Top Benefits of On-Premises Enterprise Data Storage for Organizations
Your data is the lifeline of your business. No matter what industry you are in or even if you are just starting out, sensitive information must be stored and protected to ensure the success and safety of your organization. From the government to educational institutions, healthcare sectors and down to small and large companies from different industries, everyone knows how important it is to store valuable data in a secure environment. As an organization grows, the need for enterprise data storage solutions also grows. It becomes even more challenging to ensure that your company’s data can be easily stored, accessed and protected. Fortunately, tech experts and geniuses do not stop in finding out ways to battle the ever-increasing data storage requirements. Various breeds of enterprise data storage devices and solutions are available on the market and all you have to do is to choose the one that best fit the needs of your company.
Enterprise Data Storage: An Overview
By definition, enterprise data storage is a smartly designed product or service that aims to assist business and organizations when it comes to storing, managing and retrieving digital data. It can hold large volumes of information and can be utilized by multiple users. Large companies and institutions can benefit a lot because enterprise data storage can handle loads of data up to 300 gigabytes. This is possible even without creating a subsystem as the main system is heavily engineered to support and connect to platforms in operation without limits. Moreover, this storage solution doesn’t require excessive cabling.
Usually, enterprise data storage uses centralized repositories. Generally, there are three types of enterprise data storage your organization can consider:
Storage Area Networks (SANs)
A storage area network is considered a universal solution for businesses and enterprises. It can connect to servers, computers and other storage devices. If your business has a high-demand, then SAN is one of the most scalable solutions to your storage requirements. Offering a high storage capacity, it can easily meet the growing demands of your applications. Moreover, by utilizing a storage area network solution, your organization wouldn’t need multiple servers for storing and handling massive amounts of data. You can easily access and manage your information with its centralized data management feature. Retrieving digital information should anything happen wouldn’t be a problem as well as SAN comes with a reliable data backup function.
There are two main types of SAN infrastructure. First is the iSCSI which runs at 1Gbit or 10Gbit. The second is the Fibre Channel. It runs at 2Gbit or 4Gbit in general.
SANs’ storage capacity can be easily expanded because all servers share the same pool of reserved resources. Adding storage capacity is cheaper and faster than the other following types as well.
Network-Attached Storage
With its flexibility and affordability, network-attached storage devices are increasingly becoming the top choice for small and medium businesses. This storage device connects to a network for data storage which can be accessed by authorized clients and users. It also allows the information to be retrieved from a central location. As your storage requirements grow, you can conveniently add storage capacity as you wish. Aside from being a reliable, flexible and low-cost storage solution, network-attached storage devices also give you complete control over your data. Moreover, you don’t need to be an IT professional as it is very simple to operate.
Direct-Attached Storage
DAS is a type of enterprise data storage that is attached to a server directly. This solution comes in different forms such as SCSI, SAS or SATA disks. These disks have rooted array controller. The redundant data of your organization can be easily obtained either by the use of software RAID which is being run by the operating system or by a hardware-level RAID which is administered by the disk controller. While it’s true that DAS is generally the cheapest option available for enterprises, you must first be aware of its features which are often deemed as disadvantages.
Usually, DAS has a maximum storage capacity of up to 300 GB. While it may seem a lot at first, this can easily get full especially if your business is growing at a fast pace. Most servers provide two disk slots which mean your storage space is very limited. If you opt to use disks with smaller capacity, you have to deal with the hassle of increasing your storage space as required by the flow of your data in the long run. It is also time-consuming as before you redeploy the new disk, you must ensure that the entire system is already backed up.
However, if your organization needs a hosting for the operating systems as well as a swap space, device-attached storage will be a great choice because of its speed, accessibility, and high bandwidth.
Top Go-to Vendors for Enterprise Data Storage Solutions
All businesses and organizations, from small to medium and large, can choose from a huge array of enterprise data storage available on the market. But if you’re an amateur in the industry and you don’t know where to start, perhaps knowing the top companies which provide data storage solutions can help. Whether you are thinking of going after SANs or you are more convinced that a NAS device would be more helpful, get to more about the following before you take your pick.
Let’s dive in!
