The challenge facing businesses and municipalities everywhere is how to operate securely, efficiently, and confidently in an era when technology risks and complexity continue to grow and threaten productivity.

From small professional offices and manufacturers to school districts and town halls across New Hampshire and Vermont, organizations are discovering that basic IT/helpdesk support is no longer enough. Today’s work technology demands advanced managed services, the kind that anticipates and reacts to problems proactively or in near real time, actively defend against threats, and empower users to work at their best.

Why Basic IT/Helpdesk Support Is No Longer Enough

In years past, “managed IT services” meant managing problems:

• Fix the server when it goes down
• Clean up a virus after an infection
• Replace hardware when it fails
• Provide helpdesk type services

That reactive model never worked well because it focused on business interruptions rather than business continuity.

Now, most organizations face:

• Sophisticated ransomware and phishing attacks
• Remote and hybrid workforces
• Cloud-based applications and data
• Compliance and cybersecurity insurance requirements
• Increased reliance on uptime for daily operations

Small and mid-sized businesses and municipalities in particular are now targeted more frequently than large enterprises, often because attackers assume defenses are weaker.

The result? Organizations need enterprise-grade IT protection and management, scaled appropriately for their size and budget.

The Move to Advanced Managed IT Services – Complete Care

Advanced managed services focus on prevention, visibility, and performance, not just reactive updates and repairs.

What this means:

• Continuous monitoring instead of periodic checkups
• Security-first design instead of traditional antivirus
• Strategic preventive guidance instead of repeated fixes
• User enablement instead of simple access

This reveals the gap that CCI Managed Services was built to fill:  bring national-caliber managed IT and cybersecurity capabilities to organizations throughout the NH & VT Upper Valley and beyond.

What Makes CCI’s Complete Care IT Services Better?

CCI’s Complete Care IT Services are designed as a fully integrated, enterprise-level solution, not a collection of disconnected tools or scalable “technology stack.”

Rather than asking clients what they need from a services menu, the Complete Care approach proactively addresses the entire business technology lifecycle, including:

• Hardware/Infrastructure
• Security
• Cloud services
• End-user support
• Strategic IT planning
• Monitoring and Feedback

This approach is especially valuable for small businesses and municipalities. Whether your organization outsources essential IT services or has in-house IT leadership, it still faces enterprise-level risks.

CCI can provide the fastest response times and highest levels of security, in most cases, more than a 1- or 2-person IT team. CCI has built redundancies not only in our internal, cloud, and backup technologies but also in our top-level support teams. Even if you were to lose your in-house IT specialist, CCI still provides several layers of secure support to help you manage your company or small-town administration.

Security Built for Today’s Threat Landscape

Cybersecurity is no longer optional, and it can’t be piecemeal.

CCI’s Complete Care model emphasizes layered, proactive security, including:

• 24/7 network and system monitoring to identify threats before they escalate
• Advanced endpoint protection for servers, desktops, and mobile devices
• Email security and phishing defense, which is currently the most common breach vector
• Firewall and network security management designed for modern traffic and remote access
• Security patching and updates to close vulnerabilities quickly

For municipalities and regulated organizations, this proactive security posture also supports:

• Cyber insurance requirements
• Audit readiness
• Risk management and documentation

Empowering Trusted Users, Not Locking Down Systems

Security alone is not enough. Technology must also enable productivity, not slow it down.

CCI’s Complete Care services are built around the idea that authorized users should be able to work efficiently, securely, and confidently, whether they are:

• In the office
• Working remotely
• Using cloud-based applications
• Accessing shared data and systems

This includes:

• Reliable device performance and support
• Secure remote access
• Cloud productivity tools
• Consistent user experience across locations

When technology works as it should, employees spend less time troubleshooting and more time doing their jobs.

Complete Care for Growing Organizations

Another key difference in CCI’s approach is strategic IT leadership behind the scenes, not just multi-tiered tech support.

Complete Care clients benefit from:

• Long-term IT planning and budgeting guidance
• Infrastructure lifecycle management
• Technology recommendations aligned with business goals
• Ongoing assessments and optimization

For business owners, this means fewer disruptions and a smarter investment.
For town managers and municipal leaders, it means defensible, well-documented IT decisions that support business continuity and public trust.

Designed for Businesses and Municipalities in NH & VT

CCI Managed Services understands the regional landscape from manufacturing firms and professional offices to towns, schools, and public agencies throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. We’ve made strategic investments in software, systems, and enterprise partnerships that can scale to serve the growing healthcare and technology sectors of the Upper Valley.

