The use of computers for most businesses forms a crucial part of their operations whether they are used as primary tools for carrying out work or if their function is to store electronic data.
When considering the effects of a severe business disruption on the computer system, one would need to be aware of how and where important data is stored and which parts of the architecture are most venerable
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In situations where crucial data is stored solely on a laptop, the simple thief of this device can count as a catastrophic event for the business.
A network structure where dumb terminals connect to central servers which house the data turns the attention regarding security and resilience away from local machines to the environment where the servers live.
Of course if both servers and local machines are in the same physical location, the problems become one and the same.
Replacing Equipment Vs Data
In general terms it is relatively easy to replace computer equipment, particularly laptops and PCs. The business will probably already do this on an ongoing basis as part of its normal course of operating.
Severs can not be sourced as easily from stores such as PC World and Misco but in an emergency might be replaced in a few days or by a powerful stand in PC.
The main concern regarding computers in the event of a disaster is the data they hold and store. Only in exceptional circumstances would such information be available from human memory and the irretrievable loss of such details would at the very least cost the business money.
The backing up of proprietary information, accounting ledgers, important correspondence and other materials used in the business therefore becomes the focal point of a computer emergency strategy.
Backups of data which are kept on-site are probably valueless in the event of the business premises being destroyed.
Off-site backups, although they might bring their own security risks are generally accepted as best practice for computer contingency planning.
Businesses should weigh up the security risks of storing backups elsewhere (which might be negated by implementing sensible storage procedures), and the risks of losing important records and the resultant costs to the organisation.
