By Sharon Jones
From papers to pens, right through to the toilet paper, businesses need items galore to keep afloat. Workplace tech is in abundance, but what does your organisation need? Do you think a cloud is something that’s in the sky? Or will it help against computer hackers? If you don’t know your terms, or where to begin, this article is for you. Read on, and see what you need to get your workplace a hard hat for its hardware.
The “Cloud”
What is it?
A storage system that is used over servers instead of using the computers themselves.
What is it good for?
Moving your business to the cloud has many things going for it, such as:
The infrastructure will “scale down” when the servers are not used, saving energy.
When compared to a typical computer, the cloud can store much more data. Saving you worry about space.
Reducing your need to upgrade your hardware to go with the latest trends, it proves very cost effective.
Anything else?
The cloud is an instant document recovery tool. There is no physical system for information to be stored on so you don’t need to worry about the tower overheating.
Cloud service suppliers and IT Support companies offer flexible backup and recovery options.
Integrating the system is easier, so it reduces waiting times and makes the business more cost effective.
Anti Virus software
What is it?
Anti virus software is designed to scan your computer's hard drive for viruses and different types of malware. It also helps to prevent questionable programs from being downloaded onto your computer.
What is it good for?
Anti Virus software prevents the installation of spyware and malware on a computer.
It can prevent spyware, blocks tracking cookies, and restricts access to potentially dangerous websites.
These programs may have other tools like virus prevention, anti-spyware protection or e-mail scanning.
They also can be set to run at specific times, on specific days, and can be set to find and install updates and definitions.
Anything else?
Anti virus software is not foolproof and cannot protect you from every virus attack, every time. But as long as computer viruses change and evolve as rapidly as they do now, there will not be a program that is a cure all.
The programs cannot always tell the difference between something you know is safe, and something you are unsure about. So, while it protects you from dangerous files, it may lock you out of safe files and programs. In these cases, disabling the software usually helps, but that means you are operating unprotected.
Making systems and hardware safer in the workplace is an essential aspect of keeping the business up and running. These two aspects combined will ensure protection from viruses and making sure your work is safely stored. Be wary of workplace leaks of information, as it is more common now and is very heavily promoted in the press. So keep up to date with your data protection and be vigilant.
Sharon Jones is a contributor to zenruption and has her B.A. in political science from UCLA. As a new mother, she is interested in helping shape the world her daughter will inherit. She likes pina coladas and taking walks in the rain.