How to Put Together a Foolproof Backup & Disaster Recovery Strategy

You walk into your office on a Monday morning to find that a pipe has burst over the weekend and the building is flooded. Water damage from overhead dripping has taken out your desktop PCs. You rush over to your server that contains all your device backups to see if it’s okay, and it’s standing in 3 feet of water. All your data has been lost and it’s going to be a long road to recovery ahead.

That’s an example of a weak backup strategy, because all copies of data, including the backup were kept in the same physical location, leaving them vulnerable to loss through a natural or, in this case, manmade disaster.

Ensuring that your data is safe and remains recoverable, no matter what, is the hallmark of a good backup and recovery strategy. Data backups are just as important as other managed services when it comes to the technology infrastructure that keeps your business running.

Causes of Data Loss

Some types of potential data loss can be anticipated, for example if you live in a hurricane-prone area, you’ll most likely get some advanced warning of the potential for physical damage at your office from an approaching storm. But that’s the exception.

Most data loss incidents come out of the blue, and if you don’t have a foolproof backup and recovery strategy in place, you can end up with devastating losses.

58% of small businesses are not properly prepared for data loss.

Causes of unexpected data loss include:

• Hard drive mechanical failures
• Damage due to accidents (spilling liquids, etc.)
• Ransomware, viruses, and other malware
• Accidental file deletion
• Cloud provider outage
• Natural or manmade disaster
• Software problems
• Device theft or loss
• Malicious deletion by disgruntled employee
• Power surges

A majority of small businesses (60%) that aren’t prepared with a good data recovery plan end up having to close down within 6 months of a major data loss event.

Setting Up a Backup/Recovery Plan that Keeps You Protected

Backup and recovery seems pretty straight forward. You back up your data and store it safely so you can get it back if the files on your main devices or cloud service are lost or damaged for any reason.

But too often companies don’t adopt the best practices needed for a strong backup and recovery plan. Here’s what you need to do to make sure your office is covered, no matter what unexpected event may occur.

Adopt the 3-2-1 Backup Rule

At the core of the 3-2-1 Backup Rule is to keep more than one copy of your data backed up and ensure at least one of those backups is offsite. This gives you access to your data both in the event of a local outage and if there’s a problem with your backup provider, because you have more than one copy of your data saved.

The rule goes like this:

• Three (3): Keep 3 copies of all your data (i.e. one on your computer, one on a local backup, one on a cloud backup)
• Two (2): Make sure at least two of those backup copies are on different types of storage media (i.e. a hard drive backup and cloud backup)
• One (1): Make sure at least one of those copies is offsite (i.e. a cloud backup)

While some might think having two backups is overkill, it gives you a much better chance of having recoverable data when you need it.

Check Backups Regularly

Many people start their backup for the first time on a computer or server, then don’t really think about it again until they need it. But a backup that isn’t monitored can run into problems that cause it to stop copying your data without you knowing it, like running out of storage or hitting a software glitch.

The average failure rate for backing up all data properly is 75%. That’s because too many backups go unmanaged. This is where signing up for a Managed Backup Plan can really help, because it means someone is constantly checking your backups to make sure they’re running smoothly so you won’t be in for any nasty surprises when you need data recovery.

Make Sure Your Backup Tool Includes a Recovery Component

If you’re just backing up files by copying them over to a removable hard drive, that may be fine if you just need to find a single file to recover. But what if your computer’s hard drive crashes and you’re left needing to restore everything to a new device? It’s going to be a long process and you’ll be missing things like your software and settings.

The best backup applications are designed for a fast recovery process and to back up and recover, not just files, but your entire computer operating system setup. So, you can quickly recover and get back up and running with all your emails, programs, settings, and files intact.

Get Expert Help Setting Up Your Backup & Recovery Plan

Data loss doesn’t have to mean loss of revenue and possibly your business. Quantum PC Services can help you set up and administer a strong back up and recovery plan for your Sturgeon Bay area office that will have your back whether you need a few files restored or all of them.

Don’t wait until the unexpected hits, give us a call at 920-256-1214 or contact us online to discuss your backup strategy today!