Category Archives: Cloud Storage

Your Business Technology Is Overdue for an Annual Physical

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January is when people finally schedule the things they’ve been putting off:
doctor visits, dental cleanings, and repairs that probably shouldn’t wait.

Preventive care isn’t exciting—but it’s far less painful than a preventable disaster.

So here’s a question we ask often at Mirrored Storage:

When was the last time your business technology had a real checkup?

Not “we fixed the printer.”
Not “the server’s still running.”

A real IT health assessment.

Because in technology, “working” does not mean “healthy.”

The “Everything’s Fine” Trap in Business IT

Most people skip physicals because nothing hurts.

Businesses skip IT assessments for the same reasons:

  • “Everything’s running.”
  • “We’re too busy.”
  • “We’ll deal with it if something breaks.”

But technology failures are usually silent—until they’re catastrophic.

Just like high blood pressure or a cavity, the most dangerous IT problems are invisible at first. By the time symptoms appear, you’re already in emergency mode.

In our work supporting small and mid-sized businesses, the causes of downtime are almost always known risks that went unchecked:

  • Backups that existed but couldn’t restore
  • Aging servers and firewalls past support
  • Former employees with active access
  • Untested disaster recovery plans
  • Compliance gaps no one reviewed

A system can run every day and still be one bad incident away from failure.

What a Real IT “Physical” Actually Evaluates

A proper technology assessment looks at your environment the way a physician looks at your body—systematically and proactively.

Backup & Recovery: The Vital Signs

Your ability to recover data is the single most important indicator of IT health.

A real assessment asks:

  • Are backups completing successfully?
  • When was the last restore test?
  • How quickly could you recover from a server failure or ransomware attack?

This is why Mirrored Storage places such emphasis on verified backup and recovery, not just storage.

If you’re unsure whether your backups would actually restore, that’s a warning sign—and it’s exactly what our
👉 Data Backup & Recovery Services are designed to address:
https://www.mirroredstorage.com/data-backup-recovery-services/

Backups that don’t restore are not protection. They’re false confidence.

Hardware & Infrastructure: Heart Health

Hardware doesn’t fail gracefully.

It slows down, support expires, and then it stops—often at the worst possible time.

An IT health check reviews:

  • Age and condition of servers, firewalls, and workstations
  • End-of-life and end-of-support risks
  • Whether replacements are planned—or postponed indefinitely

Outdated equipment is one of the most common causes of unplanned downtime in small businesses.

Access Control: The Bloodwork

Who has access to your systems right now?

If the answer isn’t immediate and precise, it’s time for a cleanup.

A proper review checks for:

  • Former employees with active accounts
  • Vendors who no longer need access
  • Shared logins with no accountability

Access creep is one of the easiest ways attackers get in—and one of the easiest risks to prevent.

Disaster Readiness: The Hard Questions

If ransomware hit tomorrow:

  • Is there a written recovery plan?
  • Has it ever been tested?
  • How long could your business operate without systems?

“If it happens, we’ll figure it out” is not a disaster recovery strategy.

Preparation is the difference between a disruption and a shutdown.

Warning Signs You’re Overdue for an IT Assessment

If any of these sound familiar, it’s time:

  • “I think our backups are working.”
  • “The server is old, but it still runs.”
  • “We probably have former employees still in the system.”
  • “Our disaster plan is… somewhere.”
  • “If one person left, we’d be in trouble.”

Single points of failure always fail—eventually.

The Real Cost of Skipping Preventive IT Care

A technology checkup takes hours.

A failure can cost days, weeks, or the business itself.

Consider the impact of:

  • Data loss: client records, financials, operational history
  • Downtime: lost productivity, missed revenue, damaged trust
  • Compliance penalties: HIPAA, PCI, and privacy regulations
  • Ransomware recovery: often well into six figures for small businesses

Preventive IT is predictable and affordable.
Recovery is chaotic and expensive.

Why You Need an Outside Perspective

You don’t diagnose your own health by guesswork.

You rely on professionals who know what “healthy” actually looks like.

The same is true for business technology.

An external IT assessment brings:

  • Industry-specific standards—not generic advice
  • Pattern recognition from real-world failures
  • Fresh eyes that spot risks you’ve learned to live with

That’s risk reduction, not fear-based selling.

Schedule Your Annual Tech Physical

January is already about prevention.

Add your technology to the list.

Book an Annual Tech Physical with Mirrored Storage.

