In today’s interconnected world, the security of your entrepreneurial venture is as vital as its business model. Cybersecurity transcends being a mere technicality; it’s a critical element of your business’s integrity and trustworthiness. As you navigate the complexities of your entrepreneurial journey, adopting and mastering cybersecurity best practices is essential to safeguard both your sensitive data and your business reputation. Here are some tips from DBcloudbin to help you not only secure your information but also bolster the confidence that stakeholders place in your enterprise.

Mastering Cybersecurity Fundamentals

To shield your business from cyber threats, start by familiarizing yourself with current cybersecurity regulations and best practices. This knowledge will serve as the backbone of your security strategies. Staying informed about the latest cybersecurity trends and compliance requirements can prevent potential legal issues and ensure your business operations are protected against emerging threats. By regularly updating your knowledge base, you equip yourself with the tools necessary to maintain a resilient defense against cyber attacks.

Data Backup Strategies

To ensure the safety of your business’s crucial data, it’s imperative to establish a routine of frequent backups. Store copies of essential data like customer information, financial records, and proprietary content securely on external hard drives or within cloud storage solutions. This strategy protects your business not only from cyber threats like ransomware but also from physical catastrophes that could compromise your onsite data storage. Make data backup a standard operation within your business practices, forming a reliable safety net that maintains operational continuity under any circumstances. With consistent backups, you preserve the lifeblood of your enterprise, ensuring it thrives despite unforeseen disruptions.

DBcloudbin helps on backup strategy by simplifying the process in large databases where huge data size adds an extra layer of complexity and cost. It creates an intrinsic protection schema at the external storage layer with a mix of techniques as content hashing, replication and audit processes that ensures protection, while regular database backup is executed through a much smaller dataset, resulting in faster, simpler and cheaper operations.

Academic Pathways in Cybersecurity

Pursuing a degree in cybersecurity is a good option to consider if you aim to deepen your expertise in safeguarding your enterprise’s technology infrastructure. Such an educational path equips you with the skills necessary to secure your business’s computers and network systems against cyber threats. Engaging in this specialized study introduces you to the nuances of digital security and effective countermeasure implementations. Opting for an online degree provides the flexibility to juggle the educational demands with the operational needs of your expanding business, allowing you to implement cutting-edge security solutions in real-time.

Investing in Advanced Cybersecurity Solutions

Investing in a robust cybersecurity system is imperative for any modern business. This investment goes beyond basic antivirus software to include comprehensive solutions that monitor and protect all digital transactions and communications within your network. Look for systems that offer real-time threat detection, automated incident responses, and regular security audits. These systems not only defend against known threats but also help in identifying and mitigating potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

Training Your Team in Cybersecurity

Elevating employee awareness forms the cornerstone of your cybersecurity strategy. Educate your team on crucial practices like crafting robust, unique passwords and identifying phishing schemes to avert malicious intrusions. Encourage vigilance against suspicious links and unsafe downloads to safeguard network integrity. Consistent training sessions are vital; they nurture an environment steeped in security consciousness, transforming each staff member into an effective guardian of your digital frontier. By fostering this culture, you empower your employees to act as the initial barrier against potential cyber threats.

Managing Mobile Security

In today’s mobile-first world, implementing a mobile device management (MDM) platform is essential. An MDM allows you to manage and secure all enterprise mobile devices remotely, ensuring that they comply with your company’s security policies. It provides tools to enforce data encryption, secure mobile access to your network, and remotely wipe data in case a device is lost or stolen, thereby extending your cybersecurity policies beyond the office environment.

Integrating stringent cybersecurity measures into your business framework is essential, not optional. With each proactive step, you enhance the security infrastructure that underpins your operations. Always prioritize preventive tactics over reactive responses to ensure superior protection against cyber threats. Adopting comprehensive cybersecurity strategies is crucial for safeguarding the longevity and integrity of your business. By doing so, you maintain the resilience and trustworthiness of your venture as cyber threats continue to evolve.

Simplify your data management and streamline storage solutions with DBcloudbin!

Article written by Cherie Mclaughlin.

IT communications for business impact

In information technology, your ability to convey complex concepts in a language everyone can understand is not just a skill but a necessity. For IT professionals, bridging the gap between technical prowess and effective communication ensures that your work stays relevant and receives the recognition it deserves. DBcloudbin is a very technical IT solution that falls in this scenario, so this guide will show you how to articulate your IT contributions in a way that resonates with non-technical stakeholders, ensuring your message is heard and appreciated.

