Five Reasons Your Business Needs Offsite Data Storage

With the recent economic downturn businesses may question whether they can afford to take extra precautions when it comes to the security of their business data. The truth is that businesses really can not afford not to take extra security measures. It is important to regularly back up business data, save your information to portable files, like onto disc, install anti-virus software and even have your business data protected at an offsite data storage facility.

System Crashes

Computers were designed to help make our work easier and faster, but this is not to say that computers aren’t subject to problems of their own. Systems are known to crash and your business data can be lost in an instant. This is why it is vital that you continually back up your data. Make sure you save it to disc or another portable storage systems, rather than just relying on the hard drive. Better still, make use of an offsite backup service so that no matter what happens to your computers within your office you do not lose your business data.

Accidental Error

You need to make allowances for human error as it is not uncommon for accidental error when using computers. An employee may forget to save documents or fail to back them up. They could accidentally open an email from an unknown source and unleash a virus on your entire network. As well as training staff to save business data adequately make sure they know your policy on anti-virus software and that they apply it. As an extra measure of security cover yourself by having business data stored offsite.

Viruses

Viruses can take down individual computers as well as infect your entire computer network. With lost data being so hard to recover it is important that you protect yourself from viruses with anti-virus software as well as anti-spyware. Having this software applied to all computers via a centralised system is a good idea, that way your employees don’t have to worry about it and it is not likely to be forgotten. Make sure it is updated regularly. Storing data offsite for added backup is an extremely good idea, that way if your computers fall foul of a virus you have not lost all your data.

Theft

Theft is something that you don’t think will happen to you but it can. Thieves are most likely to be targeting equipment itself, rather than the data stored within it, but although you can easily replace the computers replacing the data within them is not so easy. As well as saving data to the hard drive make sure you save to portable discs or a memory stick. In case of theft storing your data offsite is a wise idea.

Natural Disasters

This is another case where you always assume this will never happen to you, but it can and it does. Take for example the recent floods in Queensland and the flash flooding they experienced. Damage to computers by floods, earthquakes, cyclones or fire does happen, and even though you can insure equipment and buildings and have them replaced, you can lose your data forever. Increase your chances of retrieving data by storing it offsite.