• February 18, 2026
• Cloud, Cloud Solutions, Compliance and Regulations, Computer Security, Cybersecurity

Los Angeles Cloud Security

A 2026 Cybersecurity Playbook for Business Leaders

Los Angeles businesses are reshaping cloud security for 2026, moving from technical checklists to board-level business decisions. Los Angeles Cloud Security is no longer solely the concern of security specialists; it now sits squarely in the hands of those responsible for revenue, customer trust, and brand reputation.

The most effective leaders treat cybersecurity as a portfolio of risk trade-offs, not a quest for perfect protection. Outcome-driven metrics, shared governance between technology and security leadership, and clear Protection Level Agreements (PLAs) help translate technical risk into financial and operational impact. As breach costs and regulatory expectations rise, decision-makers in Los Angeles must be able to explain, defend, and continuously refine security investments using data, not assumptions.

Key Takeaways for Los Angeles Decision-Makers

• Cybersecurity must be framed as a business decision, not a purely technical function, with clear accountability and decision rights.

• Outcome-driven metrics (such as containment time and patch cadence) make cyber performance understandable to boards and non-technical stakeholders.

• Protection Level Agreements (PLAs) help align budget, risk appetite, and expected levels of cloud and infrastructure protection.

• The global average cost of a data breach reached about USD 4.88 million in 2024, with even higher averages in the United States, raising the stakes for underinvestment.​

• California’s updated breach notification law requires affected residents to be notified within 30 calendar days starting January 1, 2026, tightening compliance expectations for Los Angeles organizations.

Quick Definitions

Breach notification clock: The breach notification clock is the time window an organization has to notify affected individuals and, when applicable, regulators after discovering a data breach. In California, updated law now sets a 30-calendar-day requirement for notifying impacted residents in most cases, shrinking the margin for delayed or disorganized responses.
MDR (Managed Detection & Response): Managed Detection and Response combines continuous monitoring, threat detection, and expert-led response into a service that acts as an extension of internal teams. MDR is particularly valuable for Los Angeles businesses that must detect cloud, endpoint, and identity threats quickly but cannot staff a 24/7 security operations function internally.
IR retainer (Incident Response retainer): An Incident Response retainer is a pre-arranged agreement with a specialist provider that guarantees access to digital forensics and response expertise when an incident occurs. An IR retainer reduces legal, regulatory, and operational exposure by shortening decision time during high-pressure events and aligning actions to predefined playbooks and notification timelines.

The Business Risk of Getting This Wrong

Misaligned accountability with security outcomes

When cloud security sits in a technical silo, accountability for risk decisions becomes fragmented. The Gartner 2026 playbook highlights that CIO and CISO objectives often diverge, with many security leaders preferring direct access to boards to escalate risk concerns. Without a shared governance model, Los Angeles businesses risk inconsistent decisions around technical debt, vulnerability remediation, and investment priorities.

Inability to explain cyber spend to the board

Boards increasingly expect cybersecurity performance to be articulated as outcomes, not activity lists. The Gartner framework advocates outcome-driven metrics like incident containment time, OS patching cadence, and third-party assessment coverage to quantify effectiveness. Without these, leaders struggle to justify spend or redirect budgets from low-value controls to high-impact protections.

Escalating breach and downtime costs

Average data breach costs have climbed to around USD 4.88 million globally, with United States incidents even more expensive due to legal exposure, customer churn, and disruption. For Los Angeles organizations operating multi-cloud environments, breaches involving data spread across public cloud, private cloud, and on-premise systems are costlier and take longer to contain, amplifying operational risk.

Regulatory and reputational exposure in California

California’s revised breach notification law requires businesses to notify affected residents within 30 calendar days of discovering a qualifying breach, with separate deadlines for the Attorney General when large numbers are impacted. Failing to meet these timelines not only increases regulatory risk but also erodes customer trust in a market where privacy expectations are high and news travels quickly.

What “Good” Looks Like Operationally

Accountability: Clear governance and decision rights

• A modern cybersecurity operating model defines who owns risk decisions, who approves exceptions, and how trade-offs between cost and protection are made.

• Governance should specify acceptable risk thresholds, roles for internal leaders, and engagement rules for providers delivering managed security services in Los Angeles (including MDR and IR retainers).

Evidence and speed: Outcome-driven metrics

• “Good” programs replace anecdotal reporting with concise outcome-driven metrics: containment time, patch SLAs, percentage of unassessed third parties, and security awareness outcomes.

• Leaders should receive short, recurring reports that tie these metrics directly to business services (e.g., customer portals, billing systems) and highlight where PLAs are not being met.

Recovery readiness: Tested continuity and cloud recovery

• Business continuity planning couples application criticality, data protection needs, and realistic restoration time objectives across cloud and on-premise workloads.

• Cloud backup and disaster recovery capabilities are tested through regular tabletop exercises and restore tests to confirm that “recover by X” commitments are actually achievable under stress.

