Sustainable IT | Technology

Saving Energy on Sustainable IT

Sustainability and IT are not always two concepts that go together, but they’re closely connected. The tech industry relies heavily on electricity for data storage and hardware is manufactured using raw materials that must be sustainably sourced to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

In this article, we’d like to highlight some of the reasons why the IT industry should be focused on sustainability and place environment, social and governance (ESGs) at the heart of what it does.

The link between tech and sustainability

It’s tempting to think of the IT industry as something that exists in the cloud or purely online, but in reality, it’s a huge sector of the economy that employs real people in large buildings using physical hardware produced in massive factories. All of these structures have the potential to harm the environment if they aren’t managed sustainably.

Even the virtual data that may seem to be invisible needs to be stored somewhere – and the facilities we use to keep it safe all rely on storage equipment and ultimately electricity to stay up and running.

Hardware components are made from metals, plastics and other industrial materials that can have a polluting effect if they’re not properly recycled.
Data storage is a burden on the world’s electricity supply, with activities like virtual currency mining Blockchain using up a particularly large amount of electricity.

Despite the stress that our industry places on the world’s energy supply, and the footprint that it can have due to its reliance on physical hardware, many tech executives either don’t have a clearly defined sustainability policy or don’t consider it a major management priority.

In order to keep the tech industry running at high levels of efficiency, while ensuring the future of our planet, we need to ensure that we take ownership of the role the industry plays in environmental matters and work to reduce our footprint accordingly.

Hardware should be recycled and sourced from approved partners who demonstrate sustainable manufacturing practices
Unnecessary data should be deleted so that it doesn’t place a burden on the electricity supply, especially in countries like South Africa which produce most of their power through burning fossil fuels. Solar energy solutions for data centres should be implemented wherever possible.
Tech companies should strive to educate their clients about the benefits of going paperless, and also managing the amount of data they produce and store.

Practices like these are essential for the future of the planet as well as the tech sector as a whole. What’s more, they can help improve corporate clients’ ESG scores, attracting investment and serving as an excellent public relations tool.

Select your essential data and keep it safe with us

Once you’ve rationalised the amount of data that your organisation produces, it’s still essential to keep it safe in the cloud in case of a cyber attack. Soteria’s range of secure cloud storage packages for businesses of all sizes ensures that you have a virtual vault for your valuable business data.

Data and Small Business | Surviving Load Shedding

How your business and its data can survive load shedding

Blackouts caused by the instability of the national power grid have been causing the business community headaches for over a decade, and when load shedding reaches level six, the risk of permanent data loss increases exponentially.

Afrihost server outage disrupts business for over a week

As parts of the country were plunged into darkness for up to 12 hours in a day last month, a major outage at Afrihost’s Melrose Arch server left businesses across the country without access to the internet, emails and other important business data for over a week.

The damage extended to banks and government departments which were unable to access critical information and carry out key activities.

This incident, which was caused by damage to the company’s hardware infrastructure following a prolonged power outage, is just one example of the huge damage that an unreliable national power supply can inflict on the private sector.

surviving load shedding as an SME owner in the time of extended blackouts

Whether you were directly affected by the Afrihost outage or are simply concerned about the safety of your company data during blackouts, here are some steps you can take to keep your valuable business data safe in the cloud and accessible from anywhere, anytime.

physical storage is no longer viable in the era of load shedding

The days when companies stored data in house have been numbered for quite some time, and load shedding has dealt the final blow to the office server.

Companies are increasingly shifting to cloud-based, on demand data storage and electronic business solutions.

Here are some of the functions that can be successfully outsourced to the cloud:

Data storage
Telecommunications – including virtual switchboard systems
Enterprise-wide productivity solutions that are accessible remotely
Information sharing within teams, between teams and with clients

cloud storage = load shedding-proof

One of the great things about cloud storage is that it allows all the main functions of business communication and information storage to be carried out. Even when load shedding reaches the extremes of level six and beyond.

Cloud-based data storage is decentralised, which means that team members in different parts of the country or around a given city can access data when their electricity supply is stable and track changes that have been made during the downtime caused by load shedding.
We recommend that in addition to having secure cloud storage, companies invest in generators, emergency power supplies, and mobile subscriptions from more than one provider since cell phone towers have been known to malfunction or go off-line during severe power cuts.

