5 Steps to Protect Yourself from Computer Data Loss

Until recently, Apple computer users could emphatically state that there were three certainties in life - death, taxes and the stability of Apple’s OS X. All that changed when news of the bug in Apple’s Snow Leopard system hit the cyberwaves.

Since Apple introduced their latest OS, Snow Leopard, many bugs have surfaced, including one that devours your data.

Apple acknowledged the problem and indicated that it affects only a small segment of users. A statement that offers little comfort if you happen to be one of the small segment who loses all of your data. The temporary fix offered by the company only works if users had a backup system in place prior to the data loss.

The Apple bug illuminates the need for computer users to take necessary steps to protect their data. Anyone who uses a computer, even a great one, is at risk for data loss. An operating system crash is only one cause of data loss. Others include, theft, user error, and lost media. While data loss may be rare for each individual, it only takes one instance to wipe out months, perhaps even years of irreplaceable data.

While data loss is largely discussed in the context of business, home users are equally, if not more at risk. Home users may lack the know-how to protect their system from data loss. A crash or theft could mean the loss of family photos or a music collection.

Below are 5 easy steps that every computer user can take to prevent data loss.

Protect against power disturbances. Sharp voltage spikes are particularly dangerous and can wipe out your data. An Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) can safeguard your system.

Backup regularly. Use online file storage to automatically backup your data. Egynte’s online file server provides continuous backup, backing up your files in the background during periods of low activity.

Invest in antivirus and spyware protection. Viruses and malware continue to plague computer users. Many users have found that a virus or hacking attack has been so pervasive that they had to buy a brand new system.

Protect critical files and applications. To prevent accidentally erasing crucial data, protect files and applications with a password. This can be especially important when computers are shared by multiple users.

Properly shut down your system. Be sure to properly shut down your computer. Close down applications and save your data before shutting down. Failure to do so could result in data loss, as some tasks and applications may continue to run in the background.

Data loss may not occur to individual users frequently but even one incident is too much when you lose important files and information.

Have you ever lost data? How did that loss impact you?

Thinking Out Cloud – The top questions I always get asked about Cloud Computing (Part 2)

Following on from my previous post (Thinking Out Loud - Part 1) here are three more common questions people always ask me about cloud computing. If you have your own questions about cloud computing, don't hesitate to ask.

1 - Are there risks involved, I have heard that there are some concerns about up-time, data security, data ownership, etc?

This is a very common and important question. Just because a service is provided under the banner of cloud computing doesn't automatically give it immunity from all ills. Just as all traditional businesses are not equal, not all cloud computing providers or services are equal either. It’s not that long ago that we all assumed that because a corporation was of a certain size or scale that it was "as safe as houses" if you pardon the expression, but unfortunately over the past year not even size was an adequate predictor of the success or stability of some corporations.

Choosing a cloud computing service is an important decision and you should make sure that you are comfortable with the service and the vendor before you sign up. It’s always a good idea to ask for references or recommendations from existing users of a given solution to give you confidence in your decision. The question of data ownership is something I have heard frequently and so far I have not seen any commercial cloud computing vendors who claim ownership of your data, however it is always wise to read the terms of any contract carefully before you sign it and if you have concerns don't be afraid to seek advice or ask for clarification.

Regarding up-time, security and backups, most vendors provide their solutions on distributed systems with significant redundancy and security measures built-in. In my experience cloud services tend to be at least as robust, secure and reliable as their traditional counterparts and in the majority of cases are significantly better in all these areas - after all, cloud computing companies are experts at providing their services and "they are in the business of computing". Seek clarification regarding backups etc - although cloud computing services are much more robust than their traditional counterparts it doesn't hurt to have a reliable backup plan in place if this isn't something your vendor offers as part of their solution.

2 - Can I integrate Cloud Services With My Existing Systems and Applications?

Again this varies depending on the particular vendor or solution you choose. The majority of cloud computing solutions have the ability to interact not only with your legacy systems but also with other cloud computing solutions. In some cases this is as easy as installing a little app (or plug-in) and in other cases it will require a certain amount of programming or application development to integrate the systems - mostly this depends on the complexity of the solution, and simple services such as file sharing tend to require little effort where more complex solutions may require a higher level of effort.

