Data backup is the act of copying critical organizational data to a secondary storage location. Data backup helps to protect businesses against data loss by providing redundancy to the primary storage location in case that location is compromised or fails. In addition to interrupting business operations, data loss can result in serious repercussions for businesses, ranging from financial penalties to loss of customer or partner trust.
Why Data Backup Is Important
Businesses are storing more sensitive and proprietary data than ever before. Law firms, insurance companies, HIPAA compliant health care facilities, government agencies, law enforcement, and labor unions all have data security concerns. Whether an organization is dealing with customer data, health records, or confidential business data, securing that information against loss or destruction is crucial to maintaining customer trust and day-to-day business operations. Protecting this data is just as much a security obligation as it is a private obligation. That is why data backup capabilities need to address two key business concerns: safeguarding valuable data and being able to bounce back from a data loss event.
Businesses that do fall prey to a data breach can expect to suffer losses anywhere from the average of $3.92 million to as much as $100 million on the high end. While financial losses will obviously be highest for large corporations, small and medium-sized businesses are far from immune to the risks of data loss. The same research estimates that globally, 30% of all organizations will have to deal with a breach at some point over the next two years. In order to ensure your business data is both secure and available when you need it, data backup and protection must be baked into the core of your IT security plan.
What Should I Backup?
A business must first understand what data needs to be backed up and what doesn’t. Companies should thoroughly assess, define, and identify exactly which files and assets are either sensitive or business-critical; these should be given top priority. Consider the full business impact of your primary servers went dark and which data files, operating systems, applications, and configurations would be required to restore business functionality.
Be sure the data backup solution you are using is fully comprehensive to avoid unnecessarily juggling multiple backup solutions. Ensure that your data backups are segmented across siloed backup solutions and that you are protecting all of your data, not just portions of it. For example, if you have a hybrid data center, a solution that backups up cloud data but not on-premise server data will be insufficient. Establish 100% coverage across all of the data and assets you need to restore operations.
Data Backup Methods
One of the most universally utilized systems is cloud-based data backup and recovery. Fully automated cloud backups can guarantee that critical data is never lost, and is easily restored. Cloud solutions are also able to scale to requirements for businesses large and small, an ever-growing concern as businesses handle exponentially increasing amounts of data. Cloud-based capabilities also provide businesses with remote data backup and recovery options, which can be invaluable if businesses are locked out from their primary location, or as workforces continue to shift embracing more flexible work from home options.
While cloud-based options are convenient for many, they will never be a one-size-fits-all solution for every business. Many businesses have security or compliance requirements that rule out cloud-based solutions. In these cases, businesses will usually prefer to keep their backup storage on-site. This approach ensures that data stays firmly under the organization’s security controls, and can still be configured to offer many of the same remote capabilities as a cloud-based approach.
How Often Should I Backup My Data?
Once a data backup solution and disaster recovery solution are in place, the next question businesses should consider is how often to back up their data. The short answer is “often.” While the frequency of data backups will vary from business to business based on their unique requirements, it’s vitally important to establish a regularly recurring data backup procedure. This helps to ensure that you are backing up all data exactly when it needs to be backed up and reduces the risk of human or technological error. Setting up a firm data backup routine and testing it regularly ensures that your data systems are functioning as intended, and helps to prepare you for any disaster events in the future. You should also update your backup strategy every time you introduce a new device, solution, or service into your enterprise.
Talk To The Managed IT Experts At TCB Today
TCB provides Managed IT Services to clients nationwide utilizing remote software tools and unique cost-saving implementations. Having this arsenal at the readily available allows you to focus on what is important for your business. Talk to us today about your data loss and recovery needs.
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