Avoid losing your data by implementing a secure backup system right now.

We have all seen the news reports about companies being targeted by ransomware attacks.

How people say they didn’t realize what could happen.
Didn’t think backup was important.
Thought it was too expensive.
Unnecessary.

Most importantly they didn’t realize the value of their data until they lost access to it, in the event of a ransomware attack or simply because of human mistakes like an employee forgetting to save a file or accidentally deleting the only copy of a file when trying to meet a deadline.

Either you reading this already know this because you have been through this experience and have taken measures to make sure you are better prepared in the future or you are just now realizing how important your data truly is.

Whatever your previous experiences with data backup are one thing is certain.
You need to be prepared and it’s an ongoing process.

As the type of data and the storage volumes change your backup hardware and software needs change.

The cost can go either up or down depending on your situation but it’s important to keep in mind not to rush into making a decision based solely on an upfront cost of investing in a backup solution and instead focus on the value of your data and understanding what your needs are and what you are willing to invest to secure your data in the best possible way.

There exist many solutions to these daily ongoing problems of securing data in the event of a deliberate attack or accidental deletion of data by a user regardless of technical and system know-how. Solutions that can be tailored to your specific needs.

The following examples solve common data backup problems often found when taking a look at customers’ current storage systems.

Multiple backups on different mediums and geographical locations are always preferred. However, any additional copies of your mains storage that for example reside on your laptop or desktop computer is still a well worth investment.

Local hard drives: connected and disconnected.

Offers more control as the data is kept locally in your home or at the office but takes more time to set up and maintain.

Easier and faster data recovery in the event of for example data corruption or hard drive failure.

The obvious downsides are that data stored on hard drives can become corrupt or that the drive stops working altogether due to manufacturing defects or being dropped by accident.

Also, the are risks such as theft and fire accidents.

There is a heightened risk of losing all your data if there’s only one additional copy of your main data storage on for example an external hard drive. Therefore another copy such as cloud storage would be worth considering which would make sure you always had your data backed up in the event of one backup drive stopped working.

Redundancy to not lose time.

Internal redundant storage utilizes multiple drives so if for example one drive fails your data is safely stored on at least one more drive as long as you remember to rebuild that redundancy by replacing that faulty drive with a new working one.

This is mostly an option on desktop computers and some laptops.

Cloud storage.

Cloud storage offers easy access to securely backed-up data kept in sync across multiple devices.

Unless you host your own servers with this kind of storage solution your data will be kept at a geographically remote location and serves as a convenient way to backup your data while allowing you to easily access your data from any device at any moment.

Downsides can be slow retrieval of data when you need to download large amounts quickly and could also pose privacy concerns due to not knowing exactly where and how your data is stored.

Backup Scenario

Let’s go over a backup scenario that would fit the basic needs of most users.

You use a main device for example a laptop that acts as your main data storage.

You run automatic backups to an external hard drive using backup software installed on the laptop.

In addition, you also back up your data to a cloud storage service in a secure remote location which protects your data if your locally stored data is unavailable or unrecoverable for any reason.

Therefore an external hard drive that provides a fast and easy recovery method if the main data storage solution is unavailable for any reason + cloud storage that would make sure you always have your data backed up securely in a remote location makes for a great start as a backup system, avoiding the risk that might occur locally like accidentally dropping a hard drive or fire breaking out in your home or office.

Wrapping up

Whatever your needs are any backup system securing your data is better than none at all. A relatively simple backup solution can be acquired at a reasonable price protecting your data whether it is company project files or family photos from being corrupted or lost altogether.

For more information on what solution would be a great fit for your business or home setup please contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.