Preterion's Content Management

Category: Blog

  • Change Your Thinking: Switch to SaaS Instead of Buying Software

    Software, you need it, you buy it, you update it. That’s how you access the applications you need, that’s the only way. Or is it? Times have changed and NOW there is a much easier, more economical, and relatively stress-free way of accessing software (and hardware) without the burgeoning costs. Let us introduce you to the possibility of SaaS.

    Software as a Service or SAAS offers applications through the internet as a service and is tailored to any sized business. It enables you to access the latest hardware as well as software without needing to purchase new licences and avoid the complexity (and cost) of installing and maintaining complex software and hardware at your premises.

    What Are the Basics of SaaS?

    When you sign a contract for SAAS you are purchasing:

    • The right to access software – the provider is responsible for updates and replacement, and everything required to keep the software accessible and running.
    • A hosting service.
    • An infrastructure service – the software runs on the providers infrastructure offsite; they cover the costs of maintaining and upgrading the hardware, including the availability of security options.

    SaaS is bought as a subscription with a recurring fee that grants you the right to use the software for your business.

    You can tailor your plan to fit your business model and pay for the services you need, with the option to expand as your business does or to fit busy trading periods. And you stop paying the fee once you choose to terminate the service – contracts may vary so check the terms before you sign.

    The 4 Main Benefits SaaS Provide to Your Business

    The benefits of SaaS can be broken up into four main areas:

    Extensive savings free up money for other budget items

    • Removes the upfront costs of both installation and purchase of software.
    • The cost of upgrades and ongoing maintenance are shouldered by the provider.
    • Gives SMBs, in particular, access to software they could otherwise not afford.
    • Less financial risk investing in expensive software.
    • When hosted offsite, the provider supplies the infrastructure and upgrades as required.

    Time saved can be spent focusing on your business

    • Simply installed via existing internet access.
    • Upgrades are remote and completed by the provider saving downtime and internal wages.
    • Maintenance is the vendor’s responsibility, freeing your IT team (if you have one) to undertake more pressing tasks.
    • Quicker adoption by your employees.

    SaaS offers scalability and greater accessibility

    • Pay-as-you-go allows you to easily change your usage plan to fit your circumstances. Scale up or down to suit your circumstances.
    • As a web-based service, SaaS enables users access wherever they have an internet connection.

    Software is always upgraded to the latest version

    • Security is optimal when software is always up to date.
    • No more compatibility issues with version discrepancies.

    A Few Last Words

    If you are currently purchasing your own software, you not only pay for it and licencing to suit the number of users, but you are also responsible for all of the costs to support that network. These will include power and cooling for the server, applying updates, and ensuring you have the best security solution installed.

    On top of that, you assume all risk, labour costs, and a myriad of other costs that are ongoing including hardware updates and maintenance. SaaS enables you to stop focusing on your IT and instead leave it in the hands of experts.

  • Is Server Uptime Reporting in SLA’s Still Relevant in 2021?

    Keeping track of your server uptime reporting may not be as important as it used to be, but it is still a valuable indicator when used accurately.

    However, there is another metric that will give you a more precise picture of the health of your network and overall downtime. And understanding the difference between the two is essential when navigating providers.

    Uptime Vs Availability & Why You Need to Know the Difference

    Odds are, if you employ one of the hosting services available for your network, you will have heard of both uptime reporting and availability. Often people get these two confused or mistakenly think they are the same BUT the reality is they are two very different indicators of the health of your provider’s service.

    Uptime = Online & Active

    Uptime is thought to be the calculated time that your network or website is online and available to you and your clients. However, it actually refers to the time that your allocated server is active, powered on, and accessible to your system administrators.

    It may be that the service is up but not necessarily available to your applications. If this is the case, essentially your business is not functioning as it should without the access that you need, but it still counts as uptime.

    So, server uptime reporting by itself doesn’t reflect the entire picture.

    Availability Defines Productive/Accessible Server UpTime

    Availability statistics give you a more holistic and accurate view of your network because they represent the amount of time that your server(s) is accessible AND that all associated applications and services can be used.

    For instance, a company may have 100% live uptime because their server is operating, however, if the services on the server are not operational and not accessible, the uptime maybe 100% but the actual availability is 0%.

    Ensure Your Supplier Service-level Agreements (SLA) Cover You for Downtime Metrics

    The SLA metrics that fit your business are defined by the services agreed upon with your provider. Keep it as simple as possible and minimise your costs.

