We recently had a customer call in with a very scary personal story: someone had broken into their business. All of their computers and devices were stolen, simply gone in one night. What makes it worse is that they had no backups. No information stored anywhere, meaning they lost it all. Everything from customer information, to future jobs, and their accounting information. Not to mention personal information that may have been stored on the devices.
We at HindSite happened to have a back of their data, but unfortunately the backup was from January. How much new data could your company gather within a five month period? I would guess a lot of important information can be gathered within that amount of time. (Note: HindSite does not provide or store backups for our customers. We simply run them when needing to resolve an issue, and happened to still have this copy when our customers called explaining their situation)
So the question becomes, how do you protect your snow removal software data and devices? There is no sure fire way to ensure your devices are never stolen. If someone wants to steal something bad enough, they will find a way. There are, however, a few ways you can ensure your data and information are never lost.
- Security Application - One option is to download security apps for your devices. There are hundreds out there with a multitude of options, depending on what you are looking for. Options for apps range from helping you to locate a stolen or lost phone, to wiping your phone completely free of any and all information you have stored, to privacy settings that are unbreakable even if someone were to jailbreak your phone. Some of these will be free, while others will cost you, so be sure to read the fine print so you know exactly what you are getting in to.
One application that we have found works well for devices using field service software is Mobile Security’s Lookout®. First off, it is free. You can purchase a more advanced version, but the free version works quite well. Lookout allows you to store a backup online, find your phone, remote lock the phone, and provides you with security and antivirus capabilities so applications or URLs do not steal your personal information. - Off-Site Backups – Another option, and this is one we at HindSite cannot stress enough, is off-site backups. Backups save lives, literally, but they are most effective when they are not stored in the office. A thief could easily swipe a flash drive or a CD. Backups stored in the cloud, however, cannot simply be physically swiped. We recommend storing backups in the cloud for all of our customers. They can be reached and restored immediately, in case your mobile field devices and computers were stolen and you needed to get all new devices. USBs are not a bad second option, but if you leave your USB sitting on the desk next to the computer, it won’t be much use in the case of a theft.
We at HindSite use Carbonite™. It is a cloud-based program that stores all of your data in a secure place, not sitting in a drawer in your desk.
Are you a snow removal contractor? Will you be at the big snow show in Minneapolis this year? You should join HindSite for a free lunch! We will be hosting a luncheon to discuss results from our Snow Industry Benchmark Survey. Find out how other professionals in your field are handling everything from equipment and software, to field techs and office managers, on to marketing and advertising. Click here for more information about the State of the Snow Industry Luncheon.