CoreVault Advises Disaster Recovery Planning as 2009 Tornado Season Threatens Business Operations

May 28, 2009; 02:48 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – CoreVault, a leader in managed backup and recovery solutions, has released guidelines to ensure organizational safety and expedient data recovery in the event a catastrophe strikes. Forward-thinking companies in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas and other severe-weather-prone states should take maximum precautions when preparing for disruptions caused by tornadoes and other natural disasters. Tornado strikes are dangerous and when wind speeds are high enough, the sheer force can strip a building from its foundation. 

The United States experiences more tornadoes each year than any other country in the world. In 2008 alone, there were 1,691 confirmed tornadoes reported in the United States, second only to 2004 with 1,817 confirmations. Tornadoes cost roughly $2 billion in damages and 125 lives lost each year. According to Disaster Recovery Planning: Managing Risk and Catastrophe in Information Systems, companies that experience a computer outage for more than 10 days will never fully recover financially, and 50 percent of companies suffering such a loss will be out of business within five years.

Five things organizations of any size can do to ensure business continuity in the event of a catastrophe are:

1) Develop a written disaster recovery plan that identifies systems and assets critical to business continuity;
2) Establish a disaster recovery team with assignments and training that leverages employee strengths in order to address the difficult and stressful task of rebuilding operations after a disaster;
3) Identify a physical recovery location to restore business operations should the organization’s physical location become unusable;
4) Update and test disaster recovery plan processes on a regular basis like performing recovery drills to assure reinstatement of both physical and digital assets. In addition, testing the functionality of IT systems is also critical.
5) Protect business database, email and all important Electronically Stored Information (ESI) off-site at a trusted managed backup and recovery provider’s information vault.

“We realize that access to organizational information is important regardless of external conditions,” said Rick Loomis, Director of Information Systems for the Oklahoma State Bar Association. “To strengthen our disaster recovery plan, we use CoreVault for offsite data protection to make sure our data is recoverable even if our main datacenter takes a direct hit.”

“With catastrophic storms affecting businesses in the United States each year, companies must take a more proactive stand on protecting their data in a more secure and off-site manner, especially those in high risk areas,” said Jeff Cato, Vice President of Marketing for CoreVault. “Preparation and proper planning is the best defense against extended downtime in these situations and having a proper disaster recovery plan in place can make the difference between keeping or losing one’s business.”

About CoreVault
CoreVault is a SAS 70 Type II certified organization that specializes in protecting business critical data securely and off-site at its two private and geographically separated data centers. Ensuring fail-safe protection of businesses’ information, CoreVault offers automated daily off-site protection, fast recovery, secure data encryption 24-7 and world class customer service. CoreVault is endorsed by Bar and Dental Associations across the country representing more than 350,000 attorneys and dentists. For additional information, go to www.corevault.com.  

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