Network Security Matters: The True Cost of Network Downtime

Technology is changing the world at unfathomable speeds. Retailers, manufacturers, and businesses can communicate instantly and store seemingly unlimited volumes of data about processes, customers, and various other facets of business. No longer is customer data simply stored; this data is mined into metadata (information about the data), which is effectively used to predict future consumer behaviors and a wealth of other information. The individuals who perform this important work are experts in network and IT security. 

What Are Information Security Analysts?

Information security analysts are the professionals responsible for making sure the networks and computer systems responsible for transmitting, storing, and managing this data are safe and protected. They work to make ensure this precious data stays confidential and uncompromised. In addition, they are also responsible for ensuring as little downtime as possible.

What Is Downtime?

One of the biggest problems facing data centers and computer networks is downtime, when the system is simply unavailable. This happens when systems fail completely or cannot provide users with their main functions. As you might expect, downtime is extremely expensive. What’s more, over the last few years, the cost of downtime has steadily increased.

What Is the Cost of Downtime?

According to a new study conducted by the Ponemon Institute sponsored by Emerson Network Power, the average cost per minute of unexpected downtime has increased to a staggering $7,900 per minute [ Click to Tweet This ]. This number has increased 41% from 2010's $5,600. If the IT downtime was confined to one or two minutes, this would still be a relatively significant cost. However, the study reported that total data center outages averaged a recovery time of 119 minutes, equating to about $901,500 in total costs.

Factors Affecting the Cost of Downtime

The costs of downtime can vary by industry. The size of the business is one of the most obvious factors affecting cost, but it's not the only factor. In order to truly understand how downtime affects a particular business, the nature and implications of the failure must be understood. When a critical application fails, it can directly lead to additional types of losses:

Loss of Data

Loss of data can have an enormous financial impact as well as a significant legal impact. If the data is used in a production or manufacturing environment, it could restrict compliance with regulations and lead to fines, potentially dangerous situations, and wasted product. For instance, if a pharmaceutical organization fails to provide all of the data on the manufacturing process for a drug, the Food and Drug Administration could force the company to destroy the entire batch.

All companies must ensure the overall integrity of its financial data. When a company is publicly-traded, this data must adhere to the regulations of the Security and Exchange Commission. Some of these regulations include provisions for protecting and maintaining financial data. When an organization experiences downtime or data loss, it interrupts the organization's ability to react to changes, alarms, or events that may require immediate corrective action.

Loss of Application Service

The impact from the loss of the application service can vary based on the business and the critical nature of the application. For example, in many industries businesses simply rely on email as the premier form of communication. In the event that email or another business-critical service is down, it could result in losing money every minute the service is unavailable.

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Becoming an Information Security Analyst

Information security analysts help reduce downtime, save businesses money, and prevent data breaches. However, most analyst positions require a minimum of a bachelor's degree. At ECPI University, you could earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Information Science with a concentration in Network Security in as little as 2.5 years through the University’s year-round program. Classes are available day, night, or online. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today! It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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