Identify a significant problem in it security, disaster planning, or related area

The paper ” Disaster Recovery Planning” is an excellent example of a literature review on information technology. The company that has been chosen for the identification of an IT problem is a software house. This software house offers a number of products in the area of ATM and banking solutions. Since it is a software company, therefore, their basic asset and source of profit is the code of the products and their documentation. They have regular updates of the products and previous versions of the products are also regarded as relevant data. They have a monthly routine of backing up data at a local server maintained in their office. But it cannot be considered a reliable source of backup in case of a company-wide virus spread or server crash. A reliable disaster recovery tool is required which is safe from such failure incidents and continues to provide relevant data.
IT Security Perspective
Wikipedia (2009) stated that information security can be defined as the protection of the information from misuse, disclosure to outside sources, damage and modification. Authenticity, availability, and confidentiality of the data are very important factors for success. AMI-Partners (2009) stated in AMI U. S. Small Business 2009 Annual Overview; 70% of U. S small business faced a loss of data in 2008 due to technical failures or human disasters. In spite of this great number, only a few small businesses tend to invest in the area of data disaster recovery to minimize data loss risks. Data should be stored at locations where there is no threat of unauthorized access and modifications. Data security is one of the major concerns nowadays due to the cut-throat competition in the market. Especially for companies, which highly depend on their data for the services they provide. Like the software house under discussion cannot afford to have its code data disclosed to any unauthorized figure.  Due to the advancement in technology, a significant reduction in data losses has been witnessed over the past years. There are numerous data recovery tools available in the market and many guidelines on the internet that help assess needs for a recovery plan of a specific business. Therefore, an efficient and secure data disaster recovery medium can be chosen for an organization so that the business activities are not affected and resumed within a minimal time period.

3. Website
http://www. techsoup. org/learningcenter/internet/archives/page9179. cfm

3. 1 Evaluation of the Website
TechSoup. org (2009) offers free information, tools and customer support regarding technological needs. The following article “ Keep Your Data Safe with Online Backup Services” by Lasa provides information regarding the backup services available for data recovery purposes.
The website seems like an authentic one as the information is relevant and current. It states a complete review of the mediums used for backups including their pros and cons. This helps in establishing a logical opinion about the services. It also gives its readers a comprehensive guideline on how to choose the best service provider for data backup.

3. 2 Solutions for Backing up Data
There are several solutions stated on the website; each one of them is explained below;

3. 2. 1 Online Backup Services
Lasa (2006) stated that this solution involves the concept of backing up the relevant data to a remote location via the internet. These services use software that facilitates the uploading of the desired files to a remote computer and the capability of restoring files whenever needed through the internet. The storage space provided by various services ranges from few megabytes to a number of terabytes. The uploading can either be done by the help of this software or manually. It also sets up a backup schedule to reduce risks of any data loss.

3. 2. 2 Back up on Tape or Disk
Lasa (2006) explained that this solution tends to require investment in hardware and software like tapes, CDs and DVDs, etc. It also requires some degree of training for the staff who will be dealing with them. No internet access is needed in this approach, therefore, some companies prefer this technique than the other online services.

3. 2. 3 Online Services to Backup Multiple PCs
Lasa (2006) stated that some online backup services allow backups of multiple PCs and laptops. This can be very helpful for employees who work from their residence or any other locations. They are also given the facility of backing up their data remotely so that a backup device does not have to be attached to their PC or laptop.

3. 3 Most Feasible Solution
The most feasible solution seems to be the online backup services as it ensures a safe and secure environment for the data. This approach seems to be cheaper than physical tape and CDs storage. The data backup and recovery activities are faster than the traditional tape strategy.
At times, it is desired that older versions of data are also stored, especially if the company’s profile is similar to the company selected for this analysis- software house. Online backup services facilitate for this need as well and provide a mechanism to store different versions of the same data.

3. 4 Conclusion
The challenge of efficient and reliable data backups has been overcome with the new technological methods in the market. Each one of these tools and services offers features that are attractive to business owners for their business. However, they are selected on the basis of needs that they fulfill.
This website proved to be very informative regarding the different tools and services available for data disaster recovery. It should be used by business owners to evaluate their current backup service against their stated guideline of efficient backup service. It could also be used to get awareness about the different services and then implement the most feasible one for one’s business.