Cloud Storage and Disaster Recovery Planning: A Lock and Key for Your Data

You can prevent a data catastrophe using Cloud Storage

The hard truth is that 90% of companies that lose their data in a disaster never recover. It’s a terrible thing to consider, but it happens. But what’s worse is that they didn’t have to lose it. They could have stored it stored it safely in the cloud.

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy sliced through the Atlantic. Damages to New York City alone have been estimated at over $18B dollars.

Thousands of businesses shut their doors during the storm and after when NY was flooded and lost power. In the days following, IT administrators set up a temporary “office” alongside their servers in our Data Center with phones, computers, and desks—and conducted business.

TELEHOUSE America customers were able to keep things going; the peace of mind was epic. Learn more about IT Disaster Recovery

Why Cloud For Disaster Recovery?

Here are the basic components of cloud storage and why it’s a cost-effective, secure way to prevent a data catastrophe from a natural disaster, cyber threat or even a broken water pipe from your upstairs neighbor. You’ll find:

1. A Clear Definition of Cloud Storage
2. Why Cloud Storage Is Safer Than Housing It On Campus
3. How To Strengthen Your Disaster Recovery Plan Using the Cloud
4. What is Cloud Storage Exactly?

Cloud Storage, simply put, is access to your data from your computer over the Internet to one or more servers in a separate geographic location, usually a Data Center.

2. Why Cloud Storage Is Safer Than Housing It In-House
3. Cloud Storage Offers You Redundancy

The more servers you add, the greater your redundancy.

Why redundancy matters

In engineering, redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the form of a backup or fail-safe. (Wikipedia)

Redundancy covers everything from data to equipment. In fact, your entire infrastructure can be backed up.

Cloud Storage Offers You Vigilance

Highly trained professionals can monitor your servers with

• 24/7 operations
• 24/7 customer service
• 24/7 secure monitoring

And if you need to schedule systems-wide maintenance for your network, you can arrange for off-hours access with Data Center staff.

Cloud Storage Offers You Security

Once your intellectual property is no longer physically present in your place of business, from a physical standpoint, it’s tamper-free. Even the Data Center staff that guards it cannot access it either.

Secondly, it’s encrypted. That means server software encodes your data using complex algorithms. In order to access it, keys are needed. These automated keys work together in tandem, and are not easily hackable. They’re data strings of up to 256 bytes or more, comprised of partial characters. They’re data strings of up to 256 bytes or more, and are made up of characters, symbols and numbers. The complexity should be too great for hackers to decrypt.

To access specific data sets, you’ll have authenticated usernames and passwords. Trusted staff within your company will maintain control of your system. As mentioned, Data Center staff has no access to your actual data.

Cloud Storage Offers You Efficiency

Scheduled automated processes, like monitoring and refreshing your data, removes human inefficiency from the equation. Further, devices stay synchronized. Calendars and contacts stay updated across devices similar to Google Docs or Gmail, which are both cloud-based.

Cloud Storage Offers You Industry Compliance

Because the Data Center is already in IT security compliance, your own industry compliance can build from there. Read more about HIPAA Compliance

How To Strengthen Your Disaster Recovery Plan Using the Cloud

Your plan will include a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO). The measurable benchmarks that you’ve set ahead of time will allow you to know and achieve the mission-critical levels of access and functionality for you to run your business.

The cloud allows you to prioritize each system within your framework and bring up the most important systems first.

Check to see if your Data Center has a Recovery System in place. TELEHOUSE America provides our customers with a DRS-I Module. It includes incident management capabilities, such as:

• An easy-to-use interface that enables instant recovery and allows for later alteration to ensure a more robust functionality
• 24/7 secure worldwide access
• Audit-ready best practices template
• Critical BCM data storage in a central, customizable repository

It also has an automated email notification feature. When you have customers and investors banking on the security of your data, you’ll appreciate the ability to update them on your situation status as things transpire.

Cloud Storage and Disaster Recovery go together like a lock and key

The staff at your Data Center does one thing—guards your critical infrastructure 24/7/365. They maintain an optimum environment at the right humidity and temperature to ensure your equipment functions properly. They have best-in-class monitoring systems and disaster recovery systems already in place. And if you’re in the right Data Center, you can even grab your sleeping bag and laptop and stay operational until you are back on the grid.

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