Saskatoon IT Tips are from the Trusted professionals at Burnt Orange Solutions.  We promise to have a one-hour response time for all your Saskatoon IT support needs. Honesty and respect are important to us. In our latest  IT Expert tip Article, Gareth shares his thoughts on data security in a pandemic.

Gareth’s Best IT Business Security Practices

“I know that 99% of people who read this blog are not going to be IT guy/gals, they will be business owners, managers and staff who understand there is the need to access business data in these uncertain times, they also have an understanding of the need for security even if they don’t know what that really means.”  Gareth McKee, Owner Burnt Orange 🍊 Solutions

(The other 1% will be other IT guys looking to steal literature for their own blogs!!! The less said about them the better…. Yes, know who you are.)

So, what do you, the businesspeople of Saskatchewan NEED to know about the best IT business security practices?

 1.Things are FREE for a reason.

Please don’t use free versions of software, of any kind, particularly any software that is going to provide easy access to your network and valuable business data.

At best the providers of your free software will sell on your contact details resulting in your being hammered with adverts you don’t want, or spam email you didn’t ask for. At worst you will create a large hole in data security, a hole which can easily be exploited by hackers.

There are many ways to access your office data:

• Put your data in the cloud e.g. Office 365, G-Suite, hosted servers
• Have your staff gain access to your network through a VPN
• Make the data available through a file sharing system, and no I do not mean DropBox and the like, I mean a secure business grade system like FileFlex – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNFgXvgNqZs

2. Make sure the computers at home are secure

You, the business owner, have paid $1,000s in securing your business data in the office, then COVID-19 hit. In the panic that ensued you quickly sent Derek and Doris home and gave them VPN access to your network. Well done, your team can still work.

But…

In what condition is the security of Derek and Doris’ home computers?

• Are they both using Windows 10, or the latest Mac OS
• Do they both have effective anti-malware products installed (and effective means NOT THE FREE version), that are up to date.
• Are their computers up to date i.e. fully patched on every software, not just Microsoft
• They have printers, routers, Apple-TV, Google Home, SMART TVs, tablets…. Are these patched? Are they protected by an anti-malware product if available?

(Side question: In 2019, what was the computer operating system which had the most discovered security vulnerabilities?? It was Andriod!!! Still think your phone doesn’t need anti-malware?)

All these devices in Derek’s and Doris’ home could allow a virus or other malware attack gain access to your network.

3. Backup: How is your data backup running now?

Is Penelope returning to the office once per week to run that old rusty tape? Are you test recovering to ensure you can?

The truth is that a backup is only as the last TESTED backup. You really have no idea if last nights backup worked, even if the software system you use to run the backups tells you it was a success. They often lie.

Run your backup at least daily, have the data go offsite, test it.

4. Computer and network maintenance.

Like a truck, a computer need servicing, a router needs a once over, and a printer needs a recall.

Whether you have a PC pretending to be a server, 1 server, or 100 servers, when one of them starts to creak, crackle, crank and smoke, if no one is there to hear the noise, how do you know when the server is going to die? Regular maintenance is a requirement on all your tech equipment in the office. From monitoring your hard drives health, to upgrading the software on your printers and routers, this all needs to be done. One of the ransomwares which travelled the world in 2018 did so through old printer software, cost worldwide business $Billions.

I know all this seems like a low priority at the moment, and it should seem that way, no one is going to die from a computer virus.

However:

• If you have worked hard for the last 10 years to build a business you are proud of.
• As a staff member, if you have a passion for your job that gets you out of bed with a spring each morning,
• You have worked your fingers to the bone to claw your way up the ladder to management,

Let’s make sure that come the time when we can return to the office, there is a business to return to.

How Can Burnt Orange Help?

We have security, remote access and maintenance solutions to fit every pocket.

More importantly for you, during the time of this lock down we will be reducing our Install and Configuration rates to Zero for all new clients. We have also reduced our prices during this pandemic by 10% to all new business clients and 20% for non-profits.

We hope you enjoyed Gareth’s Best IT Business Security Practices, check out more IT tips by clicking here: 

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