When it comes to keeping your business up and running, it is all about the time factor. Time determines how fast you can recover business operations in the event of an outage or natural disaster. If you have already completed a risk assessment, the business impact analysis ensures that you do not incur additional expenses which can result from slow recovery time.
Although you may have already completed a risk assessment and you know what critical business operations must be recovered, this will not matter unless you can recover them within a reasonable amount of time. By conducting a business impact analysis this will ensure efficient business continuity in the event of a catastrophe.
So what are some of the key components you should consider when conducting a business impact analysis?
More
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week released an alert indicating that all versions of Java up to and including the then latest Java version 7 update 10, contained weaknesses that could allow a malicious attacker to run code on a machine that had Java installed and enabled in web browsers on that system. What made this notification unique is that the DHS was encouraging users to disable or uninstall Java altogether whereas in past security bulletins they generally gave feedback on how to steer clear of threats to US computer systems.
More
Outsourcing has been growing in popularity. It represents an opportunity for companies to expand, as needed, while cutting the costs associated with new technologies and services. Recent studies conducted by Computer Economics, Inc. showed outsourcing made up only 4 percent of IT costs in 2008. By 2009 this percentage increased to more than 6 percent. By 2011, outsourcing IT services made up more than 10 percent of the total IT expenditures, and this trend has only continued in 2012.
This means that choosing the right outsourced IT provider is now more important than ever. There is a lot at stake in terms of business continuity, company productivity, growth of revenue, and company expansion.
Part of choosing an outsourced IT provider is knowing what mistakes to avoid. Investing the time at the beginning means fewer headaches over the long term and minimizing the potential for unexpected costs as a result of making the wrong decision.
More
Quality network security is an essential part of the operations for your business and meeting data protection compliance and regulatory requirements. It sounds really simple to say you just want to “keep the criminals out” while keeping your business in productive mode. Unfortunately, with the increased demands for technology and information security, this can result in a significant time investment.
Network security is no longer about just deploying firewalls and an antivirus program. Regardless of the size of your business, the latest threats are very advanced. This is why many companies are opting to use enterprise-class network security protection services to increase protection while saving time and money.
If you have never used this type of service for your company or small business, here is an overview of the core levels of protection that a network security protection service can provide.
More
The events of September 11, 2001 changed a lot of things including the manner in which businesses assess risk and devise plans to deliver critical services in the event of a disruption. Although catastrophic events have a minimal probability, the businesses that plan carefully for business continuity are the ones that stand the best chance of continuing their services in the event of a disaster.
It does not take a monumental catastrophe to disrupt daily operations of a business. Sometimes it can be something as simple as a power outage or intermediate interruptions that result from a storm or an attack instigated by cyber criminals.
Having a business continuity plan in place means arranging to continue to deliver services which are the most critical to business operations and identifying the resources which are needed to support business continuity. In order for a business continuity plan to be effective there are key critical components that must be present during the planning process.
More
Network Security in today’s high tech environment is now more important than ever. Hackers and cyber criminals have gotten very sophisticated in the methods they use to carry out exploits. For many companies this means added layers of security and infrastructures which create a network with many different facets.
In today’s economy many businesses do not have the resources which are required to implement the necessary equipment and employ staff with the skills to maintain network security. This represents a very real challenge for companies in terms of data security, business continuity and productivity. This is where network protection services can be invaluable when it comes to protecting company assets.
More
Monitoring the health of your network is an essential part of maintaining business continuity and productivity. Similar to a routine checkup with your physician a Network Health Assessment ensures that your business goals are appropriately aligned with the technology required to meet those goals.
So what is a Network Health Assessment and what does it entail?
A comprehensive Network Health Assessment takes anywhere from four to six weeks and is typically managed by a senior engineer who oversees the process and then reports on the status of the network. The process involves a series of assessments on network components which include the following:
More
During a difficult economy, virtualization and cloud hosting represents a viable solution for cutting costs while increasing company productivity and IT services. Many companies are considering the use of virtualization and cloud hosted Services as a means for reducing IT costs through hardware consolidation.
But what happens to compliance standards and service level agreements that must be maintained if you decide to use virtualization and cloud hosted Services?
More
The security of today’s information systems go far beyond the general protection measures that were once considered to provide ample security against intrusion.For many companies that are implementing new technologies one of the top priorities during the planning phase is security. There are many different aspects that define the overall security of a company’s infrastructure, one of which is patch management.
Patching is
More
Every company is aware that the proper data protection measures are of utmost importance. Yet many businesses still utilize older methods of data backup such as tape systems, costly onsite backup methods, and offsite systems that may mean several days until recovery takes place. These methods consume resources and pose more risks of failure in addition to being complex, costly, and labor intensive.
New data backup and recovery technologies eliminate
More
