Tag Archive for: Business Continuity

Business Continuity For Small Businesses

What is your plan if your business gets hit by a natural disaster? Now what about if your network gets shut down because of a data breach? The recovery process can be very stressful, expensive, and may leave your operation out of commission for extended lengths of time. On top of that, you’ll need to worry about supporting your employees and serving your customers. These hiccups pose a lot of uncertainty, which can be a nightmare for young business owners and entrepreneurs to deal with. These are just some small factors that show why it’s important to establish a business continuity plan.

Whether you are dealing with the attacks of a natural disaster or a cyber attack, a business continuity strategy will be a solution that will help pull you out of the dark. Business continuity management (BCM) is a practice that expands on the efforts of your disaster recovery strategies. While your business is dealing with a crisis, data backup support will be streamlined so you can focus on getting your operation up to speed again. This is a great way to preserve the lifeblood of your organization so you can get back to doing what’s most important – serving your customers.

If you are still on the fence about establishing a BCM plan, then there are several factors that might put things into clear perspective. These are some of the key reasons why it’s best for businesses to define business continuity strategies in the early stages:

Millions Of Threats Are Always On The Horizon

Unfortunately, your network is always at risk. There are millions of cyber dangers swirling around the world wide web. Disaster can strike at any moment, from nearly any angle. Just one malware virus can yield enough power to wipe away your entire network. When it comes to business continuity, you can never be too cautious. Even if you have the strongest layers of firewall protection and a stable disaster recovery plan in place, business continuity is a surefire way to keep the business process of your operation running smoothly.

Any Downtime Can Be Extremely Costly

If your network takes a hit, then you may need to take some time to evaluate what to do next. Unfortunately, any downtime will keep you from running a productive operation. This can prevent you from serving customers, which will ultimately keep you from generating revenue. What’s even worse is that you’ll probably have to make expensive purchases on repairs and maintenance. This can rack up the costs and lead to failed business opportunities.

Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Is Not Enough

Risk management is about much more than just restoring your data. It’s about keeping things intact, and when a disaster ensues. If you are a business owner, there are many factors that you’ll need to gain control over. While your sensitive information like business data is certainly crucial, it is not the only worry that you should have. Fortunately, business continuity stimulates the effects of your cloud devices, helping you secure lost information faster. This will help you get your business back to peak form much more quickly.

You Will Deliver a More Positive Business Impact

Business continuity does more than just restore your data. The right technology will keep you clear of cyber dangers and make sure all our critical IT functions are on line. This gives you a leg up as it clears a pathway for you to focus your attention on customer services and other crucial business decisions. Finally, the right business continuity program comes with complimentary risk assessment software, so you are able to detect, prepare, and defend off any hazards much more efficiently.

Rely On PCR Business Systems

Our professional, experienced team will help you develop a business continuity strategy that promotes the growth and sustainability of your business. We will work alongside your team to determine your current needs and ensure all team members are educated on the necessary precautions and policies. To find out more about how a partnership with PCR business can benefit your business, contact us today!

What To Look For In A Cybersecurity Training Program

Today’s society is dominated by virtual technology. Information technology ultimately dictates the way that most businesses operate. To succeed in the current business world, organizations must have the support from the right hardware and software. A high-quality IT infrastructure is almost a surefire way to maintain a competitive edge. For many businesses, it is the backbone of their entire operation. An IT system is comprised of an arsenal of tools like phone systems, desktop PCs, laptops and other mobile devices, along with cloud-based platforms to keep your data secure.

If you are a business owner, you need to take a proactive approach to protect your intellectual property, because this is a critical way to keep your workforce safe.  Firewall systems, disaster recovery, and data backup plans are all great sources of security, but they can only do so much. This is why it’s important to educate all staff members about lingering cyber threats such as ransomware, phishing scams, and unpatched software systems. Cybersecurity awareness training is a great way to teach your employees how to defend against these treacherous dangers. Fortunately, there are many online security awareness training programs that make it easier to do this.

Over the years, PCR Business Solutions has engineered cyber training platforms to help businesses successfully mitigate handfuls of cyber risks like data breaches and malware invasions. Our comprehensive curriculum is full of useful training content that effectively covers each of these critical areas:

Data Management

We emphasize the nature of data security and the responsibilities that each employee has in order to protect the network. Administrators and leaders may have more capabilities granted, but all staff members will have the same obligation to respect and protect the equipment.  

Passwords Protection

One of the most important aspects of cybersecurity is password protection. It’s important for employees to select strong, cryptic passwords. This means that they cannot be easily guessed or remembered by others. Passwords should be updated after an extended length of time to make sure your company sends periodic reminders when it’s time to change this login credential.

Email Use

Data theft often stems from irresponsible email use. Make sure that your employees are trained to recognize email scams. Your training program needs to educate people on phishing scams, virus threats, and other email dangers. Make sure that the training program is adjusted with the latest safety practices.

Unauthorized Software

Unlicensed software should not be installed on any company computer. This needs to be addressed in company training. If an employee downloads unauthorized software, then your company may be susceptible to malicious attacks that can further corrupt your business model.

Social Media Policies

Social media should be limited to a minimum use at most. If your employee spends an extended amount of time of social media while on the job, then this can hinder their performance. Make sure this is addressed in the training program. Also, include policies that pertain to the use of any company-sponsored social media engines.

Mobile Device Policies

Employees pose a bigger risk of enduring security breaches when they access networks through their own mobile devices. The training program must effectively communicate the details of a company’s mobile device policy. If there is a bring your own device policy in place, then this is a must needed topic to cover.

The Anatomy of Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks can strike networks from any angle at practically any point in time. You need to break down the anatomy of certain cyber dangers and discover the reason for the attack. Some might call this hacking forensics. This can help teach you how to discover vulnerabilities in your network so you know how to act when threats are discovered on the horizon.

Computer Protection Methods

There are copious amounts of protection strategies that will keep your computer safeguarded from external hazards. Train your employees to lock their computers when they are not in use. Additionally, you need to promote routine backups and storage security. Encourage your employees to also continually update the virus protection software that’s stored on their computers.

How PCR Can Help

The experienced team at PCR Business system can help audit your current IT infrastructure and identify the areas in need of improvement. Once we have patched your network, we will continue to monitor for cyber threats and work with your team to develop policies that your team can follow to be more secure. We will also create a plan for recovery in case a cyberattack is ever carried out. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help!