backups

Is Your Company Data at Risk? A Guide to Data Backup and Recovery

November 18, 2024

Picture coming to work one day and discovering all your essential business files – client data, financial records, project documents – are gone. Data loss can happen for many reasons: accidental deletion, hardware failures, cyberattacks, and even natural disasters. It’s not something anyone anticipates, but every business is at risk, and a solid data backup and recovery plan is crucial.

Research shows that nearly 60% of small businesses close within six months after major data loss. Backing up data means creating secure copies of your files that can be restored if something goes wrong.

Why Backups Matter

Data backups protect your business from:

Accidents: Deleting important files by mistake.
Hardware Failures: When devices crash, data stored only on that device is at risk.
Cyber Threats: Ransomware and other attacks that can lock you out of your data.
Compliance Needs: In many industries, data retention is required by law.

Steps to build your backup and recovery plan

First, identify critical data. List the essential files and databases you need to protect – think customer records, finances, and project information.

Next, select a backup method. On-site backups store data on local storage It is quick but can be vulnerable to physical risks like fires, hardware failures and environmental factors.

Cloud backups keep your data off-site, usually with a cloud provider like Amazon. This protects it from local threats and makes it accessible anywhere.

The downside to cloud-only backups is recovery. In the event of a catastrophic failure, such as a failed server, your data must be downloaded from the cloud, which can take days depending on how large your data set is.

Hybrid backups combine on-site and cloud options. It offers the best of both worlds – protecting your data from a local disaster, but also providing quick recovery in the event of data loss.

Automate backups

Automated backups save time and reduce the risk of forgetting. Humans get busy, forget, or procrastinate – automated backup software will run when it is supposed to, and alert if there’s a failure.

Test your backups

Regularly check your backups to ensure you can recover data if necessary. Years ago when tape backups were in use, we were called in to help an accounting firm that suffered a server failure and wasn’t able to get help from their “IT guy.”

The office manager was diligent about changing their backup tapes every day, up to keeping a log and checklist next to the server.

However, the old IT company never actually checked the backups. There was an error nearly a year before that had prevented any backups running properly for 11 months.

Plan for recovery

Outline steps for restoring data, who’s responsible, and the expected timeframe to minimize downtime during a crisis. It is vitally important you understand the true time to recover in the event of a disaster.

If you’re ready to improve your data backup and recovery, reach out to our team for guidance. We can help create a plan that keeps your business secure and your data accessible, no matter what happens.

The Day The Data Disappeared

August 14, 2024

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

It’s a bustling Monday morning, your business is humming with activity. Employees are logging in, meetings are being scheduled, and projects are in full swing.

Suddenly, chaos erupts.

The server has crashed, and with it, access to all your company’s crucial data vanishes. No one can get it started again. And then the harsh reality hits – there are no backups.

This is a real scenario many businesses have faced. The consequences are dire. Without access to client information, ongoing projects, and financial records, the company is paralyzed.

Deadlines are missed, clients are furious, and the financial loss can be staggering. What’s worse? All this could have been avoided with a solid data backup plan.
Data backup might sound like a dry topic, but it’s the unsung hero of modern business operations. Data is the lifeblood of any organization.

From customer information and financial records to proprietary business strategies, everything hinges on the availability and integrity of this data. Without it, businesses simply can’t function effectively.

Think of data backup as an insurance policy for your business. Just like you wouldn’t drive a car without insurance, you shouldn’t operate a business without a data backup strategy.

Backups provide a safety net, making sure that even if the worst happens – a cyber attack, hardware failure, or human error – your business can bounce back quickly. In this scenario, if you had regular backups, the crisis could have been a minor inconvenience instead of a catastrophe. With a backup in place, you could have restored your data swiftly, minimizing downtime and avoiding the loss of trust and revenue.

Let’s not forget about critical workstations, too. With more team members working from home or on the road, it is inevitable that important data will get stored on personal devices. Without a backup, if the device fails or is lost, so is the data.

Beyond crisis recovery, data backups are also crucial for compliance and legal reasons. Many industries have regulations requiring businesses to maintain data records for a certain period. Failing to comply can result in hefty fines and legal trouble.

Better still, the cost of data backup solutions has become increasingly affordable. Cloud-based backup services, for instance, offer scalable options that can grow with your business. They provide automated, regular backups, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to manually save your data.

