Do Your Employees Understand Your IT Business Strategy?

The majority of businesses today have some form of IT strategy in place. That plan normally goes beyond the standard use of security software and a nod towards threat management.

It includes the tools and apps that are used to manage daily work, training of staff to use industry-specific software, and developing protocols to ensure the safety of data and the way that is used throughout the business.

When it comes to IT business strategy, keeping up with the advances and challenges has become a lot more complicated in recent years. Not only are we subject to highly sophisticated attacks but employees are also using a range of devices, including their own smartphones and tablets, to deliver on their company’s needs via cloud-based services.

One question all businesses need to ask is how much employees understand about their IT strategy in the first place. How confident is each individual in implementing the processes that are in place?

Creating a Robust IT Business Strategy

The first step is to develop the right strategy that fits your business. This is all about aligning your IT services and systems so they support your business priorities. While this is not always easy to achieve, it allows you to:

  • Plan for future changes in your IT service
  • Stay in control of the costs of IT for your business
  • Ensure you have robust process in place that protect you, your employees and your customers, reducing the risk of disruption to your business

Make Your IT Business Strategy Available

Assuming that you have the best strategy in place, you need to make employees aware of what it is, how it fits into your wider business plan and what everyone’s responsibility is.

One of the big challenges business have is how to protect their data and processes from cyber attack, particularly in light of the new GDPR. Building awareness among employees should be a vital element of your IT business strategy, an ongoing, not a one-off, process.

Your IT strategy needs to be readily available to employees (both online and in hardcopy) and should be written in plain English so everyone understands what is expected of them. If staff don’t know how they are to implement the strategy, you will quickly find gaps in delivery that can eventually seriously damage the efficiency and even the safety of your company.

Ensure Staff Understand the Risks and Their Responsibility

An employee who opens an email link that carries a malware programme is one of the most common ways in which businesses are attacked. These kinds of threats generally succeed because of lack of understanding or knowledge on the part of the victim rather than any malicious intent.

There are greater challenges nowadays, particularly with many businesses using cloud-based services. On the one hand, these give companies much greater flexibility in how they communicate and improve productivity. On the other, cloud IT services also present a challenge to security. If an employee is using their smartphone to access business data, how secure is it? What does that employee need to be aware of when performing their job on a daily basis?

Have Regular Update and Training Sessions for Employees

It’s vital that employees understand what their responsibilities are when it comes to your IT business strategy. There are various ways in which this can be achieved but the onus is on business managers, CEOs and owners to ensure that these processes are implemented.

  • Effective onboarding for new staff: Every time someone new starts at your business, a priority needs to be given to providing information and training on IT services and the responsibilities involved
  • Available training materials: Staff should have access to relevant IT training either through organised group sessions, online courses or a mixture of both. More problems in businesses are caused by staff who don’t know how to use software or systems safely
  • Regular assessments for staff: It’s not enough to provide training and informational updates, business owners need to be sure their staff are taking the training onboard. Assessing staff competency and understanding when it comes to IT services should be a priority
  • Options for reporting: You should have the process in place that allows employees to raise concerns or report any potential breach

Most businesses, particularly new start-ups, understand that IT is important. Unfortunately, they either take it too much for granted or fail to put in the appropriate measures to ensure safety and security at all levels. In today’s online world, that can mean putting your business at risk of a cybersecurity breach.

Developing staff so that they are better informed about your IT business strategy should ensure they are equipped to handle today’s cybersecurity risks. That in turn, will keep your business safer.

Here at Cyan Solutions, we can assist with the development of an IT strategy for your business, as well as the implementation. If you would like to find out more and speak to one of our experts contact us today.

Digital Transformation Of Social Housing – Top Five Trends

It is necessary for every business in every industry to adapt and change their business model to accommodate their customer’s changing behaviours and expectations, and housing associations are no exception. Digital technology is not only about conversions, transactions and growing revenue; it is vital for streamlining processes, optimisation and improving the customer experience.

As digital technologies take the world by storm, embracing these is vital for a housing association to grow and thrive. Some have already begun to tackle this challenge by transforming their IT infrastructures to keep up the high demands of today’s digital world.

Social housing is a rapidly changing industry with many housing associations struggling because of funding cuts, rent freezes and reduced investments. When it comes digitalisation, the social housing sector is not as far advanced as other industries, with many housing associations sceptical of investing in a digital transformation or not having the budget to do so.

