Running a successful business isn’t easy. Between financial considerations, client retention concerns, and employee well-being worries, there are a thousand issues to contemplate. Technology is one issue that keeps many business owners up at night.
When technology is working well, we take it for granted. Even with all the challenges of remote work, we expect our laptops to start up perfectly each morning. No matter where our important data is stored, we expect it to always be accessible. And if one device or one drive doesn’t work, we expect a backup to be available instantly.
But what happens when your critical business information suddenly isn’t available? As severe spring weather sweeps across significant portions of North America and residents on both coasts prepare for hurricane season and wildfire season, it’s time to plan for the impact a disaster can have on your business.
And those are just natural disasters—man-made ones like ransomware, malware, viruses, and data hacks continue to plague businesses around the world. Worldwide, security experts estimate that nearly 2,000 cyberattacks occur every single day—and that only 30% of business data is successfully backed up.
If you don’t know the answer, consider these 7 questions to assess the state of your data backups, information security, and disaster recovery. Then, consider calling a trusted IT provider to help you prepare for the inevitable.
Drawing a blank? Don’t worry—it’s common for companies to struggle with this question. Most data storage occurs on local devices (laptops, computers, thumb drives, external hard drives), where it’s at risk of cyberattacks, hardware failure, and even old-fashioned accidents. The best way to determine this is with an assessment that organizes data assets by priority, identifies any weak links, and formulates a plan for safer off-site and remote data storage options.
Ideally, your business information should be automatically backed up on a daily basis, securely transmitted from company computers to remote physical and cloud-based locations, and stored in multiple locations to minimize the threat of data failure. Once that process is established, the next step is testing the accessibility of those backups so that data recovery procedures can be tested and formalized.
At CMIT Solutions, we specialize in helping North American businesses retrieve their impacted data as efficiently as possible to support a quick return to day-to-day business operations. The Small Business Administration estimates that 60% of small businesses that lose their data will shut down within six months. Having access to your backed-up data can be the difference between thriving in the face of a disaster—or possibly not surviving.
Depending on the size of your business and the industry you work in, the answers might differ. Ransomware, phishing, and data breaches can affect anyone, but cyberthreats come at modern companies from every angle, often served up in a mixture of malicious emails, infected web ads, and even illicit phone calls. Stealing your company’s data may be the main goal, but the methods that cybercriminals use to achieve their aims are always changing.
Different types of data disasters call for different types of responses. In the event of a cyberattack or ransomware infection, for instance, quickly shutting down network connectivity is critical to stop the spread of the problem. During storms, fires, or other natural disasters, backup power supplies take on extra importance. Would your company’s lack of a coordinated response compound the problem? Communication is key in each of these scenarios.
A proactive approach to cybersecurity is a must, especially in today’s unpredictable business landscape. Many companies thrive with managed IT services that rely on around-the-clock monitoring and maintenance. This combines traditional tools like firewalls, automated security updates, and anti-malware with more advanced protocols like threat detection, traffic analysis, and incident response. If you aren’t sure about the need for these extra layers of protection for your data, it’s time to talk to an IT provider.
Many of us only consider data security when it’s too late—after cybercriminals have compromised your information or the inadequacy of your regular data backup becomes evident. At CMIT Solutions, we take a proactive approach to data security, working with clients to prepare for certain types of issues that are most relevant to them so that technology infrastructure and staff-initiated plans are in place from the very beginning.
We believe that data protection is a must for any business—big or small, in any industry, operating in any part of North America. We understand the threat posed by unexpected data loss, and we strive to mitigate the negative impacts of disasters before they strike.
Instead of waiting around to see whether things will get worse, we work 24/7/365 to be proactive about data backup and disaster recovery so our clients can survive and thrive in the face of any disaster. Want to safeguard your most important information? Contact us today.