Over the past few years, more and more business processes have been automated - and more and more data has moved from filing cabinets onto servers and PCs. While the explosion of technology has certainly allowed for more productivity and efficiency, it has also created more risk, especially now that the business environment is so open.

Thanks to the Internet, there's no limit to the markets and geographic regions your business can reach. And even if you don't actually transact online, you likely use e-mail for a large proportion of daily communications with customers and suppliers. So whether you realize it or not, you are an online business.

There's just one problem. Because so much data and so many mission critical applications are now network-based - and because those networks are now open to almost anyone who has an Internet connection - you face risks you never had to consider before. In addition, because businesses now gather more customer data than ever, there's a growing body of legislation that obliges you to safeguard your customers' information, ensuring that it doesn't get into the wrong hands.

the threats are real

Not too long ago, there weren't that many risks to worry about. The weather could be extreme at times. Fires, floods, earthquakes or power outages could compromise your ability to keep your business operating. Political terrorism, industrial espionage and criminal extortion may also have been concerns. But most risks were so rare that many companies simply accepted them, operating on the assumption that "it can't happen here".

Today though, a disk drive that fails on a single server - or even on a desktop PC - could have a ripple effect throughout a corporate network. A fire that's quickly extinguished in one part of a building can cause smoke damage to a system in another part. A burst water pipe that floods one level of one location can shut down applications that a business needs in another province. A power outage that might previously have done little more than leave employees in the dark for a few hours, now destroys the vital data they were working with when it hit.

Added to all this are Internet-based threats - and because you're online, it's no longer possible to completely secure your perimeter against them. Hackers are constantly finding new ways to infiltrate systems for purposes that range from malicious mischief to criminal destruction to information theft. Computer viruses, worms and trojans are becoming more and more sophisticated. Distributed denial of service attacks are shutting down Web-based businesses by placing too much demand on their resources. Even spam can be eating away at your bottom line, overloading e-mail systems, preventing legitimate business e-mails from being sent and received - and simply wasting employees' time.

the costs can be staggering

It's no longer a question of whether you'll be affected by one of the new threats facing your business. It's a question of when.

As a result, you have to assess how your business will be impacted if your network is shut down for an hour, a day or even a week. Do you have the resources in place to recover from an attack or a disaster? How much productivity can you afford to lose and still be profitable? How much lost revenue could you withstand?

Business outages and information theft impact more than productivity and revenue. Intangible assets that could be affected include brand and reputation, the trust of suppliers, business partners and other stakeholders, the confidence of clients or customers and even the value of your stock. Once damaged, these assets are not easily repaired.

There's no question about it. You have to be prepared, not just to withstand a disaster, but also to recover from one as quickly as possible.

prevention is always better

Because you know the risks, you already have anti-virus software and firewalls in place. But the threats are growing in sophistication and they're coming from more directions than ever before. Which means that the basic security measures you've always relied upon may not be enough to secure your business.

For full protection, a variety of solutions is required, each forming a layer of more complete protection. Also, you almost certainly need to make security part of your daily operations, not just an issue that comes up for review once or twice a year.

However, trade-offs are inevitable if you attempt to manage your security operations yourself. Ideally, you'd choose the "best-of-breed" solution for each security requirement. This usually means dealing with multiple suppliers, adding administrative complexity to your operation, which could require more resources and training to support each solution. Another alternative is to choose a supplier that offers an integrated technology, with a full suite of services in one. But even though technologies like these claim to do everything, they often do nothing well.

TELUS takes a different approach, offering a complete suite of best-of-breed managed security solutions that provide end-to-end network protection, and that have been designed by experts who live and breathe network security. These solutions proactively prevent damage from malicious attacks, screen e-mails for viruses and spam, monitor your Web site for suspicious traffic, safeguard against unauthorized access to your networks and more. And we do the integration and administration of all the solutions, so you don't have to.

Also, because monitoring security services can be extremely time-intensive, letting TELUS manage your security will free up your IT team to focus on more strategic issues affecting your company.

In short, for a predictable monthly fee, you can be assured of the security services you need - all completely scalable to accommodate any future growth or downsizing you may experience.

you still need to plan for the worst

No matter how well protected your networks may be, there is always the possibility that something can still happen. It simply makes good business sense to be prepared, to have a plan in place that will allow you to recover from a disaster as quickly as possible, preserving your revenue streams and keeping your business in business.

Once again, TELUS can help. Working closely with you, we would start by examining business processes and the technology supporting them, identifying which ones are mission critical. If it's vital to your business, you need to know that it will be operational within the shortest possible timeframe, from an alternate location if necessary. If it's not vital, you don't have to spend the money on being able to recover it as quickly. For example, you may want your customer care and accounting systems up and running fast, taking precedence, perhaps, over inventory management.

Once we've analyzed your systems, we'll recommend a number of alternatives, and help you select the option that provides the best balance between cost and effectiveness for your business.

No matter which option you select, your plan will be unique to you. We will implement it, test it, document the tests and be there to ensure that as your needs change, your preparedness for any eventuality keeps pace.

you don't have to go it alone

Security and business continuity planning are ever-increasing in complexity. However, there is expert help available to you, usually for less than the cost of maintaining your own expertise. And despite the complexity, the right partner can make it simple for you.

So, even though your business faces serious risks every minute of every day, you can still relax, knowing that it is proactively protected, 24 x 7 - and that if the worst does happen, you're prepared to recover as quickly as you need to.