Create a plan to back up your data
If you’ve ever accidentally deleted a Word document, you know it’s easy enough to recover an unsaved document. If your hard drive crashes, it’s a little more difficult to recover your data, but it’s not impossible.
But what if your systems become infected with ransomware and all your files are inaccessible until you pay the ransom? Your systems contain information on payroll, inventory, client financial information and other sensitive data. Customers count on you to ensure the safety and security of their confidential and even nonconfidential data.
Without being able to recover data quickly, your organization loses valuable time and money on recovery that you should be spending on new development and sales. You also suffer a loss of reputation as your customers lose confidence in your ability to protect their data and keep their best interests at heart.
Backing up your data has never been more important.
Next steps
- Follow the 3-2-1 rule: Keep at least three copies of your data, store copies on two different types of storage and store at least one copy off site.
- Choose a backup tool that allows for easy recovery and recovery testing: The reason you are using a backup tool is the reassurance that you can recover if/when necessary, so it’s critical to test the tool periodically to ensure it works as intended.
Ensure the backup allows for full recovery of your data, not just file recovery: If the primary data center needs to be recovered at an alternate location, it may be necessary to recover to new hardware. Recoveries should be tested to the alternate data center.
SOURCE: WIPFLI