And of course, investing in a robust backup strategy also contributes to peace of mind. Knowing that your data is safe and recoverable allows you to focus on growing your business without the constant fear of data loss. It’s a small investment with potentially huge returns.

If we can help you implement data backup or check that your current backup still suits your business as it is today, get in touch.

Data Backup Alone Is No Longer Enough

April 21, 2023

Small businesses are increasingly relying on digital data to manage their operations. From financial records to customer information, digital data is the lifeblood of small businesses in today’s digital age. However, with the growing amount of data comes the need for increased data protection measures.

Backups are essential for protecting data in the event of a system failure or other unexpected event. But it’s important to understand that backups alone are not enough to ensure the safety and security of your business’s data. In addition to backups, businesses need to implement data protection measures to prevent data breaches, cyber attacks, and other forms of data loss.

Here are a few reasons why data protection is essential for small businesses: [Read more…] about Data Backup Alone Is No Longer Enough

Office 365: Protect Your Business From Data Loss And Cyber Attacks With These Backup Solutions

April 21, 2023

As more businesses shift to cloud-based productivity tools like Office 365, the need to backup these accounts becomes increasingly important. While many businesses assume that cloud providers automatically backup data stored in their accounts, this is not always the case.

In fact, Microsoft Office 365 recommends that businesses regularly backup their data to ensure that it is protected and easily recoverable in the event of a data loss.

Here are a few reasons why backing up Office 365 accounts is essential for businesses:

Protection against user error

Human error is one of the leading causes of data loss. Whether it’s accidentally deleting a file or overwriting an important document, mistakes can happen.

By regularly backing up Office 365 accounts, businesses can quickly recover lost or deleted data, minimizing the impact of user error on their operations.

Protection against cyber attacks

Cyber attacks are a growing threat to businesses of all sizes. Ransomware, phishing, and other cyber attacks can cause significant damage to businesses, including data loss, financial damage, and reputational harm. By regularly backing up Office 365 accounts, businesses can quickly recover from a cyber attack and reduce the risk of data loss.

Compliance with regulatory requirements

Many industries and jurisdictions have specific data retention requirements that businesses must adhere to. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in fines, legal action, and damage to the business’s reputation.

By regularly backing up Office 365 accounts, businesses can ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and avoid costly penalties.

Simplify migration

Backing up Office 365 accounts can also simplify the process of migrating to a new cloud provider or on-premise solution. With a backup of their data, businesses can quickly and easily move their data to a new platform without worrying about data loss or compatibility issues.

So, what are the options for backing up Office 365 accounts? Here are a few:

Native Office 365 backup tools

Microsoft provides a set of basic backup tools within Office 365. These tools can be used to backup emails, contacts, calendars, and other data within Office 365 accounts.

However, these tools have limitations, including limited retention periods and the inability to backup some types of data, such as SharePoint sites.

Third-party backup solutions

There are a variety of third-party backup solutions available that can backup Office 365 accounts. These solutions provide more advanced features than the native Office 365 backup tools, including longer retention periods, the ability to backup SharePoint sites, and more granular backup and restore options.

Hybrid backup solutions

Hybrid backup solutions combine the benefits of both on-premise and cloud backup solutions. With a hybrid backup solution, businesses can backup Office 365 accounts to both an on-premise location and the cloud, providing an extra layer of protection against data loss.

In conclusion, backing up Office 365 accounts is essential for businesses of all sizes. By doing so, businesses can protect against user error, cyber attacks, comply with regulatory requirements, and simplify migration.

While Microsoft provides some basic backup tools within Office 365, third-party backup solutions offer more advanced features and greater flexibility.

If you’re unsure about the best backup solution for your business, consider consulting with a trusted IT advisor or cloud backup specialist. We can help you assess your risks and develop a comprehensive backup plan that meets your business’s unique needs.

At Tech Experts, we offer a range of backup solutions for Office 365 accounts, including native Office 365 backup tools, third-party backup solutions, and hybrid backup solutions. We understand the importance of protecting your business’s data and are here to help you develop a backup plan that meets your unique needs. Don’t leave your business’s data to chance – backup your Office 365 accounts today.

