Tech disasters can lead to huge issues such as data loss and downtime. They can be very costly to recover from. If customers are affected by the disaster, you may even find that your reputation is damaged as a result of the incident. This post lists a few of the common tech disasters that can affect businesses and how to protect your company from these disasters.
What are some common tech disasters?
Tech disasters include any disasters that are caused by the failure of tech. A few common examples include:
- Power outages: Without access to electricity, you may not be able to run basic machinery and systems essential to your business.
- Network issues: Most businesses rely on a constant internet connection. Not being able to connect to the internet or connect to a server could cause major disruptions to operations.
- Hardware failure: Certain machinery could be essential to business operations. If this machinery fails, you may not be able to run your business.
- Cyberattacks: A cyberattack could result in data being made inaccessible. Data belonging to customers may even be stolen, which could cause customers to lose trust in your company.
How to protect your business from tech disasters
The risk of a tech disaster can be reduced by taking preventative action. Below are a few ways in which you can protect your business against tech disasters.
Invest in multiple backups
Don’t store all your data solely in one place. If your hard-drive or server is damaged or you’re the victim of a cyberattack, you could risk losing all of your data.
It’s worth backing up all your data on a cloud server. Cloud servers are highly secure data storage units that can be accessed from any device anywhere around the world providing that you have the right password details. If you can’t access data on your local server or hard-drive, you can then still rely on this cloud server. Large businesses often back up data on multiple cloud servers just in case a server issue also occurs.
On top of backing up your data, consider a backup generator for maintaining temporary power during a power outage. Backup wi-fi connections can also be useful for maintaining an internet connection if your main router is damaged or there is another network issue.
Train employees to deal with risks
It’s worth identifying risks that your employees could come across and training them how to deal with these risks to avoid disaster. This could include knowing how to spot phishing emails, being careful with passwords, knowing how to maintain machinery and knowing how to switch to backup solutions during an incident. You could even conduct emergency drills (the same way you would conduct a fire drill).
Outsource IT support
IT problems are inevitable. Most small and medium-sized businesses cannot afford to hire teams of in-house IT technicians to deal with these problems. The best alternative solution is to outsource IT support. This gives you ongoing access to IT experts without having to spend as much money. Some IT support companies can conduct constant network monitoring to make sure your network is healthy and fend off cyberattacks – it’s a worthy investment for many businesses.
Know when to update old tech
An old machine is more likely to break. Similarly, old software is more likely to encounter bugs or be susceptible to cyberattacks.
Keep a record of the age of your tech. Make sure to replace important business machinery once it starts to experience major wear and tear – don’t wait until machinery breaks down. Similarly, replace software before it loses support from the vendor – never use old unsupported software.
