Small Business Backup Strategy – A data backup is a copy or storage of important data stored on your device, such as a computer, phone, or tablet, and is designed to restore that original data in the event of data loss.
Have you ever lost a large amount of important data? Or, in short, have you ever had a moment of panic that you thought you had?
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Whether it’s photos from family vacations, work reports, or homework assignments, you may have data on your computer hard drive or mobile device that is too valuable to lose. That’s where data backup comes in. There is a whole day dedicated to its importance: World Backup Day.
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But the backup strategy is not something to focus on only one day of the year. It should be a regular part of your internet cleaning. At this point, consider your last recommendation to back up your data.
Data backup is a copy or storage of important data stored on your device, such as a computer, phone, or tablet, and aims to restore that original data in case of data loss.
Data loss can occur in many forms, from hard drive failure to ransomware attacks and even human error or physical theft. Unfortunately, backups may be the break you’ve been looking for to restore data to your device. Backups are usually stored in a secure location separate from the original device, such as the cloud.
This way, whenever you feel like all your hard work and precious memories are gone, you can be sure that the backup will be there for you.
Types Of Backups: Full, Incremental, And Differential
When deciding on a data backup strategy, there are different types of backups you can perform to help protect your personal data. Depending on the size of the data you want to protect and how often you want to back it up, you can decide between these three data backup options:
Now that you understand what data backup is and the different types of backup you can choose from, let’s look at the importance of backing up your data.
The main reason for backup is to have a safe storage of your important data, whether it is classified documents for business or precious photos of your family, so you can restore your device quickly and without problems in case of loss. information.
However, 20% of people have never backed up their devices by 2022. This may not seem like much, until you put it into perspective that data is often lost:
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So think of data backup as the foundation of your digital disaster recovery plan. By backing up your device, you stay one step ahead of cyber threats that may cause data loss.
However, it is worth noting that data loss is not always the result of cyber threats. It may be the case that your external hard drive or computer wears out and you lose your data. That’s the nature of any hardware, and your backup can help you restore it to a new device.
As a base, you should back up things that cannot be replaced if they are lost. For people, this can include:
For businesses, data backup options get more technical (think backing up customer databases, configuration files, machine images, operating systems, and log files) and usually have an IT department to manage them.
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When choosing a backup solution, a person can consider how the company develops its own backup strategy. Do this by considering recovery point objectives (RPO) and recovery time objectives (RTO):
At the end of the day, the best backup solution is the one that fits your needs, and it’s different for everyone. For this reason, you may want to consider:
As individuals, we are left to determine how much backup storage we need for our devices. For perspective, here are the common storage sizes in some common devices:
Please note that these can vary across manufacturers and device types. Here, we have highlighted four common backup solutions.
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Removable media generally refers to small portable devices, mostly designed to transfer files between devices. This includes CDs, DVDs, and B flash drives, also known as pen drives, thumb drives, or jump drives, all of which are compatible with laptops and desktops.
Unlike other backup technologies, removable media does not come with large storage capacity and no additional security features in case the drive is lost or stolen.
Its size is an indication of its storage capacity, some support as little as 128MB while others can store up to 256GB.
As the name suggests, an external hard drive connects to an external computer or laptop via cable or wireless. Examples of external hard drives can include B flash drives and solid state drives, also known as SSDs.
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Like removable media, external hard drives are portable and easy to use, but they can store large files, from 128GB to 10TB. They are very compatible with computers and laptops.
Cloud backup, or “the cloud” as some call it, allows users to back up to hardware in a remote location. Users can access and manage their data at any time and on any device. on the internet.
Most cloud storage services provide large amounts of storage space (in some cases an unlimited amount) and encrypt the content for data security. Some common cloud storage solutions you may already have include iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox*, all of which are compatible with mobile phones, tablets, desktops, and laptops.
If you have a lot of important data and valuable files, you may want to consider calling a professional to help you back up your data by hiring a backup service.
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This data backup method is similar to a backup administrator in business, which means that you are putting a person or service in charge of backing up your data because they have access to stolen backup software, hardware devices or even a hybrid data backup solution. .
Basically, you are paying for a service to manage and help protect your data. (Most backup services offer encryption.) As with the cloud, you can consider unlimited storage options for this.
The 3-2-1 backup strategy is a way to ensure that your data is properly backed up and can be recovered continuously. Idea: Create three copies of your data in at least two storage solutions, one of which is stored remotely.
There are many options when it comes to backing up your data, each with its own steps and settings. But no matter which data backup option you choose, there are best practices to keep in mind when creating your own backup strategy.
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Do you remember your RPO? The longer you leave between your backups, the more data you will lose. Therefore, make regular and frequent backups.
Especially for mobile phones, app data is one of the most difficult things to back up. because the information can change daily. If you rely on a lot of applications, you may want a backup solution that backs up regularly (daily or more often) without needing to take action, such as turning on automatic updates.
You can save a few pennies by only stocking things you can’t really replace. But data storage can be cheap, so why not backup everything?
In doing so, consider which data storage options make the most sense for which data. For example, if your home is flooded, you may lose physical backups, such as removable media. But cloud backups won’t be, so you might want to consider storing your irreplaceable data there.
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Finally, you don’t have to choose between physical backup and cloud backup. Choosing both is your safest bet because the more space you have to back up your data, the better.
Don’t underestimate the value of having physical copies of things like your bank statements and tax records or even your home title. It’s a good idea to keep physical files of your most important documents in addition to backing up any digital data you have.
Your documents are probably the most important part of your data backup, so take the time to organize them. That way, you can be sure you have backed up everything you need.
As we evolve into a world full of digital citizens, backup should not seem like a chore. They should give you peace of mind that you have done everything possible to protect your important information and precious memories against the unknowns of life.
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