Los Angeles Considerations for Cloud Security

Los Angeles organizations often operate across multiple facilities, including offices, warehouses, and production or studio spaces, with high connectivity needs and public-facing digital experiences. This environment increases dependence on resilient cloud platforms, managed security services in Los Angeles, and consistent controls across diverse locations and vendors.

Customer visibility and brand presence are crucial in competitive sectors like entertainment, logistics, healthcare, and professional services. A localized 24/7 network operations capability and a downtown Los Angeles data center presence can strengthen latency-sensitive services, support faster incident triage, and improve continuity planning for regional disruptions.

Vendor ecosystems in Los Angeles frequently span telecom, SaaS, cloud, and specialty providers, making third-party risk management essential. Applying outcome-driven metrics and PLAs to vendors, and aligning them with internal security model assessment findings, helps keep shared responsibility clear and enforceable.

Los Angeles Business Scenarios

Multi-location operations: office, warehouse, remote

A distribution firm with offices in downtown Los Angeles, a warehouse in the Inland Empire, and remote sales teams relies heavily on SaaS platforms and VPN access. Robust MDR coverage, endpoint hardening, and PLAs around identity protection and patching help keep operations running even when a remote endpoint is compromised or a warehouse system goes offline.

Professional services with client compliance expectations

A Los Angeles-based legal or consulting practice may face client-imposed security controls aligned to frameworks like NIST or ISO. Outcome-driven metrics and a clear incident response retainer give clients visibility into how quickly the firm can detect and respond to threats, while documented business continuity planning supports contractual uptime and data protection commitments.​

Retail, hospitality, and appointment-based multi-site

A regional chain of salons, restaurants, or clinics operating across Los Angeles depends on point-of-sale, booking, and marketing platforms that live in the cloud. Centralized monitoring, tested cloud backup and disaster recovery, and well-defined breach notification procedures reduce the risk that a localized incident escalates into a citywide brand crisis.

A Practical Decision Framework

A practical decision framework helps Los Angeles leadership translate cloud security choices into repeatable, defensible actions. It should be kept simple enough for non-technical stakeholders to use consistently.

• Tiering by business impact (Tier 1/2/3)

  • Tier 1: Mission-critical services (revenue-generating apps, core ERP, patient or client systems) requiring strict PLAs, shortest recovery objectives, and enhanced MDR coverage.

  • Tier 2: Important but not business-halting systems (departmental apps, internal collaboration) with moderate recovery and security expectations.

  • Tier 3: Low-impact systems where cost efficiency and basic hygiene dominate, but minimum compliance and monitoring remain in place.

• Responsibility map (internal / provider / partner)

  • Clarify which controls are owned internally (risk acceptance, policy, approvals), which are delivered via managed security services Los Angeles (MDR, SIEM, IR retainer), and which belong to cloud providers.

  • Document this in a security model assessment so that gaps and overlaps are visible at a glance.

• Recovery readiness check (backup/restore test plan)

  • For each tier, define backup frequency, retention, and maximum acceptable data loss, then schedule regular restore tests.

  • Include breach tabletop exercises that validate how quickly teams can move from detection to containment, notification, and business recovery.

• 30/60/90-day prioritized roadmap

  • 30 days: Confirm governance model, assign accountable owners, and baseline outcome-driven metrics and current PLAs.

  • 60 days: Address top exposure items (unassessed third parties, expired policy exceptions, critical patch gaps) and finalize incident response retainer commitments.

  • 90 days: Execute at least one cross-functional tabletop exercise, refine PLAs, and integrate cyber metrics into regular executive reporting.

Explore Reliable Security Options with Global IT Communications ​

Los Angeles decision-makers evaluating cloud security investments benefit from a structured, independent assessment of the current security model. Bringing governance, metrics, and recovery posture into a single view reduces decision friction and improves budget alignment.

Security Model Assessment deliverables

• Documented security operating model and decision rights

• Protection Level Agreements by business tier and key services

• Outcome-driven metric set and reporting templates suitable for boards

• Gap analysis across identity, cloud, network, and vendor risk

• Breach tabletop exercise outline and recovery test recommendations

Exploring reliable security options with Global IT Communications, supported by a 24/7 local NOC and downtown Los Angeles data center presence, can help align cloud security strategy with real operational realities. The next step is to schedule a focused discovery or assessment discussion to map these concepts to your specific environment and business priorities.

Take Action Today with Global IT

Implementing the right IT solutions creates opportunities for growth, efficiency, and better customer relationships. Start building the systems your financial institution needs with Global IT’s expertise. Visit Global IT’s blog for more insights and strategies to transform your operations.

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Connect with us today! Do you have specific worries about introducing new technology at your facility? Please email us at info@globalit.com with your tips or concerns about technology implementation.

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The answer is increasingly pointing to a specialized, rapidly growing solution — GovCloud. 

What is GovCloud — And Why Does It Matter? 

GovCloud is not just another buzzword in the tech world. It represents a secure, compliant, and scalable cloud environment specifically designed for government agencies and organizations handling regulated data. 

