Recovering from a natural disaster can be extremely difficult on all fronts - both on the physical and emotional side. What can be even more difficult, however, for most businesses, is a data disaster.
It is likely that you have prepared your business for disasters of all kinds. You have emergency kits to sustain the people inside of you need to shelter in place, you've practiced fire drills, you have insurance for flooding. but what happens if it is your infrastructure that is struck by the disaster?
There are many things that can trigger an infrastructure disaster, including things that you cannot predict. Things that can bring your data center to a halt. How can you protect yourself?
One of the best ways to keep yourself, your business, your reputation, and your data safe is to incorporate a disaster recovery plan (DRP) that has backup and redundancy built into it.
In fact, it is so important to so many businesses that the United States Government actually recommends creating a DRP plan: " An information technology disaster recovery plan (IT DRP) should be developed in conjunction with the business continuity plan. Priorities and recovery time objectives for information technology should be developed during the business impact analysis. Technology recovery strategies should be developed to restore hardware, applications and data in time to meet the needs of the business recovery. "
Here's what we classify a strong DRP:
Create A Sound Disaster Recovery Plan
Planning for a disaster might be difficult because you have to think about anything and everything that can go wrong AND THEN figure out how to tackle them. We suggest starting with the most basic (therefore, the most likely) situations and moving on from there.
You want to define what will keep your business running: emails, applications, computer equipment, and backups. You will need to determine how long you can go without other processes and create a chain of replenishment.
From there, you will be able to figure out who is responsible for declaring the disaster, how to keep your employees informed, and how you will communicate to your clients.
Carry Out The Plan
As soon as you have established a strong plan, you want to put all of the requisite steps into play and make sure that everything is implemented properly. Sometimes, you will have to anticipate new parts of the plan when you build new applications. It is always best for the project (in an agile sense) to build with the security team during your development phase.
You want to monitor your data recovery plan and update it if needed. Remember that you have to change it up and edit it as time goes by, which will result in fewer IT problems and less downtime if you do have a disaster.
Test Your Data Recovery Plan - Before A Disaster
If you take the time to write a data recovery plan, you may want to actually make sure it works. The sad truth is that not enough people do that. You are leaving yourself open for an even bigger disaster.
If you have a plan in place, test it. Simulate different circumstances a few times a year and see how your plan responds. You will be extremely thankful you that you did this when a real disaster does come.
Even better, you will be able to evaluate your plan and fix the areas where you spot weaknesses.
Back-Up Your Data And Store It For A Data Disaster
If there is a disaster, most people don't know that the data they store on site isn't completely safe, especially when a disaster occurs. That is why it is so important to store your backed up data offsite. Create a backup file of the data and transfer it (securely) to an offsite data storage center.
From there, keep backing up at least once a day.
Make Sure Employees Follow Suit
Many companies tell their employees to store data on the company's network and back it up - that doesn't mean that everyone does it. Some are too lazy and some just don't remember to do it.
Make sure that your employees have incentives to follow suit and, at least, back up desktops and laptops on site so that you can get it back in the case of a disaster or if the device gets damaged, stolen, or lost.
Regularly Update Your Virus Scanners
The security you use in your IT infrastructure is so important. You need to make sure that everything is protected against viruses, malware, and spyware. Protect your infrastructure as soon as you can and as regularly as you can by installing regular virus pattern updates as part of your data recovery plan.
This is one of the best steps you can take to stop a data disaster from occurring - and prevention is always the best policy.
No matter what, you need to remember that every single business out there, no matter how big or small it is or how much tech it really uses is vulnerable to experiencing a data related catastrophe. Arm yourself and your employees against disaster by working to put a disaster recovery plan into place. It will be one of the very best things you will ever have done for your company, even if you don't ever use it.
Our team takes pride in being the most experienced team of IT professionals in New Jersey. You can count on us to have solutions to problems that you may not have had luck with before. When it comes to data recovery in New Jersey, you simply cannot go to anyone better. We have technical support available to the public every day of the week: you’ll have the option to talk to an experienced technician if a problem arises.
