Business Security Archives - Page 2 of 5

10 Reasons Why Businesses Need a Digital Estate Plan

JC Collier on August 30, 2023

In the last two weeks, we have talked about digital estate plans and why it is crucial for businesses today to have one. Since most business data is now stored digitally, it makes sense to protect these digital assets in the event the business owner passes away.

If you still don’t have one and are still on the fence about whether creating one is worth your time and effort, we have listed 10 excellent reasons to encourage you to get started soon.

1. Protection of Digital Assets with a Digital Estate Plan

This step is the primary purpose of planning—it ensures that your business and all its digital assets are adequately protected after the owner dies, especially if they are the only ones with access to the business accounts and other online information. Instead of being lost in cyberspace, they will pass the digital assets on to the owner’s chosen successor.

2. Business Continuity with a Digital Estate Plan

The death of the owner doesn’t mean the end of the business. With a well-prepared digital estate plan, you can show your long-term goals for your business and assign individuals to carry on these goals. Hence, your business can continue to prosper years after you are gone.

3. Better Control of the Business

Sometimes a business may carry on after the owner’s passage, but in a direction that differs from what the owner had originally intended. You can prevent this so your business follows your intended path by specifying how you want your digital assets managed in the digital estate plan.

4. Legal Compliance

The law requires businesses to follow specific regulations regarding data protection and privacy. Compliance with these legal requirements is one of the high-priority items in a digital estate planning checklist. When creating your plan, check for local regulations that might apply to your business.

5. Intellectual Property Protection

Most businesses own several digital assets that are intellectual property. These include company logos, brand names, trademarks, and patents. Digital estate planning ensures the protection of all these intellectual properties by enabling the business owner to decide on the manner of their eventual management or distribution.

6. Identity Theft Prevention through Digital Estate Plan

When a business owner dies, the company’s digital assets might become susceptible to data breaches or identity theft unless there is a proper delegation of management roles, which a digital estate plan can help ensure.

7. Dispute Prevention

Just like in a regular will, those left out sometimes fight over the inheritance. The same can happen in a business when the owner passes. As a business owner, you can prevent these kinds of disputes by creating a digital estate plan that shows the roles you want your business partners, stakeholders, and family members to play in the business after you have gone.

8. Tax Liability Reduction

Turning over the ownership of a business can come with hefty taxes, but a plan can significantly help reduce these taxes.

9. Legacy Preservation

Even if you completely trust your successor to do well in your business, it is still something else to preserve your legacy after your death. A plan lets you specify the direction you want to go with your business and gives your successor a guide on managing the business how you would have wanted them to.

10. Smooth and Seamless Transition

With everything laid out in the plan, transferring ownership can go on without hiccups. There will be no wasting of time, money, and other resources. All that has to happen is the execution of the estate plan.

Create Your Digital Estate Plan with Our Help Today

There they are – 10 compelling reasons to prepare a digital estate plan for your business. If you are ready to take the next step, we are always here to assist in any way we can.

For more information, download our free Digital Estate Planning Checklist and Password Cheat Sheet right here. Contact us if you have questions! We will help you ensure that your business stays protected, now and after your passing.

Protecting Your Business in Case of Death

JC Collier on August 23, 2023

It would be a shame and an unfortunate waste if a business cannot continue operating after the owner’s death. Fortunately, we have ways to circumvent this, beginning with a highly efficient thing called digital estate planning. When protecting your business, this is an effective way to prepare before death.

There are a few scenarios where the business can continue past the owner’s death. For example, we have sole proprietorships and traditional partnerships, where the dissolution automatically happens when the owner dies. But for many other cases, digital estate planning plays a role in ensuring the business will continue running under new management in the coming years.

Why Protecting Your Business & Digital Estate Planning Is Important

The main reason digital estate planning is now a critical element for businesses is that most business transactions and operations are processed digitally. Correspondence, marketing, and sales all happen online. This means that the wealth of a typical business’s assets is now digital. That is why protecting your business digitally is now also crucial.

Now, if the owner dies, and he is the only one with access to these digital assets, the people left in the office will have a huge problem. How can the successors of the business continue running the business when they can’t even log into the accounts in the first place?

