10 Things You Must Do Now To Prevent A Costly Data Disaster
In less than 60 seconds, you are about to learn 10 things that could save you days – or even weeks – of downtime, not to mention the undue stress on your company, and potentially thousands of dollars lost, due to a data disaster…
Use this article as your checklist in a conversation with your IT Company to assure that your business has the right plan in place to get back up and running quickly if and when disaster strikes.
- Keep a written plan. Simply thinking through in ADVANCE what needs to happen when things go south on you, and documenting it, can go a long way toward getting your network back up and running quickly if it gets hacked, infected, flooded, compromised by human error or equipment failure. Outline multiple types of disasters that could happen, (fire, hacked, malicious employee, etc.) and a step-by-step recovery process for each. Be sure to include a budget, what to do, who should do it, when and how. Store printed copies along with key contact information and login details for essential websites (1) in a fireproof safe, (2) off-site at your home, (3) at each key employee’s homes and (4) with your IT consultant.
- Hire a trusted professional to help you. Trying to recover data after a disaster without professional help is business suicide. One misstep can result in weeks of downtime, or permanent data loss. To improve your odds of a quick recovery, work with a pro who has experience.
- Have a communications plan. What if your employees can’t access your office, e-mail or phone system – how should they communicate with you? Make sure your plan details the alternatives, including MULTIPLE ways to stay in touch.
- Automate your backups. THE #1 cause of data loss is human error. If your backup system depends on a human being doing something, it’s a recipe for disaster. ALWAYS automate your backups so they run like clockwork.
- Keep an off-site backup copy of your data. On-site backups are a good first step, but if they get flooded, burned, or hacked along with your server, you’re out of luck. ALWAYS maintain a recent copy of your data off-site.
- Be able to access and manage your network remotely. You and your staff will be able to keep working even when they can’t get to your office. Your IT manager or consultant can quickly handle an emergency or routine network maintenance and you’ll love the convenience!
- Image your server. Storing your data off-site is great – but bear in mind, if your system goes down, the software architecture that handles all that data must be RESTORED for it to be of any use. Imaging your server creates a replica of the original, saving you an enormous amount of time and energy spent getting your network back up and running. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about losing your preferences, configurations or favorites.
- Document your network. Network documentation is simply a blueprint of all the software, data, systems and hardware that comprise your company’s network. Let your IT manager or consultant create this important document for you. It’ll save you time and money in the event your network needs to be restored and it speeds up everyday maintenance and repairs to your network. Technicians won’t waste valuable time figuring out where things are and how they’re configured. Plus, this documentation may help with insurance claims in the event of a loss due to a disaster.
- Maintain your system. While fires, flooding and other natural disasters are certainly a risk, it’s much more likely that you’ll experience downtime due to a virus, worm or hacker attack. That’s why it is critical to keep your network patched, secure and up-to-date.
Remember, deteriorating hardware and corrupted software can wipe you out. Replace and update both as needed to steer clear of this threat. - Test, Test, Test! If you’re going through the trouble of setting up a plan, at least make sure it works! Hire an IT pro to test your systems monthly to make sure they work properly and your data is secure. After all, the worst time to test your parachute is AFTER you jump out of the plane.
Do you need help getting this implemented?
Hank Wagner
757-333-3299 x232
hank.wagner@computernetworksinc.com
Facebook’s CEO Zuckerburg Has Passwords Hacked
The man who runs the biggest social network and continuously implements new security measures to boost its billion user’s security, himself failed to follow basics of Internet security for his own online accounts.
Yes, I’m talking about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who had his Twitter and Pinterest accounts compromised on Sunday.
The hacker group from Saudi Arabia, dubbed OurMine, claimed responsibility for the hack. Guess how the group did it?
Thanks to the LinkedIn data breach!
The hackers tweeted that they found Zuck's account credentials in the recent LinkedIn data breach, from which they took his SHA1-hashed password string and then broke it and tried it on several social media accounts.
Scam Of The Week: FBI Warns Against Email Extortion
Your employees are being attacked both in and outside the office. This new email extortion scam can hit in both places, so it makes sense to warn them about this ahead of time and prevent a variety of trouble.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned that e-mail extortion campaigns have heated up in recent weeks.
The IC3 said the recent uptick in email extortion comes from the data breaches at organizations like Ashley Madison, the IRS, Anthem, and many others where millions of records with (sometimes highly) personal information have been stolen.
With extortion e-mail scams, attempted victims are told that if a ransom is not paid, their personal information like name, phone number, address, credit card data, and other confidential details will be "outed" to all the victim's social media contacts, family, and friends.
The recipient is instructed to pay in Bitcoin, and are typically given a short deadline. The ransom amount ranges from 2 to 5 bitcoins, which amounts to about 400 to 1,500 dollars depending on the exchange rates.
If you need some help wading through all this information, pick up the phone and call us at 757-333-3299 x200. We’ll set up a time to come out and chat with you about your network security.
Suffolk, VA – 2008
Storm season is upon us. Is your firm prepared for a disaster?
Funnies
Critical Thinking At Its Best!
Woman: Do you drink beer?
Man: Yes
Woman: How many beers a day?
Man: Usually about 3
Woman: How much do you pay per beer?
Man: $5.00 which includes a tip
Woman: And how long have you been drinking?
Man: About 20 years, I suppose
Woman: So a beer costs $5.00 and you have 3 beers a day which puts your spending each month at $450.00. In one year, it would be approximately $5400.00 correct?
Man: Correct
Woman: If in 1 year you spend $5400.00, not accounting for inflation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000.00 correct?
Man: Correct
Woman: Do you know that if you didn't drink so much beer, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a Ferrari?
Man: Do you drink beer?
Woman: No.
Man: Where's your Ferrari?
SANS Security Bits
--Flaws in Lenovo Support App
(June 1 & 2, 2016)
Lenovo is urging users to uninstall its Accelerator support app due to several serious vulnerabilities that could be exploited to launch man-in-the-middle attacks. The app comes bundled on Lenovo Windows 10 devices. The Accelerator app is designed to help certain applications launch more quickly.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-begs-users-to-uninstall-accelerator-app-in-the-name-of-security/
--Federal Appeals Court Says No Warrant Needed for Stingray Use
(May 31, 2016)
The Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court verdict that ruled law enforcement must obtain warrants before using cell-site simulators to determine a suspect's location. According to the ruling, obtaining the information does not violate a suspect's Fourth Amendment rights because the information is already being shared with the suspect's wireless carrier" "Whenever [an individual] expects his phone to work, he is permitting - indeed, requesting - the service provider to establish a connection between his phone and a nearby cell tower."
http://www.zdnet.com/article/us-court-says-cops-dont-need-a-warrant-for-cellphone-location-data/
--Marcher Android Malware Expanding its Reach
(June 2, 2016)
Malware known as Marcher, which infects devices running the Android operating system and steals bank login credentials, has broadened the scope of banks it targets. Initially, Marcher targeted banks in Germany, Austria, France, Turkey, and Australia. Now the malware has added nine UK banks to its list. Marcher spreads through phony Flash updates.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/this-sneaky-mobile-malware-just-evolved-into-something-even-nastier/
