1) Critical resources
What are your most important resources, and which ones can you do without in a crisis?

2) Backups
What is your backup strategy? Where are your off-site backups located? Do you test your backups to make sure they are valid?

3) Inventory
Do you have a complete and current list of all hardware and software, including serial numbers and documentation?

4) Network and Internet
Do you understand the layout of your network? What is the impact if your connection goes down? Consider alternate options for use in the event of an emergency.

5) Remote Access
Can you work from somewhere other than your primary location? What resources would you need to do so? Evaluate various options to find one that works best for you.

6) Security
What would you do if you had a security incident, such as a virus infection, loss of data, or identity theft? Develop a plan, including resources that can help you.

7) Fire Drills
Test your strategies to verify that they will work in a real-world situation.

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1) Buy an external hard drive
Many external drives come with their own backup software and are simple to set up. You can get one terabyte (that’s 1,024 gigabytes, or about 256 DVDs’ worth) of storage for around $100-120. If you have a lot of pictures or music, this is your most cost-effective solution.

2) Use an old computer
What good is that ten-year-old computer? If it’s still functional and has a large enough hard drive, you could turn it into a dedicated backup station. You may not be able to back up your entire computer to it, but you will probably have enough room for basic documents. You’ll need to network it to your existing computer and share files between them.

3) Burn it to disc
Almost all computers these days have writable CD drives. Many newer computers also have DVD burners. The media is inexpensive and stores well over long periods. It’s easy to create duplicate backups for off-site storage.

4) Use a flash (USB) drive
Flash drives are inexpensive and portable. However, their long-term storage abilities have not been tested because the technology is relatively new.

5) Use an online storage service
These services are often inexpensive, but are not available if your Internet connection goes down. Security may also be a question.

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Most software has an option called “destination” or “target,” where the recovered data is to be saved. If you select that option you can redirect the data to another location. You may want to create a special folder ahead of time for the restored data. Then you can compare it to the original. As I said in the article, don’t just check file names; try opening each kind of file you use (say, one Word file, one Excel file, and so on). If you don’t have a solid backup strategy, including off-site storage in case of a disaster, all your hard work could be lost.

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Corporations often use disaster recovery services, but how can low-budget users provide disaster recovery? It’s not enough to copy your files to a disk that sits right next to your computer – what if, heaven forbid, the whole place goes? Redundant backups are those written to more than one medium, like archiving to CD as well as an external hard drive. And you’ll want to keep at least one of those copies at an offsite location (such as a safety-deposit box or a friend or relative’s house).

Let’s say the unthinkable happens, and you’re standing there holding your backup with no computer to put it on. This is why it’s important for your backups to be easy to move to another computer. External hard drives and USB (aka thumb or flash) drives are great because they work almost anywhere. Same for burning to CD-R disks, but be aware not all CD drives can read CD-RW disks. If you use backup software, keep a copy of the install disk, serial number, manual and tech support phone number with your offsite backup. Also include a full list of your computer components: model and serial numbers, version of Windows or Mac OS, types of printers or other equipment. A list of your vital software programs with versions and serial numbers is good, too, and may also help your insurer.

How do you plan for disaster recovery? Post a comment and let me know.

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