Computer Support Network

Office network security should be among the top priorities for all office managers.  Over the last three years there has been a steady increase in the amount reported cases of data loss caused by system breaches and negligence.  As the information technology costs of business increase its important to be aware of potential problem areas and find ways to address them.  These ten tips can help you begin your search and help build a proactive and secure office.

10.       Install a strong first line of defense. Not all system attacks are related to newly discovered program vulnerabilities.   A strong firewall/router can make all the difference when it comes to protecting your system data.  As information filters through your firewall you can get a clear picture of potential problems and stop many threats before they ever reach your systems.

9.         Keep your antivirus up to date. Antivirus software is one of the strongest forms of defense against virus and malware threats.  The problem that many businesses don’t address is that if your virus definitions are not kept up to date it’s possible that new viruses and exploits will still get through.

8.         Plan for expansion. When it comes to backup solutions many businesses look no further than the present.  This nearsightedness will result in long term complications as the data needs of the company grow.  If your storage space starts to run low you may find that you are unable to backup your data as often or as completely which will put your company at great risk.

7.         Expand data storage as you need it. With traditional storage systems when storage capacity reaches its limits you would be required to purchase a whole new tape library but this upgrade stress can be alleviated.  A great way to backup data is in a Virtual Storage device.  With a virtual storage solution your storage capabilities can grow organically overtime.  As an added benefit Virtual Storage solutions make it possible for a single user to administer thousands of terabytes of data efficiently.

6.         Establish monitors. Roughly two thirds of the threats that plague businesses happen internally either out of spite or negligence.  Monitor the resources that your employees have access to and ensure that nothing is amiss.  Crucial data should not be accessible by general employees and if it must be available to a large number of users, make sure it is also regularly backed up to a secure location.

5.         Automate your backup. Backing up data isn’t hard but it is easy to forget.  All network data should be systematically backed up and stored securely through an automated process.  A single person should be designated to check on the status of the backup data regularly.  Nothing is worst than a false sense of security.

4.         Plan for recovery times. A strong backup system is a great first step but it’s also important to plan ahead for what it means to fall back on one.  Data recovery from disk based storage is often slow and cumbersome.  Make sure that if you need to recover you will have adequate time to do so.

3.         Shutdown unused services. Modern computer systems ship with numerous programs that are not only unnecessary but could also harm your computer if not used correctly.  Ensure that you know of every program running on your computer and what each of them does.  It’s better to do a little research than to have an unnecessary hole in your system security.

2.         Plan for the worst. Eventually, something will go wrong.  Test your backup and antivirus solutions regularly.   Look for weakness in bandwidth limits, network delays and the potential for human error.  An untested backup solution is as bad as no backup solution.  Not only does it have a high chance of failure but it also gives a false sense of security.  Ensure that if your data fails your company won’t fail with it.

1.         Facilitate a regular patch schedule. This might seem obvious but it really is the most important step in the protection of your office.  New software and operating system vulnerabilities are discovered all the time and if you don’t have a system in place to apply patches, your network is at risk.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

The greatest IT concerns for small and medium businesses (SMb) in the New Year will be security and data backup and protection.   Over 50% of the average SMb IT departments’ time is spent with menial backup and routine administrative tasks.  Through the utilization of a virtualization solution your business can reduce the time it takes to complete everyday tasks, backup critical data and boost overall network security.

Most of the problems that face SMb today can be traced back to the way they store and access information.  In 2009 a survey conducted in North America revealed that nearly a third of the polled businesses experienced IT systems failure over the last two years.  Over 60% of those lost sales or customers because they were not prepared to handle the outage.  The lack of a contingency plan is a problem that can be seen in businesses regardless of size and industry.  Without proper security and long term backup solutions in place, a business can become immobilized for days or even weeks once a problem arises.
Virtual storage solutions work in conjunction with your current hardware to build a more efficient IT infrastructure and will also allow for a stronger degree of security. Security systems in general incur a high amount of processing overhead to keep them functional.

Because virtualization cuts down on network strain and provides efficient hardware configurations, a lot of processing power can be relocated to more productive tasks. Lastly, virtualization consolidates resources. Which means that when it comes time to patch or backup system data, the procedure becomes highly automated which improves efficiency and preserves security.

Because virtualization automates many of the backup and security tasks normally assigned to your IT department, worker productivity will be increased as man hours are freed up.  As an added bonus virtualization solutions require fewer resources in the form of electricity and cooling which will further reduce the costs incurred by your business.  With a general reduction in operational costs, improved data security and a more efficient use of your current manpower the real question becomes how can you afford not to make use of virtualization technology?

If you would like to learn more about the specifics of what a virtualized solution can do for you visit our website here or contact Maureen McHugh today.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

People have been told for years the importance of backing up the information and critical data from their computer systems. In my experience of working with different businesses and common people most lack even the most basic backup system. Most people make the assumption that if nothing has happened yet then nothing ever will; this is a terribly arrogant position to take and one that can have disastrous repercussions. Another problem is that many people don’t know what their options are.

A true story; less than a year ago I was asked to restore the computer system of a small business to working order. Their main hard drive had crashed and they knew very little about computers but they assured me they had all their files backed up. When I arrived at the location I was handed a box of 56 floppy disks that contained their “valuable” information. Upon inspection I became aware of the fact that not only was this a poor choice of backup but that they hadn’t made a recent back up of anything in nearly six months. Thankfully, with a little bit of effort I was able to pull the information they needed off from their crashed drive but this is not always going to be an option.

There are many different options when it comes to backing up your data. On the basic level you have access to things like external hard drives. The price of these units has come down considerable and it is not possible to purchase them in sizes up to a terabyte for a very reasonable price. This is, however, not a perfect solution for many reasons. First and foremost backing up in this manner requires diligence upon its users. A backup system isn’t worth much if it isn’t used regularly. Additionally, having a physical back up is fine to cope with hardware failure or personal error but what if there is a fire in your building? Or a theft? For this reason it is important to have a backup plan as well.  

More thorough and often reliable options are available in the form of new online backup systems. Recently a company that have receiving press offers a service called carbonite . This online service stores a copy of your vital files online and can be set up to automatically backup your files at preset intervals. In this way the individuals of a company are free to go about their business without having to worry about backing up their service.  

This again is not perfect but it IS a step in the right direction. When it comes to backing up your files it really comes down to a question. Could your business survive if you lost everything tomorrow? If the answer is no then you owe it to yourself to look into a backup plan to assure the life of your business.

IT Computer Support of New York offers an extensive program for helping you with your back up needs. You would like to get more information in what we can do for you call us for more information at 212-242-2949

Or visit us on the web and see what we can do for you.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department