Archives for October 2017

Ransomware Reinforces Importance of Disaster Recovery

We’ve written multiple blog posts about the importance of having disaster recovery and business continuity plans. Outages – whether caused by severe weather, a power outage, or some other unforeseen event – are common, and a disaster recovery plan is essential to ensure that business operations continue as usual and data is not lost. In the last few years, ransomware has become more common, and is causing more disruption than ever before. So how can companies guard their business systems?

Ransomware is a software that uses encryption in an effort to lock up a computer or company’s database and upload files into the hard drive. A ransom note will be sent, demanding money (usually in the form of Bitcoins) in exchange for the private decryption key.

Below, we’ll share a few tips for protecting your business from ransomware. Above all, it’s important to have a solid disaster recovery plan in place. Contact Vaultas to learn how we can help.

Be aware

Because ransomware can attack an IT system from a seemingly-innocent email, link or file, it’s important to educate all employees on possible sources and origins. It is, of course, important to invest in data protection technology, but it’s also necessary to create and enforce policies around prevention.

Know how to spot ransomware

Ransomware is sinister because, at first glance, it looks relatively normal. It is generally transmitted in .png or .txt files buried in an email or link. It will work fast, encrypting and locking up files within a few minutes. Know and educate employees on what ransomware looks like and what to do if they suspect they have clicked on a corrupt file.

Make a contingency plan

Even with the best protection plans in place, ransomware can easily still strike. If and when that happens, make sure your company has a detailed disaster recovery plan.

With the current increase in events occurring in Minnesota and across the country, industry experts predict that ransomware is no longer an “if” situation, but a “when.” When ransomware attacks, will your business be ready with a disaster recovery plan? The cost of most disaster recovery solutions is far less than the cost of a single attack, so it’s in your company’s best financial interest to invest in DR today.

If you want to learn more about creating an IT disaster recovery plan for your business, get in touch today. Vaultas’ business continuity service streamlines disaster recovery, keeping your business operating through any disaster or disruption.

When Should Hosting Be Outsourced?

If you’re in need of a hosting solution for your business, you may find the options and process confusing. What’s the difference between website and storage hosting? Can we manage our hosting in-house, or should we outsource some of it to a third-party provider? Does it make sense to let someone else manage it all?

When determining what and how much to host, the first and best advice we’ll give is to get in touch with a reliable company and ask a few questions. At Vaultas, we’re happy to talk businesses through the details of our hosting solutions, and to help determine what exactly they need.

On the question of outsourcing some or all of the hosting services, what you choose will largely depend on: 1) your company’s personnel resources, 2) your company’s financial resources, and 3) the type of business you conduct. Managing your IT infrastructure in-house can save money, but it will also require an investment in the personnel and technology required to manage it.

One option is to choose an IaaS, or Infrastructure-as-a-Service, provider to manage select hosting needs, while managing others in-house. This allows companies to save money while outsourcing some of the more complicated aspects.

For companies without the personnel or IT resources to manage any part of the infrastructure, fully managed services may be the way to go. A service provider should function as a partner – fully knowledgeable about the company and its needs, and ready to step in whenever assistance is needed. This is a more costly option, but it allows for smoother day-to-day operations.

An important note: if a company does business in healthcare, banking, insurance or financial services, there are federal regulations on security and compliance that can make it more difficult to manage in-house.

Vaultas offers a wide variety of hosting options, including website, application and storage hosting solutions. If your business needs a more custom solution, we can tailor any of our services to meet your needs, providing nonstop, comprehensive support to ensure that there are no interruptions.

To learn more about hosting, cloud storage, data storage or any of our other hybrid IT solutions, visit our website and get in touch for more information and a free quote.