Monthly Archives: April 2022

Ten Disaster Recovery Statistics You Should Know

Data Backup, , , ,
): Businessman working on his laptop showing management of company data using cloud backup - concept of disaster recovery strategies

Have a clear disaster recovery plan for your organization.

Data loss is a serious problem that can have a devastating effect on businesses. In fact, data recovery statistics show that data loss can be extremely costly and time-consuming. Here are some of the most recent data recovery statistics that explore the reality of data loss.

  • Gartner found that 72 percent of organizations are not well-positioned with regard to disaster recovery capabilities, with 59 percent of respondents expecting budgetary increases for disaster recovery this year.
  • Companies without an effective disaster recovery plan stand to lose millions. According to Gartner, the average cost of IT downtime is $5,600 per minute (adding up to more than $300,000 per hour). For large organizations, that number tops half a million dollars.
  • Ransomware is a huge concern, and many people don’t realize that their disaster recovery plan may not work when they need it most. This adds significant risk to your ability to recover from ransomware if you are not prepared for the attack. In a recent study, IDC reported that 37 percent of companies worldwide were hit by ransomware in the previous 12 months. The average ransom paid was $250K, though some hackers asked for as much as 1M dollars.
  • Ninety-six percent of companies with a trusted backup and disaster recovery plan were able to survive ransomware attacks.
  • A disaster can strike at any time and without warning, so it is imperative that you have a plan in place to help your company recover quickly from these events. However, FEMA found that 20 percent of companies have no disaster recovery planning in place.
  • A report by the Ponemon Institute reveals that 93 percent of companies that lost their data center for 10 days or more due to a disaster, filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster. Fifty percent of businesses that found themselves without data management for this same time period filed for bankruptcy immediately.
  • Cloud backup can be an incredibly useful tool when it comes to data recovery. According to Statistica, as of 2019, 94 percent of the small-sized organizations who were surveyed worldwide claimed that they had used the cloud for data storage or backup.
  • A study by IBM on data recovery planning, including the cost and frequency of data breaches, showed a decrease in costs by more than 30 percent in organizations that embrace proactive recovery programs. The research shows that organizations who invest in automated disaster recovery have an operational edge over those without. They also maintain their business reputation and financial success, which is crucial for growth.
  • Disaster recovery planning is one of the most important aspects of protecting your business. But how often do you actually test your disaster recovery plan? A report by Statistica reveals that only 35 percent of respondents stated that their company tested its disaster recovery plan on a quarterly basis as of 2019.
  • A  report by UniTrends found that cloud-based Disaster Recovery-as-a-Software (DRaaS) will be used by 59 percent of businesses by 2021. Currently, 36 percent of businesses use this, and a further 23 percent plan to add the technology within the next year.

The above statistics are a wake-up call for many businesses. Having a well-designed and effectively maintained disaster recovery plan in place will substantially increase your ability to recover lost data, returning you back into normal operations as quickly with minimal business disruption.

SystemsNet is the trusted choice for complete network solutions. With almost 20 years in business, they’ve built a reputation as an industry leader and provide reliable services that meet your needs with tailored plans for any budget. Contact us for more information on our complete line of disaster recovery solutions for your business.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About VOIP

VOIP
Employee's hand pressing a button on a company phone system - showing different features of using VoIP.

Offers a lot of features and advantages over a traditional telephone system.

Virtual phone systems are becoming more and more popular for businesses as they offer a lot of features and advantages over a traditional telephone system. However, there are still many people who are unaware of what VOIP is and what it can do. Here are  five interesting facts about VOIP that you may not have known before.

VoIP was Born Out of Economic Pressure

The story of VoIP is one of innovation born out of necessity. In the early days of the internet, phone calls were made using a technology called circuit-switched telephone network (CSTN). This technology was expensive and inefficient, so a team of engineers at Bell Labs developed a new way to make phone calls over the internet. This new technology, which we now know as VoIP, allowed people to make phone calls using their internet connection instead of their phone line. This was a major breakthrough, and it allowed people to make phone calls for a fraction of the cost.

