Advice for IT departments During Severe Weather Season

Featured article by DriveSavers Data Recovery

A device DriveSavers  received from Hurricane Katrina

In light of severe weather season, DriveSavers Data Recovery has put together a list of tips to keep top of mind in the event your company is threatened by damaging weather. These preventative and post storm measures could help save vital data and expensive devices.

Pre-Storm Preparation:

All company hardware such as desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners and smartphones should be unplugged from power sources.

When unplugging isn’t a realistic option, a surge protector and battery back up system should be utilized. However, it’s important these devices are tested every few years to maintain optimal effectiveness.

Enclose any valuable devices in plastic bags and watertight plastic bins above floor level to safeguard against flood damage. In fact, sensitive electronics should never sit directly on flooring surfaces regardless of imminent severe weather.

Invest in data back-up software and update regularly as this will prevent permanent data loss even if the device itself is irreparably damaged. Online data storage is an indispensible investment for companies located in disaster-prone regions of the U.S.

After disaster strikes:

Do not attempt to power up a device with obvious physical damage.

Don’t use utility software if the drive makes clicking, tapping, scraping or humming-like sounds.

If the drive exhibits the any of the above symptoms, it’s important to not attempt recovery at home, because turning the computer on and off or using over-the-counter diagnostic tools may cause further damage and prevent any data recovery.

If you believe your device is damaged and holds critical data, contact a secure professional data recovery company such as DriveSavers Data Recovery.