Historical documents feared gone after safe stolen

If corporations don't back up their documents, critical information on damaged, misplaced or stolen files could be lost.

A family in New Zealand is currently experiencing this situation after a robbery. According to The Timaru Herald, Janey Langrell's home was robbed recently, and the thieves made off with a safe containing historical family records.

"There were passports and birth and death certificates, family information, my grandfather's [80 to 90 year old] bank statements. They are family records which can never be replaced," Langrell told the paper.

Photos and other files were also in the safe, which was used to protect the documents from natural disasters while family members worked on a family history project. Langrell said she was afraid that the criminals would throw the materials away when they discover nothing of monetary value in the safe.

To prevent this type of data loss if a business is robbed, leaders should think about transferring the information on documents online using conversion services. This way, administrators can protect the primary source from handling and natural damage, but even if it is lost, the data within can be recovered.

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