As the business owner, when protecting your business it is your job to create a digital estate plan so that in case anything happens to you, or even if you are just temporarily incapacitated or unable to run the business for whatever reason, the person who is going to take your place would have all the data to gain access and to run the business.

How to Create a Digital Estate Plan

It might sound difficult, but creating a digital estate plan is straightforward when protecting your business. It is like making a will but for the digital assets of your business. You will begin by taking an inventory of all your digital assets. Make a list and make sure that everything is included. Anything that is in digital form should be on the list and must be planned for accordingly. This includes documents, databases, images, videos, login information for accounts relevant to the business, and so on.

After completing your list, think carefully about what you want to happen to them. In your digital estate plan, name the person you wish to entrust with each asset. Explicitly state what you want them to do to it, how you want the assets managed, and so on. Each appointee should receive a copy of all the login names and passwords needed to fulfill their responsibility.

Importance of Password Management in Protecting Your Business

This brings us to the crucial aspect of password management in digital estate planning. Turning over a list of passwords to your would-be successor is not enough when protecting your business. You must guarantee these passwords are current. Giving them a list of defunct login information is as good as giving them nothing.

The easiest way to ensure this is to use a password manager: a software application that securely keeps all your login names, passwords, and other sensitive information. Each time you change a password, which should be periodically, update the records accordingly.

Be Ready with a Well-Organized Digital Estate Plan

Having a business, you can pass on to your loved ones is a huge accomplishment. But it is just as important that you should be able to pass it on with no hitches. That is why as early as now, you should already start protecting your business and prepare a digital estate plan that will enable your loved ones to take over just as you wanted, after your death.

To help you make some of these business decisions, we’ve created two helpful downloadable infographics: A Digital Estate Planning Checklist and a Password Cheat Sheet. Pass these two resources around the office so everyone is up to speed on these important topics.

Call us any time you are ready to take the next step!

A Step-by-Step Guide to an Effective Digital Estate Planning

JC Collier on August 16, 2023

In our previous blog, we began talking about the digital assets of a business—what they are, why they are vital to the business, and how to protect them. We have also mentioned how important it is to protect them even after you, the business owner, have passed away, through effective digital estate planning.

A digital estate plan will give authorized people access to business accounts, and all other restricted aspects of the business when you are no longer around or have become incapacitated. But how does one create an effective digital estate plan? It’s not something that you do every day. What are the things to include? How can you guarantee that the business you have worked so hard to build can go on properly? Here are the important steps that you need to take.

Take an Inventory of All Your Digital Assets

First, you need to create a list of all the digital assets of your business, which might encompass a wider range than you think. These are all the digital files that have value for your business, from photos and videos of your products to transaction records and everything in between. It also includes all accounts you maintain for your business. Taking inventory of your assets is an effective digital estate plan.

Decide How to Manage Your Digital Assets

For each item you have listed, you must specify how to proceed with it after you pass. Who will have access? What should be done with them? How do you want them managed? It is important to be clear and concise in leaving these instructions because they will be followed when you are no longer around to make clarifications.

In selecting your designated backup person, the one who will have control over the digital assets of your business when you cannot do so, pick one who is both capable and trustworthy. In addition, they should also be well-versed in the operations of your business.

Keep an Updated List of Passwords for an Effective Digital Estate Planning

Practically everything now is online and requires a login name and password. It is crucial to keep all of this login information in a place that is not only completely safe but also accessible to authorized entities when the time comes.

A great way to store your passwords as an effective digital estate plan is by using a password manager. Here, you can safely store any online credentials. It also conveniently allows any authorized entity to access the login information. With a password manager, you can also easily update the saved passwords whenever you change them.

Strengthen Your Digital Security

When a business owner passes away, there will be quite a few entities with a vested interest in the business. This people will try to get their hands on it. They might think that since the owner has died, no one would watch the gates, and getting in would be easier. This would not be true if you increased your data security as early as now.

Multi-factor authentication is one of the most popular methods people are using today as a login procedure. This is because it can add a robust layer of security to any account. Besides traditional passwords, you should also activate the use of one-time passcodes. This is to ensure that only authorized individuals will gain access to your digital assets.

