If the thought of losing all your files and records concerns you, a backup and recovery plan should already be in place. A solid backup solution saves a copy of your information at regular intervals, ideally in a format that can be quickly retrieved in an emergency. But once you have a solution running, how often should you actually be saving copies of your data?
Information is vital to the success of most modern companies. How long could your organization realistically function without access to its records? If you lost all your customer contact details, financial files, stock inventory, and other critical information, could you still serve your clients?
Having a reliable, secure, and easily retrievable copy of your data is the only way to have true peace of mind. The right approach will vary depending on the volume of information you’re protecting and how business-critical it is. Many organizations now use off-premises solutions, storing copies in the cloud rather than relying solely on a physical device on-site.
The Importance of Data Backup For Businesses
When your organization is connected to the internet, it is exposed to a wide range of threats and vulnerabilities. No company is too large or too small to be targeted by hackers, ransomware, viruses, or phishing scams.
Over half the businesses that suffer a major data loss incident will close within the following 12 months, and those that survive are likely to face revenue losses and lasting reputational damage.
While most online threats can be guarded against with professional cybersecurity services, no organization can guarantee absolute security. For this reason, it is essential to have a reliable copy of your files that can be quickly restored if the originals are lost, stolen, or corrupted. Recovery capabilities are a vital part of maintaining business continuity after an incident. If your organization is unfortunate enough to experience a loss event, getting back up and running as quickly as possible is critical. To minimize downtime and restore your information quickly and seamlessly, you need the right backup and recovery processes in place.
What are some security issues related to backups?
Having an effective backup strategy is not a substitute for professional cybersecurity. There are plenty of ways a threat actor can cause damage while leaving your files intact, and your backup copies themselves need to be secured with the same level of diligence as the rest of your network. Even if you are using a public cloud service, you remain responsible for securing access to your cloud assets. This is why it is important to protect your saved copies with strong passwords and other security controls.
The 3-2-1 Method
A widely recommended rule of thumb for protecting your files is called the “3-2-1 Principle,” considered best practice because it calls for:
- At least 3 copies of your data.
- Stored on at least 2 different types of media.
- With at least 1 copy held in a separate location.
An example of a solution that follows this principle would be saving your server to a local NAS drive and also copying it to a cloud storage platform. This gives you 3 copies of your information across two different media types (the original, one physical NAS copy, and one in the cloud), with the cloud copy physically separate from the original server and the NAS device. Even if an office fire destroyed both local copies, you would still have a version in the cloud that could be recovered to a new server once you were set up again.
How Often Should a Business Back Up Its Data?
It is good practice to save copies of important files frequently, but at a minimum, once every 24 hours. The right frequency for your organization will depend on how reliant you are on your data and how much historical information you need to keep operations running. Here are some factors to consider:
- How much information do you have to protect?
What is the estimated volume of files on your servers at any given time? The more you have, the longer each save operation will take and the more storage capacity will be required. - How often is your information updated?
If your records change infrequently, you may not need to run copies as often. However, some organizations update their files so regularly that even a few hours of changes could make an older version useless. These companies may need more frequent saves or even real-time continuous protection. - What hardware are you using to store your copies?
Are your backup devices separate from the primary servers, or part of the same system (meaning a single failure could take out both)? Ideally you should follow the 3-2-1 method described above and keep at least one copy off-site. - How much time and budget do you have available?
Ideally, the majority of your backup operations will be automated and scheduled at regular intervals. Manual processes are time-consuming and harder to scale as your needs grow.
What Are the Different Types of Data Backup?
Understanding the available methods can help you choose the right protection strategy for your organization. The four main types are:
- Full Backup
This method copies all files to a storage device or cloud platform. It has the advantage of providing a complete copy of everything in one place, making recovery fast and straightforward. The drawback is that full saves take longer to complete and require more storage capacity. For this reason, they are typically run less frequently. Smaller organizations with critical applications may run a full save daily; for those with large volumes of data, once every 7 days may be more realistic. - Incremental Backup
Incremental saves only capture what has changed since the last operation. So, if you have 1TB of files and add a 1MB document, only that 1MB needs to be saved. This makes incremental saves a practical option for many organizations. Because the volume of data involved is relatively small each time, they can be run as frequently as needed. - Differential Backup
Similar to incremental saves, but with one key difference: differential saves capture everything that has changed since the last full save, rather than since the last incremental one. They are quicker to run than a full copy, but the volume of data captured will grow over time until the next full save is performed. - Mirror Backup
As the name suggests, a mirror is an exact replica of your entire system. All files, including personal documents, the operating system, applications, boot information, hidden files, settings, and installed software, are all copied to a “mirror” drive. Mirror saves can take even longer to complete than a full save.
What Is the Difference Between Backing Up Data and Archiving Data?
While the terms “backup” and “archive” are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings in professional IT management.
- What is a data backup?
A backup is a copy of your files that can be quickly restored if the originals are lost or corrupted. It is important to regularly test that your backups are working and can be retrieved reliably. Unlike an archive, a backup is not designed for long-term storage. - What is a data archive?
An archive is information that has been stored and cataloged for long-term retention. Accurate historical archives are often required for financial compliance and regulatory purposes. - What are the similarities and differences?
Both are methods of storing information, but they serve different purposes. Archives are designed for long-term, cost-efficient retention of historical records. If an archive is lost or corrupted, that information may be permanently gone, as it is often the only copy. Backups and archiving complement each other and can be used together as part of a comprehensive data protection strategy.
How Carden IT Services Can Help With Your Data Backup and Recovery
Protecting your files regularly is not just good practice; it can save significant time and money in the long run. Carden IT Services LLC offers a range of disaster recovery and data protection services, helping your organization maintain continuity and minimize downtime in the event of a loss incident. We can set up automated, scheduled backup systems as well as assist with longer-term archiving needs. Our disaster recovery team can also help you prepare for, prevent, and recover from serious incidents including breaches, ransomware attacks, and other system-wide crises.
By combining data protection, failover solutions, cloud services, and recovery planning, you can reduce the impact of most IT disasters and prevent them from threatening the stability of your organization. Learn more about our services here, or speak to our team today to get started.
