The Importance of a Business Continuity Plan
IT Consulting

The Importance of a Business Continuity Plan

Written by Layer One Networks Published

Imagine a situation where your computer systems crash, you’re not able to access your data, and you’re losing clients. How would you deal with that? Would you be able to recover quickly?

Troubleshooting is not only time-consuming, but it’s also stressful. Every day, businesses face business continuity problems like server downtime, loss of data, etc. It’s best to have a strategy or plan in place to handle these situations before they happen.

In this blog, let’s look at everything you need to know about a business continuity plan.

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

Backup Recovery System

A business continuity plan is a document that details how your business can still be successful even when faced with unexpected circumstances. Unless you have a plan in place, your business may not be able to survive should a situation arise that requires immediate and comprehensive action.

Business continuity planning aims to prevent or minimize damage caused by threats to the business. This can be in contrast to disaster recovery planning, which is the process of dealing with a threat that has already happened and involves repairing or restoring damaged systems and recovering data. 

Business continuity plans (BCP) are tailor-made for every organization. They can be as simple as a list of contacts or as complex as an entire database of systems and software backups. The important thing is to put business continuity plans in place before any disaster strikes. Luckily, your business can rely on experienced IT consulting firms to draw up the BCP.

Developing an effective BCP protects information and ensures that a minimum level of services is restored efficiently.

Why is it Necessary for Every Business to Have a Continuity Plan?

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We’ve listed some of the most critical reasons why having a business continuity plan is essential for your business:

1. Reduces stress levels: Having a plan helps you deal with such situations more efficiently and effectively. You don’t have to rely on external help or specialists whenever there is an issue with your network, servers, or data.

2. Avoids downtime and allows for quick recovery: Downtime can bring down your productivity and result in loss of revenue and clients. In the event of a system failure, a backup plan ensures that even if one system fails, the others can take over smoothly without causing any disruption.

3. Minimizes chances of data loss: Data loss can be costly from both a customer and business perspective.

Types of Business Continuity Plans

Business continuity plans come in many different styles and formats, each designed for specific situations. However, the following are the most common types of plans:

1. Crisis Management Plan: A crisis management plan focuses on all aspects of a potential disaster and how your company will respond. This plan details the actions that will be taken and the roles and responsibilities of employees during times of crisis. It also describes how the information will flow so that everyone has clear direction on what they need to do while working together as one cohesive unit.

2. Continuity of Operations Plan: A continuity of operations plan is a blueprint for how your business can continue operating during an emergency or disaster situation. It is a plan that covers the business’s day-to-day operations like any equipment failure, inclement weather, natural disaster, etc.

3. Emergency Response Plan: This plan is a compilation of procedures that define how an organization will respond to various emergencies. The plan defines roles and responsibilities for staff members in an emergency situation. It also provides details about alternate worksites, data backup procedures, and other infrastructure requirements.

What Should a BCP Include?

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Creating a business continuity plan is an essential part of planning for disaster. A plan should be created to ensure that your business can continue to operate regardless of the circumstances with an expert IT support specialist at your side.

A business continuity plan is made up of multiple components:

Business Impact Analysis

This is a detailed assessment of how each department contributes to achieving the company’s broader objectives, how each department would be affected by disruption and how long you would survive without this function. You’ll need to identify any critical applications and infrastructure which could cause loss of availability or data loss.

You can reach out to an IT consultant service to draw up these assessments to serve as a foundation for your BCP.

Continuity Planning Policy 

To ensure that your organization maintains continuity, you will need to develop critical policies that employees must follow in an emergency. At the very minimum, this will include your policy on working from home.

Contingency Plan 

This is a collection of documents and procedures that you will follow when an incident occurs.

Testing and Review 

Once your BCP is finalized, it’s time to put it to the test. You can create a simulated emergency and see how the plan works in real-time. Then, you can observe the response to make some tweaks to the program.

Wrapping Up

If you establish a good business continuity plan, your business can grow, prosper and produce results that will help it to become more profitable and successful. Business continuity plans are vital in ensuring the success of your organization, even if it’s just a startup.

Don’t have a business continuity plan yet?

Reach out to our support team that offers IT consulting services to help businesses prepare, prevent and brace for the worst. Our IT services can help to protect you against any emergency and create a continuity plan to keep your business operations running smoothly at all times. 

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What Is The Need For IT Security And Cybersecurity
data security services

What is The Need For IT Security And Cybersecurity?

Written by Layer One Networks Published

Ever had a scare of an unauthorized attempt to breach your IT system?