    Determine the essential elements of your operation, and to ensure that your service delivers optimal benefits, and choose easy metric data collection (automated is ideal) to avoid potentially costly downtime. Metrics that you may include:

    • Availability of service: generally measured using predetermined time slots.
    • Defect rates: the percentage or counts of faults in significant deliverables. This can include coding errors, inadequate backups and restores, and deadlines that are missed.
    • Network security: breaches can cost your company in productivity and monetary costs. If you closely manage updates and patches it’s likely that incidents will be managed swiftly.
    • Technical quality control: commercial analysis tools need to be engaged to measure the quality of application development that is outsourced.
    • Business outcomes: you can join an increasing trend for companies to include business process metrics as KPI’s given that they can easily be measured.

    A Few Last Words

    It’s worth including uptime reporting on any SLA that you hold with service providers, but it is even more important to keep a track of the server availability. Your SLA ideally will commit to a high but realistic availability time because downtime costs money and needs to be minimized.

  • Your PEOPLE May Be Your Business’ Weakest Security Link

    You may not realise this but a high percentage of security breaches in business’ are connected to or caused by people within an organisation. In 2020 the statistics showed that 38% of breaches were attributed to human error in Australia, and instead of decreasing this metric is on the rise.

    Knowing this and understanding how these breaches occur are the first steps to ensuring the security of your business data. Human error is random, potentially making users the weakest link. So, let’s have a look at the most common ways people create risk at work with simple actions.

    Why Attackers Target Employees

    Why are employees the most vulnerable? Cyber attackers like to use social engineering to exploit human behaviour and coax a monetary return for themselves through employee error or negligence. Usually, through phishing, they engage with employees using malicious intent.

    Employees are more likely to open emails by rote and download harmful content without realising it when they are busy or distracted.

    Attackers may:

    • Install Ransomware that encrypts company files and data until a ransom is paid.
    • Facilitate the theft of source codes, the personal details of employees, and client information.
    • Engage in blackmail.
    • Engage in industrial espionage.
    • Damage the company’s brand and reputation.
    • Disrupt services or production.
    • And more.

    Where You May Be Most Exposed

    The risks attackers exploit are often easy to plug. These are the three areas where breaches using employees may happen.

    Maintain Passwords as a Secure Gateway

    We need a password for almost everything we interact with online. Trying to maintain them as unique and keeping track of them all is a mammoth task, and this is where users often become apathetic.

    When passwords are stolen or broken, hackers can access your data. It is in your best interest to inform your staff about the potential hazards and establish a companywide policy for regular password revision to reduce the risk.

    Warn About the Dangers of Phishing

    Phishing attacks are often preventable – if only that person doesn’t open this link in that email. Seems easy, yet it still happens far too often. Attackers target login credentials, company data, and financial details, usually through email.

    Employees need to be aware of what potential phishing emails look like, that they are primarily emotional manipulation, and what to do if a communication they receive seems suspicious.

    Updating Protection is an Easy Fix

    Malware can be dealt with using robust security software, yet users fail to install solutions (on all devices), and if it is in place, don’t take the necessary steps to keep it up to date.

    Attackers are continuously refining and redeveloping their attacks. To stay current, patches and updates are developed and if they are not installed your security is compromised.

    Taking a moment to update is an easy fix.

    Reducing Business Wide Vulnerabilities

    Addressing the problem across your business to reduce your vulnerability can be as simple as:

    1. Providing in-depth training to employees that includes the different types of risks and how they may present.
    2. Conducting risk assessments regularly on your employees to ensure they are following the prescribed security protocols.
    3. Devising incentive schemes to encourage employees to think about security.
    4. Regular Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT).

    A Few Last Words

    With more people working from home in 2020/21, attacks in general have increased to take advantage of home systems that may not have optimal protection because businesses had to quickly pivot to stay afloat.

    We have more time to plan now and one of the issues that always needs to be top of mind for your business is security, regardless of where your workers are located and the devices they use.

    Your security needs depend on the size of your business, but you will always have people working for you. Support them in creating security awareness and you are already starting to reduce your risk.

  • The Real Impact of Not Having a Business Continuity Plan

    Are you prepared in case your business is disrupted? Any company that didn’t have a continuity plan when the world abruptly changed in 2020, struggled to survive. As the way we did business dramatically changed, business owners were caught out except those with plans in place to pivot in case of disaster.

    Now, if you don’t already have a business continuity plan it’s time to seriously take some time to contingency plan known risks and potential interruptions or breaches.

    Business Continuity Vs Disaster Recovery – What’s the Difference?

    Both types of planning focus on business continuity. Your disaster recovery plan is a subset of your overall continuity plan and deals with what steps need to be taken in case of an attack or major failure. It includes allocating roles to staff members and ensuring they are trained and able to step in at a moment’s notice.

    Disaster recovery is primarily data-driven and outlines how data is to be stored post-disaster so that it is easily accessible. Whereas business continuity also covers the management of identified risks and determines the supervision and planning a business needs to remain operational throughout a disruption.

