Posted by Richard Schissler on Fri, May 24, 2013 @ 03:49 PM
From Wikipedia (definition of Computer Backup)-
‘In information technology, a backup, or the process of backing up, refers to the copying and archiving of computer data so it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form is to back up in two words, whereas the noun is backup.
Backups have two distinct purposes. The primary purpose is to recover data after its loss, be it by data deletion or corruption. Data loss can be a common experience of computer users. The secondary purpose of backups is to recover data from an earlier time, according to a user-defined data retention policy, typically configured within a backup application for how long copies of data are required. Though backups popularly represent a simple form of disaster recovery, and should be part of a disaster recovery plan, by themselves, backups should not alone be considered disaster recovery. One reason for this is that not all backup systems or backup applications are able to reconstitute a computer system or other complex configurations such as a computer cluster, active directory servers, or a database server, by restoring only data from a backup.
Since a backup system contains at least one copy of all data worth saving, the data storage requirements can be significant. Organizing this storage space and managing the backup process can be complicated undertaking. A data repository model can be used to provide structure to the storage. Nowadays, there are many different types of data storage devices that are useful for making backups. There are also many different ways in which these devices can be arranged to provide geographic redundancy, data security, and portability.
Before data is sent to its storage location, it is selected, extracted, and manipulated. Many different techniques have been developed to optimize the backup procedure. These include optimizations for dealing with open files and live data sources as well as compression, encryption, and de-duplication, among others. Every backup scheme should include dry runs that validate the reliability of the data being backed up. It is important to recognize the limitations and human factors involved in any backup scheme.’
The definition above really provides a great description on how a complete computer backup system works. Many IT firms provide only a cookie cutter approach in their backup systems. One size does not fit all.
My experience has taught me that each company has a unique set of needs and requirements. A quality IT firm will spend the time to evaluate your system, needs and requirements. Then and only then will they present one or more recommended solutions.
The biggest driver of what type of system is recommended beyond needs and requirements is 
cost. For example, in general the quicker you need your business to be back up and running, then the more your backup system will costs. You also can expect to pay more, as always, depending on how sensitive your data is. The protection of one’s privacy always has its own cost factor.
The steps for picking the right computer backup system for your firm are the same as for any capital purchase. You need to determine your needs, requirements and budget. Then communicate these to the IT firm(s) that are going to give you a bid for the system. Finally, you have to make sure that what you need and what they quote is truly apples to apples. Otherwise, unfortunately you will find out when you can least afford to, when a data disaster strikes!
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Wed, May 15, 2013 @ 11:34 AM
Today small businesses are positioned for the perfect data storm: more data, at more value, with more risk. Small businesses are creating more data than ever, the value of their data is increasing, and there are more risks of losing the data. This is a fact for every business, more information and in most cases little or no attention is being paid on how to protect it.
The need for a robust backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution has grown in importance—no business can any longer rely on over-simplified backup solutions to protect their data and keep their businesses running. A challenge, however, is in having fewer resources to manage and protect their data. In fact, small businesses are often more at risk than their large enterprise counterparts and have distinctive challenges. They are:
• Limited financial resources
• Limited IT resources
• Limited and inadequate solutions designed for small businesses
Still every business, of any size, must find a way to install a robust solution to back up their business-critical data. With a small business’ limited people and financial resources, the most effective way for them to implement a BDR and business continuity solution is via a managed service provider (MSP). The MSP brings specialized skills and management to the situation that the typical small business cannot otherwise afford.
6 CRITERIA FOR SMALL BUSINESS DATA PROTECTION
1. Recoverability
In a disaster a small business cannot afford lengthy downtime since most carry less than a month of operating cost in cash. Does the solution have instant restore capability? Does it meet both recovery time and recovery point objectives? Each business must establish what their own unique objectives are since the quicker the recovery the more it typically costs.
2. Comprehensiveness
Small businesses generally do not have a dedicated IT department that can manage separate backup, recovery and business continuity solutions. Does the solution provide key functionality that is seamlessly integrated? Experts agree that a combination of on-premise and cloud-based services offer the best total protection for businesses of all sizes, especially small businesses.
3. Ease of Use
Small business owners or the IT person doesn’t have time to learn or manage complexity. Is the system easy to use, deploy and manage? Is it supported by a MSP’s who understands the businesses capabilities and limitations in managing their own solution?
