Businesses face many threats that can compromise their data. Ransomware, employee accidents, natural disasters, and plain bad luck can wipe out essential data. That is why businesses must learn how to back up their data and prepare for the worst.
These four practices will keep you ahead of the curve and could one day save your business from shutting down altogether.
1. Keep Backups Encrypted & Protected
When dealing with backup copies of data, you must imbue them with the same level of security provided for the original copy. Backups are easier to steal and less likely to be noticed until you need them. Still, the information in the files is equally valuable or beholden to protections under the law.
You must ensure that every backup created is encrypted and protected, usually in a physical manner. Fire, impact, and weather-resistant safes effectively keep physical backups safe. Digital backups require encryption on the files and robust, secure online storage.
2. Keep More Than One Backup Copy
Redundant backup data is critical to business security. That is why you should never settle for a single backup copy. What if you store all your contact information on an external hard drive and your business suffers a severe fire? Both copies are destroyed even though you made a backup.
We’ll cover the proper way to make backups below.
3. Adhere to the 3-2-1 Rule
The 3-2-1 Rule is an essential guideline for backup creation. To implement this practice in your business, you must have:
- Three copies of your data (including the original)
- Two distinct types of storage such as internal drives, external drives, and cloud resources
- One version of your data in a different location from the main business
Following these guidelines ensures that you have enough copies of the data, store it using various media, and keep it in a place where a single event is improbable to wipe out both the original and the copies.
4. Keep Natural Disasters in Mind
Although you may not like to think about them, natural disasters are a significant threat to businesses. Roughly 40% of all small businesses never reopen once they are hit by a natural disaster, like a hurricane.
The same applies to tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, and any other natural phenomenon that can potentially destroy your business. If your business is prone to any natural disaster, you should have backups for your data, and those backups should not all be on-site.
While these backup practices are simple enough to read, not every business is equipped to implement them. If your IT department is not knowledgeable enough to follow these backup plans, it is crucial to seek professional help.
A Managed Services Provider (MSP) can help your business create the necessary backups to maintain operations following a data loss situation. These experts can operate remotely or on-premises to ensure you are prepared for whatever lies ahead.
Book time on our calendar today to speak with an expert.
