Sorry for the Inconvenience: How to Deal with Operational Downtime

Business owners have come a long way from brick-and-mortar shops that use traditional methods and processes to become innovators in their respective fields. Many of them have maximized the potential of technology for their benefit and propelled their businesses towards the future.

Those who know how to ride the waves of innovation have successfully transitioned from physical to digital spheres. This is because technology is reliable, but only up to a certain extent. It’s not always the most dependable because it is man-made, and therefore, flawed.

There are plenty of risks that come with the convenience of technology because it can be vulnerable to internal and external factors that can damage both the software and hardware aspects. When such disasters strike, it can dampen the flow of operations in business and can cost money and time for business owners.

This is why, as much as possible, businesses implement safety precautions and maintenance practices to avoid losing profits over downtime during operations. However, disasters are often unforeseeable, which is why you must know how to respond to them accordingly.

Server Crashes

One of the worst things that could happen in the middle of a workday is your servers crashing. It can be difficult to get them back online, especially if the root of the problem cannot be diagnosed. This can halt all your operations, as well as cost potential profits and repair expenditures in the process.

When your server crashes, it can be an indication of a cyber attack, flooding in your websites because of traffic, or an unknown infiltration into your network. Although there are cases when the crash can be caused by fire, hardware failure, or other external factors.

The best way to cope with this is to have an expert on your team who is knowledgeable about SQL server support and management who is proactive in diagnosing the root cause of the crash. Your SQL server is vital because it’s where data is stored and managed. That’s why you have to prioritize its safety.

Cyber Attacks

All businesses are potential targets for cyber attacks. No one is safe from being targeted by hackers, especially if they have data worth taking. That’s why cybersecurity should be your priority so that the information of both your employees and customers or clients is kept safe.

This is even truer when your business relies on a public online server because this can be easier to infiltrate. If your business suffers through a cyber attack that causes you to lose important data, then you might lose your credibility, clients, and profits.

Cyber-attacks may not be avoided completely, but there are measures that you can take to stop them from happening in the first place. For instance, your business can invest in a multi-level security protocol that can immediately notify you should there be any disruptions such as potential hackers.

Network Viruses

Every single day, new computer viruses are developed and hidden in obscure places all over the internet. An innocent download link opened by one of your employees can be the carrier of the virus into your network, which can cause the entire system to malfunction and impede your operations.

When this happens, it can be difficult to get the network back up without costing you money both in repairs and potential profits. Fortunately, there are many anti-virus and anti-malware software that you can use to deal with such matters.

You should find a reliable cybersecurity provider who can continuously update their products to cope with all the new viruses developed every day. This way, you are rest assured that your network can be kept safe from harm. Another way you can avoid such disasters is by raising internet safety awareness among your employees.

IT security

Hardware Failures

Like all man-made inventions, technological devices can be easily destroyed. Hardware like computers, external hard drives, and server databases are all vulnerable to external factors such as a fire, water spills, or physical impact, which makes them risky to use in the first place.

However, the risks that hardware poses don’t match the level of convenience and functionality they serve, and that’s why people continue to use them for different purposes. All you can do is to try to maintain their good condition so that you can continue using them.

All hardware is subject to wear and tear, which is why it will eventually breakdown. And when the hardware fails, everything inside them can be lost and prove to be unrecoverable. This is bad because the accumulated data can be damaged or lost, which can set your business back.

To avoid this worst-case scenario, you can start creating back-ups of your data in a remote server that is in an offsite location or store the data in reliable cloud servers that you can access through the internet. This way, you will know that even if your hardware fails, your data is safe somewhere else.

Technology can be a lifesaver, but it can also be your business’ demise if you depend on it completely. If you learn how to find the middle ground between using technology for convenience and safety, then you will be able to deal with whatever disasters may come your way.

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