You’ll receive a clear, plain-English report covering:

  • What’s working
  • What’s at risk
  • What needs attention before it becomes an emergency

No jargon.
No pressure.
Just clarity.

Start with a 15-minute discovery call, and learn how resilient your systems really are.

https://go.scheduleyou.in/hI54VnWs?cid=is:~Contact.Id~

Because the best time to fix a problem is before it becomes one.

Cyber Hygiene Isn’t Optional Anymore: How To Clean Up Your Risk

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When it comes to protecting your business from cyberthreats, the basics still matter. A lot.

According to IBM’s 2023 Cost Of A Data Breach Report, 82% of breaches involved data stored in the cloud—and the vast majority could’ve been prevented with simple, foundational safeguards.

That’s where “cyber hygiene” comes in: your business’s version of daily handwashing. No, it’s not flashy. But it is essential. And if you’re skipping the basics, you’re asking for trouble.

Here are four cyber hygiene essentials every small business should have on lock:

1. Keep Your Network Secure

Your internet connection is the front door to your business—and it needs more than a flimsy lock.

  • Encrypt sensitive business data.
  • Use a firewall to monitor and block suspicious activity.
  • Hide your WiFi network by disabling SSID broadcasting and ensure your router is password-protected.
  • Require remote employees to connect via a VPN (virtual private network) for secure access.

Think of it as the difference between leaving your house key under the mat—or securing it in a lockbox.

2. Teach Your Team How To Stay Protected

Technology is only as strong as the people using it. Human error is one of the most common causes of breaches.

  • Require strong passwords and multifactor authentication (MFA).
  • Provide clear policies on appropriate internet use and handling sensitive data.
  • Train employees to spot phishing emails, malicious attachments, and sketchy downloads.

A single click on a malicious link can open the floodgates. Education is your best defense.

3. Back Up Your Important Data

When—not if—a breach, crash, or ransomware attack occurs, backups keep your business alive.

  • Regularly back up documents, HR and financial files, databases, and mission-critical spreadsheets.
  • Automate backups whenever possible.
  • Store copies in the cloud or on secure offsite servers for redundancy.

Backups aren’t just insurance—they’re a lifeline.

4. Limit Data Access

The fewer people with keys, the harder it is for intruders to get in.

  • Give employees access only to the data they need for their roles.
  • Restrict admin privileges to trusted IT staff and select leaders.
  • Ensure former employees are immediately removed from all systems during offboarding.

Even in the event of a breach, limiting access helps contain the damage.

Security Is Well Worth The Hassle

Yes, putting these safeguards in place takes effort. But the alternative? Critical data stolen, operations halted, and trust with customers shattered.

Investing in cyber hygiene up front is far less costly—in time, money, and reputation—than cleaning up after a preventable breach.

Want To Get Ahead Of The Threats?

If you’re not sure how your business stacks up, now’s the time to find out.

👉 Our free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment will uncover hidden vulnerabilities, identify gaps in your defenses, and give you a clear, actionable plan to strengthen your cyber hygiene—fast.

https://go.scheduleyou.in/NvSNiTs?cid=is:~Contact.Id~

The Hidden Cost of “Cheap” IT — Especially in a Co-Managed Environment

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Why Cutting Corners on IT Support Can Undermine Your Internal Team (and Your Business)

If your business has an internal IT team, co-managed IT support can be a smart, scalable way to extend your capabilities without overloading your staff. But be careful: not all co-managed IT providers are created equal.

A low-cost co-managed agreement might seem like a win at first—affordable monthly pricing, supplemental support, a few extra tools. But dig deeper, and you’ll often find those “budget” providers are quietly cutting corners, leaving your internal team exposed, overwhelmed, and under-supported when it matters most.

Here are five hidden pitfalls we see time and time again with cut-rate co-managed providers—and how they can sabotage your IT operations and bottom line.

1. Security Gaps That Put Everyone at Risk

Your internal IT team might have a solid foundation, but true cybersecurity takes layered protection—and budget co-managed partners often stop at the basics.

We’ve seen providers install bare-minimum antivirus, skip multi-factor authentication, and offer zero guidance on endpoint security or user awareness training. That leaves your internal team holding the bag when something goes wrong—and in today’s cyber landscape, it’s only a matter of time.

Worse, without advanced protections, your cyber insurance claims could be denied. A good co-managed partner should strengthen your security posture, not leave it up to chance.

2. Incomplete Backup Strategies That Leave Data Unprotected

Your IT team might be backing up critical servers—but what about Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, CRMs, and third-party SaaS apps?

