data backup

What is BaaS and Why is it Important?

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As we’ve discussed on our blog, it’s important to take proactive, preventative action against the threat of ransomware, outages, and hacks. But there’s another piece that’s equally (if not more) important: the restorative aspect of disaster recovery, and protection against data loss. This is where BaaS comes in.

What is BaaS?

BaaS, or Backup as a Service, is focused specifically on the retention of data in the event of an outage or breach. BaaS protects data from loss, which leads to a more complete recovery and minimizes impacts to customers.

Why is BaaS Important?

First and foremost, Backup as a Service protects data. It tends to take a bit longer to retrieve and recover data, but this extended timeline allows for more time for QA. In addition, it saves costs, which is especially important when dealing with the fallout from a ransomware attack, outage or hack.

Aligning BaaS and DRaaS for Maximum Benefit

According to Beta News, the best strategy is to enlist and align BaaS with DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service). While DRaaS focuses on minimizing downtime and recovering all IT infrastructure as quickly as possible, BaaS focuses on retaining data and minimizing data loss.

Utilizing both allows companies to tailor their recovery plan to the unique needs of their industry, dataset and IT infrastructure. Not only will this optimize disaster recovery, but can also lead to significant cost savings.

Do you need help creating a DRaaS or BaaS plan? Contact Vaultas today!

Vaultas is a technology ecosystem provider that facilitates direct access to any network or service provider. Our services include colocation, cloud, hybrid IT solutions, connectivity, communication and collaboration including UCaaS and CCaaS, disaster recovery and business continuity, hosting, consulting, energy conservation and much more.

Our primary ecosystem access points are located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN, and Milwaukee, WI, with remote access from anywhere in the world. Contact us to get started. 

How to Know Whether Cloud Data is Secure

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Your company’s data is its most valuable asset. Losing customer, financial, strategic or any other information to a hack or cyberattack could be disastrous for your company’s reputation and bottom line. Many businesses simply don’t recover from a data breach. And because storing data in the cloud creates more opportunities for hacks, it’s even more important to ensure that cloud data is protected.

When data is sent to the cloud, the virtual road on which it travels is easily exposed to route hijacking, hacking, and other cybersecurity threats. According to Megaport, many businesses don’t realize the vulnerability of their cloud data, making them even more susceptible to hacks. If you’re not sure whether your cloud data is secure, here are three things to ask.

Determining Whether Cloud Data is Secure

Are the Company’s Connections Private?

If any part of your data’s cloud journey involves public internet connectivity, consider establishing direct, private peering between data destinations. This reduces data’s exposure by taking it directly to its destination, rather than making stops along the way.

Does the Company Have a Secure Multicloud Strategy?

Even if you transport your data via private, secured connections, it’s at risk every time it’s transported. In a secure multicloud connectivity strategy, cloud providers will privately communicate with one another without having to travel across the internet. This shortens data’s journey and keeps it safer.

Are the Company’s Cloud Connectivity Platforms ISO Certified?

ISO certifications are international standards that specify requirements in various aspects of IT (along with many other industries). To receive an ISO certification, companies must prove that they meet all technical and legal requirements, and that they have the necessary safeguards in place. Check with all companies that handle your data and IT infrastructure to ensure they have the proper ISO certifications. If they don’t, it may be time to find a new cloud provider.

Do you have questions about whether your cloud data is secure? Give Vaultas a call. With our wide network of vendor partners, we can help you find the right cloud and IT providers that meet your company’s unique needs.

Vaultas is a technology ecosystem provider that facilitates direct access to any network or service provider. Our services include colocation, cloud, hybrid IT solutions, connectivity, communication and collaboration including UCaaS and CCaaS, disaster recovery and business continuity, hosting, consulting, energy conservation and much more.

Our primary ecosystem access points are located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN, and Milwaukee, WI, with remote access from anywhere in the world. Contact us to get started. 

What is the Technology Ecosystem?

