Business Continuity with Cloud Backup – Cybersecurity

The Business Continuity Imperative: Ensuring resilience through cloud backup solutions

As South Africa faces a rapidly increasing number of cyberattacks this year, businesses across the country are coming to terms with the fact that their data can and may be compromised in the near future.

If your organisation is unfortunate enough to fall prey to an online attack, the one thing on everyone’s mind (from management all the way to the IT department) should be continuity of operations. The question for every business is however, how to ensure continuity when the very data that underlies your business processes has been compromised.

Let’s take a look at some recent news about South Africa’s cybersecurity crisis and find out how businesses can secure their data for uninterrupted trading following a cyberattack.

Time to beef up your defences against cyberattacks

The ultimate goal of cybercriminals is to compromise your company’s data and demand a ransom for its return.

This criminal strategy can be extremely effective if the company loses access to its sensitive files – but a recent backup of every important piece of data safely encrypted in the cloud means that the hackers have lost before negotiations even begin.

Recent cyberattacks against Telkom, the office of the Chief Justice, and even a high tech security provider like Tracker prove yet again that businesses and government departments are not immune from online data theft- in fact, every internet user needs to be on their guard as cybercrime increases.

Secure cloud backup is the most powerful weapon against cybercriminals, and it can be obtained affordably. Our range of backup solutions that scale up to suit the needs of growing businesses are a case in point.

Securing sensitive data couldn’t be more important in 2024

Perpetrator Type

_{Credit: Brett van Niekerk – Durban University of Technology}

South Africa faced 230 million cyberthreats in 2022 alone and this figure is likely to be much larger for 2023 and ‘24 when the latest data becomes available.

With over 90% of the threats to local businesses arising from email cybercrime and an ongoing lack of staff training to identify suspicious correspondence, it’s likely that more and more businesses will fall prey to this type of crime.

This corresponds closely to the findings of a research paper published in 2017 which identified “hactivism” and data loss as major threats to South African businesses.

When a cyberattack does occur, continuity is key. Here are some strategies businesses can implement to prevent losing access to their data.

Cloud storage is a key component of business continuity

A cyberattack may be the last thing that any manager or company owner wants to think about, but the harsh reality is that thinking about it is crucial – and preferably, ahead of time.

In the minutes and hours following a cyberattack, your first priority will be returning your systems to functionality and recovering lost or corrupted data to ensure business continuity.

A cybersecurity response plan – which can be meticulously thought out in advance and simply put into action in the worst-case scenario – is key during the damage mitigation phase following the attack.

Secure cloud storage is an essential component of any cybersecurity response plan because encrypted immutable storage means that your data will remain safe in the cloud even if your physical storage is compromised. A solid backup solution and response plan means that a business is able to safeguard its data and ensure business continuity in the event of a cyberattack.

Soteria’s range of secure cloud storage solutions for businesses of all sizes are your first line of defence against data theft. To learn more about our encrypted backup service, visit our website today.

Soteria’s Flexible Options for Cloud Backup | Real-Time Cloud Backup

How to schedule your backups with ease

Backing up your important data couldn’t be more essential at a time when cybercriminals are unleashing increasingly sophisticated attacks on businesses across the country.

Cyber attacks on SA’s government departments have been particularly malicious in recent months with the Companies and Intellectual property Commission (CIPC) the latest victim of a security compromise, likely a result of under investment in the right security systems.

But for many business owners, the backup process remains a mystery, especially when it comes to scheduling and execution.

To help you keep your company’s data safe in the cloud, we’d like to cover the flexible options for cloud backup and highlight why scheduling correctly will help you manage your data effectively without using up too much storage.

Backups are a lifesaver when cybercriminals strike

If you’ve been following the news recently, you may be worried that a cyberattack could compromise your access to company data – and you’d be right to worry. Cyberattacks continued to plague South Africa in 2023 and criminals are only getting smarter; 28% of attacks against smart devices in Africa originated in SA last year according to Kaspersky.

One of the tactics that cybercriminals use to extort their victims is the threat of permanently deleting or corrupting files that the company needs in order to function.
An explanation for why companies agree to pay the ransom could be because the most recent backup they have is too old and they genuinely can’t do without the files that are being held hostage.