Unlike commercial cloud platforms, GovCloud environments adhere to strict standards such as FedRAMP, ITAR, CJIS, and DoD SRG, ensuring that sensitive government data stays protected while enabling agencies to leverage the efficiency, flexibility, and cost savings of cloud technology. 

But here’s what’s really fueling curiosity: It’s not just the “what” — it’s the “how” and “why” that are reshaping government operations worldwide. 

The Growing Demand for Secure, Agile Infrastructure 

The public sector is under pressure like never before. From remote work demands to cybersecurity threats and the need for real-time data insights, traditional on-premise IT simply can’t keep up. 

GovCloud is stepping in to fill this gap, offering: 

Enhanced Security & Compliance: Designed to meet the strictest regulatory requirements, GovCloud helps agencies mitigate risk while ensuring data sovereignty. 

Scalability on Demand: Whether managing seasonal workloads or national emergencies, GovCloud allows agencies to scale resources in real time without compromising security. 

Cost-Efficiency: Say goodbye to costly legacy infrastructure. GovCloud offers predictable pricing models and reduces the burden of hardware maintenance. 

Mission-Critical Resilience: Built-in disaster recovery and high availability features ensure that essential public services remain operational under any circumstances. 

GovCloud & the Future of Public Service 

The conversation around GovCloud is evolving fast. Here are the trends capturing attention in 2024 and beyond: 

1. AI & Data Analytics Meet GovCloud

Government agencies are increasingly combining GovCloud with advanced AI and analytics tools to gain actionable insights — from predicting infrastructure failures to improving citizen services. With sensitive data housed in compliant cloud environments, AI adoption is accelerating responsibly. 

2. Zero Trust Security Models

Cybersecurity is no longer perimeter-based. GovCloud supports modern Zero Trust architectures, ensuring that only verified users and devices can access sensitive resources — a critical defense in an era of rising ransomware and cyberattacks. 

3. Multi-Cloud Strategies for Government

Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all IT approach. Agencies are adopting multi-cloud strategies, integrating GovCloud with other approved platforms to create flexible, resilient technology ecosystems. 

4. Edge Computing for Faster, Localized Services

With GovCloud as a foundation, agencies are leveraging edge computing to process data closer to where it’s generated — improving response times for critical applications like emergency management or public safety. 

What’s Next for GovCloud? 

Perhaps the most intriguing question remains: As governments embrace digital transformation, how far can GovCloud go? 

With increased federal and state-level investment in IT modernization, experts predict that GovCloud won’t just be an option — it will become the backbone of public sector innovation, powering everything from smart cities to defense operations. 

What to Look for When Choosing a GovCloud Provider 

As GovCloud adoption accelerates, not all providers are created equal. Agencies must carefully evaluate potential partners to ensure they meet strict government requirements while delivering operational excellence. 

Here are critical factors to look for when considering a GovCloud provider: 

Identity and Access Management (IAM): Robust IAM capabilities are essential to control and monitor who can access sensitive systems and data. Look for providers with comprehensive IAM tools that align with Zero Trust security principles. 

100% Domestic U.S. Resources: Ensure that all development, support, and operational teams are based entirely within the United States. This protects data integrity and meets government regulatory expectations. 

100% U.S.-Based Data Centers: Data residency matters. Choose a provider that operates all data centers domestically to maintain compliance with federal, state, and agency-specific data sovereignty requirements. 

Post-Build Compliance Reporting: A reputable GovCloud provider will deliver a compliance report after deployment, validating that your environment meets required security and regulatory standards. 

Optional Compliance Assessment Reports: For added peace of mind, some providers offer optional pre-deployment assessments to help identify gaps and ensure a smooth path to certification. 

Cloud-to-Cloud and On-Premises Migrations: A capable GovCloud partner should support seamless migrations, whether transitioning from another cloud environment or from legacy on-premises infrastructure. 

Choosing the right GovCloud provider is not just a technical decision — it’s a strategic investment in your organization’s security, compliance, and long-term operational resilience. 

Final Thoughts: Why Now is the Time to Explore GovCloud 

The public sector faces a pivotal moment. Balancing efficiency, security, and citizen expectations has never been more complex — or more urgent. 

GovCloud offers a compelling pathway to future-proof government operations while staying ahead of evolving threats. The agencies that lean into this transformation now will be the ones best positioned to deliver secure, reliable, and innovative services for the communities they serve. 

Curious how GovCloud could redefine your organization’s mission? Now is the time to explore the possibilities. 

Ready to Future-Proof Your Operations? 

Explore how Global IT’s GovCloud solutions can help your agency achieve secure, compliant, and scalable cloud infrastructure tailored to government needs. 

Learn more about Global IT’s GovCloud offerings.

The post The Rising Power of GovCloud: How Governments Are Securing the Future with Cloud Technology appeared first on info.globalit.com.

Naturally, you may have some questions.

What is colocation? How exactly does it save my company money? What are the best managed colocation services for businesses in the Los Angeles Area? This article will answer your questions.

