This article is about the importance of data backup for your business. You should take the time to read this entire article as it is about the continuity of your business by ensuring that you and your customers data are securely and safely backed up.
In the recent months, computer systems around the world have been hit by a “randomware attack.” This virus would encrypt the files on your machine and a fee was demanded in-order to retrieve it. Following the attacks, the need to backup important business date is now at the forefront of many businesses.
Why is it important to back up my business data?
During the randomware attack, organisations such as NHS were in crisis. They were unable to access crucial patient data and day-to-day tasks. Businesses who uses IT Service companies were able to easily retrieve their date, but those without have been facing issues.
Losing an entire record of customer database would be a massive blow to a company. If you have no client information, you won’t be able to manage your existing customers or gain new ones. You could risk losing on any future projects that are working on, putting your business months behind schedule.
If you handle sensitive customer date, your clients expect you to take the necessary precautions to ensure that is it not shared with unauthorised parties. You could potentially face legal issues if personal information is being made public, even if it is through a malicious attack.
I store files on an external drive – is my business safe?
Just because files are stored on an external drive does not necessarily means it is safe and secure. As an IT Service company, we advise against using them to create backups – we’ll tell you more below.
An external drive is essentially used to create an archive. It is fine to store past date and projects but they should not be used as an up-to-date and workable backup system. During the backup process the system copies the most current version on your computer. This includes files, but also programs and the operating system as a whole.
If you have backed up your data properly and do lose all of your data, you will be able to restore your computer to a very recent version. You’ll minimise your loss, and will be able to carry on working immediately.
How do I backup my data?
There are many different backup solutions available when you choose to back up your company’s information. Some businesses choose to carry out their company’s backup in-house. This requires regularly transferring files onto a physical storage solution, such as: an external hard drives or other storage solutions.
While this works well for some businesses, regularly purchasing new tapes or storage devices can become costly. Keeping a backup of your files in the office is also risky. If the worst happens (e.g. fire), then you can lose both your systems and your backup.
Many companies are now choosing to back up their data off-site, and online backup solutions are widely used. They offer a simple process for a monthly fee, with no need to download software. You can simply select the files you need to keep safe, and send them to a secure storage centre over the internet or cloud backup solutions.
There’s no longer a need to clear office space for your data storage, as offsite online backup solutions are all cloud-based. This means that you can easily access your files from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection.
Your backup system can even be automated, allowing you to carry out regular backups without any extra work. Knowing that your backups are constantly carried out quickly and safely gives businesses peace of mind.
