Summary
Backing up data properly involves knowing what can hinder your progress. Here are common data backup mistakes and how to avoid them.
Don’t think data backup is important for small and medium-sized businesses? Think again. 58% of businesses don’t have the funds to recover from a cyber-attack or data loss. In short, data loss is a complex problem that can have crippling effects on businesses.
While prevention is always preferable, it isn’t feasible all the time — as anyone who has experienced data loss firsthand knows. That’s why having an effective data backup and recovery plan in place is such an important part of running a successful business.
But even with these plans, you can still make costly data backup mistakes. Sadly, these mistakes often come back to haunt us during times of crisis when we need our backed-up data most.
That’s why, in this guide, we’ll take a look at some common mistakes businesses make while backing up their data, so hopefully you won’t make them too.
Business Data Security Terms to Know
Before we get started, it’s helpful to ensure you know the ins and outs of backing up business data. This starts with having a solid understanding of data security terms.
Business data security is an essential knowledge base for organizations today to protect their valuable information. That’s why you need to be aware of the key terms and concepts related to this area. Doing so allows you to better protect your investments.
What is Data Backup and Recovery?
Data backup and recovery are important parts of any business operation. This type of service involves creating a copy of all your data. You can use this copy to restore or recover corrupted files or data in the event of a disaster or system failure.
Data backups also help protect against ransomware attacks. This is because you’ll have access to your data immediately without paying an attacker’s ransom demands. Having the right data backup solution in place helps reduce the risk associated with losing access to information.
What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?
Did you know that 93% of companies without a disaster recovery plan will be out of business within one year after a data breach? That’s why a disaster recovery plan is an important step to ensure that your business or organization can stay afloat in the event of a disaster.
What is this type of plan, though? It’s a collection of processes and procedures that are designed to allow you to quickly respond to any major damage or disruption. The goal is to get back to operational efficiency as quickly as possible.
It includes things like:
- Prioritizing resources
- Emphasizing data backups
- Developing communication strategies among teams
There’s no single answer when it comes to what should be part of a comprehensive recovery plan. Every organization will have different needs and implementation strategies. However, one thing should remain clear: having a plan in place is invaluable.
The Dangers of Not Backing Up Business Data
Why is all of this such a big deal in the first place? In today’s digital world, data is the lifeblood of most businesses. After all, data enables a company to operate and stay competitive in today’s technological age.
That’s why we can’t overstate the dangers of not backing up business data. If something were to happen to your system or data, all of your hard work and effort would go down the drain. The following issues can lead to devastating losses, costing both time and money:
- Malicious attack
- Computer virus
- Corruption of hardware
- Software failure
The reality is that taking time to back up your business data can help you avoid most technical issues. To avoid a data disaster, it’s essential to make sure all critical business information is backed up regularly so you can establish a sense of security and continuity going forward.
9 Common Data Backup Mistakes
Now, you (hopefully) understand just how essential data backups are for protecting businesses against natural disasters and other risks. However, some common data backup mistakes can leave organizations vulnerable. Don’t make any of these nine mistakes and you’ll be, well, more protected than most.
1. Having No Backup Plan
Having no backup plan is one of the most common and costly data backup mistakes that businesses make. Having a backup plan ensures that you can quickly restore your system should something go wrong and you lose access to important files.
Remember that without a backup plan, you’re at risk of significant financial losses. You can lose hours attempting a recovery rather than focusing on the day-to-day operation of your business. It could also mean the total loss of critical business information forever.
2. Inconsistent Backup Systems
It’s extremely important to have consistent backups set up. We’re talking about a weekly or monthly system or else vital information can be lost in the event of an emergency.
Inconsistency can lead to gaps between backups. This, in turn, can result in missing data should something happen. So, forget about inconsistency. Instead, set up regular, reliable backup practices (with the help of your local IT team).
3. Failing to Test Backups
Failing to test backups is another huge mistake you’ll want to avoid making. As a business, you rely on your backups to keep your operations safe. However, if you don’t periodically double-check whether they’re working, your data might be at risk.
Not testing backups means that you won’t know if the process of backing up your data went smoothly until it’s too late. So, to ensure peace of mind, it’s important to regularly test your backups and make sure that they are taking place properly.
Doing this regularly will help ensure that you will have the data when you need it most in case of an emergency. It isn’t hard or time-consuming and can save you huge amounts of stress and money in the long run.
4. Forgetting About Home Offices
With more and more people working from home, backup mistakes related to home offices are becoming increasingly common. Forgetting to back up laptops used in remote workspaces can be a huge issue that is often overlooked until it’s too late.