However, this is slowly beginning to change as more and more housing associations are starting to see the benefits of going digital. Here are the top five trends we expect to see a rise with the digital transformation of social housing:

Five Digital Trends For Social Housing

 

1. A Remote Workforce

With the rise of cloud technologies, it is now possible for housing association teams to work remotely, allowing them to focus their time and energy on being out among their tenants. Having a digitally enabled and mobile workforce reduces the need for physical office locations within neighbourhoods.

Remote working allows workers to be more connected with those that need help the most. Less time will be spent on the mundane transactions, and more focus can be made on what really matters; enabling the organisation to become more human with greater face to face interactions.

2. Online Processes

Embracing advances in technology can reduce the amount of paperwork and manual processes required. Customer applications can be moved online which will not only provide a seamless and easy experience for customers but also reduce costs and response times compared with manual, offline applications.

Removing paperwork will free up resources for employees to focus their time and effort on other areas of the business. Moving transaction processes online also offers excellent cost savings for housing associations, with online payments being 20 times cheaper than phone transactions and an incredible 50 times cheaper than face to face.

3. Better Connected

The Internet of Things (IoT), connected devices and smart metres offer a great opportunity for housing associations to diversify their offerings. Embracing these innovative technologies within social housing can detect how people are using their accommodation and allow providers to alter services, such as heating, in real-time.

When used effectively, this technology can help housing associations to anticipate and handle issues faster, as well as be more proactive and strategic in commissioning repairs or replacements quicker in order to minimise costs and disruption.

4. Enhanced Customer Service

One of the most significant benefits that digitalisation has in the social housing sector is that customers will receive a better all-round service. Advice and help can be made available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the help of a knowledge base and online account information that is always accessible.

The digital transformation of the housing industry will allow most actions to be completed online, meaning customers have no restrictions on when they can resolve their issues or speak with the correct department. Housing association workers will also be able to provide a better service to customers by spending more time out in their neighbourhoods offering a face to face service as opposed to stuck behind their computer screens.

5. Data Analysis and Record Keeping

In a world of GDPR, there are some real benefits to those within the social housing sector making a move to keep all customer data and records online as opposed to offline. A well planned online infrastructure can provide greater security for keeping online records safe and secure.

Utilising digital technologies for customer data is also an excellent opportunity for better data analysis and upkeep. Maintaining customer records online allows them to access and edit them as required, providing housing associations with current information that is easy and simple to manage.

How to embrace these digital trends

Embracing the digital transformation of social housing will bring significant efficiencies, financial stability and customer engagement. Currently, the social housing sector is being squeezed by reduced investments, funding cuts and rent freezes. At the same time, there is a growing demand from increasingly vulnerable and diverse citizens. Those housing associations that want to thrive rather than simply survive should be utilising and embracing digital solutions to transform their organisation for the better.

To help your housing organisation transform, speak to our IT specialists at Cyan Solutions. We can help your team to implement a digital strategy that can cut costs and increase the service experience.

Top 5 Ways To Avoid Phishing Emails

Five top ways to prevent phishing attacks

Cyber attacks are on the increase, and it is vital to protect yourself and your business against the rising security threats. For most companies, the employees are the weakest security link, leaving the company open to potential attacks and breaches. Over 90% of cyber attacks start with a phishing email, and recent studies suggest that the fastest growing security threat to businesses is no longer malware but impersonation email attacks.

The reason employees are often the weakest link in your security is due to human error, and cyber attackers have learnt it is easier to trick someone into revealing secure information such as logins and passwords, rather than trying to exploit a secure system. The number of impersonation email attacks sent has increased by 50% quarter-over-quarter compared with malware and harmful files being sent rising by 15%. This means your business is seven times more likely to be subject to an impersonation email attack than a malware attack.

The figures are staggering, and even still there are thousands of companies out there who are not doing everything they can to protect themselves against phishing emails. The most common type of phishing emails is spear phishing; a highly targeted scam email that is sent to a business or individual. If the cybercriminal does enough research into an individual or business, spear phishing can be very effective, and research has shown that 97% of individuals can be tricked by a spear phishing email attack. Here are some of the top 5 ways to avoid phishing emails and protect your business.

Invest In Your Systems

One of the best ways to protect your business from phishing emails is to prevent them from getting through to your employees in the first place. There are many technological approaches to avoid phishing attacks, such as powerful filters and protection systems. Implementing a smart security system can help to identify phishing emails and block them from being received by your employees.

This is a great place to start when it comes to avoiding phishing emails, but even the best technology can’t detect every single phishing email. There will always be some that slip through the filters, so it is vital to have other precautions in place as well.

Educate Your Employees

As personnel are often the biggest downfall for a company’s security, it is essential that they are provided with appropriate training and knowledge to protect themselves against phishing emails. While many phishing emails are poorly written and easy to detect, there are often highly sophisticated attacks that are much more difficult to spot.

