Airbags for Computers

Author: John Phillips (Ocean Computing Solutions)

While conducting computer support work in small business, I have encountered a number of problems that caused significant business downtime, cost a large amount to fix and were preventable.

There are a range of reasons why preventative risk management strategies were not in place, but primarily the customer didn’t appreciate the risk or the expense.

Cash flow in small business can be tight, so investing in a product or service designed to prevent something which may never occur is a difficult proposition. However, once a disaster occurs, you will have the cost of fixing the (avoidable) damage, and for putting in place steps to stop it happening again.

The two key risks that caused problems for our customers were power anomalies; surges, a short increase in power, brownouts a short decrease in power and viruses. These risks are quite easy to manage and depending on the size of the business, can cost well under $1,000 to prevent.

Power supply anomalies can cause considerable damage to computer equipment. If you are lucky the damage will be confined to the computer’s internal power regulation circuitry. These are quite cheap to replace, but you will still be out of action until the hardware can be procured and installed. At worst, you can lose all the data stored on the system. The solution is to install an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) between the mains power and your equipment. A UPS is basically a battery backup for your computer. It provides a short term power supply and if properly set up, can properly shut down your server automatically if the power outage exceeds the life of the batteries. They can also protect your server from those surges and brownouts.

Viruses are a troubling issue. There is no sure way to stop viruses from infecting your computer systems, but installing good anti-virus software combined with some end- user education will provide the best possible protection.

When selecting anti-virus software to use in your business, consider signing up to a free trial of a software product. Undertaking the trial will enable you to evaluate the impact of the software on your computers. You should look for anti-virus software designed to be used in a business setting as opposed to one meant mainly for home use.

Of-course, if you aren’t sure about the exact risks facing your business, it is advisable to consult a qualified computer support specialist. Putting in place preventative measures is a bit like having airbags in your car, hopefully you will never need them, but it isn’t worth risking your business down the track to save a few dollars now.