What is Colocation?

In simple terms, colocation is storing your equipment in a third-party data center. Colocation gives you floor space, electricity, high-speed links to the internet, and physical security for your equipment. This means less clutter around your office, no electricity costs, and the ability to easily scale up. The dependable electricity, network, and cooling systems of a dedicated data center are invaluable.

However, colocation doesn’t stop there because you can also get managed colocation services. As far as IT goes, this gives your business total peace of mind.

Benefit 1: 24/7 Expert Support

A managed colocation service provider will monitor, install, and update everything for you. That keeps your technology up and running, so you can make more money. If your team has limited experience with infrastructure, this is extremely beneficial. For example, managed colocation service providers do hard drive swaps, part replacement, and troubleshooting for you. That way, you don’t have to send your IT person out to the colocation data center to repair non-functioning equipment.

Benefit 2: Maximum Uptime

A study by Emerson Power shows that one minute of downtime costs businesses $7,900 a minute. For most businesses in Santa Fe Springs and the City of Commerce, the cost is probably not quite that high (outside of maybe Commerce Casino). Still, downtime is expensive and even a brief outage can cost your business thousands of dollars.  A managed colocation provider gives you minimal or no downtime.

Benefit 3: Dependable Security

Colocation gives your business increased security and safety. Here’s why. Most colocation centers (like the data center we own in Los Angeles) have 24/7 physical security to protect your hardware. Additionally, they have constant video monitoring that keeps the equipment safe. This gives valuable space back to your business since you don’t have to keep the hardware on your own site. Also, reputable data centers are compliant with regulations like the GLBA for the accounting industry.

Benefit 4: Scalability

One benefit of managed colocation is that it adapts to your business. If your company starts growing, it’s easy to add new equipment. If you need to scale back, that’s effortless too.

Colocation Means Freedom for Companies in Santa Fe Springs and Commerce

The biggest benefit of managed colocation is freedom. The City of Commerce and Santa Fe Springs are manufacturing & distribution hubs. Your business is great at manufacturing, distribution, or e-commerce sales. Managed colocation services and managed IT lets you focus on what you’re good at. It lets you put aside tech support worries, such as downtime, hardware failures, software installations, and much more.

Global IT owns a data colocation center in Los Angeles. We have customers in Santa Fe Springs, the City of Commerce, and the City of Industry, Whittier, and many other cities in the area. Click the link below for more information about colocation.

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How Do Cloud Services Work?

A standard computer network consists of workstations attached to a server. Companies prefer all data storage to be done on the server for security reasons, and because the server gets its data backed up while the workstations do not. Some companies will force employees to access all application software (Microsoft Office, Salesforce, etc.) from the server to make it easier to update applications and maintain them. But in most networks, there is an unhealthy combination of application software and storage on both the company server and all of the workstations.

The cloud eliminates the need for a server, solves all of your storage problems, and hosts your applications. To get started, you set up your cloud computing service through a third-party provider and create parts of your cloud where all employees can go to get applications and store data, and only certain employees can go to protected, sensitive and confidential information. You only pay for what you need, and you never have to worry about the network going down.

Then you get workstations that connect to the Internet (usually through wireless routers) and everyone accesses the company cloud computing system through a secure Internet connection. You no longer need expensive networking equipment, servers, or additional support personnel. Aside from the cost savings, there are several other good reasons why you should move your company to the cloud. Here are the top 10:

1. The Cloud is Really Flexible

With the cloud, you can start setting up satellite offices anywhere in the world and they can all connect to your company’s cloud service. You can also work with your cloud backup provider to add more services if you need them as you expand, or reduce the number of services you pay for based on changes in your business. The cloud grows with your business, and you don’t have to invest in any extra equipment to add to your network.

2. The Cloud is Secure

Since all of your data and applications are on your cloud service, you know that you will always have access to your data no matter what. If one of your field personnel gets a laptop stolen, not only can you access the data, but you can wipe out any sensitive data so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

3. The Cloud is Green

If you are a business with a few hundred employees and a standard computer network, then you are using a lot more energy than you need to. Your air-conditioned server room and all of the energy you use to run your network are causing all kinds of problems for the environment.

With the cloud, you get rid of all of that energy-guzzling equipment and significantly reduce your carbon footprint. This is just one way that the cloud saves you money and helps your company to do something good for the planet.

4. The Cloud is Portable

Because your cloud service is available through a secure network connection, you and your staff can access your data anywhere you can access the Internet. You simply log into your computer and your entire network is available to you. You can even get some work done while you are on vacation, but you should probably clear that with your spouse first.

5. The Cloud Protects Your Data

Does your business have a disaster recovery plan for your data? Do you back-up your data on a regular basis to an offsite and secure location? The cloud is a great way for small businesses to get the kind of data disaster recovery plan that used to only be available to large corporations, but at a fraction of the cost.

With the cloud, your data is stored in a secure facility that backs up your data on a regular basis. Your cloud provider also has offsite storage that makes sure that your data is protected from any kind of potential disaster.

