Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Charleston - 10 Guidelines To Secure Your Data Backup



Data backup is crucial elements of excellent storage security and general business reliance. However, they’re commonly the source of various security woes. As a matter of fact, a significant number of security breaches could be associated with the mismanagement of the data backups.

The security surveys and headlines show the reality that there’s no appropriate data backup controls. As much as people hate the term best practices, they are required especially in terms of developing a backup plan.

Lately, countless confidential business data may have been compromised in gaffes that are related to data backup. And these are only the known breaches that affects personal information. There’s almost no doubt that unreported and unknown compromises about data backup that affects all kinds of confidential information such as intellectual property are several. Not having a robust backup plan when unexpected events happen could result into one of the worst outcomes in cybersecurity.

A lot of IT experts believe that having a process for replicating information is all that is required to keep a company secure. However, that’s only part of the battle. It’s what could be done with the data backups that will introduce a whole new set of risks that are commonly disregarded. Therefore, it’s crucial to include data backup guidelines as part of the general company data security program.

 

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10 Ways To Make Sure That Your Data Backup Is Secured

Include data backup in your security strategy - Make sure that backup related systems are included in your security policies.

Include backup systems in your disaster recovery plan – you should have data backup systems in your incident and disaster recovery plans. Data backups could be compromised, breached, or destroyed in events like an employee break in, ransomware outbreak or an environment-related incident.

Restrict access rights to data backups - You should only provide access rights to people who have a need to handle the backup process. This applies to the actual backup files as well as the backup software.

Think of different data backup locations – You should store your data backups offsite or in a different building. A fire, natural disaster, or other rare incidents could be all that is required to bring down your data center and your data backups in a single sweep.

Restrict physical access to your data backups - Regardless of how you want to store your backups, whether it’s on an external tape or drive, NAS or backup servers, you need to make sure that access is properly controlled in those facilities. Take care of your backup files as you would in other essential hardware. You may be able to validate this through SOC audit reports, your own company audits, or through a third-party security assessment reports.

Protect your backup media devices – storing data on solid state drives are common these days. If you do so, make sure that it’s fireproof and rated as safe.

Check the security measures of your vendors -  check the cybersecurity measures that your managed IT service providers, cloud, or data center are taking to make sure that your data backups are safe.

Secure your network – you should store your backups on a different file system or a cloud storage service that is located on separate or physical network.

Prioritize Backup encryption – you should encrypt your backups whenever possible. Encryption when done and managed properly could be the best final layer of defense for your network security. It will give you the peace of mind in the knowledge that worst outcome is that your data backup have been lost or tainted but can never be accessed.

Regularly test your backups – you may have heard about this several times but it’s worth repeating. Your backups are as good as what’s on it. Make sure that you back up all your important data and don’t forget to test your backups regularly.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT professionals help you with your data backup and disaster recovery plan.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Monday, June 28, 2021

Steps To You Need To Take To Prepare Small Business Against Cybersecurity Attacks



Cybersecurity Charleston SC attacks are on the rise and you have to make sure that you’re company is ready to weather the storm. Last year, about 34% of consumers had their personal data compromised. Here are some steps to take to prepare your company against cyberattacks.

You may believe that your company is way too small or that your data is not that valuable. But that’s not the case. People do a lot of things online, for personal or professional purposes. And because of that, the value of data, even your login and password will continue to increase over time. Add in other data like home addresses, telephone numbers, and birthdays, you will have the makings of several potentially profitable identity theft schemes.

Although there is no guarantee that you will completely prevent an attacker from breaching you with individualized methods such as spear phishing, there are many things you can do to ensure that you are not at risk.

Best Cybersecurity Charleston SC Practices

Perform A Cybersecurity Audit

If you want to improve the cybersecurity of your small business, you should assess your company’s current cybersecurity level. Perform a cybersecurity audit so you can develop a plan that will improve your resilience in case a data breach or other types of cyberattack happens. When you know your strengths and weaknesses, you will be in a better position to create the steps to help your company’s level of cybersecurity improve.