To properly protect your business against phishing emails you should develop an effective security education programme to raise awareness among staff of the growing cyber threats.

Go Phishing

One very effective method to identify the weak links in your security and determine where further training is required is to send phishing emails to your employees. Craft an email based on the kind of ones that your employees do receive and then measure for these main four metrics: clicking on the link, opening attachments, reporting the email and response time.

After the ‘attack’, discuss the results of the tests with your employees; it is usually best to keep results anonymous or break them down by department or team to avoid employees feeling like they are being individually called out. Your goal with this exercise should be to raise awareness and educate your employees, not to embarrass them.

Develop A Strict Protocol

Ensure you have a strict and well thought out protocol in place for phishing attacks. Encourage all employees to report all attacks or potential attacks immediately so that they can be dealt with effectively and quickly.

Make it clear that every employee can ask for help if they think they might have been a victim of a phishing email attack and be sure never to punish staff if they do get caught out; it will only discourage your employees from reporting the attacks in future. Once an attack has been reported, take steps to scan the affected devices for malware and change all passwords as soon as possible.

Review Your Digital Footprint

Cybercriminals will use information that is publicly available about your business and employees to make phishing emails more convincing. This information can be found on your website and social media accounts and is known as your digital footprint. Carefully consider what information is necessary for your website visitors and what could be used by potential attackers.

It is also vital to offer support and training to your employees on how to best manage their digital footprint; you should not expect them to remove themselves from the internet entirely but help them understand what information isn’t necessary to share.

Increase your phishing protection with Cyan Solutions

At Cyan Solutions we can develop robust IT security to reduce the risk and prevent cyber attacks. If you would like friendly advice on how to increase your IT security, talk to our experts now.

Key Technology Trends Impacting the Energy Sector

The energy sector has been evolving rapidly in recent years thanks to new and upcoming technologies. 2018 is looking to be a milestone year for the energy industry, with the introduction of many new technology trends that are set to be revolutionary in the sector.

The rise of digital has affected many businesses over the years, and the electricity industry is no exception. With everything from artificial intelligence through to increased technological demands in the home, there are a number of technology trends set to impact the energy sector over the coming months and years.

Growing Cybercrime Threat

Cyber-attacks are increasing in every industry across the globe, and the energy sector is no different. Earlier this year the United States Department of Energy announced it was planning on setting up its own Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response to tackle the upcoming security challenges. There is also evidence that hackers have been targeting the energy and nuclear facilities for the last couple of years.

Cybersecurity concerns are one of the most pressing issues within the energy sector, and as companies introduce more complex technology systems, the risk and potential for an attack are increased. Many utilities are upgrading systems to provide a higher level of grid intelligence and better communication with customers devices, opening themselves up to more potential security threats.

The Rise in Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved rapidly in recent years and provided the energy sector with a variety of new capabilities such as machine learning, cognitive analytics, deep learning and robotics process automation. These advances in technology have led to powerful systems that can automate increasingly complex workloads and develop cognitive agents that can simulate human thinking and engagement.

AI can be used in the energy sector to streamline, automate and eliminate processes within customer interactions, taking customer experience to the next level. As well as customer service benefits, AI can also be an excellent tool for customer engagement by giving companies the ability to compute a customer’s smart metre data to develop invaluable insights into their consumption habits.

Blockchain

Blockchain has been on the cards for quite some time and is slowly growing in popularity across a variety of industries. While it is currently limited within the energy sector, the potential of this technology should definitely not be ruled out, in fact, it may end up being invaluable in the industry in coming years.

Blockchain offers a permanent and transparent solution that is entirely digital making it really easy to work with. Within the energy sector, blockchain could potentially be used for easily recording transactions and contacts in a transparent and searchable form. The energy sector involves a considerable amount of customer paperwork and blockchain could provide some significant operational benefits such as easily locating records, detecting fraud and clarifying bill disputes.

3D Printing and Smart Materials

In recent years there have been significant steps forward in 3D printing, particularly with print metals becoming significantly cheaper. This will likely be used widely in the energy sector for the creation and maintaining of equipment and systems.

An increased use of smart materials would also have a significant impact on the energy market, and the use of materials that can self-heal could potentially change the industry altogether.

Digital Transformation in Homes

It is no surprise that there is an increased demand for energy in homes across the world. With technology coming on in leaps and bounds in recent years, the amount of electricity being consumed today is very different from that of a few years ago. The introduction of smart technologies such as smart lightbulbs and smart metres has transformed the way consumers use their energy within their homes, and this is only set to become more complex and readily available in the coming years.

