Cloud Source

Cloud Solutions to Protect Your Data and Secure Disaster Recovery

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Business continuity strategies have traditionally taken a path that addresses only major disasters, such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc. Now that cyber threats have become an everyday occurrence – thanks to pervasive email spamming – organizations are increasingly seeking out cloud solutions that also protect data and provide disaster recovery and business continuity assurances should cybercriminals attempt access.

On the increase are denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and ransomware threats, which, according to a study by data security firm Coveware, have gone up by 40% in the last two years. In that time, the average payment made by ransomware victims to get their data back went from below $20,000 to more than $84,000. Making a small investment in protecting your data makes a lot of sense when you compare that against the cost of paying a ransom.

Complexities to Consider

Most organizations, regardless of their industry, rely in some form or another on colocation and cloud-based services. Even with a dedicated IT team following all the various applications running in the cloud, it can still be confusing to manage security. Consider all the endpoints that have to be secured and who is responsible for what data – it gets complex really fast.

An effective approach to disaster recovery and business continuity planning has been to seek out cloud-based managed services. This has become a go-to model of managing IT tasks, as many organizations are hard pressed to find qualified IT personnel to join their staff. And even if they are available for hire, it’s often at too high a price, which is another nod toward taking on a third party to do the same work at a lesser cost.

The Case for Third Party Assistance

Seeking out cloud solutions from a third party results in a complete alteration of the workflow approach. Not only does it come at a cost savings due to the fact that you’re no longer tied down by investing in on-premise hardware and software, but the third party providers, eager to maintain a competitive edge, are also frequently updating their services.

Part of the technology the outsourced party provides includes disaster recovery as a service, which is increasingly on the minds of business and IT leaders who know the dangers cyber criminals pose, not to mention the curve balls of natural disasters.

At Cloud Source, we can connect you to disaster recovery services that will help you prevent data loss. We can outfit you with a backup plan that can be customized to fit your unique needs. If you’re not sure where to start, our expertise will guide you. Contact us and let’s talk about protecting your data.

Terms to Know for Cloud-Aided Disaster Recovery

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Even the smallest businesses recognize the potential impact that a natural event such as a fire or flooding, or a cyber attack can have on their business, but many are intimidated by the necessary investment in disaster recovery. No matter the size of the enterprise, the cloud provides a variety of resources to make a recovery plan more affordable and effective.

If you’ve examined the cloud options available for disaster recovery, you may have quickly found yourself swallowed up by the wealth of terms that seem somewhat interchangeable, due to their overlapping vocabulary. Is cloud back-up different than cloud recovery, for instance?

The following list includes a few terms you’ll need to know to navigate including cloud tools in your disaster recovery plan:

Cloud Disaster Recovery: When you store copies of your data in the cloud, you can add a safety net to your on-site disaster recovery plan. You may want to rely entirely on the cloud or you may use it as a back-up plan to your other data security planning.

Cloud Backup: This term is often used synonymously with cloud disaster recovery, but it is more effectively described as an element of the above term. Cloud backup stores data off-site, so that a local disaster won’t prevent you from accessing recent data backups.

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS): A third-party provider offers a relatively comprehensive approach to disaster recovery and is a good choice for both small businesses that may not have the in-house talent to support such efforts and for larger enterprises needing extensive support. It’s important to note that while this type of service may cover your technology needs, a full disaster recovery plan will also address physical workspaces, inventory and other aspects of the physical business.

Disaster Recovery Plan: As noted above, your plan should not only include addressing the potential impact on your technology, but also the physical elements of your business. Your disaster recovery plan also introduces new risks and considerations simply by utilizing cloud solutions in your methods. When you include cloud solutions in your impact analysis, you will see how the tools affect your continuity and recovery times. You’ll also need responses planned for situations in which your cloud provider experiences a breach or goes out of business unexpectedly.

Cloud Service Provider: You’ll need to choose a provider that aligns well with your needs and your business culture. Find out the detailed terms of the service level agreement (SLA) and what the consequences are of any unfulfilled terms. Talk with any potential providers about their cloud insurance and the benefits you receive if your provider is impacted by an event. Discuss how and in what time period you’ll be notified if they will no longer offer disaster recovery services.

There’s really no need to memorize a bunch of terms when you’re working with a technology partner ready to walk you through your disaster recovery plan. Contact us at Cloud Source to begin assessing your needs for cloud-based tools and to leverage those that best support your business continuity.

Disaster Recovery Planning Is Crucial in Preventing a Complete Shutdown

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If you need convincing that disaster recovery planning is important, consider that 90% of businesses that can’t get back into the full swing of things within five days of a disaster will cease to exist within in the next 12 months.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Businesses with a solid plan for how to recover from a disaster will come out only slightly bruised, if not completely unscathed.

Flocking to the Cloud

Increasingly, moving data off-premise is taking on more importance. Shifting copies of your data out of your physical location and to the cloud can protect you from a devastating loss. Of course, cloud-based solutions are also rooted in physical systems, which means they’re vulnerable as well, but when the data is duplicated, failure of one data center won’t cause you to lose your important information because it is duplicated at a geographically disparate location.