Dell EMC
If you’re fully aware of the data storage industry, then it would be impossible not to know or heard about Dell EMC. For the experts, the enterprise data storage industry wouldn’t be complete without mentioning this company. In 2016, the merger between Dell and EMC has rocked the world. Well, the popular pc maker and server company has joined hands with one of the giants in data storage, who in the tech world wouldn’t be delighted? The $67 billion merger allowed the new company to dominate the market for enterprise data storage systems. Dell EMC provides the arrays essential to SANs and NAS devices. They have also released a variety of models which can support double duty. Among the most notable products of Dell EMC are the SC series, Isilon NAS storage, hybrid-flash storage and a line of VMAX products.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
The joint venture between Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the New H3C Group has impacted the performance of Dell EMC in the overall market in terms of enterprise storage systems. However, HPE still falls behind one of its greatest rivals in terms of the traditional storage. Among the most notable products of the company are HPE StoreEasy for NAS systems, HPE 3PAR StoreServ with midrange arrays and MSA Storage which is flash-enabled ready.
NetApp
NetApp has been making headlines with its NVMe-Over-Fabrics. This enterprise data storage supports its flash arrays products and also offers support for cloud data in its ONTAP storage software.
IBM
This company is no different from other data storage vendors when it comes to embracing the flash function in its arrays. Also, the company aims to push its performance envelope by making a big push into its NVMe-based data storage products.
Hitachi Vantara
To be able to increase its performance when it comes to enterprise data storage, big data analytics, data integration and the Internet of Things, Hitachi has decided to combine its Data Systems with Pentaho, along with the Hitachi Insights Group last September 2017. The goal is to form a subsidiary that will focus more on delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions to businesses. The G Series arrays and Hitachi NAS Platform carry the HDS storage systems.
Huawei
According to IDC, Huawei is dominating the market at a fast pace. This Chinese tech company offers an all-flash OceanStor Dorado V3 arrays. This product is supported by NVMe technology. Also included in its product portfolio is the OceanStor 18000 V5. Large companies are giving positive reviews for these hybrid-flash storage systems.
Other Data Storage Companies to Get to Know Today
While the following companies might not be the first to come into your mind when it comes to enterprise data storage, these businesses are well-versed in the industry and they are dramatically creeping to the center of the spotlight.
Oracle
Oracle is famous for its ZFS Storage. The company’s legacy is backed up by Sun Microsystem, StorageTek archival tape systems, and Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliances. Moreover, Oracle offers to the market databases for business and software-related products.
Lenovo
Although you might remember the company for reselling its IBM Storwize arrays and for joining with EMC, Lenovo is once again trying to stand on its feet by releasing S3200 SAN hardware and Lenovo Storage S2200.
Fujitsu
Presenting its portfolio of products under the ETERNUS banner, Fujitsu is known in the business for offering storage solutions that support the entire lifecycle of data. The company also offers software-defined storage, arrays, tape libraries, and backup appliance.
Western Digital
If you’re after hard drives, then surely you need to check out Western Digital. The company’s subsidiary, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, also offers Ultrastar which are systems for data center storage.
Storage Companies with Strong Focus on Flash-enabled Arrays
Surpassing the traditional storage systems which are usually disk-based, the following companies focus their efforts on enterprise data storage with flash-enabled arrays. They aim to improve database performance as well as to set new application standards.
Pure Storage
With no spinning platters on its products, Pure Storage brags itself as an all-flash purist. Today, the company makes a buzz in the industry with its FlashArray//X. This data storage system is embedded with NVMe SSDs.
Violin Systems
Previously known as Violin Memory, Violin Systems is among the first vendor to take its toll on all-flash in the data center. The company had experienced bankruptcy but had bounced back and made a name for itself once more by offering Flash Storage Platform arrays with high-performance. Violin Systems also targeted the modern-day workloads by offering management software products.
Tegile
Although under the wings of HGST which had made it on the upper part of the list, Tegile manages to make a separate name for itself—thanks to the company’s all-flash and hybrid storage systems. Their line of products includes NVMe-based arrays as well as IntelliFlash N Series.
Kaminario
Kaminario is one of the most popular all-flash data storage vendors in the market. The success of the company is made possible by their efforts of delivering storage software that is, of course, flash-friendly. At the beginning of 2018, the company announced that they will be shifting their focus on providing SDS solutions to enterprises of all sizes. This decision means Kaminariohas to leave its hardware side of the business to Tech Data.
Top Companies Offering Hyper-converged Storage
While more and more enterprise data storage vendors are shifting their focus to hyper-convergence, the following companies have already placed their bets early in the game. But first, let us define hyper-converged storage. Dramatically taking the data storage industry by storm, hyper-converged storage offers unrivaled flexibility when it comes to running and managing massive storage workloads. This function is made possible by the combination of storage, computing and networking all packed into immensely-virtualized systems. Today, they are some of the most popular go-to companies for this innovative storage trend.
