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Your business relies on technology to operate—so you likely understand the effort required to keep that technology efficient, secure, and affordable.

Enterprises need storage for their data, physical hardware so their team members can work, networking so people at the company can connect to the Internet and each other, security to protect business data from security risks, and a whole lot more.

Fortunately, you can rely on others to manage all of that technology for you. Both data centers and managed IT companies specialize in exactly that. But how are they different, and which is best for you? We’ll answer those questions and more below.

What is a Data Center?

A data center is a physical structure that houses and protects company data. Because data centers specialize in physical data protection, they have state-of-the-art storage and security equipment.

In fact, a data center is most useful to businesses that are trying to improve cybersecurity. Unlike other IT management companies, data centers can offer both physical and virtual protection. Your confidential information will be safeguarded against hackers, natural disasters, disgruntled employees, and any other threat that your data would face in your own company’s office.

What is a Managed IT Company?

A managed IT company offers services like cybersecurity, voice solutions, networking management, and more to help make a business’ tech operations run more smoothly. Managed IT companies don’t solely focus on fixes—they’re not only going to come around to fix a broken computer or buggy software.

Your company will benefit from a managed IT company if you need a wide array of IT services. You can expect fewer cybersecurity offerings here than from a data center, so consider your level of security needs to help decide between a managed IT company and a data center. 

The Differences Between a Data Center and a Managed IT Company

• A Data Center is Offsite: Data centers store all of your information in equipment that is remote, away from your office. This ensures the safety and security of the physical devices where your information is stored, and also relies on advanced virtual security so you’re not at risk of any cyber threats. Managed IT companies come to your business’s premises and work on your equipment. Having your data in your own office makes it more vulnerable to hackers.
• Backups Are Easier With Data Centers: With the infrastructure of a data center, backups are easier since they have space, know-how, and capacity. If you rely on managed IT for backups, you’ll still be backing up to equipment in your office–and if there’s an issue with that equipment, you can lose your data, and it may not be able to be recovered.

Choose Nuvek for Ultimate Data Protection

If you are looking for an Idaho data center, consider Nuvek. We are a data center based in Pocatello but offer customized IT support for enterprises across the state and the region. 

Nuvek excels at complete network management, as well as providing world-class tools like cloud hosting and backup, remote systems monitoring, reporting, and much more.

We are one of the first regional Idaho data centers, which means that all of your cloud-based data is stored and protected at their headquarters with a firewall that is updated hourly. You can rest assured your data is always safe, and also know that help is on-hand when you need guidance with any IT issue.

Reach out to Nuvek today to learn more about how we can help your business improve and update your technological processes.

Strong IT security and compliance have never been more critical from a business and legal perspective. As hacking and security threats to online data and privacy continue to grow and become more sophisticated, robust IT security has become every company’s first line of defense.

IT Security and Data Protection Is More Important Than Ever

In the last few years alone, countless high-profile and seemingly impenetrable companies and organizations have fallen victim to hacking incidents. These security failures have compromised operations and exposed sensitive customer data, resulting in loss of confidence and significant financial penalties. Virtually every industry is at risk, but the threat is especially high for the healthcare and financial services sectors. One catastrophic data breach is all it takes to destroy your company’s reputation and compromise your ability to do business.

According to Industry data collected by IBM, the average cost of a single data breach is close to $9 million. 80 percent of the breaches targeted personally identifiable information (PPI), which is the costliest for companies to recover from. In fact, each stolen record costs your business $150—a number that adds up quickly when hackers steal entire databases of information.

Even the U.S. Government Isn’t Immune to Cybersecurity Breaches

Security breaches at financial giants like Equifax and Capital One (to name a few) in recent years are alarming enough, but even the U.S. government isn’t immune from data breaches. The SolarWinds hack last year exposed several U.S. agencies, from the Office of the President of the United States to The Secret Service, NASA, and the Department of Defense.