4. Performance and Reliability
A recent study shows that only 17 percent of SMBs feel secure and confident in their backup plan; while another 14 percent say they feel very insecure and vulnerable. Quicker and more frequent backups limit data loss. An ideal solution is incremental backup, where the technology adds what you’ve changed or deleted, rather than backing up the entire volume of data repeatedly. The small business must be comfortable that the data will be there when they need it.
5. Affordability
Small businesses have often been relegated to cheap (both in price and technology) backup solutions. With limited resources it’s been difficult for a small business to purchase a business continuity solution; they’ve been limited to a glorified backup solution at best. Is the solution cost-effective and affordable with a small business’ budget in mind? A quality MSP can help the business make the right decisions that fits their budget and needs.
6. Scalability
Small businesses grow into larger businesses. Make sure the solution not only meets your data backup needs today but can scale as your company grows.
The use of a Managed Service Provider who works everyday with computer networks and backup solutions is a critical business decision. Each business must find a MSP who they can trust to work with their situation and needs so that the data is there when it is most needed.
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Fri, May 03, 2013 @ 04:06 PM
A computer network is a telecommunications network that connects a collection of computers to allow communication and data exchange between systems, software applications, and users. The computers that are involved in the network that originate, route and terminate the data are called nodes.[1] The interconnection of computers is accomplished with a combination of cable or wireless media and networking hardware. (definition from Wikipedia)
Computer Network Services
What are they?
• Hardware Installation and Support
• Virus & Spyware Removal and Protection
• Security Solutions
• VPN (Virtual Private Networks)
• Secure Remote Access
• Network System backup – onsite and offsite
When you open a new office or just want to repair or upgrade your current network, you need a qualified IT Service Company to assist or consult with you regarding design and implementation of the system. A qualified IT team will bring an organized, engineered approach to network design, configuration, and maintenance. They will know the details that really do matter and make sure that things are done right the first time. This is the key to a smooth network integration. Working together you can come up with a solid plan to configure your network to better serve you. A typical IT Services group serves many industries faced with strict regulations, network conformance with regulatory expectations that must be considered.
The security of your network is the main priority. Network security, must be taken personally by everyone involved. The No. 1 priority is ensuring that your valuable business data is completely secure. IT security should provide protection across all aspects of the network, including the perimeter, internal assets, communications, remote users, and client information.
Your IT Network should be protected with Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems (IDPS) which allows you or your IT Service firm to monitor network activities and to eliminate malicious packets before they compromise the network. Software is used to evaluate and eliminate any viruses or malware that may be infecting your system.
Two main factors to Network Security:
1. Proper configuration and maintenance of the network; and
2. The ability to track traffic within the network, allowing us to detect malicious files and remove them accordingly.
Your IT provider should be able to provide you with a properly configured Firewall that protects IP communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP-packet received in a data stream.
The integrity of a Wireless Network is another important function of network installation and maintenance. Wireless Network capabilities allow businesses to expand their offices and bring WiFi to employees and clients. Many wireless systems go under or unsecured.. The risks of an open business network are too great to ignore.
Private Company WiFi - A secure private wireless system for your internal company needs using the latest wireless security technologies is not hard to setup. Peripherals such as printers and scanners can be conveniently connected through your Private WiFi as well.
Private Company WiFi - A secure guest wireless system can be setup for your guests. This network should be segemented so that the guest WiFi traffic will not be allowed to co-mingle with the local area network (private network).
Secure remote access can accelerate your businesses’ productivity by implementing remote access solutions that allow you to work securely from anywhere. Using a Virtual Private Network, above industry standard encryption, and an internet connection, you can access your business computer from the beach. Unique user logins can be established and communication between the remote user and local network is totally secure and can even be used for Legal and Medical offices.
Remote access can also be setup for third party contractors, remote employees, business owners and anyone else you think should have access to the network. If you have multiple offices and want to be able to jump between networks, or integrate information from one to the other, site to site VPN networks can be set up.
