Internet access is crucial when using cloud-based systems because without it, in most cases you won’t be able to access your data, applications or other information stored remotely. As such you need to make sure you have a robust connection before moving to the cloud. Furthermore, when using cloud-based approach, it’s important to note that your UPLOAD speed will be utilized much more (typically 1MB+ to start) than if you were just doing web browsing.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) tend to offer fast download speeds but it’s essential to verify the upload speed they’re promising as well. Some DSL providers might permit download speeds from 3-5MB, yet only provide 768K upload speed. If you were using an online backup solution, that would be too slow and ultimately, you’ll see serious network performance issues and potentially, your backups may not finish completely.

So how do you determine what would be the correct upload speed? Either your technical support team and/or your cloud provider should be able provide that information based on the number of users in your organization and the types of cloud systems you are accessing. There are other factors but those are the two primary considerations when assessing ISPs for use with a cloud-based solution.

For mission critical cloud systems, you might consider getting a second internet connection to create both redundant and supplemental connectivity. While that may mean added expense, at least it will keep your organization up and running if one of the connections or circuit should fail. Ideally, the second circuit should be from a different internet provider, to provide diversity and redundancy. In order to implement this, you would need a network device (such as a Sonicwall or Cisco firewall) which can be configured for automatic “fail-over” from one internet circuit to the other in the event of an outage. If you decided to install two connections, it’s important to account for the second connection. For example, if you have a DSL circuit and are thinking about getting a second DSL circuit, chances are both use the same local telephone company wiring to connect to your building. If that wire is cut, you would lose both the primary and backup connection. If available, the best option in that scenario would be to bring in a second connection via cable or fiber optic.

Now that you’ve you signed up for a cloud based backup service, all is great then right? Well, not exactly. As standard operating procedures of any backup or business continuity plan, (tape, disk, cloud, etc.) one should consider the following:

• Have we reviewed and accounted for all files that need to be backed up? As part of this process, it’s important to review the list of directories and files selected to be sent to the cloud.
• Can the files be RESTORED? You might think you’re backing up your data appropriately but has anyone actually tried to perform a restore? Were you able to verify that the data readable and usable once it’s restored?
• How would you go about restoring the data to another system? Or restoring it off-site?

Many backup vendors will send you some form of communication (usually via email) regarding the status of your backups or have a log file that is created after the nightly backup is complete. It’s important to review those logs regularly for a variety of reasons. First, it’s important to verify that data you’ve selected for backup is actually replicating to the cloud but more specifically that the data itself actually makes it up to the cloud and can be viewed (via web portal or other vendor provided service). Once all data is replicated and verified in the cloud, it’s important to understand the restoration process and test it periodically (we suggest every 1-2 months) to make sure the data can be restored in a usable format. Only then can you get a good night sleep.

Google recently developed a series of articles that explore the top ten reasons why customers trust Google with their business data:

• Powerful administration tools which give businesses control of their data
• Pure and proven cloud architecture
• A different approach to patch management
• Strong authentication to protect business user accounts
• Disaster Recovery – built right in to Google Apps
• Google Apps data protections – Verified by third parties
• Information security expertise with 24x7x365 monitoring
• Secure connections for users
• High availability with 99.9% uptime & Apps Status Dashboard
• Reduced risk of data breach

AllSector is currently implementing Google Apps for a various NPCC organizations.

To read more on this series, click here.

As Cloud technology becomes more prevalent in organizations, IT Staff are expressing concerns about the impact it might have on their job as well as their future opportunities. Frankly, some IT people are concerned that cloud computing will replace them altogether. In my opinion, Cloud computing will not eliminate the need for the IT team but it will shift the roles that the IT Staff play within an organization.

What’s different? As organizations move email and other infrastructure (such as backups, file servers, third party applications, etc.) to the cloud, the need for day-to-day device monitoring by staff deceases. Before the cloud, the technical support spent much time monitoring and/or recovering all devices, systems, etc. to make sure they were available for business operations. With the shift of many devices to the cloud, IT staff can spend more time in the role of project manager, business analyst and strategic planner.

For example, migrating an existing system to a cloud-based solution requires project management skills in order to have a successful implementation. Without solid project management, the move to the cloud might either fail (connectivity, general access issues, etc.) or could end up being significantly over budget. As organizations expand use of the cloud to include applications, IT staff need to play the role of the business analyst. In that role, IT staff are delivering value by streamlining overall use of systems, integrating the systems into the organization and helping assess the inter-relationship between the applications and other infrastructure in their organization.

Cloud computing can offer services that, just a few years ago, were unattainable for organizations. Understanding these types of services and resources is a key factor putting together a better IT strategy for your organization.

- Joe

In visits to client sites I’ve found regular problems when reviewing existing networks. Some of these elements are easily fixable, such as passwords security. A few examples of weak security are things like passwords being set to never expire, allowing for non-complex passwords such as “password” or “12345” or, believe it or not, requiring no password at all. These types of passwords are usually the first means of attack a hacker would try to use to access any network system. However, when people retrieve online banking information, credit card statements, cell phone accounts, etc., password strength is strictly enforced by these institutions to minimize a hacker’s ability to access an individual computer or network. According to Microsoft’s Safety & Security Center, the primary elements to a strong password are Length and Complexity. In addition to that, we also recommend setting automated policies to force users to change passwords every 90 or 180 days. The same policies hold true whether you’re accessing a local network or using cloud computing technology solutions such as hosted email, fundraising systems or case management systems.

A reputable cloud-based solution would help enforce best-practices for computer security. Some of these best-practices are things like strong passwords, which comprise of a combination of eight alpha-numeric characters or more, including an upper case letter, number and or punctuation/symbol. A secure policy would also force its users to change their password on an automated schedule of every 90, 120 or 180 days, also preventing them from using the same password as the previous four times. In addition, it is common for many cloud-based offerings to provide options for auditing user access, password changes, access rights changes and other object access or changes, allowing IT departments and providers the ability to better manage security for their sites.

How many of you are now trying to figure out how to change your local systems passwords…….

- Joe