3 - Are there performance issues with cloud computing services / what if my Internet connection is down?

Cloud computing services by their very nature rely on having an Internet connection, many providers have taken steps to maintain service even in the event of an Internet outage. Google for example has Gmail Offline, Salesforce also has on Offline feature and Egnyte has a "Local Cloud" solution. All of these solutions provide service by caching data during any connection interruption and seamlessly synchronizing cached data with the cloud application once full connectivity has been restored.

As for performance, applications and systems tend to perform better when the user is on the same network as the server or application, however the difference is usually marginal and in most cases mitigated by the scale of the infrastructure and computing power available to most cloud applications/services.


About the Author:

Finbarr McCarthy is IT Director with Premier Group a private global staffing company. Finbarr has 20 years experience in Information Technology with more than half of this spent in senior management roles, he is a member of The Institute of Engineering & Technology (MIET), The British Computer Society (MBCS) and The IEEE (IEEE). Finbarr is a Cloud Computing advocate and a technology innovator. Visit Finbarr's Blog for more on Cloud Computing

Thinking Out Cloud – The top questions I always get asked about Cloud Computing (Part 1)

Just a few short years ago the term cloud computing was all but unknown. Today "Cloud Computing" is a hot ticket item and being a "Cloud Advocate" and a 20 year I.T. veteran there are a number of questions that I always get asked about cloud computing. I am delighted to have the opportunity to answer these questions on this, the first of a two part guest blog post for Egnyte.

1 - What is Cloud Computing Anyway?

Cloud Computing is an umbrella term which covers an array of computing services provided to users over the Internet. The nature of these services can be broadly broken down into, SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Cloud Computing has a number of subtle but important differences from traditional hosted servers or applications, the main differences are;

• A fully managed service offering
• Elasticity and Scalability
• Flexible Billing / Pay per use

While many people have tried to describe and summarize cloud computing, I think that Nicholas Carr in his book "The Big Switch" makes a lot of sense where he describes Cloud Computing as the provision of computing services as a utility (similar to your electricity). The comparison between cloud computing services and electricity is a good one, after all there is nothing stopping any of us going off-grid and producing our own electricity - in fact 100 years ago before the emergence of massive centralized utility companies, it was the norm for industry to produce its own electricity. However, generating our own electricity means that you would need to be an expert in all the technology required to do so, and your power source will most likely end up costing you more to produce, require significant upfront investment and not be as reliable or scalable as the service provided today from specialist utility companies. Most importantly, if you are not in the business of producing electricity, your efforts spent on its generation, distribution and management would most likely be a significant source of distraction from your core business.

Take this comparison directly into the computing model, most companies have traditionally endeavored to provide all of their own computing resources from compute to applications to file storage. The reasonable question to ask here is "What business are you in?" If the answer to that question is not "computing", then its a logical step to consider using cloud or utility computing services to reduce the costs, headaches and distractions associated with computing and enable you and your organization to concentrate on your core business.

2 - Is Cloud Computing just a Fad?

While it is fair to say that there is significant buzz and hype around cloud computing right now, it is definitely not a fad. The term itself is somewhat new but the vision, concepts and principles involved have been around for decades. What has changed is that the Internet has matured enough to provide reliable and affordable broadband connectivity which is capable of delivering cloud computing services to a vast audience of users.

Cloud computing is beginning to get traction and the range of cloud computing services on offer is currently expanding at a phenomenal pace. IDC currently estimate that cloud computing will grow to a $42 Billion dollar industry by 2012 and I have seen other estimates that suggest that this estimate is in fact significantly understated.

3 - Is moving to the cloud the right thing for me?

Right now this is a good question to ask yourself. In the medium to long term, everything except for the most obscure computing services will be operated from the cloud. There are currently many excellent service offerings available in the cloud computing space, and I believe that every organization should be looking carefully at the offerings available to them and where it makes sense, begin to leverage the practical, functional and financial benefits of the cloud computing services they choose to adopt. Some compute-intensive services such as C.A.D. and Video production are not yet relevant as far as cloud computing goes but services such as email, file storage and C.R.M. are perfect examples of services that currently fit the cloud computing model.