When you had to go through such a harrowing experience, you would know why you should give due importance to IT security. 

Cyberattacks are becoming so frequent and common. Nowadays, hackers aren’t just targeting the big corporations but also the small startups and even ordinary individuals. So when the risks of being open to such cyber threats are increasing, we need to mount additional security to protect our IT systems from such malicious attempts.

In this blog, we’ll look at some strong reasons you need data security systems and how you can enforce them.

3 Reasons Why Your Company Needs Powerful IT Security

3 Reasons Why Your Company Needs Powerful IT Security

At LayerOne Networks, one of the top IT consulting firms in the country, we’ve seen many clients coming to us after data breaches or cyber threats. And there’s one thing we advise to all of them — take preventive measures before the danger becomes real and does real damage. We offer security IT services for clients to protect themselves before the threat becomes a significant issue.

This is why our cybersecurity experts are bringing together some compelling reasons for you to take IT security seriously before you become a victim.

  • Hackers Leave No One

Hackers Leave No One

The threat of cyberattacks is accurate, and it’s there to stay. Therefore, every organization has to take preventive measures to keep their data safe and their customers’ sensitive information secure. 

Several hackers have different purposes for hacking and gaining access. Some do it for monetary purposes, some for political reasons, and some do it just because they can! There are so many different kinds of hacking attempts that don’t see the nature of your business or the amount of money you have.

You may be a slowly-growing startup, and you may still be hacked or infiltrated with ransomware just because your system was easy to break.

In a first-ever study at the University of Maryland, hacker attempts are found to happen every 39 seconds on average! Even if you’ve been spared till now, you never know when your turn might come. So, it’s always better to be cautious and on your defense to protect your IT systems.

  • The Developments in Technologies Help the Hackers Too

The Developments in Technologies Help the Hackers Too

As we see new technologies coming up for data protection and cybersecurity, we must remember that more such technologies can help hackers. The hackers are also getting armed with new tools and software, which allows them to break firewalls and find loopholes in the security systems.

For example, when your employees use IoT devices in the same network they use to log in to your company’s server, it becomes even more accessible for hackers to gain access. Such technological advancements are proving to be a cybersecurity threat and can compromise even highly secure systems.

Companies need to be cautious with the software they use and be stringent with employee policies on the login. You don’t just need robust cybersecurity solutions but should also teach your employees to conduct business in a safe atmosphere.

  • Cybersecurity Threats Are Far More Than We Think

When we say cybersecurity, it doesn’t just mean protecting the access pages and keeping up firewalls. There are multiple threats in cybersecurity that require individual attention:

Data security is the protection of the information stored in an offline database or online cloud storage. There are numerous ways through which hackers can gain access to these storage systems. Several security measures are needed to prevent that, like data encryption, tokenization, data access security management, and many more.

Network security is essential to protect the entire IT system from unauthorized access through the networks. Intruders generally use malware or viruses to get access details and codes and use them to target companies.

You can improve network security through antivirus programs, firewalls, renewing new passwords regularly, antispy software, and antimalware software.

Application security is needed when a particular application is targeted — either to gain access to the application’s critical information or gain access to the entire system through the application. Applications can be protected from such access through regular maintenance and security checks, updating the applications often, and conducting vulnerability and penetration testing to find loopholes in the security systems.

These are just a few of the common cybersecurity risks and systems you need. Unfortunately, there are far more such security risks your company is prone to, and it’s vital to analyze and understand every one of them to ensure their security.

What to Look for in a Cybersecurity Service Provider

If you’re searching for someone to provide managed IT services, including cybersecurity, then you need to know what you’re looking for.

Here are some essential qualities that a cybersecurity provider should have:

  • Expertise in various types of cybersecurity 
  • Expertise in the recent hacking technologies and IT security solutions
  • Prompt in chipping in and fixing issues
  • Dependable to handle the sensitive information
  • Previous history of successful security projects and satisfied clients
  • Demonstrated ability to control the security of your entire IT infrastructure 
  • An eye for finding security loopholes and knowledge of improving the current position

If you’ve been wondering, ‘Where can I find such IT services near me to enforce cybersecurity?’, we have the solution. LayerOne Networks offers IT consulting services on cybersecurity to help you figure out the best way to keep your systems safe.

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Hybrid Cloud
Cloud Services

Multi-Cloud vs. Hybrid Cloud – Know the Main Difference

Written by Layer One Networks Published

Most companies rely on cloud storage for their everyday operations. But different cloud computing models can be tricky.