    Navigating Fallout Without a Business Continuity Plan Has Real Consequences

    Everyone is busy, they focus on the tasks in front of them and leave the long-term planning until later. But what happens when later never comes and disaster strikes, and you are not prepared?

    Here are some of the real impacts that the lack of forward thinking can have on your business.

    Total business failure

    Not everyone survives disruption, that’s a key learning from 2020-21. Way too many businesses failed and while there is more than one reason for this sadly, neglecting to contingency plan and assess risks is a key factor for many of the businesses that permanently closed their doors.

    Disruption can be financially damaging

    Without a plan to mitigate financial loss, data breaches, natural disasters, and other crises can be excessively harmful to your business. With a simple plan in place, damage can be reduced and, instead of chaos following a crisis, employees are empowered to act and immediately move to the recovery process.

    Damaged reputation

    You work hard to establish your brand. Things unfortunately happen and customers will create a perception of your brand depending on how you handle an attack or crisis. If you bumble around, unprepared and uncommunicative, customers will stop trusting you.

    You need to communicate strong messages using up-to-date information to create a positive perception. When you shape the conversation and keep ahead of media commentary, you have a much better chance of retaining a positive brand identity.

    Interrupted productivity

    When productivity is impacted, the fallout is felt in all areas of your business. Ensure employees and stakeholders are given the latest information following a disruption and have a plan to lessen damage, that kicks in as soon as the interruption is detected.

    Get Started on Your Business Continuity Plan with Our Quick Checklist

    The hardest thing about a business continuity plan can be knowing where to begin. Use our simple checklist to get started:

    1. Create a team to oversee the planning: having a dedicated team helps to keep the plan on track. Be specific and allocate tasks to individuals, and make sure key personnel are included.
    2. Map out your strategy: determine your objectives and establish goals – make sure they are clearly defined and communicated. To do this, list possible disruptions, determine critical functions, and then devise recovery strategies for every potential disruption.
    3. Run an impact analysis on your business: analyse the threats you have already identified, this will vary depending on your industry, and geographical location. Remember to include external as well as internal risks.
    4. Knowledge empowers your employees: once you have your plan, make sure that staff are trained in the objectives, necessities, and key components of the plan and the roles that they are assigned to.
    5. Continually update your plan: test your business continuity plan on a regular basis. Run simulations and make sure your plan is adjusted to include changes in your operation. If something in the plan isn’t effective, tweak it to ensure that it will minimize disruption during a crisis.

    A Few Last Words

    Don’t set your business up to fail, creating your business continuation plan is a simple process. Contingency planning and empowering your staff can easily be the difference between succeeding and failing in the face of disruption.

  • Is Full Ransomware Removal & Recovery Possible? A Comprehensive Guide

    Ransomware Removal & Recovery: A Comprehensive Look

    Ransomware – it’s a major concern for both individuals and businesses. When it breaches your defenses, you’re immediately locked out. And so, we ask: Can we achieve 100% ransomware removal and recovery?

    First, let’s see where attacks usually come from.

    Ransomware’s Entry Points: Stay Alert

    As our protective measures get smarter, so do the attacks. Ransomware has many infiltration paths:

    • Crafty phishing emails with harmful attachments.
    • Drive-by downloads: you visit an infected site, and voila – malware sneaks in.
    • Via instant messaging on the web.
    • By exploiting vulnerable web servers. The list keeps growing, so we must remain vigilant. But, what should we do if ransomware breaches our defenses?

    Ransomware Hits: Act Immediately

    Ransomware’s global threat is growing, and the cost to businesses may skyrocket to $20 billion. In response, 32 nations, including Australia, launched the Counter Ransomware Initiative. The Initiative focuses on cyberattack resistance, disrupting cybercriminal operations, and fighting illicit financial activities. Moreover, Australia introduced the Ransomware Action Plan in 2021.

    If ransomware infects your network, follow these crucial steps:

    1. Isolate: Contain the damage. Disconnect infected computers ASAP.
    2. Identify: Understand your enemy. Use tools or IT expertise to identify the malware.
    3. Report: Alert the authorities. Their specialists will guide your response.
    4. Plan: After resolving the crisis, assess and bolster your defenses to avert future attacks.

    Ransomware Removal & Recovery: Myth or Reality?

    The debate continues: can we completely remove ransomware? With constant evolution and no universal decryptor, it’s tricky. Experts recommend a thorough wipe of all storage devices and restoring from a pre-infection backup.

    Some might opt for System Restore, but it may miss hidden viruses. Thus, backups are the safer bet.

    In Conclusion: Ransomware’s Persistence

    Ransomware isn’t going anywhere soon. Our best defense? Prevention. Keep malware out of your system to protect your data and avoid costly disruptions. With this knowledge, you’re better equipped to combat and recover from a ransomware attack.