Posts Tagged ‘IT security’
Five Disaster Recovery Planning Tips
If your business is getting ready to set up or install an IT disaster recovery plan, make sure you cover all the bases. Few companies are able to fully recovery from the loss of data or significant downtime, so this is one type of safety net you simply can’t do without.
- Monitor and/or update your disaster recovery plan regularly. The business world and the Internet are both like living, breathing organisms – they change and adapt daily. This means that a disaster recovery plan put in place six months ago might very well be obsolete by the time the unthinkable occurs. Whether you rely on automated monitoring, regular back-up data storage, or an actual physical update of your system, it’s a good idea to include regular updates into your planning and your recovery budget.
- Test the system regularly. Although this is technically part of the monitoring step, it’s a step that 9 out of 10 companies fail to do. But if there are weaknesses in your disaster recovery plan, you might actually be worse off than if you had no plan at all. That’s because you and your team will go through your recovery efforts under the assumption that you were safe from the more pressing issues, and you might fail to perform the most basic - and necessary - steps.
- Keep data stored somewhere else. Whether you keep your backed-up data stored physically off-site or you use offshore storage for all your information needs, having the information away from your own system is the most important thing. This back-up data will need to be updated regularly, according to your recovery point objective (or how reliant your business is on having the most recent data possible).
- Protect the hardware that goes home. If you have laptops that employees take home for work use, you need to install the laptops with theft recovery and data delete options. The top-of-the-line options will be able to return all the necessary information to you and still disable the computer so that the thief can’t get access to the same data.
- Consider hiring someone to do the disaster recovery planning for you. Whether you are a small business without an IT department or a large business whose data planning needs span entire departments and cross-country facilities, this is one area where it doesn’t pay to cut corners.
Information Technology: Why Hire a Third Party
As more and more people become computer-savvy and companies open up IT departments to handle information and technology needs, the idea of hiring a third party may seem like an expense you simply don’t need. However, there are benefits to a third party IT professional beyond the obvious.
Vulnerability programs can slow your system down. Your employees and customers need to use your network every day in order to make purchases and get the job done. Vulnerability assessments and security scans can take up some of that precious bandwidth and make your system slow down. A third party IT firm can run their programs during non-office hours without placing a burden on your employees.
When it comes to knowledge, sharing is key. One of the primary benefits of an IT firm is that the professionals have worked with dozens of firms in the same industry as yours. While a reputable firm would never share sensitive information, they may have insight into best practices and new technologies that may or may not have worked for another company.
Distance provides clarity. In the bustle of day-to-day activities, an on-site IT department or professional might prioritize tasks according to a skewed system. After all, your employees have their own to-do lists and tasks to be completed, and they may not have the “bigger picture” in mind. When you work with an outside IT firm, you can create your own list of priorities and act accordingly. This will ensure that the most important (and foundation-building) tasks get done first.
It doesn’t matter whether your company is considering information technology risks for the first time or if you’ve been in the business of IT safety for years; looking for a third party IT provider is a great step. Save time, save money, and save the headache of IT disasters to come by outsourcing all your IT needs.
IT Career Planning
Despite a rough economy, choosing a career in the IT field has never been a better idea. Not only is the field poised to grow over the next decade, but there are more options than ever before in temporary, part-time, or even overseas placement.
Whether you are starting out straight from college, or you have years of experience in the field, there are opportunities in information technology that will keep you operating at your best.
For College Graduates
One of the key components that college recruiters root into the brains of students is: NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. It is all about who you know. Get your name out there by interning, volunteering, and working on related school projects. This will often help down the road when you are hunting for you suitable career.
You might also want to consider working with an IT staffing company to help build experience and diversify your resume. Because jobs are offered on a temporary and part-time basis, you can grow your skills and undergo training as you work out in the field.
For Experienced Professionals
Internet employment agencies have become a new wave for companies pursuing new faces because they broadly cover individuals rather than focusing on one group or area. These types of agencies also offer greater competition, and it is convenient to update your portfolio/profile as you expand your experience and skills.
Companies like Guidance Consulting also provide a helpful tool to use for IT information of any kind, including employment opportunities as well as “how-to” steps toward fulfilling IT needs in any industry. Because you are working with an established firm, you also get to make contacts with a wide network of individuals and professionals in information technology.
