Small Business Technology News
Loss Of Data Top Concern For Americans, And SMBs Can Protect Info With Easy Steps
Written by Jenna Weiner
Published: 11/1/2011
SMBs need to protect themselves from data threats.
A new study from Wakefield Research and Carbonite found 51 percent of Americans have experienced a computer crash that resulted in the loss of all their digital files, and 39 percent have never backed up their computers or not in the last year. The lack of preparedness affects not only individuals but small businesses as well.
The study also found 40 percent of Americans believe they could never recover, recreate or repurchase all their documents and files if they were lost, and 50 percent would rather lose their vacation time than their computer data.
In terms of what they would give up to save their data from being erased, 34 percent said beer or wine for a year, 31 percent said coffee for a year, 23 percent said their cellphone for a month and 18 percent would mow their neighbor's lawn for the next 12 months. In addition, 62 percent said they would pay to have their data retrieved, with 21 percent saying they would pay $500 and 27 percent willing to pay as much as is needed to get all the information back.
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Peter Lamson, a small business expert for Carbonite, said individuals and small businesses who likely cannot afford to pay for their data to be recovered every time they have computer issues should back up their information daily.
The top causes of data loss for companies include hardware failure, accidental deletion, computer viruses and theft. Companies are encouraged to do regular maintenance tasks on their hardware and software, storage data backups online, implement an antivirus and malware software for protection and safeguard the company from data breaches and cyber attacks.
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