subject: The importance of business continuity [print this page] The importance of business continuity The importance of business continuity
Email communications and web access are crucial to most businesses and organisations today. Just think of the panic and stress a loss of email connectivity would cause your business.
This reliance on dependable email communications and web browsing is not restricted to larger enterprises or huge corporations either. According to research by UK business ISP XLN Telecomand reiterated bytechcentral;
Small businesses think broadband is more important than gas and water supplies. The company found that 67% of firms think broadband is essential to running a business, only topped by telephone lines and electricity. That's six per cent up on figures from two years ago, and a whopping 25% up on five years ago.
Unsurprisingly email was recorded as being the most essential online tool for businesses hence the increased need for prioritising email security in the workplace;
More than nine out of ten (91%) of firms said they use their net connection for email, closely followed by 62% that use it for online banking and 61% that use the Web to conduct research
An emergency inbox to the rescue!
AtMaildistiller we don't think that your working day should be effected if your server decides to crash. A staple effort that all businesses should go to in order to safeguard their business email is to avail of anemergency inbox service.
This feature means that if you can't access your email because the provider's server has crashed, you can still access all your email and you won't lose any important data.
It is vital to recognise the risks associated with using IT in a business environment. These can range from accidental damage caused by employees to deliberate attempts from outsiders to illegally access data held by your business. There are many ways in which your business can be compromised if you don't undertake careful analysis of your business practices and security systems.
The role of a BCP!
A BCP - Business Continuity Plan is important to all businesses to ensure that the essential business functions of the organisation are able to continue (or re-start) in the event of unforeseen circumstances; normally a disaster of some sort.
By implementing asaas solution with aspam filter andweb filter you can rest assured that your email facility and any data sent via email to you and your staff, is completely safe removing any disruption to the business day.
A cloud solution such asMaildistiller functions as your BCP for your email communications, which for the majority of businesses, is pivotal to the day-to-day running of the business in communicating with employees, vendors, customers, suppliers and so on.
Paul Hearns, editor ofComputer Scope, writes about Business Continuity in the opening page of the October edition, and how at the recent IDC conference on business continuity issues regarding the changing nature of security threats and their impact on BC were high on the agenda.
Hearn notes that recent stats regarding the consideration and implementation of BC in the public cloud, indicates it is being taken seriously'
Its all about the contents
Most companies have an acceptable usage policy (AUP) for electronic communications, but how comprehensive is yours and how vigorously is it reinforced? Can organizations be confident that they have the measures and controls in place to assess all the risks associated with uncontrolled electronic communications content?
A seemingly innocent message is all it takes. A poor taste joke could end up resulting in your organization being slammed with claims of sexual discrimination, harassment, defamation or worse.
... not forgetting the legalities
Allowing unwanted email to reach your people goes beyond the issue of hindering productivity. There are now laws on both sides of the Atlantic to expose employers to charges of liability and harassment. These charges can be brought even if the harassment comes from a faceless, unknown global Spammer.
Unaware of having to shield your employees is no excuse in the eyes of the law. Taking these issues lightly with a low end solution for Viruses, Spam, Sexually Explicit Material, Unwelcome Content etc will not protect employers from litigation.
Online security is paramount forBusiness continuity!
In the business sphere where it's vital to focus attention on core activity, the web and email should be valuable, progressive tools for businesses. Poorly protected however, they can become costly, timely, and dangerous, as well as draining resources and hampering employee's productivity
How you ask?
Well, research suggests thatunwanted email currently accounts for between 65 and 90 per cent of traffic each day.
For businesses, this volume of unwanted spam is undoubtedly a drain on valuable time, effort and resources, ultimately distracting from the business' prime focus.
Given the constantly evolving state of the internet and the sophistication of the latest emails scams and viruses, businesses must have multiple safeguards in place to ensure they are adequately protected. Previously this would have demanded acquiring a range of hardware and software. That's is fine for larger companies that can afford a raft of IT specialists to handle the numerous issues aligned to operating systems, software versions and integration but understandably the vast majority of SME's simply don't have the resources.
Remember, email is a quick an effective means of communication and is as legally binding as any other official document, but as a business you can't ignore the risks!
Spam, viruses, malware, identity theft and phishing scams are all very real and very common, threatening business continuity regulatory compliance, reputation and the overall business name and brand.
Emails carry threats that damage efficiency, productivity, reputation and brand value. These threats are highly sophisticated and constantly evolve to target your organization. Effectively your entire network can be compromised by just one infected message or bad' web link.
So come on... don't leave it to chance, there aren't many restaurants without a generator.... :)
