Andrew Stratton

Online Data Storage Prevents Sabotage And Theft Of Information

If a company’s data is stored on-site, on its own servers and tapes, there’s little to prevent a “cracker” (the geek term for a malevolent hacker) from accessing those files and corrupting them beyond repair or erasing them altogether.  When data is backed up and stored via an online data storage service, though, the danger posed by crackers is eliminated.

Here in the 21st Century, the thought of someone dead set on crippling the company by hacking into its database is a business owner’s worst nightmare.  If it’s not actually #1 on the list, it’s at least in the top five Worst Things That Could Happen.

Unfortunately, without strong safeguards in place to prevent it, such a scenario is entirely possible.  In some extreme cases, it’s even likely.

Consider the situation of an employee you’ve decided you’re going to have to fire.  If that employee is currently a member of your IT department, and if you don’t block his or her access in time, what’s to stop them from taking your entire company down with them when they’re let go?  The startling – and scary – answer is: Very little, if all your data is stored on tapes, CDs or servers right there in your offices.

Maybe you’d be quick enough to prevent a disgruntled employee from damaging your database before you could show them the door – but what about an unknown, less-than-honorable low-level staffer, IT or otherwise, who’s been approached by an unscrupulous competitor offering big bucks for some sneaky, internal sabotage?  No one likes to think it of anyone working for them, but pretending that 100% of the people on any staff are honest and completely trustworthy doesn’t make it so.  The sad truth is that some people can be bought – and if they are bought by someone who’s out to hurt or destroy your company, pretending that it “couldn’t happen here” could be the epitaph on your organization’s tombstone.

In today’s business world, just about all companies depend, to greater or lesser extents, on electronic data storage and a strong, secure internet presence.  So how does one best meet those very real needs without exposing the business to apocalyptic destruction from crackers (evil hackers, intent upon doing damage)?

One universally acknowledged way – and probably the surest way – is to move from on-site server and media-based data storage to an online data backup system.

With an online data backup system, data is safely stored on an offsite computer -- and only the business owner has the key to de-encrypt the information.  That means it’s safe from sabotage by disgruntled or unscrupulous employees – or by anyone else out to harm your business.  Beyond the recognized safety factor of that, however, other pluses are there’s no salaried time involved in backing up and storing your vital customer and other business data … there’s no chance for human error to occur … backups can be scheduled for the middle of the night … and there’s no chance of a tape, CD, server or any other media-based system being corrupted.

With so many things to worry about in running a business today, online data storage and backup offers companies the security of eliminating at least one of those worries easily, quickly and reliably.

Article Tags: Online Data Storage, Online Data, Data Storage

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