Is your data safe? BACKUP!

In late 2001 one of our clients had some computers stolen and others stripped for parts. The valuable ZIP disks used for backups were also stolen, because a helpful staff member had put them in a handy box next to one of the computers! WRONG!

Luckily someone had taken Friday's backup home, so there was a happy ending, although this was only by fluke and not due to a specific policy.

Are you backing up? Are you checking your backups? Do you know how to backup? Are you keeping a series of backups? Are you storing them away from your premises? What would happen to your business if your computers were stolen and you didn't have a backup?

Cadzow 2000 provides a “Backup Cadzow” icon which has the ability to back up to a hard disk, network drive, or removable disk (if using .MDB data files). Backups should be done to both the local hard disk and a removable disk which is taken offsite (such as a ZIP disk). This will protect you from virus damage, hardware failure, theft and fire.

An exercise you should undertake is this: Imagine your office burnt to the ground and everything was destroyed. What would you wish you could get back? Debtors records? Contracts? A lot of the data people have on their hard drives is not particularly important (old letters, for example) but everyone has at least one thing that is mission-critical to their business. THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS IS, and ensure it is protected.