As a business owner, you’re always focusing on how to best move your company
forward. But have you taken time to consider the potential threats to your operations?

Having a backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan is the best way to safeguard your
data from all types of loss and destruction. Get to know these threats and the
preparations you can make to keep your business going when dark clouds begin to
loom.

Natural Disasters

You may assume backing up your data locally on a hard drive is the best way to recover
it in the event your primary system fails. But what would you would do if that hard drive
(and the entire building it resides in) was destroyed by a natural disaster?
Be it a hurricane, earthquake, fire or flood, the threats to your vital data are very real.
But even if your business becomes a sinking ship, you can have enough lifeboats for
every byte.

The best course of action is to store all data in a secure location using cloud services.
This way, when it’s time to pick your business back up, your only concern will be
selecting new office furniture.

Cyber Crime

A common way for cyber criminals to steal your data and make money is ransomware.
This malicious software holds data hostage unless a specified amount is paid.
“WannaCry” ransomware was a recent program that received worldwide attention for its
effectiveness in blocking access to crucial data. Unfortunately, many of those who paid
the ransom never had their data returned.

Setting up a firewall will block most attacks, but having an active image of all your data
stored is the best defense. Data images provide a comprehensive and usable mirror of
everything you’ve worked on and provide access when your primary system is locked
out. It will also save you time on setting up new servers and reinstalling applications.

Internal Problems

Technology will induce audible rage in even the quietest cubical when it malfunctions for
seemingly no reason. Sometimes data loss can occur due to forces from within your
company. Even though you invested in the best servers and equipment, there’s always
the chance something will cause a catastrophic failure and the loss of everything your
business relies on to function.

Data loss can also stem from basic human error. Employees who are new, temporary or
even long-term could mistakenly delete vital data. There’s also the unfortunate reality
that data could purposely be deleted or corrupted by disgruntled employees.

How We Can Help

With so many unpredictable threats looming, BDR is your shelter from the storm.
Disasters do happen, but you can rest easy knowing that the most important things will
survive. Contact us now and ask how we can disaster-proof your business.

Does your website or company accept payments online or store financial records digitally? If you answered “yes,” then you need to be compliant with industry regulations.  

In simple terms, compliance is the act of meeting established industry or government guidelines. These guidelines are in place to protect you and your customers’ data. As technology changes, these compliance regulations evolve, and it can be difficult for some businesses to keep up with the changes.  

Here are two compliance regulations businesses need to be aware of regarding financial information: 

PCI 

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With more and more financial transactions conducted online than ever before, you have to be vigilant in protecting your and your customers’ payment information. All it takes is one data breach for your customers to lose trust in your business. Enter the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS. These regulations and requirements are designed to ensure that all companies that accept, store, process or transmit cardholder data during a credit card transaction maintain a secure environment.  

There are different compliance levels, determined by how many online credit card transactions your business performs within a year. Each major credit card company has its own specific requirements, such as annual questionnaires and quarterly network scans by a third-party vendor. 

SOX 

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In the early 2000s, the U.S. government passed legislation to crack down on inaccurate financial information following scandals involving high-profile corporations such as Enron and WorldCom. This legislation became known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX. The act protects shareholders and the general public by improving the accuracy of corporate financial disclosures. 

The financial and IT departments of all public companies are required to follow SOX regulations. The act outlines which records need to be stored and how long you need to maintain a secure backup of your financial data.    

What Happens if You’re Not in Compliance? 

For companies that are not in compliance with PCI, SOX or other regulations, there can be harsh penalties. For example, if you’re found in violation of the SOX requirements, you could get kicked off your exchange listing and face multimillion-dollar fines.  

How We Can Help 

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If your business takes any kind of online payment, you need to be in compliance. We perform audits and assessments to determine whether your company meets industry regulations. Most importantly, we can create policies, controls and procedures to ensure your company prevents future issues and meets compliance every time. 

Don’t navigate complicated compliance and industry regulations alone. Contact us today​​​​ to get started.