Final Thoughts for an Effective Digital Estate Planning

Preparing in the event of death is no different with a company’s digital estate. To help you prepare for the inevitable, we have created a Digital Estate Planning Checklist and Password Cheat Sheet that you can download for free.

This guide contains a lot of useful information that you would need to organize a complete digital estate plan. This is one of many things you can do to protect your digital assets. If you have questions or need further assistance, our team is just a call away!

Protecting Your Business through Digital Estate Planning

JC Collier on August 9, 2023

Keeping your business protected is very important. But you should ask yourself if you have all areas covered. Security cameras and restricted entry areas are vital for protecting the physical location. To protect employees, implement all their necessary rights and privileges, and so on. All this is important, but one thing to prioritize as a business owner is protecting your digital assets through digital estate planning.

What Are Digital Assets?

Digital assets comprise everything in your business that is, well, digital. These include data, software, applications, and intellectual property. If you are like most businesses today, your daily operations rely heavily on these digital assets. It makes sense that you safeguard them to the best of your ability with digital estate planning.

Effective Strategies for Protecting Digital Assets Using Digital Estate Planning

Cybercriminals are now very creative in launching their attacks, so business owners must be extra vigilant and meticulous in protecting digital assets. Here are some of the most effective strategies for digital estate planning that you can use.

Strong Passwords

It is surprising how many businesses today still use passwords that are so easy to crack. Hackers might have advanced strategies for infiltrating your system, but you can make their job much more difficult by using unique, complex, and strong passwords. Also, be sure to change passwords periodically to minimize the risk of a data breach. This is common practice for digital estate planning.

Access Controls

One of the easiest but most effective ways to protect your digital assets is to restrict access to them. This step will drastically reduce the risk of data falling into the wrong hands, and should there be a leak, it will be easier to trace where it originated.

Digital Estate Planning – Data Encryption

No matter how confident you are in your data security measures, you should never underestimate the capabilities of cybercriminals. In case they steal your data, high-level encryption will protect it from being exposed or used for illicit purposes. That is why a part of digital estate planning is always encrypting your data.

Biometrics

Biometrics is now a popular alternative to conventional sign-in methods. Not only is this more convenient for the users, but it also offers more security. Using fingerprints or facial recognition ensures that no one other than the allowed individual can log in. Also, people would no longer need to remember passwords or write them down, which only adds to the vulnerability of the old method.

Backup and Recovery

If anything happens, you should have a reliable data backup and recovery plan, which is essential for protecting digital assets. You must save and store backups regularly in multiple secure and protected locations.

Employee Training

Your employees can be valuable in protecting digital assets, but ironically, they are also usually the weakest link. With regular employee training, however, you can turn them into a robust first line of defense and circumvent most security threats.

Security Software

There is a wide range of software created for protecting digital assets, firewalls, threat detection applications, antivirus software, and so on. If you are unsure of which software to get, you can always enlist the help of an MSP who will recommend the best security solutions to match your needs.

Importance of Digital Estate Planning

An element of protecting digital assets is that many companies do not even think of digital estate planning. It is simply preparing your digital assets. This is so that an authorized person gains access to everything in the event of your death.

This might sound morbid, but it does not differ from other forms of estate planning. It also makes it easier for your business partners, beneficiaries, or heirs to continue the business when you are gone. As this could still be a new concept for some business owners, we have prepared a Digital Estate Planning Checklist and Password Cheat Sheet, both of which you can download for free.

In this, we delve into the advantages of having a digital estate plan, how to go about it, and why password management is a very important part of it. Our team is also ready to help you create a comprehensive digital estate plan, which is crucial for protecting your digital assets, even long after you are gone.

Business Cloud Migration, The Best Move to Make Today

JC Collier on July 25, 2023

The past few years have been all about business cloud migration. As the needs of businesses continue to grow, it has become more tedious and expensive to keep up if you rely only on your on-site business resources. But thanks to cloud technology, you can outsource many business processes to cloud-based providers. This freedom means you can grow your business with less effort and expense!

