Downtime is inescapable.
However, the top reasons for downtime are mostly IT-related. With issues ranging from Social Engineering to hardware failure, it is nearly impossible for companies to pay equal attention to every cause of downtime.
Fortunately, there are ways to limit the overall amount of downtime your company could endure.
Here are the major causes and solutions for downtime:
- Social Engineering
- Hardware Failure
- Software Failure
- Natural Disaster
If a person uses deceptive methods to pressure you into sending personal information for their gain, then they are using Social Engineering against you. Hackers tend to use big-name organizations to scam a larger population. For example, Dropbox, the file sharing Internet Company, has had its own share of Social Engineering attacks. One bad actor lured its users to sign into a fake login page that was set up on Dropbox itself. Scams, such as these, could install malware, a virus, or Ransomware on your network, causing it to be down until your company’s IT partner removes it.
2) Hardware Failure
Hardware failure is a major cause for network downtime because it is unpredictable. Worrying about deadlines and planning can quickly become unimportant if you experience a large-scale equipment failure. For example, an outdated server or generator outage, can cost money, not to mention loss of reputation and unhappy clients.
3) Software Failure
Another cause for downtime is software failure, which usually happens when a software provider does not test patches before clients receive them. Corruption of applications can occur from this, and eventually stop entire systems. Software failure can also happen when an operating system gradually dies, simultaneously causing the software to go too. Lastly, as always, viruses and malware can cause issues with software.
4) Natural Disasters
When we think of disasters, our minds usually go to the natural ones, including earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Though Natural Disasters account for only four percent of downtime, they are still an issue for organizations, especially since they are the least preventable incident.
Use these three ways to cut your network downtime:
When an incident occurs, your organization should have a step by step plan of action. Crises are never easy, but a rehearsed plan will make the incident more manageable and will hopefully take less time to find a solution to the problem. When a solution is in place, it can limit your downtime, essentially cutting profit loss.
Another important way to minimize the costs and consequences of downtime is to create backups. Keeping copies of data gives access to your work when the network is down. There are several ways to keep backups including the Cloud, Network Attached Storage (NAS), or Dedicated Backup Software.
Unfortunately, backups do not always work; therefore, one important thing to remember is to frequently test them. Not checking backups regularly could lead to data loss.
3) Installing a Disaster Recovery System
A Disaster Recovery System (DRS) is similar to a backup, but a DRS helps with major incidents. This system takes snapshots of a computer, saving everything from data to applications. Therefore, you will not have to worry about losing anything necessary for work, even if downtime strikes.
Need More Solutions for Disaster Preparedness?
A network downtime event is inevitable, but knowing the causes and the ways to cut downtime, can help an organization be prepared. For more information about network downtime, contact Total Computer Solutions at 336.804.8449 or fill out a form here to be contacted by one of our representatives.