How to Protect Your Data and IT Security

That’s the bad news. The good news is that a vigilant IT security approach can lower your risk of experiencing similar breaches. Here’s a general cybersecurity compliance checklist to help you perform regular audits and locate areas where your network and IT processes may be vulnerable:

• Have you invested in and updated your physical security tactics? Where is your data stored, and what are the security protocols in place to access your servers, especially during an emergency or security incident?
• Do you conduct regular software testing, especially for programs that handle sensitive data?
• How strong are your firewalls?
• Are your intrusion prevention and detection programs up to speed and equipped to handle emerging threats?
• Is sensitive data stored separately from other information?
• How strong is your wireless network security?
• Do you regularly monitor access points for unauthorized use?

The best way to protect yourself from a cybersecurity breach is to prepare for it before it happens. If you can give confident, detailed answers to all these questions, you’re in good shape. If you’re unsure about even one, you still have a lot of work to do.

The Right IT Security Partner Can Make All the Difference

Most companies handle more data than they can safely store. In-house data storage and IT security teams are expensive and impractical for mid-sized companies.

We can help. We offer data center security services in Idaho and the surrounding area. We provide the IT equipment and data backup and storage services you need to keep your company’s sensitive information and IT environment safe and compliant, along with some peace of mind in the process.

Contact us today for more information about our services.

Research shows that most companies have unprotected data and inadequate cybersecurity plans in place. This leads to preventable data loss, which can cripple a company’s financial well-being and reputation.

While many companies now back up their data to the cloud, it’s also important to remain mindful of physical threats. Malicious employees, natural disasters, and poor physical data storage can all harm your data. Do you know how to prepare yourself against them?

Nearly two-thirds of companies have 1000+ sensitive files open to their employees, and if that’s true for you, it’s time to invest in a cybersecurity plan — especially since malicious employees are just one concern. From natural disasters to power issues, don’t overlook the importance of physical data security.

Physical Security Is Vital to Any Cybersecurity Plan

Although physical security sounds like a no-brainer, many companies underestimate the importance of physical data protection. Research shows that 77% of IT managers admit that their physical security is not optimized, even though physical data theft is one of the most common types of security breaches. That’s why it’s critical for you to invest in physical data security.

But what exactly what physical data security entail?

You can consider yourself secure from physical threats when you proactively protect your data, networks, hardware, and software from physical events that may lead to serious loss or damage.

A good cybersecurity plan acknowledges and prepares for the following threats:

• Human threats that are both intentional and unintentional, including intruders or employees in restricted areas or human error.
• Environmental threats that are caused by fires, floods, earthquakes, etc.
• Supply threats, such as those caused by an energy supply interruption that negatively impacts your information system.

Why Physical Security Is a Vital Part of Any Cybersecurity Plan

While it’s essential to implement anti-malware tools and other technology-based security measures, physical attacks and disasters happen all too often, causing companies to react too late. Depending on the circumstances, data could be permanently lost or your company data could be used against you.

Physical security focuses on external and internal threats, ensuring that these threats do not access sensitive data. Factors can be natural, such as a flood or power fluctuation, as well as malicious, increasing the odds that your data will be misused.

If you do not prioritize physical security, all of your current safety measures will become useless if a disaster or security breach were to occur. This is where reputable data centers come into play.

Recommended reading: 5 Signs It’s Time to Move Your Business Files to a Data Center in Idaho

Cybersecurity Services in Idaho – The Role of Data Centers

Data centers play a key role in any successful enterprise. Whether you need to store, manage, backup, or recover your data, a professional data center can help you avoid physical threats. 

When you invest in strong physical security, you will gain peace of mind that your data is safer.

If you’re not sure how to effectively include physical security in your cybersecurity plan, we can help. 

At Nuvek, we offer tailor custom IT support solutions. Whether you area government agency, school district, law firm, medical office, or any other business that houses sensitive information, we help protect your data and overall business.

If you’re looking for cybersecurity services in Idaho, we are waiting to assist you. Contact us to learn more today!

If your company does not have a data security strategy in place, you face significant cybersecurity risks every day. Research shows that hackers attack every 39 seconds, and while 54% of companies say they have experienced a data security attack in the last 12 months, 77% do not have a cybersecurity response plan in place.

