Tech Tips For Disaster Prep—It Could Happen To You

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and remembering our own local devastation after tornadoes and other punishing storms, below are some practical technology tips to keep in mind when the forecast turns dangerous.

1. Contact your IT team to verify what is being backed up. Ask them to run a test backup and restore to confirm proper operation.

2. Verify where your backups are being kept (local, online). Ask how you can access backed up data.

3. Verify who to contact after the storm if restoration is necessary.

4. Set up a call list with your staff, suppliers, and relevant vendors to ensure everyone is safe after the weather event. Include cell and landline numbers when you can.

5. Pick up computers and all electronic or electric equipment from the floor and consider moving them to interior offices or storage spaces (bathrooms work!) Unplug anything that does not need to be plugged in to protect from power surges often associated with storms.

6. Stow away all loose papers from your desks and floor so they don’t end up on the street if windows break.

7. Take all insurance paperwork with you when you leave the office.

8. Make working copies of essential data and documents needed to meet upcoming deadlines in the event you lose access to our server or online storage. Either print what you need or copy files to an encrypted USB drive.

9. Note the exact versions of all of your critical software. You will need this information if you need to reinstall software or restore from backup. You can do this in two ways:

 ◊ In each program, go to Help, About. Take a screen shot of the entire window and print it or save it to a secure location.

 ◊ Download, install and run Belarc Advisor. Belarc will run a report in your web browser with all your hardware and software details. Print it or save it to a secure location.

Does This Seem Overwhelming?

DKBinnovative will be happy to discuss disaster preparation with you. We believe it’s a critical part of your overall business plan, now that we all are so dependent on our electronic data.

DKBInnovative is comprised of dedicated, passionate, and hard-working IT professionals committed to providing the best IT services at the greatest value. They partner with clients to navigate any and all IT needs including complex network configurations, software vendor selection and management, and comprehensive security (including HIPAA compliance.) We focus on increased client efficiency and productivity so they can focus on getting their work done. Our motto is ‘Whatever it takes.’ Contact DKBInnovative at dkbinnovative.com or by phone at (469) 828-2468.