Security

World Backup Day 2022: automate your backups!

Every year more and more data is produced. According to an IDC study, the total amount of data created and consumed worldwide was 64 zettabytes (ZB) in 2020 (or 64,000 billion gigabytes) and could reach more than 180 ZB by 2025! On 31 March 2022, the 14th World Data Backup Day will be held to remind people of the risks of storing their data on a single device. Everyone who owns a computer, smartphone or tablet is encouraged to make a copy of their files on another medium (external hard drive, USB stick, cloud, etc.).

Data backup

Remember that backup consists of making a copy of data in order to preserve it in the event of events that could damage it. Backing up documents is applicable both to active files that are used on a daily basis and to inactive, unmodified documents. Backing up data ensures that it will not be affected if it is lost. It is also strongly recommended to store documents on two different sites.

For most people, World Data Backup Day means that they should pay more attention to the data stored on their electronic devices. Many people already do some form of backup, with an occasional download to a computer and then to a hard drive. And increasingly, backups are made to a cloud that is subscribed to or made available by default by devices or applications.

Most people are only concerned about the integrity and availability of their personal or family data. If it is lost and unrecoverable, it is unfortunate and probably very inconvenient for a while, but rarely will the consequences be catastrophic. For a professional whose job it is to ensure the integrity and availability of the company’s data and digital assets, however, any loss is far more significant. Not having backups of data or being able to recover them can have disastrous consequences, both financially and reputation-wise.

A backup professional works with one or more dedicated backup and recovery products. They must be able to back up any source or platform, ranging from unstructured files and media to structured data in databases such as SAP, SAP HANA or Oracle. It must be possible to back up physical infrastructure and virtualised environments as well as different file systems and operating systems. As storage technologies evolve, the manager is also looking at the possibility of backing up containers and cloud-based applications such as Microsoft 365 Online.

However, the volume of data to be backed up is increasing exponentially and the backup window continues to shrink as businesses need to operate 24/7. Therefore, anything that improves performance is key. For example, if deduplication is available, it can be used to reduce network traffic and conserve storage utilisation. The same goes for block backup. While multi-threading can help manage the many backup jobs that need to be run daily, weekly and monthly. All this contributes to the improvement of the backup.

There are many aspects to consider for a backup product. However, the most important of all is the ability to restore data when needed. It is essential that businesses can continue to operate with as little disruption as possible, even in the event of data loss or corruption.

So, this World Backup Day, it may be worth considering running a full data and systems recovery test. Companies often have a disaster recovery plan in place, but when was the last time it was tested? Testing today to ensure that all daily work is recorded on backups and recoverable when needed may be a good resolution.

Security

Web Hosting and Data Security: Things to Know

Certain things require the most significant attention when it comes to websites. The most important is “data security.” In the world where we live, the Internet has revolutionized the way we interact with people and do business. However, the Internet is not perfect and, as you may already know, cybercrime is one of the greatest threats we face.

Things haven’t improved in recent years. So, as we said, security is a big issue, and the hosting service you choose will depend on it.

The need for security in web hosting

The Internet is borderless, and anyone can access anything. It is what makes the Internet so exciting and dangerous at the same time. This very open structure makes websites vulnerable to all kinds of security threats, with data breaches being the most significant.

The colossal amount of money is traded every day on the Internet, which means hackers are targeting the most vulnerable sites. You can be sure that once a site is identified as vulnerable, hackers will cross it in no time.

Thus, it becomes a prerogative for website operators and owners to provide the best possible security and this means choosing a reliable web hosting service.

What to look for in a secure web host?

So, what should we prioritize in are we looking for in a web hosting service in terms of security?

Well, here are a few things:

  • Backup: Does the hosting service offer data backups? Data backup is vital and must be performed regularly. The objective is to ensure that all your data is available even in the event of a security problem. Of course, the data backup can be done on your side. However, it is always useful to have this option when your hosting provider provides it. If so, try to conduct further assessments on the type of data backup systems they use, where the data is stored and how often they are performed.
  • SFTP: When you upload files to your hosting account, you work with what is called FTP or File Transfer Protocol. However, there is a protocol called SFTP or Secure File Transfer Protocol, which, as you may have realized, offers a safer way to do the same. SFTP provides an additional security layer, which is not available with FTP. Of course, this does not mean that FTP lacks security. It offers safety, but not the one you find with SFTP.
  • Server support: Your hosting provider must ensure that the server is regularly updated to not only operate efficiently but also to ensure that it provides sufficient security. Find out if your supplier offers a published security protocol that lets you know if you have the latest updates/patches.
  • SSL: Finally, look for SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates. It is the most fundamental component of security, and your hosting provider must offer it. SSL encrypts data transferred from one system to another, preventing other systems in the network from seeing or accessing it. In other words, only the sender and the recipient have access to the data.

