| By :
Dirik Hameed
An organization's entire databank is kept in virtual storage and it could disappear in seconds given the right circumstances. Disaster recovery hosting and workload protection are the two major concerns for today's organizations. No matter what the size or type every organization should have a DR plan in place to keep data, emails and contacts safe from a catastrophe. Disaster recovery providers and disaster recovery locations have been the reliable strategies for protection. Powerful earthquakes and hurricanes will destroy any facilities that lie in their path. Technological malfunctions are inevitable since technology is not fail-safe. All data is vulnerable to the malevolent attack by humans intent on creating the most sophisticated malware, viral and hacking programs. The best protection against these threats is to establish cutting edge systems designed to prevent data loss with professional advice from a disaster recovery provider. Recently an Australian web hosting company was hacked possibly by an unhappy ex-employee. They tried to destroy both live and backup data making it impossible to provide data retrieval. In half an hour the hackers destroyed eight servers, 4800 accounts and 5000 websites. It was done by remote means and resulted in the selling off of the company's business to another hosting company. It was not possible to build back the confidence of the customers. Applications and data need to be replicated. An alternative physical location is chosen to create a hot site. The equipment is safe in the duplicate environment so that in the event of a natural catastrophe the service will be back up online with a new backup IP address within minutes. The best defense is offense. Alternative website hosting is available when the organization's data is connected to the data retrieval website. These websites offer webhosting so clients can continue receiving this service. There are many hosting companies that offer these emergency services and locating a reputable one requires doing some research for recommended sites. Often the newest companies will have the most cutting edge technologies to offer. Comparing the information on their websites and making inquiries pertaining to different possible scenarios will help ascertain their efficacy. It should be a top priority to not have the brand image compromised in the event of an attack. The data retrieval providers must be capable of keeping the interference to a minimum and managing the return to normal operations in a professional, organized fashion. The investors and clients must be reassured that if any damage occurred it is not serious. The IT specialists must be able to guarantee quick data retrieval. Time frames in which this can be done vary from a few minutes to a few days. These are purchased within the service program. The data center must be state of the art and the telecommunications systems must be first rate. Disaster recovery hosting is currently one effective solution for backing up critical data. Global hacking is ongoing. Governmental agencies, educational institutions and business organizations are under constant attack. Disaster recovery providers and disaster recovery locations have a responsibility to continue improving their security systems. The Australian incident proved that even backup databases are not secure against inside hackers.
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