The uptake of smart energy products by consumers has been relatively minimal so far, and according to recent research, 72% of people are unlikely to introduce any form of smart home technology in the next five years. However, the individuals who already make use of smart devices have noticed a significant impact on the day to day running of their homes. Many believe the uptake has been slow as consumers are still sceptical of smart energy products, but the market is expected to accelerate rapidly once the popularity of the technology increases.

The energy sector is set for a rapid transformation for the rest of 2018 and the following years, and those within the industry should be preparing themselves or the upcoming changes and opportunities that these technology trends are sure to bring. Not embracing these new technologies will leave your business at risk of being left behind the curve. At Cyan we have experience of providing transformational technology infrastructures for growing businesses the energy sector. Talk to us today to see how we can help your business.

Top Cloud Computing Trends

The idea of cloud computing has been around for over 50 years; however, it is only in the last decade that it has evolved from being something service providers suggested to businesses as a new idea to becoming the technology that supports the majority of modern enterprises.

For many businesses, it is no longer just about whether cloud computing is right for them, but how much of the IT infrastructure should be moved to the cloud. The growth of cloud computing among businesses has been rapid in recent years and is only set to carrying on becoming more and more popular as new technologies and systems are developed and rolled out.

Cloud computing is no longer considered a useful tool for businesses, but an integral part of the infrastructure and a way to accomplish business goals and enable growth.

Cloud Computing Basics

Cloud computing is a term referring to the use of the cloud for IT services such as software, systems and resources. A cloud is an IT environment stored remotely, offering remote and scalable IT resources to both individuals and businesses. Cloud computing stores everything on the internet, providing remote access to files, systems and software from anywhere with an internet connection.

Businesses have been embracing cloud technology in recent years, utilising it as an effective way of managing IT systems that are scalable, reliable and accessible.

The Growing Trend

IT executives and business owners no longer need to be convinced that cloud computing is the next dominant technology on the horizon, in recent years it has become an established and well-known method for infrastructure, software and storage. While many people might think cloud computing has hit its peak popularity over the last few years, it is showing no signs of slowing and 2018 is shaping up to be one of its biggest and best years to date.

The cloud computing market was predicted to grow by 21% in 2018 compared to 2018, and now we are more than halfway through the year it is clear to see this prediction is becoming a reality.

Recent advancements in virtualisation technologies, new data protection policies and increasing options for cloud connectivity are all resulting in cloud computing becoming more and more popular by the day. The fastest growing segment of the cloud computing market is cloud system infrastructure services (Infrastructure as a service / IaaS), which is predicted to increase by nearly 36% by the end of 2018.

As more and more businesses are starting to see the benefits and making the move over to the cloud, this number is only set to continue to rise. It is predicted that by 2020, 83% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud, with 2018 being the year that most cloud service providers will go on a buying spree to strengthen their platforms security.

The greatest concern amongst IT professionals that results in them adopting a cloud computing strategy is security, which is no surprise with the newly introduced General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that can see businesses charged with hefty fines in the event of a security breach.

Cloud Computing Industries

While cloud computing is growing in popularity across a range of industries for their IT functions; some industries are adopting the technology as an innovative method of helping them succeed in an ever-changing marketplace. The media industry has had a real boom thanks to cloud technology, allowing audiences to access a range of content in a variety of ways including multi-screen entertainment and on-demand viewing.

Compared with the manufacturing industry which uses the cloud for sales support, logistics and product development. Some industries are less keen on the cloud, seeing it as not secure enough for their business models. Industries that rely on a significant amount of sensitive personal data are a bit slower on the cloud bandwagon, such as the banking and insurance industries, who mainly use cloud computing for administrative functions as opposed to storage.

A recent study from the Cloud Industry Forum shows that the overall adoption rate for business cloud services in the UK was 88% in 2017, and 67% of users expected to increase their adoption of cloud services over the next 12 months. There are many positive reasons for adopting a cloud-based solution for your business, including a competitive edge, reduced costs, improved efficiency and scalability.

Jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon can help your business to update its capabilities to fit with requirements and manage resources around changing workloads. With the expectation that cloud computing will only continue to grow in popularity throughout the rest of 2018 and beyond, there is no better time to introduce a cloud system to your business.

If you’re ready to bolster your security and help your drive growth, then talk to our experts at Cyan Solutions who can show you the benefits of cloud computing for your business.

Myth-busting Cloud Technology

Five Top Cloud Technology Myths

Cloud computing has been growing in popularity in recent years. However, there are still some regular misconceptions about the platform and how it works. In simple terms, cloud technology refers to storing and accessing programs and data over the internet as opposed to using a computer’s hard drive.