Our Complete Care services are specifically suited for organizations that need:

• Enterprise-grade protection without enterprise-sized IT departments
• Local, responsive support backed by advanced tools
• A trusted IT partner who understands operational, budgetary, and compliance realities

This balance of local accountability and national-level capability is what positions CCI as a leader not just in the Upper Valley, but among the most capable managed services providers in the New England region.

Technology That Protects and Performs

As AI revolutionizes both the speed and complexity of computing, every business’s IT profile tends to grow and become more dynamic. The need for advanced managed IT services is no longer driven by company size but by risk, complexity, and reliance on technology.

CCI Managed Services’ Complete Care IT Services promise clients:

• Comprehensive cybersecurity protection
• Proactive monitoring and support
• User-focused performance and reliability
• Strategic IT leadership and planning
• Scalability to meet rapid growth

For organizations that want to operate securely, confidently, and efficiently in today’s digital environment, Complete Care delivers everything today’s technology users need. And the best part? Your IT costs are predictable while giving you the peace of mind to meet the future of your business head on.

If you’d like to more fully understand Complete Care beyond all the bullet points (LOL), feel free to chat with one of our IT services experts at (603) 542-5109 or take advantage of our FREE IT ASSESSMENT.

The post Why Complete Care IT Services Should Replace Traditional Methods of IT Support appeared first on CCI Managed Services | IT Services & Support.

No longer do we see the obvious scam emails full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar. The scam artists have learned and are now carefully crafting messages that appear to come from trusted sources—sometimes even using real email addresses that have been compromised.

We work in an ever more connected world and a single click on a bad link can lead to email account takeovers, ransomware attacks, and data breaches that can cease business operations. It’s critical for organizations of all sizes to stay a step ahead of the growing threats.

Let’s delve into what you need to know about the latest phishing email tactics and how you and your team can avoid being victimized.

Phishing Attacks are Deceptive and Dangerous!

Phishing emails have become so cleverly deceptive that even savvy users are being fooled. Here’s why:

• Real email addresses: Hackers can gain access to legitimate email accounts and send messages from trusted names in your company or partner organizations.
• Authentic-looking content: Modern phishing emails often use the right logos, language, and formatting to appear completely legitimate.
• Sense of urgency: Many attacks pressure users to act fast—such as updating a password, paying a fake invoice, or confirming login details.
• Precisely targeted:  Some attacks are customized with personal or company-specific details to make them look legitimate or even important. This is called “spear-phishing.”

The Dreaded Consequences of Email Takeover

Skilled attackers can gain access to a business email account. When that happens the results can be disastrous as they can:

• Send fraudulent emails to customers or colleagues in your name
• Gain access to sensitive data or intellectual property
• Trick employees into giving login credentials or even transferring funds
• Spread dangerous malware such as ransomeware throughout the organization

All that can be just the beginning of the problems. Reputational damage, legal liabilities, and compliance violations can follow a successful phishing attack.

Best Practices to Protect Against Phishing Attacks

Employee and partner education is where it starts. Applying vigilance with consistency is your first line of defense. CCI recommends the following:

1. Be suspicious of unexpected email. If something feels off (tone, timing, or request), verify it with the sender via another communication method before taking action.

2. Inspect email addresses carefully. Whenever in question, check the full email address for slight variations or misspellings.

3. Hover before you click. Always hover your mouse over links to see the true URL. If it doesn’t match the sender or expected destination, don’t click it.

4. Don’t download unknown attachments. Malicious files can install malware and spread across your network.

5. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA). Even if a hacker gets your password, MFA can usually stop them from accessing your accounts.** 

6. Keep software and systems up to date. Patches and updates often contain important security fixes. Delaying them increases risk.

7. Train your team often. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Run frequent awareness training sessions and simulated phishing tests.

**Unfortunately, MFA is no longer a completely reliable shield from a breach. Hackers have found new and creative ways to steal MFA codes – which then gets them in permanently and can go undetected. This is why our programs such as Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) and IDTR (Identity Threat DeTection & Response) go beyond traditional antivirus protection. Clients are immediately notified if an unidentified entity or intruder has logged into their account, and we can take immediate protective action.

Get Help Fortifying Your Email Security 

CCI Managed Services helps to more fully protect businesses against the evolving cyber threats. For example, if every single team member uses business premium licensing from Microsoft we can set policies to automatically deny any sign-in attempt outside of a specifically designated geographical area. 

