IT Management: Four Steps to Properly Backing Up Your Web Site Data

“For businesses using the Web as a revenue-generating channel, their data are important company assets,” says Chris Kivlehan, marketing manger for INetU Managed Hosting, a Web hosting provider. Losing a customer database in a system-wide crash or other crisis can devastate your business. Orders can go unfulfilled leading to dissatisfied customers and, in turn, reduced revenue.

Kivlehan recommends that you talk with your IT manager or a qualified consultant/vendor to discuss back-up procedures and the technologies (e.g., tape drives, separate network storage devices, CDs) needed to do the job properly. In the meantime, here are four steps to help you focus your efforts:

1. Write a policy and procedures. In a time of crisis, having a set policy and procedures in place will cut down on staff confusion, says Kivlehan.

2. Test restore from backup. “Some complex applications may require special software or configurations to back up and restore properly,” says Kivlehan. “Make sure the test restore is successfully accomplished in a time frame that’s acceptable. If the process takes too long, reconsider your backup strategy.”

3. Focus on firewalls. You want to physically protect your backup data from thieves and hackers, Kivlehan continues. “Someone getting a hold of an unencrypted backup [file] is just as bad as someone breaking into your facility,” he notes.

4. Keep copies of software, such as operating systems, applications and security patches. “They may need to be reinstalled along with your backups,” says Kivlehan.

To reach Kivlehan, call (610) 266-7441, or e-mail chrisk@inetu.net.