6. The Cloud Unifies Your Data

When you have a standard network, there could be important documents saved on the server and workstations. There may even be versions of those documents on the laptops of field personnel. In the end, your sensitive data is not safe and different parts of your company are getting different versions of the same information.

Cloud storage is done using a centralized system where everyone can access the same document at the same time. You no longer have to worry about people making changes to the information that no one else will see because all of your data is centralized. You can also set up secured parts of your cloud storage that prevent your confidential and sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands.

7. The Cloud Updates Itself

If you use a standard network, then you know the headaches that come with updating software. If you update your network software, then every workstation has to be updated individually. Some applications are on the server, and some are local on the workstations. Updating software becomes an expensive and time-consuming job.

A cloud service updates all of your applications from one central spot, and you don’t need networking software to connect to the cloud. Your cloud provider makes sure your applications are updated and maintained, and you just keep on working.

8. The Cloud Gives You a Competitive Advantage

Simply put, the cloud gives any small business the same kind of comprehensive enterprise software solutions that only large corporations could afford in the past. If you want your business to have a competitive advantage through the use of the latest enterprise application, then move your business to the cloud.

9. The Cloud Improves Your Cash Flow

When you move to the cloud, you no longer need to spend money on expensive equipment. You can put that money back into your cash flow and grow your business. The cloud also prevents you from having to take out loans or take on debt just to keep your computer network running.

10. The Cloud Connects Your Entire Company

Teams do not have to be in the same place at the same time to work on a project. Your teams will be able to do more together and do it better with the ability to access, edit and share documents any time of the day. With the cloud, everyone can talk freely to everyone else and your company can enjoy complete collaboration.

Now is the Time

Cloud technology is constantly being improved and expanded to accommodate more business needs. If your company is not on the cloud, then you are wasting money, preventing innovation, and slowing growth. Instead of sticking with the standard networking tools you know, it is time to talk to evaluate your options and find out just how much more your company could be doing if it was using a cloud solution.

To discuss moving to managed cloud service, please visit https://globalit.com/services/cloud-services/cloud-managed-data-center/ or contact us at (877) 822-5565.

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It sounds like the distant future, but it is all happening right now. It is called the Internet of Things (IoT), and it could change the way you live and work. Smart cities are already in the planning stages that reduce vehicle emissions, are much more energy efficient, and handle traffic in such a way as to reduce traffic jams and pedestrian injuries. It all sounds like a dream, but there are problems to overcome as we head into the future of IoT.

What Is IoT?

In a perfect world, IoT means that every device that runs on some sort of power is connected to the Internet, or connected directly to each other. As you can imagine, there are issues with getting some items connected to the Internet, and there is also problems justifying connecting electric toothbrushes to a central server.

As these devices go through their daily activities, they collect information that can be used in a variety of ways. As our example in the opening paragraph suggested, devices and wearable technology would be able to anticipate a person’s needs and transmit critical information on its own. The data stored can be used to make a taxi cab fleet more fuel efficient, and it can be used as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit involving a car accident.

Commercial Adaptation Of IoT

Small and large businesses have started to create IoT strategies designed to connect all of their devices to a central storage and analysis point. There are two ways businesses can implement an IoT strategy; either buy all new equipment that is already IoT enabled, or start enabling equipment one piece at a time. Obviously, the more cost effective route is to enable devices one piece at a time, but that does not make it the easiest approach.

One of the most significant problems companies have with an IoT implementation is connecting legacy devices to the Internet. Large mainframes can be connected to the Internet, but what about the company trucks? It takes a significant amount of planning to outfit any size organization with an IoT network.

The payoff for installing an IoT system is significant. Companies can monitor the condition and activities of their vehicles in detail and develop a number of fuel-saving measures. Employee productivity can be easily monitored, and that opens up the door for developing more productive methods. Companies would be able to put worker’s compensation fraud to an end, and corporate attorneys would have much more information to use in defense of the company in any kind of lawsuit.

Many industries will show a massive growth toward IoT within the next several years.

Is IoT Vulnerable?

The vulnerabilities in an IoT system come from the significant number of Internet connections they create. When a car sends back information about its fuel usage, it is also opens up a connection on the Internet that hackers can use to access the company network. Even your personal information is not safe when your toaster retrieves your favorite toast settings from a central server and uses that information to make your morning a little better.

Compliance Issues

Implementation of IoT networks has been going on in the corporate world long enough for government agencies to start developing laws and guidelines regarding the creation and maintenance of an IoT system. But with so much information being transmitted from so many devices, there have been plenty of concerns raised about compliance with security standards.

The protection of data has been critical, and standards such as HIPAA for storing health care data and PCI for protecting credit card information have been created to make sure that the private data of customers and patients stays safe. But with the IoT, maintaining compliance with these laws is not easy. Most of these government agencies have issued detailed ways to make sure that data is transmitted over an IoT system safely, but the laws keep changing as more and more devices are placed online.

