Author: Derrick Ross
However, with many businesses now reliant on cloud-based computing to store data, it’s unlikely damage to a business premises would mean the business failed completely – but it’s a case of forward-planning and getting the IT equipment in place in advance.
Here are a few pointers of things to consider when protecting your business data:
It’s important to make sure all staff know the relevant protocols for saving and storing business data for the company so that your chosen IT solution is in full effect. There is no point implementing a remote storage solution if your staff all save documents to their computer hard drive, for example.
This is particularly important if you have staff working from home and working remotely. You need to make sure they all have up-to-date firewalls and anti-virus software and that they all know where the shared files and drives are.
The last thing you want is for your business data to be compromised by a staff member working from home, who accidentally downloaded a virus. Make sure staff know and understand their responsibilities in storing your business data safely.
It is vital to work out which information, tools and communication you need to keep your business running if the worst happened and your business premises were burnt down or flooded. As soon as you know which systems you need, then ensure you have an IT solution to store them safely off the premise, for example through a cloud backup system.
Make sure you have digital copies of any important business documents stored remotely via Google Drive or Dropbox. Then, even if your entire IT system failed your documents would still be safe and secure.
There are different versions of these systems with free and paid for options so research which works best for your business – consider the size of data you need to store and think about whether you need ongoing backup solutions.
If you use business software on hard drives then consider moving to app-based or cloud-based versions. Likewise, if you rely on paper-based systems for holiday time or time tracking, then you need to move to app-based versions which employees can use on their smart phones any time.
It’s vital to protect your business against an IT disaster by having business insurance in place. If the worst happened and all your data was stolen, you need to know you have cover to support you while everything is being resolved.
Protecting your business data from an IT disaster is largely a matter of identifying what’s important to your business and making sure you have appropriate IT solutions in place to protect all of it. If you need help and advice on the best IT solutions to protect your business, give us a call at Clifton IT.
If you are unsure of what IT requirements you have, or how to upgrade your existing system, book in for a free IT health check. We will assess all of your systems and plans and come up with a solution for your individual IT needs.