Encourage Learning

In the ever-evolving realm of IT, the commitment to continuous learning stands as a cornerstone of professional growth. Encouraging the pursuit of a computer science degree online, along with other certifications, serves not only personal advancement but also significantly augments your ability to communicate effectively.

Such educational endeavors expand your horizons, offering fresh insights that refine your skills in conveying intricate ideas in simpler terms. This relentless pursuit of knowledge demonstrates your unwavering dedication to your field and enhances your capability to illuminate the marvels of technology for the world at large.

Know Your Audience

Understanding who you’re talking to is the first step in effective communication. Dive deep into your audience’s backgrounds, knowledge levels, and interests to craft messages that speak directly to them. By doing this, you’re not just sharing information but engaging in a conversation tailored specifically to their perspective. This approach makes your message more relevant and more likely to be understood and acted upon.

Simplify Complex Information

The essence of clear communication lies in your ability to simplify. When discussing IT concepts, minimize the use of jargon and acronyms. If you must use complex terms, immediately follow them with a simple, relatable explanation. This practice ensures your message remains accessible, removing barriers to understanding and fostering a more inclusive dialogue about your projects and their impact.

Use Analogies

Making technical concepts relatable is a powerful tool in your communication arsenal. By drawing parallels to everyday experiences or objects, you demystify technology, making it easier for non-technical stakeholders to grasp. This method not only enhances understanding but also makes your message more engaging, helping to capture and maintain your audience’s interest.

Employ Visual Aids

Visual representations can transform your communication, making complex data or processes instantly more comprehensible. Utilize charts, graphs, diagrams, and other visual tools to break down information into digestible pieces. This approach not only clarifies your message but also adds a layer of aesthetic appeal that can make your communication more memorable.

Focus on Impactful Metrics

In the realm of IT, success is often measured in numbers. Highlight Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics that matter to your audience to demonstrate the effectiveness of your projects. Choosing metrics that align with non-technical stakeholders’ goals and interests ensures that your achievements are not just seen but understood and valued.

Tell a Story

Narrative is a potent tool for making your technical achievements resonate. Frame your IT contributions as stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end. This approach adds a human element to your communication, making complex achievements more relatable and memorable. Stories help contextualize your work, showing its impact in a way that numbers alone cannot convey.

Promote Dialogue

Finally, fostering an environment where questions are welcomed and knowledge is shared openly encourages a deeper engagement with your message. Inviting dialogue allows your audience to delve deeper, ensuring your communication is not just a monologue but a conversation. This openness enriches the understanding of your work while building stronger, more collaborative relationships with your stakeholders.

Effective communication in IT goes beyond simply sharing information; it’s about making your work accessible, understandable, and relevant to everyone. By tailoring your message, simplifying complex concepts, using relatable analogies, employing visual aids, focusing on impactful metrics, telling compelling stories, encouraging ongoing learning, and fostering open dialogue, you ensure that your IT achievements don’t just speak for themselves—they sing.

Hope our recommendations will help you as it helped us building DBcloudbin. Check our solution today at dbcloudbin.com!

Article written by Cherie Mclaughlin.

Navigating the complex demands of today’s digital landscape leaves many small business owners stretched thin across multiple responsibilities. Outsourcing specific tech-related tasks can provide much-needed relief, allowing you to focus on your core business objectives. In this article, Tecknolab (the DBcloudbin manufacturer) explores the top tech tasks best left to the experts, so you can concentrate on driving your business forward.

Elevate Your Brand Through Graphic Design

In the world of digital marketing, a strong visual presence can make or break your brand. Graphic design is an essential element in shaping how your audience perceives you. Outsourcing these tasks to skilled professionals allows you to tap into their expertise, thereby elevating your brand’s visual identity. For example, a bakery might outsource its packaging design to make its products more appealing. Various software is frequently used by graphic designers to bring your vision to fruition.

Harness the Power of User-Friendly Software

Utilizing user-friendly software solutions empowers small businesses to take control of their promotional needs, allowing for the creation of promotional material with unique designs. You can effectively showcase your business offerings without breaking the bank by leveraging tools like online brochure makers. This DIY approach provides a cost-effective alternative to outsourcing while still ensuring a professional touch to your brand’s presentation. Moreover, these software options often come with customizable templates, allowing you to align the designs closely with your brand identity.

Outsource Content Creation

In today’s digital landscape, top-notch content is key to engaging customers and establishing your brand’s voice. Outsourcing to professional writers allows for a uniform, high-quality narrative across multiple platforms. Platforms like WordPress facilitate the seamless management and publication of this outsourced material.

