By Jim Klossner, Senior Director, Product Management and Software Development
This is Part Two of our Compass™ Services series as part of our Intellectual Property. Compass services expand on our other offerings and provide Data Protect, Compass InfoSearch, and Compass Clean Room (PaaS) management features for partners and customers. In Part One, we explored the importance of data access in secure environments and reviewed the benefits of Compass™ InfoSearch. In Part Two, let’s take a look at the importance of data protection and disaster testing as part of the management process for critical data.
Managing critical data is a multi-faceted responsibility for organizations—especially companies or public service entities with global reach—so it’s important to know the critical steps in protecting secure data archives. At ThinkOn, we designed our Compass™ Services suite, including Data Protect, Compass™ InfoSearch, and Compass™ Clean Room, as part of our intellectual portfolio to eliminate barriers to efficient data management.
Finding direction in a secure environment
Data backup is an essential component of securing sensitive data, but it’s not enough to ensure seamless operations in the event of a crisis.
According to a Computerworld op-ed, “If you believe that backup is enough, you may not understand how valuable your data, systems, and applications really are. Rest assured, you will when they’re compromised.”[1]
Organizations need a fail-safe disaster recovery plan that not only stores data, but restores operations quickly, accurately, and seamlessly.
Data Protect makes data thrive
The first line of defense in data management is securing data so that hackers and foreign entities cannot corrupt or steal information. But in the new digital reality it’s also important to plan for backup, restoration, and disaster recovery in the event of a breach.
“Data protection is one of the more pressing issues of our times,” says John Slater, Chief Security Officer at ThinkOn. “Compliance regulations continue to evolve at a rapid pace to keep up with emerging security and sovereignty risks, making it harder for global organizations to keep up.”[2]
Data Protect web-based services offer unparalleled management support and critical customer data protection. Compass™ Archive Lock enables additional levels of authentication for offsite data retrieval.
It’s a multi-faced approach to data protection that accounts for every scenario, with layers of protection throughout the data chain.
A Clean Room is a safe room
No professional athlete or soldier steps onto the field without first practicing their drills. When it comes to data security, we need a safe place to run scenarios and put critical recovery software and data protection to the test.
“If you aren’t worried about the effects of data loss, think again,” says Madeline Clarke in her article for TechnologyAdvice. “Ninety-three percent of businesses that suffer extended data loss of longer than ten days file for bankruptcy within a year, and fifty percent file for bankruptcy immediately.”[3]
ThinkOn’s Compass™ Clean Room is a unique service that allows organizations to test their disaster recovery plans in a safe and secure workspace, allowing organizations to test their disaster recovery plans without impacting other areas of their digital environment.
“Database backup and recovery plan testing are vital for organizations,” says Clarke. “[Testing] enables you to better prepare for worst-case scenarios and avoid loss of data that could interrupt production and be detrimental to the success of your organization.”[4]
It’s important to plan for every scenario, from threat and breach to restoration and recovery. In the event of a disaster, ThinkOn’s Compass™ Clean Room serves as a recovery spot from which to restore services—a crucial resource when you need to resume operations quickly and efficiently.
Business continuity in an uncertain world
To paraphrase a popular saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough keep going.”
It’s a sad fact that disaster happens to good organizations. We can’t block every cyberbreach or prevent unfortunate accidents from impacting our data. What we can do is put processes in place that mitigate damage and keep our organization running—whatever disaster a bad actor, human error, or natural disaster throws at us.
As the Business Continuity Institute reminds us, “Business continuity is about having a plan to deal with difficult situations, so your organization can continue to function with as little disruption as possible. Whether it’s a business, public sector organization, or charity, you need to know how you can keep going under any circumstances.”[5]
To keep on keeping on is a soldier’s duty and an athlete’s pride. In business and government, it’s critically important that we do the same to protect our institutions and companies, and the sensitive data under our care.
Having a plan makes all the difference. That’s what Compass™ Services are designed to do—give you a plan to manage and protect data so you can navigate the new digital reality and make data thrive.
Learn more about how to protect, retrieve, and manage data with ThinkOn’s Compass™ Services.
[1] Computerworld. 2022. “Disaster recovery: Hitting the data protection home run.” https://www.computerworld.com/article/3654193/disaster-recovery-hitting-the-data-protection-home-run.html
[2] John Slater. 2023. “Data Security and Compliance: Are Foreign Actors Lurking in Your Cloud Provider’s Supply Chain?” ThinkOn. https://thinkon.com/blogs/are-foreign-actors-lurking-in-your-cloud-providers-supply-chain/
[3] Madeline Clarke. 2023. “How to Test a Database Backup & Recovery Plan.” TechnologyAdvice. https://technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/how-to-test-database-backup/
[4] Ibid.
[5] Business Continuity Institute. 2023. “What Is Business Continuity?” https://www.thebci.org/knowledge/introduction-to-business-continuity.html