Data storage can be one of the most overwhelming responsibilities of a business. Keeping all your data organized and accessible is one thing, but when the realization that this also needs to be secure is introduced, data security sounds a lot more complicated. Today we will break down why cloud computing is a smarter computing method than traditional approaches. Data Security One of the most daunting business realizations is how frequently security breaches occur, and how expensive they are. Cloud utilization has exploded into an immensely popular business computing method for a plethora of reasons, and data security is just one of them. The cloud is unlike traditional approaches to data storage due to the fact that all of your data is on a virtual server. This unique characteristic enables users to be prepared for the what ifs, such as equipment failure or other hardware malfunctions. While your hard drive can still fail when using cloud computing, your data storage cannot. Flexibility Let’s go back to our simplified version of the cloud– flash drives. Here is the comparable scenario your business might encounter when determining a data storage strategy: You’re in charge of collecting and storing customer information that is collected at the entrance to an event. You decide you will store it all on a flash drive, so you go to your local tech store and stare at all your options. 16G, 32G, even up to 500G. Which one is right for you? Do you buy the extremely expensive one only to utilize a small fraction of it, or do you buy 16G only to find that it was not nearly enough? This is a scenario that cloud computing can prevent you from encountering. Cloud computing means you aren’t wasting resources powering a massive server that you only use a marginal amount of, yet it also ensures your business isn’t going to build a server only to find it isn’t nearly as capable as you need it to be. Cloud Efficiency Using the cloud opens your business up to many opportunities that old-fashioned options cannot. Efficiency comes in multiple forms with cloud computing. Worker efficiency is another topic commonly associated with cloud computing. This form of computing allows employees to upload their data or content instantly to the cloud, automatically. This opens doors to remote work options, as well as group collaboration projects. Once someone is directly given permission in the cloud, a client or a prospect, can view all of their documentation. Apologizing for not having a file on hand is simply a thing of the past. There Are Even More Advantages to Using the Cloud! Business Intelligence – It was reported in 2018 that 66 percent of organizations consider themselves to be successfully using Business Intelligence initiatives currently using the cloud. Analytics – The cloud offers businesses a wide range of analytic tools and techniques to help companies track data. It categorizes data in a way that is easily analyzed. Blockchain – Blockchain is one of the most innovative computing tools. With the use of the cloud, blockchain technology will continue to improve and be utilized to further benefit your business. As technology evolves, so should your computing methods. The tip of the iceberg is cloud computing — what lies below are a monumental amount of advantages […]
Plan Out How Your Files Will Be Organized Solid collaboration depends on coordinated simplicity. When dealing with shared files, which you undoubtedly will when collaborating, you need to keep things simple; and, to have a plan about how your data is structured. One of the best ways to do this is to be consistent and make sure that file folders aren’t misspelled (or forgotten entirely) and are in the right place. Other practices include: Try to keep it to three folder levels deep – You will inevitably go deeper than that, but if you try to keep files as close to the top of the file tree as possible, they immediately become easier to manage. Keep documents that belong together, together – Nothing is worse than going to a folder to find a file that is supposed to be there only to find out that it is kept in another folder. If you have shared resources between projects, make copies and file them along with the other project files. Name folders according to function – When naming folders, it is important that, if someone were to have to search for it, that they can find it. That is why you want to name folders and files according to their practical purpose. Use consistent file types – Have you ever gone looking for a specific file only to find out that the file you were searching for is a completely different type of file? It’s frustrating. Save file types in the manner in which works best for everyone. Remove files that don’t have any business being there – A folder can get very sloppy very quickly. If a file doesn’t belong in a folder, don’t save it in the folder. Train new members on shared file policies – The thing that will make a shared file management platform work the best is workers that understand how the other people using it manage files. Train your new people to ensure they understand. Creating a system to govern how and where files are stored will make a lot of difference when people need access to them. That segues nicely into our next point: Be Collaborative, But Manage Access The more collaborative your organization intends to be, the more time and effort it will have to spend ascertaining just whom should be given access to what. Why? This is because collaboration dictates that people work together, but if there are people who don’t have anything to do with a project, but have access to that project, negative situations can occur. If you simply manage the resource’s permissions, it keeps this situation from becoming a problem. The people who do need access, and who get access, typically are people that are reliable enough to not save files and folders in places where they don’t belong. You may initially find this to be overkill, but the first time that a project (or even a task) falls flat because a member of your team had access they didn’t need and some resources go missing or are corrupted, it will cause problems that nobody needs. Keep Your Platform Secure In file management, simplicity is key; but security is a must. To that end, selecting a thorough file sharing system that encrypts your data is important. Many people have […]
In order to get the most utility out of your smartphone, you need to be certain that it is protected from the influence of these threats. For this week’s tip, we’ve put together a list of standards that you (and anyone else associated with your business) should uphold. Protect Your Device by Locking It Let’s begin with a very basic security concept: a device that is locked (and requires a code to be reopened) is going to be inherently more secure than a device that doesn’t. While that should be common sense, many people still don’t use it to their advantage – despite the unlocking process becoming easier and easier for the authorized user, with options to use fingerprints and facial recognition as a means of accessing the device. Neglecting to do so means that you are leaving your device and the data on it at the mercy of whomever happens to walk by. Protect Your Device by Capping Wireless Connectivity Your device has plenty of ways to connect to external devices and services… trouble is, that leaves plenty of connections that a hacker could use to infiltrate your device and data. Public Wi-Fi is notorious for being a breeding ground for threats, and Bluetooth and NFC communications can easily be used to steal data. Deactivate these capabilities when you aren’t actively using them. Limit the Access Your Applications Have We’ve all been there – trying to download an application from an approved and official source (such as Google Play), when the application suddenly puts up a request for access to far more data than it should need to function properly. What gives? Here’s the thing… while the app itself may not need all the information they ask for, the developers need it if they want to sell it to advertisers or share it with social media platforms. Does that silly match-four game you downloaded really need to know who your contacts are, or hear what you’re saying all the time? Probably not, so you can deny these apps from accessing this information in your settings. Alternatively, you could also go with the nuclear option and just delete them. Keep It Updated One of the primary reasons that updates are released for operating systems is to shore up any cybersecurity issues that have been resolved since the last time the device was used. While this really does sound simple enough to accomplish, many users neglect to update their device in a timely manner, leaving them vulnerable. Be Careful with Attachments and Spam in Messaging Applications Messaging applications are very common in today’s devices, which cybercriminals have certainly noticed. This is why they use attachments in these applications to deliver their payloads to their victims, and spam messages in a similar way. Keeping to the best practices you would normally use to protect your email can keep your use of your smartphone secure as well. Following these tips will help you to keep your smartphone secure against threats, and by extension, your business. For more means of securing your technology, reach out to the experts at SRS Networks. Give us a call at (831) 758-3636 to get started.
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