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As we enter the sixth month of COVID-19, shutdowns, social distancing and remote work, many companies are starting to think long-term. It’s clear that the current situation will most likely persist for many more months, and the world will look much different when we return to “normal,” whatever that will be. So how can companies meet the challenges of this new reality? Better yet, how can they leverage the current situation to improve their processes and operations? The Vaultas technology ecosystem can help.

What is the Technology Ecosystem?

There are many different definitions of a tech or IT ecosystem, depending on the context in which it’s used. For our purposes, we define the Vaultas technology ecosystem as the coalition of vendors, suppliers, tools and services that deliver custom IT solutions for businesses and institutions.

How Can the Technology Ecosystem Deliver for Your Business?

At Vaultas, we have access to nearly 200 suppliers of IT tools and services, allowing companies to select the individual solutions that are right for their specific needs. We have the skills and experience to integrate your selections into a cohesive, efficient IT system that will work for you.

Fast, Efficient and Automated

Gone are the days of waiting weeks or months for a new IT system to be built and installed. We can identify and connect the right solutions for your business in a matter of days. Systems will be integrated and automated, allowing your team to focus on your business and customers instead of the IT hassles that devour so many resources.

The Power of Choice

You know your business and its needs. The technology ecosystem gives you the ability to select the tools and vendors that are exactly right for your company. And in this current climate, with all options on the table, there’s no better time to exercise your power of choice and find an IT solution that will deliver for your employees, customers and stakeholders.

Vaultas Is Your Trusted Advisor

We know that the options can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re dedicated to helping you navigate the ecosystem from start to finish. As your trusted advisor, we’ll harness the latest trends, identify needs, and help you harness the IT solutions that will give your business a competitive advantage. A trusted advisor is a CIO’s best friend, and Vaultas has the experience to play that role.

In short, the Vaultas ecosystem provides options, improves efficiency, and saves money. From security and connectivity to cloud and colocation, managed services, voice, and everything in between, let the technology ecosystem change how you do business.

Businesses are facing a wide variety of challenges as they navigate our new reality. The Vaultas IT ecosystem is here to help with all of them.

Vaultas is a technology ecosystem provider that facilitates direct access to any network or service provider. Our services include hybrid IT solutions,  data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage, data center consulting, hosted PBX and VOIP solutions, and more. 

Our primary ecosystem access points are located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN, and Milwaukee, WI, with remote access from anywhere in the world. Contact us to get started. 

How to Make Remote Work More Secure

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Despite all the news stories and warnings from the IT industry (like this, this or this), many executives and employees still don’t fully grasp the importance of data security. This spring, as millions began working from home, data became even more vulnerable to breaches and hacks. Now, with the pandemic continuing to spread, remote work will be the reality for many months to come. Data security must be a priority.

Luckily, there are a few simple steps companies and employees can take to protect data, as recently discussed by Forbes. We’ll summarize them here.

Make Passwords Strong and Unique

Yes, keeping track of passwords is tedious. But today’s computer operating systems make it easy, by suggesting strong passwords and keeping them stored. Some newer models even utilize biometric sensors to grant access. If you have trouble remembering passwords, consider using a reputable password manager, like Dashlane, LastPass or 1Password.

Set Up a VPN

A VPN, or virtual private network, allows employees to create a private connection over a public network. Essentially, this creates a secure tunnel between a home network and an office network. Some IT networks have established VPNs on company-issued machines, so ask your IT department.

Consider the Router

The router is often overlooked, but it can play a huge role in protecting data. Newer models have security functionality that is embedded and continuously updated. This will protect not just work data and functionalities, but also other devices such as tablets, mobile phones, and smart devices.

Is your company preparing for long-term remote work? Do you need help ensuring that employees have the tools they need to safely and successfully work from home? The Vaultas ecosystem is here to help. Contact us to get started.

Vaultas is a technology ecosystem provider enabling direct access to any network or service provider. Our services include hybrid IT solutions,  data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage, data center consulting, hosted PBX and VOIP solutions, and more. 

Our primary ecosystem access points are located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN, and Milwaukee, WI, with remote access from anywhere in the world. Contact us to get started. 