The hackers are smart. We need to do better than just match wits. We need to proactively understand their moves and keep a defensive step ahead! From advanced threat detection to managed email security and end user security training, your friendly CCI team offers cybersecurity solutions to keep your team and data safe from the hackers.

If you’re concerned about your organization’s vulnerability to phishing or email-based attacks, we’re happy to schedule a free sales consultation without any obligation. Click here to learn more, and don’t worry, this link is safe!

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Elevating CCI Managed Services Expertise

CCI Managed Services proudly announces a landmark achievement in our quest for technological excellence. Our CEO, Michael Demars, has recently dedicated over 40 hours to advanced training, culminating in his certification as a Lenovo Certified Data Center Sales Professional. This challenging program involved a detailed exploration of Lenovo’s extensive server and storage portfolio and successfully passing an extremely rigorous proctored examination.

The CCI Team: United by Knowledge

The value of this certification extends far beyond a single individual. It symbolizes a shared elevation in our knowledge base and a unified step forward in how we serve our clients. Our team, invigorated by this collective enhancement of skills and insights, is poised to deliver a heightened level of consultative service.

A Comprehensive Understanding of Lenovo’s Offerings

• In-Depth Product Knowledge: The certification process has equipped us with an extensive understanding of Lenovo’s server, storage, and software-defined infrastructure (SDI) portfolios.
• Strategic Insights: With this knowledge, our team can now articulate Lenovo’s vision and strategy, aligning it with customer-specific needs.
• Consultative Approach: These enhanced skills will enable a more consultative approach to customer engagements, particularly in identifying and recommending solutions tailored to unique or complex scenarios.

Advanced Solutions for Evolving Needs

The training covered a wide spectrum of Lenovo’s technological offerings, preparing our team to meet a variety of client requirements with precision and foresight.

• Hyperconverged Systems: Mastery over complex IT infrastructures like hyperconverged systems allows CCI to guide clients through digital transformation with ease.
• Hybrid Cloud Technologies: With hybrid cloud solutions becoming the backbone of modern IT, Michael’s proficiency ensures seamless integration of on-premises and cloud resources.
• Robust Storage Options: Understanding Lenovo’s cutting-edge storage solutions means CCI can offer scalable and secure data management.
• Networking Excellence: Proficiency in Lenovo’s networking portfolio enables Michael to design infrastructure that is both robust and optimized for future growth.
• Server Innovation: Knowledge of Lenovo’s server innovations allows for the deployment of high-performance computing solutions tailored to meet intensive workloads.
• Security and Reliability: A deep dive into Lenovo’s approach to security ensures that CCI can deliver solutions that not only perform but are also inherently secure.

Why It Matters for CCI Managed Services Clients

Precise, Tailored Recommendations

The expertise the Lenovo Certification brings is not just about having a badge; it’s about the ability to dive deep into client needs and recommend solutions that are effective, efficient, and forward-thinking.

Confidence in Decision-Making

Knowing that CCI Managed Services holds a Lenovo Certified Data Center Sales Professional gives clients an added layer of confidence. They can rest assured that the recommendations and solutions provided are based on the most recent and robust knowledge base.

Keeping Pace with Technology

The field of data centers is ever-evolving. This most recent certification is a testament to CCI’s commitment to staying abreast of the latest technological developments, ensuring that our clients receive solutions that are not just current but also future-ready.

A Partner for Growth

CCI Managed Services isn’t just a provider; we are a partner in growth. With Michael’s certification, our clients can expect an enriched partnership that helps them grow their businesses by leveraging cutting-edge data center technologies.

A Step Forward

The Lenovo certification is more than just an accolade for Michael Demars and CCI Managed Services. It’s a commitment to our clients. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of service and expertise in the industry.

As technology marches forward, so do we, with a clear vision of bringing only the best to businesses and organizations in the Upper Valley region of NH and VT. The CCI difference is powered by the training and expertise that sets us apart.

For more information about our services and how we can help your business thrive, visit https://ccimanaged.com

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What are Managed IT Services?  

Managed IT Services involve outsourcing your technology-related tasks and responsibilities to a specialized company, often referred to as a Managed Service Provider (MSP). These specialists take care of various IT needs, ensuring your systems are efficient, secure, and up to date. They provide all the essential services of an in-house IT department, in most cases at a fraction of the cost. CCI can do this through the efficiencies of knowing and applying standardized tools and best practices according to each client’s level of technology and security needs. When our trained experts use industry-standardized tools and automation resources, managing 10 small business networks can require little more resources than managing one.

