Data loss - the unaccountable cost of the riots
8th September 2011
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With riots having caused an estimated 200 million pounds worth
of damage across the country, the most harmful loss to businesses
could turn out to be data rather than stock.
Whereas stock can be insured and replaced, data is far less
tangible. Customer databases, supplier contacts, orders, emails -
all the information needed to run a business - could have been
wiped out as a result of theft, fire or damage - unless the right
provisions were in place.
"Unpredictable events, such as the riots, reinforce the
importance for every business, large or small, to back up their
data, and most importantly to do it off site," says Peter Groucutt,
Managing Director of Databarracks Limited, one of the first
companies in the UK to offer fully managed online backup and
Disaster Recovery (DR) services.
"What's more there are the hidden consequences of data loss to
take into account - a breakdown in communication with customers and
suppliers can lead to a lack of confidence in the company, causing
damage that is difficult to quantify," adds Groucutt.
"Even if a company isn't physically affected by social
disturbance, when large areas are cordoned off or become no-go
zones, it can restrict entry to office premises, making it
impossible to operate a business," says Groucutt. "That's why
remote access is an essential part of an IT Disaster Recovery (DR)
Plan."
Databarracks has compiled a list of key factors to consider when
devising a DR strategy:
Remote Access
Remote access can be achieved by a Disaster Recovery portal, so
providing there is an internet connection, staff can log on and
start using their own accounts, allowing them access to servers,
data and business critical applications like Microsoft Office, as
well as any other bespoke applications to do with their
business.
Backing up and restoring systems
There are three main routes to backing up and restoring systems,
all of which allow remote access. The solution implemented is
dictated by business requirements and recovery time objectives.
"The fastest way to protect your IT environment is to replicate
it to a data centre," reveals Groucttt. "The initial seeding can
happen on site and within hours your entire infrastructure can be
uploaded. Any changes you make to your systems after the
replication are then sent online."
"Plus, with a replicated environment you can be up and running
again within minutes rather than hours," adds Groucutt.
"We use market leading replication products such as Veeam,
PlateSpin and Double-Take for DR and failover," says Groucutt.
"Replication doesn't have to be much more expensive but companies
should assess how costly downtime would be to their business."
Alternatively, an enterprise can choose to back up to a virtual
environment of their business, allowing for smooth restoration and
medium recovery times.
Thirdly there is the option to backup and restore physical
environments. Although this will take slightly longer to get up and
running, recovery times ultimately depend on the amount of data
that needs to be restored.
24/7/365 Customer Support
It is essential when choosing a Managed Service DR provider that
they offer free 24/7 year round customer support. We have
experienced technical teams on call 365 days a year ready to start
the recovery process immediately.
Is the data centre resilient and secure?
Companies need to make sure that their data is being stored in
the most secure environment possible and on the best possible
hardware, or they could still be vulnerable. Databarracks'
ultra-secure, Tier 4, data centre uses some the most resilient
hardware available and is located in a low risk area in a nuclear
bunker, which is manned with 24 hour security and has independent
power supplies.
Alternative Office Premises
Many business owners will have backed up their systems but after
the riots have nowhere to operate from.
"We have clients in the areas of London affected by the riots,
which thankfully weren't violated," reveals Groucutt. "But they are
secure in the knowledge that their IT infrastructure is backed up
and we have a basement of free office space for customers who have
to relocate in an emergency."
"Alternatively, if a business has already backed up its data to
tape or a hard drive, we can upload it to the data centre and
provide the environment at home or elsewhere to get the company up
and running again as a cloud service.
"It means that businesses don't have to outlay capital
expenditure on hardware and instead operate their IT infrastructure
on a utility basis, paying at the end of each month."
Ends
For more information please contact:
Leonie Guguen
Communications Manager, Databarracks Limited
Direct Line: +44 (0) 161 408 5040
Mobile: +44 (0) 7968 866629
Email: leonie.guguen@databarracks.com
Notes to Editors:
- Databarracks provides managed and co-location hosting services,
as well as IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and SaaS (Software as
a Service) to shared or private cloud platforms.
- Databarracks was founded in January 2003 and was one of the
first companies in the UK to provide fully-managed backup as a
service.
- With offices in London, it has UK-based ISO27001 and PCI
compliant data centres in the ultra-secure confines of nuclear
bunkers in a low risk areas.
- The security of the data centres combined with the highly
skilled staff and unbeatable customer support make Databarracks the
preferred choice for many businesses including: Legal & General
Investment Management, Daily Mail General Trust, ITV, Help for
Heroes, Ping and Hoseasons.