About the Author:

Finbarr McCarthy is IT Director with Premier Group a private global staffing company. Finbarr has 20 years experience in Information Technology with more than half of this spent in senior management roles, he is a member of The Institute of Engineering & Technology (MIET), The British Computer Society (MBCS) and The IEEE (IEEE). Finbarr is a Cloud Computing advocate and a technology innovator. Visit Finbarr's Blog for more on Cloud Computing

Online File Servers Help You Manage Your Business Remotely

Manage Your Business Remotely with Egnyte’s Online File Server

Years ago, “road warriors” were typically sales people or field based workers. There was no Wi-Fi so communications were limited to cell phones and pagers. Today, entire businesses can be mobile with workers distributed across multiple locations and time zones with access to files from their mobile drives. Cell phones have given way to smartphones and a laptop can function as a mobile office. This mobility is not limited to web workers but includes businesses such as law firms, real estate companies and creative agencies.

There are a number of benefits to taking your business on the road:

• Assemble project specific teams regardless of location.
• Hire the expertise you need without being bound to geography.
• Become location independent, combining travel and work.
• Eliminate the overhead associated with office space.
• Be available for family emergencies or caregiving needs

So now that you are sold on why you might want to go mobile and enjoy all the benefits of a mobile drive, let us discuss the practical steps of running your business from the road.

To take your business on the road you need:

• Communication
• Connectivity
• Remote Data access and integration

Communication. You need to be able to communicate with your colleagues, employees, and clients. Your mobile phone can be used as a communication tool but to truly maintain a high touch professional office on the road, consider a hosted business phone solution. With a hosted business phone solution you can have a virtual PBX that offers a single phone number (local, and toll), multiple extensions, conference calling, call forwarding, fax transmission and reception to email and more.

Connectivity. It is essential that you have internet connectivity. This will give you access to your cloud computing applications, email, and of course the internet. While there are exceptions, depending on your location, there are a few options to get connected:

• Wi-Fi (Use WeFi, or JiWire to locate global Wi-Fi spots)
• Cell phone data connection
• 3G USB Modem
• Verizon MiFi (available in US only)
• Broadband card

You have options when it comes to hardware as well. Depending on your needs and personal preference, you can use a laptop, smartphone or netbook.

Data access and integration. Now that you are outfitted to communicate, you will need to access and share data. Egnyte’s online file server facilitates remote data access online file storage, data collaboration and data backup. Team members, clients and vendors can be given access to shared files, eliminating the need to transfer files through email. The online file server also helps with version control so that multiple users can work on shared documents without confusion. Finally, you can backup all of your data ensuring that if your smartphone or portable computer is lost your data is safe.

Are you ready to hit the road?

Using Online File Servers to Work Smarter

Working solely from an office is fast becoming a thing of the past. In addition to a burgeoning remote and mobile workforce, many workers spend a portion of their time working outside the office. Thanks to Smartphones and Netbooks, it is easier than ever to be connected to work whether you are in a building or on a train.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in a January 2009 report predicted that the number of jobs filled by telecommuters could grow to 19 million over the next 12 years in the United States. (http://www.itif.org/files/Telecommuting.pdf)

Clearly, work mobility is an emerging strategic trend for organizations of all sizes. And with good reason. There are a number of benefits to work mobility including dramatic reduction in the cost of doing business; enhanced morale and productivity of workers by offering flexible choices; and decreased commuting costs.

According to a study done by the Telework Coalition, sixty-seven percent of all workers used mobile and wireless computing and eighty-nine percent of the top 100 US companies offer telecommuting. (http://www.insight-corp.com/reports/mwf.asp)

In order to work smarter, mobile workers must have:

• Remote access to files, data and application platforms
• Mobile devices - smartphones, wireless/broadband cards, netbooks
• Business applications

The combination of smartphones and cloud computing has made it possible to bring together the essential elements of mobility in a single device. Mobile workers can create and share documents with online document collaboration. Online file servers provide access to distributed team members, vendors and clients. We can create, collaborate and communicate from virtually anywhere.

