Happy World Backup Day, March 31st, 2022!
In case you didn’t know, today is world backup day! A day where we all take a moment to make sure our data is backed up and safe. Whether you’re using an online backup service or just copying your files to an external hard drive, it’s essential to have a plan in place in case of disaster. Below is some information about ensuring your Backup strategy is effective and five tips for ensuring your data is backed up safely and securely..
Don’t Wait… Start Today
If you don’t already have a strategy in place, today is the day to research your options, develop your strategy, and create your roadmap for implementing a robust backup plan. If you DO have a plan in place, review it carefully and consider whether it still covers what your business needs now and as you grow.
Whether your company is large, small, or somewhere in between, a data disaster could be the end of your company. 60% of SMBs experienced losing or theft of sensitive data in the previous 12 months. That’s not a risk you want to take, so it’s time to make sure you have a tested backup strategy in place before it’s too late.
What is your Backup Strategy?
If you lose a critical system, are infected with a virus, or become a victim of ransomware, you could be looking at business-crippling downtime. You’ll need to plan out a specific strategy that includes security controls and monitoring to prevent that lifeline from failing in the face of a critical event.
You’ll also need to consider precisely how long your business can survive being down and build your strategy to ensure you’re back up and running before you hit that timeline. Make sure your backups are scheduled well in advance of that timeframe so that you can account for unforeseen circumstances and get your data back online faster.
Prioritize What to Backup First
You’ve taken into account exactly how long you can be offline before your business suffers irreparable damage. Now you need to create a specific priority list for each of your systems categories to have a clear plan of action when it’s time to implement your recovery plans. Solūt recommends the following order, which can be adjusted to fit your specific business needs:
- Finance systems
- Business systems
- Operations
- Customer service
- Marketing and sales
If thinking of it by application makes more sense for your business, start with this list instead:
- ERP
- Email (Exchange/O365, etc.)
- File servers and file systems
- Actual servers, workstations, laptops, etc.
Follow these Backup Strategy Best Practices
To celebrate World Backup Day, here’s a quick list of 5 tips for helping keep your business prepared to recover from the worst day.
- Ensure your plan includes the priority restore list we mentioned above. Focus on getting your business back online as quickly as possible by prioritizing the systems or teams you need most and working backward from there.
- Clock your restore time. Make sure the time it takes to get back up and running fits your business downtime threshold. If your current solutions or providers aren’t meeting your needs or your bandwidth can’t handle your cloud strategy, it might be time to ask for support.
- Keep isolated backup systems that are tested regularly. If you choose local backup, protect yourself with a cloud option that uses separate MFA credentials.
- If an incident does occur, restart your backup routine ASAP. Back up everything, even encrypted or infected machines, to create a recovery path if containment or remediation steps destroy data.
- Keep a hard copy of procedures and contact information. Review these procedures regularly to keep them up to date, and date and remember to test them regularly.
These five tips are necessary for a robust backup strategy, whether you’re going local, cloud, or both. By following them, you’ll minimize the impact of a crisis and significantly reduce downtime.
Solut can Help
Business continuity planning incorporating Backup Strategy and Disaster Recovery plans (and their implementation) is a big job. They require knowledge, focus and an investment in resources to be done correctly. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Outsourcing your business continuity strategy can be a simple way to gain profound peace of mind. Whether you need a complete Business Continuity plan, or just a technical backup strategy solut can help.