The old saying “prevention is better than a cure” doesn’t just apply to medical problems! IT is so important to our everyday lives but it’s all too easy to forget the key maintenance tasks that can help prevent disasters from occurring.
Cyber resilience
There has been a slew of cyber attack stories in the press recently with several retailers in particular having been targeted. This can have significant knock-on consequences including supply chain impacts, monetary and reputational damage. The UK government has just announced new cyber security measures to help retailers better defend themselves against attacks – this Security Brief article provides more detail. If you aren’t a retailer, don’t ignore the underlying principles – the hackers are relentless and even if it’s not your sector in the firing line at the moment, don’t assume that it never will be!
Back-up and recovery
Data – whether client information, financial records, comms or technical detail – is essential to all our businesses. Data security should always be front and centre, however it can often slip to the bottom of the pile with urgent deadlines elsewhere. Data breaches themselves have numerous knock-on consequences but remember also that robust back-up processes protect you in risk events such as premises loss and ransomware attacks. Making good habits via simple, effective back-up and recovery plans helps protect your business:
- Know your storage limits – avoid running out of space
- Use a cloud service – accessibility from anywhere
- Automate your backup schedule – minimising point of risk
- Test your recovery plan – making sure it’s doing its job
- Monitor and maintain your backups – don’t do it once then forget!
- Follow the 3-2-1 rule – multiple copies to bolster security
- Educate your team – understanding the importance is half the battle