Small Companies Can Benefit From Redundant Power And Internet

March 20, 2023

As a small business owner, you may not have given much thought to the importance of redundant power and Internet connections. After all, you have bills to pay, customers to serve, and employees to manage.

However, if you rely on technology to run your business, it’s crucial to understand why having backup systems in place is so essential.

As we’ve seen recently, power outages can happen at any time, and they can have devastating effects on your business. Not only can they interrupt your operations and cause costly downtime, but they can also damage your equipment and lead to data loss.

That’s why it’s crucial to have a backup power source in place, such as a generator or uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

A generator is an excellent option for businesses that need to keep critical systems running during a power outage. It can provide continuous power for hours, or even days, depending on the size and capacity of the unit. A UPS, on the other hand, is a device that provides backup power for a short period, usually a few minutes, to allow for a graceful shutdown of your systems.

Regardless of which backup power option you choose, it’s essential to test it regularly to ensure it’s working correctly. You don’t want to wait until a power outage occurs to find out that your backup power system is faulty or not powerful enough to handle your business’s needs. [Read more…] about Small Companies Can Benefit From Redundant Power And Internet

8 Tech Checks To Make Before You Travel

February 5, 2023

Our technology inevitably comes with us when we travel. Most of us won’t even travel to the end of the block without our smartphones. When you go on a trip, not having your technology there when you need it can ruin your day.

Travel smarter and more securely by doing several checks before you go. Use our handy tech travel checklist. It can save you from suffering from lost devices, missing chargers, or a data breach.

Check your apps
Have you ever sat at an airport gate wondering why it looked so empty? You then found out that your gate had changed, and you had no idea. You go rushing to the other end of the concourse, hoping you’re not too late.

How did everyone else know about the gate change? They most likely had the app for the airline and received a notification.

Before you leave for a trip, make sure to download any apps you may need. It’s better to download them when you’re at home on your own Wi-Fi. If you wait until you’re at the airport, reception may be an issue.

Some of the apps you may want to grab or update before your trip are:
• Airline app
• Train app
• Hotel app
• Theme park app
• Camping ground app
• Weather app
• City tourism app

Check your cords & adapters
People leave behind countless chargers and adapters every day. They litter airports, restaurants, and train stations around the world.

Make sure to bring a backup charger for your laptop, tablet, or phone. Otherwise, you may find yourself paying a premium for a new charger in a gift shop. Your device could also go black if you lose its charger and can’t quickly get a new one.

Check your power
A great way to ensure you have the power you need is to buy a small charging battery. You can find these in most major retailers or online. They are small “blocks” that hold a charge and can power up a cell phone in a pinch.

Having this extra backup also helps you avoid potential juice-jacking ports. These are fake or compromised public USB charging ports. Hackers use them to steal your data when you plug in.

Check your mobile plan
If you’re traveling out of the country, you’ll want to check your mobile plan. If you don’t have the ability to call internationally, then you may not be able to text or call home.

Carriers can add an international capability to your plan, but ask about pricing. It can get expensive if you’re on long calls or using mobile data.

An alternative is to set up a VoIP app you can use with your office, friends, or family while you’re traveling. These enable both calls and SMS, but you do need an internet connection.

Check or add a VPN
Free Wi-Fi may be a welcome site when you’re on the road, but it can also be dangerous. You don’t know who else is using that Wi-Fi. A hacker hanging out on the connection can easily steal your data if you’re not protected.

It’s better to use either your mobile carrier connection or a virtual private network (VPN) app. VPN plans are inexpensive and will keep your data encrypted, even if you’re on public Wi-Fi.

Check your backup
Unfortunately, mishaps occur when traveling. You may leave your phone behind on a boat, have your luggage lost, or get your device stolen while in a crowded area. Ten percent of all laptop thefts happen in airports.

Don’t lose all your data with the device! Back up your devices to the cloud or local storage before you travel. This ensures that you won’t lose the valuable information on your device. You also won’t need to think twice about enacting a remote “wipe my device” command if necessary.

Check your device security
Make your devices as secure as possible before you hit the road. When we’re traveling, our minds are occupied by other things. So, you may not think to check your antivirus or avoid suspicious phishing links.