Most budget MSPs ignore those platforms entirely or rely on the default retention policies. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Even worse, many don’t offer immutable backups—a non-negotiable for ransomware resilience and cyber insurance compliance.

In a true co-managed model, your partner should complement your backup efforts with comprehensive coverage and regular testing, not guesswork.

3. Unexpected Fees That Break the Budget

Budget co-managed IT providers often advertise low monthly rates—but then charge extra for after-hours support, on-site visits, or even emergency escalations. This creates friction, slows response times, and forces your team to think twice before calling for help.

That’s the opposite of what co-managed IT is supposed to be.

Look for a partner who offers predictable, flat-rate pricing and acts like a true extension of your team—not a metered vendor.

4. “Not Our Job” Mentality Around Vendor Support

When your team needs help troubleshooting phones, internet, or printers, a good co-managed provider should jump in—not point fingers.

Many cheap providers refuse to work with third-party vendors or charge extra just to coordinate on your behalf. That leaves your in-house team stuck in the middle, chasing down support for tech they didn’t even implement.

We believe in full-stack support. If it touches your network, it’s our job to help fix it—period.

5. No Strategic Oversight, No IT Roadmap

The most damaging shortcut of all? Lack of leadership.

Inexperienced co-managed providers often push tasks to junior techs without offering any real IT strategy. That leaves your internal team without a sounding board for big-picture decisions or long-term planning.

With the right co-managed partner, you should expect:

  • A dedicated technical account manager
  • Proactive reviews of your cybersecurity, compliance, and backup posture
  • Strategic guidance for future upgrades, projects, and budgeting
  • Collaborative planning—not reactive firefighting

Bottom Line: Co-Managed IT Should Make You Stronger—Not Weaker

Your internal IT team is already juggling a lot. A true co-managed IT partner should make their job easier, provide peace of mind, and cover the gaps—not create new ones.

If your co-managed support feels more like a cost center than a force multiplier, it’s time for a second opinion.

Want to know what your current co-managed agreement might be missing?
Let us take a look—for free.

We’ll review your environment, evaluate your risks, and provide honest feedback to help you strengthen your internal team with the right support (not just cheap support).

👉 Click here to schedule your FREE Network Assessment

Out of Office, Out of Luck: How Your Auto-Reply Can Hand Hackers the Keys to Your Business

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It’s almost vacation time. You set your out-of-office auto-reply and start dreaming about beaches, road trips, or conference breaks. Your inbox begins to quietly respond on your behalf:

“Hi there! I’m out of the office until [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email address].”

Sounds helpful, right?

Unfortunately, it’s also exactly what cybercriminals love to see.

That friendly auto-reply can quickly become a hacker’s roadmap — giving them everything they need to time an attack, impersonate your team, and trick someone into clicking, wiring money, or handing over sensitive credentials.

Why Hackers Love Out-of-Office Replies

Even a short, well-meaning message can contain:

  • Your full name and title
  • How long you’ll be away
  • Who’s covering for you (with their email!)
  • Internal roles or team structure
  • Travel info or conference details

This creates two major risks:

1. Timing Advantage: Hackers now know you’re unavailable — meaning you won’t be checking your inbox or spotting fraud.
2. Targeting Precision: They know exactly who to impersonate and who to manipulate (often someone with access to money or sensitive files).

From there, it’s phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) 101.

How These Attacks Typically Play Out

  1. Your OOO message hits a malicious inbox.
  2. A hacker spoofs your identity — or your listed backup.
  3. An “urgent request” is sent to someone in your office:
    • A wire transfer to a vendor
    • Login credentials for a system
    • Sensitive client documents
  4. The team member, moving fast and trusting the name they recognize, follows through.
  5. You return from vacation to a fraud incident and financial loss.

Who’s Most at Risk?

If your organization includes frequent travelers — especially executives, sales teams, or remote staff — and someone else is managing their communications (like an admin or assistant), the risk doubles.

Admins are often:

  • Fielding requests from multiple contacts
  • Authorized to send payments or access files
  • Trusting senders they think they recognize

One realistic-looking spoofed email can be all it takes.

How To Protect Your Business from OOO Exploits

The solution isn’t ditching auto-replies — it’s using them more strategically and reinforcing your security posture. Here’s how:

✅ 1. Keep OOO Messages Vague

Don’t list backup contacts unless absolutely necessary. Keep location or itinerary details out of the message.
Better:

“I’m currently unavailable. I’ll respond as soon as I return. For urgent matters, please contact our main office.”

