A natural disaster can be incredibly devastating to your business. Taking the appropriate precautions can go a long way toward minimizing the impact that a natural disaster can have on your business. Your data is an integral component of your business’s operation. When your data is compromised, it is likely that your business will be unable to operate effectively, which can lose you a significant amount of money. For small businesses, this can be a blow that the business won’t be able to recover from. Preparing your data before a natural disaster occurs can help to protect your business and minimize your expenses.

Facing a natural disaster can cause substantial disruption to your life. Not only is it possible that your home will be damaged or your family will be displaced, but it is likely that damage can occur to your business. When you focus on getting your life back on track following a natural disaster, the last thing you need to worry about is your company going out of business. Taking the steps to prepare your business for a natural disaster can not only protect your business, but also minimize the total amount of stress that you experience following a natural disaster.

How Natural Disasters Can Impact your Business

Natural disasters can have a devastating impact on your business. They can destroy your company’s base of operations. A natural disaster can destroy the physical location where your data is stored. This can make it difficult or even impossible to essentially “reboot” the business and get it back in operation following a natural disaster. Every moment that your business is unable to function is a moment that you are losing money. Taking the appropriate steps can help to minimize the amount of damage that can occur to your business following a natural disaster.

Natural disasters ultimately cause a significant amount of downtime. It will require a significant amount of time for repairs to be made following the disaster. This also results in an array of unforeseen costs that you may not have necessarily budgeted for. In some situations, insurance may not cover the damage done by the natural disaster. Familiarize yourself with your insurance policy to ensure that you can plan appropriately for your business in the event of a natural disaster.

Natural Disasters in your Area

When you begin preparing your data in the event of a natural disaster, it will be important to consider what natural disasters your business might experience. This will help you to prepare effectively for your specific area. For example, in areas like California or here in Utah, earthquakes are often the most likely natural disaster that a business will experience. However, in the Southeast region, like in Florida, hurricanes are the most common natural disaster. The superior methods for protecting your building will likely depend on the natural disaster that you might experience. Ensure that plans are put in place to protect you and your employees in case a natural disaster should occur.  There are many potential natural disasters. Wildfires, lightning, earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, and more can all have a substantial impact on your business. You will want to have a communication plan designated to restore your business to a functioning condition as quickly as possible.

Preparing your Data

Taking the steps to prepare your data can help to minimize the likelihood that a natural disaster will ruin your business. The appropriate preparation can go a long way toward protecting your data and preventing the amount of downtime that your business experiences after experiencing a natural disaster. Due to the incredibly devastating impact that a natural disaster can have on your business, it is absolutely crucial that you invest some time and effort in creating an emergency plan to protect your business. Effective business IT services can help to keep your data protected and in good condition.

Identify Critical Components

Identify the components that will be absolutely necessary to run your business will help you to get your business up and running as quickly as possible. Place protective measures in place to prevent these components from becoming compromised. This is especially important when it applies to data. Identify the data that your company needs in order to operate. This will allow you to recover this data quickly and restore your company to an operating state. Natural disasters aren’t fun or convenient, but protecting the key components of your operation can go a long way toward protecting your business.

Appropriate Preparation

Natural disasters are aptly named. They occur naturally and are absolutely disastrous. When a natural disaster happens, it is too late to begin preparations to protect your business. It is vital to ensure that you begin preparations early on, so that your business can be protected when a natural disaster arises. A great plan can help to protect your business and minimize downtime following a natural disaster.

Backup Your Data

Data needs to be backed up in order to provide optimal protection. Without a backup, your data will simply be lost in multiple scenarios. There are many ways in which physical locations that store your data can become damaged. If these locations become damaged and you don’t have a backup, your data will be lost. The most effective method for protecting your data is to back it up to a cloud-based platform.

It is similarly important to implement virus protection and firewalls to keep your data out of danger. This will help to protect the operations of your business and minimize the damage that a natural disaster can do to your business. Here at Crossaction Computers Specialists, we offer an array of services that are designed to protect your data. Protecting your data is an important component of protecting your business and minimizing damage from a natural disaster. To learn more about the services that we offer, as well as how to protect your business from the devastation of a natural disaster, contact us at Crossaction Computer Specialists today!

