Data corruption, hardware failure and malicious attacks are just a few of the threats that can harm your personal or business files, and if you failed to properly back up your data, you will be out of luck. Taking the right steps when backing up your data will give you peace of mind because you will know that your files are not in danger. No matter if you are trying to safeguard family pictures or business contacts, the following information will help you reach your goals.

1. Utilize The Cloud

When protecting your data is your No. 1 goal, you might feel as though creating a local backup is enough, but it’s not. If all of your files are stored on the same server, then you will still lose everything if that server gets destroyed. The good news is that you can combat this problem by utilizing a Cloud Backup solution. This option involves uploading the data that you want to protect to ‘The Cloud’ – a cluster of servers located in a remote, secure data center.

If something happens to your main or local storage server, cloud backups enable you to still have access to the files that you need. Best of all, your data will be available anytime, anywhere, and from nearly any device.

2. Set a Schedule

After learning about the importance of keeping backups, many businesses either dedicate a server to secure their files or rent one. At first, they put in the effort to create backups on a regular basis, but they don’t remain dedicated to the process. As time goes on, they often stop using their backup servers. To avoid that situation, you can determine how often you need to create backups and set a schedule.

When you do so, staying on track will be that much easier. Some people backup their files one time each week, but others do so every night. The number of backups that you want to create will depend on several factors, but the important part is to remain consistent.

3. Set a Retention Limit

Once you have a backup system in place, you want to decide on the amount of time that you will store your data. Many businesses will delete some backups every few months or years, but you might need to keep some records for as long as you can. For example, tax records should be saved for seven years if you don’t want to encounter problems.

Although deciding which files to keep is not always an easy task, prioritizing your data can help. The length of time that you will keep each backup will also depend on the amount of storage space that is available to you. So if your current solutions are not meeting your needs, then it could be time to consider upgrading.

4. Use Encryption

Backing up your data is a smart move, but you also need to protect your files from unauthorized individuals. Criminals try to target servers that have the least amount of protection because they want to access data easily. If you don’t secure your files, then you could become a victim. If you own or manage a business, then you are also putting your customers’ data at risk, which is not acceptable.

When you encrypt your data, you scramble the code in a way that makes it all but impossible to read. Even if someone can obtain your files, they will not be able to do anything with them. Only those authorized with the decryption key will be able to actually view your data.

Don’t make the mistake of ignoring the threats that can destroy your data. If a business loses its clients’ contact information, then that business could fail. Even if a company can recover from data loss, the fallout could have a lasting impact on its reputation. If customers don’t think that a business takes steps to keep their digital information safe, then they will find a company that does.

Looking for the easiest way to protect your data while utilizing all of the best practices mentioned above?  Look no further than TurnKey Internet’s next-generation Cloud Backup solutions.  What makes us the absolute best Cloud Backup solution on the market is our system was built from the ground up with business users in mind. From encryption so strong that even we can’t see your data, to the most advanced features on the market – like Live Cloud Replication, bare metal recovery and the ability to restore a server, PC or even an entire office of computers, live, in real-time, into a fully functional, cloud-based virtual environment accessible from anywhere over the Internet.

TurnKey Internet’s next-generation Cloud Backup technology offers true Business Continuity and peace of mind through cloud-based redundancy that allows you to restore anything, anytime, anywhere. For more information, visit TurnKeyInternet.net

Choosing to migrate your company’s IT infrastructure and data to the cloud is no easy decision. However, the number of benefits that the cloud offers to you and your business can make this change well worth it. The cloud is able to offer you many more security features and guarantees for your data than you typically have in your own on-site server room. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits migrating to the cloud will provide.

Better Data Security

Possibly the most important aspect of cloud storage, data security is the main priority of cloud services. With some high-profile companies becoming the victims of data breaches in the last couple of years, cloud providers have upped their investments in access control, identity management, intrusion prevention and virus and malware protection. These improvements have resulted in increased security protocols and more protection for communication between users and servers.

Improved Availability

Cloud providers are exceptionally reliable. The connection is on 99.99 percent of the time, only going down for maintenance, and you will have access to your applications and data at all times and from practically anywhere. Data stored in the cloud is available to those who need it no matter where they are located. With today’s internet connections via mobile devices and smartphones, you will be able to access your data and your applications no matter what you are doing.

