Preparing for Christmas
Christmas is approaching
and it’s time for a much needed break. Over the next few weeks, many
businesses will be closing down and families going away for holidays.
Before doing so it’s worthwhile taking a few precautions with your computers
and other electronic equipment.
Even though they will spend
much of the next few weeks turned off your computer systems and network
are still at risk; power surges, fire and theft are just a few things
that can damage your computer or the data on it. There's a number of
things you should do before closing your business over the break.
Backup
Regardless of how expensive
your computers are, it’s the information on them that matters. Data is
irreplaceable while computers can be bought off the shelf. For many small
business years of work is sitting on the hard drive.
All that data needs to be
backed up and saved somewhere safely. External hard drives and DVDs
are the most popular ways of saving backups. Your backup should include
documents, email, address books, accounting data, favorites and bookmarks.
Store the backups away from
the computer, preferably offsite. We recommend making two copies, leave
one onsite for easy access and store one elsewhere. If something terrible
happens to your home or office while you are away, your data is at least
safe.
For home offices, it’s a
good idea to leave a copy of the backup with your neighbours or a relative
in a nearby suburb. For bigger offices, the backup should go home with
the boss or a trusted employee. If you have a post box then one trick
is to leave a DVD of your important data in the box.
We have a separate
article on choosing backup systems. If you're not backing up your
important data you need to do so NOW!
Unplug EVERYTHING
Even when turned off, most modern
computer equipment still has power running through. Printers, modems,
routers, should all be turned off and disconnected from power and communications
lines. Power surges from storms are common over summer, so don’t take
chances.
If your computer is connected
to a network, telephone line or cable connection then these should all
be unplugged as well. Damaging power surges often come through communications
cables. You should unplug anything that connects your equipment to the
outside world.
Hide your equipment
Give thieves as little temptation
as possible. Electronic equipment has a high resale value and is easily
moved. Lock away anything portable and draw the curtains or blinds in
rooms where less portable equipment is kept.
If you have an old laptop
sitting around it’s not a bad idea to hide away the modern equipment
and leave the old stuff in an obvious location. This is a variation
on the old “leave ten dollars in the petty cash tin” ploy that gives
thieves something without them ransacking the place. Don’t make it too
obvious or you’ll be inviting break ins.
When you return
Your computer is the very last
thing you should turn on. Turn on modems, printers, external drives and
network equipment before your computer. If you have a cable Internet connection,
give it a few minutes to connect before trying to log on.
Update your system
While you were away new nasties
will have come out and there's a good chance some of them may be waiting
in your inbox. Before checking emails or surfing the net, update your
security software and check for any system updates. Do not do anything
on the net until everything is updated.
Christmas and New Year are
times when you should relax. Nothing can ruin your holidays by returning
to find all your valuable data lost. By backing up your systems and
taking some precautions you can relax that your business will be up
and running quickly when you get back to work.