Average Cost of Data Loss & Data Center Outages

Data integrity and accessibility are critical pieces of strategy and infrastructure for modern business. Every company employee relies on access to job-specific information available within seconds. When data centers fail or security breaches expose private information, the cost is astronomical and grows from year to year. Experts at Gartner assess the cost of downtime at an average of $5,600 per minute. While scale definitely impacts actual numbers, it’s a sobering figure for any sized business.

Facts, Stats, and Biggest Data Outages of 2021, So Far

Server downtime means an hourly cost of over $300,000, but that doesn’t directly translate into more money to invest in redundancy.  For small businesses, the cost of data loss drops to a much smaller, though still significant, $137-427 per minute. To successfully combat the risks of data outages, many small to mid-sized businesses rely on third-party providers with uptime guarantees. But, even with vendors that specialize in cloud computing and remote network management, unplanned downtime still happens. Some recent and costly examples include:

1. Microsoft Teams Delays and Service Outages – In February of 2021, Microsoft Teams handled two issues that interrupted service for some of the more than 115 million daily users of the service. The first incident prevented users from joining chat groups, while the second delayed sending, turning the real-time service into a glorified email service.
2. Statewide Outages in Texas – February was a hard month for IT infrastructure, with a once-in-a-century storm shutting down online access through huge swathes of the Lone Star state. While no single cloud computing business was responsible, it created a massive flow-on effect. Electricity outages were the root cause of much of the downtime, and it took days for power to reliably come back on for millions of homes throughout the state.
3. Verizon Service Outages – Verizon, a major supplier of internet connectivity through wireless plans, had issues supplying customers throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. With more than 5,000 service tickets put in about the same issue, Verizon fixed it within the day.
4. Global Microsoft Outage – While the Teams issue in February was inconvenient for those affected, Microsoft dealt with an even larger issue later in 2021 when Teams, Azure, Office 365, and a variety of other cloud computing solutions all went down, creating a global outage. And business customers weren’t the only ones affected. X-box Live also went down, though similar to the collaborative software, not all users were affected. Microsoft remediated this outage within four hours.
5. April Google Outage – As Alphabet has become an integral part of many users of the website search for its most famous product, Google, several other features have also grown to prominence, particularly for the ability to facilitate real-time collaboration. Google Docs with instant sharing of changes, automatic updating, and other features make it a successful tool for businesses. In April, Google Docs and Sheets were unavailable to users for approximately three hours.

The estimated costs of these outages ring up an astronomical total, though typically, the cost is measured in lost revenue and productivity rather than using direct dollars. Certainly, some customers may try back when services are once again working at peak efficiency. But, if that’s just the potential cost of surprise outages, what about deliberate data breaches? While a data breach often affects fewer users, it is more targeted and can be just as costly.

The Real Costs of a Data Breach

During an outage, all losses are due to missed opportunities. Customers can’t access a buying portal, or sales teams can’t interface with the public due to down CRM systems. In the event of a data breach, things are rarely that direct. While ransomware is becoming a more regular issue, data theft is still the most common type of attack on companies, even for small to mid-sized businesses. Hackers may grab thousands of individual user records, financial data, or inter-office communications. The type and scope of the data stolen can impact the total cost of its loss and long-term value. The total estimated cost of data breaches had been fairly stable or on the decline until 2021. IBM released its annual Cost of a Data Breach Report with a record-breaking statistic — the average cost of data breaches reached $4.24M.

Remember that an average cost is a per-breach number, not the total cost of all breaches from the year. Factors that likely led to the increase include more work-from-home professionals and slow adoption of some of the most effective mitigation strategies. According to the same study, compromised credentials were the culprit in the largest group of breaches. Per record stolen, the average cost is $150, which might seem a little low compared to downtime costs until the calculations for the number of records are added for comparison. Here is a quick look at some of the most expensive data breaches from the last couple of years.

1. Epsilon, 2011 – The Epsilon hack caused more than $4B in losses to the service provider and affected 75 clients, among which were some of the world’s largest retailers. When clients such as Best Buy, Target, and JPMorgan Chase are on the list, the value of the data lost is astronomical.
2. Target, 2013 – While this data breach affected only one retailer, the $202M price tag is eminently reasonable for the more than 110 million credit card numbers stolen while the hack was active on Black Friday of that year.
3. Anthem, 2015 – While not hit as often as other industries, healthcare is one of the most expensive areas for data breaches, with the average cost topping $7M per incident. The Anthem hack in 2015 blew that number away with a whopping $100M in damages estimated and more than 80M patients with exposed personally identifying information, including social security numbers.

