Why Is Data Backup So Important and What Issues Can It Solve?
An effective data backup strategy is critical to avoid catastrophic data loss. Everything from essential documents containing client work to images for a new promotional campaign may be stored on your local systems. If anything were to happen to your computers, hard drives, or servers, you could lose access to all that data — permanently.
But it’s best to understand what common issues pose a risk to your business before you create and implement a data backup strategy. In this post, we’ll look at some of the most common problems that make data backup so important.
Physical Disasters that Destroy Your Infrastructure
Sometimes, things just go wrong. And no matter how prepared you are, you can only do so much to prevent accidents in your workplace.
Unforeseen events can cause severe damage to your business site. As a result, your office, your hardware, and your entire physical IT infrastructure could be unusable for a long time.
A torrential downpour or burst pipe may trigger a flood in your office. Thieves could break in, steal your computers, and vandalize your workplace before they leave. Or a fire could rip through your site and destroy your hardware.
Whatever the situation, reliable data backup means you’ll still have access to your most important files. Cloud storage empowers you with the freedom to sign in and recover everything you need from any location, so long as you have the proper login details.
Your office may take weeks or months to become safe for your team again. But effective backup eliminates the risk of data loss due to physical disasters.
Malicious Attacks That Render Your Data Inaccessible
Sadly, hackers who want to cause trouble and extort money from businesses have a plethora of tools and techniques at their disposal. They had to work harder to infiltrate networks and steal data from targets in the early days of the Internet. But now they continue to come up with effective new ways to disrupt operations.
For example, around 60% of Canadian organizations affected by cyberattacks were targeted by phishing. This is a form of social engineering attack designed to steal critical data from victims.
Criminals may gather anything from login information to credit card details through phishing attacks. They’re often perpetrated via email, though they can be sent through text or instant messages too. Phishing can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and further security issues.
A phishing attack may also infect computers with ransomware or spyware, which would leave affected hardware unsafe or impossible to use. Ransomware demands have increased by more than 80% around the world, and Canadian victims have been forced to pay out an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars.
Any important data stored on an infected computer could become inaccessible and unusable. But data backup ensures you would be able to restore the files on another device, and get back to work with less disruption.
Accidental Deletion and Other Incidences of Human Error
Human error can put your business at risk of data loss in various ways. For example, half of people questioned for a survey admitted to letting friends or family members use a device issued by their employers.
As a result, unauthorized users may access precious files stored on that device, and potentially delete them. Or they could view sensitive information and leak it without intending to. That’s why employers must implement strict policies to ensure employees understand what they should and shouldn’t do with work-issued equipment.
But other incidences of human error may be more difficult to control. Perhaps a worker is distracted while working on a document carrying crucial financial data, and deletes it without realizing.
With a quality data backup configuration, that employee would be able to access the file elsewhere and put it back where it belongs. It’s a quick, easy solution that prevents wasted time and effort.
Create a Comprehensive, User-Friendly Archive
Building an archive of important data enables you to keep detailed records of your business finances, employees, compliance audits, legal matters, and more.
Companies kept archives in filing cabinets or binders for decades. And that meant that a fire or theft could deprive a business of its invaluable records within a matter of minutes.
That’s no longer an issue thanks to data backup services. You can upload all your files to the cloud and to off-site hardware for future reference. That’s far safer than keeping all your proverbial eggs in one basket.
When you have a clear, user-friendly archive, you’ll be able to access files to check details when completing various tasks. It’s fantastic if you need to file taxes, demonstrate how you comply with regulations, or check employee records.
This doesn’t need to replace your paper-based archive if you find that useful in your office. Both physical and digital versions have their own merits. But remember that online data backup allows you to set up tight security measures to control access. That can be a little more difficult with a physical archive.
How to Set Up Your Data Backup Processes with a Specialist Team
The GenX Careforce IT service team is here to bring you the best backup process engineering solutions for your business. Our specialists have years of experience helping companies just like yours with a range of IT services, including superior backup to protect you against data-loss disasters.
We’ll start by identifying issues affecting your current procedures, then create a bespoke plan to make your infrastructure work better for you. You can enjoy total peace of mind knowing that your data will be stored securely, ready when you need it.
Our backup process engineering services include:
- Tailored backup protocol plans.
- On-site hardware and software installation.
- Full installation of backup procedures on employee computers.
- Comprehensive testing of disaster scenarios to check your backup system works as it should.
- Ongoing support from the GenX team after installation.