The cornerstone of business as we know it today, data, the management of data, and the security of data has become a chief cornerstone in all areas of the business world. The past few weeks we have discussed understanding data, backing up data, and evaluating data, and this week we want to take a look at what to do when the unthinkable occurs.
At some point, you (or your company) will lose data. There will be an emergency. Data will be lost. The most important thing to do before this happens is take preventative measures. Getting proactive about data recovery is a must. Having a definite plan in place helps you stay graceful under pressure when an emergency does happen. Whether you hire one person to work at your company, or select a managed service provider for help, an emergency recovery provider should be on your payroll immediately. This person (or agency’s) qualifications must be closely scrutinized. Are they familiar with all media types? Can they work with virtual systems, enterprise systems, etc.? This is also a good time to ask about the storage capacity they are able to host (if you are using outside services). The right amount of planning can help lessen the brutal downtime when the inevitable happens.
Beyond being proactive, also know when to hit the delete button. Have clear guidelines in place for when data needs to be destroyed and erased. Having too much unnecessary data either stored in your cloud or with a managed service provider can end up being extremely costly. Make sure that your end-of-life processes are clear and understood by everyone.
To learn more about how you can help manage and control your data within your business, give Biztek Solutions, Inc. a call at (800)353-5430. One of the best managed services and IT providers in the business, we can turn all of your data problems into solutions.