And no, we’re not just talking about risking your employee’s partner viewing sensitive information. We’re talking about your employees’ devices being at risk for malicious attacks that can lead to data loss and other security issues.
Without regular data backups for your home office, you risk losing critical documents as a result of hardware failures, natural disasters, or cybercrime. Regularly transferring important files onto offsite storage and making sure auto-backups are enabled can help ensure your data isn’t lost forever if an unfortunate event should occur.
Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about your home office when creating a backup plan. Take time to pause and consider the data you care about most and set up a plan that encompasses work-from-home cloud solutions and data backups.
5. Forgetting About Mobile Devices
It’s easy to forget about backing up company mobile devices, especially when many people use their mobile devices for minor tasks and store hardly any personal data on them. However, just like computers, if something happens to a phone or tablet, any important project-related files or documents stored in it can be gone forever without a backup.
The other issue with phones and tablets is that they’re far more prone to being broken, stolen, or destroyed than desktop computers are. To avoid disaster, it’s important to back up your documents either manually or through an automated service from a Southern California IT provider so that you always have easily accessible copies of them when needed.
6. Not Automating Security Systems
It can be very difficult for people to keep up with manually backing up their data consistently. However, if you don’t, you run the risk of losing all your important information in the case of a system failure or security breach. Not only can this be discouraging, but it’s also unnecessary, as there are many options available for automation.
Not only does automation take the hassle out of manually tracking which files have been backed up and where they’re stored, but it also ensures that your data is safe, secure, and always accessible in the event something unexpected happens. Be sure to ask your local IT security company if they offer this service.
7. Failing to Train Key IT Personnel
Failing to train key IT personnel on data backup is one of the most common mistakes that companies make in protecting their information. This type of oversight can have devastating consequences when IT personnel don’t know how to identify and respond to an attack or virus, leaving your company exposed and vulnerable.
Failing to anticipate these potential threats can result in a massive data loss, impacting operations and potentially leading to financial and reputational damage.
To avoid these risks, ensure all of your company’s key IT personnel receive adequate data backup training on best practices for backing up data. Provide them with opportunities for additional refreshers over time so they stay up-to-date with changing procedures and data trends.
8. Relying Only On Physical Storage
Relying solely on physical storage is one of the most common data backup mistakes that businesses make.
Whether it’s having files stored on an external hard drive or a host of thumb drives, relying exclusively on these types of backups can be incredibly dangerous in the long term. Not only are physical storage devices vulnerable to damage from things like water, fire, or theft, but you also face the risk of sudden corruption or failure due to their finite lifespan.
One measure for safeguarding against such losses and preventing further data backups mistakes is to have your stored files backed up to the cloud. It’s even worth it to keep a copy stored in an offsite location away from your workplace.
9. Forgetting to Archive Data
Instead of simply backing up information, archiving collects and stores all the essential records from your business to:
- Save space
- Maintain efficiency
- Help with data recovery in the event of a disaster
Forgetting this simple step can lead to serious consequences down the line including lost data that holds valued business information. By taking a few moments to archive all current company files, you can save yourself worry and frustration in the future.
Data Backup Strategy: How to Avoid Data Backup Mistakes
It (hopefully) goes without saying that data like customer information, purchase history, and mission-critical documents need to be backed up regularly or else your company could be in serious trouble.
Knowing how to back up data properly should be at the top of anyone’s list when crafting a data backup strategy for their business. But by taking the time to understand where data backups should be saved and how frequently they should occur, you can make sure that your data will never get lost in a digital abyss.
What else can you do to avoid these costly mistakes?
Prioritize protecting your company’s data by creating multiple forms of backup for storage; this should include both physical copies and cloud backups for offsite storage.
Additionally, if you’re not working with an IT company, it pays to set automatic updates for your backup systems and regularly test the restoration process to ensure that any threats or failures are identified quickly. Finally, ensure your brand has a plan in place in case disaster strikes. This will allow you to respond swiftly and efficiently.
Get Data Backup Services From Biztek Solutions
Loss of data can be a costly mistake for organizations, but our data backup and recovery services protect against data loss. With a data backup every 15 minutes, we make sure your business remains in business no matter the situation.
We make data backup simple and easy so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have more questions about our turn-key business continuity solution. Our data protection products offer an affordable option to keep your business running smoothly.
So don’t hesitate. Let us answer any questions you have about our turn-key business continuity solution and discover how to prevent data backup mistakes. Get in touch today for a free discovery call.
