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Implementing a Disaster Recovery Plan

By March 10, 2014Article

During 2013 alone, business technology users created nearly two billion gigabytes of data with their computers and mobile devices. If a company loses even a small percentage of that data, employees and customers are at an increased risk of identity theft or other types of cyber crime. Data loss has several causes, and the business community can take steps to minimize those risks. An essential part of IT security is a detailed disaster recovery plan just in case an organization does suffer large data losses.

Effects of downtime

Businesses that suffer large and irretrievable data losses are usually in a dire situation. Up to 93 percent of companies that lose data center access for 10 days stand to go out of business within one year. At least 40 percent of these companies never open again due to the loss of essential files. Only six percent of businesses that lose data on this scale are able to recover enough to stay open.

data loss impacts

 © 2014 SingleHop. All rights reserved.

Even when companies are able to stay open after data loss, employees are frequently left with plenty of downtime after losing the tools they need to do their jobs. When staff members aren’t able to recover necessary files, recreating them manually is a time-consuming task that also takes resources away from daily operations. This recovery period also leads to fewer hours spent serving customers and generating new profits.

Causes of downtime

Human error accounts for up to 48 percent of data loss. Failure to save documents correctly, accidental overwriting of data and unintentional malware downloads are some of the most common user mistakes. Data loss always leads to some level of business downtime, which accounts for lost productivity.

Battery failure is another common reason for data loss. Improperly charged or faulty device batteries can fail suddenly before a user has the chance to save an important project. As a preventive measure, all company computer and mobile device batteries should be checked on a regular basis to ensure they’re holding charges properly. Worn-out or damaged batteries should be replaced with compatible new ones as soon as possible.

Exceeding an uninterruptible power supply’s limitations is another cause of data loss. An overloaded UBS will shut down a computer without warning, possibly causing damage to the internal circuitry. A related issue is a power surge due to lightning strikes during a rainstorm. The most effective preventive measure is to use enterprise-level surge protectors and power strips designed to handle more than minimal voltage.

IT hardware failure can lead to data loss when individuals do not back up files securely. Servers can lose connectivity and incur damage from power surges, fires or floods. The heat sink or cooling fan can fail on an individual machine, burning out the circuit board and erasing data. Sudden damage to circuit breakers will also interrupt, surge or cut off the power supply to computer workstations and cause data erasure as well.   

causes of downtime

© 2014 SingleHop. All rights reserved.

How to implement a disaster recovery plan

The first step in creating a disaster recovery plan is to prioritize which files are the most important and organize them accordingly. In larger organizations, an IT team can be assigned to create a report called a business impact analysis. The goals of this report include:

  1. Assessing each area of risk
  2. Identifying possible security holes
  3. Formulating plans to manage those risks
  4. Listing steps to take in case of a data disaster

disaster recovery plan

© 2014 SingleHop. All rights reserved.

A business impact analysis specifically identifies which files, software suites and other associated tools a company must have to function. An important part of managing the risk of data loss is to identify multiple storage backup mediums. The most commonly used associated technologies are remote server backups or enterprise-level cloud storage.

Data disaster recovery plan. Any company that deals with digital information needs to have a data disaster recovery plan in place. Losses from a data disaster can include revenue along with computer files. A hosted server is a recommended option for backing up and storing important files in more than one geographic location. 

Lisa Margetis is a designer at SingleHop. She provides design and art direction for the brand, website and collateral. She spends most of her time in the design realm fascinated by perfect color combinations, looking for typography that speaks more than words and meticulously working layouts to look effortlessly elegant. Read more of Lisa’s work at SingleHop’s blog. 

Dan Ushman is the CMO of SingleHop, He focuses on the company’s marketing strategy and operations, leading the company’s growing marketing team and working to bridge the gap between marketing, sales and technology. Dan believes heavily in differentiation and focuses on highlighting SingleHop’s unique and powerful technology platform, which helps it stand out from its competitors in a saturated and fragmented marketplace. Dan regularly attends and speaks at industry and marketing events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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