Vulnerability Management: Beyond Patching
Much of the time, businesses associate vulnerability management with patching and other types of IT repairs. To an extent, this is true; a large part of protecting your network against potential damages is to find the holes in your system and repair them.
However, patching is really only a temporary IT solution. Over time, continually relying on patches can start to wear on a system to the point where the solution becomes a problem of its own. It’s a lot like a favorite pair of jeans. One or two holes can be fixed with a needle and threat or funky patch, but there comes a point where your original pants are all but gone, and what you’re looking at is a collection of mismatched repair jobs.
There are a number of reasons why this might provide a strain on your system – and your bottom line.
- Some patches aren’t adequate to fix an entire problem. They may provide an immediate solution, but without follow-through work, the hole might simply reappear.
- Patches typically work for one issue only. You might be required to install several patches for several different holes; this is neither time-effective nor cost-effective in the long run.
- Your entire system can be burdened by “over-patching.” Instead of one, streamlined system, you’re relying on a bulky system that may require additional time for processing data.
- Relying on patches means you stop looking at the bigger picture - a good, well-working system. Instead of spending a few hours every week addressing problems on your out-of-date system, you could upgrade your network and let your system operate at its maximum potential.
System patches do have a time and a place in IT vulnerability management – they can secure your system and let you get back to the job you do best. However, if you find yourself spending more than a few hours a month addressing patches, or if your system hasn’t been upgraded (or checked by an IT professional) in a year, it might be time to readdress your vulnerability management plan.
Tapping into Netbook Technology
Laptops are old news these days. No matter what coffee shop or airport you’re sitting in, there are people in every corner typing away on tiny, portable machines. You’ve probably noticed that as technology changes, it often shrinks. Laptops have become smaller and smaller, and now we’ve arrived at netbooks.
What Is a Netbook?
Imagine a laptop, but make it about one half the size. It’s extremely portable, has all of the memory and application access most people need, and best yet – it is offered at a fraction of the price. While it’s true that netbooks tend to have less memory and a smaller screen, they are more than enough computer for most people to handle their immediate computer needs. They are easier to carry around, they are lighter, and yet they still allow employees to get to work when they are out of the office without risking the loss of an expensive machine.
So, is a netbook right for you? Well, the screen is smaller, so it really comes down to how much time needs to be spent on the screen. A writer, for example, may have a hard time using one for his or her job. An employee who needs to check on data and send communications, however, as well as have a link into the office could find a netbook to be ideal.
So, the next time you’re in the market for new laptops, why not consider netbooks? You could save some money and still allow your employees the freedom to be efficient even outside of the office.
Why HR Needs Their Own Data Storage
Every member of your company works together as a team. They collaborate and communicate in order to build the best product possible and to get the job done. All of these employees, however, have confidential data that needs to be protected. Their health information, job history, reviews, and other documents should not be open to prying eyes. So, how do you maintain confidentiality when you are all working together on the same network?
First and foremost, your Human Resources department needs to be able to access data securely. While it can be kept on the same servers as other company data, you need to ensure that the access to it is secure and very restrictive. Not only is protecting your employees’ privacy the right thing to do – it’s also the law. Making sure you protect the data will not only keep your employees happy, but it can keep you from being subject to fines or a lawsuit.
The printers your HR staff uses should also be off limits to the rest of the company, as well. These printers should be kept in a secure location so that if documents are printed, no one outside of HR can accidentally come across them. Other employees should not be able to use these printers for their own jobs for this same reason. Even if personal information is divulged on accident, it was your duty to keep it secure, and a breach can have serious consequences.
These days, it’s important to take the time to keep personnel information safe. You trust your HR people to protect the data, but they can’t do it without a little help from you.
Hacking Isn’t What it Looks Like in the Movies
We’ve all seen movies and TV shows that present someone breaking into a computer. From early 80s teen movies to recent Hollywood blockbusters, hacking is everywhere on the big screen. While these movies occasionally show a nerdy sort of fellow cracking codes, by and large it’s suave, attractive, highly competent people doing the work for a big payoff.
In the real world, this is rarely how it works.
How can I say that? Well, because most of what is trying to break into your network aren’t people - good-looking or otherwise. They are programs, viruses, and malware.
