Data backups are an essential component of any business contingency plan. Data is the lifeblood of business today and many large businesses understand this, which is why they’ve dedicated resources to building the necessary infrastructure to safeguard their data. However, data loss isn’t just limited to large companies and multinational corporations. In fact, small businesses are equally at risk, if not more so.
A lot of things can happen. Malware can infect your computer network or your storage accounts can be held for ransom. Employees can mishandle or even steal your proprietary data. Hard drives fail all the time, and there’s no assurance that your data will remain intact.
If you only have one backup, and it’s lost or compromised, you lose access to your own records and information. It’s as simple as that. And paper copies are susceptible to fire, theft, and flooding. If you’re serious about protecting your business, you need to take steps to secure your data. Whether you’re looking at cloud backup pricing or building an offline server, here’s a quick guide to data backups to get you started.
- Backups are different from copies
One common misconception is that making copies of your data is the same as backing it up. Copies of your records and other information form part of your data archive. Data backups, on the other hand, are continuously updated. Let’s say you have a database that’s used on a daily basis. Every time the database is updated or amended, the changes are reflected on your main copy as well as the backup. That way, if you lose access to the main database, your data is still preserved.
Data backups work by instructing the software to make a mirror of whatever folder or drive that needs securing. After the initial setup, any changes to the main drive are automatically reflected on the backup. For instance, if you have a folder where you keep all of your financial data, any new file will appear in your backup too. Best of all, this all happens in the background so you won’t have to do anything.
- Online and offline backups go hand in hand
One backup is good, two is better. Many businesses use a mixture of online and offline methods to secure their data. Some prefer cloud backups while others swear on local servers. Whether you go online or offline all depends on your business needs. That said, there’s a lot of benefits to be had from maintaining both cloud-based and local storage.
One of the reasons why people go for cloud-based backups is the data isn’t located onsite. If something were to happen such as a flood or a fire, and your computers get destroyed, you still have all of your data intact in the cloud. Meanwhile, you might want to go for local storage if your internet connection is limited and you have concerns about your data being managed by a third-party provider. A mix of both techniques can give you the peace of mind you desire.
- Online storage is secure
With all the press coverage surrounding stolen and compromised data, it often seems like online backups aren’t as secure as we originally thought. However, they are the exception rather than the norm, and the vast majority of data stored online remain safe and secure from threat actors.
Your data is encrypted first before it is transmitted from your location to a remote server. That way, on the off chance someone gets their hands on your data, they won’t be able to use it without the encryption key. Every major cloud backup service utilizes highly secure encryption methods to keep your data safe. Some services even encrypt their data in such a way that only you have access to the key, ensuring that no one (not even the provider) can gain access to your vault.
- You don’t need a fast internet connection
Most small businesses can back up their data with a regular internet connection. Of course, you’ll notice some slowdowns during the initial upload, when all of your data is being copied to the cloud. But once the data transfer is complete, you shouldn’t have that many problems. Let’s say your entire drive has been backed up. If you make a 1-megabyte file change, only that portion of the drive is synced.
The bottom line
Many businesses fail to include data backups in their business continuity plans, with disastrous results. While running a business often seems like putting multiple fires out at the same time, you need to give data security the attention it needs. That way, you won’t lose much if a disaster ever strikes.
Meta title: Data Protection for Small Businesses: 4 Things You Need to Know
Meta description: Data backups are an essential component of any business continuity plan. Here’s what you need to know about this crucial service.
