Keep I.T. Simple
Leave I.T.
to the Professionals
Backing up your data, software and
system state.
Backups are like insurance, they are something we hate doing and hate having to do, they seem to have no real use. The worst part is that if we know we have to use them it usually means something has gone horribly wrong! Since the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre buildings in 2001 the way the world perceives backups and Disaster Recovery Plans are much different. We have realised that tested, verified backups are something more of a necessity rather than a preference.
If you already have a backup schedules in place...
- are they checked & verified?
- are they tested (by completing a full restore)?
- Do you have fault tolerance ?
These are some options...
- Buy expensive backup systems, with RAID / mirror and copy
everything over and over again. Have a fireproof room full of CD's
and DVDs with backups of every file including your holiday snaps.
- Setup an automated full backup schedule.
- Setup an external-offsite backup schedule.
and my personal favourite...
- Get someone else to do it!
We can offer an off-site backup service from as little a £2/week, fully automated. Set it and forget it.
We can also setup your servers and PC's to backup safely and regularly so nothing important is missed, ignored or duplicated unnecessarily.
** Legal requirements & issues **
Every company should be aware of the Data Protections Act
This was put in place to protect consumers and other companies
data so it would not fall into the wrong hands. If you store
customers or suppliers data you have a legal obligation and a care
of duty to
keep it safe when on-site and off-site.
If you make regular backups (for instance Sage or accounts backups) that are carried off-site unencrypted
you should seek legal advice to check if you are in breach of this
Act.
You may find you could have your Data Controller registration
revoked if you are found breaking the rules stipulated in these
legislations, and worse still could be sued if you actually lose
data and a client loses business or revenue though your actions, or
lack of.