Looking for the Best Computer Services in New Jersey? Call: (908) 332-5051
You are probably aware of the fact that data back-ups are strongly recommended for businesses of every size as a means of protecting essential documents from the threat of loss, which can result in the need of data recovery. If you've worked with a tech support specialist with data recovery, you may even have heard the 3-2-1 rule, by which you make at least three copies of the files in your system, you store them in at least two different formats, and you locate at least one of those copies off-site. What you might not know is why this type of system-wide back up is so important and what it can mean for your small business.
Horror Stories of Data Loss & Data Recovery
You need only ask a knowledgeable help desk and data recovery vendor to find the answers you seek. Anyone who offers computer support and data recovery in New Jersey can probably tell you horror stories about businesses that lost crucial data to fire or flood, right along with all of their computer equipment, because their only copies were stored on-site. Or you might have heard about businesses with subpar virus protection that came under attack from malicious code or thieving hackers that stormed their system, leaving damage, corruption, and loss in their wake. One of the most important reasons to hire an IT consulting firm to help you arrange for appropriate back up options is to avoid the loss of data that could impede your ability to conduct business.
Of course, even more important may be the potential loss of clientele you'll suffer from such a scenario. Backing up data and system files is not just for your benefit, but also for those who entrust their private data to you. With proper IT support, the hope is that you'll never have to bear the bad news of a data breach and stolen identities. However, data loss due to system failure or natural disaster could be just as damaging to your business. When you fail to implement a suitable back-up plan, your clients may lose confidence in your ability to properly manage their accounts. Your employees may suffer from low morale. Your business, in short, could tank.
Back up Your Data with the Help of Dave's Computers
The right managed services provider can offer the back-up solutions your business needs to get back up and running in the event that the worst should occur and your primary system files are somehow compromised or destroyed. Whether you're based in New Jersey or you're looking for remote support, having a reliable service on your side can give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your files are properly backed up in case of catastrophe.
Data breaches are all over the news, and it's not just mega-corporations like Sony and Target - health insurance companies and even government agencies have been the subject of hacks and data loss. As a small business owner, you might not think you have to worry as much as these high-profile organizations. However, every business has a responsibility to their employees and clients to protect sensitive data. So if you have yet to speak with an IT consulting firm about what you should do to avoid data loss and proper data recovery techniques, here are a few dos and don'ts to consider.
Data Recovery: Data Loss Dos and Don'ts to Consider
DO: Know the law. There are federal laws in place that spell out the standards for protection against data breaches and loss, as well as regulations pertaining to proper notification in the event of a data breach. Your IT support and data recovery service provider should be able to help you figure out what you need to do to comply. Don't forget, many states have additional laws, so check those in your state to make sure you're up-to-date and operating within the law.
DON'T: Assume you're not a target. Just because you're a small operation doesn't mean you aren't a target for hackers looking to steal identities or other private information. As any New Jersey tech support provider will probably tell you, your business makes for a much easier target in some ways since you don't' have the same protections in place as larger competitors. Even with basic security settings like a firewall, virus protection, and passwords, you could still be far more prone to breach than larger targets.
DO: Prep for failure. Hiring a managed services provider to maintain your off-site data back-up is a great place to start when it comes to protecting yourself from data loss, but don't forget about the monitoring, maintenance, remote support, and other services these vendors can provide. All can help you to avoid breaches and data loss, as well as create a plan for decisive action should the worst occur.
DON'T: Ignore inside threats. You might be understandably worried about hackers getting into your system, but don't forget that your employee could also be responsible for data loss. What if they're engaging in risky behavior like sharing passwords, visiting dangerous websites, or clicking spammy links while using your network? They could open doors to malicious code, spyware, and even hackers looking to steal or damage your data. Having a help desk service to keep an eye on network usage and report suspicious activity could nip such problems in the bud.
DO: Test regularly. Your computer support in New Jersey should be able to help you out with regular testing to ensure that your defenses and back-ups are top notch. After all, what good is spending the money on a system to protect your data without knowing if it works...until it doesn't?
Contact Dave's Computers for Data Recovery and More
Contact us today for your data recovery needs at 908-428-9558.