 

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Use a Firewall

This may seem like an obvious thing to do but you’ll be shocked at how many companies have not secured their network using firewall software. The market is too crowded so you have to take a closer look at your available options before you decide on which managed firewall to use. Additionally, your security software is just as good as your update schedule and if you’re not on top of installing the patches when new attacks and vulnerabilities are discovered, then you better not use it at all.

Check Your Security Procedures

Many hacks and cyberattacks come from employees that are disgruntled and still have access to your company’s system through their old login information that wasn’t cleaned up. This type of data could easily spread among devices in the digital landscape these days. So be sure that you are using some kind of password manager to help you in keeping track of everything. You should come up with processes that would get rid of access right away from people who need to leave your team, whether it’s a vendor or an employee.

Consider Managed IT Services

You should keep on top of your network security. But it may seem like a full-time job especially for small business owners like you who take on a lot of responsibilities.

Managed IT services can provide you with assistance for an affordable price with round-the-clock network monitoring, IT support, device updates, and more. This kind of service could also grow with your business, giving you your needed scalability.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts help you with your cybersecurity needs.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Charleston - How to Prepare Your Business for Hurricane Season



Data backup is one of the many responsibilities of a business owner. They also have to ensure the continuous function and safety of their business as well as prevent disruptions such as hurricanes that could affect their bottom line. Therefore, business executives should know the dangers brought on by natural disasters as well as the destruction that natural cataclysmic events can bring.

Hurricane is among the natural disasters that can cause a lot of damage. They are unpredictable and rotate rapidly, which poses threats to any form of business. Companies are responsible for protecting their businesses, executing emergency preparedness drills, and performing incident management during hurricane season.

Fortunately, there are several preventative measures that can be taken to protect your businesses during this time of the year and through the use of incident management solutions such as disaster recovery and developing business continuity plans has become easier than ever.

 

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Data Backup and Disaster Recovery: Preparing Your Business

Company owners and business executives should be prepared for hurricanes and acknowledge the possibility that they may disrupt their operations. So do can you prepare for the hurricane season? Here are a few steps you can take.

Plan, Prepare, and Practice

These are the three Ps that are considered as the cornerstone of an efficient disaster recovery plan. One way to prepare for a disaster is to have a plan. The NOAA and the weather forecasts are great at predicting storms. If you don’t have a plan in place, you’ll find it hard to keep your business operations going when a hurricane strikes.

disaster-recovery-2.jpgYou should include the identification as well as the consolidation of important business infrastructure in your business continuity plan. It must also involve data backup at offsite storage centers and getting rid of important equipment from locations that are at risk.

All these should be done before a disaster happens. Trying to do these under pressure or duress will only cause problems and lead to the loss of assets that cannot be replaced. A plan to manage mission-critical assets should be set in place ahead of time before a disaster takes place. Practice your plan and make sure it has contingency and backup plans in case unexpected events take place. Hire Charleston managed IT services if you need professional help.

Data Backup

Data backups are a crucial part of preparing for a disaster. Losing data will decimate your business operations. As a company owner, you must have backups of all your information. You’ll be able to resume operations easily if you have access to the data that you have backed up. Look for a data backup method that you’re familiar with and comfortable using. You should also back up data and be sure that you’re familiar with how the process works before disaster strikes.

Protect Your Company’s Physical Site

You should also consider storm-proofing your company’s business location. If there are materials or equipment that you’re unable to relocate, you should find ways to minimize possible damages. Generators, batteries, ad power supplies that are uninterruptible are a great way to continue your business operations in case a power loss takes place. Be sure that you have set in place plans that will help recover your workplace in case unforeseen circumstances destroys it or renders it unusable.

Work Remotely

If your business has switched to remote work, you and your staff are safe from the effects of a destructive storm. If you’re not operating remotely, you should consider switching in case a disaster may happen. You should have contingency plans set in place so you could remotely operate important business functions.

Remain Informed and Outsource Disaster Recovery

In case there’s an impending storm, you don’t have time to wait. You should recognize the dangers that hurricanes may cost including losing your valuable time, your resources, and even the lives of your employees. Having an efficient disaster recovery plan will help you resume your operations in case of a hurricane.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. for more information on how our data backup and disaster recovery solutions can help your business.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Friday, June 18, 2021

From Break Fix To Managed Services: What's The Difference?



