When the livelihood of your business depends on data stored in your computer network, you simply cannot afford to leave anything to chance. Data preservation and the ability to retrieve it at any point in time is the foundation of business continuity.
Yet the facts about backup failures are shocking:
According to the Boston Computing Network, 31% of PC users have lost data due to events “beyond their control.”
Analysts at the Hughes Marketing Group found that 40% of businesses that experience a critical IT failure go out of business within one year.
In a recent Gartner study, only 35% of backup tests were successful.
Some of the more common reasons for backup failures include unintentional formatting of a hard drive, accidental data deletion, malware or virus attack, firmware corruption, natural disasters, logical errors and continued computer operation when the hard drive is starting to fail.
So how certain are you that your backup system is 100% reliable? Could a false sense of security be preventing you from taking actions that will insure your backups will really be there when you need them?
7 Ways to Avoid Data Disaster Due To Backup Failure
Without proactive measures in place – and Murphy’s Law being what it is – the odds of a successful restoration when you need it most may not be as great as you’d like to think… So what can you do? Here are seven ways to avoid a damaging loss of data due to backup failure.
Insist on regular, remote and redundant processes. A good rule of thumb is 3-2-1. That means three copies of your data stored in two off-site locations, backed up a minimum of one time per day.
Don’t go too cheap on disk drives. Less expensive arrays that save money by doing without features like redundant power supply and hot spare disks may leave your data at risk.
Guard against human error. Make sure people performing backups and restores know exactly what to do – and what not to do. Take people out of the loop and automate wherever possible. And be especially cautious in situations where backups aren’t a part of someone’s regular duties.
Are your backup software settings being checked routinely? When new software or updates are put into service, a change in the way the settings are configured can cause incomplete backups, or backups that fail completely. Do the people who maintain your backups include this on their regular to-do list?
Could some files be getting left out? As resources are added and priorities shift, files and folders can get misplaced or accidentally left off the backup list. Insist on a quarterly or annual meeting with your backup management team to make sure all mission-critical files are included in your organization’s data recovery systems.
Address network issues immediately. Any component in your network that isn’t working properly can introduce another point of failure in your backup process. Every juncture in your network, from a misconfigured switch to a flaky host bus adapter, can hurt your backups.
Ask for help with your data backup and recovery system. You cannot be expected to be an expert in all things. Yet data is the backbone of your business – its protection and recovery should not be left to chance. Why not leverage the knowledge, skill and experience of an expert in the field?
Even with all these measures in place, the best way to keep your organization safe from harm due to data loss is to verify your backup system by performing regular test restores. This will help identify any problems in advance so they can be fixed – allowing you to avoid getting hit with an ugly surprise when you least need it.
The Smart Way To Assure Backup Success
Unless your team has all the time and expertise required to consistently close all open loops in your backup system, your organization may be at risk of serious harm due to data loss. We strongly recommend that you let us perform a Backup Audit for you as soon as possible. Contact us today at (610) 433-1000 0r Help@ET-T.com to schedule this highly valuable free service – before disaster strikes.
FREE Report: 12 Little-Known Facts Every Business Owner Must Know About Data Backup And Disaster Recovery
You will learn:
The only way to know for SURE your data can be recovered if lost, corrupted or deleted—yet fewer than 10% of businesses have this in place.
7 things you should absolutely demand from any off-site backup service.
Where many backups fail and give you a false sense of security.
The No. 1 cause of data loss that businesses don’t even think about until their data is erased.
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An Army Of Lions
In my book You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere, Can Make a Positive Difference, I quote Philip of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great), who said, “An army of deer led by a lion is more to be feared than an army of lions led by a deer.”
His insight is valuable – however, I think he misses the bigger point: an army of lions led by a lion is to be feared most of all. So why not recruit and hire an army of lions? Think of the competitive advantage of having not just good formal leadership at the top of your organization, but also having leaders at every level of your organization.
An army of lions is an organization where everyone knows two things: 1. When is it appropriate for me to lead in my role? 2. How do I do it?
Those two questions are simple, but the process requires effort. And, you’re thinking, “before I can help my lions answer those two questions, I need to find the lions!”
Your point is well-taken. And, believe it or not, it’s not that difficult to find
the lions.
The Principles
Here are some important guidelines to use when looking for potential leaders:
Look for people who are just as interested in making a difference as they are in making money. Unless you’re interviewing someone for a volunteer position, they expect to be paid. While pay should be fair, it’s an incomplete motivator for a job candidate with
leadership potential. Potential leaders want to do work that matters. It isn’t unusual to find people pursuing success, but leaders also pursue significance. Look for the latter.
