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Business Continuity Plans Must Include Data Recovery Scenario

Businesses Cannot Ignore Vulnerability of Backups

Armonk, NY — July 16, 2007 — Many businesses have implemented business continuity plans that include data backup to minimize downtime during a disaster or other unforeseen disruptions, but many organizations don’t realize data loss can occur despite having backup technology.

Even the best backup technology can fail because of human error or faulty hardware. Thorough business continuity plans must take into account the need to retrieve data from damaged storage media, whether it is a primary computer or a backup device.

A survey conducted by AT&T shows that 30% of U.S. businesses having at least $10 million in annual revenue do not consider business continuity planning a priority. Small to medium-sized companies are even less prepared; more than one-third (36%) indicated that business continuity planning is not a priority, and a full one-third (34%) of them do not have a business continuity plan in place, as opposed to one-fifth (21%) of large companies.

“Data loss is inevitable because technology does eventually fail,” says Bill Margeson, president and CEO of CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc. “Organizations should not only develop and implement a business continuity plan, but they should test it frequently and have a plan of action in the event a data backup fails and their mission-critical information can’t be accessed.”

Lost data can cripple many organizations and in some cases drive them out of business, especially smaller companies. In fact, according to research firm IDC, digital data is growing in sheer volume, even for small businesses, who are less able to manage it due to lack of IT skills. The report, “The Expanding Digital Universe”, also predicts that in 2007 the volume of information created and replicated will surpass the storage capacity available to store it.

The Internal Revenue Service now offers advice to taxpayers and businesses engaged in paperless recordkeeping to safeguard electronic financial and tax records in the event of natural disasters like hurricanes or unforeseen disruptions. The IRS encourages copying of important records onto removable storage media such as USB drives, CDs or DVDs as backup.

“More people are reliant on data to manage their day-to-day activities, both personally and professionally, so its loss is keenly felt,” adds Margeson. “However, data storage media can be extremely resilient and retain digital information despite considerable physical damage. Many businesses don’t realize data recovery is an option when data loss occurs. Backups do fail, including expensive RAID storage arrays with mission-critical data that we see come through our lab on a regular basis.”

CBL is an independent data recovery specialist. Its team of data recovery experts recovers data from all forms of digital storage media regardless of the manufacturer’s platform or operating system. CBL serves customers directly and through a national network of partners and agents. Its CBL Data Recovery Corporate Customer Program provides a discount on data recovery services when data loss disaster strikes. For a limited time only, affected storage media may be sent to CBL through participating The UPS Store and Mailboxes Etc. retail locations across the U.S. at no charge to customers.

About CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc. (www.cbldatarecovery.com)

Founded in 1993, CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc. is the leading independent provider of data recovery services and software. CBL employs proprietary techniques to recover data from storage devices including hard drives, tapes, RAIDs and external storage media. CBL offers services through its global network of data recovery laboratories, offices and authorized partners. In the United States, CBL has data recovery laboratories in Armonk, New York; Atlanta, Georgia; San Diego, California, and Houston, Texas.

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