3-2-1 Protect your Data!

 The 3-2-1 Backup Rule from Practical Networks

Data-loss is a major disaster for businesses of all shapes and size, with 43% of businesses that are faced with data-loss not surviving the hit.  Of the businesses that do backup their data, 34% never test their backups and of those who do, 77% find that their backups are ineffective!!  Data loss has numerous causes with the biggest cause being hardware failure, and with 10% of laptops and 6% of PC’s encountering data loss every year, is your business prepared? 

Data Loss - The causes:

It is important for businesses to have a backup strategy in place and the Practical Networks 3-2-1 rule is a perfect starting point. 

The 3-2-1 Backup Rule: 

3. You should have at least three copies of your data – your primary data and two backups, all stored in different places.

2. Your copies should be stored on two different types of media – ‘Media’ means hard disks, CDs, tapes, DVDs, online backup, etc. Using two or more different types of media will protect against different types of technology failures.

1. You should keep one backup copy offsite – The idea is to keep one copy away from the location of the primary backups, thus reducing the risk of losing all backups. In this case Cloud backup can be a good choice.

For more information about how to backup your data effectively call Andy on 01723 587240. 

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DESlock - Encrypt your valuable data!

What is DESlock+?

DESlock+ is a simple to use, encryption application for companies and organisations of all shapes and sizes.  This software protects your data and helps your organisation comply with government encryption requirements.

Encryption is the process of encoding information in such a way that only authorised persons can read it. Therefore encryption is essentially an additional layer of data security, even in the event that your laptop is stolen, encrypted data is worthless to a hacker. 

DESlock+ Features:

• Full Disk Encryption
• Removable Media Encryption
• DESlock+ Go Portable Encryption
• File and Folder Encryption
• Mail Encryption
• Text and Clipboard Encryption
• Virtual Disks and Compressed Archives
• Encryption Key Management
• Centralised Management
• Enterprise Server Proxy 

Centralised Management: All commands, updates, status requests and responses are posted via the DESlock+ Enterprise Proxy, allowing management of any user or workstation with a standard internet connection. Thus, allowing you to maintain control of remote workstations with ease. DESlock+ also allows for remote management where the encryption policy can be changed without user interaction, encryption keys can be added or removed, full disk encryption can be started and users may be recovered or reset.

DESlock+ Go Portable Encryption: DESlock+ Go is an on-device application which runs straight from the USB stick, needs no install and, with the right password allows the user to edit, read and write encrypted documents on any PC. On top of this DESlock+ can also protect USB sticks and other removable media with full disk or file level encryption. Full integration with key management system ensures fast, silent operation.

File and Folder Encryption: This feature allows you to choose the files and folders you want to be encrypted and then all files moved to an encrypted folder will be encrypted automatically.

Mail Encryption: DESlock+ offers transparent email encryption for Outlook through a dedicate plugin, where the email can only be decrypted by recipients who share the same key as the sender.  DESlock+ also works with most text based applications, encrypting and decrypting directly into the active window or via the Windows Clipboard, this form of encryption works with any email client.

Client Side:

Data is a critical part of every organisation, but this most valuable asset often poses a huge risk when it travels or is transmitted beyond the corporate network. Full disk and removable media encryption protect laptop computers against the unexpected. File, folder and email encryption allow fully secure collaboration across complex workgroups and team boundaries, with security policy enforced at all endpoints by the DESlock+ Enterprise Server. Meet your data security compliance obligations with a single MSI package.

Server Side:

The DESlock+ Enterprise server can manage users and workstations together or independently. Activation, and changes to security policy, software feature-set, encryption keys and endpoint status are all handled, securely through the cloud keeping your most high-risk endpoints under close control at all times.  Home and mobile working make extending encryption security policy beyond the perimeter of your network a necessity. Only DESlock+ offers full control wherever your users are.

For more information about DESlock+ call Andy on: 01723 587240

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Cloud Backup - How can it benefit you?

Cloud backup is increasingly more popular within our current technological environment, so we are taking this opportunity to keep you up to speed with what cloud backup actually is and why there has been an increase in its popularity.

Data Backups

Before cloud backup we relied on local backup, local backup is simply a copy of data to be stored in a different location to the original data, most commonly on tapes or another hard drive. However this form of backup cannot be seen as an effective form of disaster recovery. In order for this to be an effective form of disaster recovery the tapes or hard drives containing the copies need to be stored in a secure offsite location, to ensure that in the event of a fire the copies of your data are not lost along with the originals. This is where cloud backup comes in.

What is Cloud Backup?

Cloud backup or remote backup, as it is also known as, works in the same way as local or tape backup, except that your data is copied to highly secure off site data storage facilities over the internet. This form of backup is completely automatic, thus providing a more effective form of disaster recovery than local backup, due to data being stored offsite.

Why Cloud Backup?

Backup of this type offers a number of benefits to businesses, such as:

·         You only pay for the storage (GBs) you need

·         It offers a large retention period allowing for retrieval of accidentally deleted or modified  files

·         Flexible, limitless storage that can be scaled up or down as you require

·         Backup data can be accessed from any computer, even on the move

·         Backups can be completely automated, no user intervention is required

·         Offsite storage adding an element of disaster recovery

·         Scalability – it can easily adapt to deal with business growth

·         Most online backup services have redundant systems in place, increasing the safety of your  data

If you want to know more about online backup and how it can benefit you, why not give Andy a call on:

01723 587240

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