Why Some Business Owners Are Reluctant to Migrate

The more courageous business owners have immediately leaped since the cloud was first introduced in 2019, while many others have gradually followed suit. But to this day, many businesses still stick with their on-premises resources for their operations. Why is this so? It’s because of fears about the cloud, many of which are unfounded.

The most common fear is that the business cloud migration might put security and privacy at risk. Many business owners think the cloud is a public domain where hackers roam freely. While there are cybercriminals everywhere, cloud providers have tight security measures to help keep you and your data protected.

Other business owners hesitate because they fear cloud services will be costly to maintain or too confusing to use. Again, these fears are speculative. Cloud solutions are much less expensive than investing in on-premises equipment and services. Most of it is very easy to navigate, particularly when you work with a reliable MSP.

What Businesses Can Gain from the Cloud

Once you get past your fears, you will see the wealth of opportunities you can gain from business cloud migration. For many who have already migrated, the number one advantage is scalability. Scaling your business up or down is so much easier with the cloud. Because of the flexibility of the cloud options, you won’t have to worry about having insufficient funds or resources.

There is also the matter of cutting back on significant spending. A cloud service provider will typically charge you for the services that you use. You won’t end up paying for a whole package, most of which you don’t even need, which is what often happens with conventional operations.

Also, there is perpetual access to the latest software, hardware, and infrastructure. When a new version comes out, you can ask your provider to upgrade you, and you don’t even have to pay extra fees. In addition, the cloud also gives you better data and network security, more efficiency for your business, and improved overall business performance.

How to Go About Business Cloud Migration

Cloud migration is moving all your company’s digital resources, applications, databases, and servers into the cloud. Yes, it can be a colossal operation, especially if you go for a full migration. But the good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. If you have a trusted MSP, you can sit back and let them complete the process for you. That is exactly what we can do for you.

Whether you want to go the whole nine yards and do a full cloud migration, or just partially, we will help you with the transition in a way that meets all your business needs.

To learn more about the cloud and find out more details on how it can benefit your business, download our FREE Infographic, “5 Fears and 5 Benefits of the Cloud.” Are you afraid of the Cloud, or are you open to cloud solutions and how to use them to grow your business?

Moving to the Cloud Promotes Business Growth

JC Collier on July 19, 2023

The number of companies moving to cloud operations is rising each year. This is not a surprise because cloud solutions are now a vital instrument for the growth and development of businesses in today’s digital world. If you have been looking for a way to scale your business and haven’t tried cloud technology, there is no better time to take the plunge than now.

How Moving to the Cloud Affects Business Growth

A multitude of businesses all over the world will attest that cloud computing has helped them grow. But how did it help? What areas of your business can benefit the most if you move your operations to the cloud? Here are the most notable positive changes that you might expect.

Scalability

This feature ranks as one of the best advantages of moving to the cloud, which people look forward to the most. Before the cloud, business expansions were almost always massive and tedious operations that required heavy investment in terms of infrastructure and hardware. But with the extensive selection of cloud resources available, growing your business has never been easier!

Should you need to downgrade for any reason, it is just as easy on the cloud. You can cancel your subscription to services you don’t need so that you can operate on a smaller scale without having to incur unnecessary losses.

Financial Savings

It is interesting how many people assume that cloud services are expensive when the opposite is true. The prices vary, as this depends on the provider. But they will only charge you for the services or resources that you use. How can you be more cost-efficient than that?

Also, moving to the cloud means you no longer need to purchase expensive on-site equipment, which can also be costly to maintain. So, businesses really can save an incredible amount by shifting their operations to the cloud.

Efficiency

A distinctive feature of cloud applications is that they are accessible from anywhere if you have the internet. So, employees don’t need to go to the office to work. They can just do their jobs from home or any other location. There is also the benefit of using automation tools, which you can set up to lessen the demand for and reliance on manual labor.

Security when Moving to the Cloud

Whether you are just starting or are well on your way to conquering your industry, there is no need to worry about security in cloud-based solutions. Impressive security features abound on the cloud, including high-tech encryption, advanced threat detection, and multi-factor authentication, which protect your data and ultimately speed up business growth.