But all of this can be avoided with regular backups.

Best flexible options for cloud backup to give for peace of mind and efficiency

It makes sense that your business needs to have the most recent version of its files saved in the cloud, but how recent is recent enough?

Files that are updated daily should be backed up daily, and ditto for those that are updated weekly and monthly.
However, tracking the frequency of file updates can be a nightmare.
It’s best to update all your files as often as possible so that frequently changing documents will still be up to date if you need to restore them

A daily backup can be easily scheduled with our streamlined backup system options.

Your data will automatically move to the cloud in encrypted form and you can choose to overwrite older versions of files to save storage space – especially if your business uses a large amount of data for its storage each month.

If you do need more storage as your business grows, our flexible cloud backup options will let you size up your storage as and when you need it.

To learn more about our secure cloud storage packages for businesses, visit our product page today.

Best Cloud Practices – Cloud Backup Implementation

Maximising Efficiency: IT Tips for Cloud Backup Implementation

Cybercriminals continue to attack SA businesses relentlessly, and one of the best safety measures you can take against the current wave of ransomware attacks is a regular secure backup.

A backup is something that should happen automatically, and maybe for that reason we tend to forget how important they are. That is, until something goes wrong and essential files are lost or a working copy can’t be secured in the wake of a cyberattack.

Fortunately, secure cloud storage works seamlessly with backup best practices to keep your data safe and encrypted.

Here are some ways you can integrate your cloud storage with your backup planning for maximum efficiency and peace of mind.

Analysing backup reports to fill gaps with cloud storage

Whenever you receive a backup report, it’s not enough to simply glance over it and ensure that nothing is highlighted in red.

Taking a careful look at your total file population and the frequency of your backups will help you identify gaps in your security that secure cloud storage can easily fill.

Frequency of backups

If your business processes a small amount of data, a weekly backup may be sufficient to secure a copy of your most recent files.

On the other hand, a data intensive business will need to schedule daily or even more frequent backups so that crucial information is not lost in the event of a hardware failure or cyberattack.

Maximising backups while minimising storage space

Regularly compressing backup files along with eliminating unneeded duplicate copies will help you to ensure that your files are secure in the cloud without using up your data storage package sooner than necessary.

It’s important to audit your backups in the cloud on a regular basis and ensure that duplicates are eliminated to free up space.

You’ll also want to compress duplicate copies of your backup files that are still needed. This could cut your backup cloud storage requirements by 20% or more.

Automate your backups and enjoy peace of mind

Automatic backups are a recipe for stress-free data management. As your files are saved automatically to the cloud, you and your IT team can focus on more important things as you target ambitious goals.

Soteria’s range of secure cloud storage solutions are ideal for keeping your backups safe and encrypted. Find the package that suits your business today and rest easy knowing that your data is protected against any eventuality.

Best Cloud Practices | Role of cloud backup

The Role of Cloud Backup in Modern IT Strategies

The modern tech landscape has shifted predominantly to risk mitigation over the past few years.

While IT consultants had spent the 1990s and 2000s trying to convince businesses to go online, the current era, especially during and after the pandemic, has exposed some of the many risks involved with being connected to the internet. Cybercrime and ransomware attacks are of major concern to businesses around the world as losses from these crimes exceed $700 billion annually.

As a tech forward South African business, you certainly can’t afford to miss out on the opportunities that the interconnected digital world has to offer. On the other hand, avoiding the risks that come with connectivity is absolutely essential. That’s where cloud storage comes in.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of storing your critical data in the cloud in the context of modern best practices in the tech sector.

Cloud backup for instant digital migration

The days when a single physical backup was enough to keep your data safe are long gone – but many businesses still rely on an external hard drive (or even a USB stick) to keep essential files safe.

The false sense of security of physical storage quickly evaporates when the unthinkable happens and a business becomes the victim of a cyber attack.
Unfortunately, with more than 40% of local businesses having been targeted by cybercriminals this type of crime is hardly unthinkable. In fact it’s becoming the norm.

Moving to cloud storage is not only quick and simple but also eliminates the risk of data corruption and theft associated with physical storage.

Cloud storage aligns with the 321 rule

The 321 rule is a gold standard in the IT industry where data backup is concerned.