How the Vaultas Ecosystem Can Help Companies Through Coronavirus

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As the coronavirus continues to spread across Minnesota and the United States, its impact on individuals and businesses has become increasingly pronounced. With employees working from home, retail stores launching online shops, and small businesses finding creative ways to make ends meet, IT systems and network environments need the ability to grow and change every day. 

The good news: the Vaultas ecosystem of carrier networks, data centers, cloud solutions and hybrid IT providers is fully prepared to support businesses and communities as they navigate the new and challenging circumstances brought on by COVID-19. Here are a few ways that Vaultas can help during this time of transition.

Collaborative Workforce Software

As companies shift to a remote workforce, they’ll need to find ways for employees to stay in touch and collaborate online in a secure manner so company information stays safe. There are many programs and tools available for premise-based or scalable cloud-based collaborative remote workforce solutions, but the learning curve can be steep. Vaultas is available for support and assistance as businesses look for the best in breed tools to support their internal and external customers with flexible and scalable solutions.

Expanded Internet and Peering Traffic

When we’re all home, our internet use goes up. This is due to employees working online, students learning online, others shopping online and the rest of us watching Netflix, reading the news or video chatting with family and friends. See how the powerful Vaultas ecosystem of worldwide networks and peering exchanges can ensure that your company’s internet and network connections remain fast, stable and efficient despite the uptick in usage or changing demands of a remote workforce.

Data Security Concerns

When companies make sudden and unplanned shifts to online work, they are more likely to be vulnerable to hacks, cyberattacks and security breaches. Cybersecurity is always a priority, but even more so today.

The Vaultas ecosystem was built for challenges like those created by the Coronavirus. Our ecosystem has significant security, IT and network assets, combined with flexible and scalable solutions that can be leveraged and deployed quickly in support of your businesses, customers, and employees, whether short term during the coronavirus pandemic or long term as a built in feature. Whatever your IT challenge, don’t hesitate to reach out and see how the Vaultas ecosystem can help your business during these challenging times.

Vaultas is a technology ecosystem provider enabling direct access to any network or service provider including, but not limited to;  hybrid IT solutions,  data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage, data center consulting, any internet and network or cloud based, hosted PBX and VOIP solutions and more. 

Our primary ecosystem access points are located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN, and Milwaukee, WI, with remote access from anywhere in the world.  Contact us to get started. 

How to Outsource Hosting

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For many businesses, hosting the company website and/or data storage in-house is the best option, both financially and logistically. But then, things begin to change. The business grows, new services are added, budgets are reprioritized or staffing changes are made. Or, in a worst case scenario, the business falls victim to a disaster or cyberattack, and determines that it’s time for a more secure hosting setup. Whatever the reason, when it becomes time to outsource hosting, it’s helpful to know the steps.

Step One: Get The Information

Before deciding whether to outsource hosting, you should first get in touch with a reliable hybrid IT company. At Vaultas, we’re happy to talk businesses through our hosting solutions, and to help determine what exactly they need.

Step Two: Determine What You Have and What You Need

What and how much you choose to host will depend on:

  • the company’s personnel resources,
  • budgetary allocations, and
  • the type of business you conduct.

Step Three: Start Making Decisions

Whether you maintain some hosting in-house will depend on having the right personnel and your specific business needs. 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.

(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.)

For companies without the personnel or IT resources to manage any part of the infrastructure, fully managed hosting services may be the way to go. This could be a more costly option, but it allows for smoother day-to-day operations, and decreased risk.

 

 

 

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.

Could outsourced hosting save your company time and money?

Contact Vaultas to learn more about our custom hosting solutions.

Vaultas is a premier provider of hybrid IT solutions, providing data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage, data center consulting, internet connections, hosted PBX and VOIP, and more. Our data centers are located in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN, and Milwaukee, WI. Contact us to get started.

(This is a repost of a blog post from October 2017 that was updated in March 2020.)

A Tiered Approach to Data Protection and DR

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All data is valuable. But when disaster strikes and the clock is ticking, with business operations and customers hanging in the balance, is some data more important? That’s the thinking behind the newest approach to data protection and disaster recovery: prioritizing certain data in order to avoid downtime and minimize customer impact.