✅ 2. Train Your Team to Verify Everything

  • Never fulfill urgent requests involving money or credentials over email alone.
  • Always confirm requests through a second channel — phone, text, or in person.
  • Assume urgency = red flag.

✅ 3. Enable Email Security Protections

  • Use anti-spoofing tools (like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC).
  • Implement advanced spam filters and BEC threat detection.
  • Segment email access and use role-based permissions.

✅ 4. Turn On MFA Across the Board

Multifactor authentication makes it much harder for attackers to access inboxes, even with stolen passwords.

✅ 5. Work with a Proactive IT & Cybersecurity Partner

A co-managed IT partner should be actively monitoring for:

  • Suspicious login attempts
  • Unusual email behavior
  • Phishing campaigns
  • Credential compromise alerts

If your current provider isn’t flagging threats while your team is offline, they’re not doing enough.

Want to Vacation Without the Cyber Risk?

Your OOO message shouldn’t become an open door for hackers. Our team helps businesses build layered security systems that work — even when your team is away.

Book a FREE Security Assessment Today
We’ll assess your email configurations, review vulnerabilities, and show you how to keep things locked down while you’re off the grid.

📩Schedule a call

Because your vacation should start with a plane ticket — not a phishing attack.

7 Critical Questions Internal IT Teams Should Be Asking Their Co-Managed IT Provider Every Quarter (But Probably Aren’t)

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If your only touchpoint with your co-managed IT provider is when something breaks — or once a year at contract renewal — it’s time to rethink the relationship.

Technology doesn’t sit still, and neither do the cyber threats targeting your business. That’s why quarterly check-ins with your co-managed partner aren’t optional. They’re essential.

But here’s the problem:
Most internal IT teams don’t know what to ask. Or worse — they don’t realize what their co-managed provider should be proactively bringing to the table.

That’s why we’ve built this cheat sheet. These 7 questions should be part of every quarterly conversation — to ensure your internal IT efforts are backed by a partner who’s not just filling gaps, but actively driving business continuity and security.

1. What Vulnerabilities Have You Identified in Our Environment?

Your co-managed provider should always have a pulse on your infrastructure. Ask them:

  • Are there systems that still need patching?
  • Is antivirus or EDR up-to-date across all endpoints?
  • Have there been any red flags or near misses in the last 90 days?

You don’t want to discover a vulnerability after it’s been exploited. A proactive partner brings this to the table before you even ask.

2. Have Our Backups Been Tested Recently — And Are We Backing Up the Right Data?

You might have local backups. You might have cloud. But if your co-managed provider hasn’t tested recovery in the last quarter, that’s a problem.

Make sure they’re answering:

  • When was our last full restore test?
  • Are we covering mission-critical systems and cloud data?
  • Are backups stored securely off-site?
  • What’s our RTO/RPO — and has that changed?

Your backups are only as good as your ability to restore them — fast.

3. Are End-Users Following Security Best Practices?

Even the best internal security stack can be undone by human error.

You should be reviewing:

  • Unusual login attempts or shadow IT behaviors
  • Whether MFA is enforced company-wide
  • Whether end-user phishing training is current and effective
  • Who clicked what — and how quickly it was caught

A good co-managed IT partner helps coach your team and close the human loopholes.

4. How Is Our Network and System Performance Trending?

Your internal team already fields enough tickets. Let your co-managed partner help solve the root causes:

  • Are recurring slowness or outages being logged?
  • Are we hitting capacity on any hardware or SaaS licenses?
  • Is there an optimization opportunity we’ve overlooked?

Better performance = fewer tickets and a more productive team.

5. Are We Still Compliant With Industry Regulations and Cyber Insurance Requirements?

Your compliance burden doesn’t disappear just because you share IT responsibilities.

Ask your partner:

  • Are we up to date on HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, or state-level laws?
  • Have policies or frameworks changed since last quarter?
  • Are we aligned with evolving cyber liability insurance requirements?

A strong co-managed partner helps keep you audit-ready and legally covered.

6. What IT Investments or Upgrades Should We Be Planning For?

You don’t need surprises. You need foresight.

Get insight into:

  • Licensing renewals or software nearing end-of-life
  • Hardware replacement timelines
  • Security tools worth budgeting for
  • Any project recommendations for Q2/Q3

If your partner isn’t helping you plan ahead, they’re not helping you grow.

7. What Cybersecurity or Tech Trends Should Be On Our Radar?

The right co-managed IT partner isn’t just filling support tickets — they’re thinking like a CIO.