With an online connection, cloud computing can be done at any time and from anywhere, which is just one of the reasons that it is so popular among businesses and individuals. For something that has become so mainstream in recent years, cloud computing is still not properly understood by many. This article will reveal the truth about cloud technology and most common myths associated with it.

The Cloud Isn’t Secure

Many people seem to believe that using cloud technology is less secure and safe than traditional IT solutions. In actual face, maintaining cybersecurity is all about staying ahead of the attackers, and this is the same whether you are using cloud technology or traditional solutions. The main difference when using cloud technology is that both you and your cloud provider have a shared responsibility for maintaining the security of data stored in the cloud.

As cloud providers are professionals in the field of cloud technology and security, they usually have the investment resources, experience and knowledge to maintain high-end security technology. When it comes to both security and compliance, a cloud provider can generally invest vast amounts of resources that far exceed what an independent business could realistically manage.

The Cloud and The Internet Are The Same

There is often confusion about what the cloud really means, and usually, we interpret saving something to the cloud as saving it to the internet, which is figuratively true, but the two things are not the same. Put simply; the cloud is a network of remote servers that can only be accessed using the internet. The internet is one huge global network of connections, and within it, there are hundreds of thousands of clouds.

Many people make the mistake of thinking there is one single cloud when in actual fact there are thousands of different clouds located on the internet. These various different clouds could be either public or private. A public cloud is a service that can be accessed by anyone from anywhere with their own individual account, such as Dropbox or iCloud. A private cloud is dedicated to one specific company and can only be accessed by those with access to that particular server.

Cloud Migration Is Difficult

Years ago, when the cloud was a relatively new technology, there were plenty of horror stories around from early adopters who moved their business onto cloud technologies. Just a few years ago, cloud technologies were still a relatively new thing, and the power of them was unproven, leaving enterprises to figure them out on their own with little guidance or help. This led to implementation nightmares and gave cloud technology a bad name.

The technologies have come on in leaps and bounds since then, and now implementing cloud technologies could not be easier. The technology has improved significantly in recent years, and there are experienced and knowledgeable professionals out there to assist businesses in implementation and training. If your current servers are outdated, then some cleaning and architecture revisions may be necessary to migrate to the cloud, but with the help of a professional, the migration process can be seamless.

Cloud Technology Is A Fad

Many people still have this common misconception that cloud computing is simply just another fad. Its fast rise in popularity makes some people believe that the cloud is just another marketing buzzword that will be soon forgotten, but this is not the case. Cloud technology has actually been around since the 1960s and has become increasingly popular in recent years as technologies have advanced and improved.

Hundreds of companies across all industries rely on cloud computing for their day-to-day. IT needs, making it far too big and popular to be regarded as a short-lived fad. Cloud computing is expected to continuing growing and advancing over the next few years and is showing no signs of slowing.

Cloud Technology Is Cheap

It is a common belief that cloud technology is a cheaper way to run a business than traditional methods, but this is not always the case. Moving a company’s systems and data to a cloud platform will reduce the need for expensive hardware and in-house servicing costs, but there is also a financial investment involved in migrating everything over.

While the initial cost of moving over to the cloud may be pricey, the ongoing management costs are generally low and make up for it in the long run. Cloud technology also provides a more significant amount of flexibility and scalability once the transition is complete, resulting in a better performing business.

At Cyan Solutions we are experts in working with our customers to smoothly transition them onto the right cloud platform, tailored to their needs. Contact us now to discuss how cloud technology could transform your business.

Top Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Requirements

Top Five Benefits of Outsourcing Your IT Requirements

When running a growing business, it can feel like you’re a bit of a one-man band trying to balance various aspects of the businesses needs. In some areas of your business, it can be beneficial to keep the workload in-house, and even employ a specific team to handle it, but it just isn’t always practical to try and manage everything yourselves.

Outsourcing, or hiring an external company to manage specific areas of your business, is a familiar and popular option for many businesses, and thousands choose to outsource their IT requirements to seasoned professionals. There are a wide range of benefits to outsourcing your IT requirements.

Experienced and Certified Professionals

Information Technology is a complicated and challenging area to tackle, and without appropriate training and experience, it is impossible to get right. When it comes to hiring an in-house IT team, if you’re not IT trained yourself then how do you assure a potential employee is qualified? Certifications are great, but previous experience of managing a business’s IT requirements is invaluable.