Innovation

The cloud gives easy access to all the latest innovations in technology as soon as they come out, which is vital for growing your business. Everything, from the latest versions of applications and operating systems to the latest hardware releases in the market, will be right at your fingertips if you are on the cloud.

There you have it—the top reasons cloud technology is crucial to business growth. Through cloud computing, growing your business can be faster, simpler, more cost-efficient, and perfectly aligned with your organization’s goals.

If you would like more information, you can download this infographic of ours called “The Benefits of Moving to the Cloud.” Here, you will see everything that you will miss out on if you pass on this opportunity! Do also contact us today where we will have thorough and very enlightening discussions with your businesses today.

Why Are Business Owners Afraid to Move to the Cloud?

JC Collier on July 11, 2023

It has been years since cloud technology was released. While thousands of businesses all over the world have eagerly upgraded their operations with cloud solutions. Thousands more still remain wary of this new technology to move to the cloud. Many people are still reluctant, despite the many proven benefits of the cloud for business. Why is this so? That is what we are going to talk about today.

Reasons for Holding Back to Move to the Cloud

We’ve asked around and come across some common concerns from hesitant business owners about why they are still holding back, even though there is now insurmountable evidence that the cloud presents many viable opportunities for business growth. Here are the reasons for holding back to move to the cloud.

Security

With the continued rise in cyberattacks and data breaches, it makes sense to be highly concerned about security. These attacks are rampant, even on in-house servers and data storage. How much more would there be if you stored the data in a cloud, outside of your company’s security controls? Won’t the data and the entire company be more at risk of being infiltrated by hackers? If any information gets into the wrong hands, there’s no telling what kind of damage your company will face.

Privacy If You Move to the Cloud

In the same way, companies fear the loss of data privacy. This fear is a specific concern for businesses in industries that collect and store confidential information. Health and medical records of patients, financial transactions that contain bank accounts and statements, and even personal data of clients and employees are examples of sensitive data that are frequent targets of online attackers. Putting these in cloud storage might seem risky in the minds of many.

Reliability

Another fear owners have about when they move to the cloud is that it might not always be reliable. What if the internet connection is too slow or erratic? What if the cloud provider experiences a period of downtime on their side? Surely, these events could be highly detrimental to business operations.

Cost If You Move to the Cloud

Cloud technology these days is very high-tech and diverse, which causes many business owners to think these services are expensive. Because of this assumption, they choose to stick to conventional systems rather than take a chance on modern cloud solutions, which can ironically pave the way for massive financial savings.

Complexity

There has always been a historical fear of new things, especially related to technology. When computers first became popular, many people were afraid to even touch them because they seemed too complex. It happened again a few years later when email and online messaging became popular. Now, the same fear of complexity applies to the cloud. Companies are worried they might not see the benefit to their operations.

The 5 Benefits of the Cloud

These fears make sense and are all perfectly valid. But the good news is that the cloud technology we have today has these issues covered. So if your hesitation to move to the cloud is based on any of these reasons, we can ease your mind.

We invite you to download our Free Infographic on the Cloud. You’ll discover a wealth of information, including the vast benefits of moving to the cloud and how the migration can be made simpler with the help of a reliable MSP.

A whole new world is waiting in the cloud for businesses, and we are very excited for you to take control of it. Call us anytime! We will guide you in transitioning so you can finally enjoy all the benefits and opportunities this new technology has in store for your company.

How Do MSP Mergers and Acquisitions Impact Your Business?

JC Collier on July 5, 2023

We have seen a significant rise in the number of MSPs and solution providers selling out to larger corporations. They are also selling to hedge funds in recent years. This trend of MSP mergers has been going on around the world. With this trend, there is no sign that it is going to turn in a different direction anytime soon.

Why Are Big Corporations Buying out MSP Companies?

Large IT companies are actively gunning for mergers or acquisitions because the MSP business is currently highly lucrative. The market is currently at a value of $223 billion and said it will reach $330 billion by 2025. Corporations recognize the strong growth potential of the MSP industry, but they don’t necessarily want to start a new company themselves. Indeed, why build one from scratch when MSP Mergers can find many MSPs out there willing to sell?

