October 24, 2019

When power is out, company data is hard to get

A trio of power outages in June produced the proof: Firms must plan ahead to keep key information available when nothing else will work

By Jack Skinner

President and Founder

Oversee My IT

It’s tougher than it sounds to get back in business fast when calamity forces a halt — which is why prior planning can pay off big time.
Business owners assume that all will be fine in disaster if they back up their data nightly.
Yet a dentist, say, who needs to reschedule patients can learn that finding his or her contact information may not be as easy as trading in an iPhone for an upgrade.
Back-ups of that person’s business information can help get their practice back on its feet – something called “disaster recovery.”
But those back-ups may not give the dentist quick access to people’s phone numbers – creating a reason for customers to go elsewhere if they have toothaches.
Operating a business as it recovers from misfortune is called “business continuity.”

The issue in small businesses is typically determining what information and software are stored where among a hodge-podge of gadgets, some on-site and some elsewhere.
Doctors, lawyers and other entrepreneurs may add or change technologies as they go, leaving them unaware of everything they have and where it’s located.
An earthquake, tornado, flood or even a virus can destroy in-house computers, forcing proprietors to hope that they have copies somewhere of what was on those machines.
While businesses can reduce risk by storing data in a vendor’s off-site computers – called “the cloud” – this can also create a host of issues.
For instance, the cloud vendors’ technology may not work with the small fry’s software or in-house computers.
Large cloud companies may not support technologies the entrepreneur has already purchased from other vendors.
Doctors, dentists and lawyers may find services they use for sharing large files, such as Dropbox, do not meet security requirements that regulators require.

Getting ready for Murphy’s Law starts with a review of all the hardware and software a business uses, where it’s located and who controls it.
Whether it’s done by a vendor or an in-house technology chieftain, the assessment must determine:

If, say, corporate email is on Gmail accounts, the review may find that no business-continuity planning is necessary for that part

That’s because Google’s email offering is accessible from most any device and wireless service.

Once the entrepreneur has a clear view of the technologies and data they rely on, the next question becomes what the person expects when given disruptions happen.
If our dentist loses power for a day, they may not expect to treat patients – but their staffers will need to reach those folks to re-schedule appointments.
The dentist must also decide how much they’re willing to spend for how much peace of mind.

For instance, storing off-site data in another state may cost more.
But it reduces risk because catastrophe is less likely to happen simultaneously in two divergent locations.

Though planning may involve an up-front expense for help from technology vendors and upgrading tech, the good news is maintaining the finished product can be inexpensive.
After creating and implementing business-continuity plans, small and mid-sized businesses may pay as little as a few hundred dollars a month to keep it ready.

In DFW, tornadoes can wipe out an entrepreneur’s headquarters. Extended power outages, while problematic, usually end in a few days.
To avoid being overwhelmed with everything that can go wrong, entrepreneurs should start by forging plans for the most likely interruptions.
Once every quarter after that, they can determine contingencies for problems that may be less likely or that pose fewer business-continuity challenges.
It’s also important to regularly review the company’s technology set-up to ensure its both cost-effective and will meet business needs as new devices along.
This check-up should cover:

Prices its vendors are charging.
Services they’re delivering.
Changes in the corporate technology budget.
Tweaks to accommodate forthcoming changes in hardware, software and connectivity.

The silver lining of June’s blackouts is they may teach entrepreneurs the need for business-continuity plans – but without losing their businesses as part of the lesson.
In addition to natural disasters to which a given geographic region is prone, small firms can be forced into bankruptcy by computer viruses.
Whether they spring from an employee unknowingly clicking on a malicious link or something deliberate, it’s no fun trying to improvise one’s way through such a crisis.
Especially for professionals in highly-regulated fields, one’s business, and career, can be at stake.

Contact Jack Skinner at Info@OverseeMyIT.com.

President and Founder of Oversee My IT, an Irving-based company that works with small and mid-sized businesses make their technology trains run on time.
Launched in 2007, Oversee helps organizations with 10 to 200 employees to run their computers, secure their data and handle compliance.