smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Losing your data might mean losing your business. Systems failure, viruses, theft, flooding, fire or power cuts can all contribute to data loss. However it happens, the costs can be hard to bear, so it’s essential you have a solid back-up system in place.

Work out what information is valuable in your business, how much storage will be necessary, how often you will need to back-up the data and how quickly you will need to access it if there is a problem (known as ‘disaster recovery’). This will give you an idea of the type of back-up system you will need, as there are a variety of solutions available.

You can back-up via tapes but this can be time consuming, as you will need to change the tapes at regular intervals. You can use an automatic data storage system, also on tapes, but this will set you back more. And don’t forget that data cartridges will wear out and you might not find out the tape has snapped until it is too late.

Online back-up is becoming an increasingly popular choice and prices are competitive. The process involves signing up to a service whereby a piece of software is placed on your computer. You decide which data to back-up when. You will find most providers offer a trial period, so you can test out services before committing.

Anthony Ryb, founding partner of data back-up firm Depositit, says there are certain things you should look for in an in online back-up service.

“Ensure the online storage company you select has their own secure back-up process in place and enquire what it is. The most secure method includes simultaneous data mirroring to three independent servers located in separate areas. This ensures that three copies of your data are stored in three separate locations,” explains Ryb.

He adds that data retrieval should be easy but only to the registered account holder, so ensure that a password is required for functions such as retrieving or deleting files.

Government-backed organisation UK online for business provides the following tips to help you set up a data back-up policy.

- Take back-up copies of important information – never rely on a single source of information

- Think about how much information you are prepared to lose and decide on an appropriate back-up cycle, such as weekly or daily

- Store back-up media away from the originals, ideally off-site

- If information cannot be backed up (for example, valuable documents, such as deeds or share certificates), store them in a fire-proof safe or similar

(04/03/04)

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