Call for Backup? You’re Gonna Need It

No one likes to anticipate the worst happening – the fact that your entire IT stack and all of the associated data could fall into the wrong hands. Even worse, it could be exploited, held for ransom – or even deleted. 

Given the vast amount of connected devices out there – and the fact that these are growing at an exponential rate – businesses of all kinds need to prioritize security, backups, and recovery.

However, it’s not just large enterprises that are at risk. In fact, stats show that small and medium businesses are much more likely to be targeted by hackers; mainly because they presume companies of this size won’t have the necessary IT security infrastructure in place.

Let’s consider some of the things you should be doing to keep your digital assets safe, sound, and stored correctly.

The Right Storage Solution

Back when floppy disks were a thing, a lot of time was used making a backup hard copy of all of your company’s files and documents took ages. However, that was way back when 1.2 MB was sufficient storage(!). 

Now that the average SMB uses around 512 GB per month, it’s clear that even on-premise servers can struggle to support such capacity targets. Even if they can, the trade-off is usually a slow operating speed – which just isn’t an option for most companies.

These are just some of the reasons why smaller companies are migrating to cloud-based solutions. They offer scalable storage capacity for one – without any latency or downtime. From a backup and security perspective, many cloud solutions providers offer their own data encryption and security tools as standard. 

That said, often solely relying on the software that ‘comes with the service’ isn’t enough. No-one knows the demands, risks, and value of your company data better than you. Making sure it’s protected, stored, and backed up correctly is a strategic decision you shouldn’t take lightly.

Divide & Conquer

You can never be too careful when creating your backup strategy. In addition to using cloud storage; it also makes sense to create a physical hardware copy as well – especially for key data such as financial information, personal details, and any intellectual property or patents you might hold.

Storing a hard copy of such data onsite makes sense to some extent – but it’s also essential that a second copy is stored away from your offices as well: in case of fire, destruction, or theft. 

While the fact it’s stored in the cloud means that there’s certainly reduced risk of anything being permanently destroyed; it’s important to realize that all ‘cloud’ really means is that your data is outsourced remotely to a massive server farm somewhere else. While these are expertly-run and willing to accept accountability for data security, these locations can be compromised too. It never hurts to hedge your bets and ensure that you delegate your backup materials.

Proactive Testing Needed

Ensuring you undertake the right security measures, have sufficient backup capacity, and make multiple copies is just half the battle. Rigorously testing and maintaining backup and system viability is quite another. That’s why scheduling regular backups times – on a weekly or monthly basis is a good idea. 

However, when you’re a small or medium business owner without an IT team (or professional) in-house, this can be tricky to get right – and all too often relies on you or someone else who’s senior (or trustworthy enough) muddling through the process. Doing this is not always a productive use of time or skillsets.

While some cloud backup software solutions providers offer testing and validation as a service – in the same way that they can automate regular backup schedules – from a cost perspective, services like these can quickly add up. 

Appoint A Managed Services Provider

All things considered, if navigating the constantly shifting IT landscape feels like an ongoing challenge for your business, it’s definitely worth speaking to a services provider who can offer impartial advice on the best course of action where backup and recovery are concerned.

With experience in strategy, cybersecurity, and backups, Red Rhino ticks all of the IT boxes. From data encryption to cloud servers; via managed recovery and regulatory compliance obligations – whatever backup and security challenges your business faces, we help you create and implement a strategy that’s tailored to your specific business or industry needs.

Ultimately, safeguarding data is an essential responsibility for any business. Getting it wrong is the easiest thing in the world to do. 

About Red Rhino

Red Rhino provides Managed IT Services, Support and Consulting to businesses in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley including Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, Delta, and White Rock.