Avoiding Data Risk & IT Pet Peeves: Weekly Roundup

Digital data storage has been around since 1951, but even today, businesses and consumers alike risk irreversible data loss if they fail to properly and consistently protect their data. The lesson? Don't tempt fate. Avoid learning that lesson the hard way by backing up before it's too late.

Stuff happens. Drinks get spilled on laptops, phones fall into the toilet and tablets go missing. According to a recent Acronis survey, 1 out of 5 UK consumers admit to never backing up their files, even though the same percentage (20 percent) have had a device lost, stolen or damaged. It's just a matter of time before the rest suffer the same fate. That's why data backup must start today, says Nat Maple, general manager at Acronis. 

"While you might think your hardware is reliable, in reality it is not. Everything (yes, everything) fails, and once it does, all the important information you've stored on that device can be lost. In fact, it is not a question of if a piece of technology will fail – it is when," Maple says, who offers several painless ways for everyone to protect their precious data.  

Read more at TechRadar  

IT administrators may hope that data disasters never occur on their watch, but it's important to have a plan in case something goes wrong. (It will.) The same holds true for MSPs, whose customers depend on them to protect against data loss and to lead them through recovery. Ken Bickmore, owner of CCNS Consulting, shares three steps his company follows to ensure customers get back up and running smoothly: 

• Start by meeting with the customer to assess the impact of the incident. 
• Confirm that all communication channels are functioning as planned. 
• Establish the recovery timeline and plan. 

Read more at MSPMentor  

IT pros don't want to put the kibosh on employees trying out new technology or using social media, but their hands are tied when employees' bad habits put data at risk. According to a new study about IT administrator behavior by software company, TeamViewer, nearly half of IT admins surveyed witnessed illegal downloading among employees, which can put company data at risk. And that's not the half of it. Unauthorized application usage and irresponsible data sharing were rampant, among other risky behaviors.

Read more at eWeek  

Data storage predates the digital revolution or the first automatic computer in 1951. Data storage and backup, while initially carried out manually with documenting and filing systems, has historically been prone to loss due to natural disasters, fires and simply getting misplaced. The earliest form of data storage that resembled the punch card system of the first computers, is actually, according to Mashable, the first player pianos because of the data held in the machines' punch cards. We've come a long way since the punch cards of the '40s, to be sure. 

Read more at Mashable