Data is the lifeblood of any business, but losing it can cripple a company. In the unlikely event that your hardware is compromised, you could end up losing precious files.
That’s why data backups are essential that any business must implement in 2022. Not only will they help to safeguard your data, but also ensure that you’re able to recover quickly in the event of something unforeseen.
If you’re unsure about how to proceed, then take a look at these six data backup best practices you should implement in 2022.
1. Ensure your data backups are secure
For businesses, you’ll want to ensure that your data backups are secure. This can be a challenge, as hackers and ransomware can wreak havoc on your company. That’s why many businesses opt to ensure their backups are encrypted.
Encrypting your backups not only ensures that your data is protected but also minimizes the risk of your data being compromised. By encrypting your data you will ensure that even if hackers gain access to your network, they won’t be able to access your data.
Encryption also ensures that your data is protected even if your physical backup devices are stolen.
2. Use multiple backups
Another important security measure you should implement is data redundancy. You can have multiple backups of your data, which helps to ensure that even if some of your data is lost, you’ll still have it backed up.
You can opt for three backups, or even more. Having multiple backups gives you peace of mind, knowing that your data is secure.
The more backups you have, the more secure you’re likely to be. Some companies have backups stored in their office, another at their warehouse, and another at a secure offsite location. This reduces the risk that any backup could be compromised by hackers or corrupted.
3. Test your backups
There’s nothing worse than finding out that your data backups are corrupted, or haven’t been backing up your data properly. That’s why you need to test your backups regularly.
Running your backups could be as simple as running a quick test, or you could run a full system test. Running a full system test will test the integrity of your backups, and ensure that your backups can be restored.
Corrupted backups, or backups that haven’t been running properly, can result in you losing valuable data. It can be devastating to a business to lose important data.
Testing your backups regularly, or setting up a backup schedule, can be the difference between you losing important data, and keeping your sensitive data safe.
4. Consider data archiving
The terms data backups and data archiving are often used interchangeably, however, there is a big difference between these two terms. Data backups are files that are created to restore the original files. On the other hand, data archiving is a process of moving old files to long-term storage.
Data archiving is just as necessary for businesses as data backups. It’s a way of keeping old data online without impacting the performance of your hardware.
For example, email communication records can be preserved using email archiving solutions in order to avoid data loss, accidental deletion, reduce storage costs and also meet regulatory requirements.
5. Rotate backups
Next, you’ll want to ensure that you rotate your backups. This simply means that you move older backups to newer backups. This prevents your backups from taking up too much space and ensures that you always have an up-to-date backup.
This rotation process is generally handled by the backup software that you choose. You can set up an automated backup rotation schedule so that you can regularly change out your backups.
Rotation is recommended because if you don’t, your backups could grow very large, leaving you with lots of storage space consuming backups.
6. Consider cloud backups
Finally, cloud backups are becoming more popular by the day. They’re sleek and secure, and they offer businesses the flexibility they need. Cloud backups could be a great investment for your business and could do wonders for your data.
Cloud-based backup solutions allow you to access important business data from anywhere, and they offer state-of-the-art technology that’s built to grow with your business.
They are especially convenient for small businesses that lack IT departments, and they often come with great features that set them apart from traditional backups.
Conclusion
Data backups are a fundamental part of your business. They ensure that your data is protected and that you’re able to recover from any disaster. That’s why it’s essential to follow best practices for backing up your data.
Data backup best practices are constantly changing. It’s important that you stay informed and that you keep up with the latest data backup best practices. These six tips will ensure that you are able to secure your data and safely restore it.
