Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are "woefully underprepared" when it comes to the possibility of a disaster striking their workplace, it has been stated.

In the 2009 Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Survey conducted by Agility Recovery Solutions and Hughes Marketing Group, it was found that 90 per cent of SMEs spent one day or less maintaining data recovery tools or such things as online backup.

Furthermore, around one in five companies spend no time maintaining plans at all.

Despite 94 per cent of respondents claiming to have a competent data backup plan, many companies are not addressing basic infrastructure and people recovery necessities, such as alternate office space, mobile office space, replacement equipment and additional power generators.

Three out of four businesses with disaster recovery were able to say arrangements were competent enough to return to work within days of the event.

Last week, Dan Blacharski of ITworld said that remote software ought to be in the minds of those running a data recovery system as this will allow workers to log onto employer systems from home.

A recent survey for Connect found that one in ten companies has lost important data as a result of a backup failure. The company has now developed a unique online backup service for SMEs to ensure they can survive any disaster.