workload that those computers are needed for. In some cases, the data being processed on business computers requires a much higher standard of security to protect it. If the data being processed through a business computer requires a higher standard of security, there are various ways that a computer can be upgraded, especially if a business manager is looking for free or economical ways of upgrading. Searching the internet for solutions is a good place to start.

In some cases, the motive for upgrading computer equipment can stem from what the computer is being used for. Although that can encompass computer security as part of the motive, sometimes, for example, computer programs won’t run well on old versions of computer operating systems (such as Microsoft Windows) and so the computer operating system must be upgraded in order to run the newly written computer program (such as Microsoft Office). If for whatever reason, a computer operating system cannot be upgraded, continuing to use the computer for other jobs is a common way to get one’s money’s worth out of it.

Obviously, the budget of any business or organization is going to affect how and when computer equipment can be upgraded. If upgrading hardware or software is cost-prohibitive, there are economical ways to upgrade computer hardware as well as computer software. The internet contains a sea of free software that can usually do just as well as some of the more popular software — Open Office and Kingsoft Office are free alternatives to using Microsoft Word. Buying used computer hardware from eBay or Amazon can be a good place to acquire needed computer hardware.

Please contact us if assistance is needed in upgrading computer hardware or software. It can be a tedious job and in many cases, business owners and managers don’t have time to dedicate to such a task.

business continuity

Are You Receiving The Services Your Need From Your Network Support Provider?

Getting ahead of the competition is always important in every industry, especially when the industry is filled with competition and is very lively. One of the key ways you can ensure that you will place yourself in front of your competitors is to make sure you have the right network support service on your side. The right network support service will ensure that you are equipped with a variety of services.

Secured Data

Due to the numerous risks of identity theft and data breaches, your business needs to have a network support service that is engaging at all times because an engaged network support service will give you a better chance at managing these risks. The right network support service will be able to create a security system that will not be easy for outsiders to access. The security system will also be used to monitor the security of your networks on a regular basis.

Established Network

Another important feature that your network support service will provide you is the maintenance and establishment of your network. Your business needs to have a network that is able to store data and share the data when needed. The network support service will also be able to create a network that every employee will be able to connect to. When you use strong networks and cloud technology, you will quickly discover that your business will become more productive and more efficient.

Are you currently receiving any of the above from your current network support provider? If you are not receiving the services or support you feel your business needs, it may be time to think about switching network support providers.

If you have experienced hardware failures, if your support questions are never answered, and if you are not able to retrieve any of your backups, please do not hesitate to contact us today for more information about our network support services and how we can increase your business’s efficiency.