Many business owners make a fundamental error when it comes to disaster recovery: they assume that their backups are working. Once those automated processes are set up, they merely assume that they are running smoothly, with few checks to ensure accuracy and capability. Then, the system goes down, or data is needed for recovery. That is when they discover that their backups are inadequate to their needs.
How Often Do You Back Up Your Data?
In general, we recommend that business owners back up their data every fifteen minutes. Unfortunately, some businesses still back up data only every thirty minutes or less--and some are still backing up manually at the end of the day. Consider the volume of data you go through every day: customer information, information about your products, and invoicing, to name a few. What happens if you lose that data? 93% of businesses who lost their data for just ten days had to file for bankruptcy within a year of the disaster--and half of them had to do it immediately. Can your business whether that kind of loss?
Are You Checking Your Backups?
Many businesses have great backup systems in place. They might even be backing up every fifteen minutes, which means they will lose significantly less productivity if for some reason they need to rely on those backups. There is just one problem: they don't know whether or not those backups are running smoothly. Instead of evaluating their backups regularly, they are just assuming that they are working properly--and that can lead to disaster if you do have a data loss.
Are Your Backups Tough Enough to Withstand Challenges?
When you plan for backups for your disaster recovery, are you taking into consideration all of the challenges that could impact your business? Consider:
Your physical devices could be broken or stolen. In many cases, physical damage to your devices--including both tablets and laptops--can render them completely unusable. Consider the havoc that could result from an overturned cup of water on your desk or a thief who breaks into your car. If you lose your physical devices, do you have backups that will allow you to keep running your business?
Your business could be inaccessible. A disaster sweeps through your area, leaving your physical business inaccessible. Can you access your backups to get in touch with your clients and keep your business moving as smoothly as possible? If your physical building is destroyed by fire, flood, or another natural disaster, do you have the means to keep your business running anyway? Insurance can cover a lot of things, but it will not replace your data.
Your data could be deleted. All too many businesses have felt the horror of an accidentally-deleted piece of data. Worse, a disgruntled employee might decide to cause problems by deleting that data deliberately. Do you have a system in place that will help protect against those types of challenges, or are you relying on automatic backups that could also register that you deleted a specific file? How long do your backups go back? Could you restore a file deleted weeks or even months ago?
Ransomware can strike anywhere, any time. Ransomware could be devastating to your business as it locks your files away until you pay a substantial ransom--and sometimes, even the hacker who infected you will not provide the key. Sometimes, a bad actor will infect you more than once if you pose as a good target. When you have reliable backups in place, on the other hand, ransomware is a minor inconvenience from which you can quickly recover.
Regular data backups and a smooth-running network are critical to your business's overall functionality. If you are struggling to keep your network running smoothly or you need a few extra tips contact us today to learn how we can help.
