Remember technology when disaster planning

When businesses plan for a disaster, the usual is typically thought-out: emergency numbers, a back-up work site, evacuation plans, insurance matters, etc. How about the technology risks at stake?

Assessing Technology Risks

The Times-Standard reports that assessing risks involving technology begins with creating inventories of applications and hardware. Why? After a disaster, applications and hardware may need to be reinstalled and replaced. Having a list of hardware can help a business create a budget, file an insurance claim, or find a replacement after a disaster. It is advised to keep licenses and distribution media in a safe location away from the business so proof of ownership is easy to establish when the time comes.

When the Power Goes Out

What will your business do if the power goes out? Has this been planned for? This is an issue many businesses need to consider because, sometimes, no power equals no work being done, which equals no revenue.

Backing-up Data

Every business should back up data at regularly-scheduled times. There are many ways to do this: on to CDs or DVDs, a flash stick, an external hard drive, or even online. Some businesses even keep backed-up storage off-site in the event of a fire at the office.

When planning on data backups, think: What information is the most important to save? How often will this information need to be backed-up? For how long do I need to save the data file? If any data is lost, can it be recovered quickly?

One of the most frustrating losses after a disaster is the loss of the technology a business depended on to run. Learn more about how business can better plan for a disaster.

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