Today, most people rely heavily on computers to help accomplish daily tasks. Email, word processing, case management, time and billing, document management – these are a few of the common tools used to aid in the practice of law. These technologies help to create client files, memos, contracts, and correspondence. Before pervasive computer use, a individuals work product existed in print, housed in file cabinets or physical repositories. Although sensitive to loss or natural disaster, a shudder in the electrical grid or the “blue screen of death" could not destroy years of data in a millisecond. Electronic files are susceptible to a multitude of dangers that are unknown in the print world. While computers enable lawyers to improve their speed, efficiency, and service, they also put the data in peril. Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Review your firm’s backup and storage solution. Make sure that best practices are being followed, and rest assured there are many options to fit your time, budget, and technical experience.

The first question to ask is "How often does my business backup data"? The answer should be at least daily. Would you care to lose any content – a brief, an email that took an hour to draft, a filing – on any given day? You may choose to do only an incremental backup daily, capturing the new files that have been created, rather than backing up the entire system. However, due to updates and patches, you should have at least weekly backups of the entire system, allowing a total restoration from scratch. Servers must be backed up, but individual computers also need to be protected. Many users do not save information to a network server, instead saving information locally to their hard drive. This information will not be saved in the server backup files. Find out what backup strategy is employed, and whether your individual PC/Mac/laptop or other computing device is covered. If it is not, find out what you need to do to have your data protected. Check to make sure that the firm has a policy or procedure in place to save all the data.

Backup methods and strategies will vary from large businesses using a client/server model to smaller peer-to-peer networks to non-networked environments. If you have IT staff, they are likely to be making efforts to back up the network. If you do not have an IT staff, but employ a consultant to help with the firm’s technology, discuss backup strategies periodically. Firms with infrequent external technology assistance need to make efforts to ensure that their data is backed up.

Regardless of the environment, backups are useless unless restoration has been tested. A sufficient backup model includes being able to restore the files and systems. This ability should be tested periodically to make sure that the backup media has not become corrupt and is properly saving the data. Ideally, the restoration method would be able to restore from the file level to the system level. In addition to restoration, another vital component to backup best practices is offsite storage of the backup media. Tapes, discs, or external drives should be kept offsite, as fire, theft and other disasters affecting your physical location will wipe out your primary data centers as well as your backups. Compatibility is another concern. Consider saving older data to a format that is likely to stay viable for the long haul, such as PDF (portable document format), and make sure restoration is still possible after a major update or change in the operating system.

Backup Media

Tape – Tapes come in many flavors, and are predominately used to backup at the server level. They have tremendous storage capacity, and employ magnetic tape, similar to a cassette tape. Like a cassette tape, they will wear out. Swap out tapes so that one is not over used, and retire them every couple of years. Be aware of the fact that these tapes, and all storage media, contains sensitive client information that will need to be safely erased before disposal.

Discs – Backups can be made to CDs and DVD's. This is especially effective on an individual computer for file level backups. Many laptops and desktops come with a built-in CD burner and/or DVD burner. Blank discs can be purchased almost anywhere, but be aware of nuances such as CD-R (data can’t be overwritten) vs. CD-RW (reusable) and what format your DVD burner requires. For the most effective back up, choose a software package to make the process easier. Peruse websites such as C|Net, PCMagazine, or PCWorld that will provide product listings, comparisons, articles, and prices. The software you purchase will guide you through the process of determining whether to back up the full system or files, how to create automatic, timed backups, and other useful features.

External drives – Similar to CDs and DVDs, external hard drives, Zip drives, and other USB enabled external drives have the capacity to store file and system backups. External hard drives can store as much as an internal hard drive. Buy external drives with as much space as you can afford. Get an idea of what you are currently using and realize that data grows exponentially over years. Look for externals that come with backup software included.

Online Backup - Companies with names like LiveVault, eVault, and AccessGenie, are all vying for the web-based backup market share. For any size firm it makes sense to take a look at what these and similar companies have to offer. Online backup providers offer storage and restoration from the system level to the file level via the Internet. A high speed, always on Internet connection is advisable, but laptops and notebooks can be synchronized with the system after they have been offline. The pricing schemes differ, but increased storage space drives price increases. Online backup providers offer an automated, hands-free process that supports the needed offsite storage and multiple restore points. Since the information is online, users can get their data anywhere there is an Internet connection. Online providers, or application service providers, have significantly improved, offering better encryption, replicated storage centers, and a better understanding of lawyer’s concerns for the confidentiality of their data.

Conclusion:
Regardless of the method, not backing up computer files is an invitation for disaster. Whether a corrupted file, a malicious virus, lighting, or human error, most computer users will experience loss of some or all of their data. Don’t wait until you have something to regret, investigate your current methods or instigate a backup model before a loss.