How Do We Protect Ourselves From Data Loss?
Problem?
Data Loss
As a business we need to protect our company data but are unsure what is required to do this properly. we are a small business and we back up our data to a USB is that enough?
Some questions you may have:
- How do we choose the right protection for us to protect our data?
- Is there a way to stop disgruntled staff form deleting my data?
- How do we stop data leakage from malware or spyware?
How can data go missing?
Human error: employees are often the ones responsible for data loss. Have you ever accidentally deleted a file or overwritten changes on an original file?
Hard drive damage: hard drives are where data is usually stored, and they are surprisingly fragile. They can be temperamental, and many things can cause them to stop working.
Viruses and malware: these can come in various forms. Ransomware withholds data and it’s sometimes better to cut the losses and trash the infected computer rather than negotiate. Malicious malware can delete data or steal it.
Power outage: these can happen suddenly and without warning. If computers are in the middle of a process it will not be completed which can cause damage to software and hardware. You can lose unsaved data and expect open files to corrupt.
Liquid damage: a very common threat to computers and the data inside. Spilling coffee on a laptop computer can destroy the inside as it’s very acidic, and water damage can cause short circuits.
Solution
Why data backup?
Backing up data means saving a copy of it somewhere apart from your every day working devices. It can also mean making copies of infrastructure, too. Having this data updated regularly means it will be accessible to replace any data lost through the means described above. Understanding the ways data can be lost helps to drive home how important data backup is to a business. There are four main ways you can choose to approach your data backup strategy. Work with your IT specialists to determine which strategy is the right fit for your business.
Local backup of server without drive rotation
This is the simplest set up and is often how small businesses first approach their backup strategy. All files are copied and saved to a server that is kept in the same location as the working computers. All devices backup to that server only. It’s a great solution if single files or records are deleted and need to be retrieved, but if they office burns down you’ll lose everything.
Offsite backup via hardware
This functions in the same way as the first example, but the data is saved to removable files or tapes that are removed and stored away from the office. Because the data is separated from the office there is a better chance of maintaining data integrity in case of an emergency. There are some drawbacks to this method. Maintaining this system can be cumbersome and slow. Moving the tapes and storing them offsite can be costly and increase security considerations. Backing up data manually in this way can also be delayed or deprioritised by busy employees.
Offsite backup to the cloud only
Instead of storing copies of data onsite, all of it is sent to a remote cloud-based storage centre. These backups can be set to be conducted automatically at regular intervals, so there is a reduced chance of skipped or forgotten days. It’s relatively fast, and the pathway the data takes between the computers and the server is encrypted and secure. The data itself is secure once held in heavily fortified cloud servers. Restoration of the data can take time, but smaller recovery tasks should not take long. Restoring a complete server can take significant time, but the security and reliability benefits tends to offset those concerns. Restorations should be able to be conducted outside of trading hours in order to reduce any trade interruptions. Data storage can become expensive depending on how much data is kept. Restoring offsite data can also be challenging in situations of large-scale challenges as a stable internet connection is required to transfer the data back to the office devices.
Combination of onsite and offsite backup
The final option is to operate with a combination of both types of data backup. An onsite server can be used to backup along with a secure offsite cloud-based storage solution. Why would this present a good choice? If there is a catastrophe that’s local to your office, the cloud-based storage will be there to keep your data secure, and able to be restored later. The onsite storage will keep the same data. The proximity will allow for smaller file recovery to be done very quickly, and for larger file restoration to be achieved faster, if the loss is not caused by a physical impediment like fire or flood. It’s a combination of speed, location and security. It’s always better to have more copies of data than you think you’ll need, but you also need to be aware and responsible for the storage and transmission.