The key here is to be proactive, not reactive, remaining mindful of the most common data security issues — especially those that may not seem overly obvious in today’s highly technological world. 

Today we’re highlighting the top three data security problems you’ll face as your business grows. Here’s what you need to know.

Physical Damage From Natural Sources

Natural, external problems are one of the most overlooked data security obstacles, but they happen all the time. Wildfires, flooding, and winter storms all pose a threat. 

Since most companies focus on technology-related cybersecurity, many aren’t prepared to handle the consequences of physical damage. Both are critical and should be included in your data security plan.

Recommended reading: Six Reasons a Data Center Is Better Than Onsite Data Storage

Downtime Because of Power Shortages

Let’s say you’ve invested in the best IT infrastructure out there. Your software is updated, your hardware is brand new, and your network is running smoothly. You’re finally safe from downtime now, right?

Wrong.

Unfortunately, your infrastructure can still fall victim to power supply shortages. If your company has multiple users and high volumes of data traffic, a power loss will not only cause downtime but can also cause serious data security issues. There have even been cases where power grids were attacked and false data was injected. 

There’s really only one effective way to combat this issue: Invest in redundant power supplies. Back up your backups. Create Plan B, C, and D so you’re not left stranded when your first—and even second—power sources fail.

The Threat of Internal Attacks

Believe it or not, employees are often one of the biggest cybersecurity threats businesses face today. Research shows that businesses in the United States encounter around 2,500 internal security breaches daily. 

With the potential to cause enormous damage, especially in terms of your reputation, you need a defense and response plan in place. Whether a rogue employee shares sensitive data or careless employees misplace devices with information that isn’t secure, the end result is often the same — critical data is exposed.

We suggest that you spend the time to create a vigorous cybersecurity training program. Train new employees and refresh their knowledge at least once a year. Give them clear, established protocols on how to deal with sensitive information.

Choose an Idaho Data Center You Can Trust

The above problems are only a few of the issues that affect businesses around the nation. Based on the latest trends, IT threats continue to evolve, becoming more severe and unpredictable each year. 

That’s why you need to partner with a data center you can rely on. If you’re not sure how to create a reliable data security plan, Nuvek can help. We take a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity, implementing physical and virtual security measures so you’re never left unprotected. 

Ready to invest in data security? Contact our team today!

The future is hard to predict at the best of times, and it’s harder still where cybersecurity technology is concerned. Yet one thing remains certain: the prevalence of cyberattacks in an increasingly remote world.

Cyberattacks are happening daily and in frightening numbers. According to Bloomberg, cybercriminals have accessed billions of records over recent years. They’re responsible for compromising emails, passwords, financial information, and other types of personal and business data. 

By analyzing technology’s latest threats, we can predict the future of cybersecurity and how it will affect businesses worldwide. 

Cybersecurity Technology Will Rely on the Cloud

Everyone is using the Cloud nowadays, whether for personal use on their smartphones or to keep in contact with remote employees. Cloud computing will directly increase the need for cybersecurity technology—and the laws that regulate it.

Have you ever heard of the Shared Responsibility Model? Don’t sweat if you haven’t; the truth is, many business owners haven’t, even though it directly affects their data protection in the Cloud.

Here’s a quick rundown: Cloud providers are responsible for only a small percentage of cloud security. After that, it’s the user’s responsibility to ensure that their data is protected.

Though many people aren’t aware of the Shared Responsibility Model today, we believe it will become increasingly prevalent in the near future. Stay ahead of the learning curve by reading up on it now. Microsoft explains the Shared Responsibility Model in more depth, and if you want to get started, you should check their article out to learn more.

Watch Out for Frequent Cryptojacking

Cryptojacking will occur more often in the future. As Bitcoin and other forms of virtual money rise in popularity, so does this intrusive practice. Cryptojacking gives hackers the ability to mine cryptocurrency using the computer resources of others—including yours. Hackers infect computers through malicious links or online ads with code written to set off the mining process. 

