The Problem
With Power

We live in the Information Age where countless data is created, transmitted, and stored. We live in the Electronics Age where numerous electric-powered machines aid in business and household tasks, as well as entertain and inform us. The reality of living in this time of technological innovation is that the power to run these machines can't keep up (at least not yet). What was built years ago for powering factories producing manufactured goods is struggling to adapt to provide continuous, sufficient-grade power to sensitive electronics processing valuable information. Adequate surge suppression and backup sources of power are a necessity to keep your business up and running. Spring weather increases the likelihood of electrical disturbances that can cause downtime and lack of productivity. And It's not just a total blackout that can cause a problem.

Read on to find out about the many power events that affect your critical data. And then, if you feel you are not prepared, contact us to find out what it would take to protect your business:

Greetings,

Welcome to the August edition of our Making Business Smarter E-Newsletter!

Well, summer has finally arrived! Hazy, hot and humid, afternoon thunderstorms, all the things we recognize as real summer weather. Along with a thundershower comes the occasional lightning strike. Almost every storm in this area results in a call from a client with equipment that has been damaged. Computers and communications equipment work best with a clean managed power source. The sidebar article on power problems talks about how important this is for the reliability of your computer network.

Our regular Security article addresses the not-so-sexy but oh-so-important topic of physical security. Some of the biggest disasters we have dealt with were caused by physical security threats that were ignored. Check this out for a couple of quick tips that will make your data and your network more secure.

Finally, Jeff, Bill and the gang at SAGE hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. Kick back, relax, watch the Travers, hike in the Adirondacks, go fishing.

See you in September.

Lock Up Your Servers!
Jason Appel
Security Practice Manager
Secure@SAGEComputer.com

One aspect often overlooked when securing our information is physical security. The goal of physical security is to control who can walk up to the information and touch it. The idea is to prevent unwanted information disclosure, loss, or corruption, the same as when securing the information across the network or from the internet. The difference is that physical security deals with the "real world".

For most of us, this doesn't mean training your Chihuahua as an attack dog or outfitting your employees with dark shades, cheap suits and sleeve microphones; it simply means using some common sense.

Before we can take measures to physically secure our information, we need to know what type of information needs to be protected. There is no need to post armed guards around your product catalog after it's been published: it's meant to be seen by others. Before it's published could be a different story as you may not want your competition getting a sneak peek. In other words, we need to classify our information.

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Be Prepared for Anything—Not Just Disaster
reprinted with permission from HP

Most companies spend time anticipating and planning for disasters. But in a global economy, where opportunity and risk go hand-in-hand, other events can be as devastating to the unprepared as any hurricane.

The corporate landscape is dotted with potential landmines that can take a toll on businesses:

• Skyrocketing energy costs and environmental mandates are forcing cuts in energy consumption.
• Security audits can distract IT staff if the organization is not sufficiently prepared.
• E-discovery requests can hijack resources and negatively impact productivity.
• Loss of key personnel can be a setback if a company doesn’t have a succession plan in place.
• Lost storage media, like a stolen laptop, can lead to tarnished reputations and lowered revenues if removable media isn't encrypted and digital keys well-managed.

Read more