As a managed service provider in today’s digital business landscape, we know that data backup is more critical than ever. You never know when your organization might fall victim to cyberattacks, ransomware or data breaches that could expose your valuable information. 

Imagine losing crucial data and not being able to recover it. This is where data backup comes into play. 

But what is backup, exactly?

What Is Backup?

Backup, simply put, is the practice of copying your data from one primary location to a secondary one. This secondary location serves as a safeguard in case disaster strikes, whether it’s due to accidents, malicious actions or unforeseen events like hurricanes.

In a modern organization, data is the lifeblood, and losing it can be catastrophic.

Why Is Data Backup So Important?

To understand why data backup is crucial, consider the alarming statistics related to disasters and data loss:

1. Cost of downtime: According to Gartner, every minute of downtime costs a business an average of $5,600. Can your organization afford such losses?
   
2. Survival rate: A study by Gartner found that only 6 percent of companies affected by a disaster without a disaster recovery plan in place survived and continued to operate more than two years afterward.
   
3. Common causes of data loss: The most common causes of data loss are hardware/system failure (31 percent), human error (29 percent) and viruses, malware or ransomware (29 percent). Without data backup, these incidents can be devastating.

Now, let’s explore various data backup options available to safeguard your critical information.

Data Backup Options

1. Removable media: Removable media, like CDs, DVDs and flash drives, has been a popular choice for data protection. It’s affordable and easy to use. However, it has limited storage capacity and can be prone to damage.
   
2. Redundancy: Redundancy involves creating multiple copies of your data to minimize the risk of data loss. Technologies like RAID (redundant array of independent disks) can help achieve this.
3. External hard drive: External hard drives are convenient and offer ample storage space. They are portable and provide relatively fast backups. However, they are susceptible to physical damage and theft.
   
4. Hardware appliances: Hardware appliances are dedicated devices designed for data backup and storage. They offer features like data deduplication, encryption and automated scheduling but can be costly.
   
5. Backup software: Backup software automates and streamlines the backup process. It offers features like automation, encryption, compression and the ability to back up to multiple destinations. Paid options often provide additional features and support.
   
6. Cloud backup services: Cloud backup services provide off-site storage and accessibility via the internet. They offer convenience, scalability and security but can be expensive and carry a higher risk of data breaches.

The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy

A best practice in data backup is the 3-2-1 backup strategy:

Three copies of data: Maintain three copies of your data, including the original and two duplicates. This ensures recoverability even if a backup is lost or corrupted.

Two different storage types: Use at least two different storage technologies to reduce the risk of failures related to a specific medium.

One copy off-site: Store at least one copy of your data off-site to eliminate the risk associated with a single point of failure. This provides robust disaster recovery capabilities.

Implementing the 3-2-1 strategy is a smart way to ensure your data is duplicated and reliably recoverable, protecting against accidents and malicious threats like ransomware.

Server Backup: Backing Up Critical Business Systems

When it comes to backing up critical business systems like servers, it’s best to use a dedicated server backup solution. These solutions can be software-based or appliance-based and enable backup to local servers, cloud servers, or hybrid systems.

Key features to look for in server backup solutions include support for diverse file types, backup location options, scheduling and automation, backup management, partition selection, data compression, and various backup types (full, differential, incremental). 

These features ensure efficient and secure server data backup.

Backup, Wrapped Up 

Data backup is not just a good practice; it’s a necessity in today’s digital world. Protect your organization from data loss, downtime, and disaster by implementing a robust data backup strategy tailored to your specific needs. Remember, what is backup may seem like a simple question, but its answer can make all the difference in the survival of your business. Don’t wait until it’s too late—contact us or book a meeting to start your data backup journey today with Internos, your trusted managed service provider.