Mobility is also excellent for service. Remote access to essential data and sophisticated technology tools facilitate the ability to respond faster to customer requests and issues. Processes that once required in office collaboration, such as quotes or estimates, diagnosis of customer issues, or billing issues can be resolved with remote collaboration.

Teams can also work more efficiently even if located in various time zones. Using a cloud file server, work teams can collaborate on projects by sharing files and communications and utilizing automated version control features to track progress. This creates a seamless workflow and a culture of smart productivity.

Do you currently work virtually? What are your must have tools for optimum productivity?

Online File Server Saves Time and Money

How to Save Money, Time and Your Job with an Online File Server

Your team is working on a new product launch on a tight deadline. The team has been working around the clock to prepare for the internal and external launch. In addition to your team, you have outsourced graphic design, copywriting, web design and printing.

This project is high visibility and crucial to the company meeting its profit goals. You and your team must coordinate all of the components seamlessly, in a very tight period. All of the team members and vendors need to access and share files but email is proving to be confusing and cumbersome especially since the files are so large. The vendors must transfer large files to a CD and have them delivered via courier or express mail. The costs are quickly adding up and progress is delayed when the team has to wait for delivery of information before moving to the next step.

Graphic designers, printers and creative professionals routinely have to share very large files with clients. Email systems have limitations on size, so these professionals must burn the files to a CD and mail or use a courier to deliver their work to clients for review. The additional costs can add up quickly, resulting in higher operating costs and lower profit margins for creative businesses.

An online file server can reduce costs and improve the process for creative professionals and distributed work teams. With an online file server, document collaboration is an easy process. Our harried team would no longer have to wait for delivery of CDs, they could log on to a secure local cloud file server and immediately access needed files. With so many team members and changes, it would be easy to mix up versions or have work repeated when a team member has the wrong version of a file. Egnyte’s online file server has automatic version control. There is no need to change file names and older versions are protected. You have a complete audit trail including when a file was changed and by whom. Team members are notified when files are added or existing files changed, eliminating the need for a manual email or phone call.

Document collaboration and large file sharing is hassle free when you use a cloud file server. For high visibility projects or geographically distributed teams, an online file server offers a perfect solution.

Have you ever had to work with a distributed team or outside vendors? How did you keep track of communication and files?

Restoration SOS Case Study: How a Disaster Company Plans for Data Recovery for Those Unexpected Events

Protect Your Business with the right Data Backup System

Restoration SOS knows a lot about disaster. The company is the world's largest resource for fire and water damage, mold and sewage backup. They help property owners recover from fire and water damage by matching them with qualified contractors.

The company has seen first hand the devastation that occurs after a disaster, so they naturally put systems and plans in place to protect their company in the event of disaster.

Like all businesses, Restoration SOS understood that their data was a significant part of their business. Their disaster plan had to include a data recovery solution and the ability to access critical digital business data. The company also wanted a day-to-day solution for document collaboration. They have multiple employees and locations so file sharing software and document collaboration were essential.

SOS also knew that they had no desire to be in the IT business. Managing file servers would require them to invest in IT expertise, with resources that could be deployed to manage their core business. They believed in online file servers but were concerned about access, control over permissions and rules, and collaborative tools.

After searching for the ideal fit, Restoration SOS selected Egnyte for their data management and data recovery needs. During the transition, there were issues with Windows XP and Vista. We were able to identify and resolve the issues using remote diagnostics.

There was no necessary downtime, and it did not require this growing business to allocate their resources to a technical issue.

Before the company signed up with Egnyte they had one computer with a shared folder to a system installed across its entire employee base. By switching to an online file server they can create multiple folders and files and set permissions per file or folder.

With their old system, they could not simply grant a contractor access to a specific file or folder. They had to rely on email to transfer information. Now they are able to grant access to necessary information without compromising the security of their data.

Restoration SOS also consolidated data backup and management into a single solution. Automatic backups secure their website, email, QuickBooks, accounting and other digital information.

You don’t have to be in the disaster business to have a disaster recovery plan. Whether you are a solo professional or large enterprise, your data is critical to your operations.

What steps have you taken to protect your business from disaster?