Solutions for Data Loss and Outages

Thankfully, most of the issues have available mitigation options. While no vendor can guarantee 100% uptime, we can offer stable processes to get your business back up and running when unplanned downtime happens. Guaranteed timing to ensure your business is running as intended within a reasonable window is possible. Built-in redundancies on the vendor side help off-shore the costs of security.

Since exposed credentials and phishing are some of the most common methods hackers use to gain access to systems, the solutions for reducing risk are well-developed and cost-effective. Our technicians can provide your employees with the training needed to select stronger passwords and more quickly recognize phishing attempts. For susceptible systems, tokenization systems and authentication through a device are available to minimize the risk of an error. Mitigation strategies can be affordable and available to any sized business.

6 Questions Law Firms Should Ask about Data Backup & Disaster Recovery

How many files, programs, and communication records does your law firm use on a daily basis to complete your work? It’s likely dozens, if not hundreds. What would you do if suddenly all or most of those files and programs were wiped clean either due to hardware failure or a malicious cyber-attack?

Data backup and disaster recovery is easy to overlook unless you’ve been in a data loss situation before. Losing files, records, and communication is more than an inconvenience; it paralyzes the productivity of a law firm until those files are recovered or replaced—if ever.

Having systems and processes in place for backup and recovery means that in the case of a data disaster, your law firm can minimize downtime and get back up and running at full capacity in hours instead of days or weeks.

For a data backup and disaster recovery system to be most effective, it should integrate seamlessly into your existing systems to automatically and regularly back up your data. You should also have a data recovery plan in place that streamlines the recovery of your data in case of disaster.

Questions Your Law Firm Should Ask About Data Backup & Recovery

If your law firm hasn’t analyzed your backup and recovery systems recently, it’s probably time to do so. Here are some of the most important questions to ask to analyze your backup and data recovery systems.

1 – Is our data being backed up somewhere? If so, where?

This is the first and most important question you need to ask about data backup. Do you have a secondary location where all company files, records, and programs are being backed up? If so, where?

Most lawyers simply keep files on their computers. This means that a single virus, data breach, or hardware crash could wipe their information completely clean. While some law firms often utilize a secondary server to back up their data, this still leaves your data at risk if there is ever a physical event such as a natural disaster. It can be wise to have two backup locations, with at least one of those on the cloud.

2 – Are our backup systems automated?

This is also a huge indicator of the effectiveness of your law office’s data backup and recovery system. If your backup system is not automated then you are most certainly missing hundreds if not thousands of important files, systems, and records. It also means you probably don’t have the latest versions of those files, systems, or records in your backup.

The data backup system for your law firm should be automated and should integrate seamlessly into your existing systems. It should also be non-intrusive. For example, you shouldn’t be experiencing several hours of downtime every week to accommodate inconvenient backups. Instead, it should be quick, efficient, and non-intrusive to keep your business running smoothly.

3 – How often is our data being backed up?

If your systems crashed or you experienced a security breach today, how much data would be lost since your last backup? A day’s worth? A week’s? It’s important to know how frequently your data is being backed up and to make sure you’re satisfied with the answer.

Modern software and systems allow us to have more regular and non-obtrusive backups than ever. If you’re still relying on an old-school system that lags weeks—or longer—behind current operations, then a data loss would hit you harder than those law firms that have automated daily backups.

4 – Which systems and data files are backed up?

When most lawyers consider data backup they’re thinking of important files, court documents, and contracts. However, it’s also important to remember that communication such as emails and other correspondences between clients and colleagues, databases, software programs, and accounting records are also important during data backup.

5 – What does our disaster recovery process look like?

Making sure your data is properly backed up is important, but it’s equally important to know how that data would be recovered in the case of a disaster. You should have a clear understanding of the projected recovery time for your law firm in case of data loss. How long will it take to restore systems and files back to normal after a disaster or disruption?

