Cloud backups: why should I back up my business data?

Written by Andy Irvine
You may know what backing up means, but most of the time we don’t consider the importance until it is too late. Without backing up your data, you only have one copy of information to rely on, and when it’s gone, it’s gone!
Cloud backups: why should I back up my business data?
Backup your business data rigorously and strategically and you will actively mitigate the risk of catastrophic data loss. Risks which arise from all angles, including ransomware attacks or the theft of physical devices. Now add power failure, hard drive crashes, software corruption and accidental deletion or destruction to the list of potential data disasters.    Protecting business data by backing-up has evolved from disks and tapes, stored in a broom cupboard, to automated cloud backup services offering unlimited storage for unlimited devices. Backups help businesses to minimise downtime and the irreversible loss of critically important data.    For context, we work in an expanding data universe.  Staggeringly recent studies show that, in every hour of every day in 2020, more data was created than in an entire year two decades ago.1 Cloud backup solutions help businesses to safeguard these mushrooming quantities of business data, and to do so in an automated time-saving fashion.     Moving to a cloud backup process is wise, especially if your existing IT procedures are outdated or are no longer fit for purpose because your operations have changed. Perhaps, like many businesses, the quantity of data you create and store has skyrocketed beyond expectation and you need a more scalable solution. Or maybe you need new ways to backup remotely, following the shift to home and hybrid working.   

What do we mean by cloud data?  

Data centres have existed since the late 1990s as buildings filled with servers, where users store data and retrieve it on-demand. Cloud data is any such data which is backed up in this way.     Numerous tasks can be operated using cloud infrastructure, including file storage and business-critical backups:   File sharing and syncing – frequently-used files, uploaded to the cloud, help employees to seamlessly access, use and edit business data  Web application software – with the rise of home and hybrid working more businesses have migrated towards SaaS (software as a service), which operates via the cloud. Examples include Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps  Data backup – many cloud backup services offer unlimited storage capacity. This increasingly common and agile tool is instrumental in the prevention of data loss         

Where is your cloud data stored and is it secure? If you need to learn more about your options, speak with us today: Get in Touch. 

   

What does 'data backup' actually mean?   

Back up process 

When you transmit your data to the cloud you are effectively creating a copy for safekeeping. Install a recommended cloud backup service onto your network and you’ll immediately be able to backup your chosen files and folders.   

How often should back-ups be carried out?  

Cloud services allow users to create automated backup schedules. Automation mitigates the risk of human error in the backup process. We would recommend scheduling the backup of important business data to the cloud every 24 hours.    By completing regular backups, your business data will be safely stored and will allow you to easily restore certain files or your entire system. This makes the disaster recovery process less stressful.      Learn more about our data backup service here: Data Backup Solutions     

Where is data stored? 

Cloud data has a physical home within data centres, housed on massive remote data servers, which are owned by hosting companies and link to data centres in numerous locations. These cloud computing systems are located around the world and contain private clouds purchased by businesses. This gigantic melding of important data is secured and highly encrypted.     If you handle customer data relating to residents of the UK and/or EU, you are required to use a cloud service that is fully UK GDPR and DPA 2018 compliant and/or EU GDPR compliant.      

Still need to understand more about your current cloud storage set-up? We can help: Speak with the team.  

 

Is it mandatory for businesses to back up their data? 

  Backups are not a legal requirement but the loss of personal data is punishable by law. Data infringements carry fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover (under UK GDPR and DPA 2018) and €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover (under EU GDPR).     

Why is it important to back up business data?  

 

A disaster can occur at any time  

Data theft, corruption and loss devastate businesses, and can occur when we least expect them to. For example, cybercriminals are said to be increasingly targeting employees working outside of normal business hours, in the evenings and weekends.     Employees, shouldering new pressures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, could become distracted from their regular backup routines or lack training in how to backup remotely. Scheduling an automated cloud backup will help you to mitigate the risk of basic human errors.    

Keeps vital information safe  

Businesses have to retain terabytes of important data. For example, HMRC asks businesses to keep accounting records for six years from the end of the last company financial year. How would your business cope if a data-loss disaster wiped out these records? The damaging consequences of such a loss are complex and time-consuming to fix. Stay mindful of the consequences of losing vital information and how it could affect your business, as well as your employees and customers.   

Get your business back up and running safely   

When you backup your data to the cloud, you create an insurance policy against loss. A backup will help your business restore its data and processes, even in the event of a data disaster such as a zero-day cyber attack. Fresh copies of perfect data are invaluable assets, especially when you consider that reports show data corruption causes a quarter of total unplanned downtime2.     Creating a failsafe backup and data recovery plan is time well-spent, and could even save your business from ruin. We recommend replacing laborious manual backup processes with automated backups to multiple places, including a cloud backup service.    

Avoid huge financial losses  

Data loss can impact every aspect of a business and could ultimately cause a company to fold. Regular backups, however, help to mitigate the risk of business disruption during a data loss or breach event. Once your data is restored from the cloud, in combination with other sources, your business can resume operations.   

Backups save time 

Data loss takes time to fix. This can be as straightforward as retyping an email. On the other hand, it could be as serious as having to rebuild an entire database.     Norsk Hydro reportedly spent over three months and in excess of £45m recovering its business data in the wake of a ransomware attack3. Rather than pay the cybercriminals to unscramble encrypted company data, this global aluminium producer set about restoring its data from scratch.     How long would it take to rebuild your business data from scratch, and could you afford the herculean task? Find the best backup solution for your business – and backup promptly.   

What are the consequences of not backing up business data?  

Your business could be harmed irrevocably by a data loss event. Without records and files, your employees would be unable to work and your customers would be frustrated and alarmed by the business disruption. Contracts, invoices and intellectual property files could be wiped out, bringing all operations to a halt. The loss of a single file could cost your business dearly in downtime, income and reputational damage.     Without a data recovery plan, including backup files, you would face an uphill climb to normality. Repairing the damage done to your reputation, your records and your productivity would be a nightmare scenario.   

How Boldfield can help 

Whether you are upgrading all of your IT procedures or are interested in comparing cloud backup services for your business, we can help you. With expertise in data protection and business continuity, our technical expertise will navigate the pros and cons of the best cloud service providers. We can help you install your best-fit cloud backup service onto your network.     We understand that with the correct backup processes in place, your business operations can be made safer, especially for employees who are working in remote or hybrid teams.      Whether you are embarking on a new digital transformation project, preparing for hybrid working or looking for a more scalable backup solution, we’ll help you to safeguard your important business data without delay.  Find out how we can help your organisation, contact us today. 

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