Ask:

  • Are we falling behind on any emerging threats or standards?
  • Are there automation, cloud, or AI tools we should consider?
  • What are similar companies doing that we’re not?
  • Where could we be more secure — or more efficient?

It’s their job to keep your internal team competitive, not just reactive.

If You’re Not Having These Conversations, That’s a Red Flag 🚩

If your co-managed IT provider can’t clearly and confidently answer these questions — or worse, if they never bring them up — it’s time to reevaluate the partnership.

Co-managed IT isn’t just a help desk extension. It’s a strategic alliance. You need a partner who helps you stay ahead of threats, avoid outages, reduce internal workload, and scale smart.

✅ Want a 2nd Opinion?

We offer FREE Security Assessments designed specifically for co-managed IT environments. Whether you want to benchmark your current provider or validate your internal practices, we’ll show you exactly where you’re solid — and where you’re exposed.

🔍 Click here to book your free assessment today.

Let’s get your next quarter off to a smarter, safer, and more strategic start.

Out of Office, Out of Luck: How Reactive IT Can Wreck Your Summer (and Your Business)

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It’s a sunny June morning. Half your team is on vacation. The other half is juggling coffee shop Wi-Fi and spotty hotel connections.

And then it happens:

  • Your system crashes.
  • The printer won’t print.
  • Shared files vanish into the void.
  • A phishing email just slipped past your filters.

You call your IT person… but they’re out of office, too.

Now what?

Your business stalls. Your team scrambles. And your vacation just got hijacked.

Sounds dramatic? Maybe.
But unrealistic? Not at all.

Summer is Great for Vacations — Terrible for Reactive IT Support

Most business owners underestimate how much tech quietly holds everything together… until it all breaks. And when your only IT resource is on PTO, you’re stuck.

That’s the fatal flaw of reactive IT support:
It works fine — until it doesn’t.

The “Just call Bob if something goes wrong” approach might get you by during slower seasons, but summer? That’s when it all hits at once:

  • Servers still overheat.
  • Hardware still fails.
  • Hackers don’t take vacations.

And when no one’s available to respond, downtime and damage pile up — fast.

Reactive IT = Playing Catch-Up While Firefighting

If your IT plan is built around fixing things after they break, you’re signing up for:

  • Costly downtime while you wait for help
  • Security breaches slipping through unnoticed
  • Minor glitches turning into major repairs
  • Zero support when your “go-to” person is MIA

It’s not just inconvenient. It’s a liability — especially in June, when vacation calendars are packed and remote work is the norm.

Proactive IT = Peace of Mind, Even from a Beach Chair

A proactive IT partner doesn’t wait for disasters — they prevent them.

They monitor your systems around the clock, apply updates before vulnerabilities are exposed, and ensure your business keeps running… whether your team is on-site or on a surfboard.

Here’s what you get with a proactive approach:

  • 24/7 monitoring and maintenance
  • Security updates before you’re vulnerable
  • Regular backups and tested recovery plans
  • A team of experts (not just one person)
  • Predictable costs with fewer tech surprises

No more scrambling. No more waiting. No more “out of office = out of luck.”

The Real Cost of Waiting Until It Breaks

Downtime can cost small businesses hundreds to thousands of dollars per minute. And if it’s a cyberattack? You could be looking at permanent reputational damage on top of financial loss.

Reactive IT doesn’t just cost money — it creates chaos.

Don’t Let Tech Trouble Crash Your Summer

This summer, protect your business and your PTO.

Let us assess your current setup and show you how a proactive IT strategy keeps your operations running smoothly — no matter where your team is.

🔍 Book Your FREE Network Assessment Here
We’ll identify your vulnerabilities and map out a plan to keep your systems secure, stable, and stress-free.

7 Signs It’s Time to Enhance Your IT Support with Co-Managed IT Service

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When it comes to IT support, many businesses settle for “good enough,” assuming it’s all they need. But what if your current IT provider or in-house team is actually holding your business back?

Co-managed IT services offer a collaborative approach that combines the strengths of your internal team with the expertise of a professional IT partner. If any of these signs resonate, it might be time to consider co-managed IT to fill the gaps and supercharge your IT strategy.

1. IT Emergencies Take Too Long to Resolve

When critical systems fail or a cybersecurity breach occurs, time is of the essence. If your IT team or provider isn’t available to resolve issues quickly, it’s time to enhance your support. Co-managed IT offers 24/7 monitoring and rapid response to minimize downtime and keep your business running.

