Lighthouse Technology Solutions Blog

Today is Disaster Preparedness Day! This means that there’s no time quite like the present for preparing for potential future data emergencies. While the type of disasters vary immensely depending on your business’s geographical location, every business needs a disaster recovery plan implemented as soon as possible.

It’s the goal of every IT administrator for every part of their network to run smoothly. Achieving this level of IT perfection is a beautiful thing that makes the job of everyone in the company easier. Unfortunately, all it takes is one component to fail for this dream of IT utopia to come crashing down.

Big data analytics might be changing the way businesses look at data, but how much can be changed without a deeper understanding of what causes these trends? Your business model has everything to gain from understanding why and how big data trends come to be. In essence, understanding how the trends behind big data work is arguably more important than the statistics of big data itself.

Your business relies on its IT to get things done, but if disaster were to strike, would you be able to recover efficient operations without having to deal with the numerous headaches that are associated with downtime? Even if you have instituted a reliable backup solution, your business could still be hurting if your backup failed. Here’s how you troubleshoot this scenario.

2015 isn’t the year to go without backups. If there’s anything 2014 showed the world, it’s that businesses can fall victim to data breaches when they least expect it. You want to be prepared in the event of a data breach or data loss, and the easiest way to do that is by taking advantage of an external backup. Unfortunately, even an essential solution like data backup can be forgotten amidst the everyday operations of the average business owner.

You’re walking your dog when all of a sudden, you get this game-changing idea for how to manage your technology. You get excited to integrate it into your IT strategy, but by the time you get home, the thought is gone and you can’t remember it. This “Eureka” moment is just like data loss; it could occur at any time, and without warning, whether you’re ready for it or not.

There are several factors at work when scoping out your current network security situation. According to a study from 1&1, 67 percent of people confirmed that someone they know has had information stolen from them while online, which means that your business could be next. In order to remain one of the few unaffected by security breaches, consider these three network security features for your business.

Every business owner knows how important data backup is to their company's continuity plan, and they realize that a disaster recovery solution can help save them in the event of catastrophe. However, some businesses think they are the same thing, and they are sadly mistaken. While they are similar, a backup is not a disaster recovery solution.

If your Dad happens to be a business owner, then you know how hard it can be to give him a nice Father's Day present. Business owners tend to be good at buying themselves whatever they need or want. Every business owner can benefit from IT services. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Your mind is racing at a mile a minute, and you keep a to-do list for all of the things you are supposed to do. Unfortunately, that to-do list is often forgotten about. You save it as a .DOC text file on your computer, which has been making a strange clicking noise lately. But one day, the clicking sound gets worse, and worse, and worse, until your computer stops working completely. Just like that, all of your data is gone, and that's when it hits you.

Are you aware of the value of your company's data? If you lost it all today, what would it cost your business in terms of productivity, downtime, and liability? Security precautions need to be taken in order to keep your data safe, including data backups. However, after you have a backup system in place, don't neglect the need to secure those backup files!

Businesses that are aggressive will grow quickly, and in the same way, businesses that have an aggressive continuity plan will survive the worst disasters. You need to aggressively be prepared for any disaster, even the scenarios that leave your company without computers.

The importance of backing up your company's data cannot be stressed enough. Data is your business' most valuable asset, as evidenced by the fact that companies unable to access their data for ten days after a major disaster (like Hurricane Sandy that hit the mid atlantic and northeast U.S) will not survive the next fiscal year. Here's how to protect your business with data backup.

In a recent survey of small businesses, only 13% of respondents believed themselves to be susceptible to a disaster resulting in data loss. That means 87% of small businesses must be located in a fortress where they are protected from every natural disaster--yeah right! No business is immune from disaster; therefore, every company needs a disaster plan.

Every business needs to have a business continuity plan to keep operations going after experiencing a disaster. The centerpiece to every plan is having a backup and recovery solution in place for your company's data. If something happens to your data, your business may not recover. Here are four backup statistics that show the importance of backing up.

While there are some startup businesses reading this that have not used anything older than Windows 7, there are other companies out there that are more seasoned and have been using their computer system for decades. Legacy companies like this may have found it difficult to open old files with newer systems; here's how to fix this using Microsoft Office.

Don't be an April Fool.  Data backup is extremely important for businesses.  If your data isn't backed up, or your backup solution isn't properly tested and maintained, your data could be at risk.  That's why March 31st is World Backup Day!  Check out and share the infographic and ask yourself, what would you do if you lost everything?

The expression on Drew's face is a perfect picture of what data loss looks like. There is nothing more frustrating than spending an entire day on a project, only to have it all disappear with a system error. Drew's mistake was that he was saving all of his work directly on his laptop. Not only is his work susceptible to a hard drive failure and the computer crashing, but his laptop is also at risk of being stolen along with all of his personal data.

It's evident having a solid backup solution for your business data is not just important, but crucial in order to ensure the survival of your company in the event of a disaster. One backup solution involves using a magnetic tape medium to store data. Unfortunately, tape brings some inconveniences that make other solutions more appealing.

Nature can be pretty impressive. It can interrupt the day-to-day operations of businesses, cause major damage, and cost your business in expensive downtime. Having a good business continuity plan (and ensuring you have it set in place) can make or break your company when mother nature comes knocking at your door.