Tag Archive for: IT London

The Cloud is fantastic.

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There are literally thousands of different aspects and operators of Cloud-based services to select from; providing you with a safe, flexible and responsive working environment to truly work from anywhere.

Wherever we choose to operate, we’ll have issues with our data security, privacy and backup. You could have the most complex of Cloud infrastructures and still be vulnerable to tomorrow’s cyber-attack.

Therefore, we will always need complete backup, irrespective of the type of IT we use.

 

But you shouldn’t use it as a backup.

As we’ve already agreed, the Cloud is an IT concept that provides great freedom for the modern-day workplace. Nevertheless, many mistakenly assume that by working from the Cloud and by no longer having their data sat on a local physical disk or server, their data is safeguarded and backed-up as normal. This sadly isn’t the case.

It is a common misunderstanding that taking the single copy of your file data from that old office server and stockpiling that copy within OneDrive or Google Drive will alleviate all your backup woes.

The use of current Cloud services, such as Microsoft’s Office 365 or Google’s Apps environment, provide only a single storage location for your data and do not back up your files as basic.

 

What about a physical or local copy?

We’re not saying step back in time and change your operating methods to old fashioned ones through anxiety of having numerous copies of your data.

In fact, by manually replicating files and storing copies in multiple locations will only create a mess of a backup configuration & run without any computerized schedule.

From a backup viewpoint, working from the Cloud as a single location for your file data should be deemed with the same consideration of having a file server in the office still. In-line with the best practice of the ‘3-2-1 rule’, it’s critical to run a skilled backup service to replicate that data to at least one (if not two!) alternate independent location/s.

 

What should we use then?

There are trustworthy services available that incorporate directly into Cloud platforms, such as Office 365 and GoogleApps, and routinely back up all your file data (and even things like emails) to an alternate encrypted Cloud-based storage location.

Your team benefit from the capability to continue to work as they always have, with peace of mind that should they suffer a loss, corruption or failure of the company’s chosen Cloud service, that file data can be restored immediately.

 

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

The 3-2-1 backup rule; don’t underestimate its simplicity.

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Here’s the problem…

Backing up your critical data isn’t something you should ignore; you need to guarantee that your key information will endure any unpredictable situation.

Too many businesses & individuals have deteriorated from data loss after a system failure, file corruption, unintentional deletion, or even by environmental disaster! Although most common of all will be lost through you becoming a casualty to a random cyber-attack.

You may well make a duplicate of your files and save them to an external disk or dump a copy in the Cloud, but is that a thorough enough backup to protect your business from total loss?

 

Here’s how it works.

The 3-2-1 Backup rule; a thorough procedure to cover nearly all possibilities of data loss and requirement for recovery.

An easy-to-remember configuration for keeping all your personal details and company data protected & recoverable should the worst take place.

ALWAYS keep at least THREE versions of your up-to-date data.

You can’t foresee data loss, or worse, a cyber-attack. Having at least three separate backup copies of your data improves to best alleviate the risk of loss. One copy being your original file data (on your server/s or cloud storage), with an additional two duplicate copies being stored in alternate locations as your backup sources.

Store TWO backup copies on distinctive devices or storage media.

Nothing lasts forever, (asides plastic). We must all remember that storage methods will suffer a failure at some point in their life, or if they are linked to your network at the point of a cyber-attack striking, they may well become contaminated and suffer loss too.

Therefore, to boost peace of mind, you should always have several copies on unique devices, and they shouldn’t be the same product, with slight odds of corrupting at the same time.

Hold at least ONE backup copy offsite.

A plain, yet very crucial rule. If you follow the first two rules, you’re on the right track, but if you don’t have an offsite backup, you’re not completely protected.

You’ve undoubtedly speculated why, if your external hard drives, disks or cloud storage are all tied to your system, whilst it corrupts or gets attacked, it’s all infected & your multiple points of revival are lost in one fell swoop.

Whereas if you’ve got a copy offsite, you will still have a recovery point to restore your essential systems and retrieve all your data should all else fail.

