In addition to backup power solutions, load-capping software and power distribution units should be considered.
This can ensure that your business suffers no loss of data in the short term, while your continuity plan is being implemented. To protect data and servers, organizations should have uninterruptible power supplies, or UPS’s, and ideally, an on-site backup power supply, such as a generator. This is a proactive measure that requires planning and implementation before the power outage occurs. The first line of defense against power outage issues that impact business continuity is on-site power protection.
Even so, it’s a hassle to replace, so you should protect your hardware as much as possible. If you’ve got your data backed up, you probably don’t need to worry much about the cost of replacing your hard drive most hard drives are fairly inexpensive. While the hardware may not be expensive, the labor costs alone will often outweigh the price of a new machine. If your equipment is damaged, the most efficient and cost-effective fix is to replace the unit. How well it works will depend on how much power your particular unit is designed to withstand and if you’ve replaced it. A surge protector is one way to prevent damage to computer hardware, but it’s not a guarantee – sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. It is not the power outage that causes damage to your hardware, it’s the power surge that does the damage. It should be noted that solid state drives are not immune to being fried by a power surge. Off-site data backup is recommended, and, data may also be saved to the cloud.Įven if you have multiple backup locations for your files and don’t have to worry about losing your digital assets, you still need to be aware of the potential for losing your physical devices like computer hard drives, power sources, and motherboards. Organizations with larger networks should have backup servers that can continue to distribute data during, or, after an emergency. Not backing up your files is taking a huge risk that everything could be gone in the blink of an eye. This is the most basic of all requirements for being ready for a power outage, but many people don’t do it, either because they don’t know how or it can seem overwhelming. Digital assets get wiped out all the time during power failures.īack up your data and get your employees on board with performing regular backups of their work. The amount of time and money it takes to prepare for a potential power failure is fractional compared to the amount of time and money it would take you to rebuild your empire of digital assets from scratch. Many business owners prefer not to think about this, but safeguarding your assets will allow your organization to at least partially function during an event vs. To protect your business and eliminate that vulnerability, you need to do some prep work to back up your data and implement basic hardware security measures. All of your digital assets, including software, are vulnerable to being wiped out during a power failure.
That preparation should be focused on preserving data both inside the office as well as data located on servers stored in an offsite data center. Organizations need to be prepared for a power outage, regardless of the cause. They say it will take a multibillion-dollar investment to avoid them.” 2 Experts fear failures that caused blackouts in New York, Boston and San Diego may become more common as the voracious demand for power continues to grow. More often the victim of decrepitude than the forces of nature, it is beginning to falter. And, power outages can be much more than inconvenient they can be costly.Ī study by the University of Lincoln has concluded that “power cuts will become more regular around the globe as electrical supply becomes increasingly vulnerable and demand for technology continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.” 1 And, The Washington Post reports that “the U.S. If you are a business owner, being forced to inconveniently and unproductively “wait it out” is usually not an option. Natural disasters, severe weather and even cars that knock over electric poles, can all wipe out power sources and cause businesses to lose the ability to communicate through cellphones, landlines and email.