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Preparing for a Data Disaster

Technique #24: Implement a Disaster Recovery Plan for Your Electronic Data

The most preventable type of business disaster is the loss of data. According to Home Office Computing Magazine, 31 percent of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control. Having a backup system does you no good if you don’t use it. Merely having a plan in place won’t solve your problem when a computer crashes or a laptop is stolen. I know you know you should back up your electronic information—but if you still haven’t gotten around to it, read on. Even if you think the information on your computers is supported by some kind of alternate system, I encourage you to read this chapter. You may discover something you did not consider in the past.

I realize this subject makes a lot of eyes glaze over, but I’m going to do my best to make this as easy as possible to understand. This will allow you to see what some of the issues are and how you can go about resolving them.

It doesn’t matter if you work for a large corporation or a small business or are a solopreneur; everyone needs to back up their important files. In fact, your home computer should also be backed up where you store your precious family photos and other information that you may never be able to re-create.

What You Need to Know If You Work at a Large Corporation

Chances are that there’s an on-site corporate IT department charged with backing up critical systems and data stored on servers. ...

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