Many companies turned to cloud computing when the traditional means of offline or on-campus storage started to become unfeasible and extremely challenging.

While cloud computing solves a good majority of the issues that businesses face with offline storage, the different models of the cloud can store endless amounts of data.

Initially, many companies started using the public cloud, where the infrastructure and support were provided by the likes of the top companies — Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. This cloud model quickly gained popularity and created revolutionary, affordable storage solutions for businesses of various scales.

However, this public cloud model doesn’t solve some issues where another storage option already exists. This was when the terms ‘multi-cloud and ‘hybrid cloud’ were introduced. So what exactly are they and what’s the difference between both? Let’s find out.

What is a Multi-Cloud Platform?

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Unlike a hybrid cloud platform where two different cloud storage models are involved, a multi-cloud platform is when several cloud computing solutions of the public cloud environment exist together. 

For example, a company can use public cloud storage from Amazon to store data related to marketing and sales, Microsoft’s cloud solutions for finance data transactions, and finally from Google for the rest of it.

A combination of such various public cloud models used together in an organization is called a multi-cloud platform. When partnering with multiple cloud vendors for different tasks removes the dependency on the individual providers and chooses to pick the cloud platform based on the individual department’s requirements.

What is a Hybrid Cloud Platform?

Cloud Storage Services

Some organizations may already be relying on a private cloud for their data storage, primarily due to their security concerns. But because of the enormous administrative and maintenance tasks needed, they may choose to go for a public cloud platform and combine both the operations together.

This is when companies go for a combination of public and private clouds called the ‘hybrid cloud model’. Sometimes, a company can combine the public cloud with an on-premise storage system too.

Hybrid cloud models are more often used along with the traditional IT systems by organizations who wish to modernize their storage options.

What’s the Difference Between a Hybrid Cloud and Multi-Cloud?

While the distinction on the combination of two or more cloud models helps to identify if it’s a hybrid or a multi-cloud, there are also some important differences.

  • Inter-Cloud Operations

In a hybrid cloud environment, you can differentiate and allocate operations to be conducted on just one cloud. All of the functions in the hybrid cloud platform will be communicated to the platform as a whole. This means that the individual clouds need to communicate with each other.

However, that’s not the case with a multi-cloud platform. Each team can pick its choice of cloud inside the multi-cloud and conduct operations without any interaction with the other cloud. This benefits individualistic operations that are entirely independent of the other operations and cloud providers.

So, a multi-cloud platform cannot be a part of a hybrid environment, while a hybrid cloud can be a part of a multi-cloud.

  • Security & Maintenance Responsibilities  

In a public cloud, the providers are in charge of data security and maintenance. You, as a consumer, don’t need to worry about it.

In a private cloud environment, you should lead a team of employees or outsource to any IT services to maintain your cloud. You need to conduct regular security checks, employ the best-in-class security systems, take charge of the infrastructure needs, expand the storage capabilities, and perform every set of tasks related to the private cloud.

  • Cost of Operations

In a public cloud platform, the cost of operations is relatively cheaper than the total cost combined for a public cloud. This makes multi-cloud models cheaper than hybrid cloud models.

The overhead costs of maintaining a private cloud are high. Companies spend on  manpower to manage the infrastructure and build on the cloud whenever needed. On the other hand, since the cloud service providers take care of the maintenance efforts, as well as the infrastructure expansion needs, your costs will be considerably lesser.

  • Lock-In with Cloud Service Providers

In a hybrid cloud model, the dependency on a particular cloud vendor makes it difficult to migrate to other providers. While any IT consulting firm can help you with that, the amount of work involved is enormous. 

You need to take the help of a company offering Backup as a Service to back up all the information on the cloud. You should also plan for disaster recovery if things go sideways and plan for a considerable downtime in the operations of all teams that depend on the hybrid cloud environment.

However, the independence in a multi-cloud platform makes it easier to change vendors of individual clouds without any downtime for people using the other cloud systems.

How Can You Choose Between a Multi-Cloud and a Hybrid Cloud?

There are a few questions you can ask yourself when choosing the right cloud environment for you.

  • Do I have the staffing to maintain a private cloud?
  • Can I migrate my entire storage to a public cloud?
  • Can I afford to have considerable downtime?
  • Do I need to exercise complete control over my storage platform?
  • Do I have the budget to take care of the overhead costs of a private cloud?

When you answer these questions, you’ll find it easier to make a decision on which environment is best for your business right now.

LayerOne Networks is a popular IT consulting firm in Corpus Christi, TX, that helps companies maintain their cloud storage while guiding them with migration and backup. With our IT consulting services, you can make the right choice between a multi-cloud or a hybrid cloud environment. Reach out to us now to book a consultation call.