If content size becomes a management problem in the data repository, DBcloudbin may be a choice for easy management and database size reduction.

Automate to Streamline Operations

Embracing automation technology can lead to massive time efficiencies while simultaneously reducing operational costs for your business. Workflow automation platforms excel at streamlining repetitive tasks, freeing up your team to concentrate on more critical aspects such as customer service or product development. Take, for example, a veterinary clinic that deploys automation tools to handle appointment scheduling and reminders; this liberates the staff to devote more time to the well-being of their animal patients.

Prioritize Cybersecurity

In our digital-first world, cybersecurity is more critical than ever, making outsourcing to specialists an invaluable decision for businesses. Take an online educational platform, for example, which would gain robust protection of sensitive student data through expert system monitoring and firewall installations. These experts often utilize technologies like VPNs and secure cloud storage to safeguard against cyber threats. Take a look at DBcloudbin’s security solutions.

Simplify Business Formation

Navigating the intricate legal and tax requirements of starting a business can be daunting, but outsourcing these tasks offers a streamlined solution. For instance, a tech startup may outsource intellectual property registration and compliance to remain focused on innovation. A formation service like Zenbusiness is available to manage these responsibilities, easing the administrative burden on new entrepreneurs.

Improve Financial Acumen

Financial oversight is crucial for business success, and outsourcing to experienced accountants can elevate your operation. For example, a small marketing agency might outsource financial management to focus on core business activities like project execution. These professionals can deliver precise bookkeeping and valuable financial insights using cloud-based financial software.

Enterprise owners require fast and accurate financial reporting for business decision making. This can be achieved as well with outsourced solutions such as Tecknolab’s InfoRoot business intelligence for small and midsized businesses (SMBs).

Master Digital Marketing

In today’s fiercely competitive online environment, outsourcing your digital marketing to skilled professionals can give your business a significant advantage. For instance, a restaurant could leverage experts to amplify online reviews and spearhead dynamic social media campaigns. Technologies such as Google Analytics and CRM platforms serve as invaluable tools for measuring the success of these outsourced strategies.

Outsourcing tech-related tasks offers a myriad of benefits for small business owners, ranging from time savings to enhanced productivity and specialized expertise. By implementing the insights and recommendations offered in this article, you stand to improve the chances of your business achieving long-term success considerably. This approach allows you to focus on what you excel at, setting the stage for growth and scalability.

Article written by Cherie Mclaughlin.

Tech Efficiency Unleashed

Why dockerizing DBcloudbin (or any application)? The answer is simple and clear: from DBcloudbin we want to make life easier for our users, and Docker is the way to do it. Here are some reasons that support this idea: 

1. Container provisioning/deprovisioning is extremely easy for users. 
2. Avoid third party software installations or software dependency problems (with java versions for example).  
3. Make the solution more flexible, scalable and cloud-friendly deployment (allowing DBcloudbin deployments in cloud application platforms like Kubernetes). 
4. Simplify version upgrades: It would be as easy as launch a new container with the new docker image version. 

The running components that make up a DBcloudbin installation are mainly two:  

• DBcloudbin agent, to process all the requests launched by the CLI or indirectly by your application through SQL queries.
• DBcloudbin CLI tool, to launch the common tasks as executing archive or purge operations. 

Since version 3.04 we are packaging and publishing in Docker Hub both components as images to be used as docker containers. IMPORTANT! This will not avoid the usage of DBcloudbin setup to configure the Database layer and adaptation of your application schema using the regular DBcloudbin install tool (you can request a FREE trial here). However you can install only the first two packages running the setup from any server or laptop with access to your database, and leave the agent and CLI running as Docker containers.

If you want to know how you can use our Docker images, follow the instructions explained below: 

Agent 

We need to pass in the docker run command the DBcloudbin configuration database as environment variables and an external port if we want (and we should, otherwise the database would not be able to connect with our agent) to expose the docker internal agent port 8090. The available environment variables are:

• DB_TECH: The database technology. By default ORACLE. Accepted MSSQL for SQL Server environments.
• DB_HOST: The database server host. By default, “oracle”
• DB_PORT: The database server port. By default 1521.
• DB_SERVICE: Only for Oracle connections. the listener service. By default, XEPDB1
• DB_PASSWORD: Database password credentials for the DBCLOUDBIN user created during setup.
• DB_CONNECTION: Only for Oracle, as alternative to the DB_HOST, DB_PORT and DB_SERVICE parameters we can define the full database connection (in a jdbc connection string, it would be everything at the right of “jdbc:oracle:thin@”, excluding this prefix).

