Data Recovery from databases

Data recovery is the process of restoring data that has been lost, accidentally deleted, corrupted or made inaccessible for any reason. In enterprise information technology (IT), data recovery typically refers to the restoration of data to a desktop, laptop, server, or external storage system from a backup.

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Backup and Disaster Recovery; Hyper-V Server Virtualization

Data loss can be quite discouraging, and it takes the organization quite behind in operations and all their undertakings. There is, therefore, every need to back up the data for easy recovery when it’s needed. A lot of platforms exists to facilitate this. Backups should, however, be done as regular as possibly to minimize the […]

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Top 11 Tips To Consider When Creating Your BYOD Policy

Mobile and personal devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, have become a core part of everyday life. Employees are bringing their devices to work, and expect their organization to be capable of supporting the use of these devices to make their work easier. However, creating the perfect BYOD policy can be tricky, especially if you lack the expertise and don’t know where to start. But that doesn’t mean that businesses are not adapting to BYOD practices, even if they have well made policies or not.

A study conducted by Tech Pro shows that 72% of organizations were already permitting BYOD or planning to do so. But without a proper policy in place, it leaves room for potential threats to both business and employees. If devices and apps are connected to the business network without proper monitoring and security in place, every device is a potential source of threat to data loss.

One of the most common concerns among businesses is the threat personal data can hold when connected to the company network. Whether employees can accidentally access restricted or confidential data, or their devices are shared, or lost or stolen, among business outsiders who can then access the data.

From the business perspective, the most common risk is the one of security. When personal devices that are infected with viruses or vulnerable to hackers access the system, it can spread that threat across all connected devices. It’s true that most people are relatively careless with their devices; not activating passwords, using unsecured WiFi hotspots, and even losing their phones.  In any of these instances, your business's confidential data could be exposed to data loss or unauthorized access,  and even legal problems.

Cost reimbursement is another issue that must also be dealt with. Does the company pay for data and fixing personal devices? Does the employee bear the cost,or is it shared among both parties with stipends and allowances?

Research conducted by Gartner estimates that by the end of 2017, 90% businesses have their own BYOD policy in place. However, businesses must recognize their limitations and reach out to third party IT providers for expert assistance. At Zenetrix, we provide managed services in Philadelphia and strive to help businesses execute secure BYOD policies.

Below, we provide some tips that can make your BYOD policy simpler to plan and execute. There is no one-winning-formula for everyone to follow, but these factors can surely get you on the right track.

11 Factors to Consider For Crafting Your BYOD Policy

1. Before you starting building your BYOD policy, it is crucial to determine which devices your business will permit and support Does your business support Android, iOS or other systems? Can your employees access all work data with their devices or only a part of it?
2. Define and communicate which employees will be permitted to use their own devices and why. It is crucial to clarify when the data can be accessed and by who. Predetermine employee permission, how access will be managed, and ensure that no unauthorized device or person can connect to the network.
3. It is also critical to create a parameter of your right as the employer to access and monitor activity, as well as delete data from employee-owned personal devices. Your employees need to know to what extent their data can be controlled and under what circumstances.
4. Keep a registry of all personal devices that are used for business purposes so that you can keep a watchful eye over employee devices. Consider using mobile device management technology (MDM), which can be used to create virtual partitions to separate work data and personal data in each device. This will ensure your employees that their personal data is protected from the company, and that you as an employer only have access to work related data.
5. To avoid violating employee privacy and personal space, any monitoring tool and technique to be used should be communicated to them before implementation. Your employees have the right to know what they are being monitored for, when, and via which method.
6. If your business has plans in place that protects your employees personal information, it is important to explain to process to them. It makes the process much smoother if your employees are aware of the policies..
7. If you are ever faced with a scenario where you have to wipe data from employee devices, you need to have a proper plan in place. In case of stolen or lost devices, you need to have the ability to delete valuable data remotely before it falls into the wrong hands. In case of termination of employment, your data wipe system must be able to remove business data from employee’s personal device, without damaging their personal files.
8. Implement advanced data protection practices, starting with passwords, automated locks, protocols for lost and stolen devices, and any mandatory and security software. Along with all these, it is critical to ensure that your networks are monitored 24/7, and any data is protected with routine backups.
9. Designate IT responsibilities and authorizations, so that your employees know who to turn to if they are struck with an issue. It may be a good idea to create FAQ pages, and encourage sharing to simple solutions within the workplace.
10. Develop your BYOD policy in partnership with IT and legal experts. IT solutions in Philadelphia are provided by IT specialists who can help you solidify your BYOD policy through experience and in-depth knowledge.
11. Rethink your expense reimbursement policy and focus on providing your employees with a feasible solution rather than passing all of the costs on to them.This could include cost splitting, corporate cell plans, or another joint effort that focuses on cost collaboration between employer and employee. If you require the device for business use, considerations can even be made to provide a corporate phone, tablet, or laptop.

 

BYOD policies can be tricky and confusing to deal with, especially if you are not familiar with the IT industry and related legal complicacies. With this list, we hope to give you an overall idea of what to prioritize when adapting BYOD, focusing on fair-usage and security. Panthera Technology is here to provide businesses with secure BYOD in Philadelphia. If your are looking for an industry veteran as your IT partner, call us today and let’s get started on building your BYOD policy.

The above blog post Top 11 Tips To Consider When Creating Your BYOD Policy was originally published to Philadelphia IT Support Firm: Zenetrix IT

Zenetrix provides the best IT Solutions in Philadelphia

Zenetrix provides the best IT Solutions in Philadelphia

The above post Zenetrix provides the best IT Solutions in Philadelphia was originally seen on Philadelphia Managed IT Company: Zenetrix Blog

4 Core IT Functions Small Businesses Should be Outsourcing in 2016

The advancement of technology has made business processes much easier today than ever before. However, not every business has the available resources that are required to access all of these benefits. That is why businesses look for IT outsourcing partners who can help them complete certain business functions as smoothly as possible.

