My Name is (Hurricane) Earl

Earlier this month, I posted an article about data loss due to natural disasters. With the impending Hurricane Earl paying New England a visit this evening, I figured now would be a great time to reiterate the importance of having a backup disaster recovery system in place.

Although the major cause of data loss is due to human error combined with the fact that naturally occurring disasters only account for roughly 3% of all data loss; it is important to note this form of data loss is the most severe.

Lightening Doesn’t Strike Twice

Park Oskar, a freelance writer for StellarInfo.com, posted an online article in September of 2006 profiling the different types of non-human data loss. He recommends keeping data in an offsite backup as it is “statistically unlikely for natural disasters to occur in two locations simultaneously.

Utilizing the Cloud (No Pun Intended)

Oskar’s article was published four years ago. Since then, the Cloud has become a viable option for seamless offsite data backup. As part of your organization’s Backup Disaster Recovery (BDR) program, you can set up a Cloud to send data offsite continuously.

One of the major benefits of utilizing the Cloud is that it can be accessed anywhere via an internet connection.

Always Be Prepared

So say for instance (Worst Case Scenario here) Earl’s winds damages your office. Some of your equipment is ruined and you can’t work in the office until repairs are made. Luckily because your data is backed-up in the Cloud, you can access the Cloud from your home computer and within minutes, it is business as usual.

Again, even though the probability of losing data due to an “Act of God” is incredibly slim, the aftermath of such an event can be detrimental to an organization. In this case, it is better to be safe than sorry.