No doubt you are aware of the importance of having your data backed up so that if something happens to your network or systems you can quickly restore that data and continue operations. There are, however, some common yet serious mistakes that companies make with regard to their backup and recovery process. Is your company guilty of any of these?
Are You Backing Up the Right Information?
As you know, there is more to backing up your data than making sure that your customer list is saved on an external hard drive somewhere in the office. However, you still need to ensure that you are backing up the correct items, and that can include applications and system settings as well as raw data. IT professionals often recommend having a system-state backup that will restore everything you need to get your company back up and running in the event of problems. Think about what kind of data and software your employees need access to continue operations with as little interruption as possible, and make sure that you back will make that accessible to them.
Have You Tested Your Backups?
Imagine, if you will, that something has occurred that forces you to resort to recovering your latest backup. Perhaps it was a natural disaster that damaged your offices, or malware that brought down your system. Its time for you to finally use that backup … and it does not work. The data is corrupted or incomplete, or perhaps the hardware you have been using to store the data does not work. By this time, it is too late to make changes to your backup methodology or select a more reliable means of storing your backup data. This is why testing is so very important; in fact, an untested backup is not really a backup at all. Before a disaster happens, make sure that backup software is storing the information that you want and that it is storing it correctly without errors and verify that the restore process works without errors or problems.
Are You Relying Too Heavily on Traditional Methods and Hardware?
One common mistake that too many businesses make is relying too much on outdated backup methods (think tape backups and the like). There have been massive improvements in the field of backup that have provided much faster, more reliable, and more secure methods to keep your data not only backed up but far easier to restore. For example, many companies, on the advice of IT experts, are turning to remote cloud storage for this purpose. This can simplify both the storage and recovery process for your company, allowing operations to be restored much more quickly.
Did You Fail to Have a Backup of Your Backup?
When it comes to backup and recovery, it is always good to have a plan B. If your backup is on-site, make sure to have one off-site in case your site is damaged by something such as a fire or a flood. If your backup is on physical media, then you should also have an extra copy in the cloud in case something goes wrong with the hardware. Some (wise) companies use a 3-2-1 system for their backup: 3 copies of the data located in 2 different locations with at least 1 copy of the backup kept offsite. This is an excellent insurance policy against unexpected complications with your backup system.
Conclusion
A robust backup and recovery system will have the right information (both in terms of the data itself and the type of information) backed up and will have been thoroughly tested on a regular basis. It will not rely to heavily on antiquated technology and methods and will include redundancy so that if one backup fails there is another one to look to. If you make sure your company is not making these kinds of mistakes, you will be well along the path to having a reliable backup methodology.
Maryland IT Solutions
If you want a reliable backup and recovery system that avoids the common mistakes just discussed and includes powerful encryption to keep your data safe and compliant, contact Maryland IT Solutions today. We will work with you to develop a backup and recovery process that meets the needs of your company.