Small businesses today are faced with a number of difficult decisions to make. Given their limited budget for IT, along with a small or non-existent IT team, it becomes hard to explore every available opportunity.

In order to grow your customer base, gain a competitive edge, and increase your overall office efficiency, outsourcing is a cost effective, and easily accessible solution. If you have a small IT team, it is impractical to expect them to be experts in every area of your businesses. Whatever skills they lack can probably be solved by hiring more IT staff, but extensive hiring becomes an expensive option in the long run.

IT outsourcing companies provide businesses with predictable pricing and options to easily scale capacity as needed. That means you do not have to hire permanent staff for a temporary project, and can outsource the task temporarily to an outsourcing team. IT outsourcing companies are large teams of IT specialists with expertise in every area of tech. At Panthera Technologies, we provide industry best IT consultation and IT outsourcing in Philadelphia, and offer our partners all the benefits of our in-depth knowledge and professional experience.

But deciding on exactly which functions to outsource can be a bit confusing, especially if your budget is limited. Even though IT Outsourcing Study 2015/2016 shows that businesses increased their IT budget from 3% to 10.4%, small businesses have less capital in general to work with. It might be risky for small businesses to outsource a certain function that is not as useful for them, while completely missing out on other functions that are critical to surviving in today’s market.

Considering the global trends, consumer behaviors and business requirements, we compiled a short list of business IT functions that small businesses should look to outsource for a greater ROI and efficiency.

Software Application Development

Every business has their own set of unique needs, and tend to look for available solutions in the market. However, not every software or application out there might be perfect for you, and that is when it’s appropriate to look for custom application development.

Finding and choosing the right software application can be confusing. You don't want to end up getting something that doesn’t fulfill all your requirements, nor do you want to pay extra for features you do not need. In 2016, businesses are likely to look for custom application development that can address their unique requirements without settling for inefficient ones.

As businesses become more acquainted with technology, the goal is to let technology simplify each and every task, and software applications can do just that. However, hiring a full-time software developer might not be the most cost-effective decision for small businesses. That is why outsourcing application development projects to a team of experts is going to become a popular choice, especially when they can also offer cost-effective maintenance and management solutions.

Administrative Duties

IT administrators have the tough responsibility of making sure that every IT component within the business is synced and running at optimal performance. That means making sure all software and operating systems are updated and patched, ensuring that servers and networks are always up, and constantly checking for potential issues. IT administrators are like the guardians of your IT infrastructures, and should be able to handle any disruption to your workflow.

From performing routine audits, to managing new hardware, to technical troubleshooting, these are all functions that have become core to everyday business. Businesses now recognize that these tasks cannot be left unattended, and that they impact the overall performance of the business. Outsourcing these tasks to a team of specialists will enable businesses to run with no interruption.

If you have a small IT team, you need to make sure that they are investing their time and skills in more strategic functions, rather than mundane administrative tasks. As we enter the modern business era, the role of a small business owner has become flexible and requires them to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously. By handing over small but important tasks like administrative management, business owners will benefit from the freedom of being able to focus on their core goals while being highly organized.

Cyber Security and Device Management

BYOD policies and cloud technology has enabled even small businesses access to great efficiency and productivity. However, working in these new environments means that your business will be vulnerable to newer forms of viruses and hackers. With many new devices joining the network and multiple users accessing files on the cloud, you need to make sure that security measures are in place.

Keeping up with the increasing sophistication of ill-intent attackers can be tricky for small businesses. You do not want to leave your business secrets and data exposed to potential breach or theft, nor do you want to miss out on the great benefits of BYOD work environments and cloud computing.

Backups and Maintenances

While adding layers of security to your business is great, it still does not guarantee business continuity. Accidents like fire, theft and loss of hardware and storage devices can leave businesses with substantial damage, and even unable to recover.

As we move towards an era where data and information rules success, small businesses should take extra measures to make sure that their valuable files are backed up and easily recoverable in case of emergency, and regularly maintained for optimal performance. From maintaining websites, servers, networks, storages to keeping off-site and cloud based backups, IT outsourcing offers businesses the safety and reliability they need.

A small business owner has a lot on their plate, and IT outsourcing can make some of these issues easy and inexpensive. The above list summarizes some of the most common issues businesses can solve with sourcing. If you are looking to know more and seek expert IT consultancy in Philadelphia, give Zenetrix a call today.

The following blog post 4 Core IT Functions Small Businesses Should be Outsourcing in 2016 is courtesy of: Zenetrix IT Support Blog

Banks criticised for outsourcing

An interesting piece in the FT outlines a lot of the outsourcing happening in the banking sector, which is rather fun – but we’ve spotted a little wrinkle.

Look at the first sentences. “High-profile system crashes in the UK have delayed payments and prevented customers from withdrawing cash, quickly damaging banks’ reputation for service. But many British lenders are nevertheless increasingly moving IT roles overseas, cutting costs in an area they singled out for investment to avoid future glitches.”

You can read the rest of the article form yourself, we’re not here to steal the FT’s readership away even if we could do such a thing. We just note the automatic assumption that IT goes wrong and “nevertheless” banks are changing their suppliers and IT partners as if this is definitely part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

Cost and other factors are of course important in this. But seriously, if something’s going wrong, isn’t changing it a good thing?

 Originally Published at : http://www.professionaloutsourcingmagazine.net/newsitems/banks-criticised-for-outsourcing

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