An unbelievable combination of factors, including the transition to remote work, new automation tools, and the explosion of machine learning, has created a new universe of data for businesses.
As a result, your business can predict and meet your customers’ needs before they even think to ask.
Greater Reward, Greater Risk
However, all this data makes you vulnerable. Data loss devastates not only your internal operations but your public reputation and financial bottom line. Customers know you’re gathering their data and want assurance you keep it safe.
Consider what you’d lose if everything were deleted. Email histories with the entire record of your interactions with leads, partners, customers, and employees. Even customers’ private data. If you work in finance or healthcare, a breach can add heavy compliance fines to the already-staggering costs.
When something does go wrong, IT support teams are there to ensure that you restore order quickly. But in disasters, there is always collateral damage, and your critical data suffers the most.
Making sure that you have backup data on hand is the quickest way to ensure you can resume normal operations after an incident with minimal damage. Instead of days spent on salvage, quick restoration gets your business back up and running in a matter of hours.
Potential Disasters
Cybersecurity is a hot-button issue in the corporate world. Hackers know they can steal more than ever and that unprotected systems are vulnerable.
But it isn’t just hackers. Automated viruses and malware are still out there, ready to strike. Even Mother Nature herself looms large as a potential threat to your data.
Consider the effects of the California wildfires, structural damage from an earthquake, or the horrific flooding that hurricanes inflict.
Your company’s computers are wonderful machines, but they are also sensitive. People can be evacuated, but the bulky machinery that contains the lifeblood of your business isn't so easy to save. When disaster strikes, it’s well worth the expense to have a backup on hand rather than be left to pick up the pieces.
That human element also represents a significant risk. Disgruntled employees with access to sensitive data can wreak havoc, and thefts and accidental damage or deletion are always possibilities.
Finally, simple malfunctions can and do happen. Nothing lasts forever. Files become corrupted, and hardware breaks down. If a machine that stores vital data breaks, there are times when even the best data recovery technicians can’t recover it.
Proper Backup Techniques
The right procedures are vital to ensure minimum downtime and maximum protection for your valuable data. With so many options out there, it can be difficult to choose the right ones for your business. A proper audit by a managed service provider (MSP) can save you time and trouble, but we’ll give you a brief overview.
Follow the 3-2-1 Rule
This rule is the gold standard for modern data backups and the simplest way to ensure you’ve covered your bases.
Three Copies
A minimum of three separate backups are the key to necessary redundancy.
If a primary backup fails and your IT support keeps a secondary backup onsite that was disabled by the same cause of the original outage, it’s the same as having no backup data at all.
Two Mediums
Cloud storage. Data tapes. External hard drives. The array of storage options can feel dizzying, but no matter what, make sure your choices are different.
If you store data on the cloud, make sure another backup can be accessed without an internet connection. If you have IT support drive your backup to another physical location, ensure you have an option that keeps data safe for times when the roads are not.
No one backup method works every time, but having several different data backups cover the others’ weaknesses.
One Offsite Backup
As alluded to above, it makes sense to ensure that one of your backups is stored outside the building. If an earthquake shakes the office to rubble, then no data from any backups can be recovered.
The plethora of cloud and online storage options make off-site backups more convenient than ever — modern solutions that were impossible a few decades ago are now the norm.
JMA Security Consulting
At JMA, we provide worry-free MSP services to give you the peace of mind you need to meet crises with ease.
With a free 1- hour consultation, we’ll review common vulnerabilities, audit your existing software, hardware, and systems, and write a cost-benefit analysis so you can make the right backup choices for your needs.
Don’t wait for things to go wrong. Be ready when they do. Contact us today.