Reduced Costs

Migrating all of your data to the cloud will allow you to reduce the size and cost of your on-site location. For example, you will be able to remove servers, lower your software costs and potentially reduce IT staff without compromising the integrity or security of your data. Most cloud storage is paid on an as-needed basis, so you will only pay for the amount of server and infrastructure capacity that your business needs, and you can change that amount at any time.

Finding the Right Data Center

Once you have decided that storing your information in the cloud is the right decision for your business, you will need to find the right provider and data center. You are placing all of your important data in the hands of this provider, so you must make sure that you choose the right one. Technology is constantly changing and improving, and you need to be able to trust that your cloud provider will keep up with the evolution of security needs. Before choosing a data center, you should inquire about the physical security of the facility, what back-up measures for power and internet are in place, as well as what level of support is available to you if you need it.

When you are searching for a data center, ask potential candidates about their compliance to SSAE-18 and SOC. This set of standards measures the amount of control that a service organization maintains over your sensitive data and financial information. An audit will report any flaws in data flow. You should also inquire about compliance to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This regulation ensures the security and privacy of private health information that is stored on cloud services. A HIPAA audit will demonstrate holes in the security of such specific and sensitive data. If your data center choice is compliant with both of these standards, you can rest assured that your sensitive data will be monitored and its integrity will be maintained.

TurnKey Internet owns and operates its own private, SSAE-18 SOC  1 & SOC 2 certified, HIPAA compliant data center located in New York’s Tech Valley region. Our data center was a former U.S. Government building that was purchased by TurnKey in 2010. It is made to U.S. Federal Government standards, with 1-foot thick concrete along the perimeter, plus additional reinforced walls and security enhancements. We have installed advanced security systems, and infrared based surveillance monitoring cameras. Employees all undergo background screening, and clients are not permitted within the facility except with photo ID and escorted by trained security personnel at all times.

Owning our data center, we have been able to design, build and maintain every aspect of its construction to provide an ideal hosted server environment. This allows us to provide our clients fast, secure and reliable performance at all times. We’ve also been able to leverage the state-of-the-art in green technologies, making our data center among the most energy-efficient world-wide. For more information, visit https://turnkeyinternet.net/datacenters

When businesses save files to their hard drive or another storage device, they often feel as though their data will always be available when they need it. That assumption, however, is dangerous and can cause any company to lose their important files. Data corruption, hardware failure and malicious attacks are just a few of the threats that can harm your files, and those who fail to back up their data will be out of luck. Confused and frustrated, these individuals often find out the hard way that they should have taken action.

If you don’t want to repeat the same mistake, then it’s time to take a look at the different ways that you can protect your data from being destroyed. Taking the right steps will give you peace of mind because you will know that your files are not in danger. No matter if you are trying to safeguard family pictures or business contacts, the following information will help you reach your goals.

Cloud Backup

When protecting your data is your No. 1 goal, you might feel as though creating a local backup is enough, but it’s not. If all of your files are stored on the same server, then you will still lose everything if that server gets destroyed. The good news is that you can combat this problem by utilizing a Cloud Backup solution. This option involves uploading the data that you want to protect to ‘The Cloud’ – a cluster of servers located in a remote, secure datacenter.

If something happens to your main or local storage server, cloud backups enable you to still have access to the files that you need. Best of all, your data will be available anytime, anywhere, and from nearly any device.

Set a Schedule

After learning about the importance of keeping backups, many businesses either dedicate a server to secure their files or rent one. At first, they put in the effort to create backups on a regular basis, but they don’t remain dedicated to the process. As time goes on, they often stop using their backup servers. To avoid that situation, you can determine how often you need to create backups and set a schedule.

When you do so, staying on track will be that much easier. Some people backup their files one time each week, but others do so every night. The number of backups that you want to create will depend on several factors, but the important part is to remain consistent.

Set a Retention Limit

Once you have a backup system in place, you want to decide on the amount of time that you will store your data. Many businesses will delete some backups every few months or years, but you might need to keep some records for as long as you can. For example, tax records should be saved for seven years if you don’t want to encounter problems.

Although deciding which files to keep is not always an easy task, prioritizing your data can help. The length of time that you will keep each backup will also depend on the amount of storage space that is available to you. So if your current solutions are not meeting your needs, then it could be time to consider upgrading.