When a business takes on a cloud-based solution, they have assurances that whatever happens at their location, whether it’s a natural disaster or a cybercriminal attack, the data is safely backed up elsewhere. This can’t happen without the proper amount of planning.

For example, if your business has a single location and a disaster occurs, where will your employees go to communicate with stakeholders and clients? And, can they securely access the remotely stored data from there? Often, it takes an IT consultant to build the right kind of disaster recovery plan.

Building Your Response Plan

Let’s say you have your data backed up and you’re completely covered in the event of a major disaster. The question becomes: how will you access that data following the disaster.

Protocols are required so everyone knows exactly what steps to take following the event. How will you communicate with customers? How will you assure your strategic partners that you’re going to be up and running in no time? How will you respond to media? It’s about a lot more than simply activating your data backup — you have to think in a more comprehensive manner.

At Cloud Source, we have positioned ourselves as an agent that brings new disaster recovery solutions to those who need it most. Our cloud-based disaster recovery solutions will have you covered when data loss and network outages occur. We analyze your business needs so your recovery solution is customized and you have peace of mind that when the worst happens, you’ll be back to business as usual in short order. Contact us today and we’ll discuss in more detail how you’ll benefit by letting us be your agent.

 

How Strong Is Your Business Continuity Strategy?

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Disruption is a word that’s been thrown around in a lot of different ways as of late. To some, it describes something new that reimagines the traditional approach to workflow. However, when you’re talking about business continuity strategies, disruption is a situation we try hard not to experience.

A small disruption to business can be quite costly. A big disruption can be ruinous. For this reason, business continuity planning is taking the front seat for organizations in just about every industry. Our data is our lifeblood, which means researching ways to keep it safe and available is of upmost importance.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Disaster recovery is primarily about protecting data and getting access to it as quickly as possible when something goes awry. Business continuity tackles policies, tools and the various steps that should take place to ensure disruption doesn’t become a defining term for the organization.

It is key that the two be considered together in order to effectively mitigate disruptions. Strategies for business continuity must be compatible with disaster recovery plans.

Addressing Challenges

Step one in building your business continuity strategy is to identify risks. Does your region have issues with power going out frequently? Are hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding or wildfires frequent in your area? These are things to take into account as you prioritize risks and consider how to mitigate them. Of even greater concern is the seemingly random attack from outside sources, especially cyber criminals.

Cyber crime is a challenge that only continues to escalate. Without solid disaster recovery and business continuity strategies in place, a cyber attack can be detrimental to an organization.

Technology to the Rescue

Cloud-based applications can be of great benefit in keeping disruption to a minimum. In fact, taking advantage of data storage and management solutions has been a great asset to many organizations in freeing up physical space and handing off management and updating duties to a cloud solution provider.

It’s important that any new application or management service be analyzed in terms of your disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Integration is important, particularly with current infrastructure, but it must also address the needs that may arise tomorrow.

At Cloud Source, we have positioned ourselves as an agent that can assist clients with business continuity solutions. Rather than sift through the fog in the marketplace to find the right innovative solutions, allow us to step in and fill that role. You can focus on what you do best and let us handle everything else. Contact us today to discuss your unique needs and how we can help you achieve your goals.

Five Data Protection Measures Every Small Business Needs

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It seems like every month there’s another major story in the news about a large corporation whose data has been compromised by a cyberattack, affecting millions of consumers. The reality is that many of the data breaches causing the most damage never make headlines, because they affect small businesses. Extensive damage hits a company that’s not prepared with a data protection strategy.

There are measures you can put in place to protect your small business against a cyberattack. Here are the five that you should prioritize:

Employee training: One of the most important data protection measures is also one of the most budget-friendly. A few of the subjects you should cover in data protection training are how to use high-quality passwords and protect them, making sure employees know the danger of a smartphone that takes too long to hibernate and teaching them to recognize a phishing email.

Data backup: Completing a regular backup protects your data in the event of a natural disaster, and helps you decline to pay the ransom when you’re hit with ransomware. It’s a good idea to not only complete one backup, but to also have a backup that’s stored locally and then back that up with cloud backup. This protects your data in the event of a natural disaster that affects a wider geographic area.

Endpoint protection: Protecting your network is becoming more complicated because there are so many more devices connected to it, and these devices are also likely interacting with cloud solutions. Endpoint protection involves all of your computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Many of these devices come with a firewall program preinstalled, but you should go further with your data protection strategy. An endpoint detection and response program will check for suspicious activity, and then isolate any potential problems for review.

Cyber insurance: It’s a good idea to invest in cyber insurance as a safeguard in case a cyberattack still manages to get through your other data protection measures. It is important to note that cyber insurance alone should never be the sum total of your data protection strategy.

Data recovery: If all else fails, data recovery services may be able to recover data lost through accidental deletion, hardware damage, or a malware attack. Even when your data has been deleted from your hard drive, it doesn’t actually go away permanently. Data recovery services can access the hard drive and reverse the data deletion.

When you need assistance evaluating your data protection strategy, contact us at Cloud Source. Whether you need comprehensive Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) or an assessment of your current approach, Cloud Source can help you protect your business.

Contact

328 S. Jefferson St. Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60661
Ph: 312.753.7880
E: info@CloudSourceServices.com

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