Have You Tested Your Disaster Recovery Plan? Here Is Why You Should

outsourced computer support for your business disaster recovery

A recent article from Forbes that’s well-worth reading lists five major ways businesses perform poorly on IT disaster recovery plans. Second on the list is the failure to test disaster recovery plans.

Why is Testing Necessary?

Without testing the disaster recovery plans measures you’ve come up with for your computer systems, your plan remains mostly theoretical. On paper, it looks as if it could work, but you can’t know with a reasonable degree of certainty. You’re not sure if your disaster recovery solutions will truly provide you with protection from lost data and give you the ability to minimize downtime. Your employees may not know what they’re supposed to do; without testing, the tasks they’re assigned to undertake could remain abstract to them.

Testing also helps you catch unforeseen difficulties or situations you didn’t expect. For instance, maybe your disaster recovery plans haven’t anticipated a lack of reliable communication channels between employees in the aftermath of a disaster. You don’t want to get caught unprepared.

What are Some Good Practices for Running Tests?

Whenever your IT or business environment undergoes notable changes, it’s a good idea to run a test. For example, if you switch to new kinds of software, upgrade your hardware, or add new devices to your network, it’s important to determine how these changes will affect your disaster recovery plans.

Granted, it’s not possible to frequently run full-scale tests on your entire system. You may wind up implementing changes to your IT set-up and not get a chance to conduct a full test until weeks or months later. However, even if you can’t always run a full-scale test, there are other options. You can conduct partial tests that don’t involve your entire system; you can look at specific issues, such as whether certain critical data backups are complete and timely. You’re also encouraged to use monitoring apps that pinpoint areas of vulnerability as your system changes.

For further advice and assistance, please contact us.

We will work with you not only to come up with a powerful disaster recovery plan, but also to check that it will truly support your company when you need it.

Computer Tip of the Day: Signs That You May Need Virus Removal

computer tip of the day signs that you may need virus removal

Keeping your computer running properly requires a certain amount of maintenance and upkeep as you will want to ensure that all of its software is up to date, and that your computer is running as efficiently as possible. However, another important aspect of computer maintenance is knowing when you are in need of virus removal. Viruses, spyware, and malware can cause severe damage to your computer, and it is then important that you have your computer repaired at the first sign of trouble to have these harmful infections removed. Here are a few signs you can lookout for indicated that your computer may be in need of virus removal.

virus removal

Your Computer Is Painstakingly Slow

One of the clearest signs of problems with your computer is if your computer suddenly starts operating much slower than it used to. While it is true that computers will slow down over time, this should not happen overnight. If this occurs, it is likely that a virus, or some of other problem is causing this lagging, and that your computer will need to be professionally repaired.

Many Pop-ups

Seeing a great number of pop-ups on your computer, whether your internet browser is open or not, is a clear sign that there is malicious software on your computer. Spyware in particular can use your computer’s internet connection to create these false advertisements on your computer. If you have suddenly noticed an increase in the number of pop-ups you encounter, or you begin encountering them when you never have before, then your computer likely needs repair.

These are a few of the most common indicators that your computer has been infected by some kind of harmful software, and is in need of professional attention. Contact us to learn more about how you will know when you are in need of professional virus removal.

4 Reasons Why A Disaster Recovery Plan Is Important For Businesses?

4 reasons why a disaster recovery plan is important for businesses

Unfortunately, many businesses either don’t have a plan written up, or the plan they’ve formulated is inadequate for their needs. For example, Nationwide’s Small Business Indicator survey showed that over two-thirds of small businesses lack a written plan, delaying their recovery from natural disasters. And of course, natural disasters aren’t the only kind that businesses face; there are also cyber attacks, equipment failure, loss of data, and employee errors or negligence.

disaster recovery plan

Why is Disaster Recovery Important for Businesses?

  • Financial costs. Disasters often lead to staggering costs for companies, sometimes causing them to go out of business. For instance, when it comes to data breaches (a too-frequent kind of disaster), the 2016 Ponemon Cost of Data Breach Study estimated an “average consolidated total cost” of $4 million per data breach.
  • Business reputation. Businesses without a strong disaster recovery plan are often left floundering after a disaster, whether it’s a cyber attack or a powerful storm. They may leave their customers’ information unprotected or fail to respond in a timely or effective way to customers’ concerns, questions, and needs.
  • Variety of threats. Because of the variety of potential disasters, and the way new threats may emerge, businesses need to make thorough preparations. They must assess the likelihood of different threats and prepare for each in the best possible way.
  • Unaffordable delays. The key to not only surviving a disaster, but continuing to thrive beyond it, is to put into play various disaster recovery measures. You can get your business up and running as quickly as possible afterwards and not have to suffer through prolonged downtime and delays.

