Recall Issues Best Practices For Disaster Preparedness Of Business Records

Leader in Data Protection Services Shares Five Strategies to Protect Critical Business Documents from Upcoming Natural Disasters

Recall, a leader in document storage, secure document destruction, digital document management and data protection, recently shared best practices for disaster preparedness and records information management. With the recent and early occurrence of tornadoes nationwide and expected disruption to businesses, Recall issued a five-step process to assist companies of all sizes to better protect documents and data. Recall is a global leader in managing critical records for businesses in more than 20 countries.

"Disasters typically leave organizations little or no time to secure documents, so it is mission critical to create a RIM (records information management) plan and integrate strategies that proactively enforce it," said Jason Molfetas, senior vice president and chief information officer at Recall. "Fires, tornadoes, floods and hurricanes are enemies of physical documents. Even a frozen water pipe is a potential disaster from a document security standpoint. We encourage businesses to create, practice and enforce a disaster preparedness plan in advance to maintain the integrity of critical documents and maintain compliance."

Through more than 20 years of experience securing critical business documents for organizations around the globe, Recall developed a straightforward set of best practices to safeguard against even the most extreme disasters and minimize the risk of service discontinuation. Recall recommends that businesses initiate the following strategies before a natural disaster strikes:

• Collect and store critical documents and computer backup tapes in a secure off-site location. If a secure off-site location is not available, create infrastructure that will best protect documents on-site from natural elements and unauthorized personnel.
• Create and communicate a RIM plan, detailing the past and current lifecycle status of documents needed to support critical business functions and locations across all departments and functional areas.
• Identify the organizational/functional areas that play a part in the secure document lifecycle in times of emergency, such as critical departments, procedures, resources, vendors and alternate sources for supplies.
• Perform full risk assessments of physical security of critical documents, facility safety and personnel accessing original documents.
• Conduct annual document audits and disaster retrieval reenactments.

Additionally, lost or damaged documents can place organizations outside of strict compliance regulations, such as HIPAA, HITECH and Sarbanes-Oxley, which require the retention of volumes of records.

"Whether files are stored on-site or off-site, and regardless of format, all departments must clearly know what records are most important, where they are retained and how to access them," said Mark Emery, global director of record information management (RIM) consulting services at Recall. "An implemented, clearly communicated and strictly enforced strategy will greatly strengthen the facilitation of business continuity during times of emergency."

About Recall
Recall is a global leader in managing information in multiple formats throughout its lifecycle. The company has more than 300 dedicated operation centers, spanning five continents in more than 20 countries. As a global leader in document storage, secure document destruction, digital document management, and data protection, Recall manages more than 100 million cartons worldwide. Recall is owned by Brambles Limited. For more information, visit www.recall.com.

SOURCE: Recall