Protecting Your Data

Some of the factors that make the IoT possible is the massive expansion of WiFi service, the dramatic drop in technology costs, and the rapid rate at which technology is being adopted around the world. But at the heart of any IoT system is a reliable and secure cloud storage solution.

Global IT has dedicated servers placed in a secure location that you can use to safely store all of your IoT data. The amount of data you will collect with a IoT system is well beyond what your company is used to handling. Instead of taking chances, it is best to rely on the experts and state-of-the-art equipment used by Global IT to protect your critical data.

Resources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#5a9a68386828

http://www.forbes.com/sites/janakirammsv/2016/08/22/10-steps-to-implementing-a-successful-enterprise-iot-strategy/2/#7b413f221fcd

https://www.thingworx.com/blog/iot-helps-business-regulatory-compliance/

http://www.business.com/technology/internet-of-things-security-compliance-risks-and-opportunities/

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-enterprise-internet-of-things-market-2015-7

Image Sources: aquaticinformatics.com and businessinsider.com

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With aging power grids, the evolution of technology, and constant growing consumer demand; today’s business environment is demanding more than ever before from the electric power supply. Because of this demand and an aging power supply system, businesses and homes are more susceptible to current changes from upstream power outages or power outages as a direct impact. If you are dependent on technology, protecting your technology data and assets from a potential unrecoverable crash needs to be a priority. Power continuity for core network infrastructure and computing systems is imperative and planning for a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) needs to be properly planned and managed.

Here is a list of items to consider when designing or planning for a UPS system.

• What type of power supply do you have or require?
  1. Single Phase (small servers, switches, routers) or three-phase (larger data centers, critical loads)
  2. 110V or 208V – 208v is recommended for mission-critical high load devices
  3. Outlet type i.e. L5 20R See: https://www.powerfig.com/nema-locking-chart.aspx
     1. You may be required to change the outlet type to suit the UPS or your requirements
  4. Outlet breaker size i.e. 15AMP, 20AMP or 30AMP breakers
• Type of services i.e. PBX or Servers & switches or old servers
  1. Older machines may need a consistent voltage supply with less current changes and may require a more robust UPS system
• Required watts or amperage needed on normal load, start-up, and heavy load i.e. Current output is 4AMP or normal and 6AMPs on startup/heavy load. It is recommended to leave about 4 AMPS below the breaker size.
  1. How much expansion will you require?
• Run time needed at how many WATTS or AMPS.
  1. How long do you need to maintain power when on UPS?
  2. Do you want redundancy if a battery fails (N+1)?
•  SNMP or Network interface Module
  1. SNMP module can be used for monitoring uptime, power changes, and also automatically powering down outlets as needed
• Rack-mounted or floor stacked?
• Maintenance
  1. The rule of thumb is to replace batteries every 24 months

If you provide this information to your engineer or power technician they can determine the appropriate UPS unit for your technology.

Contact a Global IT support technician for assistance in engineering the right UPS systems for your technology.

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Improving ISP connections to the US is a must for the international trading:

1. Connections from overseas are generally run over saturated routes, reducing the speed and throughput available for international communications.
2. International traders rely on real-time information to allow them to trade quickly, and when a connection is slow, a matter of seconds can cost thousands of dollars.
3. Redirecting traffic to go over less saturated routes is a method that can be used to reduce the high latency which plagues international traders.
4. Global IT has direct network fiber access to Level 3, Internap, Verizon, ATT, XO, Time Warner, Saavis, and 300+ other major Telco carriers. This well designed US and Global network reach provides the ability to redirect and change routing to provide optimized network routing customers connecting to the data world.

How Global IT helped an Australian based Trading Firm:

A trading firm from Australia was experiencing high latency when connecting to a trading server located in Chicago. Global IT investigated the routes and latency and found the line to be saturated. Latency to Los Angeles was much lower compared to the default route that it was taking.

International isp routing

In order to improve the time response, Global IT data center and network service teams investigated routing options and implemented a strategy that would improve this customers response time from Australia to USA, and ultimate end point in Chicago. Within two days a new routing plan and system had been implemented and tested by the Australian trading company successfully. In addition, Global IT improved network security for this customer. This secure and improved routing plan continues to be very successful and in use today.

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What exactly are the financial benefits of selling products to US consumers?  Here are a few tale-telling statistics:

1. eMarketer reports that US retail ecommerce will rise 15.5% (to about $304.1 billion) this year.
2. Forrester Research reports that online spending will increase to $327 by 2016.
3. RetailMeNot reports that 55% of Americans are shopping online as opposed to 46% of Europeans.
4. Statista reports that US adults spend 11 hours per day with digital media.
5. Credit card companies are investing a lot of money and resources to come up with solutions that allow making purchases from your smartphone easy and secure, source.
6. WorldPay reports that US consumers spend an average of 23% of disposable income online. A large number of them (8% polled) spend over 50% of their disposable income online.

It is very clear that online spending in the US is at record breaking highs and it only going to grow more each year that technology advances. So as and international retailer, how do you get in the game? US consumer want to feel as safe shopping online and they do shopping offline and creating and infrastructure and online presence here in the US is going to give them the security they need to purchase from you.

