| There are many factors which will potentially | | | | data. Although hardware infrastructure, software and |
| determine your best data backup strategy. | | | | peripheral network equipment easily can be replaced, |
| Regardless of your companies size the thought | | | | the most valued asset, your data, cannot.We have |
| process should be the same. The main factors to | | | | seen a growing number of government legislations, |
| take into account are the amount of data being | | | | laws and regulations regarding data storage and |
| backed up, how quickly you need to backup and | | | | privacy. All of which you are now accountable for. |
| more importantly, how quickly you need to restore | | | | Much of this new law has been created because of |
| and the final factor will be the best data medium for | | | | identity theft as well as the unintentional or intentional |
| you.Put yourself in the shoes of Mr Unlucky, arriving | | | | posting of such sensitive data on the Internet. Like it |
| at work to find, for what ever reason, all your data | | | | or not, it's your responsibility to keep pace with all |
| has been lost. All your customer database, accounts, | | | | such laws, I cannot do into the legal aspect as it is a |
| stock levels and emails have been lost! How could | | | | mine field and there are different laws for different |
| you possibly recover from this and how long could | | | | types of Developing an Effective.Data Backup |
| your company stay in business? | | | | StrategyNow is the time to create a secure and |
| It is an agreed fact; if you do not backup your data | | | | manageable backup strategy. There is no point doing |
| and your data is lost a high percentage of businesses | | | | this after a disaster has struck, it is very minimize |
| will cease to trade thereafter. Facts also show that | | | | data loss and business losses whilst increasing |
| those companies who do somehow initially continue | | | | business continuity. Your backup plan should be simple |
| to stay alive, 90% fail within two years. | | | | as possible, very specific whilst easy as possible to |
| Believe me; you do not need to have a major | | | | follow and must include all steps, starting with your |
| catastrophe to wipe critical information. A disk failure, | | | | initial requirements. You should include what data is |
| equipment failure or sudden loss of electricity can do | | | | critical and prioritize accordingly. How often you |
| it. Human error is a big factor and can potentially lead | | | | backup should not depend on the size or the nature |
| to lost servers or accidental deletion of data or | | | | of your company but you should base your solution |
| major disasters such as, fires to floods and | | | | around the following questions:-1) Are you backing up |
| explosions (Bunsfield Oil Refinery), please do not | | | | a single server or many?2) Are all your computers |
| forget malicious actions from crackers, viruses and | | | | and servers located in a single office or do you have |
| loss of service attacks.Another point we all agree on | | | | remote sites spread around the county? |
| is not if you could lose data, it's when you will lose | | | | |