Simply put, companies should have three copies of every file that they can’t afford to lose: two of these copies should be on different mediums and one should absolutely be in the cloud.

In the event of a data breach or cyberattack, there’s no telling what condition your physical files may be in even if the ransom is removed.
By contrast, the copy of your files kept safely encrypted in the cloud should remain uncorrupted, especially if you opt for immutable storage.

Cloud storage is scalable and accessible to all enterprises

One of the cornerstones of modern IT strategy is to extend access to digital services and data resilience to small and medium size businesses and not only large corporations and government departments. This ensures that the digital safe zone surrounding business data remains wide enough to keep businesses and their customers safe from cyberattacks.

One of the major benefits of secure cloud storage is that it’s accessible at competitive prices on a subscription system that gradually scales up as the data requirements of your business expand.

Soteria Cloud’s range of secure cloud storage packages are easy to integrate with your existing software and hardware setup, making them ideal for businesses of any size that are enhancing their IT strategy.

To secure your files without delay, browse or range of packages for businesses of all sizes.

Cloud Backup Trends 2024 |Cloud Backup

Future Trends in Cloud Backup Technology

Secure cloud storage is every organisation’s number one defence against cybercrime. As hackers up their game on a regular basis, cloud backup technology must respond in kind by becoming more secure and reliable.

Keeping up with the race between cybercriminals and data defence systems is essential for every business, especially when it comes to choosing a cloud storage solution. Let’s take a look at some of the big future trends in the backup industry and what they mean for the safety of your data.

AI Integration

By now, almost everyone has tried out ChatGPT or a similar AI application. This technology may not be perfect yet, but it certainly has the potential to become a powerful assistant in almost every industry – and secure backup is no exception.

Cybercrime detection and recovery is a major use case for AI and we expect to see more applications of this type being rolled out this year.

Artificial intelligence can help to detect cyberattacks by monitoring changes to the files on a company’s storage devices or in the cloud. When it comes to recovery, a blanket approach whereby every file is rolled back to a certain point in time before the attack risks losing a significant amount of recent data.

AI assists in this regard by scanning individual files and restoring them to the most recent viable version.

Virtual desktops

When employees work remotely, they introduce an added layer of worry for IT security administrators: using their own devices.

No matter how careful the user may be, working on a device that doesn’t conform to the organisation’s digital security specifications will always create the potential for data leaks, breaches and cyberattacks to take place.

Forward thinking IT managers are responding by creating virtual desktops, which use the identical productivity and digital security software found on any of the on-site devices used by employees while maintaining real time back up. This helps to ensure data security while team members are working remotely.

The effectiveness of using virtual desktops will come down to advanced secure cloud storage and fully updated antivirus and malware software to prevent remote takeover attempts and data loss.

A serious demand for Cybersecurity

As the number of cyberattacks in South Africa continues to soar amid claims that the government isn’t doing enough to stem the tide, organisations are responding with a sense of urgency.

Cloud based backup solutions with immutable storage and full integration of real time backups across the organisation, coupled with enhanced user training for employees are likely to become the gold standard going forward.

If you’re ready to combat cybercrime, using the latest secure cloud storage technology. look no further. Soteria offers a range of effective secure backup solutions for businesses of all sizes. Visit our product page today to learn more.

Data Security | Cloud Backup

Data security to safeguard your information and reputation

Data security is an essential part of every company’s risk management strategy, and securing your business information will nett you a lot more than a good night’s sleep: it will also safeguard your company’s reputation in the marketplace.

As we look forward to a prosperous 2024 filled with business opportunities, it’s important to recognise the very real risk that cybercrime poses to organisations in South Africa. Keeping your company information safe from ransomware attacks with business backups should be the top priority of every IT department and business owner this year.

The double risk of a cyber-attack: Data and reputational losses

There’s no denying that we all live and work in an era where data is as precious and valuable as money. Any company that has been the victim of a ransomware or cyberattack and has lost several months’ worth of revenue can attest to this fact.

More alarmingly, the financial losses caused by a cyberattack may pale in comparison to the long-term effect it could have on a company’s reputation and ability to attract clients.