Do you want to know the differences between break/fix solutions and managed IT services models? If the answer is yes, then you have come to the right place.

Running a business isn’t easy and for those who make the decisions, things are even made tougher. Every decision that’s made will determine if the business will be more or less effective and efficient.

Since every business becomes more connected and to be honest, dependent on a fully functional and operational network, these decisions will become more complicated.

Break/Fix Solution Vs. Managed IT Services

Break/fix solutions are common forms of IT support. It’s mainly used by organizations who feel that they can’t afford managed IT services or who want to get rid of the burden that’s placed on their in-house IT staff.

Providers of third-party services often include this kind of option to introduce firms to their services, without having to commit to an all-in solution.

 

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When is break-fix a good option?

A break/fix model, as its name suggests, is reactive to issues that happen. This provides the possibility of cutting back on the costs at the start. It is a good option for a small company or individual business owners. Companies that can’t afford to hire an in-house IT team due to limited resources often turn to break/fix solutions. Most of these firms are less than three years old or are single proprietors that operate from a home office.

When is it a poor option?

Break/fix solutions address hardware problems only. Even if your network goes down, they can still help you but the costs will be higher than usual.

Managed IT Services

Managed It Services in Charleston are solutions offered by firms that involve handling all the tasks that are related to managing the network of a business. These solutions include malware protection, help desk support, data backup, disaster recovery, network monitoring, hardware support, and more.

When are managed IT services a good option?

A lot of companies know the dangers of the internet and the fact that small businesses are often attacked by cybercriminals successfully than larger companies.

Managed IT services Charleston SC offers firms a team of IT support specialists without the cost that comes with it. Furthermore, support is offered round the clock and can be done remotely. This means you’ll get a whole team of IT experts on call. You don’t have to deal with healthcare expenses, vacation days, or sick days.

Still skeptical? Read this Denver Post article about small businesses that are attacked.

When are managed IT services a poor option?

At the end of the day, it all boils down to the costs. Many reputable managed IT service providers can cost around $11 to $18 per hour. You have to factor that into your budget. But if you come to think of it, this cost will give you access to an entire team that can support your network. Unfortunately, some firms don’t feel like they could justify the expense. But the truth is, they don’t believe they need the kind of expert support that a managed IT service provider can give.

Keep in mind that managed IT service providers provide more consistent support since service contracts will protect you as well as your provider. They can hire the right number of employees to meet the needs of their clients. Managed IT services can also set up a network security audit to help companies in evaluating their network security, which is recommended to be done yearly by a third-party service provider or a capable third-party internal group.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you’re looking for a reputable provider of managed IT services in Charleston.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Do Small Businesses Need Cybersecurity?



The margins of small businesses are generally thin, which could make it difficult to leave a budget for their cybersecurity needs.

Small firms have some options they could use if they want some form of IT to protect their network like using a break/fix support, developing an in-house IT team, or hire a managed IT services provider. Read on to learn the various reasons why businesses require IT support and learn more about the options they have.

Cybersecurity Options For Small Businesses

A lot of small businesses choose not to have any form of cybersecurity Charleston SC, instead, they manage it without any dedicated IT experts by using antivirus software and by teaching their employees on how to avoid malware, phishing emails, and other cyber threats.

But there are some reasons why this isn’t a good logic. First of all, there are several cyber threats out there and they could use several ways to get into your network, which no antivirus software or employee IT education can prevent.

 

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Securing your computer network is not a static task that could be finished once and then forgotten afterward. It’s an ongoing process that will evolve as the methods used by cybercriminals change, which is the reason why having someone who can secure your computer network or get rid of a threat would only work temporarily.

Furthermore, IT staff finish important essential tasks that could achieve more than just protecting your business against threats. Depending on the kind of IT that you have, they could do the following:

Execute Equipment Upgrades

If your company requires new computers or some other network related software or hardware, finishing this task on your own could be complicated and time consuming, not to mention the costs you need to pay someone in order to install it can easily add up. It experts could complete these things for you, which means you get to save yourself from stress and costly services.

