Ensuring your important company data is backed up is an essential activity for any business, regardless of size. And this is especially true of companies that handle sensitive information. If a company like Experian can suffer from a data breach, anyone can. Having your important information backed up should be a critical part of your cybersecurity strategy. To avoid becoming just another cybersecurity statistic, you’ve got to understand the basics of properly backing up your data.
Let’s start with what to back up. Always back up any and all data that you deem critical or strategic; data you cannot afford to lose. Remember, if there is some information you decide you do not need, you can always delete it later. The rule should be that it is better to back up too much than not enough, especially if you have the storage capacity to do so.
There are several options for proper data backup. First, you can back up your data locally on servers or hard drives you keep on-site. If you are already utilizing a cloud solution, consider expanding what you already use to include a data backup. Redundancy is always the best option. Having data in multiple places is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if your data is adequately protected.
You also want to make sure you make a habit out of backing up your data. Whether you back it up daily, weekly or monthly (never wait longer than monthly), make a routine out of it and ensure your entire organization follows that routine.
You may also be wondering what types of data to back up. Your first option is a full backup, in which all your data is copied and secured. This type of backup will use more space and time, but you lose nothing. Incremental backups take a minimal amount of time and take up less storage space. A differential backup keeps data points and files as copies. At the end of a differential backup, you’ll have the original full backup as well as any changes on your backup media. Finally, you have the option to complete a mirror backup. A mirror backup is like a full backup in that it is essentially a copy or mirror to the original source data. The mirror backup, however, doesn’t have the specific versions of your files recorded.
Ask any IT professional and they will tell you the importance of data backups in keeping important company information safe. Keep these top tips in mind next time you are ready to back up critical company information
