SD-WAN stands for “software-defined wide area network”. Whereas a traditional WAN typically operates at the point of contact, an SD-Wan is able to create a virtual architecture within the network, proving intelligent control. SD-WAN is designed for today’s network activity, bringing more customization, faster speeds, tighter security/privacy, and more.
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Many in-house IT teams find themselves overworked as emergencies and critical responsibilities take precedence over updates, strategy, monitoring, etc. That’s why so many businesses can benefit from a partnership with a third-party IT company.
Continue readingIf you’ve done any looking into hosting services, you’ve likely realized how many options there are out there. Prices and features range drastically from one service to the next. But what does it all mean? How can some hosting services cost so much more than others?
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A disaster recovery plan is essential for securing your IT systems and protecting yourself against threats. In fact, 80% of businesses that don’t have a disaster recovery plan will go out of business within a year of a serious issue.
Continue readingRemember the days of floppy disks where you entrusted important documents to tiny pieces of plastic that were easily lost, destroyed, erased? Well maybe you don’t because you’re too young to have even held a floppy disk, but it’s the same scenario with CD’s, flash drives and external hard drives today. Thankfully, we have cloud storage systems like DataYard’s OwnCloud, which is similar to Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox to hold various documents.
On top of that, many of our files end up in our email or on a project management system that we can access from any internet-connected device.
These days, you’d have to be crazy to trust important files to a single disk, or even one hard drive. And yet, many businesses fail to properly backup their computer and server systems, leading to much bigger issues.
Many companies that suffer a major data loss without a proper backup system in place never fully recover. Don’t think your business can suffer from data loss? Think again.
People often associate data loss with data breaches and malicious attacks, which is fair. After all, cyber-attacks, viruses, and other malicious activities ultimately result in the theft, corruption, and/or general loss of data.
But that’s certainly not the only way you can lose data.
Even if your systems are updated and well protected from external threats, things can still go very wrong. Machines break. Hard drives wear out. A power outage can result in the loss of unsaved information. A fire or natural disaster can destroy the equipment housing your data.
Let alone the dreaded data loss due to something as basic as spilling a cup of coffee on a computer or network device. Nearly 30% of hard drive failures are caused by simple accidents.
Losing data costs a lot of time and money. Having your systems down can cost a lot as well. If you want to keep your business safe and your information protected, you need proper backup systems in place.
For those who operate under various compliancy standards, backup systems are likely required. Failure to follow backup protocol can result in the loss of clients, as well as potential fines.
At DataYard, we understand just how important backups are to modern businesses. That’s why are backup services go above and beyond the various needs of our customers. Whether you have compliancy standards to meet or not, we can make sure you information is safe.
Our cloud hosting automatically creates daily backups going back at least 30 days. Additional backups can be made as needed. Our servers our housed in our data center which is well protected against power outages and other dangers.
Additionally, we offer colocation for those who prefer/need to use their own equipment. Want backups created offsite? We can help with that too.
In addition to our general server capabilities, we offer consultation and management to clients across the globe, along with onsite IT services in the Dayton, Ohio area.
Keep your business protected from data loss. Contact DataYard today.
The last few weeks have been full of exciting announcements for Dayton’s downtown revitalization and we just want to thank a few of the people we see investing their time and passion into our home.
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HIPPA compliance can be a little intimidating for those who have never dealt with it before. Not only are the rules vast and complex, but failure to follow HIPAA can lead to major fines, lawsuits, and more. Before you dig too deeply into the ins and outs of HIPAA, it makes sense to wonder whether or not HIPAA is a factor for you in the first place.
Though HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, it of course extends to more than just health insurance providers.
Anyone working within the health or medical industry at any capacity will encounter some part of HIPAA. This includes physicians, dentists, counselors, and more. Additionally, companies that have vendors, customers, or third-party connections in the health industry may also be required to follow parts of HIPAA.
In today’s digital age, one area where businesses really need to be mindful of HIPAA compliance is regarding their online tools and services.
Virtually every business or organization has a website these days. That website is hosted on a physical server somewhere. However, not all servers are the same.
