Hi The coach zone,
Welcome to this weeks Get COACHd on Friday.
Since the last COACHd, the world has been turned upside down in many ways. If we required a reminder of how fragile our financial markets are, then we have certainly been given a strong prompt. The message is clear – never more has it been important to focus on the aspects of our business that we can impact and control. The macro changes in the markets, whilst causing pain and uncertainty, are unlikely to be changed by our views and thoughts – we just need to deal with it.
So some blind spots for us to think about.
Hurricane Ian is currently lashing the southern states of the US, leading to devastation. I am sure, as well as personal and infrastructure losses, there are some business impacts that could be avoidable.
We are reminded about the need for a good data recovery plan. I am not just talking about website but also any data that you have. It could be business, it could be personal, whichever. A good practice is the 321 method. Basically
- Take 3 copies of any data you view as precious or mission critical
- Store 2 of them on different storage media (so think cloud and removable drive)
- Store 1 backup copy offsite
Remember that if you get a virus infection, a cloud copy could also become infected. Ensure that your cloud supplier is ‘business’ and offers a rollback to previous files.
In Australia, one of the largest telecoms providers has been hit with a security issue where 10million personal details have been hacked and are being held to ransom. We are reminded that data security is therefore important.
Remember that if you are using personal data for your business then you should be registered with the Information Commissioners Office. The ICO also have some great resources on how to secure data.
- If you run your own websites, keep them updated.
- Keep your antivirus and internet security updated.
- Never, ever, open an attachment that you are not expecting especially if the ‘offer’ is too good to believe. It probably is.
- Think about your password strategy – use something like LastPass to secure them. Remember to change default passwords. There are numerous stories about companies that don’t change the default password, and then suffer later. The password apps also generate virtually impenetrable passwords consisting of upper and lower case text, with numbers and symbols – but you do need a system that remembers them.
So – take care and look after yourself.
Enjoy todays reads.