Key Benefits of CCI Managed IT Services:  

• Proactive Maintenance: CCI’s managed IT program called “Complete Care” takes a proactive approach to preventing potential IT issues. Instead of reacting to problems after they occur (costing extra time and money), MSPs (Managed Service Providers) monitor and manage your systems to identify and address potential problems before they disrupt your operations. We can reliably find and fix many of your issues BEFORE your “check engine light” even comes on!

• 24/7 Monitoring: CCI offers round-the-clock monitoring of your IT infrastructure. This ensures that any issues are detected and resolved promptly, reducing costly downtime, and enhancing overall productivity and system performance.

• Expertise on Demand: CCI is staffed with IT professionals who possess expertise across various technologies and domains. This means you have access to an entire team of specialists without the overhead of hiring an in-house manager or tech team.

• Cost Efficiency: CCI operates in a flat-rate agreement model, which is reliably more cost-effective than hiring a full in-house IT team (usually, it is even less expensive than hiring a single IT professional). This eliminates the need for expenses such as salaries, benefits, tools, and training.

• Enhanced Security: Cybersecurity threats are a major concern for businesses. CCI implements robust security measures to protect your data, systems, and sensitive information from breaches, viruses, and cyberattacks.

• Scalability and Flexibility: As your business grows, your IT needs will evolve. CCI can easily scale up or down to accommodate changes in your requirements, ensuring your technology aligns with your business goals.

• Focus on Core Business: By outsourcing IT management to CCI, you can redirect your focus and resources towards core business activities, innovation, and customer satisfaction, rather than getting caught up in technical issues, headaches, or drama.

• Data Backup and Recovery: As a reputable MSP we always implement reliable backup and disaster recovery plans. In the event of data loss, breach, or system failure, your critical business data can be restored quickly, minimizing downtime, and save you from having to pay a ransom to get your data restored.

• Compliance and Regulations: At CCI we cannot make you compliant ourselves, but we will play a pivotal role in helping you attain and remain compliant. A lot of compliance requirements involve specific IT related tasks and settings.

• Peace of Mind: With Complete Care, you can rest easy knowing that your technology is in capable hands. You do not have to worry about constantly staying updated on the latest tech trends – You run your business and we will handle your tech.

Why Business Owners MUST Care  

CCI’s Managed IT Services brings several business advantages to the table:

• Efficiency:  We will optimize your systems, reducing downtime and improving overall efficiency.
• Cost Savings:  Outsourcing IT in a flat-rate type of agreement is cost-effective compared to maintaining an in-house team or hiring a provider that bills you hourly.
• Security:  Enhanced cybersecurity measures protect your sensitive data from threats.
• Focus on Growth:  By delegating IT tasks to CCI, you can focus on expanding your business and achieving your strategic objectives.
• Expert Support:  Accessing our team of IT experts ensures timely resolutions to technical issues.

In the ever-expanding digital age, working with CCI Managed Services will give your business a competitive advantage. With our dedicated team managing your IT system, you can stop worrying about technology and concentrate on what matters most to your business – serving your customers and continuing to grow.

The post The Layman’s Guide to Managed IT Services appeared first on CCI Managed Services | IT Services & Support.

The Phishing is Easy

So, what is phishing? Malwarebytes notes, “Phishing is an attack in which the threat actor poses as a trusted person or organization to trick potential victims into sharing sensitive information or sending them money.”

Often this starts with an email. “Under the guise of someone trusted, the attacker will ask the recipient to click a link, download an attachment, or to send money. When the victim opens the message, they find a scary message meant to overcome their better judgement by filling them with fear. The message may demand that the victim go to a website and take immediate action or risk some sort of consequence. If users take the bait and click the link, they’re sent to an imitation of a legitimate website. From here, they’re asked to log in with their username and password credentials. If they are gullible enough to comply, the sign-on information goes to the attacker, who uses it to steal identities, pilfer bank accounts, and sell personal information on the black market.”

Ask yourself:

1. Despite all the security training provided by companies today, how many mistakes does it take to cause a breach or loss of control over sensitive information?
2. What will happen to your personal and company proprietary data if a bad actor succeeds in obtaining your username and password?
3. Guess what simple action you can take to prevent 99.9 percent of attacks on your accounts?