Be careful of what you click. The malicious code is easy to install, runs in the background, and is extremely hard to detect. If your business computers become infected, the only thing you may notice is that the speed of your devices has significantly slowed. This is because the hacker’s code is hogging power to carry out its nefarious task.

Prevent this threat by continually monitoring your computer’s processing systems. Invest in high-quality data protection systems—and before you buy, ask yourself if those security measures will still be relevant five years from now. Only purchase technology that you trust will be successful in the future as well as the present. 

How Can You Protect Your Business Now and in the Future?

Hackers are going to continue to attack companies of all sizes—this will not change. It’s not just big corporations that need IT security support. All Idaho businesses, whether a small ma-and-pa shop or a full-blown enterprise, need cybersecurity technology to protect their assets.

Just as cybercriminals are working to overcome new challenges to collect the data they seek, cybersecurity experts will continue to adapt to the constant and changing threats these hackers pose. 

In the meantime, don’t give hackers the upper hand. Nuvek provides a secure data center that keeps your systems protected from cyberattacks 24/7. Contact us today to learn more.

Data protection is a crucial element in every company. Without proper security protocols, hackers can access your company’s data, alter files, and even send unauthorized information to your customers.

A momentary lapse in data security can cost your company an enormous fortune and damage your reputation for years. How then can you increase your company’s data security to avoid such cases?

Install Proper Firewalls

Firewalls act as a security pass to your data. They monitor and lock dangerous programs, viruses, and spyware. Consider installing a firewall that scores high in cloud support, networking, and application security products so everything is protected.

When choosing a firewall, constantly ask yourself, “Would this feature help or hinder my business goals?” 

Say, for example, that you want to use a firewall to block social networking sites. That would be helpful to most of your team but could actually hinder your marketing employees’ work. To avoid a situation like this, you’d want to choose a firewall that has customizable visibility controls.

Encrypt Emails

Email encryption ensures that emails sent from your company can’t be intercepted, and even if they are, the content is unreadable. To ensure maximum data protection, it is important to encrypt all emails and not just those with sensitive information. Hackers may notice when you only encrypt the emails with valuable information and target those.

Many business owners skip email encryption simply because it sounds complicated, but it’s actually much easier than it sounds—and unlike other cybersecurity measures it’s usually free. Most major email companies provide step-by-step instructions on email encryption.

Improve Password Protection

One of the often-underestimated data security measures is password management, yet it is the most targeted by hackers. Businesses should not overlook the importance of strong passwords in data protection.

You could preach the importance of strong passwords to your employees all day and still get the same result, so we recommend keeping the security trainings short and memorable. Give them the most vital information and go from there.

If you’re wondering where to start, remind them of the difference between passwords and passphrases. A password is exactly what it sounds like: a word, one that usually includes public information like names, dates, or places. A passphrase is a combination of symbols, letters, numbers, and capitalization. Encourage your employees to transform their existing passwords into passphrases instead.

Outsource to a Data Center for Ultimate Data Protection

It might seem like a good idea to keep your data on-site for close monitoring. However, on-site data protection is only as secure as you make it, and most businesses simply don’t have the time or knowledge to do it correctly. As your business grows and gets busy, you’ll find yourself neglecting data protection and prioritizing more urgent matters—only to stumble upon a data disaster in the future.

That’s where outsourcing comes in. At Nuvek, we have invested in building the most secure data center in Idaho. Our trusted data protection services have impacted many businesses over the years, and we excel in the following areas:

• Multi-homed internet that ensures no internet lapses for hackers to breach
• Round-the-clock patching with continuous monitoring
• Redundant data backup that guarantees data recovery
• Temperature control so your data is protected from both virtual and physical harm

At Nuvek, we pride ourselves as the best data center in Idaho. We are always ready to provide you with the right IT solution to ensure complete data protection. Contact us today to learn more.

When you draw the curtain back on the timeline of office work over the years, we’re not that far removed from storing “data” in manila folders in metal file cabinets. But today’s digital “file cabinets” have come a long way, comprising rows of servers safeguarded by passwords, encryption, and more. Data is the lifeblood of business operations, and it needs to be well protected. 