Aid Office Expansions, Moves, and Transitions To A Remote Environment

Opening new office locations or transitioning to a new remote office requires enough moving parts that can effectively set up network, which could easily be forgotten or perhaps left to be checked by break/fix firms. It experts could deal with these by taking care of these tasks themselves.

Back Up Data

If your company network goes down, you need to restore your network to the latest back up. Any data that wasn’t backed up will be lost. It experts could automate data backups to decrease the risk of data loss in case a network outage happens.

Minimize Downtime

By developing a virtualization plan, using software to prevent cyberthreats, and automating data backups, you could easily minimize your network downtime. It’s also crucial to come up with a disaster recovery plan.

Ensure Regulatory Compliance

For companies that should be compliant with HIPAA and other data privacy rules, IT experts could assist in making sure that compliance is met by taking steps that will protect confidential data like executing role based security strategies within your network.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and learn more about cybersecurity and how our managed IT services can help your business.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Friday, June 11, 2021

Seven Ways to Ensure a Data Breach Does Not Happen to You



Millions, 143 million. The number of US consumers potentially affected by the recently announced credit services data breach is staggering. It’s nearly half the US population. And as a credit reporting service, this data includes names, addresses, financial histories, social security numbers, banking information, and even driver’s license numbers. It may take years to fully understand and resolve all of the potential personal and financial implications.

The data that was stolen in this attack is especially valuable. Credit cards are cheap and easy to replace, and subsequently have little resale value on the DarkNet. But the data targeted in this case is different. It includes everything a criminal enterprise would need to establish a lucrative identity theft operation, like the one that Fortinet’s FortiGuard team helped Interpol uncover last year in Nigeria. In similar cases that FortiGuard has followed, we have seen such data used for things ranging from identity theft to money laundering, and even the financing of terrorism.

For the company hit by this attack, the financial impact will be equally massive. Within hours of the announcement a class action lawsuit was filed. More will likely follow. Their reputation will also likely be affected, and banks and lending institutions that rely on – and pay for – their credit services may be reluctant to touch potentially corrupted information. There are already a number of cybercrime bills working their way through US legislation. Because this is a hot topic, elected officials are likely to be outraged and demand stricter regulations and oversight that could affect the entire industry. And consumers who may potentially end up paying billions for services to help them resolve identity theft issues are likely to hold the company accountable.

 

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Breaches like this often happen when network security is focused on the perimeter, but doesn’t adequately protect the network interior. Security professionals have long referred to such perimeter-focused security – whether at the physical edge of the network or data center, deployed to defend web-based services and applications, or protecting the cloud – as “hard and crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle.” In such a scenario, attackers who are able to crack the hard candy shell surrounding the data have free and often undetected access to the tasty nougat inside.

Meanwhile, in addition to wondering whether or not people were individually affected, the other question being asked in board rooms across the country today is what can organizations do - right now - to make sure this doesn’t happen to them? Here are seven critical places to start:

How To Prevent Data Breach

1. Prevent Compromise By Practicing Good Hygiene

Far too many organizations have neglected their basic patch and replace security hygiene. Networks are growing rapidly and span a variety of ecosystems, from IoT to the cloud. Establishing and maintaining an inventory of devices can be challenging. Given the number of successful attacks over the past few months that targeted vulnerabilities for which patches were readily available, and the millions of organizations that were affected as a result, regardless of how hard this may be, patching isn’t optional.

It is imperative that every organization establishes and maintains a formal patching and updating protocol. Ideally, this would be automated, tracked, and measured. In addition, a process needs to be implemented to identify and either replace or take offline those systems that can’t or that can no longer be patched.

2. Protect Your Network By Creating And Using Signatures

While new attacks are a real risk, most breaches are actually caused by attacks that have been around for weeks, months, or sometimes even years. In fact, the vast majority of attacks we see target known vulnerabilities for which a patch has been available for an average of three years. And many target vulnerabilities as much as ten years old. And because these vulnerabilities are known, attacks and exploits targeting those vulnerabilities can be detected using signatures. Signature-based detection tools allow you to quickly look for and block any attempted infiltration, or the execution of an exploit targeting known vulnerabilities.

