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One of the most common buzzword phrases you will see when looking up IT companies is Data management. But what exactly is data management and why is it so important? In this article, you will learn how Managed IT Services protects Data.
Well, Data Management is more than just data protection through backups. Data management means having backups if needed, but it also means using data managers to protect your network from potential attacks that might come your way. This is foundational to creating a strong, lasting business.
Real Consequences of Mismanaged Data
Every person who cares about their business should have an MSP managing their data. Not taking care of your network data structure correctly can be very costly.
Ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly popular. The complexity and persuasive power of modern phishing techniques can be hard to ignore, and this can make your system vulnerable.
Data management is about creating an adaptive plan for keeping threats away, and a reactionary plan if you are eventually attacked.
Our team at Intelligent Technical Solutions had experience with a client who called after being attacked by ransomware. They were a small company that was only paying for backups, with no data management structure.
They left an open port on their firewall that attackers were able to use to get into the network and freeze their data. Once in the system they got into the server and infected the administrator user name and password. Then, they sat on the network, looked around, found the backup device, encrypted the backups, stopped the off-site backups, and then encrypted.
After the data was locked they were left with a ransom of over $6000 in bitcoin or they would not get their data back.
This is an example of the consequences of mismanaged data. ITS was able to get some of the backup data back, but the company ultimately had to pay the ransom because they did not take the right steps before the attack happened.
Data management is a Constant Process
Good data management is not something that you do once and forget about. It’s a constant process, which is why it needs to be managed. It’s not a one-time service. If you just back up and forget then you aren’t ready for what could happen.
Most of the required work is done by IT and data management teams, but business users typically also participate in some parts of the process to ensure that the data meets their needs and to get them on board with policies governing its use.
Managed IT takes over the constant management process so they are ready for whatever may happen.
For example, a managed IT company like ITS could have helped the company above protect themselves from an attack by:
- Checking for open firewall ports
- creating a VPN tunnel for safer remote access
- Constant checks for suspicious background applications running
- Further encrypting backups
- Checking for weaknesses that attackers want to exploit
How Managed IT helps with data management?
Managed IT services provide a team of people who monitor, adapt, and protect your data on a consistent basis. They are a management team that is there to fill in the spaces that leave you most vulnerable.
According to Daac, Data management is the intentional process of collecting, storing, processing, and protecting data for research, and it is vital for effectively testing hypotheses and initiating peer review. Good data management will allow data to be preserved at a high quality, so the data are discoverable, accessible, understandable, and reproducible now and into the future.
The right data management solution is different for every business. Good MSPs can help look at your specific needs and create a plan that will give you the solutions you need at an affordable rate.
Protecting your business from an attack should be a top priority. If you are thinking about how a managed IT company can help your business then we highly recommend our FREE network assessment. Our managed IT service team helps businesses protect their businesses from lurking attackers online. Get the right data management solution for your business before its too late!