Steve LaPha, Vice President, Dytech Group
Cybersecurity is protecting your information against attack, theft or compromise. Being connected to the Internet brings the possibility of numerous security threats. There are several steps that you can take to help prevent a security breech.
1. Have a good antivirus/security software installed on every computer and keep it updated.
2. Keep your operating system up-to-date by installing all patches and security updates as soon as they are released.
3. Do not open email attachments or click on website links that are suspicious. Your password is not expired, your package is not delayed and the IRS will not email you.
4. Do not download untested “free” software as it may contain malware.
5. Use strong/secure passwords and do not use the same passwords on multiple websites.
6. If you use a home computer for business then make sure that it is just as safe.
7. Most importantly, backup all data regularly. We can fix anything except lost data without backup.
One of the worst threats today is from an employee clicking on a malware link in an email. You can have the best security protection available in place, but you can still get infected with a ransomware program that can encrypt your data and prevent you from accessing it. The most overlooked security protection item is Security Awareness Training. Your staff needs to be able to identify a potential threat. The bogus emails that are sent out change frequently. To be fully educated on them you should have ongoing Security Awareness Training. There are samples of hoax emails and tips for protecting against fraud available from major banks
and other companies such as FedEx and eBay online. Here is a link for more valuable Cybersecurity information: STOP, THINK, CONNECT – http://www.stcguide.com/.
“The Cloud” is a slang term that just means a hosted computer that is located in a datacenter, accessible over the Internet, not stored in your office. The actual meaning is much more complicated. There are several categories of cloud computing. There is public shared cloud, private cloud, and there are also hybrid clouds.
A public shared cloud is a service like Microsoft Office 365, Google GSuite, or Salesforce.com. The service is provided to many businesses and your data is typically located on the same server along with many other companies. Your main business software may be a good example of this if it is hosted in the cloud. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Each company employee has a secure login username and password and the company data is only available to those with permission.
A private cloud is a dedicated server that is hosted just for your company. It may have one or many software applications hosted on it. Sometimes it can be customized just for your company and your software application. In theory, it is more secure than a public cloud.
A hybrid cloud is just a combination of the two. You may have some applications hosted in a public cloud, some in a private cloud, and even some hosted locally. Your IT consultant can give you advice on what is best for your company. The most important part of any decision like this is to do your due diligence on the cloud hosting company. Who is managing the servers? Who is doing backups? How do I know that they are being done? Who owns my data? What country is it hosted in? It is very important that you make sure that you are getting all the services that you expect and that it be written in the contract. There should also be a written service level agreement (SLA) as well.
Many software applications and services are going to the cloud. It is common to not have a viable option. If your main software program is no longer offered as a local server application, then you may find yourself in the cloud before you are ready. It is important to understand what the cloud is and why it is good, as well as what the downside is. The cloud is just a tool. If it is used correctly, then it is wonderful. It can save you money and time. It can also increase your productivity and reduce your anxiety.
Here are a couple links to additional information: What is
Cloud Computing?:
https://www.infoworld.com/article/2683784/cloud-computing/what-is-cloud-computing.html
https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-cloud-computing-everything-you-need-to-know-from-puublic-and-private-cloud-to-software-as-a/
Steve LaPha, a thirty-plus year veteran of the computer industry started with Dytech Group eighteen years ago as a Network Engineer. He came from the government computer sales and service industry where he owned his own computer business for fifteen years supplying personal computers to NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. Steve was promoted to Service Manager, General Manager and now Vice President of operations. He works along with Dennis Bell, the President, running the business and supervising ten employees. The primary business is providing Managed Services to small and medium size businesses in Orlando and the Central Florida area under the DytechONE brand. Dytech is also FRSA’s IT Service Company.
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