Keeping a regular data backup should be something all businesses do. This applies to all information: both regarding your business and that of your clients/employees and customers. Ensuring this information is as safe as possible is highly important for your brand image and customer loyalty. It’s impossible for a business to build its customer base and position in the marketplace if it has a reputation for poorly handling important data.
Keeping sensitive data safe is also a legal requirement – regular backups aren’t negotiable as a practice.
Data backup damage
Not keeping your data properly backed up can have a variety of consequences. In the event of hardware/software malfunction, it becomes so much harder to keep your business operational if you’re forced to revert to using out of date information.
Aside from this, if your backup data is kept on-site and you suffer a malware attack, it will scan your backups for valuable information. Many administrators, as difficult as it is to believe, use the recycle bin as a backup. So anyone browsing the local desktop either remotely or in person can have access to that information.
Keep in mind how important data is to your business operation. Anything that valuable will have cybercriminals going to great lengths to access it.
How do you securely backup data?
First, you need to consult with an IT security specialist. They will be able to advise you on the best course of action, because your data backup needs are unique to your business. The first step will be to understand what the essential data is that you need to be backing up. After that, a schedule will be developed to ensure said data is backed up regularly and securely.
You can backup your data on premises if you have the facilities in place. For many SMEs, it’s a much more practical solution to outsource it to a cloud server. This means you don’t have to stump up for running costs, the cost of the equipment, nor the time and effort to keep it operational. If possible, make it a part of your daily routine to backup your important information.
If your operation has several employees, consider making data backup someone’s specific role. It’s impossible to overstate how valuable data can be: it needs to be handled with great care. It’s also practical to assign certain access rights in your network only to those involved in the backup process. This prevents anyone who doesn’t have the right to tampering with your system.
Whether you choose to backup your data to a tape, NAS, external, or even a cloud drive, ensure that you develop a regular schedule. Then, most importantly, stick to it!