2. Your IT Team is Overwhelmed

Internal IT teams often wear too many hats, leaving little time for proactive improvements. Co-managed IT takes the pressure off by handling tasks like system monitoring, patch management, and troubleshooting, allowing your team to focus on strategic initiatives.

3. Cybersecurity Isn’t a Strength

Cybersecurity requires constant attention and expertise. If your team struggles to keep up with the latest threats, co-managed IT can fill the gap with:

  • Advanced threat monitoring.
  • Ransomware protection.
  • Comprehensive data backup solutions.

A strong co-managed IT partner brings the tools and expertise needed to keep your business safe.

4. Support is Slow or Inconsistent

Does your current setup leave employees waiting for help? If issues linger unresolved or your ticketing system is inefficient, a co-managed IT approach can streamline support. With access to a dedicated IT partner, your team gets the consistent, reliable assistance they need.

5. You’re Not Getting Clear Reporting or Billing

IT budgets shouldn’t be a guessing game. Co-managed IT services provide transparent reporting on system performance, project timelines, and costs, so you always know what you’re paying for and why.

6. Backups Aren’t Being Tested

Backups are only useful if they work when you need them. Regular testing is essential to ensure data can be recovered in a disaster. Co-managed IT ensures that backups are tested routinely, giving you peace of mind that your data is protected.

7. IT Projects Are Always Delayed

If IT projects consistently miss deadlines or go over budget, it’s a sign your current team may need additional resources. Co-managed IT provides extra manpower and expertise to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.

How Co-Managed IT Can Transform Your Business

Co-managed IT is more than just outsourcing—it’s a partnership. By combining your in-house team’s knowledge with the expertise of a trusted IT provider, you gain:

  • Proactive monitoring and issue resolution.
  • Advanced cybersecurity solutions.
  • Streamlined operations and improved productivity.

With co-managed IT, your business can scale its IT capabilities without the need to hire and train additional staff.

Let’s Get Started

Is your IT support falling short? Whether you need to augment your internal team or add proactive IT management, we’re here to help.

📞 Call us at 214-550-0550 or Book a FREE Network Assessment today. Let’s work together to build a smarter, more secure IT environment for your business.

Stop settling for “good enough.” See what co-managed IT can do for your organization.

The Hidden Risks of Taking Shortcuts in IT Security

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A recent study by the National Cancer Institute in Maryland analyzed data from three significant US health studies, revealing a surprising statistic: people who took daily multivitamins had a 4% higher mortality rate than those who didn’t. This unexpected finding brings to mind a scene from the movie Grumpy Old Men, where a character, despite his unhealthy lifestyle, outlives many who followed strict health regimens. The takeaway? Shortcuts to achieving meaningful goals often lead to unintended consequences.

In various areas of life, including diet, we see that easy solutions can result in serious problems. For example, labels like “fat-free” or “sugar-free” might encourage people to overindulge, negating any potential benefits. The Atkins diet, which promises easy weight loss by cutting out carbs, has been linked to numerous health issues due to an unbalanced diet. Similarly, weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have led to serious health complications, reminiscent of the dangers posed by quick fixes like Fen-Phen in the 1990s.

In the IT world, shortcuts are equally dangerous. Many businesses try to meet compliance requirements or protect themselves from data breaches by taking the easiest, cheapest routes. It’s common to see companies relying on free antivirus or firewall software found through a quick online search, underestimating the risks involved. Small businesses often think they’re too insignificant to be targeted by cybercriminals, but in reality, these businesses are prime targets precisely because they tend to have weaker defenses.

Another common mistake is entrusting IT management to someone with basic tech knowledge but lacking professional expertise. When businesses eventually upgrade to professional IT services, they often discover numerous inefficiencies and vulnerabilities that had previously gone unnoticed. The problem isn’t the intent but the lack of necessary skills and resources, which significantly increases risk.

However, not all shortcuts are bad. Handing over IT responsibilities to an experienced managed services provider can be the ideal “easy button.” By partnering with professionals who understand your industry and its specific requirements, you can achieve compliance, security, and operational efficiency without the associated stress.

Choosing the right IT provider is crucial. History has shown us that even experts can be convincingly wrong, as evidenced by past medical practices like lobotomies or financial scams like Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. That’s why it’s essential to thoroughly vet potential IT partners, ask the right questions, and seek testimonials from other clients.