Soteria cloud offers a full range of secure cloud storage packages that are suitable for businesses of all sizes.

As you prepare your enterprise to deal with the realities of an unstable power supply, our services will help you ensure that your data is always safe, encrypted and readily available.

Processing Business Data Securely | Data security

How to process company information and data securely across your business

Whether you are a small start-up or a large corporation, data security is an all-or-nothing business, yet many of us assume that having antivirus software and a standard firewall is more than enough to keep our data safe.

If your data security measures don’t work together in sync, your organisation’s sensitive information could still be severely at risk.

In this article we take a look at the overall strategy that’s required to keep data safe in every corner of your business while giving you some tips for implementing this far-reaching approach to cyber security.

the 3 keys to processing business data securely

Considering how damaging a data leak or breach can be to your business, both financially and in terms of reputation, there’s no time to lose when it comes to implementing an organisation-wide data security policy. But what should it be?

They are three basic elements that form the foundation of a good data security approach: team education, secure cloud storage, and data encryption.

Train your team to spot and deal with threats. Company-wide education about email threats, a comprehensive data security policy, and a cyber incident response plan can all put your team in a position to respond swiftly to cyberattacks and prevent them from occurring. Ensure that your team know how to identify scams and phishing attacks and instil a sense of responsibility in each member.
Get secure cloud storage. There’s no substitute for safe online data storage. Taking information off your physical devices and keeping it safe in the cloud is non-negotiable in 2022.
Encrypt your data. Opt for cloud storage that uses advanced data encryption and activate encryption on all the apps and communication channels your business uses.

take the first step toward a cyber-safe organisation with us

Secure cloud storage with data encryption should be a non-negotiable foundation of your data security strategy. Our range of business cloud storage packages is the ideal way to ensure that you prioritise data protection to keep your sensitive information under close guard.

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.

What is Data Management?

Data management is the new buzzword on the block for business owners who haven’t realised the importance of it – until now, that is. Organisations are responsible for the data they collect. They need to have valid reasons for collecting it and have the necessary measures to protect themselves from data breaches.

To understand data management, you need to understand what it means and how it works. A broad definition of data management is “a wide range of practices and methodologies intended to help organisations better control their data”. The main objective of data management is to ensure data is kept safe and accessible while providing value to the organisation.

Effective data management follows the below processes:

Data Collection: Organised collation of information to improve value of data
Data Access: Easy and strategically implemented access to data across the organisation and archives
Data Storage: The various data storage types where information is saved such as on-site hardcopy files, off-site backup & cloud storage
Data Availability: Disaster and recovery plans that can be implemented in the event of data breaches
Data Security & Privacy: Continuous monitoring and implementation of strong security and privacy policies

It’s important to note the difference between data management and data governance. Data governance sets the standards and baselines that control the processes managed by data management. It does this by setting expectations for the use, security, and integrity of data, while data management implements the objectives defined by data governance

key best practices for data management

1. delete duplicate data

Duplicating data for backup purposes in the event of a disaster is prudent. However, only the most recent data copy is required to restore previous versions. Deleting unnecessary data copies saves storage space and costs and keeps your data trail tidy and ready to be used when needed.

2. maintain quality data

Data should be accurate, relevant, and useful for ongoing analysis.

3. emphasise the importance of data protection and security

Data protection and privacy standards should be regularly updated and comply with the rules set by regulators’ where your organisation operates. Keeping your data secure requires the following measures:

Access control – users only have access relevant to their role
Encryption – encrypted data is only decipherable by your organisation
Physical security – strong security measures on-site
Keeping data off-site – doing encrypted backups of your data to the cloud

4. setup monitoring and alerts

Set up metric-based monitoring processes to provide valuable insights into crucial data patterns and events.

If an organisation’s data is not relevant, inaccurate, and outdated, it won’t be a useful source of information should a disaster or data breach occur. Nor can it provide any valuable insights for the organisation to analyse or action.

last word on data management

The more data you have, the more you need to manage it. There’s no time like the present to prepare a data management or get your current plan up to date. Let us know if you have any tips on how you best manage your data.