We live in a digital age where data has become one of the most valuable commodities in the world. Businesses, in Kansas City and all over the world, collect huge volumes of data every day from their customers, and this data plays a critical role in their day-to-day operations. If business organizations don’t have data backup strategies in place, the consequences can be quite catastrophic.
This is the harsh reality of today’s digital business landscape. Businesses can experience data loss in many ways, ranging from natural disasters to cyberattacks. Should your Kansas City business suffer an unexpected data loss, your competitive advantage lies in how quickly you can get your operations up and running without experiencing major downtime.
In this blog, we’ll take a brief look at the various dangers to business data and how you can prevent them with the right backup. We’ll also look at the different ways of backing up data and the advantages of using a robust business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) solution.
Why Do You Need Data Backup?
As you understand the importance of data backup, it’s inevitable that certain questions may spring to mind – What is the best way to store data? How many copies should you take?
With regards to the best way of storing data, both cloud backup and on-site backup appliances need to be considered. This is because both have their own advantages and limitations. On-storage devices are faster, giving organizations full control over their data. However, they are prone to physical mishaps and hardware issues. Cloud-based backup, on the other hand, is not vulnerable to natural disasters but requires a lot of bandwidth to backup large files.
The ideal backup strategy is one that combines both these approaches, with multiple copies stored in different locations. When it comes to backing up your data, you need to consider the 3-2-1 rule, which simultaneously answers your questions on what the right approach to data backup is and the number of copies that need to be made.
As per this rule, it is prudent to have at least three copies of data – one production copy and two backup copies on two different media (internal hard drive and removable storage media) along with one off-site copy (cloud) for disaster recovery. Newer variations of this rule suggest having at least two copies (3-2-2 rule) on the cloud, depending on the importance of your data. Ultimately, the more copies you make, the higher your chances of recovery after a loss.
Advantages of BCDR Over File-Only Backups
In simple terms, data backup is the process of making copies of your files and storing them. However, the main purpose of a backup is to get your business up and running in no time following an unexpected disaster. Hence, an effective backup strategy is symbiotic with business continuity as well. Business continuity refers to the ability of your organization to get back in working order as quickly as possible following an unexpected data loss.
When you think about business continuity, you must think in terms of Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO). RTO refers to the maximum time an application can be down without affecting the business. RPO refers to the maximum amount of data that can be lost without harming the business.
A good BCDR solution will provide you with the following benefits:
- Ability to customize disaster recovery as per your needs
- Significant reduction in RTO and RPO
- Avoid compromise to business reputation
- Ability to predict business restoration following an unexpected disaster
- Reduction in downtime and associated revenue losses
- Lower interruption to critical business processes
Best Practices for Data Backup
While incorporating an effective backup strategy, you need to implement the following best practices to limit data loss:
- Determine your retention span: Retaining all data backup versions forever is not a feasible solution for most small businesses. Due to this, you need to determine the duration for which you will retain your data. This requirement will vary based on your industry, needs and compliance regulations. You need to come up with a solution that ticks all parameters.
- Increase frequency: Digitally-run businesses are required to back up their data multiple times a day. Doing it once a day, at the end of business hours, is no longer sufficient, especially with the number of threats gunning for your data.
- Use the power of automation: Automation has become a game changer with regards to various IT tasks and backup is no exception. When you automate your disaster recovery process, you can bounce back from serious disasters and continue business operations without suffering too much downtime.
- Use cloud backup: The Cloud has become an indispensable component of data backup in this digital age. Cloud backup comes with a multitude of benefits such as easy recovery, easy scalability, better cost efficiency and more.
Ready to Start Data Backup Today?
Bottom line: backup should be a part of every organization’s business strategy, irrespective of its size, location or industry. Threats to Kanas City businesses’s data are very real and are happening at an alarming rate. In this scenario, a solid data backup plan could be the preventative measure that saves your business when disaster strikes.
Reach out to us today so our team can help you get started with an effective backup strategy that provides end-to-end backup, ensures data protection, and improves your business continuity overall.