To discuss the most effective disaster recovery strategies for your business, please contact us. We’ll help you come up with a comprehensive plan that counteracts the effects of different disasters.

Disaster Recovery Vs Business Continuity: Are They The Same?

disaster recovery vs business continuity are they the same

Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC) are often thought of as pretty much the same thing, but in reality there are significant differences between the two. Both are key elements of a company’s ability to continue functioning after an emergency.

Yet it’s possible for a business to have in place an effective disaster recovery plan, but still find itself unable to resume operations after a disruption because business continuity issues were not adequately addressed.

Disaster Recovery Vs Business Continuity

How Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Differ

The key difference between disaster recovery and business continuity is in the scope each covers. There is, of course, some overlap. But the focus of DR is more on reestablishing an organization’s IT functionality, while BC aims at insuring that the company can resume carrying out its actual business operations as soon as possible after a disruption.

A disaster recovery plan (DRP) will be concerned with issues such as how and where the company’s critical data is backed up, and how soon and completely that data can be recovered after some kind of outtage. What happens if, for example, the company’s data center burns down? A good DRP will specify off-site backup locations for data, how it will be recovered, and how alternate servers, networks, and other equipment will be brought online as soon as possible.

A business continuity plan (BCP), on the other hand, will not only encompass all the areas addressed in the DRP, but it will also focus on issues such as specifying how and by whom essential business functions will be carried out. For example, who will be the company’s authorized point of contact for both internal and external communications? Where will employees gather if the organization’s main site is no longer usable? What are the steps each business unit or staff team must take to ensure its own operations are reestablished quickly and effectively?

Disaster Recover and Business Continuity Go Together!

In effect, disaster recovery is an integral part, but only a part, of business continuity. A business’s IT department may have a great disaster recovery plan in place, but if the organization’s executive management doesn’t put an equal focus on business continuity planning that encompasses all aspects of the company’s operations, the company may well join the 80 percent of businesses that fail within 18 months of experiencing a major disruption.

If you’d like to know more about how to make sure your company has a good plan in place not only for disaster recovery, but for ensuring that your entire business can quickly and effectively resume operations after disaster strikes, please contact us.

With a Proactive Approach to IT Services, You Don’t Wait for Disaster to Strike

with a proactive approach to it services you don t wait for disaster to strike

For many businesses, IT support looks like the following scenario.

A vital piece of software keeps crashing, and no one can explain why. A number of employees can’t get their work done. After some time, IT professionals start investigating the problem.

Sometimes, they’re able to fix it on the spot. Other times, the solution is more elusive, and the issue takes hours or days to resolve. On the spot, IT professionals have to try to piece together what might have caused the problem, and they don’t always have the context.

This is what’s known as a reactive approach to IT services. It kicks in only when you have a problem. Ultimately, if your business is relying only on this kind of IT support, it’s losing money.

In contrast, an emphasis on prevention and proactive interventions leads to greater productivity and proves to be more cost-effective.

How Can a Proactive Approach Help Your Business?

Stronger cyber security. The threat of a data breach, DDoS attack, and other IT disaster is ever-present (a recent article from CIO discusses four major threats expected to dominate in the coming year). A proactive approach to IT services anticipates and tries to block or minimize various cyber security dangers, rather than wait to step in only after a disaster has struck. For example, businesses can benefit from round-the-clock network monitoring to better detect unauthorized activities and intrusions.

Less downtime. Downtime can extract considerable costs from your business. Proactive IT services involve keeping an eye out for potential problems and responding to them as soon as possible, before they develop into full-blown emergencies. Proactive IT support also involves planning for the future – for instance, scheduling system updates and equipment upgrades in a timely way, before errors, breakdowns, and inefficiency set in.

A more personalized approach. IT professionals working in a proactive way will strive to better understand your needs and come up with cost-effective technological solutions that best suit your business, improving your productivity. They’ll also make sure that your employees know how to handle more minor issues on their own in a quick way, saving time and energy for everyone.

If you’re interested in benefiting from proactive IT services, please contact us. You can count on our support round-the-clock, and not just when a problem crops up.