Article

Sarah Church
Sarah Church 9 February 2015

How Safe Is Your Data?

Businesses not only have to concern themselves with taking care of information important to their business - they have to make sure that they comply with all manner of regulations for storing, processing and transmitting this information.

Once upon a time businesses kept all their records on paper, in folders (actual cardboard folders, not electronic folders).  To make sure that their important business information was safe they would put the folders in a locked cabinet.  Then ensuring only authorised people could read the records, they would only give certain people the key, locking the room and office behind them.  And they’d perhaps not even think about what might happen to all of their records if there was a fire…or a break in…or a burst pipe.

 

If they needed to keep records for a long time, they would box them all up and store them in a basement.  They might lock the basement door as well.  To find records there would be a filing system in place, and all being well, most people would follow the same convention.  If not – well – they’d have to spend some hours trawling through a load of folders, but that’s what you had to do.

Fast forward…and we have computers.  Yay!  No more paper? (Yeah, right…) Everything can be stored on a tape or a disk and then you make a back-up copy and your receptionist takes it home in her handbag.  However, things have since moved on.

 

Nowadays we have new challenges.  Businesses not only have to concern themselves with taking care of information important to their business – they have to make sure that they comply with all manner of regulations for storing, processing and transmitting this information.  In fact any organisation with any dealings with information or “data” will have to ensure that they are compliant with the legal obligations associated with the particular type of data and business activity they manage.  

 

Let’s go back to the reference above – let’s say we are talking about a doctor’s receptionist. She’s walking around town with an entire patient data base in her handbag!  Not ideal under any circumstances and also not a particularly wise method for keeping back-ups safe. (I have a handbag and I know what goes on in there…)

So – the moral of my little tale is that there are numerous things to consider when exploring the options for backing up your data.  How much data is there, what is it, are their legal obligations attached to how it is stored and processed, what is it stored on, how critical is it, how soon would you need it back if you lost it, how far back would you need to restore to…?  The list goes on.  

 

The UK Government have this year released new classifications for data storage.  Official, Secret and Top Secret replace the Impact Level (IL) ratings that mainly public sector bodies will be familiar with.  That is another blog post waiting to happen…  

 

For more insights from Six Degrees Group

 

Read More on Digital Doughnut

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

A company website is crucial for any business's digital marketing strategy. To keep up with the changing trends and customer buying behaviors, it's important to review and make necessary changes regularly...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 25 March 2024
Read more
The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

Technology has impacted every part of our lives. From household chores to business disciplines and etiquette, there's a gadget or app for it. Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but what is the...

Alex Lysak
Alex Lysak 3 April 2024
Read more
The IoT-Connected Car of Today—Case Studies

The IoT-Connected Car of Today—Case Studies

Imagine a world where your car not only drives itself, but also says intelligent things. This would look like an impossibility about five years ago, but today the IoT is already breaking fresh ground for tech...

Ronald van Loon
Ronald van Loon 10 March 2017
Read more
10 Factors that Influence Customer Buying Behaviour Online

10 Factors that Influence Customer Buying Behaviour Online

Now is an era where customers take the center stags influencing business strategies across industries. No business can afford to overlook factors that could either break the customer experience or even pose a risk of...

Edward Roesch
Edward Roesch 4 June 2018
Read more
AI-driven Personalisation Dominates the Future of Travel and Hospitality Marketing

AI-driven Personalisation Dominates the Future of Travel and Hospitality Marketing

Travel and hospitality marketing is on the verge of dramatic transformation. Personalisation of marketing communications is moving from dream to necessity, and the change is putting marketers in the driving seat.

Michael Nutley
Michael Nutley 3 December 2024
Read more