Since business data is irreplaceable, it’s important that you store it in a place that offers the highest levels of physical and digital protections. Some companies invest enough to store their data onsite, but for most others it’s wise to consider storing data at an offsite data center with robust data backup services.

So what are the differences, and which is best for your business?

Onsite Data Storage

Onsite data storage is what the name implies, storing all of your data within the confines of your physical business space. Businesses usually allocate a specialized room within one of their buildings to house their servers. 

Adequate data protection requires temperature control, filtered power, redundant fiber links, recovery after natural disasters, high-end physical and digital security, and more. This can quickly become very expensive. 

That’s why onsite data storage is really only recommended for businesses who have the capacity and resources to institute these comprehensive protective measures in their own facility. These tend to be larger enterprises and even many of them prefer to house their critical information in a better-protected third-party location.

Third-Party Data Center

A data center is a third-party building dedicated to network and server infrastructure. Data is stored in servers in racks within locked cabinets. The storage media used by data centers has changed over the years as technology has improved. Today’s data centers are able to encrypt, organize, and store your data digitally and give you accessible, backed-up copies of it at any time.

Six Advantages of a Data Center over Onsite Storage

Two fundamental differences between in-house data storage and external data centers are location and commitment. Data centers are built from the ground up to store massive amounts of data. Data center organizations are created to protect that data from a wide variety of modern threats, both natural and man-made. Data centers hold six distinct advantages over in-house data storage, and we’ll list them below.

1. Maintenance

Solid-state drives are just beginning to come down enough in price to be viable solutions for large-scale data storage. In the meantime, physical hard drives are the go-to devices for storing most data. Hard drives have moving parts, and these parts do break down from time to time. When a platter of data goes down in the server room at the office, valuable man-hours are spent to fix the problem. When you co-locate or host at a data center, labor is not a concern since it’s the data center’s responsibility to fix any issues. 

Third-party data centers employ advanced IT solutions to keep servers running as efficiently as possible. Regular preventive maintenance eliminates the need for most emergency maintenance. This saves time and money and keeps uptime near 100% so you can always access your data.

2. Power Costs

Keeping power costs low is difficult for businesses who have a room full of server equipment. The infrastructure for efficient power distribution is quite expensive. Server rooms are often located in basements or one of the lower floors in a building to aid temperature control. Hot air rises, and server rooms can get hot without proper cooling procedures. 

Think about how much power it costs to run your servers and properly cool the room with air conditioning and fans. This can be a sizable power bill every month. Data centers typically design their facilities to optimize power distribution and cooling efficiency. Power costs are spread over many servers, resulting in additional cost effectiveness.

3. Security

Hacking and ransomware are on the rise as threat actors create new and ever more sophisticated viruses to attack your systems and steal or corrupt your data. Without strict cybersecurity measures in place, your data is vulnerable to tampering and theft.

Physical security is equally important — a disgruntled employee or natural disaster can lead to major data loss if your information is not adequately safeguarded. Data centers have strict security procedures for entrance into the building (fences, locks, and man traps) as well as multiple levels of digital security on their servers and throughout their network to prevent hacking from the outside and detect threats. Regular backups and disaster recovery solutions protect your data from both natural and man-made catastrophes.

4. Space

Businesses have only so much space to work with inside of their facilities. Servers take up valuable real estate within a building, especially when they are protected with secure entrances, man traps, etc. Hosting in a data center allows a business to allocate freed up space for other productive purposes and often leaves offices cleaner and better organized without tangled network cables, power cords, and spare parts inventory lying around.

5. Long-Term Costs

Building and maintaining a server room, power and cooling costs, redundant fiber internet feeds, and all the software and equipment it takes to digitally protect servers and data these days means expenses can really add up quickly. Storing data in-house over the long term is more expensive for many organizations than outsourcing to a data center. Plus, with a modern, well-managed, highly secure data center such as the one Nuvek has just built in Idaho, you avoid the massive cost and potential losses resulting from a catastrophic data breach..

