Northstar IT

(360)­ 715-3330
Bellingham / Whatcom County

Data & Network Security

Data Preservation & Security

Client files, financial records and email – your data is the lifeblood of your business and must be safely stored and regularly backed up to removable, off-site media or the cloud. We are specialists in automated backup systems, daily monitoring, disaster planning and recovery.

A backup subsystem generally consists of backup software and either an attached media device or offsite resource onto which data gets backed up.  Data can be backed up either fully, differentially or incrementally.  Local backups are performed to multiple media devices that are rotated at a set interval – usually weekly – with the most recently-used media being stored OFFSITE in case of fire, theft or other catastrophe.  Cloud backups are performed similarly except to virtual storage mechanisms in the cloud.  We deal with several popular cloud storage vendors, including AWS (Amazon), Rackspace and others. Most importantly, all backups are logged, and logs are sent out nightly both to our monitoring desk and to select members of your staff.  Any potential problems or issues with the backup process are quickly detected  – and corrected.

Other data security measures include defining a Disaster Recovery policy and, depending on nature of the device being backed up, a BMR (Bare Metal Restore) plan.  Bare Metal Restore is defined as a technique in the field of data recovery and restoration where the backed up data is available in ‘a form which allows one to restore a computer system from “bare metal”, i.e. without any requirements as to previously installed software or operating system’.

Systems & Network Security

We establish strict security protocols to keep your network safe. Whether it’s preventing intrusion or stopping harmful malware attacks, we install peace of mind.

Physical Security:
Where is your server, your routers, switches?  Are they accessible to those who might intentionally – or unintentionally – cause problems.  We look at how your vital equipment is physically secured using rack technology, bezel locks and other mechanisms.

WAN security:
Every day, criminals are invading countless homes and offices across the nation—not by breaking down windows and doors, but by breaking into laptops, personal computers, and wireless devices via hacks and bits of malicious code.  The collective impact is staggering. Billions of dollars are lost every year repairing systems hit by such attacks. Some take down vital systems, disrupting and sometimes disabling the work of hospitals, banks, and 9-1-1 services around the country.

Who is behind such attacks?
It runs the gamut—from computer geeks looking for bragging rights…to businesses trying to gain an upper hand in the marketplace by hacking competitor websites, from rings of criminals wanting to steal your personal information and sell it on black markets…to spies and terrorists looking to rob our nation of vital information or launch cyber strikes.

Network security takes many forms and constitutes many different components, from firewalls – both hardware and software – to antivirus software running on your workstations.  We encourage the installation of good quality UTM (Unified Threat Management) appliances, such as those produced by Sonicwall and Cisco as your front line protection against possible attacks.

Behind the firewall, the importance of keeping your operating system, applications, browsers, etc. – not to mention your anti-virus software – fully updated cannot be over-emphasized.  We provide a very of centrally-managed mechanisms to ensure that all vital software components are kept current, thereby minimizing risk to your business.