Which statement describes the value of backing up dedicated system data to distant locations?

• A. Backups to distant locations enhance disaster recovery.
• B. Backups should be kept only on site.
• C. Backups are unnecessary.
• D. Backups should be kept in patient homes.

Answer: (A)

Backing up dedicated system data to distant locations builds geographic redundancy, which is essential for effective disaster recovery. If the primary site is damaged by a natural event, fire, theft, or a cyberattack, offsite backups provide a clean, trusted copy you can restore from with minimal data loss and downtime. This improves the ability to resume operations quickly and protects data integrity, which is especially important for sensitive or regulated information. Keeping backups only on the local site leaves you vulnerable to the same incident affecting both the primary data and its backup, and storing backups in patient homes is inappropriate and unsafe. In short, distant-location backups are a vital part of a robust disaster-recovery strategy.