Risk Management

The Paper Trail Problem: When Disaster Strikes Your Records

Real scenarios of schools losing critical data to fire, flooding, theft - and how to prevent it.

Editorial Team
Sep 26, 2021
7 min read

When Everything Goes Wrong

Schools believe it won't happen to them. Until it does.

Scenario 1: Fire Administration building burns overnight. Decades of student records, staff files, financial documents - all gone. The school cannot prove student enrollment, transcripts, or payment history. Recovery is impossible.

Scenario 2: Flood Seasonal rains overwhelm drainage. Ground floor filing rooms submerge. Paper records become pulp. Even dried documents are illegible. The institution loses accreditation because it cannot demonstrate compliance.

Scenario 3: Theft Burglars target the admin office, taking computers and cabinets believing they contain valuables. They contain student records. Years of data disappear overnight.

Scenario 4: Corruption A USB drive with student data gets corrupted. No backup exists. One term's worth of grades, attendance, and assessments vanish instantly.

The Prevention

Cloud-based systems with automated backups mean:

  • Records survive physical disasters
  • Multiple redundant copies exist
  • Access continues from any location
  • Recovery is measured in minutes, not months

Disasters are rare. Being prepared is essential. Paper records guarantee catastrophic loss.

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