Ontrack Offers Data Protection Tips

June 25, 2007: With summer kicking off in the US, data recovery specialist Kroll Ontrack has served up a timely reminder of the hazards of data loss and offered tips to help businesses protect their critical data.

The company says that summer weather, storms and hurricanes cause havoc every year, bringing about the loss of critical data due to insufficient protection and recovery capabilities used by many businesses.

To curtail these losses, Kroll Ontrack recommends that computers and servers are kept in cool, dry areas to stop overheating and that protection devices such as UPSs and other power protection devices are checked at least once a year.

The company recommends using dedicated circuits so computers aren’t sharing power with air conditions and that surge protector are installed between the power source and the computer’s power cable in case of lightening.

Kroll Ontrack also notes that data backups should be completed regularly and tested, while a separate backup of company data should be kept at a separate physical site in case severe calamity strikes.

Sage advice, and while much of it is common sense it can be worrying to see just how many businesses fail to take the basic steps to protect critical information.

“In most cases, successful recovery of data can be achieved in less time than rebuilding the lost data from scratch. This method of recovery results in less downtime and fewer financial headaches,” said Jim Reinert, senior director of Software and Services for Ontrack Data Recovery. “In addition to an existing backup plan, having a trusted data recovery company in your back pocket is another crucial factor to protect any organisation against a data loss catastrophe.”

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