Every business needs a data disaster plan. Just as businesses need a plan for success, they also need to plan for data disaster. Data disaster canresult from hardware failure such as failed hard drives, natural disaters, as well as from accidental or intentional deletion of data. Additionally, there is the threat of data corruption from viruses.

The backbone of a data disaster plan is a valid network map. There is nothing more frustrating than to have the system down while technicians try to decipher what server holds what data and where the data may be backed up. This needs to be well documented before an actual data emergency.

Computer forensics has become an an important tool for secure network administration. In the event of file deletion, the sending of an inappropriate email or company message, an inappropriate attempt to access private data, or finally an inappropriate use of company network resources a forensic analysis can be invaluable to business management.

There are specialized software tools for monitoring and for forensically examining hard drives which can shed much light on the questions of network security. We obviously won't go into the details of them here, but in the event a forensic eveluation of a server or a desktop is needed it can usually be easily accomplished.

As a business manager, know that we also managed medical businesses entirely outside of the i.t. field for fifteen years before entering the i.t. field. We understand the need for computer forensics from the perspective of a business manager. If you need this type of assistance, call us at 813-748-3055.

Enterprise Linux is a secure operating system for file servers, database servers, email servers and web servers. Although Linux can be used for company desktops, it is most usually reserved for servers. The advantages of Linux for servers are several.

First, Linux servers are very secure in that the kernel operating system is well protected from change. Windows servers, although very easy to update aren't as well protected as Linux and Unix based kernels. What this means is that users and applications can't alter the operating system kernel or core without first authenticating as the system administrator. Additionally, tools to compile the kernels are often kept off the production servers altogether.

Second, Linux and Unix viruses are very rare and in the rare event there is one, the viruses can't do much in the way of damage. Contrast that to Windows based servers. The second Tuesday of each month is known as patch Tuesday to system administrators everywhere as this is the day windows patches are released for the month.

Part of any good IT plan is to schedule preventive maintenance for servers and desktops alike. Once or twice a month is all it takes to insure that your systems are working optimally and that they will be there to work for you when you need them.

What does preventive maintenance include? Well checking that critical software updates have been applied is the first thing. Microsoft releases critical updates every Tuesday which is good because there are usually weekly vulnerabilities which have been exposed.

Also it is a good idea to check other software programs like antivirus and anti malware software to be sure they are updating and current as well. Next check your internal applications to make sure that you are running the latest and safest versions. Finally it is a good idea to run a disc file scan to look for and repair lost data sectors. A lot of these an mean a highly fragmented disc, improper shutdown due to power loss or sometimes a failing drive structure. It is always better to know.