 

Why follow the 3-2-1 rule?

Given the upsurge in Cyber-attacks, with Ransomware striking businesses left, right and centre, I can’t see any reason you wouldn’t want to back up your data.

With people often miscalculating the likelihood of having a natural disaster, suffering from accidental deletion or corruption, or even the victim of a hacker. The stakes have never been so high, with your business on the line, backup is necessary to protect livelihoods.

When applying the 3-2-1 rule, don’t forget to use a vigorous trusted solution, which is where we come in.

 

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

Keep business knowledge available with Cloud Archiving

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There’s truly nothing worse than losing data, particularly important data. Whether it’s via external or internal problems.

Protecting your information is a key focus for every and any business, with long term solutions available for businesses of any size; you shouldn’t disregard them.

Cloud archiving has been around for a while, but that doesn’t make it any less vital to securing your data. With Hackers out there trying to capture your details, they’ll be the ones laughing when your business operations come to a halt.

Whether it’s for achieving business goals or meeting legal obligations, long-term data retention is often a necessity. Whether it’s information you rarely need or data that are often used.

With the risk of exposure to businesses skyrocketing, it’s time you look into reducing exposure through immutable archives, robust e-discovery & supervisory features and compliance-driven chains of custody.

Compliance is a major component, with the rules often changing, it’s time for superior security. New records retention requirements, stringent privacy laws and burdensome e-discovery are met with the increasing need for greater security and employee productivity.

It’s time you protect yourself.

 

So, what’s the deal with Cloud archiving?

We recommend Mimecast as your go-to platform for all things email security, continuity and archiving too.

By aggregating data across multiple platforms, organisations gain long-term business insights and create a secure, digital corporate memory while at the same time reducing costs and risks for legal and compliance teams.

IT teams can reduce administrative overhead with streamlined management and simplified data recovery. Anytime, anywhere access to archive data improves employee productivity and workflow efficiency.

 

Why you should use Mimecast Cloud Archive.

Rest assured that their data is always-available, always-replicated and always-safe, giving you the following and more:

  • Improved efficiency & reliability of file/email systems

Inactive data from file and email systems are moved to offsite storage – improving performance and freeing up primary storage capacity for further growth.

  • Faster Data backup & recovery

Reduce backup windows and improve restore times.

  • Simplified management & increased productivity

Automate specified retention policies and schedules for email data, allowing IT teams to focus on core tasks.

  • Lower, more predictable costs

Pay only for what you use on a fixed, utility model while reducing spend on in-house storage and administration.

 

Get Cloud Archives.

The reasoning to upgrade and protect your business data couldn’t be any clearer. With cyber threats always on the rise, with not only phishing as mentioned, but ransomware and many other threats.

Thankfully, Mimecast Cloud Archive covers all the areas of data protection that you’ll need.

Move to the cloud with a single, secure archive for email, files and other content. Helping to keep company knowledge available, protecting and preserving it while simplifying management and administration.

 

Want to get the best solution for your business?

At Cloudscape, we take a holistic approach to technology – offering a solution, competitive pricing and expert consultancy on each nut & bolt of your tech infrastructure.

If you have any concerns, questions or simply want to explore how to better secure your business, please do get in touch with the team for a FREE demonstration of Mimecast or to further discuss your Cyber Security picture.

To book a consultation or to arrange a further discussion, please get in touch.

Uninterrupted access with Mailbox Continuity

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There’s truly nothing worse than system downtime. Whether it’s via external or internal problems.

Productivity and efficiency are a key focus for every and any business, with long term solutions available for businesses of any size; you shouldn’t disregard them.

Email continuity management has been around for a while, but that doesn’t make it any less vital to securing your business operations. With Hackers out there trying to take you down, they’ll be the ones laughing when your business comes to a standstill.

With the risk of threat to businesses on the upsurge, it’s time you look into preventing any unwanted downtime. As a country, we rely and depend heavily on online communications and services; especially email.

