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FIVE FATAL MYTHS ABOUT DATA BACKUP
FATAL MYTHS ABOUT DATA BACKUP Businesses have become dependent upon their computers and the data residing on them. This data is their lifeblood. Protect your business before a data loss becomes catastrophic.
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FIVE FATAL MYTHS ABOUT DATA BACKUP
FIVE FATAL MYTHS ABOUT DATA BACKUP How critical is the data on the hard drive of your business’s PC, laptop or server? Could you afford to lose email and contacts, financial data, customer records, intellectual property, employee records, etc.? Do you have proprietary software unique to your business that may be costly and difficult to replace? Can your business survive not being able to use your valuable data for days or weeks? Most people don’t realize the investment that sits on a single hard drive. Data loss can cause catastrophic problems to businesses. When not fatal, it can certainly be costly, time-consuming, and stressful. The best protection against data loss is to backup the data. Yet the process of data backup can be confusing and is often misunderstood. MYTH #1 The biggest threat to my data is a natural catastrophe, theft or fire. Fires in California, hurricanes in the Gulf, and blizzards anywhere get the big news coverage, but the truth is that technology failure such as crashed hard drives or operator error are the biggest threats to business data. After that, disgruntled and fired employees take an unexpectedly large toll. Then, technology-driven threats such as "viruses, hackers and security breaches“ are the biggest threats. Next in line are disasters such as fires or explosions. Solution – Backing up your data automatically, securely and off-site will protect your company from the major threats. MYTH #2 All my key data is in the “My Documents” folder. The My Documents folder is the default folder for many programs in Microsoft Windows. Often computer users mistakenly believe that this folder contains all the data that needs to be protected. Actually, key data is scattered throughout your PC. Frequently used data files are also typically found in the Desktop and My Favorites folders. Additionally, critical business data from email and contact management programs such as Outlook and ACT, as well as financial data from QuickBooks, PeachTree, and MS Money are located in specific folders throughout the machine.
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FIVE FATAL MYTHS ABOUT DATA BACKUP
Common data loss from hardware failure accounts for about 40% of the failures, while human errors are responsible for about 30% of the data loss.
- Pepperdine University Study, author, David M. Smith, PhD
Solution – Either be willing to do a full system backup of everything on your hard drive or get professional help in selecting files and folders. Once the files are selected, review the settings regularly - we recommend every three months for new software, moved data, or additional files. Also, make sure that you have all your original operating system and application software CDs in a safe place to use to restore your system. MYTH #3 Regular backup processes protect from data loss. Regular backup processes only have value when they are monitored and tested. The process may be performed but some files are skipped. The backup media such as tape or CDs could become corrupted with time or the backup media could be lost. Solution – Check the backup regularly by retrieving files back to their original locations. This will confirm that the correct files are being backed up and that the data is retrievable. Also, store the backup media offsite and make sure the data is encrypted. MYTH #4
Over 2,000 laptops are stolen every day. - FBI Study
One backup method is sufficient. Business owners are often proud of the highly sophisticated backup systems they set up. But any one system will have its weaknesses. One company lost a hard drive containing critical data along with the proprietary software that was used to encrypt the data. The encrypted backup tapes were available, but the software to read the tapes was gone, for good. While dependence on tape backup is declining, its use is still prevalent. However, backup tapes can be lost or corrupted, so an alternate method should be used in addition to tape or disk. One common practice is to backup data to a removable hard drive that sits right next to the computer. In the case of fire or theft, this backed up data can be lost along with the computer. Solution – Use multiple automatic backup systems and make sure at least one copy of the data is encrypted and transported off-site.
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FIVE FATAL MYTHS ABOUT DATA BACKUP MYTH #5
Studies by the Gartner Group and IDC have found that over 60% of corporate data resides on desktops and laptops. Less than 8% of the users, however backup on a regular basis.
93% of companies that lose their data for 10 days or more due to a disaster, file for bankruptcy within one year after the disaster. 50% of these file for bankruptcy immediately.
My computer tech has backup under control. Conversations with both business owners and information technology (IT) professionals reveal that the best way for business owners to have insight into their own backup is for them to check it themselves periodically. An IT professional in Iowa related how she set up an automated backup process for a medical office. When she was called in to retrieve that data after a data disaster, she found that the file locations had been changed over time, rendering the backup useless. Solution – Select an IT professional who is familiar with small business data processing solutions, which can be significantly different in cost and implementation from big business technology. And, as mentioned before, personally test the quality of the backup. Ask yourself: How quickly can I access the data? Is it in a usable format? Can you retrieve it in case the IT professional is not available? Before you go to sleep tonight: If your computer data is critical to your business, back it up before you go to sleep tonight. Then make it a priority to consult a qualified IT professional to set up multiple backup systems with at least one that will store your data securely (encrypted and available) off-site. If you need a qualified IT professional, we have an extensive network of approved vendors ready to help you. DataPreserve – It’s not about backing up your data, but getting your data back.
- National Archives and Records Administration
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FIVE FATAL MYTHS ABOUT DATA BACKUP
This information was provided to you by DataPreserve FORM FIELDS marketing@datapreserve.com 480.422.1571 www.DataPreserve.com
This document provides technical information designed to provide readers with useful general information. But technical information is not the same as specific technical advice. Technical advice is the application of technology to an individual’s specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we make no guarantee or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information.
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