SMEs failing to take IT disaster recovery precautions

Posted by Paul Sells

Too many small businesses are taking risks with their futures by failing to backup essential data, it has been reported.

A new study from Symantec alludes to the benefits of dedicated IT support – the firm found that only half of all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have effective disaster recovery plans in place.

Two-fifths of respondents said it had never occurred to them to put together such a plan, while 40 per cent claimed that disaster preparedness is not a priority.

Less than half of SMEs were found to back up their data weekly or more frequently, with just 23 per cent doing so on a daily basis.

"According to the research findings, SMEs still haven't recognised the tremendous impact a disaster can have on their businesses," said Symantec's Bernard Laroche.

"Simple planning can enable SMEs to protect their information in the event of a disaster, which in turn will help them build trust with their customers."

Research analyst Gartner recently claimed that global IT security spending would increase by 11.3 per cent during 2010.