When selecting an IT provider to manage your network, take the decision seriously. You don’t need to know every technical detail, but it’s your responsibility to ask questions, request client testimonials, and hire someone trustworthy. Your company’s security, reputation, and future could be at stake if the wrong person mishandles your business. To help with this, I’ve created a FREE guide that outlines 16 essential questions you need to ask before letting anyone touch your network. It’s a valuable resource for every business owner.

If you’re ready to entrust your IT to a reliable team of experts, we’re here to help. Our team is ready to manage your network, allowing you to focus on growing your business while we focus on what we do best: protecting it. Check out our website for real client reviews!

To get started, give us a call at 214-550-0550 or click here to book your FREE Cyber Security Risk Assessment today.

3 Things to consider before you sign-up with a cloud services provider

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3 Things to consider before you sign-up with a cloud services provider

More and more SMBs are migrating to the cloud and that is not a surprise considering the numerous benefits the cloud can offer them. For a SMB, the cloud is a cost efficient and secure answer to their growing data needs and IT security requirements. The cloud grows with them and lets them scale their business without worrying about a corresponding rise in IT costs. Plus, with the cloud, the important aspects of security and backups are mostly taken care of by the cloud service provider. And then, there’s the convenience of any-time-anywhere data access. With all these benefits that the cloud brings, what’s there to think about before signing up with a cloud service provider? While are a lot of benefits of storing your data on the cloud, but your data is still yours, so there are a few things you need to know and be comfortable with before you jump onto the cloud.

Data storage location

Ask your cloud services provider where, (as in the location of the data center) your data will be stored. Ask them if they have multiple data centers and if yes, then, will they be backing up your data and storing them at different places. It is great if your cloud services provider does that, since that ensures higher safety of your data.

How secure will your data be?

Yes. When you hire a cloud services provider, a major chunk of your data’s security responsibility is passed onto them. You don’t have to really worry about your data security, but, you still need to know how they plan to keep your data safe. Ask your cloud services provider for details regarding their data security procedure. Have them share all policies, SOPs and data security frameworks that they claim to have in place.

Past performance/data loss history

Everyone talks about their best projects in a sales meeting. What you really need to know are the worst ones. Ask your cloud services provider to share with you their data loss/downtime trends for the past one year. Observe the trend. How often does their system give way and how long does it last? This is important for you to understand, because this metric translates into loss of business for you.

And finally, don’t forget to ask for a client list. Like we said before, everyone highlights the good things about themselves in a sales meeting. If you really want to know how good your cloud service provider is, ask them for a client list–both current and past. Check how many of them are from your industry vertical. Try reaching out to those who are willing to talk. Find out what they like the most about your cloud service provider and what aspects they find negative. Find out why their former customers left them. Usually customers are pretty good indicators of the quality of service a business provides. Hope these tips help you finding a cloud service provider who fits in well with your needs.

World Backup Day: Is it needed or not? Tech experts share their views

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Tech experts react to annual World Backup Day.

Source: http://www.cbronline.com/news/cybersecurity/world-backup-day-needed-not-tech-experts-share-views/

World backup day

As we reach the annual World Backup Day of the year, it is important to focus on the importance of backing up to avoid losing important files that could have been saved with a simple back-up procedure.

I, for one totally know how this feels following my recent incident of dropping my phone down the toilet, to which the phone became instantly inactive losing over 2000 pictures, files, A LOT! All of which could have been saved if I had just backed up to cloud, but yes I’ve learnt the hard way.

So now here’s the question- shouldn’t back-up day be every day? Does a day dedicated to it really express its true importance and effects?

Well, CBR put together a list with what some experts in this field have to say to answer this mystery.

 

GDPR

In aid of raising awareness of the risks of losing data and what can be done to prevent it, Cloud computing company, Rackspace shares its views on the importance of UK businesses backing up their data.

Read more: How Organisations Should Be Preparing for the GDPR

Lillian Pang, Senior Director of Legal and Data Protection Officer, Rackspace said: “Every day data becomes more valuable to businesses, with more and more created at an ever-increasing speed. While the message to ‘back up’ data is beginning to resonate, this in turn means that businesses are up to their necks in large amounts of data that needs protecting. And this is just the data they know about, without even thinking of what is going on in shadow IT.

GDPR“Initiatives like World Backup Day serve as a timely reminder to businesses not only of the need to back up data, but also to protect and carefully manage this invaluable asset. Like all risk based strategies, businesses must know what really needs to be backed up in the first place. In other words, businesses must understand what the ‘mission critical data’ actually is.

 “The sheer scale of data in circulation means that a simple backup tool is no longer enough in minimising the risk of valuable file or database goes missing or becoming corrupted. In addition, the process of backing up data has become more complex than it used to be because companies are more conscious than ever of the compliance regulations they have to adhere to.