The importance of data in our daily lives, and the crucial role it plays in the running of our businesses, means that any company which takes private data into its care needs to be ready and willing to protect it at all costs.
Clients are naturally concerned about the safety of their sensitive data – especially if it’s financial in nature. This is especially true in light of South Africa’s growing reputation as a cybercrime hotspot.
Having enhanced data security will give your business an instant credibility boost and put your clients’ minds at ease, potentially leading to longer term business relationships and more referrals.

On the other hand, failure to do so could result in a huge PR scandal when a breach or cyber-attack takes place, potentially placing sensitive information of customers in the hands of criminals.

Immutable storage boosts data security for peace of mind

Recognising the threat that cyberattacks pose is a good first step to protecting both your data and good name, but what steps can businesses take to add an extra layer of security to their accumulated client data?

Immutable storage is a high-tech encryption system that makes it impossible for data to be altered once it enters the cloud.
As one of the few effective ways to stop cyber-attacks in their tracks, this technology is becoming the gold standard at data centres around the world.

If your company handles any kind of sensitive data – be it your own or your clients – you simply can’t afford to risk your reputation in the event of a major breach.

Soteria has integrated immutable storage into our range of packages for businesses of all sizes. Visit our website today to discover the solution that suits your company’s needs.

Load shedding Backup for Backup | Cloud Backup

Do I need load shedding backup for my cloud backup?

Every South African knows just how inconvenient load shedding can be, but when power cuts cause your cloud storage provider to go down it can mean serious data losses.

That’s something that no business can afford at a time when electricity supply issues are causing major economic headaches in the first place and so many people now work from home or in a hybrid work environment.

Ensuring that you have a power backup plan is essential for uninterrupted connectivity and to keep computers running, but it’s also critical to consider your data.

At Soteria, we believe in being ahead of the curve with backup for our backup. With load shedding continuing (and Eskom saying that it may not end for at least two years) we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure that our service stays online and that your data is safe, encrypted, and always accessible with us.

how load shedding can cause data loss

Secure cloud storage providers pride themselves on the reliability of their services. Unfortunately, with load shedding a daily occurrence, and here to stay, backup centres are finding it difficult to manage their servers and networks,

Data back-up providers with servers located throughout the country have found that load shedding in one province can cause data loss in another. For cloud-based backups stored in remote locations across the country this can be particularly problematic.

That’s because a server located in the Free State may be responsible for storing data for a client in Durban. Managing and tracking the huge amount of data across the country with rolling blackouts is not an easy task -but someone’s got to do it, and that someone is us.

how we keep your data safe when the lights go out

The Soteria server setup is something we’re proud of, and as load shedding becomes more frequent we’ve created a system to keep your data safe at all times.

Our servers have two power feeds and generators at the ready to ensure constant backup during blackouts so that your business and its data can survive load shedding.
The two main Soteria data centres in Cape Town and Johannesburg work in sync, backing up each other’s data continuously. This powerful cloud storage tag team works around the clock to secure every bit of data that we back up.

no power doesn’t have to mean no data

Aside from having a good UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply unit) and backup batteries which can provide temporary backup power during an outage, you also need to have a sound, secure cloud storage provider.

No matter how much load shedding Eskom throws at us, we’re ready. To keep your data safe no matter what happens, browse our range of secure cloud storage packages today.

The future of work | AI

Here’s How AI Will Change the Future of Work

AI has already changed the way we shop, collaborate with colleagues, and even line up a Friday night date – and that’s just the beginning. With virtual meetings, hybrid work arrangements, and the Metaverse redefining the way we do business, AI is set to play a huge role in our professional lives and the future of work from now on. Let’s take a look at some of the changes to expect this year and beyond.

put on those VR glasses, it’s meeting time!

With remote teams collaborating on every continent, AI tools are making those sometimes awkward zoom calls more real and more human.

Companies have been experimenting with VR and AR interfaces that will make you forget that you’re not in the same room as your team – and 3D presentations are just the tip of the tech iceberg.
This technology can be extended to sales and customer service, allowing team members to reach out to clients remotely and present products, services, and ideas in an immersive virtual showroom or conference venue.

need that order filled? say goodbye to waiting times

Instantaneous customer service and order fulfilment may sound like a dream, but thanks to smart coding, machine learning, and cloud connectivity, entire businesses are being run and monitored in real time to eliminate long waiting periods.