Nutanix
Software available in hardware appliances, Nutanix can be used by organizations simply by installing it on their systems. The product enables SDS in the data center and it supports a variety of data storage services such as virtual machine, container, block and file. It also comes with a feature for disaster recovery and backup.
Pivot 3
Pivot 3 aims to accelerate data storage workloads with its hybrid flash and flash HCI systems which support a number of beneficial data services. An enterprise can benefit a lot from erasure coding, thin provisioning, asynchronous replication and more. Pivot 3 is also proud that its high-end products are packed both with conventional SSDs and NVMe SSDs.
HPE SimpliVity
SimpliVity is now owned by HPE. However, it is worth mentioning that this company had made headlines early in the game with its OmniCube. The innovative building blocks made it possible for a massive pool of enterprises to propel their business to success with the help of a software-defined data center.
How to Choose the Best Enterprise Data Storage for your Business
Are you a business owner who’s struggling to manage the ever-growing requirements of data storage? If this issue continues to frustrate you, it can have a negative impact on your organization. This means this can affect your journey to success. As the business landscape becomes more and more competitive and dynamic with each passing day, knowing how you can deal with your data storage requirements must be one of your top priorities.
Here are some key insights to ponder:
Your organization must evaluate the data storage problem from different aspects.
Based on a Study conducted by Computer World, the majority of IT Managers struggle to balance their priorities. From workloads to schedules, budget, security and storage performance, failing to focus even on a single area can cause troubles when it comes to defining the company’s data storage requirements.
You must be aware that there is no such thing as “one-size-fits-all” enterprise data storage solution.
With the hopes of getting cost-effective solutions, most organizations, even the large ones tend to go after a single approach when it comes to keeping and managing their valuable data. As a result, most companies fail to select the right storage tier for their critical applications. In 2017, several studies showed that businesses can benefit better by using a combination of media types which easily meet their diverse data storage needs. Moreover, this strategy proves even more cost-effective in the long run.
Your organization must let go the copies of redundant data.
As enterprise data storage solutions are being made more and more affordable even to small businesses, most organizations tend to overlook data redundancy. But as the amount of your data continues to grow, this limiting this practice must be one of your biggest concerns.
Protecting your data must not be an afterthought.
Most companies think that having a backup strategy is a completely separate component from data storage. Oftentimes, the primary storage is being used for the primary applications while the secondary storage is reserved for backups. When an issue arises, we tend to solve the application-related issues to gain better performance while completely ignoring the backup and recovery components.
Consider the Roadmap of your Organization
When it comes to choosing the best enterprise data storage solutions for your business, you must consult your stakeholders first. Most of the time, companies are falling victims to data storage requirements because of their short-term planning. In case there is someone in your organization who visualizes analytics projects in the future, then the need for data storage infrastructure which can support this vision strongly make sense. If you don’t want to experience the hassles of upgrading data storage from time to time, forecasting your needs early in the game is a must.
The Advantages of Digital Storage Devices for Businesses
Today, we live in a world surrounded by computers. Whether it’s for personal or business purposes, nearly every user needs one thing—a place to store valuable data. In the recent years, the process of storing data evolved dramatically. Not too long ago, the best way to keep important data from nosy eyes is to have a secure cabinet, guarded by locks or by an out of this world number combination. But as the years went by, the technology didn’t fail us when it comes to delivering comfort and convenience. From small to large organizations, people from all walks of life and ages now enjoy the benefits brought by digital storage devices.
Digital storage devices use storage memory for keeping information. From static to dynamic storage, each type has its own advantages. If you want to find the best solution for your storage needs, gaining knowledge about the types of digital storage devices is a must.
First, let’s discuss the three basic kinds of storage technologies.
1. Magnetic Storage
The most popular types of digital storage devices which utilize this storage technology are hard disks drive, tape recorder cassettes, and floppy disks. Magnetic storage needs a medium like organic metal for encoding data. There are round platters inside hard disks which are made of metal oxide materials. They rotate at a high speed around a spindle. The mechanical part is called the armature and its head is responsible for reading and writing the patterns of magnetic polarities. By magnetizing the platters, the patterns will then be stored in bits.
Primarily, the hard disk drive is the most preferred digital storage device for personal computers. Aside from being one of the fastest devices for storing data, users take advantage of the cost. For a gigabyte of storage space, you need only a few pennies.
2. Optical Storage
This type of storage technology requires two things. First is the optical media which comes in forms of circular discs. The other is the optical drives. They have a laser beam used for lightening. Once the beam reflection hit the photodiodes, they generate the patterns of the voltages. The data is read and written using the laser or optical reflection.