Remote management and monitoring is a service you might want to consider for your wireless or wired networks. These days, technology provides affordable, secure IT solutions to give you access to your data files from a home office, a remote business meeting, or even from out of town. The management and monitoring of your network system 24/7 provides the ultimate protection and proactive service that many active businesses need. Remote access capability allows your IT Service Provider to offer off-site maintenance and support, saving on-site visits to your office, and thus saving you money.
The final element for a good computer network is to have the proper backup for your data and other systems. The best backup system has an on-site piece as well as a virtual and off-site piece. All of these systems require monitoring in order to maintain their integrity at the highest level.
The smart answer to building a solid business computer network is to first find the right vendor partner. A qualified IT Provider who is willing to take the time to understand your systems, processes and business needs. The right Provider will then present you a plan you can understand for the installation and maintenance of the network system. A properly priced managed services contract from the Provider will assure you that they believe in their work and will stand behind it in the future.
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Mon, Apr 22, 2013 @ 04:01 PM
Disaster recovery (DR) is the process, policies and procedures that are related to preparing for recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure which are vital to an organization after a natural or human-induced disaster. Disaster recovery is a subset of business continuity While business continuity involves planning for keeping all aspects of a business functioning in the midst of disruptive events, disaster recovery focuses on the IT or technology systems that support business functions. (1)
Now that we have a technical definition we can address what exactly is disaster recovery and what kind of system does our business need to protect it. I will suggest that the first step in this process is to identify what threats are there to our IT or technology systems. The first threat would be man-made and the following are examples:
• Viruses 
• Theft
• Hardware damaged
• Software corrupted
• Human error
Any one of these man-made threats can disrupt our IT or technology system. This in turn poses a threat to our business. On one end of the scale the threat could be minor problem with a workstation and the other end of the scale would be the shut-down of the entire business. In either case the business will suffer a loss of productivity and thus profit potential.
A second threat would be those caused by natural causes. These are the types of threats that usually make the 6 o’clock news and are more widespread in their impact. The following are examples of natural threats:
• Hurricanes 
• Floods
• Fires
• Lightning
• Power Surges
Several of these natural threats, in particular hurricanes, floods and fires typically affect more than one business. The scope of their damage is more widespread and the cleanup from the damage they cause usually takes much longer. Again, the damage to the business’s IT and technology systems will cause a loss of productivity and profit potential.
Two Basic Types of IT System Backup
A local back-up solution is an absolute necessity for businesses that need to get back in business immediately. A local back-up solution typically creates nightly “images” of your most important servers and workstations and keeps these back-ups on a storage device for easy access and recovery. The greatest benefit of this solution is that these backups contain an exact replica of your entire server or workstation which includes all software and users & settings in addition to your most important data. The back-ups are essentially images of your computers.
A fast and simple restore process puts your computer back exactly the way it was. That means all the same files in the same folders, the same applications, the same operating system and all custom settings. All your important work restored to exactly where you left it. Everything back to normal like nothing happened! This type of solution works well primarily when man-made disasters are the cause of data loss.
A online backup solution is intended for businesses that need to have their data backed up off-site A data-only or image online backup solution will back-up your company’s most important data in a safe, secure online repository that will allow for easy access in the case of a disaster that renders your physical network unusable. Your data can typically be retrieved withiin 24 business hours.
The use of an online or off-site backup solution protects the additional protection of data in the event of a catastrophic natural disaster that destroys or severely damages the business’s facilities.
Where Do I Go From Here?
No one can predict when a catastrophe may happen, but everyone can be prepared. Whether an interruption in service is due to an natural disaster or because of a man- made disaster, it still means downtime – an unnecessary and often costly problem for your company. You need a plan to re-establish a level of operation as swiftly and smoothly as possible.
The following basic issues are the first step in developing the right plan for your business:
- What to back up
- How often to back up
- Whether to perform complete or incremental backups
- How and when to practice restore procedures
A quality IT Service Company can assist your company in the formulation of a disaster recovery plan so that processes and procedures are in place to ensure that essential functions can continue during and after a disaster. The number one goal is to minimize the interruption in service and restore data in a precise and rapid recovery time based on your company’s needs.
(1.) Systems and Operations Continuity: Disaster Recovery. Georgetown University. University Information Services. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Fri, Apr 05, 2013 @ 03:26 PM
Very few business owners or managers ever take time to really consider the events that can destroy their business. I am not talking about the loss of a client or large account or the breakdown of a piece of production equipment. In this case, I am looking for the unusual and unpredictable events that come out of “left field” to threaten or wipe out a business. More importantly in many cases there are certain steps we can take to minimize the effect of these events on the business if and when they happen.