Protect your devices before you go using:
• Antivirus/anti-malware
• DNS filtering
• Screen lock with passcode
• Sharing features turned off
• VPN application
• Find-My-Device feature turned on

Check your double checks
What do we mean by checking your double-checks? Use the buddy system as a backup. When the family is getting off a plane, each should check with the other that they have all their devices.

If you’re traveling alone, have a friend or family member check up by text. Did you grab your charger? Is your VPN turned on? Those little reminders can go a long way toward avoiding digital travel nightmares.

Improve the security of your devices now
Don’t leave your devices unprotected. This could mean a breach of your banking app or personal data. Contact us for device security solutions to reduce your risk.

Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Think You’re Covered For Ransomware? Best To Double Check

June 22, 2021

On May 9, European insurance giant AXA announced it will no longer provide support for ransom payments made to hackers.

While AXA appears to be the first insurer to deny ransom payments, the move could signal an impending shift in ransomware insurance coverage.

The AXA announcement comes as ransomware attacks prove an increasingly lucrative business model.

For instance, victims paid an estimated $350 million in ransom payments in 2020, over 300 percent more than in 2019. In recent high-profile cases, Colonial Pipeline paid attackers $4.4 million, and CNA Financial Corporation paid a whopping $40 million.

Meanwhile, cyber criminals continue to attack organizations across critical sectors. While the FBI and other security experts warn against paying ransoms, companies face devastating losses and even interruptions to critical care.

Cybersecurity best practices, combined with following recommended steps when an attack does occur, may provide the best protection.

Ransomware insurance coverage

Cyber insurance has become a hot topic as organizations scramble to protect themselves against losses resulting from cyber-attacks. In addition to ransom negotiations and payments, typical policies also cover legal costs, as well as costs for forensic analysis, data restoration and communications related to the breach.

However, even before the AXA announcement, many cyber insurance companies had begun to ask more from the companies they insure.

For instance, some insurers require policy holders to complete certain basic security steps. Others have begun to charge a coinsurance or limit payment to a percentage of the loss incurred.

To pay or not to pay

This evolution in cyber insurance reflects more than a move by insurers to manage their own risk. The FBI and other government agencies, as well as many cybersecurity experts, warn against paying ransoms. Researchers at cybersecurity provider Kaspersky explain that paying a ransom provides no guarantee that organizations will recover their data intact.

More importantly, paying the ransom encourages attackers to carry out more attacks. And some experts suggest that carrying cyber insurance actually makes organizations more attractive targets. Clearly, companies cannot depend on insurers to continue to shoulder the bulk of the cyber risk.

Best practices to protect against ransomware attacks

While cyber insurance still provides significant benefits, organizations must focus on cybersecurity best practices to defend against ransomware. Some of those best practices include:

Regular backups – Conduct regular data backups, including system images. Keep multiple copies of the backups, including a copy not connected to the network. And make sure to test the backups.

Keep systems and software up to date – Apply security updates to software, firmware and operating systems when they become available. This includes antivirus and other security solutions.

Develop and review an incident response plan – Having a detailed plan in place before a security incident occurs greatly increases the chance of a successful outcome.

Conduct regular cybersecurity training – While organizations can, and should, implement technology solutions, employees remain a key line of defense against cyber-attacks. Make sure users know how to recognize phishing attempts, share files safely and secure home offices.

Address third party risks – Look into the security practices of the vendors with which you do business to ensure they do not put your company at further risk.

Carefully regulate access controls – Give users only the access they need to the services and data necessary to perform their jobs. This proves even more important in a remote work environment.

Over $1 Trillion Lost To Cyber-crime Every Year

April 21, 2021

$1 trillion! That’s a lot of money. And it’s a figure that’s increased by more than 50% since 2018.

In 2019, two-thirds of all organizations reported some type of incident relating to cyber-crime.

You could make a sure bet this figure rose significantly last year, thanks to criminals taking advantage of the pandemic.

It’s easy to look at big figures like these and not relate them back to your own business. But here’s the thing. The average cost of a data breach to a business is estimated to be around $500,000.

What Is The Difference Between Backups And Redundancy?

August 20, 2018

Chris Myers is a field service technician for Tech Experts.

Modern businesses can generate massive amounts of data in a short period of time. As such, a vital topic of research are ways to project that data.

There are two main categories of data protection: redundancy and backups. These two types of data protection are both very important, but they are not interchangeable.

