SMEs plan poorly for data loss

A Symantec survey has revealed that when it comes to disaster recovery and business continuity, most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) don't have a plan, according to ITBusinessEdge.

That same survey revealed 47% of respondents did not back up their desktop PCs.

The problem with most SMEs is that they do not have a dedicated IT person to develop a solid recovery, continuity or backup plan, says Jason Fisher, director of product management for Symantec's data protection SME segment.

When the CIPD flagged up the publication of a new joint guide for members earlier this month on risk and business continuity management (BCM), swine flu planning was the topical focus as a concern high on the HR agenda, says People Management Magazine.

However, organisations also face potential BCM issues on a recurring basis from a variety of different quarters, including major disruptions such as industrial disputes, transport network problems or terrorist action, as well as smaller-scale events. The common factor is a loss of people available to work.

The guide has been produced jointly with the Business Continuity Institute, which provided much of the content. It includes a checklist that enables HR practitioners to assess how comprehensive their organisation's planning is, plus guidance on writing a plan.

The F-Secure Rescue CD is a free tool used to fix a computer that no longer starts because the operating system has been corrupted by malware, reports Help Net Security.

For more advanced users, Rescue CD enables other kinds of repair and data recovery operations as well.

Rescue CD contains a Knoppix, a kind of Linux, operating system which allows one to use a Windows PC and get access to the hard discs.