It is also important to know who oversees and implements the disaster recovery process and what it looks like. Smaller law firms often don’t have a CTO or IT team on staff to run disaster recovery. In these cases, it’s important for them to partner with a data backup and disaster recovery company to prepare for potential disasters and oversee recovery if and when disasters occur.

6 – Have we ever tested our backup system?

Systems and projected recovery time objectives can bring peace of mind, but it can also pay to do a run-through to test actual processes and make adjustments as needed. This helps give a clearer picture of “Recovery Time Actual,” or the time it actually takes to recover systems and data in case of disaster.

Why is Data Backup and Recovery so Important?

Data backup and recovery is about more than preventing inconvenience. Data loss can have huge impact on a business. For instance, just one hour of downtime can cost small companies as much as $8,0000; mid-sized organizations as much as $74,000; and can cost large enterprises over $700,000.[1] In addition, according to FEMA, 43% of companies who experience a major data loss never reopen, and 29% close within two years.[2]

Are you unsure about your current data backup and recovery plan?

The data backup and recovery team at Network Coverage are experts in backup and DR. If you’re unsure about your law firm’s current data backup and recovery plan, please feel free to schedule a free backup analysis and consultation!

[Free Backup Analysis]

[1] http://www.techadvisory.org/2016/01/the-importance-of-disaster-recovery/

[2] “IT Disaster Recovery Plan”. FEMA. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2013.

What is Cloud Computing?

“Cloud computing” is a phrase many of us hear but may not understand. This is because it encompasses several different systems and services, making it feel ambiguous or confusing.

In this article, we share a simple definition of cloud computing, examples of computing, and discuss why companies use cloud computing.

Simple Definition of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the use of off-site systems to help computers store, manage, process, and/or communicate information. These off-site systems are hosted on the cloud (or the internet) instead of on your computer or other local storage. They can encompass anything from email servers to software programs, data storage, or even increasing your computer’s processing power.

The “cloud” is a term that simply means “the internet.” Computing involves the infrastructures and systems that allow a computer to run and build, deploy, or interact with information. In cloud computing, this means that instead of hosting infrastructure, systems, or applications on your hard drive or an on-site server, you’re hosting it on virtual/online servers that connect to your computer through secure networks.

Examples of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the use of hardware or software off-site that is accessed over networks for computing needs. Examples of cloud computing depend on the type of cloud computing services being provided.

The main types of cloud computing include software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. Serverless computing, also known as function as a service (FaaS), is also a popular method of cloud computing for businesses.

• SaaS or Software as a Service. SaaS means instead of installing software on your computer, you access the platform online. Examples would include:
  • Square, which processes payments online
  • Google Apps such as Google Drive or Calendar
  • Slack, which allows collaboration and chat between other users
• IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service. IaaS provides infrastructure components such as servers, storage, networking, security, and moreover the cloud. Examples would include:
  • Dropbox, a file storage and sharing system
  • Microsoft Azure, which offers backup and disaster recovery services, hosting, and more
  • Rackspace, which offers data, security, and infrastructure services.
• PaaS or Platform as a Service. PaaS provides computing platforms such as operating systems, programming language execution environments, databases, and web servers. Examples would include:
  • Google App Engine and Heroku, which allow developers to develop and serve apps
• Serverless Computing. Serverless computing (also called simply “Serverless”) is simply using a server on the cloud. This offers more elasticity, easier maintenance, and is often more price effective than hosting servers on-site.

Do Cloud Computing Services Have Physical Servers?

Yes. Cloud computing still needs servers to function; the servers are just “virtualized.” This means instead of your application, system, or processes running off a single on-site server, they use multiple servers often in multiple locations connected to each other and your device over secure virtual networks. This allows the cloud computing service provider to provide services to multiple people—and to scale according to client volume—and deliver the service anywhere with an internet connection.

Why Does Your Business Need Cloud Computing?

Your company is probably already using several cloud computing services. For instance, all hosted email providers including Gmail and Outlook are SaaS cloud computing services. So are popular CRMs and automated marketing platforms such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Mailchimp, and more.

However, for many companies, additional examples of cloud computing services include:

• Virtual Machines
• Data Storage
• Backup & Disaster Recovery
• Increasing Bandwidth
• App Development Platforms
• Cloud-Based Servers
• Infrastructure Monitoring & Management
• Build, Host, & Deploy SaaS Services

What are the Benefits of Cloud Computing?