System interruption to a business can cause a multitude of issues. No email causes lost productivity, you don’t want your workers losing focus. Decreased productivity will result in lost opportunities, the longer your system is down, the less likely targets are being met. If targets aren’t achieved, this downtime is now costing your business thousands by the minute.

Having a solid IT infrastructure matters more than ever. It’s time you protect yourself from potential problems, enabling safe, continued use of email.

 

So, what’s the deal with Email Continuity Management, is it any good?

Yes, of course, it’s brilliant. One solution that’s often overlooked is Mailbox Continuity and it’s about time that you took a look into your Email Continuity Management.
The last thing your business needs is 3 hours in the dark, with no servers and no means of communicating to the outside world.

This is where Mimecast steps in.

Mimecast protects against planned and unplanned email server outages without the cost and complexity of alternatives.

In the event of a sudden email outage or planned downtime, Mimecast provides uninterrupted access to live and historic email and attachments from the Mimecast Cloud using everyday tools like Outlook for Windows. Employees get guaranteed access to email from anywhere, on any device. Administrators can monitor email flow, receive alerts and manage a continuity event all from Mimecast.

 

Why you should use Email Continuity Management

Keeping your business connected during outages, giving you the following and more:

  • Uninterrupted access

Uninterrupted access to email via Mimecast’s Outlook plug-in, mobile app and web portals until primary email system come back online.

  • Instant failover

Instant failover and failback reduce RPO (Recovery Point Objective) & RTO (Recovery Time Objective) for email to near zero.

  • SMS notifications

SMS notifications allow real-time incident assessment, instant continuity portal activation and instructions to users on how to access continuity services.

  • Automatic synchronisation

Automatic synchronization of mailboxes after an event lowers confusion without straining IT.

 

Get email continuity

The reasoning to upgrade and protect your business from downtime couldn’t be any clearer. Cybersecurity is always on the rise, along with a variety of other possibilities that could cause your business a lot of heartaches, that can easily be avoided.

Thankfully, Mimecast mailbox continuity covers all the areas of email downtime that you’ll need.

Delivered 100% from the cloud, Mimecast Mailbox Continuity is ready when your organisation needs it most.

 

Want to get the best solution for your business?

At Cloudscape, we take a holistic approach to technology – offering a solution, competitive pricing and expert consultancy on each nut & bolt of your tech infrastructure.

If you have any concerns, questions or simply want to explore how to better secure your business, please do get in touch with the team for a FREE demonstration of Mimecast or to further discuss your Cyber Security picture.

To book a consultation or to arrange a further discussion, please get in touch.

Mimecast; Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection

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It’s nearly 2020, it’s time you took cybersecurity seriously; particularly your email security.

Every company is under threat. Whether you’re small or large, Cyber-criminals are out phishing and unfortunately, you’re the main target.

Now you’ve probably heard of the term phishing, but do you know how much damage it can cause, without you or anyone else being aware of what’s going on?

Probably not.

As you would’ve guessed, the term ‘phishing’ is wordplay from the more commonly known ‘sport’, fishing. But instead of fish being caught out by simple bait, it’s you.

Often find a lot of junk mail in your inbox?

On the most part, it’s harmless, just your usual spam from retail stores, trying to lure you in to spend all your hard-earned money. Although you’d be better off spending it there than giving it away to a cyber-criminal.

Get rid of all the rubbish and you’ll be left with some emails you’ll struggle to delete, either down to who it’s from or how accurate the subject is.

This is where you’ll either continue on with your journey or take a dark turn into the unknown.

Phishing is carried out through email, masking as someone else and tricking you into entering your personal details into their malicious website. Others will then either run scripts to take control of your computer (without you even knowing) or download & install malicious software.

 

So, what’s the deal with Email Security, is it any good?

Yes. With email being the most important communication platform for a business, it is the application most susceptible to attack. With approximately 60% of inbound email categorised as spam or containing commodity malware nowadays, its vital you up your game.

To put a barricade up will stop you from ever receiving any emails ever again! Therefore, it’s vital that you smartly manage & filter your email to protect your valuable data at all costs.

