The purpose of this column is to suggest and advise. Most of the advice is simple common sense; however, we often forget or we say "LATER". So let us start with the most important items first...

Disasters: Preparing for "the end of all life as we know it"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Ask yourself the following questions: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? How Much?
  1. Who is responsible for insuring that things get done?

     Remember you can delegate authority but not responsibility. Each and every one of us must be responsible for our own areas and the areas of those under us.

     Who is responsible for backing up data?

     Who is responsible for checking for and recovery from the viruses that WILL inevitably infect your system. Remember at some time in the life of your system you will be infected!

  2. What steps are your organization taking to protect your system? What steps will you take if disaster strikes? Remember not all disasters are strictly software related. Suppose your hard drive crashes; or, perhaps lighting will strike your outside lines. What if a power surge fries your system because someone hits a power or telephone pole? Severe storms are becoming more and more frequent, think about the recent floods in North Dakota, can you still protect your data if you are forced to evacuate? What would happen if you lost your entire system? Could you recover?

  3. When do you start to prepare? Immediately!

     Do you have a written plan for disaster prevention and recovery located in each section that is up to date, clearly written, and easily accessible to everyone concerned?

     Have you prepared a complete risk assessment? Remember if you can imagine it the there is a good chance it could happen without warning. A risk assessment is like an insurance policy you draw up with yourself. First assess what risks your system faces. Next identify every possible part of your system that might be affected; this includes each separate piece of hardware, each item of software, all data, etc. What about theft? Are there steps in place to ensure that equipment cannot grow legs? How about the original installation disks and tech manuals can you easily replace them with minimum expense? Note: Remember home based PCs are not always automatically covered under your homeowners insurance.

• Now that you have been clearly frightened, what will you do about it?
  1. First, perform a risk assessment.

  2. Next imagine what you could do to prevent each disaster, and if you can not prevent it how could you protect your system or data; or, how would you recover if disaster strikes. How much are the costs - of the disaster, the prevention and the recovery.

  3. Now decide what are the most practical and cost efficient steps you can take and follow through on those steps.

  4. Be sure everyone is aware of your written plan and its location (in case you are on vacation or incapacitated), and that they are trained in their responsibilities and what to do in case of trouble.

  5. Finally don't let the plan become stale review it at least twice a year and more frequently when software , systems or personnel changes.

Remember it is not if something will happen, it is when and what are you doing to prevent it!