How to prepare for a computer disaster
There is potential for disaster striking at any moment when it comes to technology. For all its benefits and advantages, it can also be unpredictable and open to attack from hackers or malware. That is why it is always important for any organisation to put emphasis on their e-mail security and computer protection. This involves a lot of planning ahead to ensure systems and software are in place where necessary. However, it may be unavoidable that disaster strikes, and knowing what to do if this happens is key.
Firstly, to prepare for a computer disaster, it is always recommended to write a clear recovery plan ahead of time. This gives you the chance to consider all your options when you aren’t under the pressure of coming up with a solution straight away. This document will be a clear set of procedures that will outline the ways to recover and protect your business IT infrastructure in the event that disaster strikes.
Typically written out, it will offer a tangible direction for your business to take that includes actions that need to be carried out before, during and after any cyber security attack or disaster. This may also include ‘off-line’ concerns, such as natural or environmental disasters, like a freak weather storm damaging computer equipment or bringing down your cloud services. It may also include accidental damage, such as someone deleting important files.
Next up, make sure ahead of time that you have as much of your data backed up as possible – either through an external hard drive or with cloud migration. This will help to limit the impact that any disaster may have on your organisation, and means you may be able to get back up and running quite quickly. The more plans you have in place before any emergencies occur, the better your disaster recovery will be as it won’t have taken you entirely by surprise.
It is also important to have any important numbers, passwords or information written on paper (securely) so you can still access this if your computer systems were to totally go down. You can also install software such as Prey or Undercover, which will help you track where your laptop or computer is in the event it has been stolen. This can help you recover it. With Prey, for example, it will trigger the web cam to show you an image of who is using your camera. This can help the police in their searches.
When disaster strikes you may need the help of external companies, such as Cara, who provide proactive IT support and managed solutions for security software and disaster recovery. These systems tend to show their true value when disaster strikes; the potential repercussions will prove themselves to be costly if proper plans haven’t been put into place. Ultimately, if all your ducks are lined up in a row, disasters may be recoverable.