Optical storage technology is often used in the following:
- Compact Disc or CD – It is used for storing programs and music files. The storage capacity is usually 700 MB which is considered pretty low
- Digital Versatile Disc or DVD – This media storage is used for standard definition movies. It uses the red laser rays.
- Blue-Ray Disc or BD – With larger capacities than the first two, this media storage is often used for high definition movies.
Moreover, these types of discs are further categorized into two. RAM is used for temporary storage while ROM is for permanent purposes.
3. Solid State Storage
This digital storage technology utilizes non-volatile memory. It has the ability to retain data even when the power is off. Also, it does not have moving parts. Compared to magnetic and optical storage, this technology is faster, lighter and quieter. It is also more efficient. However, it is also more expensive.
Below are the most common forms of solid-state storage:
- USB Flash Drive – Commonly called as USB, this stick-like portable storage usually comes in small sizes. Users just need to plug this device into a USB port. Good speed is among the top advantages of this device.
- Flash Memory Cards – Smartphones, digital cameras, and navigation devices usually benefit from this type of digital storage. The usual formats are MicroSD, MemoryStick, Secure Digital and CompactFlash.
- Flash Hard Drives – Portable devices, specifically tablets and laptops use this kind of storage technology. While they have the same shapes as the common mechanical hard drives available today, they always come smaller in size.
Solid state drives are considered more efficient than conventional hard drives. Instead of encoding data from platters using magnetic polarities, it uses flash memory which allows the data to be written, deleted, and rewritten as necessary. They are also faster and more efficient because they do not have internal moving parts. While they come more expensive than conventional hard drives, users can benefit a lot in the long run because they consume less power.
An Overview of Storage Options for Business
Technology can easily convince us that anything can happen within a blink of an eye. Sooner or later, you will need more space for your data, especially for business and professional purposes. From your emails to presentations, spreadsheets, audio files, databases and others, these files are considered as one of the lifelines of your company.
Storing this valuable information and being able to manage them well is vital to the success of your business. Fortunately, many options are made available to you. But to be able to choose the ideal solution for your needs, find out first about your storage options.
How do you choose what’s best for you?
First and foremost, you need to develop a plan. Businesses must assess their data and applications properly. You must also consider your physical location as well as the storage capacity.
- Here are some insights to get you started:
- How old is your data?
- How much of your data is stale?
- How much of your data is irrelevant to your business?
- Which of your applications generate the largest amount of data?
- How fast do you need to access your data?
- From what locations do you need to access your data?
By answering these questions, you’ll have a better understanding of your data and the amount you’re dealing with. From here, you can begin considering your storage options. It’s good to know that there are more storage options available which are designed primarily for businesses.
Let’s take a more detailed look at some of your choices:
Flash Memory Thumb Drives
Professionals mostly prefer to use this type of drives as they are highly portable. They come in sizes which are small enough for a keychain. Because they have no internal moving parts, they naturally consume less power. Even while you’re on the go, you can easily connect a flash memory thumb drive to the USB port of your laptop for back up. There are even USB drives that come with encryptions or codes to keep your files safe should anyone steals it or if you lost it by accident. Moreover, there are digital storage devices that allow you to store your Outlook data. These data includes desktop applications, calendar items, bookmarks, file, and even your recent emails. Even when you left your laptop at home, you can still access your data simply by plugging your USB drive into another computer.
External Hard Drives
If you’re looking for a practical way of getting more storage space, then external hard drives is one of your best options. You can directly connect it to your PC and transfer the files from there. However, you must be aware that there are several disadvantages. To be able to access the files when you travel, you need to take the external hard drive with you. If the stored data has no back up elsewhere, your data will not be protected in the event of a catastrophe such as a fire.
Online Storage
If you want compelling benefits, then this type of storage service must be on top of your considerations. A remote server helps keep your files secure and protected should anything happen to your device. Moreover, by having a remote online storage, you can share files with your co-workers, clients or business partners easier and faster and wherever you are as long as you have an Internet access. You just need to give them access to your online storage in forms of passwords. There is no need to transfer large files via email. In case of emergencies, you can easily open your account from any computer at any place and retrieve the files you need. If you’re always working on large files, then it is recommended to invest in network access with higher speed.
Network-Attached Storage
Providing a simple, fast and reliable access to your valuable information, network-attached storage services are highly recommended for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides various solutions in an IP networking environment. If your company requires a large amount of storage which can be accessed by multiple users, then this easy to install storage solution service is a great choice. The involved parties can easily share the data over a network. Anyone in your team with access can also consolidate and manage the data if needed.
