Business Technology

A couple of weeks ago, a widespread IT issue caused downtime for industries worldwide. This downtime was caused by an update from the cybersecurity application CrowdStrike that crashed Microsoft operating systems.

One of the last things you want to deal with when running your business is lost or inaccessible data. Whether it’s private information about an employee or client or a spreadsheet containing important budgeting numbers, you don’t have the time or resources to make up for if these things were lost. So, how can you avoid this issue?

If you’re in a situation where your key business operations are down and need to get back up and running, you can’t afford to fix everything on the fly. Doing so would result in huge losses and a massive headache.

Life can be unpredictable. At a moment’s notice, the way you do business can change drastically. Whether it be a fire, natural disaster or some other incident affecting the way you work, you never know when you’ll need to spring into action to get things up and running.

It seems like some company is always trying to push you toward a new cybersecurity solution that your business just has to have to protect against data breaches and cyberattacks. You’ve already invested in cyber liability insurance, backup and disaster recovery solutions, anti-virus programs, and firewalls.

I'm currently re-watching The Office (US) for what feels like the 100th time. This time, I realized that some parts have a whole new meaning now that I work for an IT company that provides tech support to businesses like the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this clip from Season 7, Episode 9, "WHUPF.com," Jim tries to reset the server after a power outage causes it to go down. He's stuck and The Office can't do any work since he doesn't know the password to sign into the server. This causes Michael to recall all of The Office's former IT guys to determine who originally set up the server. As Michael thinks through the list of IT guys backward from the most current by the nicknames he gave them, "Glasses, Turban, Ear Hair, Fatty 3, Shorts, Fatty 2, Lozenge, and Fatso," Kevin remembers that 'Lozenge' set up the server eight years ago. Michael recalls that whatever the password was made him laugh when he heard it but, "Pam got really offended." Jim ultimately enters Kevin's suggestion of "big boobz," based on Michael's clues. The password is accepted, the server is reset, and Dunder Mifflin lives on to sell paper another day.

National headlines about ransomware attacks crippling Baltimore City and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport might leave smaller businesses thinking that governments and large corporations are the only entities facing a real threat of attack. However, threats against businesses of all sizes have been on the rise. Malwarebytes Labs issued a Cyber Crime Tactics and Techniques 2019 Q1 Report stating that cyberattacks on businesses in general have increased 235% in the past year. Ransomware specifically is gaining rapid momentum in Q1 2019 with a 195% increase in ransomware attacks on businesses from Q4 2018 to Q1 2019.

Cyberthreats are a major risk to every business of every size. Risks associated with viruses, ransomware, and identity theft can cost you lost revenue, loss of reputation, and in many cases even put you out of business. In today’s world, it’s not a matter of IF a business will experience a cyberthreat but WHEN, so all businesses must be prepared. Specific security requirements vary based on the size and scope of your business, nature of your work, and security compliance regulations. However, a good, multi-layered security approach for all businesses starts with threat prevention, but most important to protecting your business, is built on the foundation of a solid disaster recovery system. This approach should include the following components.