IPD System Services Pty Ltd

Is Your Electronic Data Secure?
How Broadband Can Help Your Business

Is Your Electronic Data Secure?

The almost total reliance of most businesses today on Computer Technology means that significant consideration needs to be given to securing a reliable back-up system. It is important that in the event of loss of information, you can restore data quickly, reliably and accurately.

The issues that need to be considered when implementing a back -up system include:

Data to be backed up

In general, the larger and more diverse the business, the more data that will need to be backed up. This will determine the type of back-up strategy to be used and the hardware necessary for effective back-ups.

Operating system in use

Different operating systems require different software and possibly different hardware to enable back-ups to take place. This becomes more complicated if there is more than one type of system in place (i.e. Macintosh and IBM).

What should be backed up

In principle, you should back up information that you MAY wish to refer to again. This can include:

accounts
correspondence
internal correspondence
emails
internal documents - ie advertising, graphics etc
work related information - ie databases, spreadsheets, client records etc.

Depending on the system implemented, you may wish to back up just the server, or server and individual workstations.

Back-up Strategy

Issues that need to be addressed include:

what data will be backed up?
how often back-up will be carried out?
how will back-ups be archived?
where will back-ups be stored (on-site or off-site)?
how often will back-up media be recycled?
who will be responsible for back-ups?
will all files be backed up or only those that have changed?

Back-up Method

There are several methods to choose from, depending on cost, amount of information to be backed up, and time constraints. Back ups can be either automated or done manually. Generally speaking, the more information to be backed up, the more automated the process should be.

The most common methods of backing up include:

Floppy disks - generally only used nowadays for small amounts of data, such as accounts, correspondence etc. This method can be time consuming, but cheap.
CD Burner - for larger amounts of data - this is usually a manual process taking anywhere from a couple of minutes to up to an hour depending on equipment and amount of data to be backed up. Whilst this process can be automated, some of the burning software is not reliable and back-ups could fail.
Back-up Tape Drives - used for backing up high volumes of data and across networks using sophisticated back-up software.

Testing

Any back-up system should be set to report any inaccuracies in its back-up so that remedial action can be taken when necessary. In addition to this, the veracity of the system should be tested on a regular basis by doing a restore of selected files.

As a final fall-back, there is the option of insuring data to cover costs of re-entering information into your computer system.

For taxation purposes, you need to keep records for up to 7 years.

Dawn Darwent is a Director of IPD System Services Pty Ltd, a South Australian company that specializes in providing computing support and secretarial services to small/medium businesses and individuals. She has worked with both Windows and Macintosh technology for many years. Dawn is especially interested in sharing her knowledge and using her experience to enable clients to become masters of their computing technology - rather than slaves to it! dawnd@ipdsys.com

How Broadband Can Help Your Business

The price of high speed internet access has dropped dramatically over the last year, this being most evident in the cost of ADSL, which is currently being promoted by Telstra and other ISPs.

About ADSL

ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber lines) uses existing telephone lines to provide reliable, high-speed Internet access - up to 30 times faster than a normal 28.8k / 56k modem.

Advantages of ADSL

Uses Existing Line

ADSL technology utilises existing phone / fax lines to access the Internet. Unlike a dial-up Internet connection, ADSL enables the line to be shared, so that both Internet and telephone / fax services can run concurrently without interference.

Permanent Connection

ADSL is a permanent 24-hour a day on-line connection to the Internet. The Web can be accessed and emails sent or received at any time without the need for dial-up.

This also means no engaged signals and no waiting for connections.

Cost Savings

Savings can be considerable if you or your staff / family dial in to the Internet several times a day. Three or four connections a day can end up costing the user over $20 a month in dial-up fees.

High Speed

You can download from the Internet at speeds up to 30 times faster than with a modem. This can represent considerable savings over time.

Multiple Access

Networks can be set up to enable all computers to access the Internet simultaneously over the one ADSL connection.

Future

Other advantages of ADSL are:

It becomes possible for even a small business to host its own email and web services. Email can be managed on in-house computers by suitably trained staff who can quickly and easily add or remove users at will with no additional charges to the organisation, apart from the staff member's time.

Similarly, an organisation hosting its own web page (it can still be linked to others) has the ability to easily change (and access in-house) any information that needs to be published or updated on a regular basis, such as products, availability, pricing etc.