Why should your business consider using cloud computing over traditional brick-and-mortar hosting solutions? This article discusses how cloud computing can save time and money while improving your computing experience.

10 Benefits of Cloud Computing

Is your company considering moving some of your infrastructure to the cloud? If so, you’re not alone. According to Gartner Inc., cloud infrastructure spending increased in 2018 by 31.3% over 2017.

But why are so many companies making the shift from traditional in-house computing? Below we explore 10 benefits of cloud computing….Read More

Move to the Cloud or Stay On-Premises?

Organizations and businesses of varying sizes are asking the critical question about whether to move to the cloud or remain on-premises. Smaller or newer companies may be wondering how to invest early capital. And more established companies may be considering if it’s worth the effort to transition their infrastructure to a new set of operations.

There are upsides and downsides to moving to the cloud or remaining on-premises. An organization must assess its current needs and potential changes in the future. To assist with this decision, we explore the differences between these two sets of resources and summarize the benefits or limitations that can be expected.

What are the differences?

For many years, the only offering for organizations and enterprises was to perform operations on a server that was housed internally. This internal server is also known as “on-premises.” However, a proliferation of new options has become available. Broadly, these options are servers hosted external to an organization, generally referred to as “the cloud.”

The most fundamental difference between on-premises and cloud computing is the location in which the server is housed. Generally, cloud services are offered by third parties that provide storage, computing, and applications for clients. In contrast, on-premises computing occurs when a client performs these same functions on a local server. The third-party providers will manage and maintain their servers on behalf of the client. Whereas on-premises computing requires that the client execute their management and maintenance of the server.

We explore both options’ advantages and disadvantages. A client can use this summary to determine if it is the right time to move to the cloud or remain on-premises.

When to move to the cloud

An organization or enterprise must assess its current operations to determine the proper type of computing. Making that decision will be assisted by understanding the various benefits or shortcomings of cloud or on-premises computing.

Benefits of cloud computing:

• Fewer IT costs: By outsourcing infrastructure management and maintenance to a third-party, organizations can reduce the costs of in-house IT teams. Further cost reduction can be found with the elimination of hardware or software assets.
• Fewer capital expenses: Moving to an external resource for cloud computing eliminates capital investments in equipment, installation, and software updates. Instead, an organization can transform the capital expense into an operational cost with a subscription-based model.
• Flexible budgeting: Many cloud-based computing solutions are offered with tailored subscriptions that can fit numerous budgets. This provides advantages for organizations that are scaling up or scaling down.

Limitations of cloud computing:

• Heavily reliant on the internet: Accessing remote servers requires a reliable and quality internet to perform all core functions. A slow or unreliable internet connection can result in difficulty accessing files or a poor user experience. In the case of an internet outage, access to files will be completely cut off.
• Concerns with security: Moving data and computing to external servers removes the ability to control or manage security risks. Third-party cloud providers may also be more highly targeted since they store large amounts of data.
• Long term costs: An organization must consider whether it’s a priority to have the most updated software. Costs for these updates are reflected in the price of the cloud subscription and may not be necessary for every organization.

Staying on-premises

Despite the proliferation of cloud resources, many organizations still find on-premises solutions preferable. The summary of advantages and disadvantages below may help an organization to determine if remaining on-premises continues to be the best fit for their needs.

Benefits to staying on-premises:

• Internet operations: This benefit is two-fold. For one, on-premises resources do not rely on the internet to access data, removing the risks of slow or lost connections. Secondly, costs associated with more significant internet usage are reduced. Even further, organizations may be able to operate without paying the higher price for high-speed connections or fast downloads.
• More security: On-premises operations are restricted exclusively to authorized personnel. Even more, they are commonly less accessible to or less targeted by digital crime threats.
• Customization: Software offered by third parties is likely to be less customizable to an organization’s specific needs. However, deploying software on-premises can commonly provide an organization the ability to tailor resources to niche goals or operations.

