As 2017 comes to a close, many of us will remember the slate of natural disasters that have hit the country over the last 12 months. From hurricanes in the fall that hit Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Puerto Rico to wildfires blazing out of control in California, thousands of people have been left homeless or without power and necessities for weeks and months.
As people return to their homes and start to set things right again, businesses are discovering more bad news — the data they depend on to run their business is now gone because it was not backed up properly.
Here are the key concerns you need to focus on prior to any disaster or calamitous event (including but not limited to severe weather events, fires, floods or even a simple water pipe leak):
Have a plan created and in place
It is critical to have a plan in place before your business is impacted by any disaster or crisis. This plan needs to be communicated throughout your management team, with your employees and possibly even with your clients/customers. Knowing what to do and what to expect in the event of an emergency/crisis can mean the difference between managing a crisis or allowing that crisis to ruin your business and customer relationships. Make sure you review this plan regularly with your employees, and be prepared to modify/update the plan as your business grows or changes.
Plan ahead for quick evacuations
The greatest rule of any type of disaster is that nothing is worth loss of life. If you’re given the order to evacuate, do so immediately and get yourself and your employees to safety. Don’t try to back up data at the last minute to take with you in the event of an emergency. This is obvious for something immediate like a fire, but it also includes more “long-term” disasters like hurricanes that may take hours to reach you. Even though you think you have time to escape, you don’t want to take any chances. However, if you are prepared and establish a backup ahead of time, then it will be quick and easy to grab a copy before you evacuate ahead of the hurricane or flood waters.
The 3-2-1 rule
When it comes to backing up your data, there’s a rule of thumb called the 3-2-1 rule. The first component is that you should always have at least three different backups of your data – at least 3 different points of time – to minimize the chance that 1 or 2 of the backups are corrupt/unusable. The second component states that these backups need to be saved in two different media formats — for instance, a physical hard drive, tape drive, or even a cloud storage service. The final rule is that the backup should be saved in at least one other physical location. If the physical building is destroyed along with the data, there will be at least one reserve backup off-site that can be retrieved. The off-site backup should be located far away from your primary location to minimize the likelihood of it being affected by the same crisis/event. If a large hurricane or flood strikes your primary location and your off-site backup is stored in the same area, it is possible that both copies of your company’s data are lost at the same time.
Test the plan
Finally, you need to test this plan regularly. If any errors or problems are detected, then addressing these problems should become a central priority for your business. Backups need to be checked regularly to make sure files are not corrupted and that they can be fully restored. Make sure all employees are familiar with what to do in the event of a disaster. Many companies recommend annual tests, but if you can, a quarterly check is ideal.
Disasters and emergencies don’t announce themselves. The best plan is to have a plan. New Edge Technology Solutions wants to make sure you’re ready when anything hits your business so you can be back on your feet as soon as possible. Our IT team have the expertise and tools to help you create a plan, update your current plan, and/or take the necessary steps to safeguard your critical business data through the next storm, fire, or flood.