Volume 1, Issue 5
May 2005
30 Years of Excellence
N.O.R.A.D.'s News Brief
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Volume 1, Issue 5
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N.O.R.A.D.'s News Brief |
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Getting Ready for Disasters!Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, common theft, a blown hard drive. These are all disasters waiting to happen! Just imagine the impact on your business if you lost your computer data to any one of these disasters! While we don’t know when one of these disasters will strike—we do need to be ready!Disaster recovery planning , also known as business interruption planning, may seem to be something that only large businesses need to do. That’s not the case at all. Small and medium businesses, and even households, need a plan in place to recover their critical data if all should be lost. Simple steps are all that is needed. Here we suggest some of the most important steps you can easily take to be ready. Steps to Take 2. Make a list of the software you depend upon. Place the installation disks in a disaster proof location. 3. Identify the data files you deem critical to you business or private life. 4. Document your business processes, procedures and key policies. 5. Backup and take offsite the critical data daily. Place in a disaster proof location that you can get to if disaster strikes.
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6. Place all the inventories, lists and documentation in a binder. Make several copies and keep in different locations including one that is disaster proof. 7. Simulate what you (and your staff) will do in a disaster. Assume that all your computers are destroyed and that you have to start over again. Where would you obtain replacement computers and other equipment? What software would you replace and how would you reinstall them? How will you restore your critical computer data? Make notes of changes to your original disaster recovery plan and any unresolved issues. Repeat annually. A key component of any disaster recovery plan is off-site backup of critical computer data. N.O.R.A.D.’s SecureTrek Online Backup Service provides an easy to use and inexpensive solution. For a 15 day free trial with 250 MB compressed storage go to www.SecureTrek.com. Resources for Disaster Recovery PlanningThere are many resources to help you with creating your disaster recovery plan. Books, templates, software, and consultants are all
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available. Here is a partial list to get you started: DR ToolKit - Using detailed questionnaires and checklists, this MS Word toolkit will help you review your contingency practices. To find this book and for other information go to: BCP Generator - A disaster recovery plan is considerably simplified by use of this template and guide, both of which are in MS Word. Go online to www.bcpgenerator.com Other links to look at: For software and/or consulting: There are many other sites, books, software and consultants ready help you create your plan. The most important point is to get started and create a plan now. After all, disaster may strike when you least expect it.
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N.O.R.A.D., Inc. - PO Box 680116 - Miami, FL 33168 - (305) NETWORK (638-9675) - sales@norad.com |