Limitations to staying on-premises:

• Fewer remote or mobile options: On-premises computing is more limited than cloud computing for remote employees or mobile work. Further, adding network or carrier services to on-premises resources will drive up costs to achieve more flexible access and the ability to work off-site.
• Initial set up: Challenges are presented to the deployment and costs of setting up on-premises operations. Purchasing and installing the necessary hardware and software takes more time than cloud-based alternatives, and the price for these resources is higher upfront.
• Scaling: There is commonly less flexibility for organizations to scale with on-premises infrastructures. When an organization adds users, the IT department must manually install the necessary hardware and software to meet higher demands.

Choosing to go hybrid

In some cases, an organization may consider a combination of cloud services and on-premises resources. This is commonly known as a hybrid deployment. Such circumstances involve using private or third-party cloud solutions for certain operations. But the hybrid approach continues to use on-premises resources as well.

A hybrid dynamic allows a client to collaborate in the cloud while keeping records or data on-premises. This permits the flexibility of a cloud’s mobile functions while retaining higher levels of control over data. Even more, organizations can maintain security protocols for on-premises data with the added benefit of scaling according to business needs.

Resources

There are many factors to consider for migrating to cloud solutions or maintaining on-premises infrastructures. An organization must wade through many critical decisions to determine the correct fit for the circumstances.

Network Coverage has assembled a set of technology and business solutions to support your organization in maneuvering through this complex and critical environment.

Set up a consultation with Network Coverage for experienced advice and support.

SaaS, or software as a service, has been a part of the enterprise landscape for decades – but thanks to the rise of cloud computing, SaaS has become a driving force in the way we do business.

SaaS: The On-Demand Transformation Of Software

Getting started with SaaS is key to maintaining your competitive advantage. In this brief overview, we introduce the concept of SaaS and discover how it relates to the parallel world of cloud computing.

What Is SaaS?

Software as a service (SaaS) is a software delivery and licensing mode. Also called “on-demand software”, SaaS applications generally refer to any software that is centrally hosted by a third-party company and distributed online for the average consumer to access. 

Unlike traditional software that requires a one-time upfront payment, SaaS providers will charge their users a subscription fee (usually monthly or annually) to continue availing of their services. This fee will cover all maintenance and update costs that the provider will incur to allow the service to run indefinitely as long as they have enough regular users.

Most SaaS services run on a client (such as a browser) that allows you to access the software remotely via a connection to the software provider’s server-based computing environment. As such, most of the work needed to run the SaaS application is done by the server instead of requiring local processing power. This means SaaS providers will shoulder the burdens of maintaining the software’s availability, security, and performance.

How Does SaaS Relate To Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is a model where computational and data storage resources are available on-demand to end-users. These resources, consisting of a large collection of server units and data centers, are allocated dynamically according to the workload needs of each user. They are accessed over a network such as the Internet, often through a web browser frontend rather than native software.

In the most prevalent model of cloud computing, resources are hosted by a cloud provider, who serves multiple enterprise clients at the same time. These clients profit from three principal benefits by switching to the cloud – software updates, security, and scalability, all of which are handled by the cloud provider rather than the user’s IT team.

It’s in this model that SaaS shines brightest. Virtually all applications running on cloud providers are SaaS systems, which are hosted, maintained, and updated by these providers. 

Popular Examples Of SaaS

A lot of the modern software we use today utilizes the SaaS model.  The consumer convenience afforded to most users has made SaaS applications more popular than ever. Here are just a few examples of popular SaaS applications that are dominating the business world.  

Slack

Slack is a popular productivity software that aims to bring coworkers together and redefine business communications. It is described as a “collaboration hub” that serves as a real-time messaging and archiving tool that should allow you to work with others as efficiently as you would be able to face-to-face.

Slack users can organize their teams into project-specific channels that allow for open communication and file sharing among its members. Private invite-only channels and secure one-on-one messaging can also be utilized for more sensitive interactions. All correspondence accomplished through Slack will be indexed and archived for users to easily access in the future.   

Dropbox

Dropbox is primarily a file hosting service that allows its users to store and access files from anywhere. This allows you to organize and share important documents and media with your colleagues from anywhere in the world, provided everyone has an internet connection. 

When installed on a computer, Dropbox gives you a folder that you can put files into. This folder will be synced with Dropbox’s servers and other devices with Dropbox installed which keeps all folders up to date. Users can sync Dropbox with other business-focused programs to allow you and your team to function efficiently even when working remotely.

