So you’ve assembles a massive database of valuable information and now it’s gone! It really doesn’t matter what the nature of your files or data was, once it’s gone, it’s gone unless you have a backup of course! Data backups are essential cybersecurity must-haves that every company should be using religiously.
If you don’t have data backups for important information, you shouldn’t be surprised when it all disappears. Data can disappear for any number of reasons, which is why it’s so important to have it backed up.
When data disappears, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a cybercriminal was responsible. As much as we would all like it to be, technology isn’t perfect, and things go wrong all of the time. Here are some tips on how to preserve and protect your future with data backups.
1. Make Them Regular
The first and perhaps most important tip about data backups is that they should be regular, and occur on a schedule. It doesn’t do any good to run a data backup one month and forget about doing it again the next.
People, no matter how talented or punctual, are fallible which is why data backups should be scheduled to be completed on their own.
2. Keep it Organized
Data backups should be as organized as possible. They should also be prioritized, you can’t have a bunch of unnecessary backups of data that you no longer need. All that will do is take up space.
While data backups should be scheduled to perform automatically, someone should still be keeping an account of exactly which files or groups of files, devices, etc. actually need backups.
The files and devices that require data backups may change over time as the data within them and their purpose changes.
3. Create and Follow a Data Backup Policy
Another thing that you should do is create and follow a detailed data backup policy. Having a data backup policy will cover everything from accountability to outlining what should be backed up and when. A data backup policy can save you and your team a lot of time while taking the guesswork out of countless tasks. Remember, to make the data backup policy as detailed as possible as to avoid any misunderstandings.
4. Your Backups Need to be Image-Based
Image-based backups are as the name states, an image of your entire operating system. With an image-based backup, you can restore a single file, directory, or an entire disk to the same or different hardware or virtual machine. You can back up this information to different onsite and offsite devices.
The backup that is created results in a single-file called an image that can be used to recreate the entire machine in the state that it existed at the time of the backup. These image files are fast to create, easy to store, and can be encrypted to adhere to all security standards.
5. Always Keep Plenty of Extra Contingency Space
Finally, you should always make sure that your company keeps plenty of extra contingency space. One of the most common problems businesses encounter when accumulating data backups is that they run out of storage space.
If you run out of storage space unexpectedly, it can prevent you from backing up your data. If that data is subsequently lost in the same time-frame, you will lose all of that data simply because you didn’t secure enough digital storage space.
Why Data Backups Are Important and Why You Should Get it Right
Some companies don’t understand the importance of data backups until it’s too late. Do yourself a favor and don’t be one of those companies. Data backups are necessary, and they should be automatically done regularly and remain image-based.
With these tips, you will be able to make effective use out of data backups. Your data backup policy will help keep everything in check and running smoothly, as it should be.
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