Robots that respond immediately to orders and requests from customers are being rolled out in countries around the world, with the entire process taking place in the cloud.
For every business looking to grow and stay competitive today, that means having a strong data management system with secure cloud storage and backup.

cloud storage is the future of work and business security

With AI and cloud-based processes becoming universal, now is the time to ensure that your business is ready to operate in the cloud with full security. Our range of cloud storage solutions will help you keep your data safe and encrypted – no matter how much information your business produces today and in the future.

To learn more about our cloud storage offering, contact the Soteria team today.

Data Strategy | Data Driven Storage

Dump the hard drive – data driven storage for the post-pandemic world

The world of business is hugely different than it was pre-pandemic. So why are we still using outdated physical hardware storage rather than using a strategy of data driven storage?

With workers and management carrying out tasks remotely there’s an urgent need for on-demand company data that doesn’t rely on the physical constraints of a server or desktop.

In this article we take a look at software-driven data storage strategies and how you can implement one in your business with cloud storage at its core.

a data strategy for the post pandemic world

Are you spending less time in the office than you used to? Most of us would say yes – and our business data needs to be as remote as we are.

The trend in favour of remote work, cloud storage, and an organisation-wide IT solution that favours the cloud over traditional physical storage has only intensified over the past 18 months.

To stay ahead of the curve, you need to ensure that your business adopts a software centred data strategy from now on. Here’s what this could look like

Availability of data. You, your employees, and your DevOps need to have access to all your company’s data any time and from anywhere. With everyone working remotely the solution is simple: cloud storage.
Scalability of your data system. One of the major advantages of opting for cloud storage and software instead of traditional hardware driven storage is that you can scale it up almost instantly as you need to. Buying exactly the amount of data storage units in a given month is far easier and more affordable than trying to predict your storage needs and buying hardware accordingly.
Data security. Hacking, malware, ransomware and a host of other digital security threats pose a big threat to data security for companies around the world. Online cloud storage is much safer than physical storage because online providers have access to the best antivirus, anti-hacking, and other security features.

The cost of installing these features to protect your physical hardware and the ongoing maintenance expense simply isn’t viable compared with the cost-effective options update stay out there today – including ours.

ready to do business post pandemic? We’ve got your cloud needs covered

To make sure your business is on par with the evolving digital economy, contact us today to learn more about our range of cloud storage options.

Facebook Lost Control | Mobile Apps

Has Facebook lost control?

Social media is a huge part of our lives and for most of us, Facebook is the platform we go to for news, entertainment and to keep up with everyone we know. This wildly successful social media platform has grown exponentially over the years and is now used by 3 billion people worldwide, or almost half of the world’s population.

With so many people sharing information over the Internet, a number of serious privacy concerns and other issues related to Facebook have surfaced over the past few years. For some tech experts the real question is: should we be using Facebook and is the system out of control?

Facebook executives warned that the system is too big to manage

Recently the media reported that a group of advisers had warned the executives of Facebook that their iconic SM platform has grown to such a size and level of complexity that even the world’s best coders and IT experts are having trouble understanding and managing it.

While the company was quick to downplay these fears, a number of Facebook executives are said to have agreed with the experts’ assessment and are looking at ways to make the social sharing network more manageable.
These may include splitting the company up so that its sister brands Instagram and WhatsApp become independent entities once again.

is Facebook still a secure place to socialise?

In early October the world was shocked when Facebook and Facebook messenger went down for a full day, causing billions of people to lose touch with their personal and business contacts.

This may be a glitch in the system never to be repeated again, but it certainly exposes Facebook’s vulnerability to data security vulnerabilities and begs the question, is facebook out of control?

succeed where Facebook failed with online backup support

Even one of the world’s biggest companies can fall prey to data security failures, but you can avoid this outcome by focusing on your own company’s digital security.

As your business grows, you’ll almost certainly face the reality of having to implement an IT and data security policy for an organisation with increasing information needs. An online backup service such as Soteria cloud ensures that your data is never lost even if your information is destroyed by a virus, or your business is burnt down.

To learn how a cloud-based backup solution can support the growth of your business and secure your data, contact us today.