Find candidates who have proven that they have influence with people and they’ll be able to get results even if they never have “power” over people. The ability to positively influence others is essential for a leader. If someone can’t motivate, inspire or move others without a title, then the only way they’ll get results with people once they have a title is through absolute compliance. True leaders have the ability to create commitment in others with or without authority over them.
Potential leaders are looking for more than perks and benefits; they’re looking for opportunities. The benefits a potential leader desires should be more than economic. Getting to learn new things, develop new skills, be challenged, participate in a variety of experiences and explore true potential are usually the types of benefits that rev up potential leaders. Look for people who light up when you mention these types of opportunities.
Spend time inquiring into the candidate’s desired legacy, and not just their stated résumé. Any hire has long- term consequences for both employer and employee, regardless of the length of the employee’s tenure. Understanding a candidate’s values can be complex, but your most valuable insights will come from finding out what his or her endgame is.
Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life. Mark is an international best-selling author and noted authority on leadership, team- building, customer service and change. Mark is the author of eight books, including the best seller The Fred Factor:How Passion in YourWork and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, which has sold more than 1.6 million copies internationally. Learn more about Mark at www.marksanborn.com
Blurbs
New earbuds pack amazing sound – with no strings attached. On-the-go music lovers have pretty much been limited to Bluetooth earphones or earbuds with wires attached, or over-the-ear holders. That’s about to change. Both Earin and Kanoa earbuds offer a great sound experience without wires or holders. Small enough to slip into your ear, they fit comfortably in your ear canal. And, according to CNET reviewer Xiomara Blanco, they stayed securely in place even when she shook her head. She said the Earin earbuds have better sound and are smaller, but don’t stay charged as long as the Kanoas, which offer a sporty look, and with their slightly larger size retain a charge for longer. Yet both deliver amazingly rich sound for such a tiny device. CNET
Could these tech tools help grow your business in 2016? How about a 14x higher conversion rate on your advertising? Oomph Adomatic converts static images into video ads that tell the story of your brand, highlight key features and even provide viewers with an easy-to-follow map to your office or showroom. WeWork, a pioneer in co-working spaces, allows SMBs to grow and contract with the ebbs and flows of business. With features like pool tables and friendly common areas, they foster water-cooler networking and a sense of community. Trinet offers a way to off-load virtually all HR functions, including payroll, benefits, management and compliance. With this tool, the need for in-house HR staff goes away. Inc.com
Are you making any of these three mistakes on LinkedIn? 1. Forget LinkedIn as a place to build an audience. Instead, focus on media like Facebook, Twitter or your blog to attract consumers. 2. Don’t help competitors. It’s great to connect with colleagues, but when you link with people who work for your competitors, you’re exposing your entire network to the competition. Be selective about who you connect with. 3. Unless you work for a big brand, it’s pointless to sell yourself without first selling your company. As a principal or executive, you need to tell a story that’s bigger than your own career. Show how your company brings value, and then how you’ve contributed to that effort. Wall Street Journal
As the housing market improves, so have the tech tools to help you sell your home. Data from the National Association of Realtors shows that 89% of buyers use online tools in their home searches. First impressions are critical, especially online, so your web presentation can make a huge difference in how quickly and for how much you sell your home. Twelve tech tools to take advantage of include: Professional Photos, Maps, Search Tools like Zillow, Trulia And Redfin, Drone Photography, Floor Plans, 3D Virtual Tours, Video, Electronic Documents, Online Checklists and Timetables, Virtual Home Staging, Social Media and Mobile Web Apps. Not all realtors use the same tools, so be sure to run this checklist by potential listing agents. U.S. News & World Report
Battle of the “Read-Later” apps: Pocket vs. Instapaper – As it turns out, this duel is more about user preference than which app is better. Instapaper sports a clean, newspaper-like look that filters out ads, video and images. If you prefer reading text without distraction, this is your app. Pocket, on the other hand, displays images like a proud parent and flaunts colors behind bouncy animations. If you prefer the full multimedia experience, you’ll like Pocket. Pocket also offers tagging, which some may prefer to Instapaper’s organizing by folder. Each comes in a free version, which is more than adequate for most users. Bottom line? Pocket is best for multimedia, Instapaper for pure reading. Lifehacker, 01.31.16
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