Signature-based tools are also increasingly effective against complex issues like zero-patch environments, such as IoT and other interconnected devices that are increasingly being adopted by organizations and that have been shown to be highly vulnerable to attack.

3. Detect And Respond To Zero Day Threats By Using Behavior-Based Analysis

Of course, not all threats have a recognizable signature such as zero day threats. New sophisticated attacks utilize a number of techniques to circumvent protections and evade detection. Behavior-based security tools are designed to look for covert command & control systems, identify inappropriate or unexpected traffic or device behavior, disable things like zero-day malware variants via detonation chambers/sandboxing, and correlate data to identify and respond to advanced threats.

As attacks become more sophisticated, and attackers begin integrating things like AI to improve their ability to penetrate defenses while evading detection, security will need to continue to evolve as well. Advances in intent-based security, for example, will not only check and inspect data and applications crossing into the network for malware, but will provide deep inspection. They will look for patterns and then continuously monitor that traffic in order determine intent, allowing intelligent security systems to proactively intervene and thwart an attack before it has even begun.

4. Deploy Web Application Firewalls

While many attacks still leverage tried and true methods for infiltrating a network, such as email-based phishing or targeting known and unpatched vulnerabilities, many threats no longer enter the network through traditional avenues. Web-based attacks are increasingly common, often exploiting the exponential growth in applications – especially those designed to query and mine for information directly in the data center.

Because the demand for homegrown and customized web applications has grown so rapidly, many organizations simply do not have the time or resources to adequately test and harden the applications and servers they are deploying. An effective way to close that gap is by implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF). These security devices are specifically designed to provide deep, high performance inspection of web application traffic far beyond what is provided by traditional NGFW technology.

5. Leverage Threat Intelligence

Advanced threat intelligence enables organizations to shrink the time to detect threats and close the gap between detection and response. There are a number of threat feeds available that keep organizations up to date regarding the latest threat trends and detected exploits. The challenge is converting this data into usable intelligence and cross-correlating it with your local intelligence and infrastructure. And deploy tools such as SIEM and WAF technologies that can consume that data, convert it into actionable policies, and apply it to protecting your network.

At the same time, consider joining a local ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Centers), especially one designed for your industry or architecture, where you can receive relevant threat intelligence and share what you see with your industry peers.

6. Avoid Point Solutions

Given the rapid expansion of networks, their dynamic and elastic nature, and the shift from a single perimeter to dozens or even hundreds of potential access and data exchange points, the traditional security strategy of deploying point security devices or platforms at the edge of the network or data center is no longer adequate. Further, traditional point security technologies tend to be isolated, which means they can only see and respond to the threats that pass in front of them.

But given the nature of today’s advanced, multi-vector, and highly intelligent threats, security solutions need to be interconnected into a single, cohesive system that can span and adapt to elastic network architectures. This dynamic integration provides transparent visibility across the entirety of the network, which is critical because you can’t defend against a threat you can’t see. In addition, a system of integrated, orchestrated security solutions enables organizations to proactively and intelligently fight cyberattacks wherever they occur.

An integrated security framework, like the Fortinet Security Fabric, connects security tools so they can share and correlate information, and enables centralized orchestration, single pane of glass management, and consistent policy distribution. More importantly, it also enables a coordinated response to attacks, automatically hardens security and access points, isolates affected devices and malware, identifies vulnerable or compromised systems, and initiates forensic analysis and remediation.

7. Segment Your Network

Given the fluid nature of device access, and the wide-ranging flow of applications and data across many of today’s networks, it is more important than ever that you establish and maintain effective and secure network segmentation that prevents threats from spreading horizontally across your network. Organizations can dramatically improve their network protection by deploying Internal Network Segmentation Firewalls to prevent the proliferation of threats, regardless of whether they managed to breach the security perimeter or compromise an access point, or originated internally. ISFWs may sit in front of specific servers that contain valuable intellectual property, protect a set of user devices or web applications sitting in the cloud, or secure traffic moving between logical divisions of responsibility or lines of business inside an organization.

