One storm can wipe out hundreds of companies. This seems like an overstatement, but the fact is, today’s organizations are vulnerable by default. Data is the lifeblood of a business, and when that content is destroyed by wind, water, fire or even a manmade attack, the firm in question will be thrown into chaos. This is where data protection systems come in. Organizations with an offsite backup could be spared the devastation that comes in the wake of a natural disaster, at least when it comes to all-important digital resources. When it comes time to rebuild post-crisis, firms that protected their IT resources will start from a position of relative strength.
Anniversary of the destruction
A recent IT Business Edge blog post by Don Tennant explained some of the ways in which organizations pulled back together after the unprecedented destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans 10 years ago. Tennant took his information from Kate Campion, president of a company that lost an office to the disaster. She stated that because the information and systems involved were backed up, even that historically damaging storm only kept the organization’s services out of commission for an hour. Campion explained that her firm hosted clients’ data, and that was backed up, too.
When a storm strikes, it’s hugely important to be prepared, and that means keeping information at a location far from the office. Campion told Tennant that there was remote access available to all the firm’s IT soon after the crisis struck, meaning that no matter how bas the situation on the ground got – and the office was right in the storm’s path – the employees were able to do their jobs. This is the crux of remote backup: If workers can be putting in hours even while the building they usually go to is inaccessible, the system has helped the company in question immensely.
In closing, Campion told Tennant in no uncertain terms that firms need to not only think of what they will do when crises strike, they must take steps to turn these ideas into action. Actually signing contracts and getting data on the move will keep organizations safe, and planning is only one step on the road to this end goal. Since there’s no telling when the next huge weather event will strike, it’s never too soon to follow such a path and purchase an offsite backup system to keep an organization functioning when conditions get harsh.
Know the specifics
Data Center Journal contributor Peter Ritz recently gave a list of hints for data recovery users, including some to help them make the aforementioned journey from early design stages to working strategies. He specified that when organizations are designing the processes that will guard their data, they may not be including enough specifics. They must know how exactly their newly installed solutions will keep the various elements of their IT systems safe in particular scenarios. He quoted 451 Research data that found nearly 20 percent of companies don’t have any plans in case of disaster and Forrester Research findings indicating that firms aren’t creating specialized approaches for common disaster types.