VoIP was not Always Free

VoIP is a technology that allows people to make phone calls over the internet. The first VoIP service was released in 1995, and it was not free. In fact, it cost users a monthly subscription fee in order to use the service. In the early days of VoIP, there were a number of different providers who offered the service. Each provider had its own software, and each software had its own set of features. This made it difficult for people to switch providers, as they would have to learn new software and lose all of their old contacts.

VoIP Still has Some Stigma

Despite the fact that VoIP phone systems have been around for over a decade, and are used by millions of people, there is still some stigma attached to them. Many people view VoIP as being inferior to traditional landlines and are hesitant to switch to a VoIP system because of this. There are a few reasons for this stigma. Firstly, many people are unaware of the benefits of using a VoIP system. Secondly, VoIP can be more complicated to set up and use than traditional landlines. And finally, many people are intimidated by the idea of using technology to make phone calls.

VoIP and “Standard” Phone Lines CAN Co-exist

There has been a lot of discussion about VoIP and the impact it is having on the standard telephone line. Some people are convinced that VoIP is going to completely replace the standard phone line, while others believe that the two will be able to coexist. There are a number of factors that need to be considered when examining this issue. VoIP does have some clear advantages, such as lower call rates and the ability to use your phone anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.

Gaming VoIP is Used by Criminals to Order Mob Hits

Gaming VoIP services, like Discord and Teamspeak, are often used by gamers to communicate with each other during online matches. However, these services are also being used by criminals to order mob hits. According to a recent report, criminals are using gaming VoIP services to communicate with each other about hits they want to be carried out. The services offer a secure and encrypted way for criminals to communicate, which makes it difficult for law enforcement officials to track them down. This is a major concern for law enforcement officials, as it makes it difficult for them to investigate and prevent mob hits from taking place.

Final Thoughts

VOIP has come a long way in the past few years, and there are a lot of things you may not know about it. We hope you’ve found this information helpful! If you’d like to learn more about VOIP, be sure to contact us.

Why MFA is Important for Your Company’s Cybersecurity

Security, ,
Employee activating a multi-factor authentication using a mobile phone and a laptop.

Securing your information systems against cybercriminals.

It’s becoming increasingly challenging for individuals and businesses to secure their information systems against cybercriminals. Hackers are always trying to find ways of breaking into your data systems, and mere passwords may not be sufficient deterrence. To enhance your data security, there’s a need to add an extra layer of security, and this is where multi-factor authentication (MFA) comes into the picture.

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?

Also referred to as 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), multi-factor authentication is a security system combining more than two forms of authentication to improve account security. With the MFA in place, credentials won’t be enough to allow access to your accounts.

When you activate the MFA on your device, account or website, the server will automatically require a second independent form of authentication to log you in successfully. Without this additional authentication, you won’t be able to access your account, website or device.

Importance of MFA on VPN connections to the office

VPNs provide a safe and secure environment for remote access to your internal on-premise applications, but they aren’t a silver bullet. If you’re providing users with just a password and username to access your VPN connections, you’re not completely immune to data breaches because those credentials can be stolen.

Here are reasons you need to activate MFA on your VPN connection:

  • Protection against credential theft: The MFA provides an additional layer of security when accessing your accounts, data and websites.
  • Provides visibility into all devices on the network: MFA sends authentication requirements to devices, so you can tell which devices are connected to the network.
  • Secure access to on-premises and cloud applications: With the MFA on, login credentials in the wrong hands won’t do much harm.
  • Help enforce granular access security policies: It’s a way of enforcing security policies – just ensure every user has MFA activated on their endpoints.
  • Achieve regulatory compliance: It’s a requirement to meet data security policies.
Importance of MFA on Office 365 logins

Hackers often fish for any loopholes to exploit and gain access to your data, and one potential place to find a loophole is your Office 365 account. Thankfully, Microsoft realized they needed to secure their Office 365 client accounts back in 2014, and made a provision for adding the MFA.

