Computers at risk from heat wave

Businesses are at risk of losing data if they don’t heed the government’s current heat wave warning and protect IT equipment.

Anti-melt down measures for PCs and servers should be adopted according to vendor Ontrack Data Recovery, which is dealing with a spike in data loss enquiries coinciding with high temperatures and thunderstorms in the UK.

It says the biggest risk to PCs and laptops is from power surges and blackouts if they become overheated by direct or indirect lightning strikes or the hot climate.

Tips to protect data include keeping computers in a cool, dry area to prevent overheating, avoiding having too many computers running off one power supply, via an extension cable and installing a surge protector between the power socket and the computer’s power cable.

Ontrack also recommends that businesses should check protection devices regularly and use dedicated circuits and ensure IT equipment is not sharing power with air conditioners and fans.

During a thunderstorm, businesses should turn off and disconnect the power cord, and unplug any telephone lines from a modem jack as high voltages can enter a computer through a phone line connected to the modem.

Businesses should also turn off power during a blackout and those with network servers should invest in some form of uninterruptible power supply, which cleans the power supply and features backup batteries to keep servers running during power outages.

Phil Bridge, business development manager, Ontrack Data Recover, said: "Severe weather can cause significant computer damage. We can’t stop the power of nature, but we can certainly take steps to safeguard our IT systems against imminent summer storms and high temperatures."

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