The first event that comes to mind is a fire. Fires destroy millions of dollars of business property every year. Entire buildings with the equipment, fixtures and business information in the buildings are destroyed or severely damaged. The source of the fire could be arson, utility failure or an accident. You need to ask yourself if this happened to your business would you be able to recover? If so how long would it take to bring the business back to full profitable operation?
The second event that can impact the survival of a business is weather such as thunderstorm. Thunderstorms produce lightning that can strike a business and start a fire. The effects of such a fire are discussed in the previous paragraph. Another result of a thunderstorm is a tornado which can destroy the business with its tremendous winds. Torrential rains resulting from a storm can cause flooding which can literally wash a business away. The impact of severe weather can literally destroy your business in a matter of seconds.
A third event is a non-weather related flood event such as the sudden failure of dam or spillway. If the business is located downstream from a river which is dammed up then there is always the potential for such an event to impact the business. A similar event would be an earthquake, which are frequent in some parts of the country. In either case the loss of business property including business records can be devastating.
A fourth event is an explosion caused by say natural gas. The effect is the same as the business, building and its contents, are severely damaged or destroyed. Although this event is not as common as the other 3 events discussed above, it does happen and again the impact to the business is the same.
The fifth event is the loss of your business data. The primary cause of this event is the failure of business management to put in place a system or process to backup data both on-site as well as off-site. Data loss can happen at any moment and it is a lot more frequent than the other events discussed above. It can be caused by a simple computer server failure or by one of the other events discussed above. The end result however is the same, the data is gone and thus the business has to try to operate without accounting, customer or employee records. It has been estimated that over 50% of small businesses do not survive a loss of their critical business data.
The good news is that there is a simple solution for all of these types of disasters and that is insurance. Insurance can be purchased to cover the loss of buildings, business property and loss of profits. It can also be purchased to protect the business from loss of data. Here I am not talking about insurance to recover the data, which is available, but the purchase and implementation of a backup disaster plan to protect your data.
A good backup disaster plan that is implemented correctly not only can protect your business data, but it can have your business back up and running in no time at all. It has been estimated that new recovery technologies can reduce unplanned downtime by 85%. The reduction of downtime, regardless of cause, is one of the overlooked areas in disaster planning. The loss of a server during business hours may not qualify as a disaster in some manager’s mind. However, when the business cannot access its needed business data I would suggest that costs money and would indeed qualify as a disaster.
Ever business, regardless of size, needs to develop a disaster recovery plan. It should include both onsite and offsite backup of important data. This is the type of insurance that can make the difference between being in business tomorrow if disaster strikes and simply being another failure statistic.
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Fri, Jul 29, 2011 @ 03:09 PM
Now, more than ever is the time to prepare your business for storms and even worse, hurricanes! With tropical storm Don approaching our coast any hour now, WesTec Services encourages small business owners to have a backup data plan in place to ensure the recovery of your business data and information systems. This is so important and many small business owners overlook the risk they take when they do not have their data backed up.
We have created a short video to better explain the differnet types of BDR services that are available to you and we can give you a free assessment. Call us today! (713) 682-4000.
WesTec stands behind the BDR services with a full 100% money back guarantee.
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 @ 10:17 AM
Don't let a disaster put you out of business.
WesTec Services customized BDR for your business needs. So call now to "bullet proof" your mission-critical data files!
Don't become a statistic! Call now for your FREE in-depth analysis of your disaster preparedness today! See the below 2-minute fun and informational video on Guardian Backup Data Recovery!
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Fri, Jun 17, 2011 @ 01:28 PM
WesTec Services has created a short video to explain more on our Guardian BDR services. I highly encourage business owners and IT managers to check it out and prepare.
WesTec Services Guarnatee on Guardian BDR:
"If you experience a hardware failure with your server and we don't recover 100% of your data, then we will refund 100% of the money you spent on your Guardian BDR plan!