Also, these corporations are banking on the illusion of choice and keeping their current customers. They take control of multiple MSP companies while retaining their original names. People mistakenly believe that they have a wide selection of MSPs to choose from when, in reality, the majority of them belong to the same conglomerate.

Take Accenture, for instance. In 2023 alone, they will have acquired 8 different IT provider companies. It appears to the public that these MSPs are industry rivals. In truth, they are all bringing in revenue for Accenture. Trailing at a close second is The 20 MSP, which has already acquired seven MSPs so far this year.

Why Are MSP Owners Choosing to Sell Their Companies?

From the MSP owner’s perspective, selling the company could indeed be the best course of action considering the situation at hand. The most common reasons that they cite for doing so are burnout, health, retirement, partner disputes, or shifting to a different line of business.

It does seem like a win-win situation for everyone until you take a look at how the situation impacts the client companies of the MSP that has just been bought. Yes, we are talking about businesses like yours. Where does it leave you if a sizable corporation suddenly acquires the MSP you had chosen to work with?

Effects of MSP Mergers on Client Businesses

IT companies have their valid reasons for selling out; oftentimes, it has to do with money. But regardless of what good it might have done for them, the acquisition typically leaves their clients in the lurch. Of course, the big corporation promises to take care of all the clients in the same way that they have always been taken care of. But the truth is that everything will change, and not necessarily for the better.

As a business owner, you rely heavily on your MSP to take care of your digital operations. You’ve probably been staying with them all this time because they provide excellent service. You are happy with the IT guy working for you, and their location is near you.

But what if you wake up one day and everything is different? It is pretty normal for service quality to drop after an acquisition. You might go from being a highly VIP client to just one of the hundreds or even thousands.

With the change of management, you will likely have a completely new IT team that did not work with you before. But what’s even worse is that these professionals are usually miles away from your physical location and can only serve you remotely. They can go to you but their travel expenses will go on your bill. That is something you do not want at all with MSP Mergers!

What to Do If Your MSP Is Getting Bought Out By MSP Mergers

There are two main choices you can make once you find out your MSP is up for acquisition. One is to stay with them and hope things settle down quickly. In all likelihood, the new owners will want to hear your feedback because, after all, they want to keep your business. Take this opportunity to air your concerns and give them time to make adjustments to better serve your needs.

Now, if things have changed to the point that you are no longer satisfied with the service, you can always switch to a new provider. Despite the continuing M&A trends in the IT industry, there are still plenty of local MSPs that have not sold out.

Check out a few and see what else is out there. Here at our company, we would be very happy to help you sort things out, discuss your needs, and maybe even provide you with the services that you are looking for. Check out the MSPs that big businesses have acquired just in 2023. It will surprise you if you find out where these large corporations’ locations are. It’s no wonder why small businesses are suffering from acquisitions. 2023 MSP Acquisitions

And if your agreement confuses you and want to know how you can get out of it, call us today, and let’s talk!

The Importance of a Reliable BDR Plan for Business

JC Collier on June 28, 2023

In every business, there is an element of risk involved. In addition to operational risks, there may be hidden threats that can arise suddenly. One of the best defenses a business can wield in these situations is a reliable bdr plan.

In the last few weeks, we have been covering BDR solutions. What BDR solutions are, what they can do for your business. Talked about how to gauge the quality of a particular BDR plan. Indeed, it’s worth all the discussion because we can never overemphasize the importance of a reliable BDR plan for your business, your employees, and your clients.

Benefits of Having a Reliable BDR Strategy

Our series of blog posts on backup and disaster recovery began with an article called “What Is BDR and How Does It Impact Business?“. In this first week, we covered the key benefits businesses gain from a good BDR strategy.

A good BDR strategy will give you protection against data loss and damage. Specifically, the data backup component of the BDR will safeguard your information in the face of a data breach, a system failure, a natural disaster, and so on.

A secure data backup system with the most innovative security measures and encryption tools offers better security, which is another significant benefit. With such a system, all your business information will remain safe and untouched. Also, a sound BDR will ensure higher customer retention even after a disaster.

Why is a BDR a Necessity?

