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Protection of company data should be a top priority
![Guy Kimble](https://biz-file.com/c/1502/258369.jpg)
These statistics highlight the importance of data protection and backup for all local businesses. Guy Kimble, MD of Metrofile Records Management, said that failing to back up essential company data can lead to the loss of vital business information, fundamental to the success of the businesses.
"Protection of company data should be a top priority for local business leaders, particularly SMEs as they are not immune to data loss," he said.
SME business owners in South Africa generally think that only large corporate organisations need to have data protection measures in place and lack an understanding of the importance of data back-up, said Kimble.
He pointed out that 21% of the responding companies indicated they do not have an off-site back-up solution. "It is very dangerous for a company to store all its information on site because if the site is exposed to a disaster - such as a theft, flood, fire, strike, cybercrime attack, power surge, lightning strike or any other type of interruption - the company faces the risk of losing all of its information. It is safer to store the back-up data at an offsite location in an encrypted format, preferably with a trusted data protection supplier."
A crucial mind shift
Kimble added that SME business owners need to undergo a crucial mind shift to begin viewing data as a critical company asset, just as they would any other asset.
A sound business continuity management plan is vital to enable a business to avoid disasters and to ensure that enterprises continue functioning at a sustainable level following a major disruption to critical operations, said Kimble. "An essential element of a business continuity management plan is data loss protection. One measure to ensure data loss protection is through the regular and multiple back-ups of company data."
Kimble said that when backing up important company data, SMEs need to bear the following aspects in mind:
Despite computer hardware prices becoming more cost effective, initial costs to establish a practical back-up system may seem financially daunting to SMEs. "SME owners should not allow costs to deter them from implementing a data protection solution as it is often cheaper than one thinks. In addition to mitigating the risk of data losses by implementing a proper data protection plan, SMEs can also avoid the possible reduction in employee productivity, loss of revenue and loss in customer confidence which far outweigh the seemingly frightening initial investment cost," concluded Kimble.
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