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SMBs survive disasters with virtualization

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused millions of dollars in damages. Some of that damage was unavoidable, but hundreds of businesses managed to stay open thanks to innovative virtualization solutions. If you’re not already taking advantage of this technology, it’s time to find out what you’re missing.

Virtual desktops
In most offices, employees are still dependent on desktop computers. Their workstations grant them access to everything from customer relationship software to company databases and when these computers go down, there’s no way to get work done. Virtualized desktops allow users to access their files and even computing power from across the internet.

Instead of logging on to an operating system stored on a hard drive just a few inches away from their keyboard, employees can take advantage of server hardware to store their files across a network. With barebones computers, employees can log in to these virtual desktops either in the office or from home. Floods, fires and other disasters won’t prevent your team from working because they can continue remotely.

Virtual applications
Devoting a portion of your server’s hardware and software resources to virtual desktops requires a fair amount of computing power. If the majority of your employees’ time is spent working with just one or two pieces of software, you can virtualize just those applications.

If a hurricane destroyed your office and the hardware inside it, virtualized applications can be restored in minutes. They don’t need to be installed on the machines that use them, and as long as you have backups these applications can be streamed to employee computers just like a cloud-based application.

Virtual servers
If you use virtual desktops or applications, it makes perfect sense to use virtual servers as well. With a little help from a managed services provider, your servers can be configured to automatically create virtual backups. Beyond preventing data loss, these backups also make it possible to restore server functionality with off site restorations.

Virtualized servers are incredibly useful when clients need access to a website or database that you maintain in the office. For example, if you provide background checks on tenants to rental property owners through your website, an unexpected power outage won’t cause an interruption of service. Your virtualization solution will boot up a backup server away from the power outage and your customers will be none the wiser.

The benefits of virtualization extend far beyond disaster recovery planning. Your business can also reduce IT costs and increase hardware capacity — all it takes is some help from trained experts. Call us today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Not sure where to start? Give GCInfotech a call to discuss the available solutions that would work best for your company. Together, we can make your business work smarter, faster and more efficiently.
Published with consideration from TechAdvisory SOURCE

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6 ways to flood-proof your business IT

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have already caused billions of dollars in damages, but hurricane season is far from over. Experts are predicting that there will be five more major tropical storms through October, and if they present risks to your business, it’s time to establish a watertight disaster recovery (DR) plan. Here are a few things you need to consider.

Pay attention to location
First and foremost, your backup site should be in a hurricane-free zone. Ideally, your offsite facility should be located at least 100 miles away from your main location. If this isn’t possible, make sure it is built to withstand wind speeds of 160 mph (as fast as Category 5 storms), and is supported by backup generators and uninterruptible power supplies.

You should also request an upper floor installation or, at the very least, keep critical IT equipment 18 inches off the ground to prevent water damage.

Determine recovery hierarchy
Certain parts of your IT are more mission-critical than others. Ask yourself which systems or data must be recovered in minutes, hours, or days to get your business back to running efficiently.

For example, you may find that recovering sensitive customer information and e-commerce systems take priority over recovering your email server. Whatever the case may be, prioritizing your systems ensures that the right ones are recovered quickly after a disaster.

Use image-based backups
Unlike fragile tape backups, image-based backups take “snapshots” of your systems, creating a copy of the OS, software, and data stored in it. From here, you can easily boot the virtual image on any device, allowing you to back up and restore critical business systems in seconds.

Take advantage of the cloud
The cloud allows you to host applications and store data in high-availability, geo-redundant servers. This means your backups can be accessed via the internet, allowing authorized users to access critical files from any device. Expert technicians will also watch over and secure your backups, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of enterprise-level backup facilities and IT support.

Back up your data frequently
Back up your data often, especially during disaster season. If your latest backups were created on the 15th of September and the next storm, Hurricane Jose, makes landfall on the 28th, you could lose nearly two weeks of data.

Get in the habit of replicating your files at the end of each day, which should be easy if you’ve opted for image-based backups.

Test your DR plan
After setting up your backups, check whether they are restoring your files accurately and on time. Your employees should be drilled on the recovery procedures and their responsibilities during and after disaster strikes. Your DR team should also be trained on how to failover to the backup site before the storm hits. Finally, providers, contractors, and customers need to be notified about how the hurricane will affect your operations.

As cell towers and internet connections may be affected during this time, make sure your company forums are online and have your employees register with the Red Cross Safe and Well website so you can check their statuses.

It’s nearly impossible to experience little-to-no disruptions during disasters like Harvey or Irma, but with the right support, you can minimize downtime. If you’re concerned about any natural disasters putting you out of business, call us today. We offer comprehensive business continuity services that every company must have.

Not sure where to start? Give GCInfotech a call to discuss the available solutions that would work best for your company. Together, we can make your business work smarter, faster and more efficiently.

Published with consideration from TechAdvisory SOURCE

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Fruitfly spyware targets Mac computers

Contrary to popular belief, Macs do get hacked. Although it doesn’t happen as frequently as it does on Windows PCs, Macs have been infected by worms, Trojan horses, and other forms of malware in the past decade. Recently, security researchers discovered a new spyware that has flown under the radar for several years.

Fruitfly spyware
The spyware, known as Fruitfly, was first discovered in January 2017, but Synack chief security expert, Patrick Wardle, discovered a more cunning variant last month.

Along with being able to track the victims’ names and locations, the spyware reportedly gives the hacker control over webcams, mice, microphones, keyboards, and notifies hackers any time the computer is in use. This enables hackers to take non-consensual photos, capture screenshots, track keystrokes, and record audio.

What’s surprising is this type of spyware is not built for financial gain or designed to steal government secrets. It’s used to spy on regular people. According to experts, the hacker developed the spyware for voyeuristic reasons. Collecting private data from users also suggests that hackers planned to set up more targeted social engineering scams.

So far, there have been only 400 confirmed Fruitfly infections, but considering how it has remained hidden for nearly decade, that number could be much larger.

While experts are still not sure who created the malware and how it is delivered, it’s best to follow security best practices like avoiding pop-up ads, banners and suspicious file attachments, using extreme caution when downloading free software, and update applications frequently.

Users should also install anti-malware software with spyware detection capabilities and perform full system scans as often as possible. New security patches have been released to detect and block Fruitfly variants, so you should keep your security software up to date at all times, too.

Surge in Mac Malware
Windows PCs are targeted more frequently, but a recent threat intelligence report by McAfee found that the Mac malware incidents have grown by 53% over the first quarter of 2017.

Hackers will likely uncover new vulnerabilities in the future, which means Mac users can no longer afford to think that their device doesn’t need strong security software and support from managed services providers.

If you’re worried about the security of your Mac, talk to us today. We offer comprehensive solutions that can defend against the new Fruitfly strain and a host of other cyberattacks.

To learn more about how to safeguard your business, or if you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from TechAdvisory.org SOURCE

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