Why your business needs backup
At Surrey IT we realise that data backup is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of IT. Backup should be your business’ first and last line of defence. Simply put it means making a copy of your most important files for the sole purpose of being able to restore them if they are lost or damaged.
There are many reasons this can happen: accidental error, theft, physical failure of your Desktop, Laptop or Server, and environmental disasters such as fires and floods. Computer viruses are another risk to your business. Once on your machine or within your network they will delete or corrupt your data rendering it useless.
What data should I back up?
A good start is to think about what you would need to continue working if your computer or network was struck with the Cryptolocker virus (a debilitating type of ransomware which is almost impossible to crack).
For the day to day running of your business you would need, amongst other things, clients’ contact details, copies of contracts, financial information etc. Consider for a moment just how long it’s taken to collate this and what it would mean to you and your business if you couldn’t access it again.
How can I back up?
So, you’re at the point where you think you need backup. But how can do you actually do it? Well, there’s various types of backup available. Time, security, and budget will affect your choice but some methods are far better than others.
Whilst portable hard drives and memory sticks can be used for smaller backups, these cheap devices are easy to damage, even easier to lose, and are unreliable. The data on them isn’t secured which means that anyone with your lost device also has your lost data at their disposal. It also overwrites any previous versions of files which means there’s only one version to restore from.
Tape backup is also available and whilst this method was once an industry standard, it’s now considered outdated. It’s a slow, manual process and unless you store the tapes offsite, they are subject to the same environmental risks as the original files.
At Surrey IT we recommend online data backup. It works for businesses of all types and sizes and there’s no need to buy new hardware or software. Your chosen data is transported in an encrypted format to a secure, state of the art datacentre. The backups are scheduled, so there’s no user intervention, and the files are easy to restore. Security and peace of mind for a small monthly cost.
Our tips for data backup
- Regularly test your copied data; backups are pointless if you can’t restore your data.
- Backup regularly; how much work are you prepared to lose?
- Use offsite Cloud backup; the only option that provides total security.
As a final point, let’s just say that you were struck with the Cryptolocker virus. With online data backup your machine or system would simply be wiped, then restored from your last backup. It’s as simple as that – you’ll be up and running again in no time whatsoever.