Both must be understood so that you are not caught unprepared when catastrophe strikes.

What Is Redundancy?
On a single hard drive, data is saved just one time. If that hard drive fails, then that data is lost. In order to prevent this from happening, multiple hard drives are used to store multiple copies of each piece of data.

This setup is called a “RAID,” which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks.

When a single hard drive fails in a properly set up RAID, the other drives change how they operate and continue saving files with very little interruption and no loss of data. In a business such as a doctor’s office where appointments are booked out three months in advance, redundancy can be the difference between a service call with less than thirty minutes of downtime and a multiple day outage affecting hundreds of patients and staff.

What Are Backups?
There are many other ways in which data can be lost, including file corruption, accidental deletion, fire, theft, malware, and more.

Redundancy can protect against hard drive failure, but in cases such as these, it is of no help. For example, if the user accidentally deletes a file, all redundant copies of that file will be deleted.

This is where backups come in. Backups copy your data onto a completely separate storage device.

The most secure backup systems are called offsite backups, because the data is copied to another geographic location entirely. If a user accidentally deletes a file that is backed up, that file can be restored using the backup copy.

However, restoring files from an offsite backup can take quite a long time depending on the amount of data and available network bandwidth. Due to this, many businesses keep another backup on a different device in the same building.

This is referred to as a local backup. Since restoring from a local backups only involve sending the data over the internal network, or even directly copying onto another drive, they can greatly reduce downtime.

So, Which Solution Should You Have?
None of these data protection methods are mutually exclusive and each of these methods has strengths and weaknesses.

With that in mind, most businesses will get the most benefit by having all of them in place because each one fills a gap in coverage left by another.

Redundancy will save data if a single drive is lost to mechanical failure, with very little downtime. However, it can’t protect against almost all other types of data loss.

A local backup will protect against all types of data loss except when both the default and backup locations are lost at the same time. Restoring takes longer than a redundant drive, but is still quite fast.

An offsite backup takes the longest to restore from, but protects against almost all scenarios.

So, the next time you want to impress your coworkers and possibly save the company, ask whether your server or network-attached storage has both backups and redundancy in place.

Data Redundancy And Why You Should Have It

July 13, 2017

Ron Cochran is a senior help desk technician for Tech Experts.

Data redundancy is the making of an exact copy of the data that you are currently working with, in the event of a hardware failure, theft, or those pesky mistakes where you delete something that you really wanted.

What happens is you will have 1 or more hard-drives used for backups, housing those files that are kept nearly current. You will go through the steps to rebuild or restore the files or programs that were removed, then you will be back at the point you were at before the files were lost.

The above is extremely important when you are working with money or medical records. Let’s say you were working with a customer on their tax returns and your office experienced a power outage, which turns your computer off in the middle of saving data. A short while later, the power is restored and you turn your computer on and open the data to resume where you left off — and you find out that there is no record on your computer of your client and you start to panic.

If you had a redundant data solution, then you could restore the data, but if you didn’t, then you will need to call that customer and explain that they will need to bring all of that data back in so you can enter it into your system again. Now, consider how this customer could begin to think of you and your business.

If you have a safety net, you would follow the steps from your program and, in a short while, all of that data that you lost will be restored and you’ll be back at the point when the power went out, with all of your data intact. There are several different ways you can set up a system backup. One of the ways is to have more than one storage solutions to send data to.

With this solution, you will have more than one drive that is saving that information, which will do a couple of things. It will speed up the read/write times and you take less of a chance of losing more data. It’s always wise to have more than one solution for data recovery. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late and find out that in order to recover the data on your drive it’s going to be thousands of dollars.

You can have an image copy of your hard-drive made one time a day (or once a week or maybe twice a month) with a scheduled back up. You could have an application running in the background of your computer that would take up very few resources as it copies your data to a drive or an offsite storage facility.

We offer quite a few different data redundancy solutions to our clients. Those options range from on-site RAID drives to a cloud-based solution that is off-site. With either option, you can have a data backup or an image of your operating system — or even a direct mirror copy of your hard-drive in real time.

If you are worried that you might lose valuable information, then some sort of data redundancy is probably something you should be actively seeking. If you’re overwhelmed by the options and aren’t exactly sure which method would suit your business best, contact us and we can help you narrow it down, as well as provide a solution.