By choosing to outsource your IT requirements to a professional company, you are guaranteed to get knowledge that an individual IT employee doesn’t have. IT service companies have a heap of experience in managing IT requirements for a business, and they often see related problems multiple times and will already know the best solutions and prevention techniques.

Controlled Costs

By outsourcing IT requirements, you are converting fixed IT costs into a variable cost that is much better for budgeting. You will only be paying for the services you use as and when you use them, as opposed to a fixed cost to the business every single month, even if no major IT changes have been made.

As well as reducing and controlling IT running costs, outsourcing can also result in considerable savings in labour costs. Recruiting and training IT staff can be costly, and with no guarantee as to how long an employee will stay with the business, it is a cost that you may have to pay every few years. Outsourcing allows you to focus your human resources efforts in other areas of the business where you need it the most.

Stay Ahead of the Game

When a business tries to manage all of their IT requirements in-house, it often takes a lot longer to get projects and developments completed. This is because there is a higher level of research, development and implementation time required compared with using an outsourced IT provider.

All of these things also increase the cost of new developments and slow down the whole process meaning your competitors might be making game-changing developments while you are still in the researching phase. A fully managed outsourced IT service will have the resources and knowledge to begin new projects immediately, compared with in-house where you may need to hire new staff, train them and provide the necessary support.

Increase Security and Reduce Risks

IT service providers will constantly be keeping up to date with specific industry knowledge, especially when it comes to security and compliance, that an in-house team simply might not be aware of. Outsourcing provides you with a reduced risk of coming across any issues, and an IT company will often have better expertise when deciding how to avoid certain risks to your business.

With the huge rises in cybercrime to businesses recently and the added pressure of GDPR, it is essential to keep your IT systems security as tight and secure as possible. Your in-house team may struggle to know the best practices and methods to keep your company and customers safe, but an outsourced IT team will be well aware of all PCI compliance standards and the best way to keep everything up to date and safe from attackers.

Strategic Planning

IT service providers have years of experience working with different clients and industries and will focus on keeping up to date with the latest technologies, making them the perfect team to help your business grow and expand. Many outsourced IT companies will be able to advise you on your business’s future IT requirements by evaluating your growth and planning how your IT infrastructure needs to support this.

At Cyan Solutions we work in partnership with our customers to support their technology ambitions. This allows us to deliver innovative solutions that meets your business’s specific needs now and in the future. With technology constantly changing, it is difficult to know yourself what IT requirements you will need in the future. But, by choosing to outsource to professionals, you will be getting expert guidance and support to help your business grow.

Switching over to Cyan is a simple, easy, seamless transition. It can seem overwhelming to make such a significant change to the way your business operates, but the benefits are clear, and successful growth often requires change. Call us today to see how we can help transform your business.

How and Why You Should Use Scalable Technology Infrastructure

All growing businesses know the struggles and challenges that scalability brings on a regular basis. It can seem like an impossible task to accurately predict the growth rates of your company’s technology infrastructure, especially as the businesses needs and capabilities are changing rapidly.

The last thing you want when your business is in a vital growth phase is for your technology to reach its capacity limits and slow you and your staff down. Even the most robust business plan in the world with the most talented leaders in the driving seat can fail if there is no scalability plan in place.

What is scalability and why is it important?

Simply put, scalability is the capacity for a business to adapt and evolve over time. It is an essential part of any business wanting to grow and expand in the future. Usually, scalability involves growth and the adaption of technology systems to sustain expansions and upgrades. If your small business does not have the processes and infrastructure in place to accommodate growth, then you will be limited in how much you can succeed.

A technology system is often considered scalable if it can increase its output and load when additional resources are added. These additional resources are often hardware, software upgrades or storage space that are utilised to meet the new and growing demands on the business. Scalability can also refer to staffing and employees, as some companies may need the ability to scale their workforce up and down to meet the growing needs of the organisation.

As your business grows, the primary objective is to continue to meet market demands, and this can be a struggle when market demands are continually evolving. To stay ahead of competitors your business needs to be able to adapt its approach to filling the ever-changing needs of customer demands.

Adapting your business

As your customer base grows, your resources and technology need to do the same, and if you have no way of handling these increases, then your efficiency and quality can suffer. An effective, scalable technology infrastructure will help to support these increases and allow you to take full control over your business without the need for additional time and resources.

Scalability is an excellent and cost-effective way to manage your business growth and avoid unexpected expenses, including replacing hardware and software that is no longer doing the job it should be. From a financial perspective, scalability drastically lowers your outgoing costs for technology, even if the initial bill is higher to begin with.

For example, if you have 10,000 customers within your database and invest in a technology system to support 500,000, you will not need to replace that system until you reach maximum capacity. It means your technology will not become outdated and redundant quickly and allows you and your staff to focus on the growth and progression of your business.