Taking Cues from Cybersecurity

Adopting a tiered approach to data protection mirrors cybersecurity’s prioritized defenses, says Tech Target. In cybersecurity, multiple tiers are used to from data against the many different internal and external threats that loom every day. The thinking behind tiered data protection is similar: protecting data from the different outages – such as severe weather, ransomware, hardware failure or simple human error – that can occur.

More Data Equals Longer Recovery Time

As data storage has grown more accessible and affordable, so has the volume of data being stored by many organizations. While this is good from an overall business perspective, it’s not ideal for disaster recovery. Customers are increasingly intolerant of downtime, and taking that valuable time to load data that isn’t essential to operations could mean a significant loss in sales and customer satisfaction.

Start Slowly and Keep it Simple

For best results, disaster recovery solutions should include multiple data tiers, each supported by multiple points and layers. But tiering doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Defining and understanding your organization’s priorities is the first step, and something is always better than nothing.

If and when an outage or disruption occurs, will your business be ready? Give Vaultas a call to get started on a disaster recovery solution. We offer custom IT services to meet your company’s unique needs.

Vaultas is a premier provider of IT solutions, providing data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage and more. Our data centers are located in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Alexandria and St. Cloud, MN, and Milwaukee, WI. Contact us to get started.

Which Backup Level Is Right For Your Business?

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A company’s data is its most important asset. It’s essential to protect it, through data storage and backup, as well as an up-to-date disaster recovery and business continuity plan. That seems simple enough, but there are some nuances to understand in order to achieving comprehensive and complete data security. Ensuring your business has the right backup level is one of those key concepts.

One obvious consequence of having the wrong backup level is not having sufficient space to store essential data. Another lesser-known concern is wasted storage space and bandwidth, which can lead to unnecessary expenditures.

So what’s the difference between full, incremental and differential backup? What is a forever-incremental backup? We’ll discuss each below.

Full Backup

A full backup is exactly what it sounds like: a backup of all data in the entire system. One caveat is that some files are specifically excluded from backup by the set configuration. Usually, these are directories that won’t hold any value during a reboot, or contain temporary files.

Incremental Backup

An incremental backup includes all data that has been changed since the last backup of any kind (in contrast to differential backups, discussed below). Previously, they backed all files that has been changed. However, that often caused a great deal of unnecessary backup effort (like when one small piece of a file has changed) and significant inefficiency. Now, many incremental backups only back up the blocks that have been changed.

Differential Backup

In contrast to an incremental backup, a differential backup includes all data that has been changed since the last full backup. Differential backups were popular in the days of tape-based backups, and have largely fallen out of use in recent years.

Forever-Incremental Backup

Now that most backups are done on disk, full and differential backups are less relevant. Instead of restoring data, a forever-incremental backup system keeps a record of the location of the files in storage, and transfers the files back to the client. This is significantly more efficient.

Not sure what backup level your business needs? Give Vaultas a call today.

Vaultas is a premier provider of IT solutions, providing data storage and backup, disaster recovery and business continuity services, hosting, colocation, cloud storage and more. Contact us to get started.

Don’t Forget Data!

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There’s a lot to consider when writing a business continuity plan. The plan needs to establish the process for continuing business operations in the event of a disaster, incident or outage. Business continuity plans don’t focus on IT systems, but the departments that are supported by IT, including sales, customer service, and HR. In addition, it’s essential to plan for the protection and recovery of the company’s data.

Why is it so important to protect data? To put it simply, your data is the lifeblood of your company. Without it, you can’t fulfill orders, communicate with customers, product reports, measure progress, contact employees, market your business and more. Data is essential to both day-to-day operations and long-term objectives, which is why it’s so important to include in business continuity discussions.

A good business continuity plan will cover both data protection (the process of safeguarding information from corruption or loss), and data recovery, (the process of restoring data that has been lost.) And because most data loss occurs due to simple human error, not large-scale incidents or outages, it’s important for each and every business to include data in business continuity plans.

But how should data be incorporated into the plan? Disaster Recovery Journal recently shared a few basic tips, which we’ll summarize here.

 

Backup:

First and most importantly, ensure that your data is backed up, either physically or virtually.

