Natural disasters can mean disruption in communications, distribution, information and financial systems - to the point of causing employment delays, construction bottlenecks and financial collapse. But today, disaster means more than fires, floods and human error. Today we have to worry about malicious damage to corporate data and information from disgruntled employees, viruses and terrorism.

And we must also be educated about our ability to retrieve information in order to fight off litigious attacks from outside groups or agencies. when it comes to protecting information, we can't assume anything, or even take comfort in possessing the "most current technology." Because, as it has so clearly been shown, when the technology is no longer current, the media is no longer viable.

Is there an alternative? A way to protect critical documents and data that is not "technology dependent?" Yes, there is. Microfilm.

Nothing is safer than microfilm when it comes to preserving paper documents and other media. Microfilm is complete unto itself. That's why documents and data stored on microfilm are fully retrievable even without technology. lt's also the most rugged, the most cost-effective and the longest-lasting method known to protect the information that's crucial to a company's survival. Microfilm is a unique backup medium because it can be read by the eye, without the need for hard ware or software. Like paper, microfilm is an "analog" medium that can be viewed by anyone, anywhere. Digital data, on the other hand, is completely technology dependent. Microfilm is also much less costly for backup than digital media, for two reasons. First, microfilm technology is consistent - it doesn't require continual hardware/software upgrades. Second, unlike digital graphic devices, it's not limited by "dots per inch" since a single photograph holds a virtually infinite amount of detail. Another microfilm benefit is that it's always acceptable as evidence in a courtroom because the information cannot be altered. This is not true for digitally stored information . And, unlike typical digital media, microfilm has never "crashed."

Automated indexing has also made it significantly easier to retrieve from, and capture images on, microfilm. With a few keystrokes, you can immediately locate an image or document - without having to scan through an entire roll or fiche. The loss of paper documents, or even information stored on other media, becomes academic when critical documents and data ore regularly backed up to microfilm. But when information is not properly protected, dire consequences are more than possible.

Computer World reported on February 17, 1997 that, "Analysts said no more than 10% of desktop PCs are protected by a corporate strategy for backup, ... (and that) ... half of all corporate records could be stored at the desktop." The lack of long-term protection for a company's resources and information is nothing less than a disaster waiting to happen. And when it does occur, who will be accountable? The users? The MIS department? The C10? Who should be responsible for disaster prevention?Absolutely every aspect of your business that involves information - whether it's on paper or on a computer - needs to be protected from the eventuality of a disaster. Nothing does that better than microfilm. And you can't know the extent of your company's exposure until you meet with every manager who works with valuable documents and data to establish the value and importance of the documents and data, and the consequences of losing them. Whether original documents are filed, misplaced or lost, it takes time and effort to locate them or obtain replacements, which translates into costs. When documents and data are backed up to microfilm and imaging capabilities are on-line, not only will your staff spend much less time searching for documents, they'll be able to take full advantage of automation for storing and retrieving them. 0 In the simplest of cases, lost data means having to repeat an hour's or a day's work. In the more critical ones, it means major financial losses for the company.

The growing use of the Internet, LANs and other forms of distributed computing, along with the growing threat of computer viruses and terrorism, have increased the vulnerability and exposure that a business must face. That's why proper, long-term backup procedures are no longer optional, they're essential. .Unlike any other information storage technology, information stored on microfilm 100 years ago is still fully retrievable today. More proof surfaces daily that digital storage is anything but permanent. The best-case estimates range in the area of ten years. That's why true, long-term disaster prevention programs need to include microfilm.

Recreating exact copies of original documents from microfilm is fast, inexpensive and reliable. That's why the banking industry prefers to microfilm "cash letters. " Today, hybrid systems have also simplified the conversion of documents for both PC-based use and microfilm storage. Hybrid scanners perform digital and analog captures in a single pass - storing documents as both digital (machine-readable) data and microfilmed (eye- readable) images. Hybrid systems have made microfilm even more viable as an information management tool. By scanning existing microfilm, document images are made freely available to any image-enabled desktop.

You can store up to 275 MB of data » microfilm for $8.25 - that's just $.03 per MB. If you're hearing lower numbers for some digital methods, it means they're ignoring the inevitable cost of technology migration. Recent history proves that keeping up with the continually changing digital technology is very expensive. That's what makes microfilm the single most cost-efficient way to store information. The bottom line is that the computer industry is continually re-inventing itself. Over time, digital software and hardware require change, which means new investments to keep information accessible. But microfilm media and technology stay constant. When you take into account the full life-cycle of information, it's simply impossible to out-perform microfilm.

Disaster prevention is about minimizing human injury, preventing the disruption of services to the company and its customers, avoiding financial loss, providing for timely resumption of operations and ultimately reducing exposure to liability claims.

• Obtain senior management commitment by outlining the dangers and the potential financial loss to the company, along with cost- justification of a program.

• Form a management group to oversee the development and implementation of the program. Perform a thorough analysis of potential damage - mechanical, human and natural.

• Determine how long the business could tolerate disruption. Determine the specific resources required to get the company through the potential situation and back to normal within a specific time frame.

• Analyze operations, including the functions of and the financial impact of losing - each unit. Meet with every manager who works with valuable documents and data to establish the value/importance of the documents and data, and the consequences of losing them.

• Establish a detailed, organizational chain of command - and make if known to all employees. Explain how to safeguard critical documents and data, as well as the pitfalls of backing up solely to digital media. Make clear where and how stored documents and data can be accessed in the event of large-scale disaster.

• Test the plan, complete with mock drills, in order to prepare all employees and find weaknesses in the plan.