We’re currently in the most dangerous month for hurricanes and experts predict that even though we have not seen a storm this year gain hurricane strength, we’ll still see three to five major hurricanes hit before year’s end.  

Considering that the Institute for Business and Home Safety reports that one in four businesses don’t reopen after a major disaster, having a plan in place is critical.

The good news is, there are some relatively simple things SMBs can do to storm proof their data centers, avoid that critical downtime and get through hurricane season. When developing a data backup strategy, there are four key questions for SMBs to consider:

• Do you have a backup strategy? SMBs typically don’t have offices in various geographies, so can’t easily backup critical corporate data in various locations like enterprises can. What they can do (particularly those in hurricane prone areas) is partner with a third party data center provider for server replication in a different location.
• What happens if you lose power? A battery backup can allow SMBs to have an uninterrupted power supply, allowing for critical extra time to power down key equipment and backup data to a site away from the storm’s path.
• Can you detect leaks? Water damage is almost a given when a hurricane strikes, and can be extremely damaging. Sensors can detect a single drop of liquid and trigger an alarm (audible, emails or even via text message) to flag a potential problem.
• Are you prepared for power surges? Lightning and power fluctuations should also be expected with a big storm. In addition to battery backup, proper surge protection guards for routers, hubs, computers, copy machines, etc. are key.

By thinking through these questions, SMBs should be able to better evaluate current processes and keep data centers secure for the rest of hurricane season – and beyond.