Successful corporations realize that information is the currency of business — it can be worth more than cash on the books. Getting the right information to the right people at the right time is the only way for a business to operate successfully. Hence organizations are always on the look- out to simplify how work gets done while being more productive, mobile and most importantly, secure.

In today’s evolving and increasingly mobile workplace, laptops, tablets and smartphones are present at meetings, at the airport, in the car and in a home office. Technology has not only impacted the way we do business but has also changed where we do business by influencing telecommuting, dynamic work places (e.g. Home office, Café’s and Coffee shops) and work on the go. Also, how work gets done is changing just as rapidly — driven by cloud access, social media, virtual collaboration, technology and communication means. So, with the constant expectation to be connected, to rapidly churn out deliverables and communicating with staff, work gets done on the go, be it at home, in a client meeting, or at an airport, an on-the-go workplace creates unlimited opportunity for mistakes to happen, misplaced laptops, opportunities also exist for the sophisticated hacker, a handy robber or even the casual eavesdropper to become a corporate security risk.

SECURING THE EVOLVING WORKPLACE

With the attendant risks highlighted above, it is imperative that securing information is top-of-mind for business executives as it scales across paper, digital, work stations and applications, the cloud and social networks. Enterprises all face similar challenges around information — whether it’s digitizing that information, securing it, automating and simplifying it, reducing costs associated with it or most importantly, using it effectively.

So, how can organizations tackle the challenge to access, protect and capitalize their intellectual assets? It’s no easy task. With an always-connected workforce and this deluge of new information being created, security threats have become increasingly sophisticated and prevalent. Most of the concerns stem for:

1. Device Management: Managing the vast number of devices used within their company and protecting their company data from cyber-attacks. This concern can span beyond servers, PCs and workstations, even smartphones and iPads, concerns can also extend to any embedded device such as printers, multifunction printers (MFPs) and the intellectual property that flows through them every day.

Printers may not be top of mind for some, but if proper security isn’t in place, these devices can compromise an entire infrastructure from the ground up.

       2. Inside Threats: Some of the biggest security risks in a company are insider threats, which can be caused by employee carelessness, lack of knowledge and information about security procedures or inadequately managed applications/ printers and multifunctioning devices.

In 2012, a Xerox and McAfee study found that 87 percent of employees work at a company that has an IT security policy. However, one in 10 rarely or never followed the policy and two in 10 weren’t even aware that the policy existed. The security risks associated with these devices range from the disgruntled employee who uses scan-to-email to distribute sensitive company documents to a personnel file sitting in an output tray.

Managing and securing documents and important information must be part of a company’s core business process and should be fully integrated into the IT infrastructure. However, this may not be as easy as you think. Some companies don’t even know how many devices they have, how they are being used and if they are even the correct and most efficient solutions for their business. Therefore, they have no visibility into whether printers are presenting a security threat due to misuse.

       3. Hardware Failure: Computers age and hard drives fail. With a solution that protects company’s critical data, business execs do not need to worry about hardware breaks.

       4. RansomeWare: There has been noticeable increase in hackers encrypting files and demanding ransoms with ever evolving and sophisticated malware.

       5. Natural disasters: Flood, fire and power surges are issues that are real and can potentially destroy a business, well on its way to achieving success, therefore, a comprehensive backup solution mitigates the potentially damaging effect of natural disasters.

       6. Theft and robberies: Workstations, PCs, Laptops, Ipads and other work linked devices can be stolen, or even carelessly misplaced. A solution that continuously backs up and wipes off data - remotely to avoid unauthorized access is a must have by organizations       intent on protecting data.          

SUMMARY

Myrtle Green Ltd offers a varied range of Business and Data protection solutions and services around Business Continuity Management, Disaster Recovery as a Service and Automatic backup made for entrepreneurs, small businesses and small organizations.