This is where Mimecast steps in.

Working in the background, analysing your emails continually and creating a secure email gateway.

 

Why you should use Mimecast Email Security

Targeted Threat Protection will aid you with all your emails, giving you the following and more:

  • URL Protect

The use of malicious URLs in email targeted spear-phishing attacks is now standard for Cyber-criminals. Combined with sophisticated, well-researched content, getting employees to click on links is disgustingly easy for attackers.

  • Attachment Protect

With evolving methods of attack, intelligent attackers are always changing the way they lure you in. Malicious documents are a commonly known strategy to infect your system, with attachment protect, they won’t even make it to your inbox.

  • Impersonation Protect

Impersonating your boss, or even your accountant. Building layers of trust and lowering your guard, all in order to persuade a fraudulent wire transfer of all your income. Impersonation Protect specifically protects against these types of sender spoofing and socially engineered attacks.

 

Get email secure.

The reasoning to upgrade and protect your business couldn’t be any clearer. Cybersecurity is always on the rise, with not only phishing as mentioned, but ransomware and many other threats.

Thankfully, Mimecast Targeted Threat Protection covers all the areas of email that you’ll need.

It uses multiple, sophisticated detection engines and a diverse set of threat intelligence sources to protect your business.

 

Want to get the best solution for your business?

 

At Cloudscape, we take a holistic approach to technology – offering a solution, competitive pricing and expert consultancy on each nut & bolt of your tech infrastructure.

If you have any concerns, questions or simply want to explore how to better secure your business, please do get in touch with the team for a FREE demonstration of Mimecast or to further discuss your Cyber Security picture.

To book a consultation or to arrange a further discussion, please get in touch.

Attacks on WordPress are common, learn how to deal with them.

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As internet implementation is on a swift rise, cybercrime is at an all-time high. According to a report, Google blacklists around 10,000+ websites every day for malware, and more than 50,000 for phishing every week!

As a matter of fact, WordPress operates 34% of all websites worldwide, and this is the reason perhaps why it is always a predominant target for hackers and other cybercriminals.

Why do you ask?

Let us explain.

All a hacker needs to do is find a weakness, and this could serve as a gateway to access thousands of websites using the same loophole.

But it should not happen to you.

Here, in this article, we will talk about the universal WordPress attacks and will explore the solutions that will keep your website safeguarded.

Most Common WordPress Attacks

1.    Plugin exposures

Plugins enhance the functionalities of a WordPress website on the go, and this is the reason why no web creator thinks twice before installing them on their website. This is where things tend to go wrong.

Getting attacked through plugins is ordinary. There is an infinite number of plugins available online by an array of developers. It is difficult to gauge the concealed intentions of each of these plugins. This is how they make your website prone to attacks.

Solution

We appreciate that avoiding plugins altogether is not an option, but we will extremely recommend you install as few as possible. Further, if a plugin is not active, it is better to uninstall it. Also, do not forget to update your plugins from time to time to rule out any possible loopholes.

2.    Brute Force

These attacks are usually initiated by bots who try to access your website through guesswork. They will try as many username and password patterns to log in to your website until they find the right one.

Solution

Quite unsurprisingly, choose your usernames and passwords carefully. Avoid going with common ones like – pas55word, a combination of your name and birth year and so on. These are simple to guess, and by keeping such passwords, you are only favouring the hackers.

Additionally, you should also contemplate activating two-factor authentication to avoid any unforeseen events.

3.    WordPress and Theme Susceptibilities

As we already discussed, all that a hacker needs are one single hiccup in the WordPress and theme and they will exploit it to enter into your website.

Solution

Both the WordPress platform and WordPress themes roll out their updated versions from time to time. You guess it right – all you need to do is make the most out of these updates by updating your WordPress core and themes daily.

4.    Hosting Vulnerabilities

Your web hosting is another critical factor that determines the security of your website. Your web hosting might make you exposed or the software that they use might not be secure enough.

Solution

It is very recommended to go with a secure and reputed web hosting solutions provider company. Check out their reviews, and performance before making a final judgment.

