Protecting company data against natural disasters
Data is one of a company's most valuable assets as businesses rely upon their accumulated data in many ways. Most businesses depend on the accessibility of current information, and if a sudden disaster were to hit and destroy acquired digital information, this would be disruptive, traumatic and, in some cases, result in total destruction of the organization.
In the modern business environment, companies use their digital knowledge bases almost constantly. Consider processes such as sales information and transactions, customer details, employee records, marketing trends, and accounting files; almost all aspects of daily operations and long-term strategies are embedded into digital files.
Due to the high value placed on company data, it is beneficial for organizations to invest in business continuity and disaster recovery efforts. Disaster can occur at any time. Data loss is an important consideration, but on the same token, data interruption and offline time can also have serious implications.
Business impact analysis
In order to protect company data from a catastrophic event such as a natural disaster, it is first essential to understand how the loss of business continuity will affect the business both in the short and long term. Conducting a business impact analysis can help managerial decision makers identify the many ways the organization can be impacted by natural disaster. Understanding how the company will be affected is crucial in determining preventative measures to reduce the impact in the event natural disaster occurs.
Risk assessment/probability of occurrence
An important step in planning to protect company data from natural disaster is to conduct a risk assessment. This appraisal includes identifying the affordable down time a business can sustain before it suffers too large of a loss. During this assessment, leadership identifies which areas of the business needs to be operational 24/7 and which processes can sustain a longer period of offline time. Correctly identifying the vital processes verses the less essential helps leadership determine where financial efforts are best invested when protecting against data loss or interruption.
Prior to investing money in disaster recovery, it is important to consider the types of natural disasters which can occur. It would not make sense for a business to invest efforts in hurricane disaster recovery if the company is located in a zone not at high risk for this type of disaster, however if the company is located in a region prone to heavy snow and frequent power outages, it would make sense to focus energies to develop preventative strategies against this type of interruption.
Ranking natural disasters and other possible interruptions according to priority and probability of occurrence is a smart strategy when planning for disaster to ensure that efforts are spent in the most needed areas.
Data backup
To prevent total loss, data backup is perhaps one of, if not the most, serious considerations when it comes to protecting company data. If a natural disaster were to hit and wipe out an entire operation, all of the companies servers could be possibly destroyed. What if this data were not replicated or stored elsewhere? All of that valuable information would be lost forever. Backup can be done in many ways, either through ongoing mirroring or through incremental backup; the latter is less expensive, however some operations, such as financial transactions, may need continuous duplication.
Importance of electrical power
Steve Bulmer, CTO of Consonus, a service provider of data protection solutions specializing in disaster recovery, states, "The first step when seeking data protection solutions is to develop an understanding of what hazards can impact IT resources. Natural disasters are the most recognizable hazard to any structure."
Essentially all IT resources rely on the ability to remain operational, and this requires electricity. Natural disasters, such as floods, heavy snowstorms, earthquakes and hurricanes have a high potential to shut down power. Planning for ways to keep IT resources running is essential. For businesses that rely upon 24/7 access, a hot site may be worth the investment; other businesses that may have less time sensitive constraints may find it more cost-feasible to invest in a warm or cold site.
When creating a business continuity plan which encompasses natural disaster, it is crucial to develop strategies that are both cost-effective and simultaneously meets the needs of the business in order to take care of the members of the organization and vital data. The plan does not end with creation, but needs to be tested to ensure the plan works. Without testing, there is no affirmative way to determine whether or not the plan is a workable one. Once testing is completed, it is also worthy to revisit the plan on a routine basis as technology changes, key stakeholders may come and go and other changes may occur in the business. A good plan is elastic enough to plan for both the present and future.
