Backing Up Your Manufacturing Data

Backing Up Your Manufacturing Data

Slow down

It is a sad fact that over the last few years, manufacturing has slowed throughout North America. Every market has factory managers under pressure to optimize processes and lower costs.

Speed up

One way to find areas of improvement is through the use of data analysis. Tracking line and assembly speed, utilization data, error rates, and prototyping costs can help you to determine what drives efficiency and profit at your factory.

While manufacturers have been using big data for years, 21st-century industrial, automotive, and high-tech manufacturing has taken it to a new level. These sectors are using big data to design and test products, boost research and development, increase output and lessen defects, and also optimize the supply chain, marketing, services and finance input. Big data drives a ceaseless quest for superior products and memorable customer experience.

Proceed with caution

These improvements in the manufacturing process are good news for our economy. However, they are also eyed gleefully by cyber criminals who see your valuable data as a potential hostage. By holding access to your data captive until you pay a ransom, these villains are able to extort money from businesses and individuals alike. Recent news reports claim that one such hacker raked in more than $45,000 in just under three weeks.

Ransomware can be frightening. As with manufacturing, though, being properly prepared keeps it manageable. Here’s how:

  • The single biggest thing that will defeat ransomware is having a regularly updated backup. Having an instantaneous backup solution at the ready means that if your data should be infected by malware, ransomware, or any other data impacting problem, you can be back up and running within an hour.
  • Show hidden file-extensions so that it is easier to spot suspicious files.
  • Filter EXEs in email
  • Disable files running from AppData/LocalAppData folders
  • Deactivate Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) when you are not using it.
  • Update your software because malware often exploits outdated software with known vulnerabilities.
  • Use a reputable security suite
  • Install both anti-malware software and a software firewall to detect threats or suspicious behaviour

Do you have a backup strategy? For more information on, please contact us to find out more about Backing Up Your Manufacturing Data today.