One minute your business is running smoothly, and the next – poof! – your data is gone. Sounds like the stuff of nightmares, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Let’s talk about how to protect your business from this horror story, and why it’s more important than ever to have a rock-solid backup and recovery plan in place.
In a world where human error, ransomware attacks, and insider threats are lurking around every corner, it’s not enough to simply “set it and forget it.” Did you know that a third of all data losses happen due to backup failures? That’s right! Whether it’s corruption, incomplete files, manual backups not performed, or system glitches, businesses often discover their backups aren’t as bulletproof as they assumed. And the result? Data that’s lost or unusable when you need it most.
But that’s not all. Ransomware, the fast-growing villain in the business world, doesn’t just lock you out – it demands a ransom to get your data back. And shockingly, half of the businesses using backup tools still end up paying these criminals! Why? For many, paying is faster than trying to restore their data using unreliable recovery systems. And many don’t have complete backups. Worse still, only a fraction of businesses that pay ever fully recover their data.
Insider threats like employees, contractors, and others with access to your data, are also risk factors. Anyone with access to your data can steal it for personal gain. Perhaps it’s a disgruntled employee you may not be aware of who steals your data to work for a competitor or start their own business, stealing your best clients.
Data backup tools are your safety net. They create secure copies of your critical information, ready to swoop in and save the day if anything goes wrong. But here’s the twist: even if you have backup and recovery tools, your data might not be as safe as you think.
So, what’s going wrong here? Why are backup tools, designed to be your data’s ultimate guardian, falling short for so many businesses?
Often, the issue isn’t the tool itself, but how it’s being used. If backups aren’t properly set up, regularly tested, or able to keep up with sophisticated attacks, they become another weak link in your data protection strategy. And older systems? They simply can’t handle today’s advanced cyber threats.
Backing up to an external USB drive is not sufficient, safe, or reliable. Manual backups of any kind lead to failure and missing data. Cutting corners with backups and security promotes severe risk to your business.
That’s why having the right IT experts in your corner makes all the difference. An IT partner ensures your backup tools are set up perfectly, running smoothly, and verified regularly. A backup strategy is the first step in your overall disaster recovery strategy, a topic for another time. Backups need to follow the 3-2-1 Backup Rule: 3 copies of important data stored on 2 different media, with at least 1 offsite.
Why risk your business’s future on outdated or unreliable backup tools? Protect your data like the precious asset it is – because when disaster strikes, you want the confidence to bounce back in minutes, not days. Let us help you ensure that no matter what happens, your data is safe, secure, and always recoverable!
Pro Tip Cloud storage sync services like OneDrive and Google Drive are not backups. A backup must be a standalone duplicate copy, not a synced version that updates to mirror the original. Think of sync like holding a photo in front of a mirror. Write on the photo and your markings appear in the “mirror image” (sync). If you print or create a copy of that same photo, now you have 2 physical photos that never sync when the original is modified. This copy should be stored securely somewhere away from the original. This is backup.
PS If you’re considering engaging an IT partner or replacing your IT resource, read our FREE IT Services Buyer’s Guide – no registration or obligation required. If you’d like a free printed copy, please message me with your contact info and I’ll send one out to you. https://hi.teamone2one.com/buyersguide
PPS And if you’re not confident in your security defenses or don’t know where to begin, start with our FREE Cybersecurity Essentials Guides – no registration or obligation required. https://hi.teamone2one.com/cybershield2024