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Fri, Jun 10, 2011 @ 12:20 PM
Four Ways to Protect Customer Data:
The massive data breach at Epsilon has everyone thinking about ways to secure customer data. According to Kevin Skurski, security begins with knowing just how much information you have. "Customers' contact lists often contain much more than email addresses," he writes at the Bronto blog. "Be aware of what data you are storing on whatever email marketing platform you are using—in particular, avoid including very sensitive pieces of data like credit card numbers and Social Security numbers for your contacts."
Skurski offers more advice—like this:
Be vigilant about passwords. "Most intrusions happen through the front door versus technical back doors," he notes. "Your password is often the front door key so it is best to have a strong password and change it periodically." You can also set expiration dates on passwords, and enforce password histories so users can't toggle between the same few open sesames.
Be strict about employee access. Don't give anyone permissions unrelated to their role. "When someone no longer needs access, delete [that] user," he advises. "Shared user accounts and passwords are inherently insecure and a cause for break-ins."
Be just as strict about remote access. Make your company's IP the sole IP allowed to reach sensitive information. "Will this be inconvenient when you try to sign into your account from home or on the road?" he says. "Yes, but a secure office would have a VPN to let you securely access the Internet through your work network."
Be hyper-aware of phishing attempts. As phishers become more savvy, their emails look more credible. Check URLs closely, and go to a company's website to look for downloads if you're even slightly suspicious.
The Po!nt: Run a tight ship. Don't compromise your customer data by treating it casually; with the right safeguards, you can avoid an Epsilon-style disaster.
Source: Bronto.
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
Posted by Richard Schissler on Mon, Jun 06, 2011 @ 09:29 AM
from Chapter 14, Microsoft Windows 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant by William R. Stanek.
Because data is the heart of the enterprise, it's crucial for you to protect it. And to protect your organization's data, you need to implement a data backup and recovery plan. Backing up files can protect against accidental loss of user data, database corruption, hardware failures, and even natural disasters. It's your job as an administrator to make sure that backups are performed and that backup tapes are stored in a secure location.
Creating a Backup and Recovery Plan
Data backup is an insurance plan. Important files are accidentally deleted all the time. Mission-critical data can become corrupt. Natural disasters can leave your office in ruin. With a solid backup and recovery plan, you can recover from any of these. Without one, you're left with nothing to fall back on.
Figuring Out a Backup Plan
It takes time to create and implement a backup and recovery plan. You'll need to figure out what data needs to be backed up, how often the data should be backed up, and more. To help you create a plan, consider the following:
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How important is the data on your systems? The importance of data can go a long way in helping you determine if you need to back it up—as well as when and how it should be backed up. For critical data, such as a database, you'll want to have redundant backup sets that extend back for several backup periods. For less important data, such as daily user files, you won't need such an elaborate backup plan, but you'll need to back up the data regularly and ensure that the data can be recovered easily.
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What type of information does the data contain? Data that doesn't seem important to you may be very important to someone else. Thus, the type of information the data contains can help you determine if you need to back up the data—as well as when and how the data should be backed up.
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How often does the data change? The frequency of change can affect your decision on how often the data should be backed up. For example, data that changes daily should be backed up daily.
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How quickly do you need to recover the data? Time is an important factor in creating a backup plan. For critical systems, you may need to get back online swiftly. To do this, you may need to alter your backup plan.
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Do you have the equipment to perform backups? You must have backup hardware to perform backups. To perform timely backups, you may need several backup devices and several sets of backup media. Backup hardware includes tape drives, optical drives, and removable disk drives. Generally, tape drives are less expensive but slower than other types of drives.
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Who will be responsible for the backup and recovery plan? Ideally, someone should be a primary contact for the organization's backup and recovery plan. This person may also be responsible for performing the actual backup and recovery of data.
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What is the best time to schedule backups? Scheduling backups when system use is as low as possible will speed the backup process. However, you can't always schedule backups for off-peak hours. So you'll need to carefully plan when key system data is backed up.
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Do you need to store backups off-site? Storing copies of backup tapes off-site is essential to recovering your systems
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in the case of a natural disaster. In your off-site storage location, you should also include copies of the software you may need to install to reestablish operational systems.
WesTec Services, A Houston IT provider that offers a wide range of services including: Network Installation/Service, Telephone Systems/Service, Video Surveillance/Access Control and Office Equipment
CALL TODAY at (713) 682-4000