Here are the top advantages of using NAS solutions:
- The basic NAS solutions can come in a form of a single hard drive with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity or with an Ethernet port. For 300 GB of storage space, a business only needs to invest an average of $200.
- If you want to scale the overall storage capacity, you just need to upgrade your NAS solutions by having additional FireWire and USB ports. It allows you to connect your external hard drives as well.
- A NAS solution also enables your business to benefit from multiple hard drives. Whatever you store on your main drive will automatically be copied to the second drive. In case something happens to your first drive, you don’t have to worry as your data is still safe and sound
- A NAS solution also increases performance by being able to offload file serving coming from the other servers on your network. You can also merge the storage system which can help you reduce costs and meet the growing requirements of your business.
How Digital Storage Devices Make Your Business More Productive
1. Digital storage devices reduce document storage space.
With the ever-rising need for storing files and documents for regulation compliance, business processes, and customer service, paper-based storage has dramatically become a costly expenditure. Vital information cannot be easily retrieved when needed compared to electronically generated data as you would need to find them in conventional storage areas with thousands of paperwork. And when it comes to business, you definitely know that time is money. Moreover, by storing your data online, you don’t need to have those big and bulky cabinets occupying an expensive space within your office. This innovative system allows you to make other areas productive for other business purposes.
2. Digital storage devices allow easier retrieval of data.
A conventional filling system involves a lot of effort. The files are needed to be organized manually and retrieving them in a swift manner, say in a matter of seconds, would be impossible. Also, the traditional storage method gives plenty of room for mistakes and inefficiency.
As the number of documents increases, urgently trying to look for the data you need in real-time would be even harder. Through the use of technology storage devices, you can easily manage your data using a system that enables users to simultaneously save and access data anytime and anywhere.
3.Digital storage devices allow you to share data in a more efficient manner.
In a business, being able to share important files and documents within your workforce, clients, and colleagues is vital to the success of your company. A good communication is one of the lifelines of a business and being able to distribute the right copy of file or information counts as well.
With the help of digital storage devices and online storage solutions, the need to photocopy the files that need to be distributed is no longer necessary. There would be no costly printing, bottlenecks can be eliminated, human errors can be reduced and the possibility of miscommunication is very little. This way, the entire workforce of your company can focus on more important aspects of the business. Digital storage devices keep your data secure.
Paper documents carry a high risk in terms of security. You can accidentally leave your documents in a coffee shop or a restaurant. Moreover, they can easily be ruined by natural elements such as fire and water. Your private and sensitive information is vital to everything you do and protecting them is your utmost responsibility.
Technology storage devices provide safety and security to your data because you are allowed to set restrictions. You can control the access of anyone who wants to view your files with the help of your passwords and you can choose whom you want to share your files with. Also, there are digital storage services solutions that enable you to view the history of actions performed on your data and you can easily know if someone has made irregular actions. You are also given the ability to apply real-time edits and changes to your passwords as necessary.
4. Digital storage devices help in disaster recovery.
Do you have a backup plan in case your business encountered a disaster? Paper documents are vulnerable to the risk of flood, fire, theft, vandalism and more. By storing your data on online storage, you can have a backup and you can access them no matter where you are as you try to recover from such unwanted incidents. Rest assured that no documents will be lost or misplaced.
5. Digital storage devices allow you to easily update your data.
Being able to view your information anytime and anywhere as long as you have an Internet access allows you to see changes and updates in real time. In paper documents, you need to change everything that is written and re-file them all over again. That can be time-consuming.
Moreover, in case of a disaster and you lost your license to operate, information stored in your digital storage device can be easily recovered and you can authenticate the validity of your business information. This system also enables you to comply with requirements and regulation in a more professional manner.
6. Digital storage devices help improves customer service.
Customers are increasingly becoming demanding nowadays. With the advent of the Internet, most people expect that anything can happen in just a snap. If your business relies on data stored on digital storage devices, rest assured that you can respond to the requests and questions of your customers immediately.
Access to the necessary information in real time is vital to keep your clients happy and satisfied. If they are contented with your prompt services, there’s a high chance that they will become your return customers. Moreover, this competitive edge can make your business look more professional and more reliable.
Protect Your Important Digital Information at All Times
Before investing in technology storage devices and data storage solutions, it would always be better to consult with the experts. This strategy can be considered a substantial investment and choosing the ideal solutions will impact your company’s current and future needs. There’s no need to decide in a rush as there are experts who can guide you to make the best decision.
By developing a plan supported with a thorough assessment as provided by the professionals, rest assured that you’ll have the most essential storage management devices and systems which can help propel your business towards success.