In the case of a data model where massive amounts of data are collected and correlated in a single environment, it is especially critical that segmentation controls be established that can detect threats that have managed to penetrate the perimeter of the data center and are now moving laterally through that environment. Without segmentation and detection tools in place, such threats are free to collect, corrupt, and exfiltrate data. Internal segmentation, micro segmentation, and controls that track and monitor things like behaviors and workflows are essential for today’s data-centric digital businesses.

While the scale of this data breach is alarming, the attack they suffered is not unique. Far too many organizations have adopted state of the art network designs and yet still rely on isolated second-generation security solutions and strategies to protect them. More than ever, security cannot be an afterthought. It requires planning, people, and processes combined with adaptive security technologies that can dynamically scale to today’s digital networks and automatically respond as a single, integrated system to address the advanced cyberthreats targeting them.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts help set up the most effective cybersecurity strategies to keep the risk of data breaches at a minimum.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

How Can Disaster Recovery as a Service Providers Help You?



Disaster Recovery as a Service is an IT outsourcing model wherein a third party company backs up an organization’s servers using a cloud based infrastructure. In case of a disaster, whether it’s manmade or natural, the company could immediately switch to the backup as soon as their primary systems go offline.

What Does a DRaaS Provider Do?

In case of a disaster, companies can easily grind to a halt. DRaaS provides hope to limit the negative effect of IT disasters, by helping companies resume their operations as soon as possible.

These 3rd party data recovery services providers are cloud based and are not part of the company’s main IT systems. This means they could offer different services to limit the effect of IT disasters. These providers offer various services which aim to stop data loss, protect the data of clients, and decrease the required downtime.

 

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Choose a Disaster Recovery as a Service Provider

Pickup up a disaster recovery as a service in Charleston SC as an integral part of a data recovery plas. It’s a huge decision, which must be based on various factors. Top DRaaS companies offer a wide range of disaster recovery services, with different options for firms to choose from. If you’re operating a small company and your primary concern is unexpected downtime, or you are running a bigger business where information security is important, you need to find a DRaaS provider that can provide you with your needs. When looking for a DRaaS provider, there are factors that you have to consider.

Tailored services – great DRaaS companies can tailor the services they offer to suit the needs of their clients. There is no such thing as a one size fits all solution in this sector so you need to talk to different DRaaS providers about the services they offer. Talk about your essential operational needs and ask how they can support your current disaster recovery plans, if you have one.

Office space – If the office space is important for your firm, be sure that your DRaaS provider could offer you the support you need. Check providers that offer fully equipped office spaces for your employees and be sure that their facility has everything that your team will need to do their job.

Location – another important factor to consider is the location of your data recovery services provider. They should be located in a safe distance from possible major threats that could affect your main site. However, they should still be located near you so that they could easily help you get back to business as soon as possible. Always remember that every second count.

How much does DRaaS cost?

DRaaS providers offer different rates according to the level of service that their clients need. Dealing with popular DRaaS providers such as Microsoft Azure Cloud have higher annual fees compared to providers that are less popular. Aside from that, it offers more technical expertise and knowledge, which could also explain its increased fees. A few DRaaS providers will charge extra retrieval fees depending on the amount of information that needs to be recovered.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts help set up an effective data recovery plan for your company through our disaster recovery as a service solutions.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Monday, June 7, 2021

How to Choose The Right Managed IT Services



Modern business has a lot of ongoing IT tasks that has to be managed regularly and that’s when managed IT services come into the picture. There are devices and equipment that needs to be checked and monitored and cybersecurity measures have to be set in place to keep the business secured from various kinds of online threats. Unfortunately, not all businesses have the resources to manage these tasks in-house. Fortunately, you can hire a third party company to help you out.

What is Managed IT Services?

Managed IT services involves outsourcing some IT functions to a third party company, which is also called managed it services providers. The functions that are outsourced could be as basic as maintaining IT equipment as well as other services to make sure that they are fully functional.

 

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Why Does Managed IT Services Matter?

