To a modern business, data is worth more than money. The consequences of not backing up your information are obvious. Still, it’s shocking how some companies approach data security, using outdated procedures and technology to protect their information. Let’s look at a few things that can put your data at risk:
- Application or equipment failure
- Human error
- Cybercrime
- Communication failure
- Natural disaster
- Fires
Many companies don’t seriously consider data security until they experience a huge loss.
Are You Ready To Recover Your Data?
Your backup and disaster recovery strategy is what gets your business through the worst of times, but it’s less about preventing disaster and more about responding to it.
A disaster recovery plan is a documented and structured approach that details how your organization will respond to different scenarios so it can quickly resume work or continue serving customers at a reduced capacity. This is an essential part of your business continuity plan, and when it’s outlined and executed properly, your customers, employees, and vendors may not even notice a drop in service.
As cybercrime and breaches become more sophisticated, your organization must define and document its approach to data recovery and implement strategies that protect your business operations.
How a Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategy Is an Important Element of the Modern Workplace
Modern workplaces don’t ignore risk—they reduce it. The question isn’t if a disaster will happen, but when. The answer is how a business responds to disaster and mitigates its impact through a combination of technology, awareness, and training. You can’t stop a hurricane or predict an earthquake, but you can plan for when it happens.
Key Elements of a Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategy
Reliable, Automated Data Backups – Automation is the only way you can ensure the accuracy and availability of your most recent data backup. Backups are the backbone of your server disaster recovery strategy, but how often they’re done and where they’re stored will vary with your use. Automated backups can happen as frequently as every 15 minutes. In fact, 15 minutes is a baseline for most modern workplaces.
Acceptable Recovery Time – Recovery time can make or break your disaster recovery plan. Everything has a limit, and your business should clearly define how long an application or system can be down. The restore process is typically measured in hours, minutes, or even seconds. Most disaster recovery plans start at an acceptable recovery time and work backward from there.
Recovery Point Objective – Different applications need different data, and when you have an automated backup system, it should match your recovery needs. Even data that’s a few hours old is unacceptable for many modern systems. If your team has to work outside the office, the recovery point prioritizes your business applications so they can get back to work with little disruption.
Planned Scalability – Too often, a company invests in a disaster recovery plan only to have growth outpace the system’s ability to protect increasing amounts of data. A proper backup and disaster recovery strategy reflects predicted growth. This includes updating bring-your-own-device policies to secure data used by remote employees and actively planning for when a device is lost or if an employee leaves the company.
Layered Cybersecurity – Backups used to be the ace in the hole for businesses when dealing with ransomware and malware. These days, a determined ransomware attack can isolate and lock down data backups if the data isn’t protected with a layered approach. This approach means your staff is fully trained to identify phishing emails and avoid risky activity while your technology protects backups, so you can retrieve data kidnapped by hackers and avoid a costly ransom.
Test and Test Again – How will you know that your backups work when the time comes? Frequent tests give you peace of mind knowing your backups are ready at a moment’s notice and that they’re adequate to continue your business.
How Modern Is Your Workplace?
At SBT, we always put security first, and this means keeping your data safe from loss. We’ll help you build an end-to-end backup and recovery strategy by defining real-world scenarios to prepare you when a disaster occurs.
A modern workplace is always in control of its data. Cloud computing simplifies data redundancy and allows you to operate confidently when confronted with challenges.
Our mission is to transform your company into a fully functional workplace where technology, procedures, and training all work together as a protective matrix for your employees, your customers, and your business. This is the modern workplace in action, and it’s only a click or call away. Reach out to us today to discuss how we can modernize your workplace through cybersecurity, backup and data recovery strategies, and the latest cloud applications.
