How safe is your back-up?

by RITO Technologies | Jul 29, 2021 | New Normal

How safe is your back-up?

Computers use drives to store your data.

The constant reading and writing of data will eventually lead to drive failure, due to mechanical failure or drive degradation, usually without warning.

There are also other situations which may result in data loss, such as power failures, system or file corruption, viruses, ransomware, or malware attacks. It is therefore important to store a copy of your data somewhere else – as a safety net or form of redundancy.

5 Benefits why you need a back-up:

1. Client Relationship: Saved information improves client relationship management, which leads to increased marketing and sales. Additionally, saved client information builds trust and value of a company.

2. Archiving: Backed up information streamlines the development of archives. Archived files lead to comparative studies of the past and present to devise a more effective plan.

3. Competitive Gain: Saved company data can be a competitive advantage because there are many businesses that fail backup important information.

4. Improved Productivity: With existing backed up files, companies improve productivity by reducing wasted time.

5. No Wasted Time: Data backup reduces ‘wasted time’ by preventing repetitions. Thus, employees do not have to rewrite reports.

Where should your back-up data go?

There are a number of choices to consider based on the data that is being back up, including the size of the backups, setup complexity, portability and security requirements, budget, and whether it must be an on-site or offsite backup.

1. External hard drives– One of the most common storage mediums, external drives, are easy to setup, relatively cheap, provide multiple storage size options, are portable and are usually large enough to store a lot of data. But also have the risk of being damaged or stolen.

2. USB flash drives–They are good for transporting data between locations efficiently. However, they are also prone to being lost or stolen, have a low storage capacity, and certain higher-end models are more expensive.

3. Disc media (CD/DVD-Rom)– Burnable disc media is a dying storage medium, although there are still some people who use them. They are cheap, portable, and can be used for offsite storage. However, they have limited storage capacity, a short shelf life and are considerably slower than hard/flash drives.

4. Cloud Backup– Storing your data in the cloud is the latest trend in backup technology. Data stored on cloud services are always accessible from any internet-connected device. Cloud storage is offsite, so it keeps your data safe from disasters.

5. FTP/FTPS/SFTP– Like cloud storage, FTP is an offsite storage solution and may be a solid and reliable option to consider if available.

Data backups are among the most important infrastructure components in any organisation because they help guard against data loss. Backups provide a way of restoring deleted files or recovering a file when it is accidentally overwritten.

To be prepared takes a clear action plan, backed by a good IT strategy.

Rito-Technologies is an IT business partner who maximises business output through technology. They enable their clients to be secure with their IT Strategic Planning, which is guaranteed to increase your accessibility, productivity, and levels of communication with the right level of technology for business and potential customers.

For more information about our IT Strategic Planning or our back-up solutions, please get in touch with us at info@rito-tech.co.za and we will gladly assist you.

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Home office security

by RITO Technologies | Jun 23, 2021 | New Normal

Home Office Security

As remote working is on the rise again, it does make the home office more vulnerable. Even though there are many ways to prevent cyberattacks, from using multifactor authentication to encrypting your data, it is key that the relevant ‘best practices’ are considered for both the employer and employee.

Best practices for the employees

1. Implement multifactor authentication

Multifactor authentication grants access to the device and all software after the employee provides more than one form of identification.

2. Use strong passwords

Physical devices aren’t your only concern. If a hacker tries to access any sensitive accounts, you want to make it as difficult as possible for them to log in. Using a password manager is a great precaution, as it ensures you are only using strong passwords, like those with special characters, numbers, upper and lowercase letters, etc.

3. Invest in antivirus software

Your employer may provide a recommended application for a company-issued device, but if you use your personal laptop for work, you need to keep your system protected.

4. Don’t allow family members to use your work devices

The computer you work on is only for you, it’s not the family computer. So, it is not advisable you allow your children to access your computer to play games on or watch movies.

5. Follow company policies

Your company likely has clear policies for accessing the company network outside the office. Report any suspicious behaviour to IT immediately.

6. Use a centralised, company-approved storage solution

This becomes especially important when you’re saving and backing up files. You should store all your work data in a secure location that’s both approved by and accessible to your company, like a cloud-based storage option.

Best practices for the employers

Improve employee security awareness through internal communication and training.
Inform employees about the incident handling procedures and ensure their cooperation, as the risk is shifted outside the company.
Require that employees use a non-stored password to connect to the network, especially for VPN access.
Limit program/file access to only those areas that are absolutely needed by that employee.
Reserve the right to terminate employee access at any moment.
Provide services for remote file storage and other tasks; don’t rely on individuals to use their personal programs and accounts to store your company’s data.

Leading the company in these difficult times requires a clear action plan, backed by a good IT strategy. Rito-Technologies is an IT business partner who maximises business output through technology. They enable their clients to be secure with their IT Strategic Planning, which is guaranteed to increase your accessibility, productivity, and levels of communication with the right level of technology for business and potential customers.

For more information about our IT Strategic Planning or our cyber security planning, please get in touch with us at info@rito-tech.co.za and we will gladly assist you.

If you enjoyed reading this blog and would like to receive future blogs, please register here now.