R&D Companies and the Threat of Data Loss

 

When I think of research and development, what first comes to my mind is the picture of Louis Pasteur printed in my seventh grade ‘History of Science’ text book, working amidst an array of strange-looking apparatus, meticulously noting down his experimental observations in leather-bound register. Practically speaking, today if I try to associate research and development with this type of ambience, I could surely be found guilty of living in a make-believe world of alchemists and magic potions.

 

The times I am talking about are when science was still in its nascent stage. Research and development was confined to a few self-driven luminaries pursuing their altruistic missions with less then satisfactory equipment and infrastructure, restrained by technological and financial constraints. The vision before them was revolutionary, yet limited in its expectations. The scientific techniques used were crude and yet to be perfected. The whole concept of research was a highly miniaturized dream wrapped in an aura of austerity.

 

Come on, let us accelerate our mental time machine and arrive in the twenty-first century. Sir, if you confine me to the use of just one single word that delineates the entire scope, ambit and proportion of contemporary research and development activities, I would say ‘BIG’. Yes, ‘BIG’. Big objectives, big targets, big goals, big vision, big facilities, big infrastructure, big human involvement, big budgets, big profits and above all BIG MONEY, that is what modern R&D is all about.

 

The pace of scientific development that started with kicks and jerks in the first quarter of the last century is now accelerating every year at an exponential rate. To sustain this pace of growth, we need intensive and perpetual research and development effort. In fact, R&D has become a highly specialized field in itself that has moved out of the grimy laboratories of industrial premises to the state of the art research facilities. R&D is a mega dollar business with an unlimited demand, being pursued by highly specialized and cash-rich companies and is financed by major business and financial institutions.

 

Implications of Data Loss in R&D Companies

 

By now you must have had some idea of the kind of money involved in R&D. Now, in such a scenario, what are the possible repercussions of data loss in R&D companies? Let me explain it in very simple words. R&D effort, which is, of course, a cash-guzzling activity, leads to the generation of scientific data. The organization, analysis and synthesis of this data give birth to authentic premises and conclusions leading to the production or modification of the desired products and services.

 

Hence, all this effort and investment results in the generation of data at various stages. Any data loss disaster at any stage may jeopardize the entire research project or may lead to the costly intellectual property falling into wrong hands. Translated into monetary terms, it means massive losses.

 

Possible Causes of Data Loss in R&D Companies 

 

1) Human Error

 

2) Malware Attack

 

3) Industrial Espionage

 

4) Technological Failure

 

5) Organized Crime

 

6) Natural and Man-made Disasters

 

7) Accidents

 

Data Security in R&D Companies

 

Any modern R&D company should have an efficient information security plan in place to check data loss and to ensure a quick and effective response in case of a data disaster. All the possible security risks should be identified well in time to ensure data protection. The staff employed should be well-trained and reliable with a thorough awareness about the company’s data security policy and their role in the information security. There should be effective control over the access to research premises, equipment, data and resources. All the mission-critical systems should be well-protected. Regular internal reviews should be carried out from time to time to assess security environment.

 

All the critical data should be meticulously backed up on a regular basis. Multiple copies of the vital data should be transported to various off-site locations for protection against disasters and theft. Arrangements and collaborations should be well in place with authentic and reliable data recovery companies to ensure a quick, efficient and timely response in case of a data disaster and to maximize the possibility of recovering the lost data.   

 

 

 

 

Article Source: http://www.theukarticledirectory.co.uk