https://www.sikich.com

Prepare to Weather the Unexpected

Carl Miller

Oct 9 2018

3 min read

Hurricane season is in full swing. By now, most of us have seen reports of the damage caused by Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas. Our hearts go out to those affected by the storm, and we hope they can recover quickly!

Recovering from a disaster puts your IT Backup Plan to the test. It’s something that you hope you never have to do, but it’s over the top critical if you need it. There are a lot of IT Departments that are finding out right now if they had a good plan or not!

Here in our Akron, OH office we don’t worry about hurricanes, but make no mistake, there are plenty of disasters that can happen that as IT folks we worry about! There are low lying areas that get flooding, buildings that get struck by lightning, electrical issues that cause fires, the list goes on and on. And that does not include users who accidentally delete data!

So what should you do to ensure your company is prepared to weather the unexpected? The answer is simple: plan and prepare!

How to Prepare a Weather-proof IT Backup Plan

Figure out how much network downtime is acceptable should the worst happen. Can your business survive four hours? A day? Three days? A week?
Decide where and how you will store backups offsite (notice I didn’t say if). Keep in mind, the bank down the street is going to have the same problems as you should a disaster occur. Storing backups in a different city and or state is usually a good idea! Ask yourself the following questions:
- Will you store your backups on a USB drive and have someone take it to a safety deposit box?
- Will you have a third party pick them up?
- Will you push the backups over the internet?
Figure out what recovery options you may need. Do you just need access to your files, or do you need the whole server restored?
Create a backup checking schedule. Someone should be ensuring jobs are successful every business day.
Create a backup testing schedule. Your backups are only good if you’ve tested them and know they are good. You should not need to learn how to recover your data after the disaster is over!

At Sikich, we help clients every day with their disaster planning and recovery. We can help walk you through the planning process, installation, and even handle the checking and testing for you. Contact us today!

This publication contains general information only and Sikich is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should you use it as a basis for any decision, action or omission that may affect you or your business. Before making any decision, taking any action or omitting an action that may affect you or your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. In addition, this publication may contain certain content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) language model. You acknowledge that Sikich shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by you or any person who relies on this publication.

About the Author

Carl Miller

Carl Miller is a Senior Engineer on the Network Operations Center team. In addition to being a high end technical resource, he configures and manages the technology that automates tasks and prevents issues with our managed services and managed hosting clients. Carl has numerous industry certifications and over 20 years of experience in the IT industry.