Here are a few examples of how establishing a colocation center in the US for your ecommerce website is going to increase buyer confidence:

• PCI Compliance – Payment Card industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of standards for providers and merchants to make sure that cardholder data is being protected when stored and transmitted online. Becoming PCI compliant is a very complex and technical responsibility.  It requires investing money into proper firewalls, anti-virus software and many hours of technical support to ensure the proper security systems and processes needed to protect data. Remaining compliant requires constant updating and failure to update can result in very hefty fines and the ability to process transactions can be revoked.

US consumers know that when an ecommerce website has the PCI compliant verification, they can trust that making a purchase online is secure. Global IT has a full staff monitoring its colocation centers 24/7/365 and undergoes monthly inspections to ensure that PCI requirements and updates are being maintained. Colocating in one of our US facilities will give your US customers the confidence needed to make purchases confidently.

• FCC Regulations – US consumers make purchases on ecommerce website within the US because they know that the FCC is busy regulating businesses in the US that are operating illegally.  Many countries outside of the US do not have the same system where a consumer can file a complaint and the business will be investigated. US based businesses know that they will get shut down if they do not follow FCC standards.

• Federal Resources – Some countries do not provide stringent resources if your ecommerce website should ever get hacked.  The US provides a variety of ways to report cybercrime if hacking should occur. There are many forms of cybercrime such as online identity theft, financial fraud, stalking, bullying, hacking, e-mail spoofing, etc. Cybercrime complaint resources such as Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), FBI Cyber Divisions Cyber Watch are US federal centers that allow you to make complaints of cybercrimes and will further research, develop, and refer the criminal complaints to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement and/or regulatory agencies for any investigation they deem to be appropriate. Colocating in the US give you direct access to these resources.

• Clean Servers and IP Addresses – Some ecommerce websites in countries outside of the US may be trustable websites, but they are hosted on servers that contain viruses or malware. Interaction with these website can result in fraudulent activity on their accounts or even identity theft. All servers in Global IT colocation facilities have the most up to date firewalls and anti-virus software, therefore, you never have to worry about malicious behavior from your website being hosted on a contaminated server.  Our IP addresses are regularly scrubbed to ensure your email correspondence is never flagged as coming from a dirty IP. This helps your click-through rate if you are marketing to your US consumers.

• Faster Servers and Networks – America is considered the center of the word for internet aggregation. All international network operators have a presence on the East and/or West coasts of USA, for example in our West coast facility we have more than 300 Tier 1 network operators. USA is an ideal place to place your software and network services because of its accessibility and technical resources availability. This means faster and higher quality network connections from end users to our network. When you are in Australia or New Zealand and are shopping on online for example Amazon or Ebay you are accessing servers in USA. Many gaming sites are hosted in USA, so if you host a gaming business Los Angeles might better suit your audience. What you will notice is faster response times, connections to your servers and more availability which means improved customer experience and a happy customer. Talk to a Global IT consultant about ways to improve your customer experience and help increase your bottom line.

Global IT has the infrastructure, engineering technology and the expertise to help you properly host and manage your ecommerce website. With colocation centers in three locations, we can guarantee uptime and speed to stream purchases 24/7/365 and can even mitigate should you come across a DDoS attack.

Allow Global IT to expand into the US market and increase your online sales by unthinkable numbers. Call us now to schedule a consultation with one of our industry experts (877) 822-5565.

The post How International Online Retailers Can Increase Sales and Consumer Confidence by Hosting in the US appeared first on info.globalit.com.

• Bandwidth
• Power
• Redundancy
• Security
• Scalability

BANDWIDTH

• Capacity – when dealing with bandwidth, you need to consider the capacity that will be available to you. Colocations are typically located near a major hub with multiple high capacity circuits within a very short distance. Connecting to one of these links ensures that you do not suffer from bottle neck issues and guarantees you a dedicated link that you will not have to share. Typically a place of business like a commercial or industrial park have shared circuits and capacity is affected when multiple businesses are utilizing the same link simultaneously.
• Redundancy – colocation facilities have multiple links coming in with built-in redundancy. This ensures a constant connection if a dedicated circuit goes down for any reason (planned or unplanned).
• Reliability –  it is normal practice for carriers to install the newest hardware and have more concentrated attention where their biggest circuits are, usually where a colocation facility is located.
• Carrier Options – usually for a business, industrial park, or residence, the options for carrier links are very limited. As stated above, colocation facilities are usually located near a major internet hub which means more options for carriers. More options are better so you can avoid using a carrier that has known issues like circuit over subscription, reliability issues, or poor support.

