Severe Weather a Reason to Back up Company or Home Data
OKLAHOMA – With tornadoes and severe weather a constant threat this time of year, companies and individuals are more vigilant about protecting their personal property from damage and loss. One point of vulnerability – the potential for data loss – often doesn’t make the list of concerns until it is too late and the damage is already done.
Every day companies and individuals lose critical data to severe weather, fires, computer failure or human error. The loss of vital client files, confidential information and billing records can have devastating effects on businesses. For families the loss of treasured photos and videos – even financial or tax information – can be devastating.
“The sad fact is, it doesn’t take a natural disaster to cause harm to valuable information,” said Jeff Cato, vice president of marketing for CoreVault, a company specializing in online data backup and time-sensitive restoration. “While a tornado can cause irretrievable loss, human error, hardware and system failure are the more common villain when it comes to destroying important data, either business or personal.”
That’s why many companies and consumers are finding an ally in CoreVault. With clients in more than 30 states and several countries, CoreVault offers online data backup that resides in two private and totally redundant data centers. One center is in Oklahoma City, while the other is located over 120 miles away, ensuring the service will remain operational. The company conducts regular “failover” testing and secures stringent third-party certifications like 70 Type II.
Ironically, the company was started in 2005 when CoreVault’s parent company, Dobson Technologies, experienced its own need for a better off-site data backup solution. After careful consideration of options that did not meet their stringent security requirements, Dobson Technologies chose to create their own company and CoreVault was born.
Cato says the company has seen an increase in business as companies look to improve their security, automation, regulatory compliance and off-site data storage to prevent lawsuits and damaged reputations that result from data loss.
“Not having an off-site data storage system in place for your home or business is like not having insurance,” said Cato. “You are virtually unprotected in the event of an emergency, whether it is severe weather, a computer meltdown or human error. Data protection and recovery is often one of those things you ‘don’t need until you need it.’”
Data storage and restoration are vital to a company’s survival. All it takes is one significant data loss — like critical customer billing information — and it could mean losing clients. Companies are urged to back up the following information:
E-mails
Customer databases
Financial information
Applications/programs
“Paperless” documents
With the steady rise of “paperless” systems, explosive data growth and a growing dependence on technology, most companies need storage capabilities that are more automated, secure and reliable than external hard drives. That’s why an online service like CoreVault that automatically stores your data off-site is an ideal solution. Then recovery is no longer a worry.
“Consumers should also consider backing up personal information on their home computer often, and to keep it off-site at a second location,” said Cato. “In the event of a fire or tornado, there is a good chance your computer and external hard drive could be affected.”
“The bottom line is that companies need to be prepared,” said Cato. “That’s why it’s important they select a trusted provider that secures information at two sites and can quickly re-establish information in the event of a loss. It’s just one less thing to worry about.”
Updated 05-26-2010
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