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IT Consulting

Outsourcing vs. In-House IT Consulting Services: Make the Right Choice

Written by Layer One Networks Published

Every business needs the help of technology to maximize its reach and work in the current world. So, it suffices to say that the IT systems form a core part of the business.

When it comes to maintaining your IT systems, there goes a lot of work regarding the updates, exploring new techs to improve productivity and work among the competition. You will need a team of IT specialists to take regular care of your systems and keep them in good shape.

Now the biggest question is: do you plan to outsource the IT work or keep it in-house?

In this blog, we’ll compare both the choices and lay out the practicalities in both options for you to decide.

How Can You Choose Between an In-House IT Team or an Outsourced IT Company? 

Outsourcing
Outsourcing

When you require continuous IT support, be it for application updates, regular monitoring, or implementing new IT systems, which is the best choice: an IT consulting team or an in-house team? Let’s find out.

  • Flexibility in Terms of Implementation

When you’re a startup or small business growing rapidly in your market, it’s hard to anticipate your IT needs clearly. When your expectations aren’t clear, then it’s challenging to recruit new employees for your IT team and make the best out of the team.

In such situations, having a reliable outsourcing IT support team reaps so many benefits. Even when there’s an unprecedented amount of work for you, the company offering IT support makes sure to cover all your rising needs. Instead of worrying about requirements for new technology, you can focus on product development and implementation and have a supportive IT team to back you.

  • Room for Scalability

Yes, having internal resources you can walk-in any time and speak to is great. But have you thought about scaling the team?

It’s an enormous task, one that’s difficult for a growing company aspiring to become a scale-up. By scaling, we don’t just mean the IT team but also the resources, tools and software your in-house team relies on to provide the best IT services. 

Having an outsourced IT consulting firm ready to fill in when the need arises would help your IT team keep with your scaling needs. When you need to release a new IT product fast, update an application or create new automated process pipelines, the outsourced team will already have the experience, resources and skills to handle them.

  • Access to Skillset

Your decision to choose between an in-house team and an outsourced team could also depend on the skills you require right now and in the near future. When your IT support requirements are simple, you can do well with a few in-house employees.

But when you have complex tasks and unexpected IT challenges to manage, you need a highly skilled and updated team to quickly attend and resolve the issue. If not, it can lead to security issues, system failures or a lot worse.

While you can create such an expert team in-house, it can’t be done in a day. And of course, you need to spend a lot more money to hire such highly-skilled employees, which takes us to the next point.

  • Cost Factors

Hiring a whole team of IT experts full-time means a lot of money that goes only for the salary. But it doesn’t stop at that. Even the most skilled IT team can’t give their all without the best resources to work with. This means you need to shell out more to procure the IT tools, systems and software for the in-house team.

When you go with an outsourced IT solution consulting team, you don’t have to worry about salary, buy the technical resources, or search for new employees to recruit. You can solely focus on your main task and pay the team a monthly agreed amount to work with your internal team.

This could not just save you money but the troubles of going to the lengths and hiring IT experts, managing them and overseeing their work.

  • Availability

Of all the employees in an organization, the IT team is the one that should be available round-the-clock. You never know when there’s an emergency or a breach in the security and you need the skilled team to quickly rectify the issue. 

Particularly for this factor, it’s best to have an outsourced team working 24X7 so that they can be on top of any emergency and fix it.

What Options Do You Have?

IT Consulting

Let’s say that you already have a small in-house IT team helping you with the day-to-day work. But your business is expanding and the team is struggling to handle the workload. 

So, what are your options?

Do you ditch your in-house team and take on an outsourcing company?

Do you hire more in-house employees even when you aren’t sure if you can manage the cost and the workload in the near future?

Well, there’s an in-between option here – you can keep your in-house team and outsource a good chunk of the work to a good IT consulting firm. Since your in-house team is familiar with your ongoing IT systems, they can help the outsourced team understand and begin the work. 

The outsourced team can absorb the workload that your employees can’t handle. They can coordinate the work for any new project, provide educational assistance for your employees to learn the ropes of new technologies and it can turn out to be a win-win for all.

You can even search for ‘IT services near me’ online and find one near your area of business. This way, you can have face-to-face discussions periodically if that’s what you prefer.

If you’re looking for an IT consulting firm in Corpus Christi, you can reach out to our experts in LayerOne Networks. We provide outsourced IT services with flexible models and pricing to take care of IT system management.

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