The command to run it will be: 

IMPORTANT! Our running agent must be reached by our DB host using the name and port defined when we run the setup tool. If this is no longer the case, we need to adjust the address so that our database host is able to correctly resolve the name and port to access our Docker infrastructure and container, use the DBcloudbin setup again in update mode to reconfigure the name and port. 

Command Line Interface (CLI)

After running the DBcloudbin agent, probably we will want to launch some DBcloudbin command using the CLI. To do it with a docker CLI container, it is very simple. There are a few environment variables you may need to use:

• AGENT_HOST: The host (or container name) where the agent is running. By default, “dbcloudbin-agent”.
• AGENT_PORT: The advertised agent port, by default 8090.
• AGENT_PROTOCOL: The protocol used to connect to the agent. By default, “http” but depending how you are using your Docker/Kubernetes infrastructure, you may be using a https network load balancer, so this parameter would be set to https.

Use the CLI with a docker command as the following (for connecting with an agent launched as described above): 

With the first launch, a CLI wizard will request us the target database credentials (that is the credentials of your application schema, the one selected in the setup for generating the transparency layer). To avoid introducing your database credentials every time you execute a DBcloudbin command, you must add an external docker volume mapped to the /profiles path. 

You can find the DBcloudbin Docker images in our Docker Hub repository (https://hub.docker.com/r/tecknolab). 

DBcloudbin 3.04 added some new and cool functionalities to our solution. If you need a basic understanding on what DBcloudbin is before going through the new features, you have a solution overview section that cover the fundamentals and a DBcloudbin for dummies post series that goes one step back using a less technical language. For the “why DBcloudbin?” you may want to review our DBcloudbin vision post.

In version 3.04 we are introducing some important features that enhances our vision of simplicity and automation:

• Archive/Delete automation: Until version 3.03.x, archiving operations must be launched with DBcloudbin commands (CLI) manually or in a regular way with your preferred scheduler. With version 3.04.x, we offer an “install and go” solution, usable from the very first second, introducing the Archive/Delete Automation feature. When activated during setup or through configuration, DBcloudbin will automatically archive the new inserted or updated data; and/or delete (with the configured lagging days) the application deleted objects (both archive and delete can be activated independently). This feature can be enabled globally or at table level, so it allows us to activate the auto archive mechanism only for desired tables. This feature does not disable the current archive mechanism, so, for example, we could launch archive jobs manually to migrate the old data, and let the system automatically archive new data with the auto archive functionality enabled.

• Public synonyms redirection: DBcloudbin in default mode, creates a new schema (database in SQL Server) for the transparency layer avoiding any change in your original application data model. Depending on your application data layer design, it may not use a single database user for accessing the application data, but several ones (potentially one per application user), referencing the tables and other database objects through public synonyms. In this case, the way to ‘activate’ DBcloudbin is not changing the database connection but changing the affected synonyms to point to the transparency layer instead of to the application schema. This operation might be cumbersome and error prone when addressing complex schemas. DBcloudbin v3.04 addresses this problem with a new option (as highlighted in the previous screen), to automatically reconfigure the existing public synonyms pointing to the application schema. This way, after DBcloudbin setup, the environment will be ready for archive operations without any additional reconfiguration. As a bonus benefit, in the case of uninstalling DBcloudbin, the reverse operation will be also automatically executed.
• Metadata enrichment: In current times, metadata is very important, since it adds value to our data, allowing us to classify, analyze, search and a long list of additional operations that we could carry out with our data. The vast majority of object store infrastructure out there, support some type of metadata assignment to stored objects, that can be leveraged by different analysis tools with the strong benefit of offloading that work from the main application database. For this reason, with this new version, DBcloudbin allow us to add custom metadata defined by the user and based in SQL syntax queries over our database information. The metadata mechanism will allow us to define metadata form the DBcloudbin CLI tool (with -metadata option), with simple queries over the target table or more complex queries using the -join option to obtain metadata from different tables. Also, we could define alias for our metadata, using  an expression like the following: {MY_ALIAS}. Additionally, the solution will store a Json file in the same object store path with, not only the custom metadata, but also the Built-in metadata associated to the original object. An example for that could be:

In the previous example we are assuming that our table “MYTABLE” has an attribute “CONTENT_NAME” that we want to be mapped in our object store with its value in the tag “FILENAME”; the same for “CREATOR” (table attribute) and AUTHOR (object store tag name). This is the simplest way of metadata enrichment. The solution is more versatile. It supports any valid SQL expression, not only plain attributes. So if we are using Oracle and the attribute CONTENT_NAME may have uppercase and lowercase characters and we want our tag to hold only uppercase, we may use the following command:

