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Firms' disaster recovery plans are disastrous
IT Week staff, , 02 Apr 2008
Survey carried out on behalf of Infosec show finds a dismal disaster recovery landscape
A survey carried out in the run up to the Infosecurity event in London has found that many firms' disaster recovery plans are lacking. Worse than that, roughly a quarter of the firms polled had no plans at all.
In the survey, the full results of which will be launched at the show later this month, ninety two per cent of respondents admitted that disaster recovery was critical to their business, however, 58 per cent said that should their systems fail for just one day then they would "suffer significant business disruption". For large companies this number rises to 70 per cent.
Although the research found that most firms appear to be better protected than ever, 99 per cent of firms back up critical systems and data, almost half have not tested them in the past year.
Chris Potter, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who conducted the survey, said, "The number of companies with a disaster recovery plan has gone up. However, experience shows that plans are only effective if regularly tested. It is a concern that only half of plans have been tested in the last year.”
To review your companies back-up solution call us on 01773 513 513
Important Changes to the Data Protection Act 1998 - October 2007
From October 2007 the regulations of the Data Protection Act changed.
On the 24th October 2007, the Data Protection Act changed, and firms now have to supply ALL data from 1998 onwards, not just that held on electronic files, within 40 days of the initial request.
New documents that fall under the act includes records on active files which have not yet been put on an electronic system.
Firms that cannot provide their records to an enquirer within the 40 days period will be liable under the law, most probably with a fine.
It is therefore more important than ever that firms and organisations have quick access to accurately stored and retrievable information.
Firms and organisations are strongly recommended to review their filing systems and ensure that their processes for data management and storage are rigorous and comply with the Data Protection Act changes.
Governments Office of Public Sector: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1998/19980029.htm
Security and email top SMEs’ home working concerns
Joe O'Halloran, 17:00 12 Mar 2008
A survey of how the small business community uses the Internet by SME broadband provider UK Online has found that security and email management are the key concerns in a practice that SMEs' businesses depend on.
In broad terms, greater flexibility and less commuting were driving factors among the Small Business community’s adoption of home working.
However, in attempting to take advantage of home working, almost half (48%) cited receiving too many irrelevant emails as the biggest frustration with the Internet and how to manage them as one of the key challenges.
Two-thirds (65.70%) of those surveyed by UK Online expressed concerns about Internet security. The third (34.30%) who said they are not worried about Internet security seems a surprisingly high figure given the fact that security incidents occur proportionately more frequently at SMEs than at large enterprises and the effects of such incidents have greater potential ramifications also.
Somewhat alarmingly, half (50.40%) of the SMEs surveyed did not have telephone and/or remote IT support from broadband suppliers a key issue when gaining the benefits of home working depends on a highly available Internet service. Of the 49.60% of respondents that did have telephone and/or remote IT support, most people said they hardly ever, seldom or rarely use it.
“Email remains one of the key uses for the Internet, and the management and hosting of email has never been [as] critical as it is for the growing numbers of remote workers,” warned Chris Stening, managing director of UK Online
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/03/12/229833/security-and-email-top-smes-home-working-concerns.htm
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