How Businesses Can Get the Most from the IoT
While people are largely in favor of the benefits that the Internet of Things will bring, they remain skeptical of the companies that bring these services.
Assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home will likely become the focal point for a connected home or business. They are the products that allow customers the ability to control the thermostat, adjust lighting, or monitor utility usage. They allow customers to make simplified purchases when possible, and they serve as the operational hub for the Internet of Things.
There has been a widespread concern throughout the media regarding these home assistants, however. Stories appear on a regular basis about whether Alexa is eavesdropping on you. There is a concern over the level of data these companies can now collect by simply leaving the microphone on, and how much easier these devices make it for law enforcement to conduct surveillance.
Regular household devices and appliances are being manufactured with the ability to make the home and office more efficient. From washing machines to refrigerators to light bulbs, our inanimate objects are developing the ability to communicate with each other.
The companies that provide these devices will need to overcome consumer fears in order to make the most out of the Internet of Things. People can make their homes and businesses endlessly more efficient and they are likely ready to do so, but they need to have trust in the products that fill their home.
Below are a few simple steps IoT companies can take to earn and maintain their customers’ trust.
Remain Vigilant on Security – Many tech companies have adopted Facebook’s motto: move fast and break things. While it’s an inspirational approach to innovation, the problem is that it allows security to be treated as an afterthought.
There are common IoT security exploits that must be addressed in order to help consumers better trust the devices in their homes.
Clarify Your Data Policy – Europe’s GDPR regulations are pushing tech companies in this direction. A clear data policy that allows customers to understand what data is being stored and under what conditions will minimize customer fears and more effectively build trust.
Customers need to be able to trust that when the device has not been woken up, that it’s not listening to every word.
Transparency – The companies that make smart home devices need to remain transparent about the purpose for their data collection. Customers want a simplified shopping experience and a better home assistant. It’s good to remind them of those purposes once in a while.
Otherwise consumers may feel like their privacy has been invaded when they receive emails or Facebook ads for the products they were shopping for. The same thing goes when they receive reminders to purchase products they are almost out of.
Remaining transparent about the purpose of IoT products will help customers to build more trust and use them for the long haul.
Recent Cyber Attacks and Vulnerabilities Worth Our Attention
The reality of cyber attacks is upon us – whether we like it or not. These attacks are not just something that faceless governments and organizations need to worry about. Individuals need to take steps to protect their personal data online as well.
Events over the last year give off the impression that nothing seems safe online. Below are some of the most prominent attacks and what individuals and companies can learn from the experience.
Equifax
Hackers broke into the Equifax database and compromised the personal data of 145 million people. This was considered among the most significant data breaches because of sheer size, and the sensitive information exposed – everything from social security numbers to addresses.
The company also delayed two months before reporting the attack – and the public doesn’t know who is responsible.
Lessons
The Equifax attack raises concerns of how much information data brokers are able to obtain, and who maintains responsibility for that information. It’s also critical for businesses that undergo a breach to report it immediately, to begin the process of damage control.
Businesses also need to do everything possible to quickly patch vulnerabilities, so they don’t remain exposed to hackers.
Yahoo
Every one of Yahoo’s 3 billion email accounts were hacked in 2013. The company only found out about the breach in 2016 – and first reported that 1 billion accounts were attacked. No one yet knows who was responsible for that breach.
Lessons
Email provides a wealth of unencrypted user data. The hackers had total control of the accounts, security questions, and could also access recovery accounts listed that were outside of the Yahoo system. End-to-end encryption with no centralized points of attack can help cut down on vulnerability.
FedEx
An unsecured Amazon S3 server has exposed the personal information of tens of thousands of FedEx users. There were scanned documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, security IDs, and more. FedEx certainly isn’t the only company to experience data vulnerabilities this way.
For example, Tesla’s AWS servers were hijacked by cryptominers. It’s a vulnerability not unique to Amazon, but possible with any cloud provider.
Lesson
You can make use of new AWS tools to create a more secure experience for your customers. It also helps to schedule more frequent audits of your cloud platform and to better look for security risks on your own.
Conclusion
Advancements such as cloud computing, open source software, and SaaS make it possible to run your business more efficiently than ever. But these conveniences often come with a price. It’s critical to factor in the security of your customers’ personal data into the development process.
New regulations such as Europe’s GDPR make it increasingly important to take these extra steps to guard the data that is crucial to your business. Let these examples be a lesson and make sure that you are doing everything you can to protect sensitive information.
What Are the Best Cloud Computing Resources for IT Professionals?
