Let’s face it, technology is truly the lifeblood of 21st-century business. It is interwoven with everything we do in business. Although this relationship is constantly evolving, it is of vital importance that we keep up with any new cyberthreats and ensure that mission-critical data is secure. Making even one slight mistake can prove devastating to any business. We don’t have to look far to see this harsh reality. Since the start of this year, several ransomware attacks with major global impacts have occurred. However, ransomware is just one threat to digital data. Though there is still much confusion around cloud computing, cloud applications and storage are the best way to keep precious business data safe, securing easily exploitable computers.
Are you really at risk? Consider the case of an On Center Software client who was affected by a ransomware attack. This client saw firsthand how devastating this can be for a business. Not only were the majority of their servers and laptops completely unrecoverable, but their backups had been encrypted during the attack. It was a grim situation as they found themselves stuck and unable to operate their business. Recovering their data was starting to look difficult, if not completely impossible. They had two options—pay the extremely expensive ransom or kiss their valuable data goodbye. It’s important to point out that this client is a large corporation. They have a fully staffed IT department with a large infrastructure budget at their disposal. If it can happen to them, it can happen to anyone!
One False Click & It’s Game Over
Ransomware aside, there are many other scenarios that could put data in grave danger. For example, imagine going out to dinner after work and having someone steal your laptop from your car. Or what about losing all of your computer and data in an office fire? These are real possibilities that have happened on more than one occasion. In these situations, insurance is not enough to provide peace of mind because ultimately the data is lost. One false click, one oversight, one mistake of any kind, and it's game over.
Once a business accepts that these situations can happen to anyone, they can begin to explore how the cloud can limit this huge risk. For example, your can be stored in a variety of cloud services. No matter what—if your house burns down, if your laptop is stolen or damaged, or if you become a ransomware victim—you can get your machine back up and running in a couple hours. If you lose your machine, you can simply go out and buy another one. If you have a virus or ransomware, you can simply re-install your operating system. That’s the extent of the inconvenience. Once you have a new machine or operating system, you can just install a few pieces of software and you’re back to normal. At the end of the day, the actual laptop is worthless—completely disposable. Your data is separate from your physical machine, which is the best protection available.
Get Up & Running Again in Hours
At On Center Software, clients are transitioning from on-premise solutions to On Center’s Oasis cloud platform. On Center’s on-premise solutions use database files or servers that need to be maintained and protected by its clients. Ultimately, it is up to those clients to worry about their data’s security, availability, and integrity. However, with the Oasis cloud platform, all of On Center’s client data is stored and protected by its highly specialized team of technology professionals. In turn, they are backed by an industry titan—Google. The combination of On Center’s expertise and Google’s cutting-edge cloud technology means the lifeblood of On Center’s clients’ business is in very capable hands. The probability of their data being compromised within its cloud infrastructure is virtually zero. If a client has a virus, or their laptop is destroyed, all they need to do is access On Center’s cloud from a new machine with their secure credentials and they are back in business. The client who suffered the ransomware attack mentioned above was fortunate they were using On Center’s cloud platform. They were happy to learn that their data was in our possession and safe and sound. In this case, their estimators were back up and running in just hours. Not only was their data safe, but it was kept secure with zero effort on their part.
It Can Happen to Anyone
In this example, they literally planned for the worst and it paid off. It’s important to understand that these things can happen to any of us—no one is immune. With recent events, it is time for everyone to create a robust strategy to keep their data safe. If your business does not, you are setting yourself up for a catastrophic event. Why not make your hardware completely useless and enlist a cloud service provider like On Center Software as a partner in securing your data? On Center Software has a proven track record of excellence and the technical expertise to guarantee your data’s safety. No doubt, the landscape is too treacherous and the stakes are too high to ignore these issues. In this constantly changing world of technology, it only takes one mistake to bring an entire business crashing down.
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