Why Off Site Backups are the Safest Option

Everyone understands how important it is to back up computerised information, but when was the last time you reviewed your backup systems?

If you’ve never had to cope with a major loss of data you should consider yourself lucky, but don’t allow yourself, or your staff, to become complacent. Periodically check that what should happen in theory always happens in practice. Ask a few ‘what if?’ questions. If they reveal any weak spots, find a solution as quickly as possible.

Many small and medium sized businesses are deciding they can’t afford to take even the smallest risk of having valuable data lost, stolen or destroyed. They are choosing the safest option and using secure, off site backup services. Here’s why:

Reliability
When you’re busy, it’s all too easy to forget about backing up your work until after a file has been accidentally deleted or the hard drive has crashed. But an off site storage system automatically copies data directly from your computers to a remote server at pre-arranged times. There’s no need for reminders, and no danger of a single document being overlooked.

Minimising the risk of theft
Once your backups are carefully locked away they are probably safe from all but the most determined thief. But how often is your data transported from one place to another? Do you carry CDs or USB flash drives in your briefcase so you can take work home with you? Do you copy files to a laptop so you have all the information you need when attending meetings out of the office? Have you stopped to think what effect it might have on your business if that briefcase or laptop went missing?

Using an off site backup service eliminates that risk. You simply access whatever you need from your backed up data using any computer with an Internet connection.

Encryption
This is a layer of security that is often underused. If you only encrypt sensitive information when emailing it, you might not think it necessary to encrypt your stored data. That’s fine if you can be certain it will never fall into the wrong hands, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. With off site backups all your files are encrypted and compressed before leaving your computers. They can then only be recovered by using your account number, password and encryption key.

Disaster proofing
Is the place where you store your backed up data well away from your computers? Is it completely fireproof and waterproof? No matter how careful you are, accidents and malicious damage can happen. Nowhere is completely safe against all eventualities, but a company specialising in off site backups is far more secure than the average office and many store your data in more than one location.

Long-term storage
Tapes, CDs and DVDs don’t last forever and some – even if they are the same age and brand – become corrupted sooner than others. Although data storage technology is improving all the time it makes sense to check your backups regularly to ensure your data is still readable. And you would be well advised to make new copies of your oldest archives: just in case. All this takes time, which could probably be better spent on growing your business. If you use an off site backup service however, your data is protected for as long as you need.

Why Outsource IT?

Every business needs an IT management plan to ensure the smooth running of its IT systems.

For any business, an IT failure at a critical moment can have far-reaching consequences. Telling your customers and suppliers, ‘Sorry, our system is down’ will do little to enhance either your balance sheet or reputation.

But what options are available to the owner of a small or medium sized business working to a tight budget? One that is worth investigating is outsourcing your IT to a specialist IT support company.

How do you decide if outsourcing your IT is right for your business? When weighing up the costs and benefits, you could start by asking the following questions:

1. What do you do if there is an IT problem?

Do you, or one of your staff, have to stop work to sort it out? Do you call someone in? Do they come straight away?

2. If your whole system was out-of-action for a day, how much would it cost you:

a) to have it repaired?
b) in lost orders?
c) in wages paid to staff who cannot do their work?

3. Have you ever allowed someone who knows all about PC to fix a problem – only to have it made worse?

4. How much time do you spend doing routine maintenance tasks?

5. How often have you neglected to carry out those important but time-consuming computer checks and updates?

6. Are you sure you are using your existing system in the most efficient and cost-effective way?

7. Are you able to keep up-to-date with, and take advantage of, all the latest IT innovations?

If you want to know more about how outsourcing works, contact a reputable IT support company in your area. Look for one that is qualified to manage all types of IT systems and understands the needs and concerns of business owners like you.

Many will offer a free, no obligation consultation that includes an audit of your IT system and suggestions for a range of services that can be tailored to your exact requirements. You can choose to outsource only the more complicated tasks, or you might prefer to opt for a full network maintenance contract that takes complete care of your whole system.

Whatever you decide, you will discover that handing responsibility for your IT over to a reliable specialist service can save money, headaches, and valuable time that you and your staff can put to better use in growing your business.

Wireless Networks: How Secure is Yours?

Is your Wireless Network secure? Are you absolutely sure...?
It is probably the case these days that most home and office networks are running wirelessly, taking advantage of the convenience and benefits a wireless network brings.

