March 2021 - Descasio

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery – Our Approach

Did you read our last piece on Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR)? Well, if you did, I’m certain that you already understand the basics. But, just in case you missed it, you can catch up on it right here.

We have established that the goal for creating a BCDR plan may be the same in most cases;

Reduce loss of data.
Ensure quick restoration of vital communication channels and business processes.
Reduce financial losses to the barest minimum.

However, the approach may vary from one business to the other. This explains why at Descasio, we take a unique, multi-layer approach towards developing BCDR plans that are air-tight.

Here’s what it entails;

1. Assessment

Our professional service team takes a data-driven approach towards assessing each business environment. They spend long hours studying each business’s unique mode of operation to answer requisite questions like; what are the vital communication channels? Are there software and programs that are crucial to daily operations? What work files contain data that could bring business activities to a halt if lost?

Getting answers to these questions helps us to create an all-encompassing, clear-cut strategy that;

Ensures critical information is stored and can be made readily available when disaster strikes.
Guarantees that business can continue while recovery takes place.

2. Designing the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan

Having answered the critical questions, we proceed to create a design document. This document shows our recommended protections for your business. Also, it will contain a proposition of infrastructures to be set up for smooth operations during downtimes. Following this, our cloud consultants will implement the BCDR solution for your business.

3. Implementation

At the final stage, we run all the necessary checks. Here, we optimize the solution based on results and modify anomalies where necessary. This simulation process helps us to ensure that recovery time is reduced to the barest minimum. Also, it helps us verify how back-up applications will perform in the face of a catastrophic outage.

We understand that creating an effective Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan requires period testing just as much as careful planning. Hence, we stay committed to our clients long after deployment and ensure that the plan is updated when necessary.

Are you finally considering working on your BCDR plan? Send us an email at hi@descasio.io and we can help you get started.

If you have any questions or comments, kindly drop them in the comment section below.

3 Min. Read/March 31, 2021/by Team Descasio

Digital Transformation

The First Things To Know About Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

It sounds self-explanatory, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Yes, a business continuity and disaster recovery plan – usually referred to as BCDR – is one that helps an organization recover from disasters and keeps it running afterward. But, how do you put that in the context of your business operation?

A little narrative here.

In November 2016, a malware attack was launched at a network of hospitals in the UK. The virus wiped out patients’ data, crippled systems, and halted operations at three separate hospitals for five whole days. As a result, more than 2,800 patient procedures and appointments were canceled. After the event, the hospitals were evaluated and reported to have had no disaster recovery and business continuity plan available.

With a BCDR plan, the hospitals would have been able to restore patient data which is critical to running diagnosis and completing other hospital operations, retain their flow of customers at the time, and reduce financial losses. I guess that puts it in perspective.

Now, here are a few things you should know about business continuity and disaster recovery plans.

You will need them regardless of the size of the disaster.

Events as huge and unsettling as the pandemic or other natural disasters can cause several disruptions to business operations. However, there are other seemingly smaller events that could also have surprisingly massive and depleting impacts on businesses. These events could range from service downtimes to cyber-attacks, IT system crashes, and other interruptions.

In the event of such disasters, – however big or small – a BCDR plan considers the importance of protecting financial, customer, and product/service data as well as applications and systems that need to be up to ensure smooth business operations and reduce losses of all kinds.

It cushions the effect of planned and unanticipated outages.

Whether an outage is anticipated or unexpected, the BC/DR plan plays a major role in cushioning its effect and improving recovery time.

There is no one-size-fits-all BCDR plan.

A BCDR plan is a detailed fail-safe strategy that is designed to fit into the unique operation module of a business. The details can vary greatly depending on the size and scope of the business. Hence, it is important to speak to disaster recovery experts when attempting to develop a BCDR plan for your business.

Need a BCDR plan, we can fix you up. Send a request to hi@descasio.io.

3 Min. Read/March 24, 2021/by Team Descasio

Lifestyle

How to Start a Career in Tech with Zero Experience

There are more than a million reasons why one would want to take on a career in tech. Okay, maybe a million is a little overboard, but quite frankly, the reasons are almost inexhaustible. In this article, we’d be sharing some of those reasons with you and giving you a few tips on how to start a career in tech.

Here’s why you want to be in here

First, let’s start with the intangible benefit; the upbeat and ever-evolving nature of the tech space. If you’re someone like me who loves a taste of adventure, or something that just keeps you on your toes, then you’d love it here. In the tech space, there are constantly changing trends, tools to get familiar with, and a little bit of jargon here and there that needs to be understood. Truthfully, the upbeat nature of the terrain could get your heart racing, but in a very good way.

Now to the tangible benefit; relevance and job security. Today, tech cuts right through every field on the planet, from healthcare to banking, media, entertainment, etc. Interestingly, as technology continues to become relevant across different industries, different tech roles are also beginning to appreciate. Hence, tech experts are more valued and less likely to be laid off when companies decide to downsize

We are by no means suggesting that being a tech bro (or babe) is a walk in the park. Quite frankly, nothing is. So, you’d have to be willing to learn and put in the much-needed work. But not to worry, we’ve got a few tips to help you start a career in tech, especially if you do not have a computer science background as a lot of the tech bros don’t have one anyway.

How to get started

Let’s talk about the steps to begin a career in the tech space;

– Have the willingness to learn:

Remember somewhere, in the beginning, we mentioned this, right? We’re reiterating it because it’s all important and it’s the foundation of your journey in tech. The passion and willingness to learn all that there is to your field will help you grow at a fast pace.

– Begin your training:

Now that you have chosen to take a career path in the tech space and have made the resolve to learn all it takes, the first step is to get the necessary hands-on training and bag that certification while at it. It is no news that organizations in the tech industry value skills and experience over a degree. So, while you have your eyes on that degree, it’s also important that you not only take courses but ensure that you can practically prove your knowledge of the field that you’ve chosen to play in.

– Apply for internships:

There is no better way to gain the necessary experience than to apply for internships. Once you are done with your certifications, put the knowledge you’ve acquired to work.

– Take on a challenging gig:

Sometimes, we might never know how skilled we are until we are faced with a challenge. One sure way to put yourself to the test will be to take on gigs. They might not be financially gratifying at first but at this stage, the goal is not to stack up thousands of naira/dollars but to test your competence, hone your skills, and learn from the experience.

We hope to see you in the ring with us in the nearest future. In the meantime, if you have any questions or feedback kindly enter them in the comment section below.

4 Min. Read/March 18, 2021/1 Comment/by Team Descasio