It may be surprising but roughly 20% of people online use identical logins and passwords across many websites and apps. This is particularly risky for accounts with sensitive information. Although, you can encrypt passwords using a password manager or randomly generate your passwords, cyber experts are recommending a second security step that utilizes Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Reeling in the Logins

Email phishing typically aims to capture your username and password. Then it’s off to the races hijacking your social media accounts or ordering products from your favorite online merchants.  Worse, most people use a small number of passwords and variations of passwords to access all kinds of information including the applications and remote access to your company’s confidential data!

Besides phishing, there are other cyber-attack methods out there. Maybe a virus slips past defenses at work or on a personal device that we have no control over, and the payload is a simple key logger. Now every keystroke including passwords are being captured for easy theft.

We need more than a simple username and password for access to our most sensitive business applications.  And we certainly need more than a username and password for remote access to private networks.

MFA Blocks Access by “Successful” Password Thieves

Multifactor Authentication, or MFA, provides an additional level of security in the case a bad actor steals your login credentials. We’ve been discussing CIS Controls which provide best practice recommendations for companies to follow in thwarting theft of login credentials. CIS Controls 6.3 and 6.4, “Require all externally exposed enterprise or third-party applications to enforce MFA, where supported. Enforcing MFA through a directory service or SSO provider is a satisfactory implementation of this Safeguard. Require MFA for remote network access.”

Tech Talk in Plain English

What these recommendations mean is that with MFA, a person trying to gain access to specific information must have more than just a username and password. An example of MFA in action is when you try to log into your bank account, the bank sends you a 6-digit code that you must enter before logging you into the account. This method protects you and your account. How? Well, even if a bad actor has your user ID and password, he or she cannot possibly gain access without knowledge of the correct 6-digit code from your bank. The code verifies your identity.

MFA comes in many forms. Here at CCI Managed Services, we use a tool called Authpoint which can be setup to “push” a simple Approve/Deny to the user’s smart phone. This saves transcription time while alerting the user to the attempted access by someone else. This method makes effective use of MFA fast, easy and painless. For further information, refer to this additional article about how we manage MFA and what our customers are saying.

CCI Managed Services can help your business determine where MFA is needed and implement a solution that is simple and effective. It’s just one of dozens of areas we can investigate for your safety when you hire us to inspect your network security and provide a concise report card spelling out the risks you have today and how to solve them.

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CCI’s roots as a local computer and technology retailer taught us the value of communicating in a thorough, accurate and cheerful manner. Starting up in the late 1980s, we learned the immense value of clear communications in the building of mutually beneficial relationships.

As time went on and markets evolved, our clients needed more than an IT hardware supplier. They needed a technology partner, and our local retail experience served us well in building more integral business relationships. The clients who knew us face to face tended to be more forthcoming with important information, and that helped us improve their operations.

By 2007, we officially changed our business model to Managed Service Provider (MSP) enabling our clients and us to grow as technology partners. Business continued to expand beyond the Claremont, NH area. This significant growth enabled us to choose where to ultimately base our home offices. While other parts of New England offered denser populations and seemingly more lucrative opportunities, a strategic decision had to be made; stay or relocate. The decision was and is, we’re not going anywhere!

The Strategic Location Decision

The decision to base our company in Claremont, NH came down to a few key considerations:

• Growth opportunities
• Quality of life
• Educated, motivated people
• Ability to serve with excellence
• Relationships

Staying in Claremont might limit our personal presence in larger markets. However, relocating would take us away from where many of us grew up as well as the opportunities right under our noses.

Growth

The burgeoning education, medical, manufacturing and technology industries in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont are just up the road from our office. A growing industrial and services base in Keene and the Monadnock Region as well as the Connecticut Valley towns in Vermont offer business opportunities in the other direction, and here we are, right in the middle of it all. We can personally serve clients from Hanover, Norwich and Lebanon down to Brattleboro, Keene and Peterborough.

Lifestyle

For us, the quality of life in this area is second to none. If you enjoy the outdoors like we do, the Sugar River Valley, in which Claremont is centered, is an outdoors paradise offering watersports, hiking, trail riding, skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, sightseeing and much more.

Education

Nearby state colleges, technical institutes and private universities including Dartmouth College provide a steady output of well-trained, highly skilled employment candidates for careers in the IT industry.

People

The people here are educated and motivated to succeed in their chosen career positions. They are dedicated to the strong work ethic and service culture that are common to this part of Northern New England. We’re fortunate to have a dedicated team from this region, most with over 10 years with us.

Trust in Your Local MSP

Trust is the key to progress and confidential communication is the key to earning trust when it comes to managing vital information. Knowing our customers personally helps ideas flow freely. Creativity combines with knowhow and better solutions result.

To us, “IT Services” means managing and protecting data so that communications flow properly and securely. When all parties have access to the right information, everyone can be on the same page and the best work gets done. Secure networks and unified communications lead to greater productivity and growth.

Our successful Complete Care managed services model is largely the result of learning what’s most important to enterprises and small businesses by working closely with them, some for decades. As we continue to grow our business with customers all over New England, CCI is pleased to call Claremont, NH home and keep improving technology services from Keene to the Upper Valley.

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Preventative Maintenance

In addition to the hardware itself, a solid backup solution also has its own backup including generators, backup batteries, cooling systems, fire detection, suppression systems, and redundant cloud storage. You can’t necessarily head to your provider’s datacenter to see for yourself, but you can read the fine print on your contracts as well as have meaningful conversations with potential providers.

Periodic Testing

Consistently ensuring everything is running as it should, will allow you some peace of mind as well as lay the groundwork for successful backup. This goes beyond simply testing backup software or cloud storage. A good backup provider will run regular testing and provide reports on the health of the backup, size, and any glitches that you might be facing. This testing should also include periodic test restores of your actual data to ensure the solution works and timeframes are clear.

Multi-Location Storage

At a minimum, backups should be done to local hardware as well as to hardware that is offsite. An offsite data center that is hundreds of miles away is good. Having backups in more than one offsite location is even better. It’s also important to know what the offsite datacenter(s) meet in terms of compliance standards. The goal is to ensure geo-separation between your data and the backups as well as to ensure that data is secure in a professionally certified facility.

Scenario Planning and Training

Don’t leave it all to your IT company. Take an active role in “gaming” different events that could require restoring some or most of your data. Who makes the decisions? What is the process and how long does it take? What processes can be available and practiced to reduce the disruption to business operations? And don’t lose sight of the fact that when it comes to backup, security, and other breaches, employees often are the weakest links. Cybercriminals are going after these individuals rather than attacking at a network level because they are easier to infiltrate. Make sure you have regular cybersecurity training in place for all employees to limit these potential breaches. Creating a strong disaster recovery plan starts with prevention and then you need a practiced plan to manage operations while systems are restored. Just having good backups may not be enough to avoid costly and frustrating disruptions.

Every business needs to have a backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan in place. Need help with yours? Give us a call.

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Pretty much everyone knows the importance of reliable backups in case of disaster. Hardware failures, ransom attacks and natural disasters are all good reasons this should be a priority. Anyone of these could wipe out your business or cause serious embarrassment and unplanned expenses to a town or school that loses data. But KNOWING doesn’t always equate to OWNING a reliable solution. In fact at CCI we have found only a fraction of new customers come to us with a BDR that meets minimum standards and quite a lot have no backups and don’t even realize it.

Some of you may still own a manual solution. These include tape backups or the slightly newer versions that use swappable hard drives. In my experience these are the least reliable and human error is the main issue.

Automated backups to local storage are better, but make sure they are setup properly and monitored. It’s also vital that data also be sent offsite and that an “air gap” exist between your network and the backups. In English, we need to make sure we are protected against having our backups compromised by hackers or lost in a natural disaster.

And we need to pay attention to retention! Retention or a “retention period” speaks to the window of time we have to restore data once we realize it is missing or compromised. Do we need a week? A month? More? The answer should be that MORE is BETTER because it can take time to realize what has happened and go ahead with a restore effort.

How quickly can we recover a file vs a folder vs a whole application or an entire server? How do these timeframes look if we are restoring from offsite vs onsite storage? Are we backing up the whole server or do we have just the data and need to rebuild it from scratch? Do we even have a server to recover to if the problem was a hardware failure?

What we need is a solution we can be certain will work when we need it! Because hard drives fail, servers melt down, hackers hack, data gets deleted and floods and fires can occur. We need it to be carefully monitored. It needs a generous retention period and both onsite and offsite copies should be available. We need to be able to restore files, folders, and whole servers quickly! And what if we could also run backups on alternate hardware in a pinch?

Are you sure your backup solution will work when you need it? How sure?

Planning a BDR takes thought and experience. Today is the perfect time to ask questions and engage with your technology provider on BDR.

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