Will your church data be available in the event of a disaster such as an equipment failure or data theft?  I came across this great article called "Protecting IT from Disasters" on Your Church.  Because of the role IT plays in our ministries, CPA audits are increasing their focus on IT issues.  The article suggests that even if your church doesn't get audited, it is wise to address these areas: 1) Management Oversight; 2) System Security; and 3) Record Retention.  They also suggest ways to have a solid backup strategy: 1) Nightly Tape Backup and 2) Constant Data Replication. Finally, prepare for business continuity.

I'm wondering if some of you readers can assist others with how you have ensured business continuity in case of a disaster.  I'm also curious if your Administrative Elders provide oversight to IT in some way.  Should this be part of an annual review of church procedures?  Things have changed and maybe it is time to make "oversight of IT strategies" a line item in their list of responsibilities. What do you think?