Cloud computing is a field that’s always changing, and with that, it takes a continuous vigilance to protect your clients’ data and information.
There are new tools, resources, and training options available on a regular basis.
We have listed some of our favorite blogs and web resources for cloud computing. Go forth and explore. Bookmark these sites as you need them. They will help you to better understand the technology you’re working with on a daily basis.
Security Week
This publication is a go-to for any IT professional who is looking for more information on how to protect cloud-based platforms from the variety of threats that they face. There is a wealth of content on this site about malware, cybercrime, and mobile and wireless threats.
This is a great publication to read for understanding data protection in the 21st century.
SC Magazine
Companies and organizations worldwide are taking more steps than ever to protect their data. This is a necessary, positive step. SC Magazine explores the stark look at what happens in a world where data protection fails.
This is a great source for the latest in malware, hacking, phishing and more. It’s a great place to stay current on industry threats.
https://www.scmagazine.com/cloud-security/section/6948/
InfoWorld
This is a great resource for those looking to brush up on AI/machine learning, big data analytics, cloud computing and more. They also highlight various aspects of cyber security. InfoWorld remains a great way to stay ahead of the ever-evolving technologies that dominate the business world.
The also offer a variety of industry white papers and case studies to further your knowledge.
The Cloud Lawyer
Usage and compliance are increasingly important aspects of cloud data. This is a great place to brush up on other aspects of data security. Cloud law, technology contracts and data security are growing in significance – especially as the European Union has implemented GDPR.
Make sure that you are up on any relevant rules and regulations.
Adventures in Automation
This blog is written by TJ Maher, who has worked in the software testing field since 1996. He’s been an automation developer and blogger since 2015. He writes about issues such as automated testing frameworks, security testing, and software quality assurance.
There are also pictures on recent posts of his new baby – which should also be good for readership!
David Strom’s Web Informant
Strom’s blog offers a number of insights on a variety of IT and computing topics. A B2B IT journalist, he writes about how to protect your computers from cyberattacks, and lists some of the most notable vulnerabilities.
This is a great blog for keeping up on the many issues surrounding cloud computing and security.
Conclusion
Keeping data secure is critical – especially as cloud computing changes what it means to conduct your business online. The above sites are some of the best out there for keeping track of news and changes in our industry, but there are many more.
What You Can Do Today to Protect Your Data
We’ve all experienced the pit in our stomach – the bottomless anxiety – that comes with lost data. This is especially true if it’s data or information critical to the central nature of your business.
There are active measures you can take to make sure that you can do to better protect your data. As mentioned below, regular backups help. But there are measures you can take to make your data safer and reduce the chances you’ll end up in a compromising situation to begin with.
Back it Up
This is among the more common sense yet overlooked solutions. Too many businesses have an inadequate strategy when it comes to backing their data up. You can use external hard drives or cloud solutions to provide a duplicate copy of your most important data. This makes the recovery process simple.
Data Encryption
There is more than one way to have your data stolen. One scenario is being hacked, but another scenario may involve having a laptop or mobile device stolen. We’ve grown so comfortable with the conveniences of easy access, that we often forget the downsides.
If you have access to customer or client data, bank information, or other sensitive data, your devices should likely be encrypted. A secure password, key file, or special USB device can all be used to encrypt files. You don’t need to be an IT specialist to encrypt your data anymore. There are practical solutions that make safeguarding your data easy.
Power Off
Shutting off your computer when you’re done with it is a common piece of advice for saving energy, but it has another benefit as well. It removes your computer from the internet, and takes away the ability for hackers to install malware or commit any other type of cyber crime. Simply narrowing this window of time can help.
Disable File Sharing
If you’re not frequently sharing files back and forth through this method, the risk may outweigh the benefits. File sharing makes the contents of one computer visible on another. This can open you up to a significant level of unnecessary risk.
Protect Your Wireless Network
There are a lot of reasons that people may try to access your Wi-Fi network, and not all of them are outright malicious. For instance, you may simply have people near you who are looking for free Wi-Fi access. But without a secure password, your data may be at unnecessary risk.
You can hide your W-Fi network so that it does not broadcast the name.
Install Updates
These updates can be a gigantic inconvenience for the user, but they really do keep your equipment safer. The updates contain security patches that protect your computer, and failing to do so can put your computer at risk. It’s best to set your operating system to update automatically. Many systems allow you to schedule the updates so that they don’t interfere with working hours.
Conclusion
When data is lost or compromised, it can be devastating to your business. Taking these simple measures can help keep your business safe. Don’t take the day-to-day operations of your business for granted. Make sure that you do everything you can to protect yourself in a worst case scenario – and minimize the odds of data loss from occurring in the first place.
