Backing up the mobile workforce

Doug Graham

(Editor's Note: This article first appeared in GSN's "Essential Guide to Disaster Preparedness," which accompanied our November 2010 print issue.)

For many businesses, laptops are one of the most important tools in ensuring employee productivity, both in and away from the office. In the public sector, laptops are also an important productivity tool, but the data residing on them can become a liability if the laptop is lost during a natural or manmade disaster. 

In the modern world, files and e-mail stored on desktops, laptops and servers are the lifeblood of both public and private organizations, so every government organization should ask itself, “If computer disaster strikes, what risks will I be exposed to?” 

Protecting yourself against data loss is easy with an online backup solution. In most instances, this involves installing a software application once on each desktop, laptop and server that will be backed up. Every time a document is created or altered on those devices, it is encrypted to ensure security and automatically uploaded to a secure data center throughout the course of the workday. Those files are then readily available in the event of theft, natural disaster or equipment failure. 

The Internet has changed the way governmental bodies create and share information with on-site workers, remote employees and third party vendors. Unfortunately, these efficiencies in work practices can sometimes lead to data losses, if the only version of a file and folder exists only on an individual employee’s computer. While being the cause of the problem, the Internet can also be the cure.

Internet-based backup allows data created and handled by government employees to be copied to a secure, offsite data center, so a lost laptop or server meltdown don’t spell disaster. Furthermore, with data being stored offsite, critical data will be safe and available should an entire location be affected. 

To ensure that both physical and digital government assets are protected in the event of disaster, here are a few questions to ponder when looking for an online backup provider:

1. Where is my data stored? Is it a SAS70 datacenter or someone’s basement?
2. How long has the company been in business? Is it a startup, or backed by a Fortune 500 company?
3. Does the provider have a disaster continuity plan?
4. Is the data encrypted? How? Can someone access our data?