Creating An Effective Data Backup Strategy

Steps To Creating A Data Backup Plan

Loss of critical business data can be devastating for a company, and an effective backup strategy is the best defense. Learn how to create one.  

In today’s highly digital business environment, a company’s lifeblood and very existence depend on protecting and having continuous access to the data it needs to function. That means an organization has to have adequate information security safeguards in place to prevent data breaches and other threats to information integrity, but also have a way to restore data if and when it is lost. And that means having an effective and comprehensive backup strategy in place to ensure business operations continuity if the worst happens.

Data Is Constantly At Risk

These days, due to several highly publicized incidents over the last decade, when information security is mentioned, most people think of data breaches. And it’s true that cybercrime in the form of malware, viruses, and ransomware attacks accounted for 29% of data loss in 2019. But there are plenty of other risks to a company’s data. Hardware and systems failures accounted for another third of data loss, as did good old human error. Natural and manmade disasters caused by fires, floods, tornados, hurricanes, snow and rainstorms, and earthquakes are a constant threat in areas that are prone to them.

Operations downtime due to loss of critical data can result in significant loss of revenue and brand trust and high recovery costs. Many companies don’t survive a serious incident. It’s vital that an organization has a data backup and recovery plan in place to ensure business continuity and to minimize interruption of operations and the impact on customers. Here are some important considerations when creating a data backup plan.

Creating An Effective Data Backup Strategy – Questions To Ask

What Data Needs To Be Protected?

All of a company’s data should be backed up at some level. But information needs to be prioritized as to how losing access to it will impact business continuity. Some data might have to be restored immediately to keep the business running. Other types of less critical information can wait until later. Other things that should be considered is how long can the organization afford to be down without serious consequences. What types of applications and operating systems and their configurations will be backed up?

What Data Backup Solutions Are Best?

The next step in the process of creating an effective data backup plan is to decide where and how the data will be stored, onsite or offsite, with hardware or software, or with a cloud solution.

• Onsite Storage – Keeping data on the premises has the advantage of being more immediately accessible, and it’s usually easier to maintain and to keep secure. This can be accomplished with dedicated hard drives and with backup software. The disadvantage of keeping data onsite is that it is more likely to be lost in the event of a disaster.
• Offsite Storage – These days, offsite storage usually means using a cloud-based data storage solution. It can be more affordable and more flexible than onsite backups, is very secure, and relieves a company from having to manage backups and the associated hardware and software.

Most businesses choose to go with a hybrid solution of both onsite and offsite data backups to benefit from the advantages and to avoid the disadvantages of both.

Which Vendor Is Best?

Whatever type of data backup strategy a company ultimately decides to adopt, it’s vital that they choose the right vendor to provide and manage it. A preferred vendor will help to design the plan, provide implementation support and training, provide regular testing, and be available to address problems when they occur. Of course, they should have a good reputation in the industry and have a demonstrable track record of success.

Data Backup Professionals In Atlanta

Creating an effective and affordable data backup strategy requires an understanding of a company’s specific needs and requirements to devise a customized plan. Centerpoint IT has extensive experience helping companies in Atlanta, GA, assess and accomplish their business IT needs. Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation.