The computer has revolutionized the way most organizations conduct their activities. Most private sector organizations could not hope to compete effectively in the 1990s if they attempted to operate without the aid of computer technology. Similarly, public sector organizations, in the absence of electronic data management, would face a hopeless situation in attempts to serve their clienteles.
Along with increased productivity, however, computer technology has introduced greater risk into organizational environments. At one end of this new risk spectrum, access to vital data may be denied by temporary power outages. At the opposite pole, however, entire data bases may be destroyed by both natural phenomena or intentional human actions. Thus, contemporary organizations must be prepared to respond to and recover from major losses of electronically stored data, as well as exploit the many benefits offered by computer technology.
Statement of the Problem Data stored in electronic information systems may be lost, damaged, or compromised by means other that the actions of individuals gaining illegal access to such systems. Both natural and manmade disasters, although low probability in character, hold the potential to cause high level data loss and damage. Thus, the prudent administrator or manager will devise and implement some sort of data recovery planning to protect information systems against the effects of such events.
Data recovery planning, however, provided only the environmental context for this study. Major problems with respect to data recovery planning involve the attitudes of responsible administrators and managers. While it is a relatively easy task to impress administrators and managers with the need to plan for responses to high probability events, it is much more difficult to persuade such individuals to commit significant organizational resources for responses to low probability events. With respec...