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Data Backups
Security and Backups - Anti Virus
A recent report stated that Virus attacks are increasing at the rate of 15% per year. Just a few the major viruses hitting the headlines (Sircam, Loveletter, Homepage, Code-Red and Nimda) caused millions of pounds in damage or downtime over the last few years. Most email-connected networks with Anti-Virus software will regularly receive a warning stating one of these types of viruses has been found on the system. The ones who don't have an Anti-Virus system will still receive the virus, but it will spread through the system, not only affecting your files but potentially affecting you clients' networks as well! Recent press suggests that in the future, companies transmitting email with viruses contained may be held legally liable by the recipient and financially accountable to the value of costs in repairing such an infection.
Some viruses lay dormant until a specific date and then start to cause mayhem; others start straight away as soon as you are infected. Some viruses even may decide to just use your system as a method of distribution and never cause you any direct problems.
Viruses can affect your system in many ways; slightly damaging files with comments or small corruption, while some will completely destroy the file beyond repair. Some will even randomly email documents to people on your contact list, so potentially secure or private documentation can easily be emailed to clients or suppliers.
Symantec Norton Antivirus Corporate edition. Award winning virus protection
Symantec are one of the world leaders in PC utilities and developments. Investing heavily in SARC (Symantec Anti Virus Research Centre) Symantec has created a continuous watchdog on virus activity across the world. Engineers at SARC receive constant virus warnings and suspect files giving them the Virus to examine often before it achieves any real foothold. Threats are analysed, solutions developed and then posted ready for automatic updates.
Eliminate spam mail at server level
With fraudulent, inappropriate and offensive emails being delivered in vast quantities to businesses every day, spam protection is a vital component of your network’s security strategy. Spam wastes network users’ time and network resources, and can also be dangerous. GFI MailEssentials offers spam protection at server level and eliminates the need to install and update anti-spam software on each desktop.
GFI MailEssentials offers a fast set-up and a high spam detection rate using Bayesian analysis and other methods –no configuration required, very low false positives through its automatic whitelist, and the ability to automatically adapt to your email environment to constantly tune and improve spam detection. GFI MailEssentials will eliminate over 98% of the spam from your network! GFI MailEssentials also adds email management tools to your mail server: disclaimers, mail archiving and monitoring, Internet mail reporting, list server, server-based auto replies and POP3 downloading
Internet Security - Netgear Hardware Units
Hardware firewalls offer smaller administration costs by being easier to set up initially and virtually maintenance free until a significant update is required. Being hardware based allows an easy reset of the firewall unit without need for engineering visits.
Backups, Security and Loss Prevention - Introduction
Backups are the most important part of any computer system administration. People who do not regularly take backups of computer systems eventually will learn the hard and expensive way just how important backups are. From one file to a complete system restore it is essential that the backup is both reliable and secure.
Sense will help you design a backup strategy to suit your requirements. In its simplest form the one tape every weeknight backup provides the lowest level of backup protection. More complex strategies involving multiple tapes for different weeks and month end backups provide total and complete peace of mind regarding your data.
Other important steps can be taken to ensure your data is securely protected. Apart from tape backups data can be archived to CD, ZIP disks, or other media. RAID can be used to help avoid the problems associated with disk failure, and a UPS system will ensure any power loss does not affect the normal operation of your systems.
Backups and Security - Tape Backup
The most common form of backup is Digital tape, usually referred to as DDS 3 or DDS 4. This method of backups provides a good quality, reliable, backup that can be stored or reused as your backup strategy determines.
Backups and Security - Backup Software
Veritas have been the backup solution leaders for a number of years. The latest versions of Backup Exec are ideally suited to Windows 2000 and 2000 SBS. Reliable backups with fault reporting and various add on components to allow a complete, safe backup solution at a competitive price.
Backups and Security - RAID
RAID (Redundant array of Independent Disks) offers a fault tolerant way of ensuring your server is kept running. A system running RAID can sustain a hard disk failure and keep running, depending on the fault the machine may not even need to be rebooted. RAID is available in various 'levels' or configurations however RAID 1 and 5 are most commonly used.
RAID 1 offers a simple 'mirror' of the data stored on a disk, should the disk fail the replacement is used and the faulty disk can be replaced while the server is still serving your network.
RAID 5 is a method of storing data on 2 or more disks. In this configuration data is written across all the disks in the array and should one disk fail it is simple to replace the disk while the server is operational. RAID 5 offers advantages over RAID 1 as it allows more of the disk to be generally used and can actually improve the speed at which the server can retrieve data from the disks.
Backups and Security - CD Archiving
Archiving files to CD is a good way of removing old, unnecessary data from workstations or servers. CD's keep almost indefinitely and have a low cost to purchase and write.
Backups and Security - UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
Power problems can cause keyboard lockup, complete data loss, hardware degradation, damaged systems, and more, making downtime inevitable. An APC Back-UPS instantly switches your computer to emergency battery backup power and allows you to work through brief power outages or to shut down your system in the event of an extended outage. Protected Servers can install optional software to automatically shut down the computer should the power fail when the office is closed. High-performance surge suppression protects your computer from electrical noise and damaging power surges - even lightning. | 
