Ransomware Attacks Can Target Your System Backups

An evolving threat Ransomware now has a frightening new threat: preventing your ability to recover from backups. At Alvaka Networks, we are currently involved in some of the largest ransomware recovery projects, both insured and uninsured. The most sinister [...]

Ransomware Attacks Can Target Your System Backups2021-03-14T23:40:18-07:00

Some Good Q&A on Backup and Disaster Recovery

1. Where should small businesses start with disaster recovery, whether or not they already have a DR plan in place? What is the first question the small business owner needs to ask?

I recommend starting with determining RTO and RPO.  If the small business owner starts here he or she will be off to a good start with the DR plan.  What are RTO and RPO?

•         RTO – Recovery Time Objective, the time between the disaster and when the system has been made operational again.  Why is this important?  Different businesses have different costs associated with...

Some Good Q&A on Backup and Disaster Recovery2015-03-02T15:43:00-08:00

Senate Passes Retroactive Tax Relief Under Section 179

This is one time you may want to make a quick call to your accountant, then order up some of those infrastructure items you are putting off. A bill known as “tax extenders” if signed by the president will reinstate Section 179 tax [...]

Senate Passes Retroactive Tax Relief Under Section 1792023-08-11T01:47:43-07:00

How Frequently Should I Do a Review or Assessment of My IT Systems?

...this then puts all the burden and stigma on Alvaka, our engineer and our NetPlan program.  That fuels some of the debate we have with some clients.  I remember two separate debates with a controller at a 20 year long client.  He said he “should not have to pay for us to check our own work.”  I have two answers for that objection:

1.        He has two of his own guys that work on his IT system, along with other vendors.  His employees can do things unintentionally, etc.  This is not about checking on our Alvaka engineer.  It is all about checking the overall integrity and operational state of his IT system, which has changing needs over time and changes due to different people touching it.  It is simply a matter of doing a periodic review to make sure nothing is getting missed or looking for things that need to be done a different way.  Changing and updating tape/disk backup jobs to accommodate new servers and software is a classic example.  Without review these jobs don’t often get updated and that leads to tragic results down the road.  I have seen it way too many times in 30 years.  It is preventable.

2.       Even if a client does not have their own IT staff, it is prudent to periodically check IT systems to make sure everything is working right, that the current needs are being met and that important requirements/practices are not getting overlooked or wrongly....

How Frequently Should I Do a Review or Assessment of My IT Systems?2014-12-04T16:00:00-08:00

Here is an important tax reminder for Information Technology related spending

Under Section 179, your business is eligible to deduct up to $25,000 worth of equipment as long as it is purchased and operational by December 31, 2014.Phones, computers, software, office equipment and office furniture qualify for this deduction. If you [...]

Here is an important tax reminder for Information Technology related spending2014-12-02T17:33:00-08:00

Electronic health records ripe for theft

The only difference in healthcare is that the large breaches have not gotten the sensational, but appropriate coverage credit card breaches have gotten.

Three other interesting quotes:

1.      As health data becomes increasingly digital and the use of electronic health records booms, thieves see patient records in a vulnerable health care system as attractive bait, according to experts interviewed by POLITICO. On the black market, a full identity profile contained in a single record can bring as much as $500.

2.      “Criminal elements will go where the money is,” said Wah, who was the first 

Electronic health records ripe for theft2014-07-15T01:03:09-07:00

Some Good Questions and Answers on Backup and Disaster Recovery

1. Where should small businesses start with disaster recovery, whether or not they already have a DR plan in place? What is the first question the small business owner needs to ask?

I recommend starting with determining RTO and RPO.  If the small business owner starts here he or she will be off to a good start with the DR plan.  What are RTO and RPO?

         RTO – Recovery Time Objective, the time between the disaster and when the system has been made operational again.  Why is this important?  Different businesses have different costs associated with

Some Good Questions and Answers on Backup and Disaster Recovery2014-04-29T23:01:20-07:00

When Our Next One Hits Are You Prepared?

The 7.2 earthquake two weeks ago in Turkey got me thinking again about disaster preparedness and IT. It reminded me of the 5.9 earthquake that occurred on the U.S. east coast, a region that is not supposed to get earthquakes. I just did a couple of walk-throughs at two different client facilities. One had server racking very well secured at the top and bottom that looked like it would withstand a pretty severe shaking while the other site did not have any fasteners at either the top or the bottom of the server racks. I could have pushed the racks over myself by leaning on them.

When Our Next One Hits Are You Prepared?2023-08-10T23:20:26-07:00

A Great Webinar On Backup And Disaster Recovery

I just did a one hour webinar sponsored by IBM and brought to the Internet by eWeek, a Ziff Davis Media publication. If I do say so myself I think it went very well. Elliot Markowitz of eWeek said he thought it was the best webinar so far this year.

Click Here for the Webinar: 

http://bit.ly/ltTkAP

Disaster Recovery: Learning from the Past to Get Ready for the Future

A Great Webinar On Backup And Disaster Recovery2011-05-03T03:21:00-07:00