The Next Steps

Securing your website is not overly complicated. Simply, keep doing the right things, and close all the backdoors. As the best practice, we will suggest you take backup of your website periodically to control the damage, just in case!

Want to get the best solution for your business?

At Cloudscape, we take a security-first approach to technology – ensuring our client’s systems are best protected.

If you have any concerns, questions or simply want to explore how to better secure your business, please do get in touch with the team for a FREE demonstration, consultation to explore how exposed your business might be and identify actions to take.

To book a consultation or to arrange a further discussion, please get in touch.

Give us a call about your IT projects – current or future 0207 952 8123

Your firewall is more important than you may think.

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Ransomware is more prominent now than ever before. With devastating attacks continuing to control governments, educational organisations and business operations in multiple states, countries & Continents, with Texas recently under fire from a single Hacker, who took control of more than 23 organisations by himself.

Capital One was also in the news not too long ago, having been torn apart for its data.

Accurate strikes can start in several unprecedented methods – some with a basic phishing email, others with hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in networks in order to jump onto other systems within the network.

One of the most devastating ransomware attacks to happen in years, ensuing a worldwide disturbance, was when Capital One’s networks were manipulated and weaknesses were blown wide open to the public.

Since the assault, new susceptibilities have been detected, but there are still various systems out there that are highly susceptive to cyber-attacks.

Unfortunately, many of these poorly written networks are heaped with problems that are easily ‘wormable’, which otherwise means hackers & malicious software can exploit these gaps in an automated method with no user contact at all, enabling the malware to spread proficiently to a wide group of systems. In other words, taking over your entire infrastructure in moments.

Implementing an industry-leading protection product and managing a strict patch management strategy are the most advantageous practices. But there are also other good quality arrangements you should consider helping keep ransomware, hackers & threats out of your network to begin with.

Your firewall provides crucial security against exploits by sealing or guarding vulnerable ports, as well as preventing strikes using an Intrusion Prevention System. IPS looks at network traffic for opportunities, exploits, and stops any attempt for attackers to get through your network border or even cross borders & segments within your internal network.

Here are the firewall essentials to avoid ransomware attacks from accessing your Business network:

  • Decrease the surface area of attack: Examine and re-examine all port-forwarding rules to reduce any non-essential open ports. Where possible use VPN to access resources on the internal network from outside rather than port-forwarding.
  • Launch IPS protection: Apply proper IPS protection to the rules governing traffic to/from any Windows hosts on your network.
  • Decrease the threat of lateral movement: Safeguard against threats moving laterally on your network and consider segmenting your LANs into smaller sub-nets, assigning those to separate zones that are secured by the firewall. Apply suitable IPS policies to rules governing the traffic traversing these zones to prevent worms and bots from spreading between LAN segments.

Want to get the best solution for your business?

At Cloudscape, we take a security-first approach to technology – ensuring our client’s systems are best protected.

If you have any concerns, questions or simply want to explore how to better secure your business, please do get in touch with the team for a FREE demonstration, consultation to explore how exposed your business might be and identify actions to take.

To book a consultation or to arrange a further discussion, please get in touch.

Give us a call about your IT projects – current or future 0207 952 8123

Avoiding the world of online identity theft

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In the modern age, a large part of us lives online – in the form of data! Whether it’s within social media, eCommerce websites or educational pages – you’ll agree with us that crucial information related to ourselves resides online.

This provides an ideal opportunity for the cybercriminals who want to steal your identity to impersonate you to launder money, make purchases and accomplish other malicious intentions.

According to an estimate, identity theft causes $50-billion worth of financial loss every year. For some people, identity theft can cause mere inconvenience that could be fixed with certain measures. For other parties, it can cause serious damage to their financials and reputation.

 

How do they steal your identity you ask?

