BACKING UP DATA: Hardware & Software Solutions

The options to back up data are expanding as fast as the data itself. Small and medium-sized tax and accounting firms are tackling this problem head on, and we talked with a number of contacts around the world to get some perspective.

Is the backup solution you're using today a reasonable option? Are you extremely comfortable with how to restore data and with the person(s) who would be restoring that data, if the need arose? If you are using a tape backup system, do people within your office forget to bring the tapes offsite? Do you know if they do or don't? Are you protected from a lost backup? When was the last time you actually did a test and recovered files from your nightly backup media? Do you even have a backup routine? The absence of a good backup routine is a risk that just shouldn't exist anymore. Many firms have never tested their backup routine until an unforeseen situation required for the restoration of critical data. Don't wait for that to happen to you.

Now is the time to update an older system, implement a new system or eliminate that nagging fear that you might be down for a couple of days if problems occur. Even worse, you might compromise your customer's loyalty because of problems outside your control. You need to think of backing up your data as a problem that can be solved from different angles. You certainly have it within your power to prevent some of the headaches that occur as a result of those disastrous days when technology fails.

'Backup is important for obvious business continuity issues, but it is also important that the small business community understand that regulatory mandates (like Sarbanes-Oxley/HIPPA, etc.) will be moved down to the small business level. If, in the future, you want to sell your business or have to deal with legal issues, it will be mandatory to adhere to these regulations,' noted Pete Means, CEO of NovaStor Corporation.

THE HARDWARE COMPONENT

Removable media comes in a variety of formats and includes tapes, CDs, DVDs, flash drives (including thumb drives and keychain drives), external and removable hard drives. These storage devices are used to back up data and can then be physically moved to an offsite location or safety deposit box for further long-term storage. Removable media usually requires a person to transport the media offsite, which brings with it a margin of error created by the dependence on someone doing something to insure compliance and reliability.