In week 2, we published a blog post on the “Top 5 Ways Your Business Can Be Impacted Without a BDR Plan.“

This blog talks about what could happen to your business if you operate without a reliable BDR strategy.

There are more events that can cause the collapse of a business than most business owners realize. Other than the publicized cyberattacks, factors like cloud-based threats, the increasing number of remote employees, and any natural disaster can damage an unprotected one.

Most of these are events that no one can predict or prevent. Using a robust BDR solution is the only way to keep your data secure from current external threats.

Signs of a Reliable BDR Solution

By now, we have established the importance of having a backup and disaster recovery plan for any business. But then, not all BDR plans are equal. How do you know if the one you have will work for you? In week 3, we tackle this concern in our blog post called “How Do You Know If Your IT Provider Has a Solid BDR Plan for You?“.

If you have a reliable IT provider, there’s a chance they have designed a great BDR solution for your company. But if you want to know how effective your BDR strategy is, check if it includes the five vital components: proactive measures for disaster recovery, priority for critical functions, emergency response procedures, secure data backup, and routine testing.

How a Managed IT Provider Can Help with a Reliable BDR Plan

Now that it’s clear how crucial a BDR plan is for your business, the only thing left is to bring in the right IT provider. So that they can design and implement a suitable plan. We have provided reliable backups and disaster recovery strategies for small and midsize businesses for years.

If you want a system that will give you the most protection, call us, and we will set you up! And don’t forget to download our FREE BDR infographic. It’s full of tips to help you learn about the BDR solution we offer.

How To Know If You Have a Solid BDR Plan?

JC Collier on June 22, 2023

Data backup and disaster recovery are two of the most critical services businesses expect from an IT provider. It is especially crucial when malware attacks are so frequent that your business can easily crumble if caught without adequate preparation. That is why you will need to have a solid BDR plan.

If you have an IT provider, there’s a good chance they’ve already set up a BDR plan for your business. The question is, how do you know if this plan is any good? Will it protect you in the event of a nasty cyberattack? Will it help you get your business back on its feet after suffering the effects of a natural disaster? Is the protection it gives your business worth the money you are paying for it?

Crucial Elements of a Solid BDR Plan

Many business owners are not tech experts; therefore, they hire IT providers to manage their technology needs. But even without professional expertise, you can tell how solid your BDR plan is by checking if it satisfies the following areas.

Proactive Measures for Disaster Recovery

There are many causes of disasters, and a sound and solid BDR plan should have proactive measures for each possibility. From natural disasters to system failures caused by human error and everything in between, your BDR strategy should have it all covered.

Priority for Critical Business Functions

Each business is unique and has its own set of critical functions. That means there is no single solid BDR plan that works for everyone. You know that your IT provider has given you the best solution if they have taken the time to understand your business and have identified the crucial elements that need the highest level of protection.

Emergency Response Procedures for a Solid BDR Plan

During an emergency, it is critical to have a timely response, as this would be very helpful in mitigating risks and preventing further damage. A solid BDR plan should incorporate an emergency response protocol that includes IT support for keeping the company’s data and network as safe as possible.

Secure and Reliable Data Backup

The point of a data backup system is to have a secure copy of all your business data that you can use for recovery in case of a disaster. A solid BDR plan would backup data in cloud storage, which offers a high level of security and is in a separate location from your business.

Routine Testing and Reviews for a Solid BDR Plan

Even the most solid BDR plan can eventually become outdated, especially with the rate at which technology changes. Also, as your business grows, the risks might also change. Therefore, a reputable IT provider always does routine testing to check the integrity of your systems and makes adjustments to ensure that it keeps up with all the changes.

Evaluating Your Current BDR Strategy

Look at the BDR solution your IT provider has set up for you and see if it meets all the above requirements. If it does, then you should be in good shape. But if anything seems off or not up to par, it’s time to consider upgrading to a better BDR plan.

At our company, we have been keeping businesses prepared for worst-case scenarios for years. We specifically design BDR solutions to meet each client’s needs. You should include a solid BDR strategy in the list of your small business needs. You can familiarize yourself with the many benefits of a BDR plan by downloading our FREE Infographic.

If you want to experience peace of mind for your business, call us today, and we will set you up for a free consultation.