When you run a business, you have access to significant amounts of sensitive information that could be devastating in the wrong hands. The same thing applies when you go about your regular business. Whenever you shop online or access your bank account, you are providing information that could be extremely detrimental to your life if accessed by a malicious source. Phishing attacks are essentially methods for tricking victims into providing this valuable information, so it is vital to be aware of the ins and outs of a phishing attack, so that you can effectively protect yourself against them. Here at Crossaction Computers, we offer an array of services that are designed to help you protect your information from unauthorized access. Whenever you are concerned about protecting your personal information, you should contact our experts immediately!

What are Phishing Attacks?

A phishing attack is a technique that is used to try to gather personal information using either deceptive emails or websites. They may also be used to trick individuals into downloading harmful malware onto their computer. It is a cyber attack that implements fraudulent emails or websites as weapons. A phishing attack often involves masquerading as a trusted entity, such as a bank or big company. Phishing attacks are incredibly common, as they are a game of numbers that cast out many various lines and wait for a bite.

The term “phishing” derives from an analogy regarding the method that phishing attacks use. Similar to how an angler casts out a baited hook and waits for a bite, a phisher sends out emails and waits for a response. These attacks are growing more sophisticated over time, which is why it is incredibly important to be able to identify a protect yourself from a phishing attack. 

How to Identify a Phishing Attack

There are many common signs that may allow you to identify a phishing attack. These attacks come most often from email, though there are other methods through which a phishing attack may occur. Generic greetings can indicate a phishing attack. Be very wary when receiving emails that say “Dear valued customer,” or another general term, rather than your name. A phishing attack will likely request personal information and will be formulated to promote a sense of urgency. An email that seems vaguely threatening or urgent could very well be a phishing attack. Keep in mind that in emergency situations, the company is far more likely to call you than send you an email.

Watch for spoofed links, like links that don’t bring up the same name when you hover the mouse over them or links that redirect you to different sites. Check for spelling or grammar mistakes. Any reputable business takes their correspondence and image incredibly seriously. Spelling mistakes are a red flag. If the email offers an option that sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Be alert whenever you go through your email as any email is a potential threat. Whenever you are in doubt, call the company directly through a verified number or send a separate email to a verified email address. Do not hit reply but respond through a separate email.

Types of Phishing Attacks

There are multiple types of phishing attacks, though they all generally have the same goal. They are all essentially an attempt to trick the victim into either handing over sensitive information or downloading malware. The most common type of phishing is general email phishing, which sends out mass emails to people and likely feature a general greeting.

Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack that is aimed at an individual and will contain specific information. This requires the phisher to do research about the target, but the personal information may be more convincing to the victim. Be aware that this is a strategy that phishers use. Just because they know some personal information about you does not mean that they are a legitimate source. Whaling is very similar to spear phishing but is aimed at high-value targets, such as the CEO of a company or a company board member. Not every phishing technique implements email as the fraudulent method of communication. For example, vishing has the same goal as email phishing, but is done by phone call. Smishing is similar but is done through text message.  

Protecting Yourself from a Phishing Attack

Knowing how to protect yourself from a phishing attack will help to keep your important information safe from unauthorized access. It is important to be sensible and wary whenever you go through your emails. Be extremely suspicious whenever an email asks you for confidential information. Be similarly suspicious if an email is threatening or exceptionally urgent. Don’t use public and unsecured Wi-Fi networks for banking, shopping, or entering personal information. Don’t click on links, even if they seem to be from a secure source.

Refrain from posting personal information, such as your address or phone number, on social media sources. It is important for business owners to ensure that all of their employees are thoroughly trained regarding phishing attacks and how to safely use their email or other internet processes. Whenever you are in doubt regarding an email that you have received, call the company directly. Implementing protective software to your equipment is an incredibly important component in keeping your data protected.

Contact Us!

Phishing attacks can be devastating to any person or business. It is important to understand how they function and how to protect yourself from them. Here at Crossaction Computers, we provide a multitude of services that are designed to keep all of your technological processes safe and secure. Contact our experts to learn more about how to protect yourself from phishing attacks and keep your business safe. We offer services for businesses and personal residences alike to ensure the best possible functionality for your technology. These services include everything from firewalls to enhance your network’s security to email solutions to ensure that your company’s email operates effectively and securely. We also offer virus protection and removal services.