And there is more. Sometimes we need complex expressions or values where part of the information is not stored at the table we are archiving content from. For enabling that content, you can use a JOIN expression that logically links that data with the specific row in the to-be-archived table content. So if in the previous example, “CREATOR” in table MYTABLE is just and internal id, but the real creator’s name is in the table CREATORS we could use the following archive command:

Special shortcuts like @PK (will define the complete primary key as metadata) or @ALL (will define all the target table fields as metadata) are allowed to define metadata in a simpler way.

• Improved monitoring: We have included all auto archive information in the DBcloudbin CLI info command, adding last execution information like the total processed objects and execution time or the specific error messages if something is wrong. To get it, we will use the -verbose option. Additionally, this new version includes the -format json option to get a Json friendly output, very useful for scripting and automation processes.
• Docker/Kubernetes support: New version comes with the support of containerized packaging for our agent and CLI, so that it makes it very simple to deploy DBcloudbin agent in Kubernetes clusters or Docker environments. We will discuss this in greater detail in a specific post in our blog.

There are some other minor features that can be checked in our release notes but these are the most relevant.

Big Data collection is taking center stage with people and businesses rapidly shifting to digital technologies amid the COVID-19 crisis. Big Data refers to the massive amounts of unstructured or semi-structured data collected over time from social networks, RFID readers, sensor networks, medical records, military surveillance, scientific research studies, internet text and documents, and eCommerce platforms to name but a few. By 2026, the global market for Big Data is expected to be worth $234.6 billion.

Experts are predicting that Big Data can revive the economy and help businesses thrive. When collected, stored, and analyzed properly, it allows organizations to glean new insights. However, there are also limitations to Big Data analytics. If a business is amassing Big Data without a concrete strategy, all that data may end up unused or even underutilized.

Three Benefits of Downsizing Big Data Analytics

With Big Data, some companies have a “more is better” mentality, which isn’t necessarily the best approach. Modern businesses need data to gain insights and make better decisions, but injudiciously collecting data can be unhealthy and costly for the organization. So, here are three benefits of downsizing your Big Data analytics:

• Increase focus on data quality: Big Data analytics requires quality datasets to solve important problems and answer critical questions. It won’t be able to fulfill its intended purpose if the data is incorrect, redundant, out of date, or poorly formatted. It’s necessary to “clean” and prepare data; otherwise, it won’t work, even with the best practices in real-time analysis.
• Minimize resources needed to maintain databases: Massive datasets naturally require vast storage arrays for optimal computing power, speed, and security. Although data storage options are expanding, most warehoused data solutions can cost millions of dollars to maintain and operate – these data centers require huge amounts of electricity to run and to cool. Having more data means spending more on storage.
• Improves ability to transform data into actionable insights: It’s difficult to derive truly valuable information from an infinite pool of data points, which could be as varied as each unique customer you serve. You don’t need more data; you need the right data. Downsizing your database allows you to maximize the information available to you and create comprehensive, targeted customer profiles on a granular level.

How to Start Downsizing Big Data

Around 80% of a data scientist’s job revolves around getting data ready for analysis, so it’s unsurprising that most top data analysts have advanced degrees in math, statistics, computer science, astrophysics, and other similar subjects. However, the role is ideal for anyone who is curious and has strong problem-solving skills. Many colleges and universities have produced graduates who fit the criteria, so businesses won’t have a hard time finding someone with the right credentials to improve their Big Data analytics processes, despite COVID-19.

Of course, given the intricacies of Big Data, it certainly helps to hire a team that already has prior knowledge and experience with data, including a data scientist. Their understanding and application of Big Data make the specialization one of the most in-demand careers in data analytics today. These specialists are taught to apply advanced analytics concepts, like combining operational data with analytical tools. This allows them to easily determine how best to reach an audience, increase engagement, and drive sales. Having these Big Data scientists on your team can provide you with more insights and guide you to making more informed decisions.

Alternatively, you could choose a third-party solutions provider to help you downsize your database. DBcloudbin is a transparent and flexible solution that selectively moves your heaviest data into an efficient cloud storage service. Some benefits of a database downsizing solution include significant infrastructure cost savings, simplified backup, and stronger analytics performance.

To learn more about DBcloudbin’s features, try our promotional free service today.

Editorial written specially for dbcloudbin.com

by Jianne Brice