Google Apps

Perhaps the most popular of the bunch, Google Apps is a suite of productivity apps that have taken the business and computing world by storm. Its goal was to streamline commonly used software and to offer them under one banner.

Common Google Apps include Drive (cloud-based file storage and synchronization service), Docs (a word processor), Sheets (a spreadsheet creator), Slides (a presentation program), Forms (a survey application), Calendar (an online calendar), and Hangouts (a text, voice, and video communication program) to name a few. Each of these programs can be accessed by a singular Google account and can be synced across multiple users and devices. 

Head In The Cloud

Switching to a SaaS model isn’t a move that you want to take lightly. To ensure that your migration to SaaS applications goes smoothly, you’ll want to work with the experts. At Network Coverage, we can help you transition to cloud computing and SaaS systems, consulting with you every step of the way to ensure that your needs are met at every stage. Contact us now for a free consultation!

Enterprise Firewalls: A Guide To Placement In Business Networks

Firewalls are an essential component of any business network. They act as a filter between the network and any external traffic, serving as the first line of defense against outside threats. 

Enterprise firewall configuration, however, is a bit more complicated than working with standard consumer-grade firewalls. Unlike personal firewalls, which run as software alongside the host operating system, business firewalls run on a dedicated machine somewhere in the network. This means that the placement of a business firewall within network topology matters far more.

What Can Enterprise Firewalls Do For A Business Network?

An enterprise firewall may take the form of a router with firewall features, or a dedicated firewall device that connects to the network. At their most basic, enterprise firewalls prevent untrusted traffic from making their way to the machines on a network. 

For example, if a company hosts its website on its own network, then the firewall will allow outside traffic to-and-from the company website servers but will block unauthorized traffic to and from internal computers with sensitive data. This functionality can help prevent hackers from stealing company data and can stop the spread of malware that replicates across company networks.

Firewalls can also help prevent denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. This is especially true of firewalls with “stateful inspection” features that allow them to analyze traffic in real-time – they’ll be able to see trends and patterns in traffic, and adjust settings accordingly. By mitigating the impact of DoS attacks, firewalls can help ensure business continuity even during a major cyberattack.

With the right setup, a business can create a so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ), or a zone within the company network that contains public-facing services. The DMZ may contain mail, FTP, and VoIP servers, as well as the company website. 

Many larger business networks implement multiple firewalls in their network, creating a variety of “zones” of access, such as multiple demilitarized zones and zones of varying access levels. This sort of zoning can help keep the business network alive and quarantine malware that is spreading.

How Does This Translate To Network Topology?

All external traffic must pass through the firewall before it reaches the network. Logically, this means that the firewall should be placed between the internet and the network. 

One of the most basic configurations would be a router that connects to a wide area network (WAN), then a firewall that connects to the router, filtering all traffic before distributing it throughout the network. For additional security, you can opt to run the router’s onboard firewall features before sending it to the firewall, though you may incur a performance hit.

It’s not difficult to create a demilitarized zone using this setup. The firewall would be connected to the WAN, the DMZ, and the company network. Traffic to the internal network would be isolated from traffic to the DMZ using the firewall’s security policies. The problem with this configuration is that only one device handles traffic filtering – if it’s compromised for any reason, then the internal network can be compromised as well.

A more secure approach would be to use a configuration with two firewalls. In this case, the first firewall is the outermost device, and becomes known as the “perimeter firewall.” It connects to the WAN as normal and sends traffic to the DMZ network. Then, a second router, the internal firewall, receives internal traffic passing through the DMZ and filters it into the internal network. 

The latter approach is even more secure if firewalls from different vendors are used. This way, a security flaw in one device can’t be exploited for both devices.

Types Of Business Firewalls

There are different types of firewalls, each with their own purpose in a network.

Network-Level Gateways

These simple firewalls inspect the headers of every network packet, checking for their origin and destination. They have excellent performance and consume few resources, but are trivial to bypass and can be overwhelmed by DoS attacks. 

Similar firewalls, known as circuit-level gateways, inspect the legitimacy of the TCP handshake rather than the headers of each packet. They’re also fairly simplistic and easy to circumvent, but also run very efficiently.