Data is an invaluable component of any business. There are many ways businesses use data, whether to keep track of their transactions or to undergo their regular operations. It is also often used to make superior decisions for the company. When issues with data occur, it can be disastrous for businesses, because it can cause operations to cease and legal issues to arise. Implementing superior data protection strategies is a vital component of operating a successful business and protecting you, your employees, and your clients from the malicious use of personal information.

What is Data Protection?

All information that is stored digitally by a company requires effective protection. There are many facets that are included in thorough data protection. Not only is it important to back up data to prevent significant disruption to the operations of your business, but you also need to secure data to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. All companies use data, which makes it incredibly important to follow the right strategies to protect your company’s data.

The Importance of Implementing Strategies for Data Protection

As the amount of data that businesses store continues to grow, so too does the importance of effective data protection strategies. A single company can potentially possess sensitive information for millions of customers. When data breaches occur, significant issues can arise. For example, obtaining some critical information may allow a harmful individual to extract money from another person’s bank account. It can even put lives in danger if a security breach allows for the manipulation of health and medical records. The level of necessary security will depend primarily on the information that the company stores and is especially important for health and medical records, financial information, social security networks, and the addresses of individuals. It is important to protect the privacy of your employees and clients. A security breach may lead to identity theft and substantial damage to a company’s reputation.

Best Strategies for Data Protection

There are many different strategies involved in the effective protection of sensitive data. Understanding the best possible strategies can go a long way toward preventing these issues from arising. It is highly recommended that you consult with a professional when it comes to protecting the data of your business to ensure that your information can be protected as effectively as possible. Here at Crossaction, our experienced team can provide superior guidance for your data protection strategies, including aspects like implementing firewalls and removing viruses from your equipment.

Spread Awareness

In order to effectively implement strategies for data protection, it is vital to ensure that everyone in your company is aware of your data protection processes. You should ensure that all of your employees are thoroughly trained. It is similarly vital to create official standards regarding your data protection. Not only will this allow you to prove that your data protection methods are effective, but it will also ensure that you are able to hold employees accountable for following all of the steps that you have outlined for your data protection.

Personal Data Protection Steps

Though it is exceptionally important for businesses to protect their critical information, it is similarly important to protect your own personal data protection. You may want to invest in a locking mailbox to prevent your mail from being stolen, which may allow another to have access to your sensitive information. Ensure that you shred any documents that contain personal information prior to throwing the documents away. It is vital to secure your home’s Wi-Fi network with a password to prevent unauthorized monitoring of your internet usage. You should also ensure that you use strong, unique passwords for all of your various accounts to prevent an individual from accessing important accounts. Don’t open spam emails or click on random links that may take you to unsecure sites.

Include all Aspects of Data Protection

Many people either consider data backup or network security when they think of data protection. However, there are multiple aspects that are included under data protection. Implement security software to prevent another from accessing your information. Providing backup, archiving, and indexing solutions to your data can help to ensure that your business won’t cease to operate due to a loss of data. Security is just as important as backing up the data to prevent unauthorized access to the data. Implementing firewalls, network security, and virus protection are all important components to providing effective strategies for data protection.

Limit Authorized Access

First and foremost, you should only collect the data that your company needs to perform its operations. This will minimize the amount of data protection that is required. Additionally, limit individuals with access to sensitive information. Only allow access for those that require the information to complete their jobs. After you have determined who is allowed to access the data, it is vital to take steps to guard against unauthorized access.

Comply with Laws

There are laws in place to ensure that your business follows the steps to protect the information of your employees and clients. Familiarizing yourself with these laws will help you to understand the basic standards that your business should follow. It can also prevent legal issues from arising due to failure to comply with relevant data protection laws. A professional will be able to ensure that your data protection strategies comply with all applicable laws.

There are many ways that data can become compromised, including malware, phishing attacks, and more. These situations can be devastating for individuals and companies alike. Prevention is the best approach to take when it comes to data protection. Effective preparation will help to ensure that your company’s data protection processes will adequately protect your data. Here at Crossaction, our experts can help you to provide superior data protection services to secure the data of your company. From implementing superior firewalls to protecting your business from viruses, these services can limit negative effects that come with a data breach. To learn more about how to develop strategies for data protection for your business, contact us today!