 We hope you enjoyed reading this article!

Security

10 tips for protecting your data

How to protect your data without leaving it open to hackers? With these tips, you will be able to deal with scams and other computer attacks.

Although the Internet is a public space, the risks are multiple: phishing, intrusion, data theft, software rescue, etc. Unfortunately, there are still some Internet users who underestimate the consequences of such acts or the value of their data.

To prevent hackers from facilitating access to your data, follow these tips:

1. Create a secure password

And, above all, avoid having the same password in all your accounts, messaging.
So forget your birthday, your pet’s name, etc.

Define long passwords (at least 12 characters), mixing upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.

2. Update your operating system

As well as all your security software such as your antivirus, personal firewall, etc..

3. Check the wifi key of your box

By default, ISPs offer a WEP key, but it is the least secure key.

To increase the security of your data, select a WPA 2 key.

To modify your password, access the configuration of your wifi box from your account.

4. Remember to make a backup copy of your data

No one is immune to computer problems, theft, data loss or rescue.

Back up reasonably regularly to an external hard drive or USB memory stick.

5. Beware of hyperlinks

Don’t click too quickly on links, even those that are familiar to you.

Phishing is a typical example of this type of risk,

It consists of deceiving the Internet user by encouraging him to click on malicious links in an email.

A solution: enter the address of the link in the address bar of your browser.

6. Beware of email attachments

Be alert, even if they come from friends or people you trust.

Beware of the following extensions:.pif;.com;.bat;.exe;.vbs;.lnk

7. Avoid using your online administrator account

If hacked, the cyberpirate will have full control of the user machine.

Therefore, to minimize the risks, prefer a user account.

8. Avoid giving out personal information

On the Internet, you are not anonymous, so be careful about distributing private information.

Avoid providing confidential data in forums or on sites that do not offer all the required guarantees.

The advice: consult the protocol https:// at the beginning of the web address and the presence of a small padlock.

It means that your website is secure and certified, otherwise, in case of doubt, it is better to abstain.

9. Use an antivirus and/or firewall

An updated operating system doesn’t mean you’re safe from viruses.

The safer your computer, the more difficult it will be for malicious people to access your data.

The function of the firewall is to limit incoming and outgoing connections.

10. Caution with known shippers

The email address of your contacts can be retrieved to send you emails with malicious links.

Pay particular attention to the way in which they are expressed, to spelling errors.

Be careful, if the email contains an attachment and be careful with the presence of hypertext links.

With these controls, which are very easy to implement, it is possible to protect your data with a minimum of knowledge and avoid many concerns for your privacy.

Have you already implemented these tips? Or will you do it quickly?

Security, Web Hosting

5 Tips to Have a Secure Web Hosting in 2018

The world of hosting is something complex but necessary. It’s what helps the system to be able to store any type of information, files or content over the internet. Sometimes, it brings certain complications like threats to your server and more, so here are some tips to have a secure web hosting in 2018:

JavaScript Coding

JavaScript is a programmer that many computer servers have, and to avoid any danger, you must code it. This is necessary and indispensable, in addition to trying to clean any website entry that you’re going to use.

Effective Passwords

Try to put complex passwords, so you provide security to your server. In order to do this, you should avoid using any common words, family names or specific dates. It’s best to try to combine upper and lower case letters with signs, numbers, and symbols.

Error Reports

Many servers have an error reporting tool, which collects any information automatically. Therefore, experts recommend for you to disable this tool in case you are not cleaning any website.

Unreliable Applications

This is always an alarm that shows up with the use of certain pages. To avoid this, there are websites codes that you need to check and verify that it’s safe to use. Besides, you should also try to clean any type of third party application.

Secure Hosting

You must try to use the most secure hosting in the world of computing in order to provide greater security and protection to your server. This will not guarantee a server free of dangers, but it guarantees greater efficiency.

Script attacks, weak countersigns, falsification of requests or even a very common one is the possession of an unsafe host. Following these tips without hesitation, you can get rid of this type of issues that could be damaging your hosting website service.