In the past, identity theft happened when a criminal stole your post, bank receipts, wallets with credit cards, etc. In the digitally connected world, this can happen in any of the following ways:

  • Through phishing websites
  • Malware that gets installed on computers or smartphones
  • Transacting via ATM which has been rigged to skim information
  • Sharing passwords with untrustworthy people
  • Fake social profile
  • Remote access
  • By use of pharming websites

Though it is important to stay vigilant, you can protect your identity by being cautious and following certain steps.

 

Protecting yourself from identity theft?

Rather than facing issues, it is advisable to take some precautionary measures. Here is how you can protect yourself from such an ordeal.

  1. Antivirus and anti-malware software

Keep your computer and smartphones armed with the latest antivirus and anti-malware software. Good software helps you in battling most malware, spyware, and keyloggers.

  1. Be vigilant when using ATMs

While using an ATM, make sure you hide your PIN to avoid being detected by a hidden camera.

  1. Passwords

Always keep different passwords for different websites and social media platforms. Make sure your passwords are strong enough to be undecipherable. To help you remember all the passwords, use the online services of Google to store them.

  1. Watch out for spam or junk mail

Keep an eye for emails that pop-up in your inbox, appearing to be from a credible website or source that ask you to download something. Double-check with the source mentioned to ensure their credibility

  1. Be careful on Social Media

The best way to prevent someone from stealing your information is by limiting their access to it. Limit your disbursement of information.

Follow these easy steps to keep a check on your data and information. Keep an eye on new information, and become aware of new ways to protect yourself digitally.

 

Want to get the best of cybersecurity for your business?

At Cloudscape, we specialise in learning our clients’ business and best-applying security technology to their needs.

If you would appreciate a free brief discussion about your operational challenges & to explore the threats to your business, please get in touch today.

Give us a call about your IT projects – current or future 0207 952 8123

IT Project Management in the Digital Age

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We live in a digital age where good IT structures are crucial for organizations who want to remain productive and keep one step ahead of the competition. Even the smallest margin of quality in terms of your IT capabilities can make a huge difference, so concentrating your resources and efforts on enhancing your IT outlook should be a priority. After all, with the rapid evolution of technology, the potential that’s available could make a significant difference to the way your business operates. And, with IT project management, this can easily be achieved.

What Is IT Project Management?

Every aspect of your business needs to be driven by a plan and IT is no different. However, the intricacies and technical specifications of IT require specialist knowledge to understand the product. With an IT project management team in place, you can be guaranteed peace of mind that this knowledge will be applied correctly. Additionally, the experience the team brings will allow them to counter any problems caused by the speed of technology or even just the sheer size of the project.

Where Should IT Project Management Be Applied?

There are key areas of IT where you need to focus the energies and attentions of your project management team to deliver world class IT services in your business. The most important topics to concentrate on are:

  • Cloud Systems and Virtualization: The way in which we work has changed rapidly over the last decade and remote computing has emerged as the way forwards. Thanks to advancements in technology, cloud networks and virtual servers now offer sophisticated methods to suit the needs of any employee in any organization. Enhancing and simplifying the availability of system resources – such as a remote worker being able to access system files and apps – should be one of the priorities of IT project management.
  • Hardware and Network Upgrades: Keeping up to date with advances in technology gives you the opportunity to provide an unparalleled service to your customers and, just as importantly, help you keep one step ahead of your competition. A good IT project management team will help you to achieve this by keeping up to date with changes in hardware and network technology and identifying which ones will deliver a significant upgrade to your IT systems.
  • Implementing IT Services: The complexities of IT and its associated technology mean that mastering this aspect of business can be a tough ask. And, when it comes to implementing new IT services, it’s even tougher due to the number of variables at play. Time and budget, naturally, are the biggest concerns, but if you have experience on your side then you can rest assured that your project should proceed with the minimum of fuss. A good project management team, therefore, is crucial to see each and every project through efficiently.

Time to Install an IT Project Management Team?

Implementing a carefully picked management team, who can take your IT projects to the next level, will bring a level of experience and expertise that helps you remain competitive and customer focused. And, if you start now, you can begin to reap the benefits almost immediately.

Give us a call about your IT projects – current or future 0207 952 8123