3 tips to protect against data loss due to electrical surges

It’s well known that it’s possible to recover saved data after electrical surges or similar problems. However, there are many ways in which companies and home users can protect themselves from such problems and prevent possible loss of data.

1. Surge protection

To protect yourself against voltage and current fluctuations, it is strongly recommended to switch off and unplug all IT equipment when not in use. This simple precaution protects against power surges and lightning strikes and is particularly recommended during storms and before going on holiday. There are also multi-plugs available with built-in protection against electrical surges which are useful for both home users and small businesses.

2. Backing-up data

Such a simple, yet often neglected, measure. In the case that data does get lost, to reduce the amount of possible data loss home users should backup their data at least once a month to an external source. Businesses, too, should perform a regular backup of all data to an external hard drive. Although very conventional, a simple SSD is often the best solution.

3. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

For companies with their own network servers, an UPS should be a standard. It ensures a smooth performance without under and over-voltage surges. This type of power supply also offers the option of storing electrical power, so in the case that the general power fails, the servers will continue to run.  Many private users also already benefit from UPS’s though using increasingly popular NAS (Network Attached Storage) drives to store their data, as they are often dependant on an external power source