Cyberthreats are rising in cleverness, number, and impact while remediation expenses are overtaking cybersecurity insurance payouts.
There is cause for concern if your backup and recovery strategies are out-of-date since secure data is linked directly to business results. You want your data to be restorable and clean.
Best Backup and Recovery Practices
Examine Your Backup Reports
This might seem like a no-brainer. Yes, you examine them. The issue is that it’s simple to just take a quick look at the backup report email, see the summary looks fine, skim over glitches that always appear, and close the email. If you do this, you might be missing a vast amount of pertinent information in the backup report. The best practice: take the time to review all the information.
Boost Backup Frequency
Due to ransomware, data centers must boost the frequency of backups. Every night isn’t enough. All data sets must be protected several times per day. New technologies allow quick backups of practically any data set in minutes. Businesses must consider some type of intelligent backup that performs frequent and quick backups.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule
The 3-2-1 backup rule is a vastly recognized and accepted set of best practices for data backup and recovery. It entails having three copies of data, using two different storage formats, and storing one copy off-site.
The main goal is to improve data resilience and protection while protecting against threats like physical disasters, system failures, or cyberattacks. It is a tactical framework to guarantee data can be efficiently and quickly restored during crucial situations. By using redundancy in the backup strategy, the 3-2-1 rule drastically decreases the danger of total data loss and helps organizations continue to function even during power outages or cyberattacks.
Perform Regular Manual Test Restores
Several backup software solutions test a backup after it’s been created. You should always perform a manual test restore regularly for each backup job. Test the whole process from beginning to end. Pick a daily backup or an archive backup, access it, operate the restore job, and then check the results. Whether it’s a Microsoft Word document or email, you’ll know they can be restored since you’ve tested it yourself.
Document Policies and Procedures
Data backup policies are pre-established strategies where business applications are copied and backed up to guarantee recoverability in case of a disaster. If a company suffers a disruption or shutdown, clearly stated data backup policies, procedures, and chain-of-command communication policies can aid organizations in reacting immediately.
The ever-increasing danger of cyber threats signifies that all organizations must have updated backup policies and action plans in place in case of a catastrophe. Data loss could result in financial ruin. In severe cases, it could cause a company to shutdown.
Choose a Backup Storage Method
When it comes to backup and recovery, choosing the right storage method is critical for guaranteeing the availability and safety of your data. Two common choices to consider are cloud or on-premises storage. Each has benefits and considerations, so knowing their differences will assist you in making an informed decision.
On-premises storage entails setting up and managing your backup infrastructure from your physical location. It gives total control over your data and might be suitable for businesses with strict compliance and security requirements. On-premises backups offer quick access to data and can be ideal for critical systems that necessitate immediate recovery. However, it requires investing in software, hardware, and maintenance costs upfront. Moreover, it might need more flexibility and scalability of cloud-based storage.
On the contrary, cloud storage provides off-site data storage managed by a third-party provider. It offers affordability, scalability, and simple access from any place with an internet connection. Cloud backups don’t require hardware investment and maintenance, as the provider manages security and infrastructure. However, it is critical to consider network bandwidth, data privacy, and compliance regulations when choosing cloud storage.
The best choice depends on your company’s specific needs such as:
- Budget
- Data volume
- Security requirements
- Recovery time objectives
Numerous businesses take on a hybrid approach, using both cloud and on-premises storage for various data types. This approach provides scalability, redundancy, and flexibility in data backup and recovery.
Encrypting Your Backup Data to Heighten Privacy and Security
Encryption is a vital practice for safeguarding the privacy and security of your backup data. By encrypting your backup data, you attach a layer of protection that improves the total security of your backups.
Encryption entails changing your backup data into an unreadable format using encryption algorithms. This method guarantees that even if an unauthorized individual gets access to your backup files, they can’t decipher the information without the encryption key. As a result, your data stays confidential and secure.
Using encryption for your backup data delivers many advantages. First, it aids in safeguarding against data breaches and unauthorized access, diminishing the risks related to storing sensitive information. Next, encryption supports regulatory compliance, confirming your company meets privacy and security requirements.
When contemplating encryption for your backup data, it’s vital to assess the encryption algorithms and critical management practices. Managing encryption keys safely and choosing strong encryption algorithms are critical steps to improve the efficiency of your data backup and recovery technique. Furthermore, encrypting your backup data could also aid in safeguarding your information while stored in the cloud or during transmission.
Whether you choose in-transit encryption (encrypts data during the process of transmission) or at-rest encryption (encrypts data during the process of being stored), both processes impact the complete security of your backup data.
Perform Disaster Recoveries
Disaster recovery is a simulation of a complete loss of your servers. If a loss occurs, you can regain the servers using other servers and adhering to a recognized disaster recovery plan. For small companies, you might have to use a test server to recover one production server at a time.
You can also buy these servers for the day from a disaster recovery center. You can also relocate to your disaster recovery site if you have one and use your backup generator if needed. The disaster recovery will end when the users who depend on that server have tested that its data and applications have been recovered accurately and that your company can resume operations.
A disaster recovery can also assist your technical staff with reviewing procedures, pinpointing deficiencies, and making the necessary changes. Some businesses have closed because they couldn’t recover from a site outage, a loss server, or a complete data loss, Therefore, disaster recovery practices are a big deal.
Build a Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan
A disaster recovery plan includes a set of pre-created procedures and policies that outline the steps to be used in case of a disruption or disaster. It includes practices for system restoration, data recovery, and the needed resources and personnel included in the recovery process.
When crafting a comprehensive disaster recovery plan, many chief considerations must be recalled. Firstly, you must recognize the crucial systems and data necessary for immediate recovery. Perform a complete assessment to prioritize your assets based on their significance and possible effect on business operations.
Next, establish RTOs (recovery time objectives) and RPOs (recovery point objectives) for your data and systems. RTO states the suitable downtime for each system or process, while RPO determines the greatest amount of good data loss.
Additionally, explain the roles and responsibilities of each person involved in the recovery process. This guarantees clear coordination and communication while executing the disaster recovery plan.
By constructing a comprehensive disaster recovery plan, you boost the efficiency of your backup and recovery practices. It allows your company to respond efficiently and fast to disruptions, decreasing downtime and guaranteeing the continuity of crucial business processes.
Perform Regular Backup Audits and Reviews
Regular backup audits and reviews are vital to a robust backup and recovery strategy. These practices help confirm the integrity and effectiveness of your backup processes, assisting you in positively restoring crucial data in case of system failure or data loss.
During a backup audit, you assess the whole backup infrastructure, including storage devices, backup procedures, software, and hardware. The objective is to assess the complete health of your backups, detect any gaps or vulnerabilities, and take restorative actions to improve the security and dependability of your backup system.
Furthermore, backup audits and reviews offer a chance to examine and alter your backup strategy based on developing technology and changing business needs. As your data increases, new applications are implemented and infrastructure changes, regular audits, and reviews let you adjust your backup processes appropriately.
Let Elevate Help You Protect Your Data
Elevate is a top provider of managed IT services in Denver. When you partner with us, we work with your IT staff to enhance your IT health and risk profile. Our IT leaders will create strategies to protect your IT data, improving your cybersecurity. Schedule a free consultation with us today.