Recovery:

Consider colocating data on the cloud so that it can be recovered in the event of a loss. This limits downtime by allowing employees remote access.

Remote Data Movement:

Copy data to a location outside the primary physical location, or better yet, to the cloud. This will ensure that it remains safe through fire or natural disaster.

Storage System Security:

It’s important that your storage facility is accessible to employees. However, it’s vital to protect it from unauthorized users who may have bad intentions.

Test and Test Again:

Make sure all essential employees know the procedures for backup and recovery, and run drills to ensure that data can be easily recovered in the event of a loss.

 

From data backup and storage to cloud colocation, Vaultas can help your company prepare for disaster. Give Vaultas a call at 888-998-2858, or contact us online. With custom solutions to meet the most demanding IT needs, we’ll work with you to find the best solutions for your business.

Five Important Things to Include in a Disaster Recovery Plan

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With the ever-increasing threat of ransomware and other forms of cybercrime, it’s becoming apparent that a disaster recovery plan is no longer an option – it’s a necessity. Many businesses have put DR on their to-do list for 2018, but are unsure of where to start. If you’re in that situation, give Vaultas a call – we can help you along every step of the disaster recovery planning process.

No matter your industry or business size, the experts at Mission Critical agree that there are five essential elements that should be included in your company’s disaster recovery plan. We’ll summarize them below.

 

  1. Define Trigger Points

What is the point at which the company will put its disaster recovery plan into action? To determine this, it’s important to perform a business impact analysis and create a risk profile.

  1. Determine Authority and Documentation Management

If an outage occurs, who is in charge of guiding the company through the DR plan? This should be more than one person – ideally, all members of the IT team should be able to follow the procedures laid out in the plan, and document the steps taken.

  1. Application Prioritization

Determine which services take priority, based on which have the greatest impact – financial, reputational or otherwise – on the business, and order them accordingly.

  1. Set a Testing Schedule

A good disaster recovery plan will include a schedule for review and testing of that plan. It’s important that the plan stays current, and that the team knows how to execute it seamlessly.

  1. Continual Evaluation

Along those lines, remember that a disaster recovery plan should be a dynamic and evolving strategy. Companies should continually work to evaluate and improve DR plans, especially following an outage.

 

Have questions or need help creating and implementing a disaster recovery plan for your business? Vaultas can help! We’ll create a personalized solution for your company’s specific DR needs, and ensure that you have the tools to implement it. Get in touch today to get started!

Ransomware Reinforces Importance of Disaster Recovery

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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.

All About Edge Computing

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Edge computing has become one of the fastest-growing trends in data storage, cloud computing and hybrid IT. But what, exactly, is edge computing? Basically, it is what it sounds like: service providers that operate at the “edge” of existing data centers, rather than in a central data warehouse or in a cloud.

edge computing

To break it down a bit more, let’s examine edge computing from a historical standpoint. Initially, it began as an effort to improve web services for internet users who lived outside of large metropolitan areas like New York and San Francisco. By storing applications and content on servers closer to mid-size cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, the literal “edge” of the internet was extended to those smaller markets.

So what does this mean for business and internet users? There are many advantages to edge computing. For applications within the Internet of Things (IoT) – devices, digital and mechanical machines, and objects with the ability to automatically transfer data over a network – edge computing allows for streaming data to be captured in the moment, which can prevent parts from failing, prevent defects, reroute traffic and optimize production.

In addition, businesses with multiple office locations can process data at the site while communicating with the home office.

In general, edge computing can improve processing speeds and ease pressure on network resources. This is because, depending on how they’re implemented, edge computing systems may process only the most time-sensitive data at the origin, and send less vital data to the cloud for analysis and data storage. This improves response time and conserves network resources.

There are some challenges, however, such as issues with security and network configuration. It will be interesting to see how these concerns are addressed as hybrid IT continues to grow in popularity and usefulness.

At Vaultas, we offer a wide variety of data solutions, cloud storage and hybrid IT that can be easily customized to meet the needs of your business. Contact us to for a free consultation to determine which data solution is right for you.