| Dr. Sky Moore is one smart guy who thought he had | | | | months = 5, No regular process = 0) |
| his data backup under control. For his large | | | | So, how well did you do? If you scored a perfect 50, |
| chiropractic business practice, he entrusted the | | | | green light, good job - your critical business data is |
| backup of his critical business data to a cassette | | | | safe. If you scored 35 to 45, yellow light: be cautious, |
| backup system and a busy office manager. For | | | | you aren't completely protected. And if you scored |
| reasons still not clear, the process of backing up data | | | | under 35, red-alert! Your data is not very secure and |
| to tapes was neglected for three full weeks. | | | | you could find yourself in the same boat as Dr. |
| You guessed it - their main system crashed and the | | | | Moore or countless others who didn't think it could |
| office was without three weeks worth of critical | | | | happen to me. |
| data. When he tried to recover data that included | | | | According to the Small Business Administration, 99.7 |
| electronic files, finances and customer billing | | | | percent of all businesses in the U.S. are small firms |
| information, he found that the tape backup wouldn't | | | | and 53 percent are home-based businesses. As a |
| work. Forensic specialists were called in to the tune | | | | businessman who has had the opportunity of working |
| of $20,000, but they were able to recover just 10 | | | | with Fortune 100 companies for years and as a serial |
| percent of the data. | | | | entrepreneur running small businesses, I've got a lot |
| Dr. Moore and his staff worked frantically for two | | | | of respect for small business owners. We need to |
| months trying to reconstruct data from paper | | | | have a lot of expertise in what we do, but be smart |
| records, calling vendors and other partner companies | | | | enough to farm out what we can't do, or don't have |
| to re-gather information, notifying insurance | | | | time for. |
| companies of the loss of patient files, and more. How | | | | Consider this: if Dr. Moore had used an automated |
| embarrassing and expensive do you think that was? | | | | system, he may have found recovering his data a |
| Nineteen out of twenty small businesses that lose | | | | breeze. For example, a small non-profit organization in |
| their critical data for more than two weeks go out of | | | | Metro Denver recently had an opportunity to receive |
| business. Dr. Moore beat the odds, but at a great | | | | new equipment through a grant. They decided to |
| price. | | | | have automatic encrypted backups over the |
| Do you have good intentions, but also find yourself | | | | Internet, rather than training their staff on how to do |
| too busy to make sure your own data is secure? Do | | | | tape backups and buying the necessary equipment |
| you perform regular back-ups? | | | | and tapes or CD's. In the first year, rather than |
| If you do not backup, or your company does not | | | | spending $1,500 to $2,000 on hardware, software |
| have a regular backup plan, you are not alone. A | | | | and materials for the year, they spent only $600 on |
| 2005 survey sponsored by Harris Interactive revealed | | | | backup fees. |
| that 35 percent of U.S. adults with data on a PC | | | | But the story doesn't stop there. Within six months |
| never back up their files. While 89 percent admit they | | | | of automating their backups, the organization |
| should backup, 76 percent of those actually doing it | | | | discovered that their database had become corrupt |
| backup only once a month or less. And 44 percent | | | | and needed to be restored. They were able to |
| say that due to a virus, hardware or software | | | | quickly restore their critical data in just 30 minutes. |
| malfunction; they've lost important information. | | | | When you operate a small business, you know that |
| How secure is your critical data? To find out, use this | | | | time is money. Offsite backup solutions make financial |
| checklist to determine your backup quotient. | | | | sense to those who don't want to waste time on |
| | | | shaky solutions, like Dr. Moore who depended upon |
| 1. Is your data backed up on a regular basis? (Daily = | | | | his busy staff. Professional backups can cost as little |
| 10 points, Weekly = 5, Monthly = 2, Less = 0) | | | | as $15 a month for 2Gb of data without the hassles |
| 2. Are backups automated? Automation allows you | | | | or dangers of manually backing up to a tape, CD, |
| to set the backup process once and let it run on | | | | flash drive or other media. |
| schedule without your intervention. (Y = 5, N = 0) | | | | In another instance, Chris Kaiser, president of |
| 3. Is the backup media (CD, flash drive, etc.) | | | | C-Squared Computer Consulting, told me about his |
| encrypted? Encryption protects against theft of your | | | | client, a local company that had a server with a tape |
| data, protecting you from lawsuits, upset clients and | | | | backup. The server had an unfortunate meltdown |
| other bad things. (Y = 10, N = 0) | | | | and the company had to wait for the part to ship |
| 4. Is the backup copy stored off-site? Off-site | | | | from Texas; they were without their server for four |
| storage protects against loss due to situations like | | | | business days. No one really knows how much |
| fire, flood, theft or employee sabotage. (Y = 5, N = | | | | business was lost during those four days, but it could |
| 0) | | | | be ten's of thousands of dollars. As a result, the |
| 5. Is the backup copy stored in a location that is | | | | company called C-Squared to install a remote backup |
| accessible? Data should be stored in a geographically | | | | solution and now are no longer dependent upon their |
| remote location with access via Internet for | | | | server and they have instant access to their critical |
| immediate access. (Y = 5, N = 0) | | | | data via the Internet. |
| 6. Do you perform periodic tests to recover your | | | | In the past, sensitive information was in the form of |
| data? People follow disciplined backup procedures | | | | paper documents that could be stored and shredded |
| only to find out, too late, that either they have | | | | when no longer needed. Today, with much of this |
| backed up the wrong data or that the backup | | | | information kept electronically, hard disk crashes, |
| methods was flawed - tapes or CDs have decayed, | | | | human error, natural disasters (such as tornados, fires |
| or backup system is corrupted. (Y = 5, N = 0) | | | | and Colorado snowstorms) can pose a grave problem |
| 7. How often do you conduct a periodic review of | | | | for a business. |
| the data included in the backup? Over time the type | | | | You took the test. How secure is your critical data? |
| of files you backup may change as you use new | | | | What is the cost to your business if you lose this |
| programs and folders. You may also be backing up | | | | critical data? |
| data that is no longer valuable. (2 months = 10, 6 | | | | |