| Is a data backup solution part of your computer | | | | Computer hard drives do crash |
| plans? Do you have a way to protect yourself if | | | | If theft doesn't get your computer, a hard drive |
| something goes wrong with your computer or data? | | | | failure certainly might. Hard drives are the devices in |
| Computers are a useful part of our lives but we don't | | | | your computer that store the information on your |
| always protect ourselves from their loss be it fire, | | | | computer. Your computers' long term memory if you |
| theft or hardware failure. | | | | will. They are built with rotating mechanical parts. |
| We often don't consider how fragile our computer | | | | These parts break down. If they break down, your |
| data really is. Do you keep sensitive information on | | | | data can be gone. Are you prepared? |
| your computer that you would be upset if you lost | | | | Data on a hard drive can often be recovered by |
| it? Not sure? Consider this. If I told you that I was | | | | expert data retrieval houses but their prices usually |
| going to format your hard drive right now and you | | | | start at $10,000 and up. Want to avoid such costly |
| will lose all of the information on your computer, | | | | recovering options? Establish a data backup solution. |
| would you be ready? Or would you need to get a | | | | A fire can wipe out your computers and your data |
| few files first... If you are in the second group, | | | | If computer theft or hard drive failure don't destroy |
| chances are you don't have a proper data backup | | | | the data on your computers, a fire certainly might. |
| solution in place to help you handle disasters. | | | | This threat speaks to an off site backup storage |
| What happens if your computers are stolen? | | | | solution. While the first two can be averted by simply |
| I recently had a business colleague of mine who's | | | | burning a CD of your most critical data, fire can |
| office was robbed and who had all of his computers | | | | destroy your CD's too if they aren't stored off site. |
| stolen. He naturally felt helpless and victimized over | | | | Fire is just one more reason why a data backup |
| the situation. What was especially frustrating was | | | | solution needs to be a part of your vocabulary and |
| that he thought he had taken the proper measures | | | | your action plan. |
| to secure his office. He had a good security system | | | | Protecting your data just makes good common |
| in place, had secured his premises and yet they were | | | | sense. If you have data that you don't want to loose |
| still able to cut his phone lines, disable his alarm and | | | | - and most of us do - you owe it to yourself to |
| have their way in his office. Don't think a computer | | | | protect your data. The next article in this series gives |
| theft can happen to you? You know what? It can | | | | you some simple steps you can follow to protect |
| happen to anyone and you don't have to own a | | | | yourself from data loss. |
| business. | | | | |