Do you have a plan for when Disaster strikes?

Do you have a plan for when Disaster strikes?

Critical to your business planning is incorporating a budget and a backup.

These can be determined using a multitude of factors but the most important question to ask and answer is can my business afford to be down and for how long?

When you consider the services you offer and the expectations of your customers you will conclude that today’s market demands high-quality service and products upon immediate request. We are the “I want it now” generation. If you can’t fulfill because your system is down, or you can’t answer email because your system was hacked and you can’t retrieve timely data your customers will go elsewhere.

We have discussed often the importance of budgeting for the right software, estimating acceptable downtime and setting up reliable backup software. Unfortunately none of these can be compromised when you plan for your business success.

Backup software is not optional. It is the essential tool that keeps your digital data safe in a world filled with viruses, computer crashes, hackers and even simple user errors. Choices abound for this service and the accompanying software; you just have to decide what to use and always make sure it is working.

Choices include onsite and offsite backup. Most likely if you are a small business or a solopreneure you will backup onsite. Larger companies tend to backup offsite using a managed IT program partner. Both choices are acceptable as long as they are doing what you expect. When was the last time you checked your backup?

Setting budgets go beyond dollars to include time. In the IT world a budget means, if your system is down how long can you stay that way before you begin to lose customers, ultimately losing dollars?

Know your affinity to downtime. There are files you need to run your business and there are files you can you live without. This process will enable you to keep live files on your system while some older less used information is archived. The data you deem crucial, and its size, will affect the backup system you select.

As we close out 2015, we are reminded that there are thieves and hackers at every doorstep and at every level.

U.S. officials tell NBC News that Russia launched a “sophisticated cyberattack” against the Pentagon’s Joint Staff unclassified email system, which has been shut down and taken offline for nearly two weeks. According to the officials, the “sophisticated cyber intrusion” occurred sometime around July 25 and affected some 4,000 military and civilian personnel who work for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/06/russia-hacks-pentagon-computers-nbc-citing-sources.html

Now is not the time to cut costs, but rather to work closely with an tech expert to ensure that you and your business are safe, reliable and heading toward success in 2016. If you need an evaluation or advice, be proactive and call us before the ball drops.