Here are some important benefits of adding MFA:

  • Increase security of user logins: When you activate the MFA, you’ll be required to acknowledge a phone call or text, message, or an app notification on your smartphone, so you can access Office 365 services. This means you won’t have to worry about your logins falling into the wrong hands, and someone using them to access your account. You will receive a notification when they attempt to log in, and know it’s time to change your logins.
  • Prevents phishing attacks: MFA helps you to know you’re logging into Office 365, and not a replica site designed to steal your sensitive data. If inputting your credentials doesn’t trigger a second authentication activity, then you know you’re about to fall victim to a phishing attempt.
  • Keeps track of all login activity: Multi-factor authentication can also help you keep track of all logins, so you can review them periodically to see if there’s abnormal activity. A notification of a failed login should be the first red flag you should look for when you’re ascertaining the security of your Office 365 account.

MFA is no longer a luxury today when cybercriminals are hell-bent on compromising your information systems and causing data breaches. A data breach can be a costly affair, requiring you to spend thousands of dollars to restore your systems. Be sure to set up MFA on all your accounts and VPNs to have an additional layer of security. At SystemsNet, we can help you implement MFA on your accounts and keep your data safe. Contact us today to handle all the installations.

How EventTracker Security Helps Small to Medium Size Businesses Succeed

Security, , , ,
IT professionals looking at a laptop in their office to detect signs of malicious activities - using EventTracker Security tools

Providing your organization with an overview of your network security.

Small to medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the American economy. According to a study by The Guardian, these businesses account for over 80% of all companies in America. Businesses employ more than half of the private sector workforce.

They need to have efficient systems that protect them from cyber attacks to be successful. EventTracker Security is one such system that can help SMBs succeed in the age of digital transformation.

It is a security information and event management (SIEM) system that helps businesses detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats. It does this by collecting data from all of the devices on a network, including routers, firewalls, servers, workstations, and more. This data then gets analyzed to identify potential security threats.

This post will explore the top five benefits of EventTracker Security for SMBs.

1. EventTracker Security Helps Businesses Detect Cyber Threats

The system constantly monitors all devices on a network for signs of malicious activity. If there is a threat, an alert gets generated and sent to the security team. It allows businesses to identify and investigate potential hazards quickly.

EventTracker Security also offers a comprehensive dashboard that gives businesses an overview of their network security. It allows businesses to quickly see which devices are vulnerable and take steps to mitigate the risk.

The system also includes a Threat Intelligence Database that contains information on millions of known threats. This helps businesses identify and investigate new threats as they emerge.

This data gets stored in a secure, cloud-based platform accessible from anywhere.

2. EventTracker Security Helps Businesses Investigate Cyber Threats

Upon discovering a threat, the EventTracker Security team will work with you to investigate the incident. They will provide all the data you need to understand what happened and how to prevent it from happening again.

The EventTracker Security team has years of experience in investigating cyber incidents. They will use their expertise to help you understand the root cause of the incident and take steps to prevent a recurrence.

3. EventTracker Security Helps Businesses Respond to Cyber Threats

Following an investigation of an incident, the EventTracker Security team will help you develop a response plan. The plan will include steps to mitigate the risk of future attacks and protect your business from future incidents.

The EventTracker Security team will also work with you to develop a communication plan. It ensures that your customers and employees are up-to-date on the incident and your response.

EventTracker Security also offers a 24/seven support line that can help you with questions or concerns you may have.

4. EventTracker Security is Easy to Use

The EventTracker Security platform is user-friendly. It includes a simple, intuitive interface that makes it easy to monitor your network security.

The platform should be scalable. As your business expands, you can add more devices and users to the system without disruption.

EventTracker Security is also available in various languages, making it easy for businesses to use the system regardless of their location.

5. EventTracker Security is Affordable

EventTracker Security is a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. The system includes various features that can be customized to meet your specific needs.

EventTracker Security also offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model that makes it easy to budget for the system. This pricing model allows you to pay for only the features you need when you need them.

Get Started with EventTracker Security today!

EventTracker Security is an essential tool for small to medium-sized businesses. It helps businesses detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats. Also, it is easy to use and affordable, making it an excellent solution for businesses of all sizes.

Please don’t wait until it’s too late; get started with EventTracker Security today! Contact us for more information.