It is best to plan for the worst
Data loss may well be viewed as inevitable, but it would appear that many companies still do not budget for the necessity of data recovery or even include it as part of their contingency plans.
Our research has found that three-quarters of UK firms have no contingency plans for data loss. Clearly the attitude of “it will never happen to me” is still prevalent – or worse still – “it will happen, but I will deal with it when it does.”
This is a risky strategy, and a costly one too, because when a company’s data is destroyed, knowing how to respond quickly can significantly improve the chances of a full recovery as well as minimising financial loss.
Data must be protected at all stages – from creation, through sharing, to deletion.
The sooner IT departments realise and budget accordingly, the sooner we can move away from contingency management and towards true data protection.
Phil Bridge, Kroll Ontrack UK
It's true that data loss is becoming far too prevalent and the need to back up data is not only applicable to businesses but also private consumers as well. Our reliance on the numerous forms of technology we use every day is meaning we are unwillingly exposing ourselves to losing valuable personal and private information like never before. Take mobiles for instance - we store so much information on our phones, yet don't see the need to make sure these are safe should the phone be lost or stolen. The ever-increasing prevalence of this issue explains the emergence of back up services like www.mobyko.com, which allow users to back up mobile content - e.g pics, videos and texts with ease. Data backup will soon become the norm as consumers and businesses alike begin to understand the inconvenience associated with data loss in its many forms...it's simple, yet so many people don't even consider it.
Posted by: Johan Rock | Friday, 07 March 2008 at 03:02 PM