2021 - Page 2 of 3

Top Reports on Data Security Issues in 2020

Just like we have natural disasters and several other hazards in the physical world that we live in, there are also several hazards in the partially non-physical world of technology that we humans have succeeded in creating. Today, data security happens to be chief of them all.

Data security has been an issue in the tech world for years longer than our fingers can count. It first became a significant concern in the 1980s. The first set of viruses was the result of an error within an algorithm with the ability to replicate itself. After studying the error, tech geeks were encouraged to explore their new findings and it soon became another aspect of computer programming. Aren’t we unbelievable?

Years down the line, more harmful viruses have been created and hackers have developed new techniques for deploying these viruses into systems very easily.

The year 2020 was undoubtedly a year like none other before it. The world was plagued by a pandemic that took the lives of thousands, forced us behind doors, and crippled our economy. But, if you thought for a second that these sad events were enough to make hackers take some time off, well, think again.

Right in the middle of the pandemic, hackers went all out to set new records for malware attacks and data breaches. Here are some of the reports on data security issues in 2020;

Over 37 billion records were exposed due to data breaches

A reported total of about 3,932 data breaches occurred during the year. This led to the exposure of over 37 billion private and business records comprising email addresses, financial information, and others at the end of the year.

Global losses from cybercrime skyrocketed to nearly 1 trillion

According to a publication in the Washington Post, McAfee estimated the global loss from cybercrime and data breaches to be worth $945 billion in its 2020 report.

Nigeria was one of the top African countries that witnessed cyber attacks.

Bringing it home, Nigeria was one of the top African countries to witness malware attacks during the year. Over 3.8 million malware attacks were launched at individuals and companies in Nigeria while over 16.8 million potentially unwanted applications were also detected on systems during the first 7 months of the year.

Zoom, Twitter, and Nintendo were part of top tech companies that fell prey to attacks

On July 15, Elon Musk, Barack Obama, and Bill Gates all shared a tweet with the same content. Or did they? The tweet read “I’m giving back to the community. All bitcoin sent to the address below will be sent back doubled! If you send $1000, I will send back $2000. Only doing this for 30 minutes,”. Well, if you ask me, that doesn’t really sound like any of them. However, the message reached over 350 million people and resulted in a recovery of £86,800 in stolen ‘donations’ within hours. Nintendo and Zoom also had their share of attacks both leading to loss of data.

Online crime increased by 400% in May 2020

As people sought safety information and organizations hurriedly implemented new work from home arrangements, hackers were presented with the perfect opportunity to launch attacks on those with little or no knowledge of data security measures.

Google blocked 18M malicious coronavirus emails on a daily basis during the pandemic.

Sounds like a huge number, but for hungry cyber frauds, it certainly wasn’t. Hackers attempted to use people’s worst fears at the time to lure them into traps. According to Google, some of these fraudulent emails impersonated government agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO). These 18 million malicious emails were asides from 240million COVID-related spam messages that Google was tracking on a daily basis.

With cybercrime attempts and resulting losses on the rise, both individuals and organizations need to be more intentional about investing in data security. Don’t take chances with your business, contact us for a cyber threat vulnerability assessment today.

4 Min. Read/May 5, 2021/by Team Descasio

Digital Transformation

Human Resource Management and the Mix with Cloud

People are the key drivers of business and the most important factor of production. For organizations to perform optimally and compete effectively, they must maximize their human resource. One of the ways in which organizations can effectively achieve this is by ensuring that their staff is sufficiently engaged and motivated. This underlines the importance of the HR department in organizations today.

The Human Resources department handles key functions like recruiting, on-boarding, employee engagement, and performance evaluation, all of which require heavy data generation, analysis, and management. Today, the availability of cloud-based HR tools allows various HR departments to carry out their roles more seamlessly and efficiently.

Here are a few ways in which cloud technology is supporting the roles of HR officers today.

Employee reward:

Researchers have proven that there’s a relationship between employee reward and motivation towards work. Although rewards could range from tangible – like financial benefits – to intangible – like recognition of employees on the organization’s blog or social media page – these rewards play a major role in improving employee performance altogether.

The use of cloud-based technology within organizations helps management extend more benefits to employees through the office of HR. One of these benefits has played out to be the key reason why some organizations have been able to retain their key staff. The benefit in question? Work from home policy.

Cloud technology, from Gmail to Collaboration apps like Microsoft Teams has been the major driver of remote working, which has allowed HR departments to effectively implement flexible working policies that allow staff to work from home. The ease that comes with this policy, which is swiftly becoming commonplace all over the world, has encouraged many employees to keep their job engaged.

Reducing workload:

Excessive workload created by paperwork can be eliminated by adopting the Cloud HR Software. With this adoption, all data can be sorted and stored in the cloud servers for easy access.

Security of employee information:

Since all the data is stored in the cloud server, there is no risk of losing information to natural hazards like fire outbreaks, burglary, or earthquakes. More so with cloud security, information stored on the server can be just as secure and also backed up in the case of data breaches or theft.

Effective monitoring of employee performance:

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Cloud HR Software can help with employee assessment, promotion, increment, and retention operations. By analyzing the data across the organization, The HR department can use AI to monitor employee performance and address issues proactively.

Rewarding and managing employee performance doesn’t have to be a herculean task. When “cloud” meets human resources, HR officers can adopt cloud-based tools, cut down on usually strenuous functions, and focus on other important parts of their duties.

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3 Min. Read/April 28, 2021/by Team Descasio

Digital Transformation

Understanding Cloud Computing Environments and Services

If you’ve followed closely on our recent articles on cloud computing, I believe that you now have a better understanding of what it entails. We’ve touched on how it works and highlighted top-tier brands that are reaping the benefits of investing in this tech solution.

In the last piece, we talked about how cloud services could help businesses reduce the cost of owning data centers and hiring IT experts. However, it is important to note that some cloud environments might still require businesses to own their servers, employ IT experts, and self-maintain.

Below is a list of different types of cloud environments and their benefits;

Public Cloud

A public cloud is owned by a third-party cloud service provider. On the public cloud, third-party service providers like Amazon, Microsoft, or Google can offer computing resources like servers and storage to customers over the internet. Through these services, businesses can get access to virtual machines, applications, and storage while working remotely. Public cloud services can be free or sold on-demand.

In this case, the cloud service provider is responsible for the management and maintenance of the system.

Benefits:

No need for on-premises IT resources.
Reduced service cost as businesses only pay for the consumed bandwidth.
It’s easier to set up compared to on-premises infrastructure.
Infinite scalability. i.e. as long as you can pay for the bandwidth you intend to consume, the service provider’s network can cater to your needs.

Private Cloud

This is a model where cloud computing resources are used exclusively by one business. I bet you can already tell from the name. In most cases, private clouds are usually hosted on the company’s on-site premises. However, businesses can still pay third parties to host their private cloud. The top benefit of a private cloud is the level of security and privacy it allows. When hosted internally, businesses can ensure that operations and sensitive data are not accessible to third-party providers. The only downside? It requires the same staffing, management, and maintenance expenses as owning your own data center.

Benefits:

Custom-made solutions for the user.
High level of security
Support for upscale

Hybrid Cloud

Like everything else that’s a hybrid, this combines two things together. It combines both the private and public cloud systems held together by technology that allows data and applications to be shared between them. A hybrid cloud strategy provides businesses with greater flexibility by moving workloads between cloud solutions, as needs and costs fluctuate.

Benefits:

Improved security and risk management
Improved business continuity and reduced potential downtime and resulting costs.

In these different environments, you can use the different cloud computing services, depending on your needs. They include;

1. Software as a service (SaaS):

One of the most popular cloud services. It delivers on-demand software applications over the internet on a subscription basis. More like Netflix.

2. Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas):

Reportedly the most basic cloud service. It allows you to rent IT infrastructures like servers, storage, and virtual machines among others on a pay-as-you-go basis.

3. Platform as a Service (PaaS):

Used mostly by developers. It supplies an on-demand environment for developing, testing, delivering, and managing software applications.

4. Serverless:

We’d be more than excited to help. Simply click here to contact us. Had a good read, drop a comment in the comment box below and share it with your friends on social media by clicking on the different social media icons below. Want to get updates on tech-related content like this in your mail? Sign up here.

4 Min. Read/April 21, 2021/by Team Descasio

Digital Transformation

Cloud Computing – Simplest Explanation on the Web

In our previous article, we looked into brands that have scaled up their businesses leveraging cloud services and promised to do a breakdown of cloud computing in a subsequent piece. Well, this is us keeping that word. Welcome to our 101 on cloud computing.

Through this article, we intend to help you understand the concept of cloud computing, the different cloud environments, and their respective benefits. No narratives today; we’d be jumping right in.

Just to recap, cloud computing is an innovative tech solution that makes computer services like storage, access to software, and analytics available over the internet on a pay-as-you-go basis. It allows you to enjoy the benefits of specific software and hardware without having to incur the cost of maintaining the infrastructure.

Let’s break that down

Think of it like this; (I know I said no narrative but I guess I can’t help myself). Let’s say you need a transport mode to help you get around daily. Now, there are two major options: you can either get a car of your own or use other transport services like Uber or regular buses.

While the first option seems great, it comes with its responsibilities. You’d be responsible for the maintenance of the car which would require both time and money. You’d need to do this on days when the car is in use, and on other days when it’s just sitting in your garage. If you do not want to spend time on maintenance, you’d need to get someone who will, and pay them. Now, that translates to more money out of your pocket.

But, on the other hand, the second option allows you to pay for transportation only when you need the service. The maintenance cost will be borne by Uber’s service managers and you can access the service from anywhere.

This second scenario portrays the benefit of cloud services.

Now let’s relate this same example to one of the services offered on the cloud – data storage.

If you need to store files, you can decide to store them on a local drive and carry it along with you wherever you go. You will be responsible for keeping and maintaining that local drive and will not be able to access the information saved on it when it’s out of sight.

However, with a cloud service like Google drive, you do not need a physical storage device. You can store your files (image, video, or text) on the cloud and access them from anywhere via the web. No cost incurred.

Cloud computing for businesses.

Small storage devices like flash drives or hard drives can easily cater to the storage needs of Individuals. However, organizations tend to need bigger storage facilities to meet their needs. Owning and maintaining these on-premises servers or storage facilities require IT expertise and relative maintenance cost that could cause strains on businesses. More so, as team strength and user base increase, organizations who manage their own data centers will need to invest in more robust infrastructure to accommodate their growing needs. This will result in increased cost of installation and maintenance and could stifle efforts to upscale.

However, with cloud services, small and large organizations can upscale and downscale at will whilst managing operational costs. With this, the organization can focus its effort on providing value to its customers and meeting its set targets.

We hope that through this piece, you’ve gotten a better understanding of what cloud computing entails.

In our next piece, we’d focus on the different cloud environments and types of cloud services.

To get notified when that drops, kindly subscribe to our newsletter via the short form at the top of this page.

4 Min. Read/April 14, 2021/by Team Descasio

Digital Transformation

Top Companies Using Cloud Technology – Including Netflix

That’s right, Netflix uses cloud technology. This right here should be common knowledge, but you probably just never just gave it a thought. How else do you think they’ve been offering their broad movie collection to over 100 million users across over 190 countries enjoying 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day? By the way, big ups Netflix, those are pretty huge numbers.

Cloud computing is a very broad subject. While we might not be able to dabble into its concept fully in this article, we’d give you a simple definition of what it entails and expatiate further in our next article. Simply put, cloud computing is an innovative tech solution that makes computer services like storage, access to software, and analytics available on-demand over the internet.

Cloud computing allows businesses to store data on a third-party server, and offer their customers remote access to their services. While all the companies listed below use cloud computing for this function, this is only one of its use cases.

As is swiftly becoming my custom, I’d leave you with a little narrative to give you a nudge if you’re on that crossroad, trying to decide if subscribing to a cloud service is right for you.

Way back in 1997, Netflix started out as a DVD distributor. At the time, they delivered DVDs to customers via emails. 10 years later, after completing 1 billion DVD distribution, Netflix decided to remodel its operations. Hence, they partnered with Amazon who at the time was one year into the deployment of its web service (AWS). Netflix had identified that online video streaming was the next big thing and cloud computing was the key to making such service available to a vast audience.

Get into the cloud. Subscribe to a cloud service and get your operations off the ground. Don't know how to go about it? Don't worry, we can fix you up. #Cloud #backup #Digital #DigitalTransformation #nftcollectors #nft pic.twitter.com/Bqo4mBaNP1

— Descasio (@Descasiofficial) April 5, 2021

The aftermath

Today, Netflix can complete 1 billion video streams in a few months, far less than the 10-year period that it took to electronically distribute 1 billion DVDs when it still maintained its traditional mode of operation, prior to its cloud model. Its service delivery is a lot swifter and operations a lot more secure. All of this has been made possible through cloud services.

Here are some other top-tier brands that have become huge successes by leveraging on the limitless promises of cloud computing.

Pinterest

Unlike many other brands that caught the cloud computing wind years after launch, Pinterest is one company that started out with it. Hence, its success in the social media space at an early stage. Today, millions of creators download and upload resources to the platform while it stores its massive bank of data on the cloud.

Arik Air

In 2019, Arik Air decided to move its manual processes and a log of data into the cloud. Descasio was instrumental in helping the company make this transition leveraging Google cloud services. As a result of the shift, Arik was able to reduce the cost of maintaining its own data centers and focus more on its delivery to customers. Thus, maintaining its competitive edge in the market.

In all three examples referenced above, we find one similar result. All three companies have been able to scale up their businesses with the aid of cloud computing.

You can begin your journey today and open your business to new possibilities with cloud computing. It’s more promising, cost-efficient, and a lot more secure.

We can help you get started. Send us a mail at hi@descasio.io

4 Min. Read/April 7, 2021/by Team Descasio

Digital Transformation

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

Lifestyle

Creating a Savings Plan in 2021

The year is flying by and it’s a reminder for everyone to review the plans made for the year, across all areas of our lives – physically, mentally, financially, socially etc. But for the purpose of this article, we will be focusing on healthy savings habits to help you in the year 2021 and beyond.

You probably have read quite a number of articles and are dealing with an information overload. Well… we have decided to make savings simple and easy with these steps; savings like every other thing should be planned and not done haphazardly.

Here are a few ways to guide you on how to save in the coming months:

Write down your expenses:

It is important for every income earner to know how much is spent to maintain their current lifestyle or standard of living. e.g. power, internet, food, housing, miscellaneous, etc. There are quite a number of apps that could help track your expenses and assist with decisions to adjust your spending habits.

Automate your savings plan:

Have a direct debit set up that allows you to automatically make a transfer to your savings account at a particular time. This could be daily, weekly or monthly; based on the frequency of your earnings.

Set your priorities:

Bills never seem to end. However, you can choose what comes first and what’s not important. For example, health insurance will be more important than something that’s not so urgent. This helps you spend only on the important things.

Set realistic goals:

The easiest way to reach your savings plan is to set a goal towards it and be realistic. This will be based on how much money you earn and your financial responsibilities. It is irresponsible to have insufficient money available to you to pay your basic bills and keep you till the next inflow of funds.

Curb emotional spending:

It is good to treat yourself to luxurious or expensive items, especially if you have been working so hard. However, splurging unnecessarily on things that you do not need could be a problem as you may soon run out of money. One way to curb this is to have a trusted person as an accountability partner. This person helps to keep you in check as you spend.

We hope that this has helped you put a structure to your savings plan? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below and feel free to contact us here

3 Min. Read/February 18, 2021/1 Comment/by Team Descasio

Analytics and Reporting

Why your Small Business needs Reporting & Analytics

Forward thinking organisations are taking advantage of advanced analytics techniques to improve opportunities for business growth, innovations to be highly competitive and become market leaders.

Data analytics isn’t just for large corporations. Small businesses benefit from analytics technologies too. Data & analytics technology is quickly transforming nearly every industry by providing actionable business information and because of its effectiveness, even business leaders who are generally slow to adopt new technology, are now more curious about how data technology can be leveraged to drive business sustainability.

Businesses of all sizes – even small ones – want in on data analytics, and there’s a good reason for it; according to the Georgia Small Business Development Centre, companies that leverage big-data analytics tools enjoy 15% more sales than companies that do not.

Importance of Reporting and Analytics for businesses

Data Analytics plays a vital role in various organizations across verticals, Retail, Banking, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing amongst others. Here are some of the ways businesses can use data to gain a competitive edge:

Identify leakages and gaps within the organisation
Design new products and services
Conduct 360-degree customer reviews
Identify and prevent fraud by discovering patterns in transactions
Optimize pricing strategies
Make smarter business decisions

How can small businesses utilise data?

Nearly 51% of small business owners believe that data analysis is a must, but only 45% perform data analyses, according to a report published by the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). Furthermore, 73% of small business owners confirmed that finding new customers is a top priority, while 63% ranked retaining existing customers as a top issue.

Data analytics can help small business owners meet their goals. Many business owners believe that they do not have the required time to track analytics, but it takes only a few moments of studying to learn how to use and mine data to gain a competitive advantage. You probably already have more than enough information to start a data initiative without even realizing it. For instance, you can source information for data analysis from the following places:

Email marketing applications
Sales receipts
Social media
Website
Streamlined data from connected devices
Publicly available data
Stored data in Data lakes

Imagine the value that can be extracted from the information mined to create a whole new experience!

Final Note

Small businesses using reporting and analytics can make data-driven business decisions that could help increase the bottom line. As a result, it’s essential to use the right tools and methods for your data analysis.

While the non-technical staff is able to get a high-level understanding from data, organizations still need the expertise of specialists who are able to extract full value from the various data sets across your organizations, and that’s where a technology company like Descasio comes in.

Using a combination of reporting and advanced analytics tools, we are able to provide statistical summaries, break down data, help you understand the patterns in your data using advanced machine learning techniques, and most importantly, provide reasons why the patterns occur. With all this information you will be able to uncover insights that may reveal the future of your business environment in line with your business strategy and goals.

Find out how you can begin your reporting and analytics journey today, hi@descasio.io

3 Min. Read/February 10, 2021/by Team Descasio