6. Work Efficiency and Improved Uptime

Data centers keep watch over their servers 24/7, performing regular preventive maintenance, applying updates and patches on schedule, and fixing small problems as quickly as they appear before they escalate into big problems. Work at your office does not stop because a server is down. When you team up with a data center, your organization keeps downtime to a minimum and ensures high levels of business continuity.

Nuvek Data Center

Nuvek Data Center has provided data storage and IT services since 2019 at their state-of-the-art facility in Idaho. Call Nuvek today for all of your business IT and data storage needs and find out how Nuvek can protect your valuable business data.

You can’t afford to take chances with your data servers. Excessively hot or cold temperatures cause long-term damage to your data servers and your business. Here’s your complete guide to data center cooling and its benefits to your business.

What is a Temperature-Controlled Data Server?

A temperature-controlled data server is a server with temperature monitoring that ensures optimal performance. The ambient temperature for data servers should not exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal temperature range for servers is 68 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit.

What Are the Benefits of Data Center Cooling Services?

Downtime Prevention

One of the greatest benefits of data center cooling is that precise monitoring and control of the ambient temperature around your servers will reduce downtime.

Maintaining Efficient Airflow

Monitoring the air that enters and exits your servers helps maintain desired temperature ranges and prevents damage due to overheating. Consistent airflow prevents dust and other airborne debris from entering and collecting in the server.

Reducing Power Consumption and Increasing Energy Efficiency

Monitoring the temperature in your server room helps your servers perform efficiently and can result in cost savings. Often, the temperature in server rooms is lower than it needs to be, costing you more money than necessary. Temperature monitoring helps maintain predictable cooling costs, saving you both time and money.

Extending the Life of Your Equipment

Continuously monitoring your server room temperature and your servers’ operating temperatures ensures that your data equipment lasts for many years by avoiding unnecessary wear and tear. Temperature-controlled servers improve your equipment’s reliability and reduce the risk of hardware failure.

What Mishaps Can Occur Without Temperature-Controlled Servers and Data Backup Services?

Sudden Decrease in Productivity

Like most businesses, your organization relies heavily on digital online communication to interact with suppliers and customers. Digital communication is critical during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand your business and continue engaging your customers. 

If your business’ digital communication stops, you and your customers no longer have access to essential business tools, including email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and similar tools. Without these essential business tools, productivity drops until your servers and network come back online. A data center can help keep your business digitally engaged throughout a wide range of emergencies.

Negative Brand Publicity

When your data servers are down or malfunctioning, your brand gets permanently damaged and you risk exposing your client’s and your business’s vital information. Frequent unplanned downtime causes long term damage to your business’ reputation because your customers can’t get what they need or have come to expect. Your customers may even turn to social media platforms to vent, further damaging your business’ reputation.

Losing Crucial Business Data

Unplanned downtime can also cause the loss of important business data and lead to malfunctioning applications. A severely damaged server risks losing business data forever. Massive data loss destroys businesses of all sizes, negatively affecting finances. Data backup services help you recover important business and client data and documents so this essential information is not lost permanently.

What Dangers Can Occur Without Temperature Controlled Servers?

Servers that are not temperature-controlled run the risk of dangerous electrical injuries and fires. Servers generate lots of heat, and without the proper cooling equipment and environment, you and your employee’s safety is at risk.

Unregulated electrical current, poorly designed electrical connections, inadequate airflow, and inefficient cooling systems are the primary reasons your data servers overheat. Although most servers have fans, they don’t regulate air temperature so hot air builds up over extended periods of time, increasing the risk of a fire and damaging sensitive equipment.

How Can Nuvek Help?

Nuvek is the only IT partner you need. We specialize in many different IT support solutions and provide cloud hosting services from our own and other secure data centers. With 24/7 monitoring and systems support, your servers and your business are in expert hands. Contact us today to take advantage of our free initial consultation and assessment. With Nuvek on your team, you will enjoy the peace of mind that comes from experience and professionalism.