Use Encryption

Backing up your data is a smart move, but you also need to protect your files from unauthorized individuals. Criminals try to target servers that have the least amount of protection because they want to access data easily. If you don’t secure your files, then you could become a victim. If you own or manage a business, then you are also putting your customers’ data at risk, which is not acceptable.

When you encrypt your data, you scramble the code in a way that makes it all but impossible to read. Even if someone can obtain your files, they will not be able to do anything with them. Only those authorized with the decryption key will be able to actually view your data.

Final Thoughts

Don’t make the mistake of ignoring the threats that can destroy your data. If a business loses its clients’ contact information, then that business could fail. Even if a company can recover from data loss, the fallout could have a lasting impact on its reputation. If customers don’t think that a business takes steps to keep their digital information safe, then they will find a company that does.

As technology continues to improve, you will start to depend on it more and more each day, and the dangers involved with not protecting yourself will only increase. Backing up your data right now could be a choice that saves your business from failure, and you should keep that fact at the front of your mind when you are making your decision.

Looking for the easiest way to protect your data while utilizing all of the best practices mentioned above?  Look no further than TurnKey Internet’s next-generation Cloud Backup solution – TurnKey Vault.  What makes TurnKey Vault the absolute best Cloud Backup solution on the market is our system was built from the ground up with business users in mind. From encryption so strong that even we can’t see your data, to the most advanced features on the market – like Live Cloud Replication, bare metal recovery and the ability to restore a server, PC or even an entire office of computers, live, in real-time, into a fully functional, cloud-based virtual environment accessible from anywhere over the Internet.

TurnKey Vault’s next-generation Cloud Backup technology offers true Business Continuity and peace of mind through cloud-based redundancy that allows you to restore anything, anytime, anywhere. For more information, visit TurnKeyVault.com

Why move to the cloud? Here is May’s cloud tip.

Businesses are more agile in the cloud…

Agility in business operations is made possible through the use of effective and efficient tools. These tools ultimately help make a business or work environment strong. Cloud technology is built on certain business strategies. For example, understanding service-level agreements (SLA’s) and developing various strategies to better understand the business as a whole. The steps of these strategies can then be analyzed—as well as improvised—in order to keep the business running smoothly, and this is all made easier with cloud technology.

Why move to the cloud? Here is March’s quick cloud tip:

Cloud technology optimizes existing resources…

Suppose your company is facing hard times in managing hardware and software. Let’s say your servers are running extremely low on space, and there is not enough room left for any new data to be stored. To overcome such a situation, cloud services can be employed. In turn, existing servers get a rest from the over-loaded traffic, and the work environment of the company becomes more synchronized.

Moving to the cloud optimizes your resources, but with the help of managed cloud services, businesses are able to focus time and attention on other business-related activities.

Why move to the cloud? Here is February’s quick cloud tip:

24/7 availability, and performance-oriented infrastructure…

When we talk about cloud technology, there are concerns. One main concern is whether or not the technology can cater to clients’ needs, and another is the scalability of the environment created. If such questions boggle your mind, don’t worry. Managed cloud services will do both for you. Cloud monitoring and cloud migration of data from one server to the cloud server are two features (among many others) that are catered to by managed cloud service providers.

“Hindsight gives you 20/20 vision,” is a statement you should keep in mind as you read this blog article. Many businesses that were just recently affected in some way by Hurricane Sandy could have avoided the complete standstill to their services by preparing and planning out just what they would do if their facility suffered a catastrophic loss. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes,  snow storms, flooding, and fire are some of the most obvious causes of potentially disastrous losses that could halt the operations of a business. In fact, the property of a business does not even have to have any direct damage for a natural disaster to halt their business. For example, loss of electricity, telephone, or internet connectivity can cause problems with functionality, as those services are paramount.

The question any disaster recovery consultant will ask you is, “how would your business survive if it was affected short-term and/or long-term by some catastrophic event?” If you understand that any type of disaster could destroy your computing infrastructure – where all of your company records and data are stored, which could quite possibly destroy your business – then you should have a plan in place to alleviate that possibility.

At the very least, any business that uses computing to manage their operations should have an off-site back-up of their most important data and records. This is not a very expensive strategy, it is something that can be entirely automated, and it does not even need to be accessed until you actually need to use it. There are automated back-up systems available from most data-centers, which back-up your data as frequently as you desire. The incremental changes made in the time-frame chosen are then sent across the internet through an encrypted protocol, and stored in a managed backup system at the data center. Usually, the client is provided with a secure web interface to access those files as needed. These back-ups can also be used to restore individual data files that may have become deleted or damaged at any time, and downloaded back to the computers in your office.