Technology Growth – technology among businesses always changes and they care becoming more complicated every year. The company’s IT team needs to come up with different ways to support all these devices while making sure that the company information is kept secured. The daily IT work of a company can easily balloon so that it could keep up with the way that businesses use technology these days.

Fill The Talent Gap – As IT work becomes more complex, there’s less IT talent available. Although the unemployment rate has been at its lowest since 2000, more than 50% of business employers find it difficult to fill the job vacancies within 3 months. Professionals say that the trend will worsen, which means by 2030, there will be a shortage of skilled experts in the media, technology and telecommunications sectors.

What are the Common Types of Managed IT Services?

Data backup – protects and retains your company data and lets you recover the information as small as a single file or as big as a whole database.

Help desk solutions – a lot of company who use managed IT services have no or little IT resources in house. Managed IT services providers provide help desk services to offer their clients access to on-call IT experts who could assist them in troubleshooting their problems either on-site or remotely.

IT support services – these are useful if you need a mix of IT guidance and support. The managed IT services providers are responsible for proactively patching and managing your devices and equipment while offering insights into the way your system works and how it is expected to work.

Managed network security – frees up your IT resources through IT outsourcing. You may outsource network prevent and detection, span and virus eradication, traffic analysis and content filtering through a conventional or next generation firewalls.

Microsoft Office 365 - With several firms using cloud services, a lot of MSPs can plan, design, execute, and support Microsoft 365 to their clients.

Object Storage – this kind of data storage architecture lets a client to store big amounts of unstructured data. As companies struggle to look for ways to store great amounts of data, data storage could provide disadvantages such as reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This kind of storage is commonly used for data such as web content, media files, backups, and documents.

Storage - There are several tiers when it comes to general data storage. The managed IT services providers will work with the client to find and use the kind of storage that will offer them the lowest cost and optimal efficiency.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you are looking for a reliable managed IT service provider.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Practices That Help Prevent A Data Breach



The best way to protect your company from the cost and nightmare of a data breach is to prevent them in the first place. But, before you can do that, you have to understand them first. Here is a guide that helps describe the cost and types of data breaches that you may encounter as a business owner and how you can prevent the incidents of data breaches from taking place.

What is a data breach and how does it happen?

A data breach can happen when a cybercriminal accesses sensitive information and data. These are very costly and may reach up to $3.16 million, not to mention the irreparable damage it will cause the company’s reputation. It will also cost time as it takes an average of 280 days to determine and contain the data breach.

There are many methods that you can take to stop the data breach from artificial intelligence to incident response preparedness. But, when you are running a small business, or just want how to prevent data breaches from taking place, there are a few things that you need to know.

 

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Physical actions – hackers can also get to your network through physical actions like stealing phones, laptops, paperwork, or even storage devices.

Social engineering – one good example is phishing wherein cybercriminals send infected emails that look like they came from legitimate companies so that hackers can get access to sensitive information.

Human error – data breaches are not always caused by malicious activities. Accidents could take place any time and in some cases an individual just leaves sensitive data in a place that’s not protected or perhaps accidentally sends it to the wrong individual or people.

How to prevent a data breach incident?

Educate your staff – one of the best ways to stop data breaches is by fighting ignorance. It’s crucial to educate your staff about the right methods of protecting data from becoming compromised. You could do this by helping your employees understand how you can make strong passwords, how often should passwords be changed, and by helping them detect, avoid, and report phishing as well as other suspicious cyber activities.

Make and update your procedures – come up with procedures that are linked to data security standards and make sure to update them on a regular basis.

Remote monitoring – offers 24/7 network monitoring. You can hire a managed IT services provider so that you don’t need to check up on your people all the time to monitor your network and systems for you.

Data backup and recovery – you should back up your data so that it can easily be recovered in case your information was deleted because of a server crash or natural disaster. So be sure to back up your data and hire experts that offer data recovery Charleston SC.

Protect physical data – protect all information including physical files. They must be stored in a location that is secured with restricted access to only those who require access to such data or files.

Update your security software – all your security software must be updated on a regular basis. These include anti-spyware, anti-virus, and firewalls.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team help protect your business against data breaches.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Charleston, SC 29407
843-418-4792
https://manageditservicescharleston.com/

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence