TTS Newsletters

So… you’ve been hacked! What now?

by Peter J. Russell
Head of Technical Design

“Backup and Recovery, just like insurance, is a risk conversation. TTS is happy to meet with any school to discuss its backup and recovery strategy and review the current systems in place, making recommendations for your data security needs.”

Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Backup needs to be considered BEFORE a disaster strikes.

Following yesterday’s news regarding the ransomware attack at Hāwera High School, TTS would like to remind everyone of the importance of a sound backup system that protects the school’s critical data.

– Read the article here

With the significant transition to cloud-based systems, the backup conversation for a school is more complex, but just as important as it always was. On-premise servers need to be regularly backed up and those backups should be tested regularly to ensure that they are able to be restored, should the need arise. Likewise data stored in the cloud, whether it be in Microsoft Office365 or Google Apps, is also susceptible to attack and should be considered within the school’s backup strategy. There is a common misconception that data stored in the cloud is automatically backed up and “safe”. This is only partially true, as cloud systems have strong redundancy and are very resilient, but are not backed up for more than 30 days in most cases.

Critical database systems such as the Student Management System, school’s accounting system, and Library database, are among the most important areas to ensure that a full backup and recovery plan has been discussed with your IT provider and that these backups are tested on a regular basis.

Ransomware and hacking attacks are certainly on the rise, but other more traditional disaster situations should still be considered by schools. If your primary server room was suddenly flooded over night, or the server room housing all the school’s data caught fire and everything there was lost, could your school recover its critical data? Does your school need an on-premise disaster recovery option? What critical data should be backed up offsite and how often?

Backup and Recovery, just like insurance, is a risk conversation. TTS is happy to meet with any school to discuss its backup and recovery strategy and review the current systems in place, making recommendations for your data security needs.

Now is a good time to review your backup and recovery strategy.  If you are already a TTS managed services customer, reach out to your account manager to discuss any questions you might have.  As part of our regular service to our customers, TTS engineers regularly check and test backups for consistency, however if you are interested in an offsite backup solution or want to know more, please get in touch.

Contact us to see how we can help.