In addition to different speeds, capacities, and software, some servers are HIPAA compliant while others are not. Now, just because you operate within the health industry does not necessarily mean you need HIPAA compliant hosting.
For example, let’s say you’re a dental office with a simple website explaining who you are, what you do, and how you can be reached. In this case, HIPAA compliant hosting isn’t required. However, if you wish to add digital intake forms, or you plan on storing current or potential client’s health information, HIPAA comes into play.
Of course, it’s not just websites that are hosted on servers. Email, online software, cloud storage, and more all fall under HIPAA compliance rules. It’s important to make sure you’re protected.
At DataYard, we provide HIPAA compliant hosting solutions and IT services to protect your clients’ information and keep you from facing hefty fines. We realize you might not exactly know what you need when it comes to maintaining HIPAA compliance. That’s why we also offer IT consultation services that we call the Discovery process to make sure you get exactly what’s needed.
Whether you know what you’re looking for, and you’re looking to talk to someone who does, DataYard is here for you.
Security should be a high priority for any business sharing information across the internet (or any other digital network). For those who operate under HIPAA, it’s not just something you should do; it’s something you have to do by law.
Recently, we discussed what part of HIPAA covers digital and online assets. Today, we’re going to focus on some of the basic features HIPAA requires. This is by no means a full breakdown, as that would very long, confusing, and attention shattering.
Instead, we’ll discuss on some of the broader areas you’ll want to make sure are covered by your hosting provider and IT team.
The goal is here is to handle PHI (protected health information) appropriately by ensuring three things:
To do so, you’ll need the following…
Data encryption is the first level of defense for your PHI. This ensures that data can only be accessed through the proper points of access (such as login portals). Should a person or program go around your server controls to break into your system, any data obtained will be undecipherable.
It’s important to know who accesses what data and when they access it. Also, any changes, edits, or additions must be logged. These logs will help prove that compliance has been maintained. Should problems arise, they’ll also help determine the source and what’s been affected.
Typically, access logs should go back as far as six years.
It’s not just data breaches that you need to protect against. The loss of data can be just as damaging. HIPAA systems are required to make regular, complete backups that are fully encrypted. That way, should your system be breached or destroyed, a backup can be put in place to maintain compliance.
In order to keep information accessible, the power needs to keep running to your servers and systems at all times. Backup power is required to prevent against potential outages and ensure that PHI can always be accessed.
Outdated software or hardware systems can be a common cause for both technological issues and breaches in security. Any server, network, OS, or device that’s involved in the handling of PHI must stay up to date.
Depending on the complexity of your network, this can be quite an undertaking.
Weak passwords are very dangerous for any system. In fact, they’re the most common causes for data breaches. In the case of HIPAA, weak passwords aren’t just a liability; they can violate policy. Organizations operating under HIPAA must have systems implemented for “creating, changing, and safeguarding passwords”.
The specifics of how you go about doing this can vary. What matters most is that you have an established system that everyone follows.
Still, using complex passwords and changing them frequently aren’t always enough. Even when strong passwords are used and regularly changed, you can still be vulnerable to brute force attacks (programs that randomly generate characters until the right password is entered).
To truly protect yourself, you need additional security measures in place that signal warnings and lock-out hackers before they can break your password.
Whether you understand all the specifics of HIPAA requirements or not makes little difference. You’ll be penalized all the same. Failure to comply with HIPAA rules will put you under the enforcement of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (or OCR).
An individual HIPAA fine can be as much as $50,000. An organization can be fined as much as $1,500,000 per violation category in a single year. On top of that, you may face civil lawsuits from people affected by any breaches or data losses.
This is enough to crush many large companies let alone the small ones. The best protection against this happening is by leveraging the assets, knowledge, and experience of a company like DataYard.
At DataYard, we provide dedicated cloud hosting, cybersecurity services, and colocation services that can meet the strictest areas of HIPAA compliance. We house are cloud servers in Dayton, Ohio where they are protected against outages, breaches, and data loss.
Additionally, our IT expertise enables us to consult, advise, and directly assist you in maintain HIPAA compliance across the rest of your systems.
