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How it works: the technology behind an office that keeps running
Your IT person wants the details. Here they are, in words anyone can read.
Each guide below explains one piece of the setup we build for offices in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary: what it is, why it matters, how we set it up and the mistakes we see most. Rather skip the detail? Call us or book a free IT review.
- Under 2 hrsto restore a failed server from local storage with Hyper-V and Veeam
- 30 daysthat our immutable backup copies are locked, so they can’t be changed or deleted in that time
- 40M+security events analyzed every month across our stack
- 24/7a person answers the same number, (604) 813-7881
Why it matters, one piece at a time
Start with the question that keeps you up at night. Each guide goes as deep as your IT person wants.
Hyper-V
Why one dead server shouldn’t close your office
When your server is a set of files instead of one box, it can come back on other hardware. Restoring a failed server from local storage with Hyper-V and Veeam has taken us less than 2 hours.
RAID 10
Why a failed drive should be a quiet swap, not a closed office
Drives wear out. RAID 10 keeps the server running while one is replaced. It copies mistakes and ransomware too, which is why it is never your backup.
Read more: Why a failed drive should be a quiet swap, not a closed office
Immutable backups
Why ransomware goes after your backups first
If attackers can delete your backups, you’re left choosing between paying and rebuilding. Our immutable copies are locked for 30 days, so they can’t be changed or deleted in that time.
Business firewall
Why the box from your internet provider isn’t a lock
An internet provider’s router is built to connect you, not to guard you. A business firewall spots and stops suspicious traffic and keeps guests off your office network.
Read more: Why the box from your internet provider isn’t a lock
DNS filtering
Why a bad click can stop before the page even loads
Most attacks need your computer to reach a bad website. DNS filtering blocks known bad sites at the moment a computer looks them up.
Read more: Why a bad click can stop before the page even loads
MFA
Why a stolen password shouldn’t open your email
Passwords leak. Multi-factor sign in asks for a second proof, like a prompt on your phone, so a password alone isn’t enough. Insurers commonly ask about it.
Security awareness training
Why your team is your best alarm
Most attacks start with an email. Short quizzes and a monthly report card help staff spot the fake ones, and management hears instantly if someone fails.
How the pieces fit together
No single tool keeps an office safe and running. Each layer covers a gap the others leave.
- The front door. A business firewall (we use Cisco Meraki MX with Advanced Security) watches traffic in and out.
- The road. DNS filtering stops computers from reaching known bad websites.
- The accounts. Multi-factor sign in protects email, remote access and business systems.
- The computers. 24/7 monitoring with alerts to our team, and Huntress, a separate security team, reviewing what the software finds.
- The people. Security awareness training with a monthly report card.
- The server. Hyper-V on RAID 10 storage, so one failed drive or one failed machine doesn’t stop the day.
- The way back. 3-2-1 backups with Veeam, an immutable copy locked for 30 days, an encrypted offsite copy in Vancouver, BC, spot checks and a yearly recovery test.
The same ideas, for your kind of office
Same foundation. Only the software on the app server changes.
- Hyper-V by industry: dental clinics, accounting firms, law firms and manufacturers.
- Dental: backup and recovery and cybersecurity.
- Email and files: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, including how we back them up.
- The whole package: managed IT and cybersecurity.
Questions about the technology
Do I need to understand all of this?
No. These guides are here for your IT person, your insurer, or anyone who likes to know why. You can hire us without reading a single one.
Is this all included in managed IT?
The monitoring, firewall care, filtering, multi-factor sign in, training and backups are part of how we run managed IT, from $55 per PC per month. Hardware and projects are quoted separately. See what a managed plan includes.
Can you check what we have now?
Yes. Book a free IT review and Tony will ask what’s broken, what keeps you up at night and what a good month looks like, then you get a clear price in writing.