However, and very worryingly, we have experienced a number of issues lately where wireless networks have not been properly set up by businesses and were therefore running the risk of a security breech.

Wireless networks, when properly configured, can actually offer a far higher level of security than wired networks. But it is vital to have the network set up by an expert from the outset so as to avoid serious problems that could have far reaching consequences for your business or personal data and privacy.

Keep your Resources Safe

Resources can be anything from your internet service to your software. If your wireless network is not secure, anyone nearby can connect to it. Not only does this mean they will take advantage of the internet access that you pay for, they could also find their way into your data, e-mail and anything else they can lay their hands on.

It is commonly thought that wireless routers are secure by default: this is not true! They need to be set up to be secure and simply hiding your network ID (SSID) is not good enough.

How to Secure a Wireless Network

The best way to ensure security is to get help from an experienced IT professional in setting up your network. This is particularly important if you are running a business. They will ensure:

• Your admin password is re-set to something strong enough to prevent unauthorised access
• Your wireless router is physically secured so as to prevent tampering
• Suitable authentication and encryption are used

Secure your business and personal information by securing your wireless network; don’t think your wireless router is secure just because it says so on the pack. Take appropriate steps to set up your network so that it protects you, and if you are unsure how to do this, seek professional IT advice.

Why you need a content managed website

You need a content managed website: fact. Well, you don't want to be hanging around waiting for costly updates to be made to your website, do you?

Firstly, let’s explain what a ‘content managed website’ is.

Basically, it’s one that you can edit yourself, without having to ask a web designer to do it for you, and without having to know anything about web programming or design.

A content management system is something that will benefit you greatly if you want to keep your website up to date as and when you please. And it will present you with considerable cost savings in the future too.

Report your news as it happens, not several weeks later!

Imagine you have some news to report, or your pricing has changed, or you have added new products to your range. You want to get that information updated on your website as soon as possible; but your website designer is busy or on holiday and they can’t do the updates for you straight away. And when they do finally get round to them, they send you a hefty bill!

Regularly updated website content boosts search engine success

A website needs to be updated regularly so that visitors and search engines alike are fed with new content. Search engines love new content and you will benefit from increased rankings the more you add. Additionally, fresh content on a website keeps visitors interested; if they know there is something new to read, they will keep coming back to see what you have to offer.

With a content managed website you can:

• Improve your search engine rankings by regularly adding fresh content
• Keep visitors interested by reporting your news as it happens
• Update your website text and images via the internet without the need for any software or web programming knowledge
• Stop paying ongoing web designer costs and waiting weeks for updates to be done

If you have a static website, that is one you cannot update yourself, you will already know the frustrations. If you are looking at setting up a website for the first time, think about the benefits of adding a content management system; it will be slightly more expensive at the outset, but in a short period of time you will easily pull back the additional cost and be reaping the rewards of a regularly updated website.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing: one of the latest buzz phrases, but what exactly does it mean and what effect is it going to have on the way we work?

In a nutshell, cloud computing is a new way of working; and it’s set to be revolutionary, especially for smaller and home based businesses.

Another name for cloud computing is ‘hosted desktops’. This is probably a better term to describe the concept because it sums it up literally.

With a hosted desktop, a specialist provider runs your server remotely. All your data, software and applications are kept on an external server and you simply login via the internet and access your desktop, complete with documents, files, folders, software and applications. It really is as simple as that! But let’s go into just a bit more detail so you can see just how beneficial this way of working could be to your business.

The benefits of using a hosted desktop, or cloud computing, are vast. Here’s a quick summary:

Big Benefits

• Complete security and peace of mind - no data or software stored on site
• No need for manual back ups – your data is constantly backed up throughout the day so you will never lose any of it
• No need to invest in costly server purchases or maintenance
• Access your own familiar desktop wherever you are via the internet and enjoy instant access to your data and applications
• Constant access to the latest software versions without having to load, update or purchase anything yourself
• PC damaged or stolen? No problem; your data is still accessible via another PC
• No need for a costly IT department or maintenance contract
• Substantial cost savings

If you run a small business, a hosted desktop will completely change the way you work; it will enhance your competitive edge by allowing you to compete with larger players in your industry with very little outlay. Cloud computing is safe, it’s secure, and it makes life so much easier.