POWER

• Back Up Generators – Colocations are known for providing backup power in case the building or area experiences a power outage. This is usually provided in the form of a generator. When choosing a colocation facility, it’s important to find out how long a generator can remain running. High quality colocations will have a generator that is powered by gas and the facility has a contract with a local fuel company to provide continuous gas for the duration of the outage.
• UPS Device for Further Back Up – In addition to a generator as a source of backup power, your gear, or the gear you are leasing, will be connected to a data center grade Uninterruptable Power Supply, or a UPS. These UPS devices are intelligent and long lasting with replaceable batteries. These are the backups for the backup. In case of a power outage, the generator will need to be turned on, whether automatically or manually, and will take some time to reach full operation. It’s important to have a high quality data center grade UPS to act as a buffer between the time the power is lost and the time the generator is ready.
• UPS Device for Clean Power Levels – Another factor to consider is the quality of the power. Servers and networking devices contain extremely sensitive components which require a constant and consistent supply of clean power. Power provided by the city is known for power spikes and fluctuating levels. This is not good for computer and network equipment. As mentioned above, a colocation will have a data center grade UPS which is not only good for providing power in case of an outage, but it also cleans, filters and regulates the power coming in. This is especially important when there is an outage and power is now provided by a generator, which have severe fluctuations in power levels.

REDUNDANCY

In case of hardware or software failure, or service interruption, it’s important to have redundancy in place to avoid service interruptions for your customers accessing your website or cloud service. Bandwidth and power redundancy have already been spoken of in the above paragraphs. High quality colocations will offer you the option to have your website or other cloud service backed up by a redundant server. Suppose the server that your site or service is hosted on experiences a catastrophic failure. Instead of waiting for hours, possibly days, for the hardware or software to be repaired, a redundant server that has live ongoing replication would kick in and continue providing your service to your customers while the main server or software is repaired.

SECURITY

The investment of your hardware, software, and intellectual property needs to be protected against loss. Home and business security systems are inadequate to provide the necessary security for hosting systems. Data centers and colocation facilities are manned by guards 24/7 with constant video monitoring. These facilities also have screening processes for who is authorized to enter and leave. They also have secure entryways requiring some form of authentication via either a smart card, pin pad, biometric scanners, or a combination of such. You can sleep comfortably knowing your investments are protected and guarded every minute of every day.

SCALABILITY

One of the greatest upsides to hosting in a colocation facility is the scalability. Supposed you are hosting a service on a system that is contained in a single rack and it has the capacity to support 10 more clients. Suppose a very large client decides they want to use your service, but the capacity required to support them is larger than the capacity you have available. Now you need to purchase more hardware, find more space to put this hardware, but this customer wants to come onboard now. If you are hosting in a colocation facility, the room to expand is already available, and if you don’t have time to purchase new hardware (servers, switches, storage, etc.) a colocation is very likely to already have these devices available for lease. You can expand within a matter of hours.

GLOBAL IT COLOCATION SERVICES

By hosting in a colocation facility, you have the needed quantity and quality of resources required to support a growing customer base. Global IT has colocation facilities located in two of the largest internet hubs in the country, Los Angeles and New Jersey. They come coupled with the experience, expertise, and availability to support any conceivable hosting requirement you may have. Please contact Global IT today to discuss your colocation hosting needs (877) 822-5565.

The post Why Use a Colocation Facility as Opposed to Hosting On-site appeared first on info.globalit.com.

1. Number of rack spaces used by servers
2. Rack spaces used by Ethernet switches, VPN devices, KVM devices, and other equipment
3. Rack spaces used by power management (outlet switching) devices
4. Rack spaces reserved for ongoing growth as more equipment is needed
5. Secure racks, cages, or cabinets

Double U (2U)

A 2U is large enough to support a single 2U server such as a Dell R720 or a single 1U server such as a Dell R620 and a 1U switch or firewall such as the Cisco ASA 5510.

Quarter Rack (10U)

Quarter racks feature 10U’s of colocation space contained inside a shared, lockable cabinet. As with all colocation, bandwidth and power are sold a la carte and are customizable. Growing businesses typically use this option if they have more than 6U’s worth of equipment to colocate off-site.

Half Rack (21U)

A half rack of colocation is one of our most popular choices. There is sufficient room for multiple servers, SANs, and switches, which allows a customer to construct more complex platforms such as those required for small virtualization clusters or disaster recovery sites. Half rack colocation features 21U’s of colocation space located inside a shared cabinet.

Full Rack (42U)

Companies using full-rack solutions often need hosting for dozens of servers and large network equipment. Redundant Internet connections and higher bandwidth requirements are also common for customers with one or more cabinets of colocation. Common applications are large virtualization clusters, high capacity off-site storage, or those who are in need of private cabinet space. Full rack co-location features 42U’s of co-location space located inside a private, locking cabinet.

Power Source

The amount of power, or amperage, that businesses require to operate servers depends on the size and quantity of their equipment. It is recommended that quarter rack customers purchase 10 Amps of 110v power. On the other hand, equipment occupying a full cabinet commonly requires anywhere from 1 x 20 Amp 110v to 2 x 30 Amp 208v power.

Managed Colocation

Our experienced professionals can help you decide how much colocation space you need and what kind of management would best suit your business’s needs.

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