Many businesses across the country are focusing their time and efforts on creating a scalable technology infrastructure to support their growth. Toto Energy was founded in 2016 with plans to grow rapidly, they fully understood their need for a scalable infrastructure in their early days and recruited the help of technology specialists Cyan Solutions. The company has grown quickly, gaining 55,000 customers within their first year, and Cyan Solution’s cloud-based hosting system has supported and enabled their growth every step of the way; read the full case study here.

How to implement a scalable technology infrastructure?

Once you have decided to take the leap and transform your IT infrastructure into a scalable one, it can be a struggle knowing how and where to start. The use of cloud technologies is highly beneficial for scalable infrastructures and for helping small businesses to grow.

The cloud allows you and your system to be fully flexible and adapt to various changes as and when is necessary, as well as allowing you to make the most of easy implementation processes. Cloud software will enable you to add and remove software and applications without complicated reinstallation processes, making scalability an easy and straightforward process.

It is normal to want to get a head start and make as many areas as scalable as possible within your business, but it is crucial to properly understand that this may not be feasible for everything. This shouldn’t stop you from moving forward with the scalability where relevant though. It just should be taken into consideration when coming up with a scalable system design and purchasing equipment. It is just as essential to understand and recognise where you can’t change as it is to recognise where you can.

Scalability and migrating to a scalable technology infrastructure is not a simple task to tackle alone, but a worthwhile one if you are serious about growing your business efficiently. Often it is worth enlisting the help of professionals such as Cyan Solutions who can help you to understand where and how your IT infrastructure can be scalable, and the best way of implementing a new infrastructure.

Cybercrime Is On The Increase

 

Businesses have been facing a growing threat from data breaches, ransomware and supply chain weaknesses in recent years. According to the annual report of the National Cyber Security Centre, the number of cyber-attacks on UK businesses increased in the last year and is only expected to continue to rise.

Cybercrime is a very real issue that businesses today must address and protect themselves against, especially with the newly introduced General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that took effect in May this year. IT infrastructures and systems are continuing to grow and evolve rapidly and the more technology systems a company has, the more potential there is for a security breach.

Cybercriminals are continually finding new and innovative ways to hack IT systems and to keep your business safe; it is essential to stay one step ahead.

The growing cybercrime problem

Cybercrime among businesses is a growing issue, with almost half of UK firms being hit by a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months. Organisations of all sizes are under threat from cybercriminals, with firms that hold personal data the most likely to be a target for cybercrime. These cyber-attacks can come in many shapes and sizes, and cybercriminals are getting more intelligent in carrying out these attacks subtly and quickly.

The most common types of attack from the last 12 months were fraudulent emails, closely followed by viruses and malware. In 2017, The Cyber Security Breaches Survey identified that nearly seven in ten large businesses came under a security breach or attack during the year, and these attacks cost each firm an average of £20,000.

It is no secret that cybercriminals are targeting businesses across the UK on a daily basis, and this threat is continuing to grow. A serious security breach can not only be costly to a company but also have a significant impact on customer confidence, and many big brands have been hitting the headlines recently for being victims of massive data breaches. Dixons Carphone recently admitted a considerable data breach where 5.9 million customer bank cards and 1.2 million personal records were compromised, resulting in the most significant data breach ever in the UK.

GDPR and cybercrime

In May 2018, the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into effect, in a bid to protect customers personal data and help individuals have more control over how and where their personal data is used and stored. The new regulations mean there are some drastic changes for businesses, as there is now a much higher level of responsibility for how customer data is stored and managed.

The main impact on businesses in the UK from GDPR is the vast fines that can be enforced should a data breach occur. Following a data breach, a firm can either be fined €20 million or 4 per cent of their global turnover, whichever is higher.

Compared with the previous fines, this is a considerable increase and could land a lot of small businesses in trouble should a data breach occur. In 2016 TalkTalk was fined £400,000 for a security breach that gave hackers access to their customer’s data, today that fine would have been a huge £59 million under GDPR.

With the risk of fines that are large enough to put many companies out of business and the increase in security attacks on businesses in recent years, it is more important than ever to make sure your data and security are safe and protected.

How to protect your business from cybercrime

In this day and age, no matter what size your business is or what industry you operate in, someone will try to steal your data, use your systems to spread viruses or hold your computers for ransom. Smaller companies are often considered better targets for cybercrime, because cybercriminals expect them to have weaker security systems in place, and they probably have a point.

