Guide To Backups Myth 4

Myth 4: Secure online backup

While online backup can indeed be made very secure, solutions offered by several market leaders fall woefully short of this description.
It is vitally important that your backup data is stored in a physically safe and secure location, and that you and only you have access to it.

It is equally important that your data is encrypted before leaving the server to ensure a third party cannot “eavesdrop” on the data travelling from your server to the remote location.

It is also vitally important to verify exactly where your data will be stored. The Data Protection Act (in particular clause 8) requires that any data containing customer identifiable information (including backups of emails, accounts and customer records) remains stored within a country covered by the DPA or an equivalent act. It is important to note that the USA is not covered, therefore allowing your data to be backed up to a data centre in the USA puts you in violation of the Data Protection Act.

TRUTH

 “Secure online backup” is often not as secure as it may seem. Check the small print and contact an IT support provider for advice.

If you have any queries, or if you would like the team at Wytech to help you with any of the points raised in this article, please call us on 0800 0112636 or email enquiries@wytech.co.uk

Guide To Backups Myth 3

Myth 3: Built in backup verification

While some backup solutions offer an option to verify the data when the backup is completed, this (while certainly useful) should never be fully trusted. Take for example a scenario where the backup job has been misconfigured and instead of backing up your entire server is only configured to back up a single file or folder. In this scenario, a single human error when the backup was first set up means none of your important data is being backed up. However, the backup solution will then inform that backups are running successfully, that your data is fully backed up and that the verification was successful.

TRUTH

 “Built in backup verification” is a useful feature, but certainly not a guarantee.

We’ll reveal the 4^th and final Myth in tomorrow’s post.

More Problems For McAfee Updates...

The issue only affects customers running Virusscan Enterprise 8.8 ; there is an issue with DAT files 6807 & 6808. If you have downloaded one of these DATs refer to the following, where you can obtain a hotfix.

https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=KB76004

If you have not downloaded these DATs already please do not download but go directly to DAT 6809 or above.

Guide To Backups Myth 2

Myth 2: Fast online backup of all your data

Debunking this myth unfortunately involves a little math, but please bear with us for the next section if math is not your thing.

Firstly, we’ll make two assumptions:

1)      A typical small business server can probably be expected to contain around 100GB (gigabytes) of data (factoring in mailboxes, shared files, user accounts and settings and server software). 100 gigabytes is equal to 104,857,600 kilobytes!

2)      The broadband speed of a typical small business is probably in the region of 6Mbps down (the speed at which data can travel from the internet to your computers) and 400kbps up (the speed at which data can travel from your computers out onto the internet).

As online backups involve the transfer of data from your network to a remote location, it is the “up” (or upload) speed which interests us. An upload speed of 400kbps (kilobits per second) is equal to 50 kBps (kilobytes per second (note the capital B to distinguish between kilobits and kilobytes)) It should also be noted that in reality a maximum speed of 50kBps will actually only give a usable speed of around 40kBps. In simple layman’s terms, this is due to extra information which is sent alongside your data such as where it is from, where it is going to, what type of data it is, etc.

Assuming your broadband connection is stable, reliable, and not used for any other purposes than this backup, a 100GB server can be expected to take 2,621,440 seconds to backup over a typical broadband connection.

This is just over 30 days. By the time your backup completes, it will be a month out of date. Also, if users of your network wish to use the internet, send and receive email etc. during this time, they will find the internet painfully slow, and will also cause the backup to take even longer.

TRUTH

“Fast online backup of all your data” simply doesn’t exist, and won’t exist until internet speeds are massively improved upon. This is why faster internet connectivity is becoming critical for businesses, whether through their ISP or their landlord.

We’ll reveal Myth 3 in the next blog post.

Guide to Backups

A Common Sense Guide to Backups:

4 Frequently Believed Myths Exposed

The world of IT and backups has become a proliferation of buzzwords. "cloud computing", "cloud storage", "set it and forget it" to name but a few.
As a reseller of IT services, we are frequently bombarded with marketing literature full of such buzzwords. "Protect your data" they scream, "hassle-free real-time backup", "don’t let this happen to you" and a whole wealth of scare stories. Well, we have decided to write this article to dispel some of the myths regarding backups.

Myth 1: Set it and forget it

While "set it and forget it" has to be the holy grail of all backup solutions, the reality is really never that simple. While you can indeed "set and forget" most backup solutions, to do so is like playing a game of Russian Roulette.

Without checking each backup yourself, how can you be sure that the backup was successful? Also, who is responsible should your server fail and you find that your “set it and forget it” backup has stopped working and you no longer have any data?

TRUTH

 When it comes to “set it and forget it”, simply forget it!

We’ll reveal Myth 2 in the next blog post.

3 Key Tips to Assessing the Benefits of the Cloud

Cloud Computing Overview

For those of you that are not aware, cloud computing is a form of transferring business data to a remote data centre via the internet.

Cloud computing (despite the general perception,) is not a new technology. Rather it is a new “buzz-word” for the practice of utilizing remotely hosted services rather than equipment on your own premises.

Hosted services require good broadband speed and stability. This has become a greater concern for many businesses that are looking to use “cloud computing” in an effort to cut back on costs.

Many companies hold customer documents, client information, account information, passwords and business plans to mention just a few. However, there are 3 key considerations to take into account before adopting any hosted solution:

1)    How sensitive is the information you are storing?

The privacy of the information you wish to store in a hosted environment is critical. Part of the beauty of a hosted solution is that your information is in an internet environment where you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection. Sadly, the downside of this increased connectivity and availability is often a reduced level of data security. If you are storing account details or client information for example, data security is a key issue. If the information you are storing is solely intended for the public domain (perhaps finalised marketing material or website content) then the critical nature is diminished.

Sensitive information is far more extensive than often considered and amongst other things can include:

·         email addresses

·         client databases

·         passwords

·         account information

·         financial records

·         website addresses

·         intellectual property

2)    How quickly do you need to get hold of that information?

This is a question that is completely reliant on the business you are in. For example, if you are a doctor, it is crucial that you can access patient information instantly during a consultation. Conversely, if you are an accountant, not being able to get hold of your client details for a few hours will be annoying, but is not likely to be quite so critical.

Data availability is an area where there are key benefits to having a physical server on your premises as opposed to having information stored in a cloud environment. This brings us on to discussion about the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), but that’s a topic for a different blog post

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3)    Where are the physical datacentres that are hosting your business information?

There are many hosting providers on the market already. Many of these providers store your data on servers based in the USA, India or the Far East due to the much lower operating costs running a datacentre in these areas.

The issue here is that for UK companies, any data that falls under the scope of the Data Protection Act (such as the type of information highlighted in point 1) must be held on servers that are within the borders of the EU and therefore bound by the act. Any company not doing so is open to prosecution by the Information Commissioner’s Office as well as leaving themselves exposed to civil litigation. Therefore knowing the geography of where your data is physically stored even though you are buying in to a Cloud solution is of very high importance to your business.

Wytech wish to congratulate Dave White.(Technical Manager) On becoming CCNSP.

Wytech Ltd. wish to congratulate our Technical Manager, Dave White for successfully passing the rigorous Cyberoam Certified Network & Security Professional (CCNSP) exam.

As CCNSP certified partners, Wytech have proven that we demonstrate skilled implementation and an in-depth knowledge of security policies, procedures and devices. This gives our clients further confidence in our expertise with their IT security.