Application-level Gateways

These are more complex firewalls that analyze the content of packets, not just the header. By analyzing the protocols that the packets use, they can more effectively filter packets and control access from different types of traffic. 

Stateful Inspection

Stateful inspection gateways can analyze traffic at several levels, and even use insight gathered over time to make filtering decisions. They’re highly advanced and can prevent a wider array of threats than the other firewall types, but they’re also resource-intensive.

Ensuring Your Network Security

Looking to set up a secure business network with the right firewall infrastructure? Contact Network Coverage now for a free consultation and we can discuss how to meet your needs. 

Switching to Cloud Computing as a Small Business

If you are a small business considering switching your storage and systems to cloud computing, you may be wondering if it’s the right decision for you. There are several benefits to cloud computing, including reduced costs, increased accessibility, and improved flexibility. However, many small businesses also worry about the security risks associated with cloud computing.

In the article below, we discuss how small businesses may benefit from cloud computing, as well as the security risks and how to handle them.

Is Cloud Computing Good for Small Businesses?

In most cases, cloud computing is a good option for small businesses. This is because it offers robust systems and applications that may not otherwise be affordable to the small company—and usually at a decreased cost. In addition, cloud computing can help small businesses with remote workers or multiple locations collaborate more effectively in real-time on projects. Finally, cloud computing is a more scalable, flexible option for fast-growing companies.

Below are some of the main reasons small businesses prefer cloud computing:

More Affordable

In most cases, cloud computing is more affordable for small businesses is less expensive than keeping storage and systems in-house. This is because on-site solutions require not only expensive servers but also a cooled and dust-free space in which to house them and someone to oversee maintenance and management.

Increased Flexibility & Scalability

One of the main benefits for small businesses choosing cloud computing over traditional computing is the scalability of the systems. In most cases, the company can select a system and service level that can support its current stage of growth while being scalable for future expansion. This flexibility means costs are managed through transitional periods while preventing the need for systems changes in the future.

More Access to Better Applications

The transition to the cloud has opened up the ability to access applications that small businesses otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. This includes things like business intelligence systems, team collaboration platforms, supply chain management, and more.

Better Collaboration & Accessibility for Remote Teams

Another reason small businesses like switching to cloud computing is because it increases accessibility and collaboration outside the main office. This means on-the-go employees, remote workers, or team members who frequently travel can still access real-time information. This means more accurate reporting and better team collaboration on the go.

Improved Integration

A final reason cloud computing is good for small businesses is the integration capabilities. Integration of your systems can help streamline processes within your company, from operations to sales and marketing to finances.

Cloud systems have an enhanced ability to integrate with other systems compared to in-house solutions. This improves your business intelligence by making it easier to aggregate data and helps improve productivity and minimize errors by reducing double-entry and offering more automation.

Is Cloud Computing Safe for Small Businesses?

Even if you’re sold on the idea of cloud computing being good for small businesses, you may wonder if it’s safe. In reality, hosting systems in the cloud does have increased security risks compared to hosting the same systems in-house. This is because there are more points of access for potential hackers as well as increased motivation as a cloud service is usually a larger target for threats.

However, many cloud systems have advanced security measures to prevent breaches from taking place—and may likely even have better security than a small business would be able to have on their own. In order to ensure cloud computing is safe for your small business, be sure to follow these tips:

1. Know Your Providers

Not all cloud computing services are created equal. Ask your IT advisor to provide security insight for a cloud service before making a decision.

2. Manage Your Users

Increased accessibility is great—as long as this access is controlled and monitored. Make sure to have protocols in place for onboarding new team members as well as for handling changes in roles or employment.

3. Train Your Employees

Train your employees in cybersecurity best practices. This includes teaching employees to avoid phishing scams, protecting devices when on the road, and managing privacy and password settings.

4. Improve your Password Protocol

The easiest way for cybersecurity threats to access cloud systems is through unsuspecting users. One of your biggest security risks as a small business using cloud computing is an unsecured password. Always use difficult-to-crack passwords, use different passwords for different devices, and change your passwords frequently.

Is Cloud Computing Right for Your Small Business?

Are you still not sure whether cloud computing is right for your business? Give us a call! Our IT experts are happy to discuss your options and whether cloud computing may be the right fit for you.

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