How to Protect Your Data During Severe Storm Season

Although there isn't a National Week to bring awareness to summer storm season, we're entering that special time of year when the threat of fire, flood, severe storms, water damage, and even theft is very real. This is why ensuring your home and business technology is protected and critical data is backed up in the case of power loss, system damage, or major technology failure. To help you protect your stuff, I'm providing a few simple tips to keep your tech safe and secure. Here's what you need to know.

Backup Your Data Regularly and Strategically.

• Follow the 3-2-1 Rule: Keep at least three copies of your data, on at least two different storage types, with at least one copy stored offsite.

  • Multiple Copies: This ensures that if one copy is damaged or inaccessible, you have others.   

  • Different Media: Don't rely solely on one type of storage (e.g., only external hard drives). Use a mix like internal drives, external drives, USB drives, and cloud storage.   

  • Offsite Storage: This is crucial for protection against localized disasters. Cloud storage or a secure location far from your primary residence are good options.   

   Automate Backups: Set up automatic backup schedules so you don't have to remember to do it manually. Many operating systems and cloud services offer this feature.   

• Full Backups Before Storms: If you have advance warning of an extreme storm, perform a full backup of your critical data right before it's expected to hit.

• Consider Cloud Backup: Cloud services offer secure, offsite storage and often have features like versioning, so you can recover previous versions of files. They can automatically back up your data and are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection (once it's restored).   

Protect Your Technology Devices.

• Power Protection: Use Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for your computers, external hard drives, and network equipment. This will protect against power surges and allow you to safely shut down your devices during a power outage.   

• Unplug Devices: During a severe storm with lightning, it's best to unplug your computers, monitors, printers, and other peripherals to protect them from power surges that can travel through electrical and network cables.   

• Elevate Equipment: If flooding is a risk, move your computers, servers, and storage devices to higher locations, at least two feet off the floor if possible.   

• Secure Storage: Store backup media (like external hard drives or USB drives) in a water-resistant and fire-resistant safe or container, ideally in a location separate from your primary devices.

Have a Disaster Recovery Plan:

• Outline Procedures: Create a plan that details the steps you'll take before, during, and after a storm to protect and recover your data.   

• Identify Critical Data: Know which data is most important and prioritize its backup and recovery.

• Establish Communication Channels: Determine how you will communicate with family or team members during and after the storm, especially if regular communication methods are disrupted.

• Regularly Test Your Recovery Process: Periodically practice restoring your data from

Network and Connectivity:

• Consider Backup Internet: If reliable internet is critical, explore backup options like satellite internet or a mobile hotspot, in case your primary connection goes down.

• Install a UPS on your modem and router. A UPS or Uninteruptble Power Supply will allow your modem and router to continue to work during a power outage.

• Document Network Configuration: Keep a record of your network settings, IP addresses, and passwords, in case you need to rebuild your network after a disaster.  

By taking these precautions, you can significantly increase the chances of protecting your valuable data from the impact of extreme storms. Remember that a layered approach, combining both data backup strategies and physical protection, offers the best defense.

If you have any questions, please reach out. I'm always available.

Looking for More Useful Tech Tips? Our Tuesday Tech Tips Blog is released every Tuesday. If you like video tips, we LIVE STREAM new episodes of 'Computer and Tech Tips for Non-Tech People' every Wednesday at 1:00 pm CST on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.   Technology product reviews are posted every Thursday. You can view previous episodes on our YouTube channel.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter! Click this link to sign-up and subscribe and you will receive every tip directly in your inbox each week.

Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.

Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows/Macintosh computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts organization can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.

Please share this with your friends and family! If you found this post useful, would you mind helping me out by sharing it? Just click one of the handy social media sharing buttons below.

The above content is provided for information purposes only. All information included therein is subject to change without notice. I am not responsible for any direct or indirect damages arising from or related to the use of or reliance on the above content.