Smaller businesses often have less money to spend on protecting themselves than their larger counterparts, but cybersecurity is a vital investment. It can be a struggle to know where to start, especially if you aren’t an expert in the IT. Technology systems are becoming increasingly complex, making protecting them from attackers ever more challenging.

Enlisting the help of an expert such as Cyan for your businesses computer and data security needs is beneficial and well worth the extra money involved. A professional in the field of cybersecurity will be top of the game and the first to know about new viruses and issues, giving them the ability to stay one step ahead of the cybercriminals and implement security patches before a breach has the chance to occur.

It is also vital to remember that under GDPR you are also responsible for how all your chosen suppliers and providers handle your customer’s data. When employing third-party companies to run systems or software for you, be sure to understand exactly how they are working to protect themselves from cybercrime. You could have the best cybersecurity in the world, and if one of your external suppliers doesn’t keep the same standard, you can still be at risk of a cyber attack or data breach.

Essential Data Back-Up & Disaster Recovery Tips

Even the most careful and cautious business in the world is at risk of natural and human-made disasters that could bring down essential infrastructures and systems. No matter what industry you are in or what size your business is, a foolproof data back up and disaster recovery plan is vital to protecting your company and avoiding a crisis should the worst happen.

Getting back-ups correct is no easy task, and disaster recovery is even more difficult to implement effectively. Ever changing and growing technology such as cloud solutions adds yet another layer of complexity to IT systems and is just another aspect that needs a reliable back up plan. As well as this, strict data laws such as GDPR put even more pressure on companies to protect their customer’s data and avoid security breaches.

The terms data back-up and disaster recovery are often misunderstood and misused; it is essential to understand that having a back-up plan is different from having a disaster recovery strategy and that you may need both!

What is data back up?

A data back-up is a copy of your businesses data stored on another device in a different location to your originals. Often data back-ups are in the form of a separate drive or storage device within a data centre or stored in a completely different location to everything else.

In most cases, back-ups are created on a daily basis, so your back-up file is always up to date and relevant. Cloud technology provides an automatic and remote solution for creating daily back-ups. However, some businesses still operate with a physical drive that is backed up regularly by an individual.

These data back-ups give you the ability to restore your data back to the original source should anything go wrong. When running a business, it is essential to have a back-up plan in place to protect your data from the worst-case scenario. Creating a back-up plan requires deciding what needs to be backed up, how often it needs backing up and how long it should be kept for.

You will also need to consider how and where this data will be backed up. There is a range of back-up data solutions out there and to properly understand which is right for you and your business; you first need to understand your back-up requirements fully.

What is disaster recovery?

Disaster recovery is much more in-depth than a data back up and includes having a full plan and technical solution to keep your business running should a disaster strike. To establish an effective disaster recovery plan, you first need to identify which systems are required to keep your business functioning should an incident occur and how long your business can run with each various system being offline.

Disaster recovery solutions come in many different forms; some will automatically take over from the primary system if the connection is lost, while others involve restoring the system from back-ups.

Top tips to keep your business protected

Many businesses will require both a back-up data plan and disaster recovery strategy to protect themselves from a crisis adequately. There are a few best practices that every business should follow to ensure their data and systems are effectively protected in the event of a disaster:

Plan

The most important practice for any business is to make sure you have both a back-up data plan and a disaster recovery strategy in place to protect yourself. If your data doesn’t exist in at least two different places, then it might as well not exist at all; the same can be said for your systems and workloads. Computers and the data within them make up your organisation, and if you choose not to protect them properly you could end up with nothing.

Cloud

Use the cloud to make reliable and automated back-ups. Cloud-based back-ups will back up your data over the internet and can be restored from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. Data is stored off-site and often protected from physical natural disasters such as flooding or fires. Back-ups can be arranged to complete automatically in the background, meaning you don’t have to worry about remembering to do them on a weekly or monthly basis.

Organise

Organisation is key. For a functional and reliable back up, ensure your files are organised into a sensible system. This way you will easily be able to locate your lost data should the worst happen.

Audit

When it comes to establishing an effective disaster recovery strategy, start by reviewing the basics. Audit all your internal back-up plans and determine where the areas of weaknesses are. Even the best disaster recovery plan in the world can’t recover data that hasn’t been properly backed up.

Update

Keep your disaster recovery plan current. A disaster recovery plan cannot simply be set up and then left to its own devices until it is required, it needs to be maintained and updated as the business grows and evolves. It should always be at the forefront of your mind, and whenever a system or process within your business is changed, your disaster recovery plan needs to reflect that.

To review your back-up and disaster recovery strategy, get in touch with the experts at Cyan  – we are ready to help to ensure your success.