Contact us today and make sure you maintain compliancy.
If you work anywhere in the healthcare space, you’re probably very familiar with HIPAA compliance. Passed in 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act provides rules and guidelines for healthcare access, health information storage, health insurance, and more.
HIPAA consists of five primary parts or titles:
While HIPAA provides an important function of protecting the health coverage and personal information of individuals, along with reducing fraud across the industry, it can get a little confusing.
Arguably the most complex section of HIPAA is Title II, which among other things, covers how information is stored and accessed. Since almost everything is digital these days, that means Title II covers your hosting, server, and network setup.
Failure to follow the proper requirements of HIPAA Title II can put your customers personal data at risk, not to mention result in some serious penalties. It’s very important that all of your information is stored securely within a HIPAA compliant system.
Of course, HIPAA extends beyond hosting, covering IT areas such as account access, password management, and more. You also need to be mindful of working with external vendors and third parties, as they bring additional risks and requirements regarding your data.
By itself, the world of hosting and IT support is very technical. When you add in HIPAA compliance, the complexity multiplies. That’s why it’s best to utilize an experienced IT team that’s well versed in HIPAA compliance.
At DataYard, we offer a wide range of services for companies and organizations that operate under HIPAA. This includes private cloud hosting at our data center in Dayton, Ohio that meets HIPAA and HITECH requirements. Additionally, we can provide you with consultation, on-going support, and threat protection so that all of your technological and digital fronts are covered.
You don’t need to understand all of the complexities of HIPAA Title II. You just need an IT team that does. Contact us today!
For many companies, having their own servers has become a thing of the past. Where once, a business had to find space to place racks, run wiring, provide backup power, etc., they can now utilize someone else’s servers halfway across the world.
Even for companies who need high-performance, extra security, and 24/7 monitoring, cloud hosting solutions can provide dedicated server space that keeps up with all of their demands.
But in-between cloud servers and in-house servers, there is another option: colocation.
Colocation is when you house your own physical server equipment in a third-party data center. You handle the purchasing and configuration of the equipment. The data center keeps it secure, powered, and cooled.
This has proven to be a popular solution, as it frees businesses from having to store their dedicated servers in their own buildings. Advanced systems can make noise and run hot, not to mention they need backup power sources, extra security measures, and high-speed network access.
By placing your equipment in a data center, you can free up your own real estate and remove the responsibility of keeping your servers powered, protected, and connected. It’s a best of both worlds approach.
However, as cloud hosting and dedicated virtual servers have grown in capabilities, many have moved away from colocation. Some have even gone as far as to say that colocation is dead. This is not true. In fact, colocation is on the rise.
Why is that? It’s simple. Some businesses need their own equipment.
And others just like having ownership over it.
Every business has different hardware, compliance, and security measures to follow. Cloud servers take a universal approach to hosting, providing more of a “one-size-fits all” solution, even if there are some options you can customize.
With colocation, you choose every part of your setup, which means you can tailor it to your specific needs. In some cases, a company’s software and/or internal systems may require server hardware that simply isn’t popular enough to be found as an option for cloud hosting.
Due to the fact that you’re purchasing and configuring your own equipment, colocation does require some advanced IT knowhow. For companies with IT workers on staff, this is great, as it allows them to setup their system exactly how they want it.
And we know firsthand how particular IT people can be about the way things are configured.
Cloud hosting, even when you’re using private or dedicate servers, is a rental service. You are paying someone to use their equipment. When you stop paying them, you lose the ability to use that equipment. They may also have specific rules regarding how you use the equipment. Some businesses are completely fine with that.
Others prefer ownership.
With colocation, the equipment is yours to use as you wish. If you decide to change who you’re partnering with for hosting, you can take your equipment with you.
Our Data Center in Dayton, Ohio is equipped to handle all of your server needs. Whether you want private cloud hosting, shared hosting, or space for colocation, you can expect a high quality, customer driven experience.
Our colocation services are scalable and move-in ready. At DataYard, you’ll have 24/7/365 access, should you need it. Meanwhile, we’ll make sure your equipment stays secured, protected, and connected.