Data has become one of the most valuable commodities in the world. Unfortunately, data loss can happen to any organization of any size. From natural disasters to faulty hardware to cyberattacks, there are many factors that can impact the safety of your data—and if you don’t have a backup easily accessible, that loss can be catastrophic.
To protect your data and your revenue, we suggest developing a Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Plan. This refers to the policies that guide your IT infrastructure to enable your organization to stay active during, and recover from, a data loss disaster.
A good BC/DR plan can provide:
- Ability to predict business restoration following an unexpected disaster
- Reduction in downtime and associated revenue losses
- Lower interruption to critical business processes
- Avoid compromise to business reputation
- Ability to customize disaster recovery as per your needs
The first step of your plan? Forming a data backup strategy.
Data Backup Strategy
The best data backup strategy should include multiple copies of your data, stored both in on-site or physical storage devices AND cloud-based backup services. This allows your business to leverage the benefits of each while mitigating the negatives: cloud-based solutions require lots of bandwidth, but are immune to physical mishaps like floods or faulty hardware. Conversely, on-site storage devices are vulnerable to physical issues, but are also faster and give you full control of your data.
Here are a few other factors to consider:
- The 3-2-1 Rule: at minimum, you’ll want to save three copies of data, with two copies stored on two different physical media (e.g. internal hard drive and removable storage media), plus one cloud copy. Remember: the more copies you make, the higher your chances of recovery after a loss.
- Frequent Backups: doing it once a day, at the end of business hours, is no longer sufficient—you’ll want to back up your data multiple times per day to ensure you always have the most timely and accurate snapshot saved
- Rely on the Cloud: cloud-based data backup services come with a multitude of benefits, such as easy recovery, easy scalability, and better cost-efficiency
- Automate Whenever Possible: automating your backup process can simplify your efforts while giving you peace of mind that your business is protected against data loss or corruption
- Determine Your Retention Span: Retaining all data backup versions forever is not a feasible solution for most small businesses, so you’ll need to determine how long you should retain any given copy of data. Consider your industry, needs, and compliance regulations to come up with a solution that suits your business.
A solid data backup plan could easily save your business in the event of disaster—which is why it’s vital to take preventative action today.
Ready to get started? Contact us to speak with our experts about an effective backup strategy that suits the unique needs of your business.