They are also quite effective. If these programs can map your system and get inside, they can steal your data or even destroy it. If your data is taken, you will lose time, money, productivity, and possibly even your clients and customers. Is that a risk you can take?
So, what’s a heroic company like yours to do? Well, you need to find those weaknesses before anyone else can. Your best course of action is to contact some IT security experts. While these professionals may not get the glory in the movies, these are the people who can beef up your security and help keep your network safe in the real world.
It’s a small commitment with tremendous rewards, especially when you consider what types of damages can occur if you don’t. You may not be chased by the bad guy through the streets of Prague, but you could lose all the time and money you’ve invested in your company.
After all, with fewer security worries, you’ll have more time to relax and enjoy the big picture.
How Well Have You Planned for Your Company’s Future?
Even in the dark days of recession, you are keeping your company running. Your planning and resources have made the difference, and even now you are making it through. You’ve planned for growth as well as for lean times, and even for a disaster.
Good for you. But just how well have you planned for your future IT capacity needs?
Your business relies on quick turnaround and even quicker communication. Your employees need to access data, to process it, and also to store it. They need to communicate with you and your customers as well as with each other. Knowing your system needs and how you expect them to grow will allow this to continue.
Think of your business as running along a pipe. With your current needs, you’re flowing along with some extra room. If there’s a spike in volume, you can handle it. What happens when your business grows? Will you invest in a huge pipe and let your business trickle along the inside? While you’ll certainly have the space to keep things moving, you’ll have wasted a lot of resources buying and installing far too much infrastructure.
Capacity planning is all about finding the balance between what you need today and what you’ll need tomorrow, while not wasting time and money purchasing too much. Your IT system keeps your business running, and it’s important to make sure that it continues to flow. By taking a look at your capacity needs and making plans for the future you can make sure that your data is can keep to its course without flooding over or backing up.
Can Your IT Staff Really Find Your Vulnerabilities?
Your IT staff was handpicked from a variety of applicants. You chose the people with the best training and the most experience, and they’ve come together to form a formidable team. They’ve built your network and keep it running while maintaining the security of your data and resources. But just how secure are your systems? No matter how experienced your staff is, is it really wise to leave security in the hands of general IT staff?
Network security is complex. It requires constant training and experience. New loopholes are being regularly exploited. Original viruses are being created every day.
Is your staff up for the challenge?
One solution is to find an experienced security consultant. Day in and day out, these specialists work with companies to streamline and strengthen security. They are constantly trained to meet the challenge of securing networks and keeping data safe.
Think of your IT staff as a local baseball team. Sure, they’ve got more skills than most people. They keep the ball moving and score the runs. Put them on a team in the Majors, however, and you can really see the difference.
It’s not that your IT staff isn’t skilled or that they can’t learn. The issue is that they specialize in building networks and keeping your company running, not in security. They’re simply playing at another level, and don’t have the experience to initiate a comprehensive security protocol. IT security consultants, on the other hand, do nothing else. Let experience be your guide, and let a consultant work with your IT staff. You’ll get better security and a more streamlined system, and then you can really start hitting it out of the park.
Are You IT Tip: Don’t Put Too Much Trust in Your Vulnerability Tracking Software
Vulnerability tracking software can be a tremendous help when you are looking to tighten up security. When you run it regularly, you can find out if you need to update applications or if there are gaps in your security structure. You can take the data, implement it and go on your merry way, right? Sadly, this is just not the case. If only vulnerability tracking were this easy, IT security would be a breeze.
The truth of the matter is that while vulnerability tracking software can be a great way to find some weaknesses, it can’t do everything. It’s just not comprehensive enough, and it cannot think. A true system security review requires perspective, expertise, and creativity. The software, no matter how advanced, isn’t a flexible human mind. In order to fully secure your system, you need the help of a security specialist. This person has the knowledge and ingenuity to implement the best security protocols out there.
The fact that vulnerability tracking software has limitations doesn’t mean that you should stop using it, of course. It can still be a vital part of your security plan when you understand its limitations. Understanding that it has limitations and that you still need human reviews of your security is what really matters. The software is still a great tool, and you should be using every instrument at your disposal to secure your business.
Combining software with human experience is what it really takes to take your security to the next level.