How Will SaaS Products Make Your Business More Efficient?
It used to be that when you wanted to add Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop or any other program onto a computer you had to go to the store and buy a box. Inside that box was the disk you needed to load the program onto any given computer.
A lot has changed over recent years, including the use of SaaS, or software as a service products to run your business. This is true of the programs listed above, but there are also CRMs, accounting software, and other options.
How SaaS benefits IT and Small Business
A SaaS model is simply the usage of software that is maintained by its creator and hosted remotely. These are programs no longer downloaded on each computer, but instead run in the cloud.
Everything from content management systems to the more routine software used in daily tasks can now be purchased on subscription basis and hosted in the cloud.
Saved Time and Money
If you’re part of a large business or organization, a new software install used to take months to get to a point of operation. With a SaaS solution that time until your business is fully operational can drop to weeks, days or hours.
This ease of installation can save your business a significant amount of money on implementation. This savings is realized in less work for your IT team. It’s also realized because you won’t need to make any modifications or expansions to your company’s hardware for hosting capabilities.
SaaS has a significantly lower cost of entry.
The SaaS Vendor Will Increase Security
It’s only natural to be skeptical of what falls outside your control. Many companies and IT professionals become skeptical when the security of the programs they use takes place externally.
But the truth is that the cloud offers SaaS programs added levels of security. There are more secure data centers at your disposal. The data your company relies on pass through more secure checkpoints.
SaaS products also benefit from more frequent automatic upgrades – making the software itself more secure. All of these added security features allow your IT team to shift its focus and concentrate on other aspects more central to your business.
When it comes to data security, companies that use SaaS products have added peace of mind.
With an SaaS Solution, You’ll See Benefits Faster
Many SaaS companies offer free trials so you enter into usage knowing exactly how this software operates, and what benefits it can provide to your business. SaaS vendors operate with APIs that can complete the order within minutes.
Since the software is based in the cloud users can access it via mobile devices or from home. This added flexibility allows your business to quickly adopt to any situation.
SaaS products not only let you run your business more efficiently, but they can actively help you safeguard your data. They offer another layer and another means for your business to recover lost or stolen data.
More software solutions are becoming available in this space on a daily basis. At We Recover Data, we encourage our customers, and all businesses to experiment with, and implement the appropriate SaaS measures to more effectively manage their business.
Cloud Vs. Shared Hosting
All websites need to be hosted somewhere, and the most conventional answer for most companies or organizations has been shared hosting.
We think nothing of calling large hosting companies such as GoDaddy, HostGator, or Blue Host and asking for their most affordable shared plan. In certain circumstances this may be all you need to solve the problem. But it’s important to understand there are other options available.
Let’s look at the benefits and risks of both shared and cloud hosting. It’s important to understand the difference when you look to safeguard your company’s digital presence.
Shared Hosting
This is the most common type of hosting plan, and it’s easily affordable. A shared solution means that the user shares the server space with other users. All applications and data resources that are being used by your account are being shared across the server.
Common resources such as the server’s CPU, memory, disk space, bandwidth and more will be shared with all other websites being hosted on the server. Most hosting companies tend to keep their servers full.
This means that if one website experiences a significant spike in traffic, it can have a detrimental impact on everything on that server. It may cause all the websites on the specific server to experience slower speeds and downtime.
Shared hosting is still one of the more affordable ways to host your website. If you are an individual or small business with a smaller online footprint, this can still be the way to go. But if your client runs a larger company with more online features, cloud hosting can offer a stronger alternative.
Cloud Hosting
With cloud hosting, your site is stored on multiple servers in the cloud, to improve resources and maintain consistently high up times and speed.
This gives you a dedicated hosting space – meaning your site is not lumped into a mass of other sites. This is a critical advantage for high traffic sites, or sites for companies that are looking to rapidly expand.
Below are a few circumstances where it might make sense to go to a cloud hosting option:
- Website downtime or slow speeds could be devastating to your business.
- You are anticipating spikes in traffic.
- You need features or applications that aren’t typically available on shared hosting accounts.
While cloud hosting plans are typically more expensive, they are also more dependable.
Finding the Right Hosting Plan
Finding the right hosting plan will depend on your needs, or the needs of your end client. There are certainly more advantages to a cloud-based solution – but it may not be within everyone’s price range.
Some small businesses and solo entrepreneurs may find the costs associated to be prohibitive.
That being said, if you are a larger business or a startup that is depending on a strong digital presence at the core of your business, a cloud solution will be a more dependable choice.