Whether related to something bigger or just a culmination of probabilities (but let’s be real…), widespread disasters seem to be on a rise. Floods, wildfires, winter storms and more have devastating effects on neighborhoods and communities, as well as the organizations and businesses that operate in them. While basic restoration can effectively replace lost drywall, flooring and interiors, it doesn’t replace lost data and digital files. Once a disaster reaches physical servers, computers and storage equipment, that equipment is usually destroyed. This is why redundancy software and cloud backup for large organizations and institutions like school districts have become so important. Cloud recovery and online user provisioning software are gamechangers in quick recovery of operations, avoidance of manual provisioning under extreme pressure conditions and still maintaining control of authorization management.

Prevention is Key

Disasters are going to happen at one point or another. Everyone deals with them in some form, whether their office is damaged by a leaking fire sprinkler on the second floor with water cascading down, or a burglar enters unexpectedly and steals equipment off of desks when employees are out. The difference in recovery, especially for digital assets, is preparation. Those who utilize cloud tools have the ability to restore connections to staff and partners remotely that otherwise would be completely lost if only archived locally in on-prem equipment alone. That is, if it wasn’t the cloud servers that got hit. The level of recovery can be 100 percent versus partial recovery at best from damaged equipment.

Security Protection

With cloud backups and management, user provisioning can be controlled, even if a network administrator can’t be physically at the office or access the physical equipment any longer. This is a common problem when disaster areas are cordoned off and physical access is restricted. Rather than worrying about access to equipment in person, an administrator can simply and remotely manage user access to files online, blocking off any hacks by simply updating and changing all the authorizations remotely and restoring authorized user provisioning. This is ideal if computer equipment falls into the wrong hands during a disaster. That protection can also be extended to linked devices, which can be shut off or wiped remotely once they connect to the internet again, a valuable tool with lost company mobile devices.

Easy Adaption during Physical Restoration

Many times facility damage requires extensive work, externally and internally, or investigations may need people clear of an affected area for an extended period of time. That means an on-prem facility may be out of the picture for a while. Obviously, staff can’t run their computers or similar in the same situation, which is why cloud user provisioning makes it easier to work from a hotel or other temporary location in the meantime. Minimal disruption and efficient organization or school network restoration can happen with good planning for a disaster ahead of time.

A disaster is not the end of the world, even if it might feel like it. An organization or school’s digital assets and online life can be protected with the right cloud tools and thinking ahead.