SolarWinds: Lessons for small businesses

It's been over a month and a half since news of the SolarWinds hack started to spread, and the story continues to unfold. Just two weeks ago, a fourth strain of malware was discovered.

While there appears to be much that we don’t know, there are a few familiar themes from this hack that have once again been proven true, and they apply to networks of all sizes.

Do what you do best

While it is impractical for most to become so specialized in their careers that they fail to develop general skills, there are many benefits to focusing the majority of your efforts on what you do well. In fact, allowing employees to work on projects that utilize their strengths has been shown to increase their happiness and health.

Updating vs. upgrading

This complex issue often boils down to risk vs. cost

If you're suffering from a recurring computer issue, you've probably wondered whether to update or upgrade. As with any business decision, cost is a major factor. And as with most business decisions, there is more than one cost to consider.

BCP strategies to keep your business open

Whether your business is hit with a brief power outage or an extreme weather disaster, any kind of interruption to your organization’s productivity can cut into your profits. That’s why it is important to have a business continuity plan and utilize BC tools to ensure your organization can stay in operation at all times.

The Importance of Disaster Recovery

Most business owners don’t normally think they will be a victim of a natural disaster...not until an unforeseen crisis happens and their company ends up suffering from thousands or millions of dollars in economic and operational losses -- all because of the lack of thoughtful disaster preparedness.

Don’t let a power outage hurt your business

When people think of the causes of downtime and the need for a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), they tend to think big. Powerful storms, massive blizzards, fires and floods are usually what springs to mind when business continuity is mentioned. And while these disasters can disrupt your business, a small power outage can be just as problematic if you’re not prepared.

Business interruption insurance 101

While it is highly likely that you have an insurance policy that will cover your small or medium-sized business in the event of a disaster, chances are you don’t have business interruption insurance. The majority of smaller companies tend to overlook interruption policies, believing (or at least hoping) that regular insurance will be enough to protect them.