“ If processes aren’t in place to meet legislation like GDPR, it’s not just reputational damage that organisations need to worry about – high fines could also have a significant business impact. Businesses need to dedicate time and resource to implement and execute on the processes in place for identifying and responding quickly to system degradations or failures.”

 

Disaster Recovery

In response to the importance of regular backups, Cloud service provider, iland shares the idea that backing up data is an easy and hassle-less procedure that can be done daily or any day of the week. Still yet, many organisations and individuals ignore the process for different reasons.

Brian Ussher, President and Co-Founder, iland said: “On World Backup Day, it’s a good time to recognise how far the market has come in protecting mission-critical business data. The scalability, flexibility and on-demand nature of the cloud means that backup and DR strategies that were previously only available to large enterprise customers are now also within the reach of small and medium sized businesses.

“Indeed, many of our customers have evolved from onsite backup to cloud backup to a full cloud-based disaster recovery strategy.  While risks ranging from the dramatic; hurricanes, storms and ransomware attacks to the mundane; power outages, unauthorised changes and human error are only increasing, companies of all sizes can be confident that the technology and expert assistance is available to help them achieve IT resiliency and business continuity.”

What do Veeam and Hitachi Data Systems have to say?

Data Centre Action

Again, in response to World Back up Day itself, many look at the risks of making organisations back up on the same day. Not only could it cause a crash in backup locations, but who can be so sure that the process of large amounts of data transfer at once will not cause users files to end up in different locations.

This is why files should consistently be stored in secure locations.

Jon Leppard, Director, Future Facilities said: “A comprehensive backup policy should involve keeping copies of data on a local server or hard drive, but most importantly it should also be stored in an external location –usually a datacentre. But even datacentres have capacity limits on the volume of data they can store at any one time. If everyone were to back up at the same time there would be considerable pressure on network bandwidth and global data centre capacity.

“Data centre operators must ensure they have a backup strategy in place, in terms of predicting the impact of a sudden spike in demand. After all, backup must be failsafe, or it is of little value. With that in mind, maybe encouraging everyone to backup on one day of the year is not the right approach.”

 

Availability Gap

As we have a specific day set aside to encourage backing up, it should be just as important to demand continuous availability, especially as businesses are now required to adjust to become the Always-On enterprise to allow 24/7 availability.

For this reason, it is advised that World Availability Day should be imposed the day before World Backup day and should also be given more awareness, according to Veeam.

Richard Agnew, VP NW EMEA, Veeam said:  “In today’s connected world, businesses need to ensure availability to avoid a breakdown in operations.

“The recent AWS outage (which took down many large websites for several hours) paints a clear picture that businesses cannot afford to have unavailable data. Not only does brand reputation take a toll, businesses are also left out of pocket. Organisations have become more aware of the dreaded ‘availability gap’ emerging – which includes data loss, extended recovery times, unreliable data protection, and a lack of knowledge of the IT environment leading to unplanned issues and downtime.

“Organisations have implemented innovative solutions and planning which needs to be complemented with processes that can ensure availability at all times. With AI, machine learning and the Internet of Things driving IT modernisation, it’s imperative that data and functionality is protected at all times, and that’s why having a secure website is important, but you can achieve this with the right hosting, and if you don’t know how to host a websites there are guides such as the Introduction to Web Hosting site you can find online and is perfect for this purpose.

“The boardroom discussions need to evolve from the backup and recovery strategy to availability. It’s high time for businesses to take action and introduce an IT strategy that ensures their business is Always-On 24/7.”

 

Data Storage

For businesses especially, secure enterprise data storage should be of key importance especially considering the upcoming GDPR effects which are due to take place.

Steve Lewis, CTO UK&I, Hitachi Data Systems said: “With just a year to go before organisations operating in the EU must become GDPR-compliant, it’s now more important than ever for companies to focus on safely and securely storing organisational and customer data.

“The amount of data captured by businesses every day can be a huge asset, unlocking valuable insights and creating competitive advantage. However, this same information can also cause serious headaches for those tasked with securely storing and managing it – and GDPR is putting a time limit on the need to get this right.

“As a result, it’s no surprise that many organisations are looking to new solutions to help them navigate the regulatory landscape – with Data Protection Officers increasingly being hired to guide organisations and provide a bridge between the IT department and the boardroom, and companies looking for technology solutions to help them better manage and govern the data they hold.”