The next step up from simply backing-up your data for protection from a disaster would be hosting some, to all, of your regular computing infrastructure in a data center (cloud computing). If you hosted your main office server in a data center and accessed your files over the Internet from the PCs in your office, you could survive a disaster from a computing standpoint. All of your important data could then be accessed from a temporary, remote location, or even by having your employees work from home until the office is re-established. Many companies are now hosting their entire computing infrastructure in a data center; everything from virtual PCs to their application servers. These can then be accessed through just about any device that is connected to the internet, such as a PC, Mac, tablet, and many types of smartphones.

Communicating with your customer base during and after any disaster is vital in many cases. When your email and telephone systems are cut off, and you and your customers can no longer communicate, this could be extremely damaging to your business. By hosting your email server at a data center, you have access to your email system through almost any device connected to the internet.

One of the data center services that is really gaining popularity lately is VOIP-based hosted phone systems. In a VOIP-based system, The PBX system normally nailed to the wall in an office is replaced by a PBX server in a data center. Management and administration of the system is then done though a web interface. All phone communication is channeled through voice over Internet protocol (VOIP).  The advantage of this in a disaster is that your phone system is always intact. You can access your administration portal over the Internet and change any settings that may be necessary, such as adding additional extensions for remote users. Staff members can work from remote locations or at home, by accessing the phone system with a softphone on their PC or by having their calls transferred from their extensions to their cell phones.

I have suggested that data center services, TurnKey Internet included, are great solutions to the issues surrounding disaster recovery. The key reason is that they have multiple redundancies in place to provide 100% up-time guarantees. At TurnKey Internet, we have multiple fiber providers supplying our Internet and bandwidth through diverse physical paths into our facility. We have complicated switch gear in place to maintain your connections, in case one or some of the fiber connections coming into the building are disrupted. Additionally, our power supply is backed-up with both a robust battery back-up supply to all servers and equipment, as well as an on-site diesel generator that can power our facility long-term if necessary.  For these reasons and more, anyone considering disaster recovery planning should consider the options available from reputable data centers like ours at TurnKey Internet, to insure that their business is not damaged long-term by a catastrophic event that had not been planned for.

At TurnKey Internet, there is only one thing we like to do more than make new friends, and that one thing is tell everyone about it. That being said, we are so excited to announce that docSTAR, a document management software company and subsidiary of Astria Solutions Group, LLC., is moving into our Latham, NY data center!

docSTAR is located in Schenectady, NY, so we’re basically neighbors. This is one of the most noteworthy aspects of docSTAR’s move into the TurnKey  cloud. There has been quite a stir around here in regards to teaming-up with a fellow Capital Region small business, and we welcome them wholeheartedly to our facility. We like to think of it as a little ray of sunshine on the heels of Hurricane Sandy!

Greg Laird, docSTAR’s VP of Product Development commented, “The cloud powers our software and our business. Our growth required a bigger, faster, stronger cloud in order to continue to provide the highest level of service. The TurnKey data center exceeds all of our requirements, so our customers can continue to grow.”

We’re more than happy to help! To read the full press release, you can check it out here.

We have enabled a new feature for clients using our hosting packages (reseller hosting, SEO hosting, standard web hosting, e-commerce hosting, and website builder hosting), which will allow you to unblock your IP if you should be temporarily blocked or banned by our hosting server firewalls.

TurnKey utilizes highly secure servers, software, and firewall monitoring systems, which block remote access to IPs that appear to be repeatedly doing things they shouldn’t (like trying to login using the wrong password hundreds of times in a few minute period).  Unfortunately, from time to time, this can impact you, or the web sites you host for friends or clients, when someone has a misconfigured password somewhere.  In cases like this, it’s easier for you to be able to remove the block on your IP (and to see why it was blocked) and to do it instantly via the new web-based interface we have provided for you.

To access this system, go to https://secure.turnkeyinternet.net, click the link on the right-hand tool bar that says UNBLOCK IPS FROM FIREWALL, and you will have full and instant access.

Clients with VPS, cloud, dedicated, or colocated servers who think a firewall has blocked them, will need to open a support ticket for additional help – this feature is only for those on our hosting platforms as noted above.

If you have any questions, or continue to have issues, feel free to open a support ticket.